Familiar's Ancient Throne (Book 2 of the Death Incarnate Saga)

by H. Lee Morgan, Jr

  He pulled out the rope from his bag and wrapped it around her hips and his own. The slack was rolled and sat over his shoulder. She smiled gratefully and looked slightly better with the link to him. “I agree we should find shelter since it was around noon when we entered the forest and we’ve walked for hours. Let’s look for one large enough for all of us. A cave would be ideal…” he looked around and pointed “That small mountain might be a likely place.”

  Snow began falling more heavily and several times Cage had to blink a snowflake from his eyes. It was definitely frigid weather as his cold nose and cheeks explained. Brooke likewise didn’t appreciate the bite of the wind with snow that turned into drops when they melted.

  Suddenly Cage slipped and fell into the snow and he stopped at about hip level. His heart drummed as Brooke yelped at seeing his slight fall. He sighed when nothing else happened and went to pull himself out and froze as he was pulled down an inch. Cage felt a slightly stronger magic than usual and said calmly “Brooke, I fell in a trap. It is like quicksand. Do not get any closer to me.” He turned and looked back to find her worrying her bottom lip. She stayed and made her steed hold position. Cage looked at his predicament and focused on trying to extract himself. The moment his magic started the snow drug him up to his chest. He stopped and so did the suction.

  “Cage!” Brooke screamed.

  “Do not move!” He shouted, knowing she was about to do just that. In a calmer tone he said “I somehow know the layout of this spell trap. If I struggle or use magic, I’ll sink. The only way out is with help. It is a good thing you wanted to be tied together.” He slowly wound his arm on the rope and gripped. The slight movement made him sink another quarter inch. “Pull me out, slowly. Make sure you lead her backwards on our footprints.”

  Brooke wrapped the extra rope around the horse’s neck and had her back.

  Cage relaxed as he felt the tug on his arm. Slowly Brooke managed to pull him out of the trap. She drug him back five feet from the hole his body left behind.

  He stood and said “Thank you, but stay where you are.” Cage carefully walked over and snapped a limb from a tree and broke off all the twigs. He then stepped near his earlier prison and began stabbing the stick around. Sometimes the snow was a few inches deep, others ate the whole length of stick. It took about ten minutes to find the pit a perfect circle about twenty feet across.

  Cage led Brooke around and moved towards the small mountain. At the base he gave her a gentle kiss as thanks for the rescue.

  Thankfully it didn’t take long to find a cave just large enough to accommodate the three of them. Cage went to collect wood, the driest he could find. Upon his return he saw something peculiar as a ten foot patch of snow had been scraped aside to show bright green grass the horse ate with gusto. He sat the bundle down and asked “Brooke, how can such green grass grow in constant snow?”

  She shook her head. “I know not. I saw a blade sitting out of the snow earlier and dug to find such a patch. I do not believe the grass is natural. I think magic somehow keeps the plants living in this perpetual winter. Normal grass, when found in the winter, is always a dead brown… It is beyond my knowledge.”

  He used magic to dry the wood before lighting the fire. Brooke cuddled into his embrace atop the fur she laid out. Cage wondered how magic could alter plants to not only resist cold temperatures, but also thrive without direct sunlight and flourish. His train of thought ended as Brooke said “It is good we found shelter. It is getting dark out.”

  Cage looked out to see as she did and then down to his feet where they caught his attention. He leaned up and touched his feet to find them porous like granite. Usually they are soft and firm. “What is it?” Brooke asked.

  “My feet… I mean the boots are different…”

  Brooke leaned up and touched the stone rough feet. “Odd…”

  “You can say that again.” She smiled, but knew it was a meaningless term that meant he agreed. “I wonder why they are different… could Ceembura have done something he didn’t explain? He said he didn’t have time to explain every aspect… could this be one of them?”

  Brooke then gave a valuable idea. “Could it have anything to do with the snow? Since you cannot wear other types of footwear maybe he made them change for different conditions.”

