Free Finding The Soul Bridge (The Soul Fire Saga Book 1) by Zax Vagen Page A

“This looks like a well-organized battle, with few people and a lot of dangerous animals, but by the looks of things, I think the animals are going to meet their end.” Jem studied the drawings as if taking careful note of the whereabouts and purpose of every hunter. “This is a very well thought out plan, if you consider the way these old cave dwellers have developed their hunting plan so as never to lose one of their own.”
    “I want to explore the rest of this cave, if we can, we’ve got nothing else to do anyway.” said Jem. “We may as well keep ourselves busy while we wait for the rain to abate.”
    Jem and Thist had made some crude torches for exploring the cave.
    Thist's chronic distraction had allowed him a good head injury.
    "How’s your head?” asked Jem.
    “I’ll live.” said Thist with an evil smile. “I bet I’ll bump it on the same place soon just to be consistent with the law of ironic happenings.”
    “At least you still have your sense of humour Thist.” said Jem.
    Kelvin nodded, he admired Thist's ability to make sweet out of sour.
    “We’re going to need some more firewood, if this rain doesn’t stop soon. We might have to stay another night.” said Kelvin. “Jem, why don’t the two of us go and see if there is more interesting stuff down this tube?” He pointed down the cave.
    “Yes.” agreed Jem. “Let’s grab some of those torches we made and head on down.”
    Thist would rather damn himself than be left behind. Being left alone made the voices in his head scream louder and he needed the distraction. “I’m coming too.” said Thist. He slung his bag over his shoulder and followed the other two. They always carried their bags so as to prevent scavengers from pilfering them.
    As the darkness gave way to dim torchlight the adventuring trio saw the remnant lingering of an old mine tunnel, cart wheel marks on the ground, chisel and pick axe marks on the walls. “There must have been an ore seam here.” said Kelvin. “The miners must have cut this away for their mining purposes.”
    “What ore?” asked Jem.
    Kelvin shrugged “Mostly Tathan ore I guess, it could even be precious stones, I don't know. What do you think Thist?”
    Thist didn’t respond.
    Thist was just plodding down the tunnel between the other two like a mindless one. Kelvin turned to face him and Thist walked right into him. He noticed Thist’s eyes were rolled up into his head, his whites showing, so he slapped him. Thist staggered back and dropped his torch, he looked at Jem and back at Kelvin and let out a deep throated gurgle, like a confused helpless wail. The echo repeated in all directions before Thist collapsed to his knees. He sat on his legs, his arms lying loose to the ground, his head lolling forward and then he fell to the ground. Kelvin glanced at Jem who looked shocked at Kelvin and then in unison they grabbed Thist and tried to revive him. Kelvin slapped his cheek while Jem propped up his head and called to him. The echoes interfered with the general coherence of speech and both Jem and Kelvin felt a strong feeling of helplessness. “He’s alive!” cried Jem. “His heart beats and he breathes but what is wrong with him?”
    Thist’s eyes shot open, they glowed, like sunlight, a voice emanated from his mouth that was clearly not his own, in a dialect from long ago. Then it was gone. His eyes shut. His face went slack.
    Kelvin’s mouth hung open. He could not believe what he had just felt. He could sense thoughts of other people; he could not read minds as such but thoughts he could sense as they happened, albeit roughly. Jem saw that he was disturbed and just blurted. “What? What?”
    “I’ve never met anybody with more people inside them than one.” he shook a finger at Thist, “There are strange things going on inside our friend, there are strange people in him, very strange.”
    Thist’s torchlight flickered out leaving a smoking ember, Jem and Kelvin's torches were failing