“Take a step back,” said Cadrian. “If you don’t tame your emotions, you won’t have a choice about whether to enter Ascension to begin with.”
She leaned her face in closer to his. Hal felt a stab of anger as his eyes met his, and he remembered how she’d once worn the eyepatch, another of her lies. Her face was only a few inches away, and he felt annoyed as his emotions shifted in another direction. He could smell her, the musky layer of sweat from her exertions, along with that familiar, though intangible, feminine sweetness.
“Will you tame your emotions, Halrin?” whispered Cadrian. “Or will you let them control you?”
He wasn’t sure whether to be annoyed for the heavy-handed way she was forcing the lesson onto him, or appreciative of her ability as a teacher. He took a slow breath, letting go of his long-held anger, slipping past the reluctant arousal he felt from her teasing and physical proximity.
He opened his eyes and saw Cadrian’s face. She was just a woman. A bundle of choices, responsibilities, memories, and emotions. She was flawed, and so was he.
Cadrian gave a small nod, recognizing something in his expression. She climbed off him and helped him to his feet.
“Again,” she said.
CHAPTER 39
They spent another hour training, taking it slow enough to save energy for the traveling they had ahead of them. Laurel and Zoria had already eaten when they returned to camp. Hal accepted his share of breakfast, a slab of thick, dense bread along with a few slices of dried apples.
Cadrian had bought a water skin for each of them, as well, and Hal was careful about how much he drank from his. Fresh water would be in short supply as they continued further north, where melting snow would be their only available option for refilling the skin.
Without the tent set up, it didn’t take them long to strike down their camp. Hal hadn’t noticed the cold while they’d been traveling the previous night, but it became impossible to ignore as they climbed up and beyond the cliff. The wind was biting cold, and every step forward they took through the sloping forest also raised their elevation, exposing them to the harsh wind.
The forest thinned out as they continued onward. By early afternoon, Hal could only see a single variety of tree left growing, the hearty northern pines that could endure the colder temperatures of the region.
White Mountain became visible on the horizon as they pushed forward, a massive, frozen peak that loomed over the surrounding area. Hal felt the ground underneath his feet firming up as they passed across the invisible line that marked where the permafrost began. He didn’t feel cold, but his teeth were chattering, and Cadrian signaled for them to come to a stop.
“We should put on our heavy clothing,” she said. “We’ll have to move slower, past this point. Above all else, we must avoid sweating. If your clothes get wet, the cold will seep into them and strip away your body heat.”
“That’s fine by me,” said Hal. “At the pace we’ve been traveling at, I feel like we deserve to slow down a bit.”
“Trust me,” said Cadrian. “Just because we’ll be moving more slowly doesn’t mean that we’ll have an easier time of it.”
The fur clothing was bulky, and it made Hal feel a little cumbersome wearing it over his shirt and trousers. There was a hood on the back of the fur cloak, and even though the thick fur lining made his ears itch, it was warm enough to justify the annoyance. A set of gloves and fur boot liners for each of them rounded out the package. Hal put the liners into his boots, but decided to forgo the gloves, for mobility’s sake.
Laurel and Zoria reminded Hal of the stuffed animals that Lilith had loved once they’d pulled on their own furs. There was a puffy quality to their overall appearance that he found so hilarious that he had to hold a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.
“Hey!” snapped Laurel. “You don’t look much better.”
“She’s right, master,” said Zoria. “I don’t think you can pull off having that much hair over your body.”
Cadrian looked more comfortable in her own furs, her black braid hanging loose of her hood and over one shoulder. She pulled her pack back on and nodded to the rest of them.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Ready,” Hal said, in unison with the others.
They continued onward. For the next hour or so, it was hard for him to not feel as though the warm clothing was overkill. It wasn’t until his breath became visible in smoky, white puffs and his fingers started to feel numb that he was forced to acknowledge that Cadrian had, yet again, been right. He pulled his gloves on and stared across the barren landscape.