  “I think you’re on to something… normally my feet aren’t hot, but here they barely got cold. I kept using magic to find any signs of frostbite, especially in my toes. Hmm… I didn’t even realize till now that my footing remained solid, not slipping in the snow… if Ceembura planned for everything on making these then he wouldn’t forget something as simple as snow…”

  “If they change on their own why don’t you put one over the fire and see what happens.” Brooke spoke her thought aloud.

  Cage thought it to be a good idea for a test and did so. His feet got hotter and they watched as the roughness of the skin-boots smoothed out into their original way over the course of five minutes. He then got up and stomped in the snow for a minute and could feel the feet slightly altering to the change of conditions. He returned and smiled. “It seems you were right. They changed to protect me.” He felt them again and found them cold, but not overly so. “I will be careful, but I might not need to worry about the snow so much.”

  “If that is true” she snuggled closer. “help me warm mine up.” She curled up in him and he rubbed her feet, allowing more blood to flow.

  They ate and slept beneath a cave-like overhang and couldn’t have anyone sneak up behind. The fire kept them warm and even the horse laid close. The storm from earlier hit and howled for nearly two hours during the night, but they were secure for the night.

  In the frigid morning Cage woke Brooke as the landscape began to brighten and the whiteout blizzard had passed, leaving a seemingly clear day ahead with perpetual cloud cover. The horse also got up from the low fire and gnawed on the green grass Cage scooped aside with a flat branch. Brooke cooked a warm breakfast stew with the plentiful snow just outside the overhang. Cage also used magic to melt a portion of snow for the horse to gorge on.

  They ate and packed before moving on while the weather permitted. It didn’t snow as they reached the bottom of the mountain yet the cloudy sky persisted and didn’t allow even the outline of the sun to be visible. Brooke didn’t even have to ask about being tied together. The only difference being to the plan is instead of him walking several feet beside the horse, he would lead. If any more traps or pitfalls happened he would have a better chance with her and the horse lagging thirty feet behind with little slack. If he fell again like yesterday she and the horse would pull him out.

  Cage periodically checked his feet to find them cool, but insulated by the magnificent boots that had chosen him. Fire also hardened the boots somewhat he found out before putting it out, but only so much before it started hurting. He remembered Ceembura warning about fire, but plunging them in snow soothed and hardened the flesh again.

  Along the way Cage pointed out dangerous areas where likely avalanches would occur and they avoided the open areas mostly. After another hour Cage sensed a subtle rise in magic and stopped them as he found another pitfall of disguised snow. The stick from yesterday came in handy again as they avoided it, but it could have swallowed an entire house. Brooke remained mostly quiet, warning of dangers he didn’t notice yet as atop the horse she had an advantage of over two feet in height. She stayed quiet for she didn’t want to distract him if he felt something she couldn’t.

  Estimating it to be around the noon hour Cage stumbled upon a frozen area free of trees. “Hey Brooke, we found a large frozen lake. Go across or stick near the trees?”

  She stopped the horse and peered across the expanse. “It is far too exposed for my liking and who knows what new and unforeseen traps lay hidden. If the ice were to break we would not make it out easily or at all.”

  “After all these years of winter, do you think it might not be completely frozen?”

  She met his e
yes to ask “Can you send magic to see if it is frozen?”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know, I can try…” Cage calmed his heart from the struggle of walking through snow and evened his breathing. The magic flowed invisibly out and then just fizzled after a half dozen yards. “Odd, it isn’t working right. I can sense all around me for a few feet, but not further.”

  “How about the light string you used to find a way out of the tunnels in Darshay? Could it find traps like it did for water and exits?”

  “Worth a shot.” Cage sent the magic ahead to locate for hidden dangers. The string lifted out of his hand and spread out like a mushroom to then stop. “It seems like this place won’t allow any warnings of danger.” He then altered its properties while walking to the end of the rope around his waist. The mushroom deflated back to the string and snapped straight at Brooke. He canceled it to walk back and say “It doesn’t prevent me from locating you outside whatever spell prevents me from sending magic ahead for warning. I think that is a reason I find it difficult to avoid the random traps until I’m practically right on it.”

