The Icy Quest

Chapter 7

Pagoniá staggered over yet another dune.

"Are you sure this map is accurate?" she whined to Pozhar.

"It has only been twenty minutes, Pagoniá," Pozhar replied, shaking his head. "You're just going to have to keep walking." Pagoniá had been asking this question every five minutes, and he was getting quite tired of it.

"I'm sorry that I don't have your magical fire person resistance to heat," Pagoniá snapped. "Some of us are hot out here."

"Quit arguing you two," Tilepátheia demanded. "Someone's coming."

Everyone immediately froze and listened intently for the slightest noise. Without any warning, they heard a cacophony of creaks and screeching metal as the sand gave way beneath them, and they fell into an underground cavern. They carefully got to their feet, testing their limbs for any broken bones. Pagoniá, immediately on high alert, looked around the huge open cavern and noted how much cooler it felt in comparison to the scorching heat of the desert. She spotted a woman standing nearby. The woman had her hand on a lever and an extremely startled expression on her face. She scanned Pagoniá and the others, her eyes quickly noting Pozhar's fire person trainee badge, clearly visible on his shirt.

"I thought the fire people would be smart enough not to send their trainees out alone," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't they know that the big, bad, ice people will get them?"

"I suppose they must be your servants," the woman said to Pozhar, gesturing toward Pagoniá and Tilepátheia.

Pagoniá quickly interjected, "No, we're not. I'm an ice person. Pozhar is on our side. I promise."

"And her?" the woman asked, tilting her head towards Tilepátheia.

"That is her story to tell," Pagoniá declared loyally.

The woman moved her head from side to side as if she was listening for something. "You ARE an ice person!" she exclaimed, looking at Pagoniá. "And you're traveling with a mind-reader!"

Tilepátheia gasped. "Are you a mind-reader too?" she questioned, her voice rising with excitement.

"No, I'm just an ice person, but I can hear the internal hum that other people's powers make. You have a very distinctive hum," she explained to Tilepátheia. "Come with me. The others will want to see you." She motioned for them to follow her into what looked like a complicated network of tunnels.

"I would like to introduce you to the queen of the ice people," the woman declared as she led them into a large chamber. In contrast to the unfinished look of the earlier tunnels, this chamber was decorated lavishly, with a look befitting that of royalty. At the far end of the chamber was a large chair similar to a throne. On the chair sat a middle aged woman. She had light blond hair and blue eyes.

"What brings you to me?" the queen asked Pagoniá's guide sharply, noting the strangers following behind her.

"I would like to introduce you to some visitors who stumbled across our secret entrance," the woman said. "They could be potential allies to our cause. One of them is actually an ice person," she continued, gesturing to Pagoniá.

"An ice person? Really? What is your name?" the queen asked Pagoniá with definite interest.

Pagoniá curtsied, and replied, "My name is Pagoniá."

"Pagoniá? It can't be," the queen muttered, mostly to herself. "Do you know your parents?" she asked, looking intently at Pagoniá.

"No, your majesty. I was found on the outskirts of Limmat as a baby," Pagoniá explained. "I was left with a note indicating that my name was Pagoniá."

"How old are you?" the queen demanded.

"Around thirteen. I don't know my actual birth date," Pagoniá explained, confused by this line of questioning.

"December the twenty-first," the queen declared sadly, clearly coming to a realization.

"How do you know?" Pagoniá asked, eyes brightening.

"I know because I am your mother," the queen answered gravely.

"Wait. What did you just say?" Pagoniá asked, looking incredulous.

"Thirteen years ago, I gave birth to a daughter. You. I didn't want you to be associated with the ice people. Being an ice person is dangerous. I wanted you to live a normal life. So I left you outside Limmat, where I knew someone would find you. I am deeply sorry for not being part of your life up until this point, but I sincerely hope that we can change that," the queen declared.

"You're-you're my mom?" Pagoniá stuttered, stepping back a few paces.

"Yes, I am," the queen affirmed with a sad smile.

"Not that I'm not enjoying this lovely reunion or anything," Tilepátheia interrupted. "But Pagoniá isn't the only person in this room."

"I do apologize," the queen responded, finally taking note of Pagoniá's companions.

"You," the queen commanded, nodding her head toward a servant, "Take our visitors to some guest rooms. The bigger ones."

Pagoniá, Tilepátheia, and Pozhar were led through a hallway which was decorated with a very old looking lithograph. The strangest thing about that particular lithograph was the random asterisks that were featured in each picture.

"What are those for?" Pagoniá asked, staring at the slightly strange wall hangings.

"I forget," their guide answered. "They've been there for as long as I can remember."

Suddenly, Pagonia noticed that Kryasavra was missing. She checked her pocket, but the little lizard was nowhere to be found.

After what felt like miles of walking, they were finally led into a spacious room with three queen-size canopy beds. Emotionally exhausted, Pagoniá collapsed onto one of the beds.

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