White Mountain had been growing slowly larger over the course of the day. It wasn’t just that the mountain seemed to loom higher with each step they took, but rather, it seemed to envelop them further into its winter aura. The wind began to pick up, becoming a constant thing, rather than the occasional strong gusts they’d been dealing with. And with it came scatterings of fine, white powder, not enough to coat the ground just yet, but more of a representation of the cold.
Hal would have been more surprised by the sudden climate shift if not for his own experience in Fool’s Valley, where the mountains had a similar, albeit opposite, effect on the land around his homestead. He knew that it meant they were only getting a taste of what the weather had to offer and would have to be prepared for anything as they passed further into the unknown.
Snow began to fall in large, lazy flakes. The ground was already coated in a thin layer, and the falling snow, combined with the pale grey sky overhead, gave the late afternoon a claustrophobic feel. They could see a few hundred feet ahead, perhaps, before the distance beyond faded into a uniform white curtain.
The upside was that all of the snow reflected light, and it made it easier for them to feel confident pressing on to the day’s limit. Hal walked at the front of the party, being careful to keep an eye on the outline of White Mountain to keep them on course. Cadrian brought up the rear, and Hal noticed that she was actively disguising their tracks as they went, not that they’d last long in the falling snow, regardless.
The sound of howling wolves came from a not too far distant direction. Hal hesitated, glancing back at his companions. Laurel looked unsure, and Zoria’s face was hard at the prospect of a fight. Cadrian, surprisingly, seemed the most concerned.
“There shouldn’t be any wolves in this area,” said Cadrian. “The mountains are too rough of an environment for them, and the villagers of Whitewatch hunt the ones that come too close to their town.”
Hal wasn’t sure what he could add to that, not knowing much about the patterns of the animals.
“Let’s just keep our eyes open,” he said. “They shouldn’t pose much of a threat to us, as long as we don’t get surprised.”
They trekked for another half hour. The falling snow began to thin enough for them to see what lay further ahead, revealing what was left of the town of Whitewatch. The buildings had been burned. The snow was stained with crimson splotches. Aside from the few still smoldering flames, it was eerily quiet.
“That explains why the wolves are active,” muttered Zoria.
“Tessianna’s force must have gotten here ahead of us,” said Hal. “This… is sickening.”
“They’d murder an entire village just to… what?” Laurel shook her head slowly. “Send us a message?”
“This isn’t a message,” said Cadrian. “It’s a strategic move, on their part. To keep us from stopping to resupply. It would have been more effective if we hadn’t stopped in Tarne, but the logic behind it is solid.”
“Logic?” asked Hal. “Behind murdering a town full of innocent people?”
Right. I’m talking to Cadrian. I almost forgot.
She didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds.
“Do we have the supplies to manage?” asked Laurel. “This does mean that we’ll have to plan for our trip out, along with the extra time it will take us on our way back to get to Tarne.”
“I have
no idea.” Cadrian looked in Hal’s direction.
“I’ll see if Jessa can tell me anything the next time we set up camp,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t know how much further it is.”
He wished he had something more to add, under the circumstances. Cadrian was glancing all around them, watching for any signs of movement on the horizon.
“We’ll need to take the long way around,” she said. “There might be soldiers or valkyries left around Whitewatch. Better if we press up closer to White Mountain and avoid what’s left of the town altogether.”
Hal and the others nodded in agreement, and the party continued on. The snow was getting deeper, slowing them down and making their steps seem comical. Hal was appreciative for the fur boot liners, as the snow would otherwise have overwhelmed his boots.
Approaching White Mountain gave him an ominous feeling, as much for the sounds of the mountain as its size. The wind was constant against the rocks and jagged edges of broken ice, creating a whistling sound on the air.
“We should stop soon,” said Laurel. “It’s getting late.”
“Not yet,” said Cadrian. “Our position is bad.”
