The PriZin of Zin Read Free

illuminating the entire cavern.
    “There,” Morgan said. He pointed back across the water from where they’d come.
    There across the lake was a bubbling, boiling mound of molten lava flowing down from its source higher up. It hissed and spit while churning its contents over and over again in the huge pit.
    “It’s a volcano,” Ian said.
    “Close,” Morgan jumped in. “It’s the bottom of a volcano. The top is up there,” his finger extended upward toward their homeland, “where we were hunting. That’s why the water is so warm. It’s like a hot spring down here.” He sniffed the air, taking in the heavy smell of sulfur. “This is an underground river.”
    “And how do we get back up there?” Hunter asked, pointing upward like his father had done.
    “Good question.”
    “Maybe we could ask someone,” Aeryn said.
    “Ask someone?” Ian shot at her. “Ask someone? Who do you want to ask? Look around! There’s no one here, in case you didn’t notice!”
    “Don’t yell at her,” Hunter jumped in. “Besides, you don’t know. We’re down here, aren’t we?”
    Ian snorted and jerked his head around.
    “Just look,” Aeryn kept going, unfazed. “There’s vegetation, a whole forest over there, and a lake.” She looked up toward what should be the sky. A rock ceiling and slick, gray, slate walls locked them away from their own world above. Floating as high as it could without escaping through the makeshift roof, was a fine mist rising from the warm water of the hot spring. It glistened from the light of the volcano, illuminating the entire sky like clouds in sunshine. “There’s oxygen, water, light, heat, and shelter. What else do people need to survive?”
    “Um, food,” Hunter said dryly.
    “I’ll bet there’s food in the forest.” She turned and walked toward the thick vegetation.
    “Be careful,” Hunter blurted out. “Don’t go in there.”
    “I’m not going in, I’m just going to look and see- - - EEEEHHHH!” Her scream jolted the others.  It was followed by another of equal intensity, but not from her.
    Ian bounded to his feet and was at her side in an instant. Hunter and Morgan followed suit.
    Looking around for the source of the second scream, Ian peered through the bushes and there he saw a little pair of frightened green eyes looking back at him. Gently, he pulled some of the underbrush back to reveal a tiny creature, man-like in stature and characteristics, but very, very small. It stood only two feet tall.
    “What is it?” Aeryn asked, pulling more brush back so she could see better.
    “EEEEHHHH!” came the shrieking reply from the little thing.
    “I don’t know,” Ian answered. “But I think- - -”
    “EEEEHHHH!”
    “I think it’s a- - -”
    “EEEEHHHH!”
    “- - -Troll.”
    “I am not a Troll ye eedjit,” the creature snapped back, openly irritated. “I’m a Leprechaun. Learn the difference.”
    “You can speak?” Aeryn stared, eyes mesmerized by the tiny creature.
    “O’ course, I can speak. Can’t ye?” it sighed.
    Taken aback by the question, Aeryn stared back into the severely aged face of this tiny person. Dressed in a dark green suit and floppy, pointed hat, the creature looked like it could be a hundred years old. Skin like leather hung loose and wrinkled over his sagging face with two tired little eyes peering out from under its slouched hat.
    “Why did you scream?” Hunter asked.                           
    “’Cause the wee lassie did, when ye flew down from the world above, and nobody better call me a Troll!” it snapped. “Trolls ’re mean. Gnomes ’re stupid. I am a Leprechaun. Don’t ferget it.”
    “I won’t. I’m sorry,” Hunter said.
    “I am Alastair.”
    “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I was just—”
    “I know what ye were doin’,” it snapped again. “Ye’re jus’ like all the others.”
    “Others?” Morgan jumped, grasping at the tiny glimmer of hope. “There are