  “At least you can still use magic. We wouldn’t survive without it.”

  “Very true.” He looked out over the likely frozen lake. “Since I’m severely limited we should do as you said for safety and walk around the lake.”

  They followed the bank. Some places were as easy to walk along as a beach and others treacherous. Cage always chose the safest for the horse. If the horse couldn’t pass, they wouldn’t attempt it.

  Cage led the way again, moving slowly in the shin deep snow that sapped a great deal of strength and slowed progress. The night’s fresh layer made it difficult to traverse. He began going up a hill beside a shallow mountain and stopped.

  He got the feeling again of being watched again and looked everywhere.

  There came a strong breeze as he looked around. Again he found nothing out of place in the trees and snow. He heard a single thump in the wind and looked up, fearing another wyvern. All Cage noticed was a spiral disturbance in a small portion of a cloud. It was all that stood out. Brooke cleared her throat to ask a question without words. He looked back and scratched his head. “I don’t know. I feel I’m being watched. Must be my imagination.”

  “Places like this play tricks on one’s mind.”

  “That is the thing. I’ve never had that problem. I was trained to keep focused at all times.” He said and went ahead. “It took nearly two years of hard work to never lose focus in missions or in anything else. I can tell from a glance the difference between a trap and regular ground, unless magic is involved. I’ve also come to notice the hole that claimed me earlier is made magically. There isn’t any subtle tool marks or human involvement otherwise the snow wouldn’t be so level and loose. If someone had dug the hole, the snow would have packed in over the years, but it remains a deathtrap. I’ve come to understand why this place is so perilous and avoided. That pit alone could, and likely has, claimed unknown lives. And these are all we’ve come across so far. If I cannot find a trap then no one I’ve met can. Remember, my whole life was dedicated to fighting every scenario known to man without dying, being captured or being seen. I’m still human and make mistakes, but if I’m focused as I am at the moment and can’t avoid it then neither can you or anyone else with my tactical knowledge, experience and training.” He pointed at a steep hill in the distance. “How many inches of snow do you estimate will it take to cause an avalanche?” She shrugged. “Judging by the sagging of the mountain it will take no more than two inches of snowfall to cause a slip. Over there… that one will likely slide with ten to twelve more inches. That would be much safer to climb if we needed to.” He met her considering brown eyes. “If I can tell that from this distance, how can I not possibly distinguish between soft, sturdy snow and a pit? Hell, Brook, I knew immediately how much you hated men in less than a half hour upon our first meeting. And your girlfriend from before doesn’t like me.”

  “Truly?” she asked in surprise, but letting her previous girlfriend remark pass. “You knew that quickly?”

  “I did. You forget sometimes I was one of my world’s top warriors.”

  She smirked while admitting “I do forget, but get reminded each time I see you fight or do something unexpected. And you are right, this cursed land hides one’s death in perfect disguise. Not only must we compete with natural danger, but unnatural as well. If you feel being watched again I’ll believe. Do you still feel it?”

  Cage continued around a pine. “No, it vanished as I looked for the cause.”

  “Can you tell if it is a friend or foe?”

  “Not at all. I just got a feeling.”

  They went quiet and safely skirted the bank and headed through the trees again. From time to time both of them saw animal tracks from rabbits, foxes and other wildlife and Cage pointed out a snow rabbit. The only thing giving it away from such white on white camouflage were small black eyes. Brooke prided herself on being a skilled hunter, but Cage proved again how almost nothing escapes his notice. Snow sprinkled from time to time and only one more time did they avoid another and much larger pit.

  As the afternoon approached they were forced to take a narrow pass between two large, forested hills where the path of least resistance led. Cage knew it likely had to be a frozen stream as it snaked in the general north eastern direction. The snow along the thirty foot wide pass was more packed and easier to amble across and the hills blocked some of the frigid wind. The leather kept him relatively warm, but moving constantly was the only thing keeping hypothermia at bay. Brooke had it slightly harder as she kept moving and thrusting her arms to keep the blood circulating. Only her inner thighs and butt retained warmth thanks to her shaggy horse.