She looked worried, and Hal could guess why. Tessianna wasn’t the type of opponent who would be satisfied with attacking them indirectly. Whitewatch had been a move against them, but in a way that made it seem like part of a broader strategy.
They traveled with as much speed as they could manage, under the circumstances. A sharp slope led up to the base of White Mountain, and their path carried them along the edge of it. Hal was tensed, waiting for something to happen, and he drew his pistol on reflex when it finally did.
Half a dozen figures emerged from the white haze to the east of them, traveling with unusual speed for the conditions. They had some type of flattened shoe that let them move across the snow without sinking in with each step. Hal knew without having to give it much thought that there would be no outrunning them.
“Hal, Zoria,” said Cadrian. “Attack from either side.”
Hal nodded, though part of him had reservations about letting Cadrian give the orders. His pistol felt strange in his gloved hand, the guard too tight around his finger and the trigger lacking its usual feel.
“Keep yourself under control,” Cadrian added. “Don’t let yourself get worked up. With all this snow around, there is no telling what could happen if you push into Ruby Ascension and get aggressive.”
“I know,” said Hal.
CHAPTER 40
The approaching figures burst into a rainbow of glowing, runic armor and weapons as they sprinted across the last stretch. Zoria summoned her own runic equipment, her violet armor and spear accentuated by a small set of glowing wings which Hal hadn’t seen in a long time.
The party shifted into a wedge formation, keeping a defenseless Laurel protected in the center. The first valkyrie surged toward Cadrian, wielding a heavy runic hammer. Cadrian deftly dodged a downward strike, countered with a slash across the elf’s abdomen, and then kicked her opponent back.
Hal brought his pistol up to aim at the leftmost attacker. He cocked the hammer, channeled his ruby essence, and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He scowled, realizing that the air was cold enough to affect the timing of his magic, snuffing out the tiny spark the hammer created before he could work his spell.
He tried again, this time managing to get off a Flame Shot. It soared through the air and struck a valkyrie in blue runic armor who was a dozen or so paces away. The elf fell backward from the force of the shot, hitting the snow and rolling to extinguish the ensuing flames.
My ruby magic will be of limited effectiveness here. I’ll have to try something else.
Zoria was facing off against another valkyrie, the two of them exchanging shouted words along with blows. Hal briefly considered that she was likely fighting against elves that she knew, perhaps even people she considered to be acquaintances or friends. A sickening feeling took root in his stomach, lingering doubt from his past betrayals.
Cadrian seemed almost comfortable in the snow, managing to hold off two valkyries at once. She resorted to her magic whenever they came too close, channeling topaz essence to cast Earth Tremor, shaking the ground and snow underneath their feet.
Hal drew his sword and closed in on the valkyrie he’d shot earlier. They rose to their feet faster than he was ready for, and the thin shoes they wore gave them unexpected mobility. The snow was up over Hal’s boots, and it made him slow in his defensive movements.
The valkyrie had a runic longsword, and Hal’s blade clashed against it on his first strike. He had to take a step back as his opponent pressed forward on the attack, almost stumbling as one of his feet caught against the crusty edge of the top layer of frozen snow.
Hal deflected another strike, but the positioning of his sword went wild as he did. His opponent slashed for his neck, and he couldn’t get his own weapon up in time. Instead, Hal used Wind Dash in a backwards direction, slamming wind into his chest and pushing himself away from the strike.
He landed on his back and slid a few feet, feeling annoyed at the difficulties he was having in the winter climate. Lacking any better options, he drew his pistol again, and began firing off Flame Shots in quick succession.
The flaming projectiles held the valkyrie back, but there was only so much damage they could do against magical armor in the freezing temperatures. Hal felt the urge to push into Ruby Ascension at the edge of his awareness. He could finish off all of their opponents in seconds. It didn’t matter how cold he was if he was using a spell like Burning Hand, which drew on heat intense enough to turn bones to ash in an instant.
