Together, the two made their way through the planes and traveled into the night. The shamans began to rise from the shadows in the fields and make their return. They patrolled the area with the darlurchs by their side. Hanali and Evalieh took shelter in a small damp crevice between the rocks and weeds. It was chilly and smelled musty where old roots remained in the cracks.

“What are they doing here again? I thought they were gone,” Evalieh said.

Hanali shrugged and tried to peek out of the hole. A darlurch stomped by, snorting, scaring him back inside. “I don’t know, maybe they only come out at night. This is their territory after all,” he said.

“Well, whose territory is it supposed to belong to? Take it back—fight them!”

“We can’t. It used to be a shared area between the Earth Clan and Sun Clan. After the shamans destroyed these fields, no one wanted to come back.”

“That makes no sense.”

“You can’t see it where we’re at, but further into the fields there’s a large gash in the island. Its where the Sky Clan used to sit and where the Shaman Clan used to be connected to the island.”

Evalieh bumped his head against the rocks and groaned. “What does that have to do with the shamans lurking around here at night?” he said.

“I don’t know, Evalieh. I only know as much as mother told me. I’ve never come this far, so I never questioned it.”

Evalieh sighed and balled up, wrapping his arms around his knees in the tight space. He couldn’t blame Hanali for not having all the answers. It was frustrating having to find out for himself, but he felt compelled to unravel all the mysteries that might arise.

The next day, the shamans had disappeared again, to Evalieh’s relief. He popped out of the hole, stretched, and smiled at the sun. He winced, feeling a sharp pain shoot through his feet. After all their walking, his feet were feeling stiff and sore. 

Hanali scooped Evalieh up on his shoulders. “I’ll carry you,” he said. Evalieh tried to get down, but Hanali tightened his grip. They wobbled and stumbled across the grass as Hanali tried to stable himself. His knees buckled and his arms trembled under Evalieh’s weight.

Evalieh blushed, turned his nose up, and folded his arms along Hanali’s head. “So annoying. You’re just like your mother—I don’t need babying,” he said.

Even though the journey was a little wobblier, they made good headway towards the hills in the northeast. Every now and then, Evalieh would pluck the compass from Hanali’s neck and make sure they were headed in the right direction.

By the afternoon, Evalieh and Hanali’s stomachs were growling again. Without saying anything, Hanali sat Evalieh off to the side and dove into the weeds.

Evalieh scowled with annoyance. He appreciated the time Hanali took to find them food and carry him, but he didn’t want to tell him that. If I tell him anything, that’ll just make him want to do more for me—I’m not helpless, he thought. With a squeal and a grunt, Hanali came tumbling out of the weeds wrestling another tomato. To Evalieh’s annoyance, he had to witness another vegetable die and have its goo eaten. However, when he chomped on this tomato, its body was firm and sweet. He nodded with delight and ate the entire thing, feeling less guilty and awkward than before. Was he getting use to this already, he wondered.

The further they traveled, the weeds began to shorten, leaving behind dust and dirt. There were no more craters, but rock grew taller and wider. It was a maze of rocks with only sunbeams between the cracks to guide their path. “What is this place, Hanali?” Evalieh asked.

“Aftermath from the shamans, I guess.”

Evalieh looked around, feeling nervous. He wasn’t going to let Hanali get too far out of sight. They continued until a great chasm appeared in the land, separating the planes. Wooden bridges had collapsed, and wooden lifts and scaffolding lined each side of the chasm walls. Evalieh stepped along the edge, and the chasm depths appeared to vanish into a black abyss. The chasm echoed an eerie wind, and the wood remains creaked and rattled. He stepped back feeling queasy, remembering the last time he fell into something so dark. “What is this place?” he asked.

“Hey, not so close. This is an old mining sight. These rocks are probably unstable,” Hanali said.

“I’m not a child, I think I can manage. Besides, what’s with all this blackness. I can’t see any further than a few feet.”

