Kinkluz Deepclaw's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

The cave system stretched beyond his lights, branches splitting off in three directions. Kinkluz chose the widest passage and swam deeper, his chart board ready. The walls here showed patterns he'd never seen, grooves worn smooth by currents that no longer flowed. He marked distances, angles, the height of each chamber. Hours passed. The deeper passages twisted back on themselves, forming a maze that required constant reference points. Kinkluz planted smaller markers as he went, wedging stones into cracks and tying kelp strips to outcrops. When his supplies ran low, he found what he needed. A wooden chest sat tucked into an alcove, its iron latch crusted with mineral deposits. The wood had weathered badly in the damp cave air, but the hinges still worked. Inside were spare charcoal sticks, extra kelp rope, and emergency rations. Someone had prepared for long stays in these depths. Kinkluz worked until his chart filled both sides of the board. He'd mapped more of this cave than any system before it. Time to return to the entrance, mark his progress, and resupply. He followed his kelp markers back through the passages, counting turns. The tunnel opened into the main chamber. He swam toward where the soul gem blade should be glowing. The water ahead stayed dark. The blade was gone. Only a shallow hole remained where he'd driven it into the cave floor. Kinkluz circled the entrance chamber, searching for the blue glow. Nothing. Without the beacon, he couldn't tell which of the four identical passages led out to the wedged container. He pressed his claw against each opening, testing for current flow. The reef had shifted. No water moved through any of them. Kinkluz turned back toward the wooden chest. He would need everything inside it now. This cave had become his field base, whether he'd planned for it or not. The mapping would continue, but first he had to find another way out.