Laurel let out a scream. One of the valkyries had made it past their meager defensive line and had seized her by the hand. She fumbled, pulling off her gloves in a desperate bid to attempt something with her spark rings and ruby brooch, but Hal knew it wouldn’t amount to much more than a splash of flames.
He ignored his current opponent and went straight for her, wielding both pistol and sword. He fired a Flame Shot at the face of the valkyrie holding her, immediately following it up with a Flame Strike. His sword bit into the elf’s runic armor just enough to strike flesh, and the fire surrounding his blade made the blood hiss as it oozed out.
The valkyrie screamed and fell backward. Cadrian had finished her opponents off and was hurrying over to help Hal and Laurel. Zoria was still engaged with an enemy, but they weren’t fighting. Hal frowned, trying to make out the words the two of them were exchanging.
“Trap!” Zoria shouted, suddenly turning in the direction of the party. “It’s a trap.”
Hal followed the direction of her gaze. Above them, high up the slope near the base of White Mountain, he saw another dozen valkyries spread out in a line. They’d been invisible before, and he could only make out the glowing color of their runic armor, but there was no doubt in his mind that the figure in their center was Tessianna.
A command was shouted. The elves on the ridge burst into motion, one of them using a crystal wand that seemed to have the effect of earth magic. The ridge began trembling, and as it did, a massive ledge of snow broke free and began flowing down the slope, directly toward Hal and the others.
He was already reaching for his ruby essence as he saw it approaching. What he needed to do would have a high cost, more than what was left in his heartgem. Hal closed his eyes, accepting the fact that he’d need to enter Ruby Ascension and tap into the dangerous, uncontrolled power in order to save his friends.
“Halrin!” Cadrian grabbed him by the shoulder, digging her fingers in deep enough to break his concentration. “Not yet!”
He didn’t have time to ask what she meant. He didn’t have time to process what happened next, or even see the snow as it arrived. The wall of frozen powder hit him and sent him tumbling, getting in his ears, eyes, and nose, and almost forcing down his throat. He rolled over several times before coming to a somewhat anticlimactic stop, trapped within the snow, unable to move.
>
His first reaction was to panic, but he managed to suppress it. He didn’t have time to panic. Hal worked his jaw, chewing through the snow in his mouth and trying to create space. He took a shallow breath, knowing that he would only have so many before the air trapped with him became deadly.
“Not yet.” What did Cadrian mean by that?
He focused on the words like a puzzle, turning them over and considering the possibilities. Tessianna had set a trap for them and had sacrificed a half dozen of her valkyries in the attempt. How long would she wait and watch from the top of the slope before concluding that there was no way that they could escape? Probably for longer than he could last, trapped in the snow.
He tried to move his arms, and the fact that he couldn’t sent a wave of claustrophobia flooding over him. Instead of attempting to reach through the snow, he gently tried to pull his hand back and make space for it. He was still holding his pistol, though he’d lost his sword at some point.
It took a minute of shifting his hand around until he’d created enough space to get his thumb on top of the hammer and cock it back. Hal took another shallow breath, letting himself focus on channeling his ruby essence. He didn’t have all that much of it left, given how the events of the last few days had played out.
Hal cast Flame Shot, and almost immediately regretted it. The spell superheated a small section of the snow, pushing off in a line extending out from his arm. Hot water fell back onto his pistol and hand, soaking his sleeve and immediately starting to cool. He tried not to panic as he realized how much worse it made his situation. His hand would freeze in place, before long, leaving him unable to even attempt casting his fire magic.
He felt annoyed with himself, realizing that if he’d timed it better, he could have followed up with his sapphire spell and pushed the water away from him. The thought led him to another, one that he’d never stopped to consider before.
Would my sapphire spell work on snow? It’s just frozen water.
Eternal Palace (Sexcraft Chronicles Book 4) Page 21
