The weapon had killed everyone in the cavern.
At least a thousand or so people… dead… Her geoptic skin was damaged and itchy, her gemstone bones made her whole body ache and thump with each heartbeat. Her eyes were burning like the sun but she was the only one to walk away… She was the only one to live. She had to believe Veyra wasn’t down there at the time. She dropped to her knees, exhausted. Forcing herself to look down at the map again fresh hate drowned out the grief. She had time, especially if they had to make whatever that orb was portable. The blue still burnt, replaying behind her eyes whenever she blinked. The feeling of Zane’s hand on her shoulder… Gods… How could it all be over? Vomit rose and before she could stop it, it spewed out onto the dirt.
It took a near day of shuffling, pained, until the tunnels lead to a village. She pled and people were kind enough to offer food and water and took as much rest as she could before continuing on to the mountains.
The shop is where she shared her knowledge of an ingredient spell for food and clothes. The clothes were itchy and its fuzzy brown colour would make her stick out. Yet, it was better than hyperthermia.
So, she began her trek. Alone with only her map and compass. She looked up at the mountains, the coming clouds covering the tips of them and Isadora felt smaller then the specks of snow she trodden on.She rolled up the map. She gripped her amulet tightly.
At least she wasn’t cold from the exertion of running up the gradual forming mountains. The more she walked up the more she saw these mountains gave Drocon another level, like an entirely new floor. It reminded her of the second floor of a house. The towering mountains separated any clouds which passed over the top. They weren’t just cone shaped but stretched outwards, disfigured-like. Every mountain was different and connected through natural bridges. There were new forests with branches thin as straw and bark grey and lifeless-looking as grass collected under it. While some animals dug dens of snow for their offspring with their huge, heavy paws other animals charged through power white. It would have gone up to their neck if not for their shapely paws, wide and thin so they glided, propelling them forward with their strangely shaped tail and body weight.
The cold hit her head as snow tumbled off a ledge from a bird-like creature landing on the edge of it. Isadora felt boxed in from these strange formations and had never been somewhere so alien, everything was a bright white, with few trees dotted around and heard animal calls grow faint- a lethal beauty.
At first the rocks were flat enough to easily walk up, the snow slowing her down, but the higher she went the steeper it became. The rock became walls which she struggled to climb, catching sharp points on her clothes at times and left her red in the face from effort, her fingers had grown numb but, for now, she had enough energy to keep moving to keep warm.
She continued her journey across the snowy desert while following the map while the sun travelled across the sky like it was walking with her. She gripped her amulet around her neck. , she thought. Once night had fallen Isadora grew concerned as darkness brings danger. However according to the map she was not far, and Isadora thought that if she stayed out here for a night, without moving or any fire for heat she would die from the cold. Sleep would have to wait.
She took in a deep breath, concentrating herself. Sprinting forward as fast as she could bolted upwards, higher than anyone normally could. With her legs a blur, arms flailing like she was crazy and mind in full panic from the danger of the situation. Her arms grabbed at anything, feet hitting into the rocks natural gaps. Thankfully her toes were too numb for her to feel the pain she extended a hand to the top of the ledge. But then the enchantment wore off. The ledge was taken away from the drop her but se grasped of some rock below it. Heart hammering she didn’t think and immediately starting climbing up with great effort. Her hand shot over the edge, digging into the snow and hauled her over the sharp rocks, cutting her clothes. “Yes!” She yelled in victory as she rolled away from the edge. She wasn’t sure if she was going to make it over, she thought to herself as her face flushed red.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Her skin was starting to hurt. The gemstones within her geoptic body were making the situation worse. She noticed a short, bony creature with its antlers spinning like a ton of tiny fans. It stood on its toes and its feet were comparatively long like a ballet dancer on point. Its nose was elongated and had the same colour as the grey, dead trees. She didn’t have the energy to stand, like the cold was feeding off of her, and she let it bound away. She would need to find a place to rest soon.
The Red Soldiers were strapping their armour on, holstered their shining swords and after stuffing themselves with all manner of meats they continued on their journey. Walking onwards as snow replaced the trees Isadora’s small footprints, easily miss-able, was crushed by steeled feet as the army went to the mountains, ready to split heads!
Isadora’s eyes slid open. A fresh coating of snow covered her. In a daze she thought she saw a tall, bearded figure. He had his back to her with a long leather cloak. ‘Hello?’ She groaned. In a lazily blink whoever was there was gone. Looking around the white desert she barely had the strength to move. She didn’t know how her heart continued to beat but wished she had such resolve.
Dusting off the thin layer of fresh snow the sunlight did nothing to warm her skin. Shaking and pained and numb she opened the map and walked forward.
She tried to focus on anything else but the growing pain of icy needles, like her breath in front of her but it was futile.
It took hours but when she managed to haul herself up another small rock wall, ripping her clothes more so, she saw it! Her eyes settled on a castle. Hurrying, she pulled out her map- yes! That was the exact location! It was more then she could have hoped for. In there she would be warm. Perhaps someone could help her. No, she was getting ahead of herself, first she had to find a way in.
With a quickened walk from the new surge of hope, no longer praying to a map but certain she could make it, she limped through the snow and past the rocks towards the castles bridge.
Fog hid the ground far below the bridge so she couldn’t tell how far down the ground was but the bridge was grand and she wouldn’t fall. Her feet slapped against the brick as she hurried herself along, but stopping to find any hints of why this castle was so important to Harold the Red King, to discover why he wanted it destroyed. Considering his coming genocide of everything magical, it would be related to that.
Once at the front gates, golden patterns dancing along the stone caught her eye but sharp pains in her fingers brought her back to reality. She wasn’t safe yet.
Locked. Looking to her left she saw a small window in the wall, thanks to years of malnutrition she may be thin enough to squeeze herself through. Pressing her back to the wall she shuffled her feet along the ledge to the window. Her mouth went dry her heart pounded so hard she thought it would pull her off the edge. The ground swallowed in fog appeared bottomless.
First foot she shuffled along… second foot shuffled along… the first food again. She tried to sink into the wall further. Suddenly her hand slide inwards to a window, but felt no triumph yet. Sliding her arm through slowly turned and stuck her head in, and it hurt against the rock but managed to get both arms in. She gritted her teeth as she pulled her body through, her hips and chest hurt the most against the grating rock. Pushing on her numbed fingers didn’t let the tightening of her chest stop her and forced to breathe regularly. Letting out a quiet squeal as her legs slipped through. Now she felt relief, falling back onto the snow. Pained, but she had made it into the castle grounds!