  Cage went around another curve and stopped suddenly as he heard an ominous crack of ice below and a rise in magic. “Brooke stop!” His shout reached and she quickly urged her steed to hold position. The magic continued to rise and so did the cracking sound of ice below. Brooke this time heard it and became immediately fearful. Cage said “I don’t know what’s happening.”

  Then came a loud, sharp crack of ice as the magic grew immensely. The horse neighed in terror at the sound and Cage spun around with wide eyes as a gaping hole snapped open, directly beside and beneath Brooke and her horse. It grew like a jagged toothed mouth. The horse reared and Brooke tried forcing her horse aside. The fur blanket and her pack fell off and Brooke held on to the rearing horse’s mane for dear life as she screamed.

  Just when it seemed it couldn’t get worse there came a great, magically controlled, torrent of icy wind that acted like a suction for the hole to consume the intended victim who triggered the spell. Cage watched as the powerful burst of wind threw the horse’s rearing balance completely off and towards the jagged hole with Brooke too scared to let go.

  The hole easily consumed the horse and Brooke together. They vanished into a black hole. Then Cage’s senses returned in the two seconds it took to see what happened. Brooke fell fast, taking the rope’s slack as quickly. Cage thought instantly as the rope snapped taught, jerking him to the hole as the wind blew him to the mouth. The porous quality of his feet surely couldn’t find a grip. He knew if he didn’t stop he was going to be pulled in too. Instantly he called upon his magic for a tool he used many times before in snowy mountains. Two black ice axes formed instantly out of his spell. He gripped the conjured tools as they also wrapped a loop around his wrist so he wouldn’t let go. He then spun onto his stomach simultaneously and slammed the sharp picks into the firm ice. The magically created instruments pierced into the ice effortlessly and brought him to a jarring, shoulder aching stop. He held on with everything as he felt Brooke’s weight grind to a halt as well.

  Brooke’s grip on the horse ripped the roan’s hair as her strength wasn’t capable of holding on to something so weighty. The roaring wind muffled the terrified neigh of a long time companion get swallowed by darkness. The rope around her waist snapped tightly in her middle, n
early kneeing herself in the face. The wind ruled all noise and pain from the stop made her cry out and lose the air in her lungs. She gathered her wits as the pain lessened and her eyes found nothing except darkness below. She knew the only reason she still lived is because Cage must be struggling to keep her and himself from being killed. She reached behind and found the rope. A firm grip allowed her to right herself to see the opening of light and Cage’s feet pressing against two jagged pieces of ice. The powerful wind had blown off all the snow and sucked it down the hole. The lack of snow revealed a sheet of ice that looked like a river. His dark silhouette on the ice told her he strained to keep from doing anything except fall. Brooke then firmly grasped the rope and struggled to pull herself up against the wind and snow. Hand over hand she fought, knowing the only alternative besides climbing out is to cut the line to save him before they both were claimed.

  Cage gritted his teeth as he felt Brooke jerking the rope as the pain around his waist dug deeper. From their fight he knew she had plenty of upper body strength to pull herself up. He held still for over a minute until the tingle of magic subsided. The wind died as the spell seemed to run its course. It became fractionally easier except he couldn’t open his snow covered eyes. The magic then changed as there came more cracking. He felt his feet begin to get covered in ice. He yelled “Brooke hurry! The ice is reforming!”

  “Almost there!” She shouted back with less than five feet remaining. Her arms burned with pain of climbing. She saw him kick his feet as the ice began growing around it.

  With a last burst of strength Brooke gripped the edge and pulled herself over. “I’m out! We need to get off the ice.” He nodded and stood, keeping the dual ice axes in each hand as he carefully moved away. Eleven seconds later the ice reformed. What remained of the rope became trapped, causing them to trip. Not daring to go through that again they took off the rope and left it behind and made it to the trees.