Fi said when they arrived, sweeping an arm out to the side.
The great maw was shrouded in shadow, threatening to swallow them.
"Hold my hand," Fi said. "It's about to get very dark. If you don't know where you're going, you'll get lost."
Tressa took a deep breath, letting the darkness envelop her.
"Only a few more steps, Tressa. I promise." Fi squeezed her hand twice. "We can't light a torch quite yet. Someone could see from the sky. Occasionally the other realms send scouts to see if we are truly gone. It's an illusion we want to maintain."
Tressa looked to her right. Fi's eyes glowed in the dark. A bright sapphire. "Your eyes!" Tressa said. "I've never seen anything like it before."
"It helps me see in the dark," Fi said. "Usually when I'm in human form, I let my human eyes show. When I'm in the dark, it's easy to give in to a slight change so I can see better."
"Were you born human or dragon?" Tressa asked. "I mean, if it's not too personal to ask."
"Not at all. I was born a dragon. I am the great-niece of the highest-ranking dragon in the Charred Barrens. My father was born a dragon. Yet, there are many, many humans living underground with us. We feed them. Protect them from harm. It's very peaceful. I think you'll like it here. Now close your eyes for a second. The light from the flame can be jarring."
Tressa did as she was told. She could still see the warm orange glow through her closed eyelids. Slowly she opened her eyes to the light in the cave. Her hand slipped out of Fi's, and Tressa ran her fingers along the cave wall.
Pictographs dotted the walls. Dragons stood with men against giant beasts she didn't recognize, the beasts slashed with red. Further on the dragons and men stood in triumph. "It's beautiful. Who drew these?"
"Once, long ago, the dragons stood as equals with man. We protected them and they worked in harmony with us."
"But all of the realms are ruled by dragons." Tressa thought of Jacinda, Queen of the Yellow in Risos. Of Stacia, the Queen of the Blue, whom Tressa had defeated in battle. She knew the Red Queen ruled over the north. Another likely ruled in the Meadowlands.
"It wasn't always that way." Fi motioned for Tressa to follow her deeper into the cave. "Some realms were ruled by men. Some by dragons. Sometimes they shared the throne. That was the case here for a very long time. My great-uncle was elected by the people here to be their ruler. He did not take the throne by force, as has been the case with the other realms."
Tressa followed Fi’s light through the caves. Strangely, she felt her energy returning. As if the caves themselves were healing her.
"It's not much farther now," Fi said. "We're almost there. I do have to warn you, though. People will be expecting you. We are a friendly realm. No one fears another, so people will not hesitate to approach you."
"As long as they welcome me and don't fear me..." Tressa said, thinking of her bloody tears and partial wings.
Fi laughed. "They won't. Trust me." She stopped just outside an opening in the rocky walls. "Ready?"
Tressa nodded. She wasn't, but there was no point in putting it off any longer. Balling her fists, she followed Fi into the cavern.
Chapter Six
Tressa stood on a precipice. Her eyes grew wide. Below her was a city. Buildings, some more than ten levels tall, sprouted from the ground. Streets were filled with vendors and customers going about their daily business. Children played in a green park, their mothers watching over them. Beyond the small city she could see farmland, cattle grazing and pigs rooting.
"What?" It was the best she could formulate.
Fi grinned. "I told you we had a whole community down here. You didn't believe me."
"I did," Tressa said, "but on this scale? I hadn't thought it possible underground."
"This is a large cave system. You're looking at the largest portion."
"You mean there's more?" Tressa asked. How could there be? This chamber alone was bigger than Hutton's Bridge. Her town had hundreds of villagers. There had to be thousands here.
"Oh yes. This is just the first cavern. There are ten beyond this place."
"Ten?" Tressa knew she sounded like a bird that repeated its master's words. Still, she couldn't manage to formulate a more intelligent thought.
"We are headed to the third. It is my home. It's where the healers will