Lilo Talei
We found Thaddeus, and holy shit we found a ton of other stuff too. I’m starting to think that the ropes course or whatever was just a distraction so no one would find this half-underground TREASURE HOARD!! The way I gasped when we walked in.
Gold? Yep.
Gemstones? Enormous!
Weird old books? Sure, why not?
It looks just like the dragon hoard from that book Mom used to read me when I was a kid. Minus the dragon, of course.
Ariel and I stumbled into the cave from the spot where we slept overnight, and I guess Thaddeus found his way in through some back passageway, because he looked just as surprised as we did when he noticed everything in the cave. I’d’ve believed him if he’d said he was looking for a place like this, but he insisted he’d just been trying to find a way back to us.
Ariel started totally chewing him out, though, about how his issues with authority and structure were the reason he left his family in the first place, the reason he picked “such dumb-ass crimes” (I have to admit that got a chuckle out of me!), and the reason we were all in this mess now.
It hadn’t occurred to me until that moment that a cavern full to the brim of unimaginable riches, free for the taking, could be considered a mess by anyone in their right mind. But to each their own, I guess.
Ariel seemed really anxious to find a compass to help get us out of this cave, said she wanted to get us back on track as soon as possible. We didn’t eat much last night, so maybe she’s just hangry, but I think the mountains have put a damper on her mood in general. She’s been crabby for a couple of days now. We’ll get out of here sooner or later, I’m sure.
I’m going to do a quick walk-around and decide what I can reasonably carry for the rest of this trip. At this rate, I might not even need that last big job.
Oh my gosh, Ariel and Thaddeus are fighting about something and she’s calling him a murderer. That’s rich, coming from her of all people. I’m not even sure if he’s figured it out yet. I probably ought to tell him at some point.
Oh, she’s leaving. There goes my walk-around. Guess I’ll just grab whatever I can.
Thaddeus Diggory
An unfortunate turn of events today. As it turns out, the organization I was supporting with my money laundering scheme is the same organization responsible for the (accidental! untimely!) death of Ariel’s sister, Esther. She, of course, decided that I was personally and intentionally responsible for the cold-blooded murder of the only person who ever loved her, and stormed out of the cave where they found me this afternoon. I followed her out, thinking we could smooth things over and clear the air, and I assumed Lilo was behind me until I heard a heavy thud at the entrance of the cave, where a large metal gate had thundered down from the ceiling, trapping Lilo inside.
She’d stolen something, of course, and that somehow triggered the locking mechanism on the gate. I can’t help but wonder who took the time, in a place like this, to build a dungeon full of riches. Where did the gold even come from? How long were these people stuck in Ravenswing? Did they resign themselves to dying here and attempt to build some kind of miniature empire instead? And where did they develop the necessary technology to construct a fortress like this? It’s enough to drive me mad with curiosity.
But I digress. Lilo has all the water in her bag, so even if we’d wanted to leave her behind, we couldn’t. Ariel and I are attempting to find a way to get her free, and I’m not sure Ariel won’t slit my throat as soon as we’re finished.
All because I couldn’t follow directions. I just had to prove that I knew best, that my way was the superior one.
Will I never learn?
Ariel Irene
These IDIOTS!
Esther, I was right—Thaddeus was funding Marcus’ gang, and he somehow has the stones to act like he isn’t complicit in your death? To act like we can still be all buddy-buddy and work together?
How the hell did I end up in here with him, of all people? It’s too much to be believed!
We spent all evening trying to lift the gate that locked Lilo in the treasure cave because—go figure—she couldn’t help herself and just HAD to go and pick up a few things to take back to the outside world. As if we’ll ever see the outside world again, at this rate. We didn’t have any luck lifting the gate, and as far as we could tell from muffled shouts through the gate, Lilo didn’t notice any way out from the inside.
She did notice a few skeletons, though. So that’s encouraging.
You’re reading The Ravenswing Report, a rapid-fire, limited-run serial from Sara Dietz at Blinking Blue Line. To learn more and access the Table of Contents, click here.
No, Lilo! Death trapped alone in a cave is definitely high on my list of fears. 😬
I’m starting to think this story won’t have a happy ending.