The Icy Quest

Chapter 10

An hour later, Tilepátheia burst into Pagoniá's new bedroom, Pozhar in tow.

"You didn't even think to send a servant to tell us what had happened?" she ranted. "It took me forever to track down someone who knew where you had gone. And then they gave terrible directions! We got lost five times! You aren't by yourself anymore! Your companions need to be notified if something happens. Now, what happened?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Pagoniá apologized. "I forgot."

"You forgot that you aren't the only person in existence?" Tilepátheia asked sarcastically. "Well, anyways, check this out."

Then, Pagoniá heard a voice in her head.

Please raise your hand if you can hear this. Pagoniá raised her hand in confusion.

"It worked!" Tilepátheia whooped, throwing her hands up in the air. "It actually worked!"

"Okay, now I'm really confused. What worked?" Pagoniá inquired.

"I sent a mental message," Tilepátheia explained. "One of the other mind-readers showed me how."

"I am learning my abilities too," Pagoniá offered. "It's super cool. Is there anything else mind-readers can do?"

"Yes, but I don't know anything about those abilities yet. Anyways, we're sneaking out. I want to test a theory," Tilepátheia decided firmly. "Come on."

"Wait! I never agreed to this!" Pagoniá protested, as Tilepátheia tugged her out of the room.

"Doesn't matter," Tilepátheia answered striding across the hallway. "Act like you're allowed to be here, and people will assume you are, so do it."

"I'm just going along with her," Pozhar informed Pagoniá. "She threatened to drag me there if I didn't." They walked through the hallways with no apparent direction until they reached a doorway. The door was locked.

"Pagoniá, give me the key," Tilepátheia ordered. "Now."

"What key? Why do you think I have a key?" Pagoniá asked, confused.

"The key you are going to make out of ice to fit this door," Tilepátheia answered impatiently. "How else are we going to get in?"

"I don't know how to make shapes out of ice," Pagoniá stated bluntly.

"You didn't know how to make a blizzard when you made that," Tilepátheia retorted, clearly at the end of her tether. "Just do it!"

Pagoniá concentrated on pressing cold into one spot, except this time, she focused on the shape of a key. She opened her eyes, knowing that she had made ice but certain it wasn't the right shape. She looked at her hand and took a step back. It had worked! She handed the key to Tilepátheia, who quickly inserted the key into the lock and turned it. Pagoniá held her breath with anticipation as the door swung silently open to reveal an elevator. Tilepátheia stepped in, motioning for the others to follow. She pressed the button labeled desert, and the doors closed. Then the elevator started moving. When the doors opened again, Pagoniá was speechless. They stepped out into a huge glass dome with a telescope in the middle. Even better, the stars were out. Pagoniá hadn't noticed that it was late in the day because she was underground, but now she took in every detail of the night sky. The stars were dazzling, but they paled in comparison to the full moon. Pagoniá rushed to the telescope to take a closer look, but then something even more amazing happened. A dozen gleaming specks appeared, bursting from the sky in a spectacular dance.

"Wow," Pagoniá marveled, realizing what she was seeing. She had heard of meteor showers, but had never seen one in real life. Tilepátheia's next words confirmed her suspicions.

"Aren't meteor showers awesome!" Tilepátheia exclaimed. "It's just as beautiful as I thought it would be."

"How did you know the meteor shower would be happening right now?" Pagoniá asked, awestruck at the sight of the specks zooming through the night sky.

"Someone was thinking about it as I walked past them earlier," Tilepátheia explained. "I decided we needed to see it, so I formulated a plan to get us up here. I think it makes a great diversion from our current worries. I also needed something to do anyway because I get hyper at this time of night. Do you like it?"

"Yes, I definitely like it," Pagoniá declared. "It's beautiful."

"I agree," Pozhar decided. "It is one of the best things I have ever seen, but now that I've seen it, I am tired and I am going to bed."

"Count me in," Pagoniá agreed, striding toward the elevator. "Lately, sleep seems to be last on our list of priorities."

"Fine. I'll come too," Tilepátheia grumbled, making her way toward the elevator. She pressed the ground floor button, and they sleepily walked back to Pagoniá's suite. Pagoniá flopped on her new bed and fell asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

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