Four
children live in a small village that is
nestled in between a mountain range, a valley and an
ocean. They live simply and peacefully, often exploring the nearby woods
and valleys for food and adventure. One day while out searching for
chickleberries, they stumble across a hidden entrance that leads them
into a previously unexplored cave. They explore the cave, looking for
adventure and any other possible entrances. Before they know it, the
adventurers are hopelessly lost in the maze of dark tunnels
Muscala
has lived in this dark cave for many moons and tells them the story
of a missing amulet that he has been searching for. His searches have
always been unsuccessful. The amulet belongs to a sorcerer named Lotor,
and Muscala explains that if he returns the missing amulet to the sorcerer,
he will become Lotor’s right hand man. Muscala believes that he
knows where this amulet is, but admits that it is in a location that
he can’t physically get to. Muscala makes the children an offer,
realizing that they are smaller than he and that they can travel through
the tunnels that he cannot. He tells them to go and find the amulet,
and if they do, he will help them rescue the trapped child. He explains
further that if they don’t, the trapped child will die. The children
realize that they don’t have a choice in the matter, and head
off in search of the gem. Along the way, they find other mysterious
creatures, unexplained magic, and answers to some of their unanswered
questions.
As
they try to find their way through the dark labyrinth they encounter
various creatures that call the darkness home - some good, some evil.
One
of these creatures tells them where they can find another entrance
and, as they search for it, one of the children falls. A rescue seems
hopeless, as they don’t have the proper supplies, and they have
no idea where they are so they can’t go for help. As they realize
this, the one creature that lives in the cave, Muscala, confronts them.
He offers to help them get the trapped child out of the abyss, but
this offer does not come from the goodness of this creature’s
darkened heart.
This
is a touching story of love and courage, successes and failures. It
is one of magical stones, mysterious creatures, and tales of dragons
that lived long ago. More importantly, however, it is a story of dreams,
both imagined and shattered.
The
journey through the cave is one that becomes the journey of a lifetime
that leads to the children learning a lot about themselves and each
other. The challenges that they deal with in the tunnels of darkness
force them to make adult decisions and ultimately take them into a world
only seen in their dreams.
