The Parallel Paths

Turn Up The Heat

About a day has passed since the incident. Elara and Zack had successfully escaped that awful depressing weird village— though the memories remained. The actions of what fully happened still lingering between the two.

The forest returned to its original peaceful state  three hours into the drive though the coldness of the rain lingered along with its depressing mood. Zack would drive while Elara slept in the back, he insisted on it.

"Where are we headed next? Remind me again." Zack yelled from the front of the carriage.

It was a warm morning, the sun barely peaking over the horizon with its golden and orange hue as fluffy clouds surrounded the orb like a prized possession. The trees would sway in the little breeze left in the air, birds staring to awake and chirp a lovely melody.

Elara sat in the back, faint scratching sounds could be heard as she wrote down in a journal, lost in her thoughts until Zack's gruff voice brought her back.

"Fire. Judging by the heat, we should be near." She muttered back then went back to her book.

Zack grew curious, his eyes peaking over to her resting figure leaning in the back of the carriage through the curtains.

"Since when were you into writing?" He mumbled, trying to hide his curiosity.

She kept writing, it almost seemed like she was ignoring him but her late responses were eliminating that myth.

"I always have been, just never had the time." She mumbled back, her eyes glued within her journal.

He let out a scoff and turned back to face the path in front with a frown etched onto his face.

"Writing is for losers." He grumbled back, the crumbling of the wheels along the dirt road making is words easy to mishear.

The carriage began to enter a faint grey fog, the skies transformed into a grayish color as everything around them began to feel hotter. The air grew thicker, ash fluttering within the foggy sky.

Elara went to reply though coughed before the words could leave her lips, the thick fog getting caught within her throat. Curious, Zack turned and looked back at her as a soft smirk spread across his lips as the horse heading deeper into the territory.

"Big ass mouth, save some ash for the rest of us." He teased, a faint chuckle leaving his lips as he turned back forward.

Elara gave a scowl once catching her breath, her eyes locked and narrowed into Zack's smug little face. Pushing herself upward, she walked over to him, leaning on the seat his back rested on.

"When we get to the gates, let me do the talking." She spoke close to his ear.

He flinched in response, a weird shivering feeling crawled down his body upon her being so close though he covered that with a small scoff.

"Whatever, just don't fuck it up." He grumbled back, his head facing downward as he scooted away slightly from her.

In the distance, a large wall began to show itself. The closer they rolled, the more you could see just how massive the wall was. It was towering over them like a giant, a god of some sort.

The ash was blown away by a breeze and then they were met with the front gate of the fire biome, its aura and height spine chilling.

They both gazed in awe, their heads tilting upward as the gates had never seemed to end, only disappearing in the grey fog. The gates were large and black with sharp glowing lines of orange etched into them with unique curves and designs. Two massive towers stood beside them, one outlined with orange, the other red. Chains wrapped around wheels surrounded the entrance though it seemed to be abandoned, the gate that was.