The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles

Chapter Thirteen: Escape to Roznova

Rein climbed above the cave where she and the empress had previously taken refuge and frantically scanned the island, trying desperately to remember where else she had stayed centuries ago, but her mind came up blank. Though, she realized that she could use a better, higher view of the island, and perhaps that could jog her memory. So she quickly climbed back down and dodged a few rabid creatures as she bolted to a tree and shot up its trunk. She nearly collided with a woodpecker when she got to a satisfying height, which immediately attacked her with its beak. After narrowly avoiding its savage strikes, Rein slashed its throat and continued to the cusp of a branch. Now that she had a better view, she scanned the island again and spotted a large black void approximately thirty yards away where nothing around glowed, shined, or gleamed. From what Rein could tell, it appeared to be void of wildlife as well. She didn't recall this spot from her last trip to Contrariet, but something about it screamed, "sanctuary!"

Rein stumbled into a squirrel on the way back down the tree and they fell to the ground together. They wrestled among the leaves and blood-soaked soil, clawing frantically at each other in a mad effort for victory. The squirrel tore at Rein's outfit and Rein ripped off clumps of its fur until she was finally able to kill it with her knife. There was no time to rest. She sprinted in the direction of the void and tried to remain hidden by the glowing light of the shrubs and bushes, but there came a point where she had no choice but to run back out into the open.

While she passed through, Rein was attacked by a ravenous moth, which she discovered to be more difficult to kill than a squirrel or bird as it fluttered back and forth. When she finally managed to slice it in half with her sword, she heard the horrific hum of a cluster of butterflies hovering above her. A new form of dread overcame Rein that almost confirmed her doom. She scrambled away in a mad frenzy and dove among some rocks and a log while the butterfly colony fought to reach her. Rein stabbed at them through a crevasse, but there was little room to move. The most she could do was wait for the butterflies to grow weary and fly away. At the same time, there was always the possibility that they might wait for her to emerge so they could overtake her then.

Eventually, the colony did flutter away in search of easier prey, and Rein was barely able to stick her head between the rocks and log to see where they flew. Once she surmised that they had given up on her completely, she established which direction she had been running, squeezed out of her hiding spot, and raced toward the void again, her heartbeat in sync with her pace.

At last Rein made it to her destination, but she was hesitant to enter. She hid in a bright pink shrub and surveyed the area for a moment, panting madly. She found it to be a large mushroom field, completely empty of any sign of life, which was suspicious. With her knife and sword at hand, she cautiously entered the field and prepared herself for an attack. She made it all the way to the center of this dark circle without any interference—a good sign so far.

Rein chose the largest mushroom in the field and, while remaining vigilant, carved out a small alcove in it with her knife. Then, she found some poison ivy and carefully placed it all around the mushroom to protect herself from any curious creatures. After that, she tended to the wounds she had received from her battles, finished sharpening her knife, vowed to never forgive Empress Renée for this, and then eventually fell asleep.

ξ

Empress Renée spent the remainder of that night beneath Contrariet fighting her uncontrollable animosity like a freed lunatic. The fury failed to cease until the light of the Southern sun slowly stretched over the horizon. The sensation of wrath gradually melting from her mind like ice melts into streams was an odd one that she would've liked to experience again someday. It felt relieving, healing, renewing, and it continued to recede for what seemed like almost an hour. It wasn't until she had completely regained her faculties that Renée noticed an immense flare miles away. As she approached it, she learned this flare was created by the ring of fire which surrounded the island of Roznova. She felt her heart leap into her throat upon this realization.