Frostbite [II]

Dreams Of Darkness

Sophia

I start to see the beginnings of a town in the distance after about an hour of travel.

"Ah, we're almost to the first stop." Chris says.

I'm still getting used to the fact that our guide is a winter tiger humanoid with red eyes.

"Good." I say. "I'm tired."

"And here I thought fire elements were so...hardy." He says.

"I still have enough energy to melt you." I say.

"It's cool!" he says holding his hands up in mock surrender. I smirk at him.

We walk for a while longer before we reached the town's hotel. Chris gets us all rooms and then goes to bed. Trevor, Jake, and I do also. Everyone is exhausted from this afternoon's travel.

***

But it's not long before I wake up, drenched in sweat again. This time Trevor won't let me go to sleep without telling him everything.

"I... I was in a dark forest with you and a girl I've never met before. A bomb went off and... and you jumped in front of us. Then you died in my arms and I..." I start to tear up "I can't lose you like that, Trevor. I just can't..."

"Hey," he says, stroking my hair softly. "I'm here now, aren't I? I promise, I won't leave you."

I look into his eyes, and they are calm seas of blue.

"Just forget about that silly nightmare and know that you're safe here with me. Okay?"

"Okay."

***

I don't dream of that again. Instead see other troubling things- things that I had long since forgotten about. I blink back tears and look around the room, only vaguely aware of what is happening. There's fire everywhere. Around the room, on my fingertips, climbing up my arms. I distantly hear my father calling my name, but I cannot move. All I can do is cry and gaze in wonder at the flames around me.

Finally, I snap out of the daze and make my way out of the collapsing house around me.

There the memory ends. I'm thrown into total blackness.

Sophia... Sophia... Sophia... I hear a voice saying my name all around me.

"What is it? What do you want?"

You were responsible for the fire... the fire that almost killed your father...

"No. You're wrong!" I say. "I know who's responsible. It isn't me."

Look inside yourself, Sophia... you'll find that you knew you had done it all along... You were irresponsible with your gift.

My eyes widen. "No. How could you know that? I never told anyone."

Everyone has secrets. The voice says. Some does bury them so deep that they can pretend they don't exist anymore.

"Peter." I say grimly. "It's you, isn't it? How'd you get inside my head?"

Darkness is inside you... therefore I am.

"Get out." I say.

The voice laughs and the dream fades

***

"Sophia, it's morning. Wake up!"

I hear Jake pounding on my door. Trevor is gone already.

"Okay, I'm up! I'm up!" I mumble. The pounding continues.

"I'm up!" I shout and flop back onto the bed. "Ugh..." I mutter.

I change into a long sleeve black shirt, jeans, winter boots, and the parka. I arrive downstairs, where Trevor is drinking a large glass of coffee and Jake is drinking a mug of beer.

"Coffee with a shot of vodka." I tell the bartender. Trevor gives me a weird look but I'm not really in the mood for long explanations so I just say, "I'm against getting drunk, not drinking."

Trevor nods in understanding and we sip our coffee until Chris tells us it's time to go.

***

In a little over an hour, we find ourselves walking straight towards Frozotia Castle. It can only be described as a magnificent sight. Ice, very diverse and extremely intricate, makes up the entire castle from top to bottom. In the middle of the front wall was a large depiction of the sabretooth tiger, and below that was a drawbridge. Chris walks over to a small intercom.

"Christopher Olsen requesting entry to Frozotia Castle with guests Sophia and Trevor Asgravard, and Jake Thompson."

"Access granted."

The drawbridge begins to lower. We start to walk across as soon as it finishes. Inside, the castle is even more stunning. Tapestries depicting Colins's adventures as leader of the Cryosians and his eventual romance with Lily are hung from the walls. Statues of sabretooth tigers line the halls as well as banners of the Cryosian flag.

"We're almost to the throne room." Chris says. We walk down a few more hallways before we enter a set of double doors and stand before an icy throne.

Chris kneels before the throne. "Your majesty."

Trevor, Jake, and I do the same.

"We have the gem of fire, Thomas." I say. Now let us have our friends back."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." He says.

"What the hell do you mean?" I say angrily.

"No need for strong language, dear sister." He says. "I only mean you will not get your friends back until you perform a few more favors for me."

"That wasn't part of the deal!" I shout, my fist bursting into flames. Will- or Thomas, whatever- rolls his eyes and a feel a sharp pain in my neck. I whip around to see Chris standing there holding a needle.

"What did you just shoot me up with?" I demand, rubbing the back of my neck.

"An injection that temporarily neutralizes your powers," Thomas says calmly. "Your quest does not end until you retrieve all of the elements' gems and bring them to me. If you don't I will kill your friends."

"Why?!"

"Why what?" Thomas says, confused.

"Why do you need them?"

"Oh," Thomas chuckles. "To revive Queen Layla, of course."

***