“If I remember correctly, mother said, the Moon and Earth Clan used to mine this area. It was rich in illuma-ore. It’s a fancy stone that comes in different colors but has a bright glow.” Hanali inspected the remains of the broken bridge and tapped his foot along the scaffolding. He was checking to see if they were strong enough to carry his and Evalieh’s weight.

Evalieh paced around and kept a watchful eye on the chasm. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being a child and wanted to prove that he could be useful. He looked back at Hanali and grit his teeth because he wanted to prove his worth and be helpful. “I’m not a child…I can be more useful than you.”

“What was that?” Hanali asked.

Evalieh flinched, feeling embarrassed. “N-nothing—I’m just keeping a look out.”

Hanali shrugged with a laugh. “Alright then.” He returned to the scaffolding remains and found a narrow path. He continued his inspection.

When Hanali stepped out of sight, Evalieh spun around, twitching his eyes back and forth. He untied his antennas and ruffled his hair, fearing Hanali overhead him. His heart pounded fast, and his body tingled with fear and embarrassment. Tiny purple sparks escaped Evalieh’s fingertips while others sparked along his limbs and feet. His eyes turned purple, making the evening light look hazy and violet tinted.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, something sparkled within the chasm, drawing him closer to the edge. Evalieh braced himself against one of the bridge’s old creaky posts. It wiggled around against his weight, nearly knocking him off balance. He backed away, stumbling over the ropes and planks that used to hold the bridge together. He stared at the bridge for a moment and a smug smirk stretched across his face.

Evalieh quickly grabbed the bridge’s rope and hastily pulled it up, reeling it into a pile. I’m no child, I’ll show you, he thought. The more he pulled on the rope the heavier it felt. It stretched and rose across the chasm, connecting to the other side. As it tightened, rope threads began to fray and snap. Evalieh strained his muscles and tightened his sweaty grip, he tugged and bucked with all his might. He groaned, feeling his feet slide along the slick dry ground.

“Are you alright? What’s going on over there?” Hanali asked.

Evalieh huffed, trying to catch his breath. “N-nothing! You keep searching for a way across.” The rope slipped a little, burning his hands. He yelped and latched onto the rope. It yanked him towards the edge. He swung his arm and leg around the post and held onto the rope. The wooden post cracked and shifted around. He refused to let go and was determined to prove that he’s found something useful.

“Evalieh, what’s all that noise? Are you alright—I’ll be right there,” Hanali said.

Evalieh tugged on the rope and wrapped it around the post. At the center of the black abyss, something snapped. The rope relaxed and loosened, causing him to fall back. One after the other something crackled and snapped. Vines and ropes had clumped together on the bridge’s rope, weighing it down.

“What are you doing?! You’re going to fall!” Hanali said.

Before Evalieh could move, Hanali grabbed ahold of him and tried to pull him away. His leg was tangled in the rope, causing the post to snap. The force of the rope and vines pulled on the young men, causing the edge to break off and yank them into the chasm.

Everything grew dark and Evalieh cried out for help. The air felt heavy and whipped his body around. It all happened too fast for him to make sense of anything.

Hanali called out to Evalieh but was ignored.

Deep below, a faint light appeared in the distance. Evalieh tingled with excitement and fear, feeling his body seize with an electrical shock. One after the other, little dots of light appeared. The lights were green, and their glow grew wider and father the closer he fell. Rocks and crystals of different colors glowed along the wall, illuminating Evalieh and Hanali’s body.

“Evalieh!” Hanali tumbled and rolled through the air, trying to reach Evalieh. He latched onto Evalieh, tightening his arms and legs around him. Evalieh’s body seized, and ropes of electrical thorns spread around Hanali. They cried out in pain.

Mushrooms took shape in the light and spread their green glow across the particles of pollen and dust floating in the air. Evalieh closed his eyes and smashed into something soft. The impact knocked the air out of him and Hanali was flung off. With a boing sound, the two of them bounced off the mushroom’s head and onto another. Trails of huge bouncy mushrooms lined the chasm below where a sparkling turquoise river cut through the glowing rocks.

