Gem

Carnivorous ice??

We're walking through the frozen castle.
Percy asks, "is there a library in here?"
"Yes!" I exclaim, "though it's pretty much a maze, and I had a panic attack in there once, because I couldn't get out."
"Oh. Well can we go anyway?"
"Fine. Don't blame me if you get lost. I don't think you'd even be able to read anything. It's all frozen over."
"I just want to check it out though. I mean, a castle library has got to be absolutely huge!"
"It is Massive!"
Altore's head turns away from whatever he was looking at, "I heard library and massive. If you switch those around, you get massive library. That is music to my ears."
I put my palm to my face, "your all going to either get lost and panic get lost and get angry that you can't find a way out, and then slam your head against the ice."
"That makes it more fun."
"Fine. Let's all go to the library."
We get to the library doors and Casta backs away slightly, "it... it's so tall....".  they grab my hand and almost faint when they look up. I hold them up and sit them down on a table. Atlas gives them a blanket.
Some of the others begin to walk of and Altore punches the ice, and quickly grabs a book before it closes over.
He then also wanders of and Casta whimpers, "please don't leave me alone...."
I sit down, "hey, don't worry, I'm going to be here."
"Okay..."
"Casta?"
"Mm?"
"Why... why did you run away from home?"
"I... I don't want to really talk about in front of the others..."
"They've all gone off."
"Really?" They look around, "oh..."
"I want force you to tell me if you don't want to tell me."
"I'll tell you because I trust you won't tell anyone."
"I promise I won't tell anyone."
"Okay.... I... I ran away from home, because... I was always bullied... I... was... also pretty much the play thing of the king of the Night Bloods. He was mean... worse than the human king... and... whenever I was at school, people would bully me... because the king pulled out my feathers when I didn't play along... and then I was just... upset... and started pulling my feathers out.... using... using a-a light blade... I kept putting myself through so much pain, and then people noticed and bullied Meroe and I left... I never saw any of them again..."
I hug them, "well don't worry, is lot are your new family. And we all have our imperfections, but they are what make us special. Just look at Altore. He's missing his horns. Luther has a glass eye. Atlas has blue skin, I'm the only one here with golden eyes, kin can shove a whole bowl of fruit in his mouth at once, and Percy... Percy has an eye patch and refuses to get a glass eye. So, you see? We're all unique in our own different way. You'll be fine here."
Casta smiles, "thanks Damien..."
They started scratching at the ice, "how long do you think this will be here?"
"I don't really know."
"We could be the only seven people not frozen for miles... and years! This could be stuck like this for. Ever!"
"That's a scary thought."
"Right? I wonder if there's actually any end to this, or the entire world is just covered, or, it's still growing somewhere."
The rest appear around the table, "should we go home now?"
Altore is carrying a bunch so books and theirs a torn bit of fabric around his knuckles.
"Why?" I ask.
"Why what?"
"Why the fabric?"
"So I didn't hurt my knuckles, duh."
"Okay."
"Well, us lot are going home, if you two are staying here, be back by about nine at the latest."
"Got it."
"Okay, see ya."
"Ciao!"
The others leave, and me and Casta are left alone.
"So Casta."
"Yeah?"
"You wanna go see where the edge is?"
"Sure!"
"Okay, let's go!"
We get up and leave the castle.
"How will we know when it's nine?" I look at Casta.
"I usually tell by watching the sun. It sets at around seven, so just count two hours after that."
"Okay. Can you count hours?"
"Yes." They look at the sun, "it's around three I'd say, so we've still got hours."
"Cool."
"Let's go!"
We run down into the frozen village, looking at things as we pass. When we reach the edge of the field on the farm, Casta points to the horizon, "it looks like it stops in the middle."
"Woah. Let's check it out!"
"I'll race you to it!"
"Eat my ice flakes!"
I start running and they start running too and they get there first, "I won!"
"Well I came second, so, that's equally as good. I was only three seconds behind."
"True!" They look down, "anyway, I don't think it's growing."
We step off the ice, crouch down in the wheat and look at it.
I touch the edge and cut my finger on the ice, "ow!"
The ice cracks under the drop of blood and sucks it in and seals itself back up.
"Did that- did that just drink your blood?"
"Is this carnivorous ice?"
"If so, then the people in the ice might be being eaten by the ice."
We get up and make our way to the nearest person. I point a not bleeding finger at a patch on the mans cheek, "I can't tell wether that's frostbite or not."
"Maybe we should try to get him out?"
"Maybe."
Casta holds there hands against the ice and begins to melt the ice by the mans face.
He suddenly breathes when his head is free and looks at us, "who- who are you?"
"We're trying to find out what this ice is doing to people."
"How long have I been here?"
"Well it started getting cold around two years ago so I'd say about two years."
"What are you two? What's with the wings and the horns?"
"Oh. We're Night Bloods."
"What!?"
"Don't worry, we aren't ass holes. Now stay still."
Casta begins to weaken about halfway down his torso and stumbles back. I catch them, Casta, are you okay?"
The ice begins to reform around the man, only it seemed to be getting tighter and sharper, digging into his skin and when it reached his neck, he was dead. It covered his face.
Casta kicked at the ice and started swearing like a sailor, "fuck you you stupid dinosaur! Why are you eating the fucking villagers!? I fucking hate you!"
"Dinosaur?"
"They're carnivores, and the ice seems to be a carnivore, therefore, it's a dinosaur!"
They kick the ice again, "stupid!"
"Let's just go home and tell the others."
"Fine."
We walk back home...