An Inferno of Ice - The Storm Series, Book 1

Part 6

For the rest of the treacherous journey up the near vertical cliff, there's very little chance of getting any sleep. I don't quite dare try to use the intermittent series of shallow caves in the wall again for fear that I would get another visit from whatever that strange creature had been. Reaching the top comes as a bit of a shock. The looming cliff makes one of its usual hairpin curves, then suddenly it drops and levels out with the ground. I come to an abrupt halt and spin around to view the kingdom from this new perspective. My mouth falls open at the purely spectacular sight of Frostglimmer laid out far below. From up here, the buildings that had once towered over me look as though I could lift them in one hand. The distant glow of cooking fires appear as tiny eyes observing my every move. It amazes me to see just how far I've come, and to know how much closer I am to my goal. Just before I turn back around, I catch a glimpse of multicolored sparks shooting up into the purple sky. I smile when I recognize the exhaust of a transport vessel. Some of Icelandia's people are on their way out already, and hopefully it won't take the rest long to follow their lead. My tired body shudders as a sharp gust of wind nearly knocks me off my feet. I quickly back away from the edge, resolutely not allowing myself to contemplate what would happen if I were to fall from this height. From the ground, the Frost palace had appeared to rest right at the precipice, but there's actually still quite a ways to go before I reach the sharp, spiked gates. I won't be entering through them of course, but I allow myself to imagine how beautiful the palace would look from that vantage point as I make my way in a wide half circle that will hopefully avoid any guard patrols. I conceal myself in the plant life that somehow manages to survive up here. Most of it grows thick and close to the ground, but a few stalks have actually sprouted upward as well, reaching for the sunlight which is very abundant. Like everything else in this landscape, the stems and leaves are a glimmering, silvery white. But the flowers and berries that grow from amongst these leaves are a deep blue that's almost black. I realize the danger of them only when my glove accidentally brushes against one of the vines that stretches outward into my path. My body reacts instinctively, heat surging down my arm and out of my hand in a burst of fire to melt the thick coating of ice that had Suddenly crystallized upon the fabric. "Lazulian ice flowers." says a voice from behind me. Breath catching in my throat, I wheel around and go very still. There he is. The guard I've been searching for all throughout Frostglimmer. But how is he here? That's not possible. I would have seen him before now, wouldn't I? But it's definitely him. That two-tone hair is impossible to mistake. "They're designed to imprison intruders. You may want to avoid them." I stare at him in amazement. Why is he helping me? When I open my mouth to ask just that, he presses a single finger to the lips of his ice mask as though telling me to be silent. With that same finger, he traces a path around The dense growth of plants, then arcs it back toward the protective wall that borders the palace which looms high into the sky on one side of us. "There are underground tunnels that you may use. The guards don't know about those. My sister and I used to use them to sneak out when we were little." I take that information and run with it. Literally. I'm suspicious of his directions, but I follow them regardless. After all, he could be directing me straight into a trap. I don't even know who he is. But that doesn't matter, because they turn out to be exceedingly helpful. Once I reach the boundary wall, I pause for just a moment and squint upward. I can just make out a line of guards marching along the precarious edge high above. All they would have to do to see me is turn around and look down. Figuring that speed and stealth are of the upmost importance, I stay low to the ground as I follow the base of the wall, looking for the slightest abnormality. And then I find it. I would have never noticed it if I hadn't been told to look for it. There's a perfect square of ice that looks as if it's been cut from the solid structure around it. Gritting my teeth, I brace my feet and wedge my shaky fingers under the slab and pull. It doesn't seem to want to come away at first, but then, with a force that sends me stumbling backward, it comes free all at once. I nearly collapse from its immense weight, but a voice within me screams that if I allow the chunk of ice to crush me beneath it, I'll be discovered for sure. So instead, I use the momentum of the moving ice to spin around in a tight circle And drop down into the hole it had concealed before letting it drop back into place. This is it, I tell myself as I fall a short distance and land on solid ground again. This is my way in. I don't realize how bright it is outside until the exact moment that the heavy slab descends and turns everything into absolute, overpowering darkness. I immediately use my hands to begin exploring my surroundings, and it doesn't take long for them to encounter the solid walls on either side of me. I don't dare produce a flame to see by, so I follow the tunnel blindly, taking small steps and trailing the wall at all times. I have no idea where it will take me, or what exactly I will do once I am inside the palace, but it's time to do what I was sent here for. It's time to save Icelandia.