Evalieh gasped and felt a rush of excitement rise inside him. His eyes turned green, and a gust of wind surrounded him, slowing his bounce. He was floating through the air on the wind’s current and tried reaching for Hanali. Scaffolding smashed into the ground and a stray plank knocked them into the cold river. Evalieh was chilled to the bone and leaped out of the shallow river. He scurried across the rocky grass and called out to Hanali.

Around the water’s edge, bubbles rose beneath the big lily pads and leaves. Evalieh felt a tinge of fear shoot through his body. He stood up and backed away when the lily pads started to rise. Hanali flung the foliage away, gasping for air. He swam over to Evalieh and flopped onto the ground.

“It’s alright—I’m fine,” Hanali said.

Evalieh trembled closer, feeling overwhelmed. Everything happed so fast, making him feel like he left half his body behind. He was always so organized and careful before coming to the island, but this was all too hard to keep up with. His body felt limp and numb. He fell on top of Hanali, they stared into each other’s eyes. 

Hanali was silent for a moment and then burst into laughter. “Wasn’t that fun?”

Evalieh rolled away and brushed his hair back. “Oh—yes!” He smirked deviously because his antennas were gone again. He was relieved that he no longer looked like a freak. He leaned against a large mushroom and shivered. The cool air wrapped around him as his body dried.

Hanali shuffled closer, slopping wet with every step. “It’s okay, you know. These mushrooms helped us out!” He slapped the mushroom Evalieh was on, causing a cloud of pollen to release into the air.

Evalieh whirled around, a burning anger boiled in his throat. Pollen glittered through the air and distracted him. His eyes grew wide with awe, and he smiled. “What is this place?”

“This is part of the chasm where people used to mine ore,” Hanali said.

“But it’s so beautiful.”

“Most things are if you leave them alone. I guess, after the miners left, the plants started to grow.”

“But why is it so dark? If it wasn’t for these mushrooms and ores, I couldn’t see my own hands.”

Hanali scratched his head and walked on, inspecting the chasm walls. “I’m no expert, but I’m guessing this darkness is something natural. If you look along the wall, it collects like dust. It’s probably something that helps produce the glow we see.” He shrugged and beckoned Evalieh.

“Do you know where you’re going? How will we get out of here?” Evalieh asked.

“No, I’m just following the river’s flow. Surely, it’ll lead us somewhere.”

Evalieh looked around, hoping he could find a way out. The dark abyss hung over their heads and crept around them like a thick blanket. The rocks and leaves around them started to shake. Leaves started to bellow out from the mushrooms and ferns along the walls. Evalieh scurried closer to Hanali, closing the gap between them. He peeked around Hanali’s shoulder as trumpet-shaped flowers budded out from the leaves and spread their lilac petals. They giggled and covered their petals, acting shy.

Evalieh’s eyes grew wide, and he clung onto Hanali’s arm. “What are those, Hanali?” The flowers cascaded across the wall and followed the two of them.

Hanali looked and the flowers turned away. “Oh, those are the Earth Clan’s Morning Lories. They’re a special breed of morning glories that enjoy growing in strange places.” He looked closer at their petals and shook their leaves as if it were a handshake. The petals opened wider and revealed an impression of a soft round face sitting within the center of the flower.

Evalieh inspected the flowers. “Can you help us?”

The cave rattled, startling the flowers. They cowered behind their leaves and hid in the shadows of the rocks. Evalieh and Hanali looked around the cave. Ahead of them a group of lights appeared in the darkness. It grew bigger alongside the rush of feet stamping the ground.

“Do you see that?” Evalieh asked.

Hanali stepped in front of Evalieh, brushing him back with his arm. “I’m sure it’s just the mushrooms.”

An old wrinkly face cut through the darkness, frightening the young men with a jolt. They stepped back and more faces appeared in the oil lamps they held. It was a whole town of people dressed in patches of clothes and swaths of fabrics. They looked angry and frightened. “What’s going on here? Who are you?” They asked.