Silver Lines (Sky Forever Volume 2)

Chapter 13: Mirrorfog

I watched the frozen surface get further and further away from me as I sank into the piercing water. In the shock of falling, I had forgotten to hold my breath. I coughed out some icy bubbles, as some water entered my throat, and forced myself to stop breathing. Suddenly, my body stopped sinking and I started propelling myself back up. I felt extremely light-headed and nothing was in focus. I could see vague shapes through the hole that I'd fallen through; the brown of Amber's coat, the black of Storm's hair.

My head emerged and I took a huge breath. Some water came splashing out of my mouth.

"Jared!" Amber cried, "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah..." I managed to gasp, attempting to grapple onto the ice.

Storm and Amber pulled me up and onto the ground. I lay panting and shivering. Amber knelt down and wrapped her arms around me.

She sat up, "We need to change your wet clothes. Before you get biterzumia."

Biterzumia is a condition that's exclusive to the coldest regions of the planet (the Coldlands being one of them). It occurs when the body reaches it's lowest temperature and results in the sufferer losing control of their body. Often, the victims end up paralyzed in the middle of a mountain range and die there. Occasionally, if it gets really bad, the limbs start moving uncontrollably. This then creates bone-breaking spasms. After that, it's too late to save them.

Amber ripped off my coat and my scarf.

"Wait," I said, "Do we have more clothes?"

"I've got some in my bag." She answered.

I sat there dripping with my teeth chattering as Amber fetched the spare clothes. Storm and Lonely Soul averted their eyes as I changed into the dry clothes, trying my best not to slip over on the ice. My hands were shaking so badly that Amber had to help me.

Eventually, I was changed, but still shivering terribly. We discarded the drenched apparel into the boat and began our journey across the rest of The Cracked Lake.

The surface was precarious to say the least, but after an hour of walking, we spotted the shore.

"We made it!" Storm said.

As well as the shore, the small town of Mirrorfog was also in sight, with its buildings creating a dark contrast against the snowy white backdrop of the hills surrounding the lake. There were a few lights on, as the late afternoon turned into evening and darkness started to descend.

"Lonely Soul." I said, "You may want to do your invisible thing again. Just until we know the town is safe."

The others agreed so Lonely Soul made himself disappear.

It was good to be back on solid land again as we followed the path up to the town gate. The gate was open and there were no guards; only an old woman holding several pieces of paper. As we approached, she gave us a toothy smile.

"Hello, weary travellers!" She called, "I have gifts for you."

She handed me one of the pieces of paper when we reached her. Scrawled across it in black ink were the words:

We are the Church of the Colossal Gods and we always welcome new kin.

If you wish to learn more, please attend the church opposite the town hall.

May the Colossal Gods guide you through the wind, fire, ice, and rain.

Azterak generally isn't a religious place. That's mostly for other continents such as Beran or Seperatum. However, as we would soon find out, the most religious place in Azterak was Mirrorfog.

"Uh...thanks." I said.

She smiled again, "May the Colossal Gods guide you through the wind, fire, ice, and rain."

She also shoved some papers into Storm and Amber's hands. We carried on into the town. There were occasional people wandering around, but everything was shut for the evening.

"We should find somewhere to stay until morning." Amber suggested.

We booked ourselves into an inn called 'The Potato Farmer' and stayed the night there.

The dream came to me again that night. First, the snow. Then the thousand-eyed monster. Then the fire. But then, after the fire, an old woman appeared. I recognised her to be the same one from The Juggernaut Complex. She chanted something that I could only just make out as "Only the blood of the one can save the blood of them all."

When the morning dawned, we visited the bar downstairs to our rooms. Once we'd ordered food, we sat down. Lonely Soul had stayed upstairs in Storm's room.

"So, do you think your father was here?" Amber asked.

"In Mirrorfog?" I replied, "Maybe. He might have passed through here to get to the Coldlands."

I suddenly had an idea so I went over to the inn's front desk.

"Hey." I said to the man behind it.

He looked up from his book and peered at me through a pair of thick glasses.

"Yes?" He answered, apathetically.

"I was wondering if you could tell me if someone's stayed in this inn recently." I said.

"Yes, someone has stayed in this inn recently." He retorted, "Quite a few people have actually."

He returned to his book.

"No, I mean someone specific." I told him.

He looked at me again, "And who would that be?"

"A man named Jasper Axel." I said.

"Let me just look at the log book." He answered.

He turned back to his book again.

"Is that the log book?" I asked.

"No." He replied, bluntly.

"So, where is the log book?"

"In the back room, I imagine."

"You said you were going to look at it."

"Did I?"

"Yes."

I was getting slightly annoyed but he didn't reply, he just kept staring at his book. He flipped a page over.

Suddenly, Amber appeared by my side.

"Any luck?" She asked me.

I shook my head, "I've asked this guy to look at the log book, but I think he has other plans."

The guy peered up at Amber.

"Excuse me." Amber said, glaring back at him, "I believe you've been asked to check the log book for someone."

"I have." He said.

"So, are you going to do it?"

"Does it look like I'm going to do it?" The man said with an unconcerned look on his face.

"You should probably do it," Amber replied, "A customer has asked."

"Well, the customer can walk on."

Amber fumed for a second. 

"Is that a good book?" She asked.

The man didn't respond, obviously engrossed in whatever page he was reading.

Without warning, Amber leaned over the desk, snatched the book, stormed over to the fireplace on the other side of the room, and dropped the book in. It burst into flames.

The man slowly stood up as Amber stared viciously back across at him. I stood in between them in disbelief.

"I shall fetch the log book." He sighed and left through a door behind the desk.

I looked over at Amber who gave me her signature grin.

"You're welcome." She said.