Chapter 61: Across the Frozen Sea
When we get out, Flax is standing at the entrance, but appears totally frozen… and grey. In fact everything has become stationary, even the sun and clouds, the very ocean has stopped moving.
“Alexandi did this?! How long do we have?!” Mom says in wonder.
“You have at least one more day to change the fate of Alexander.” A mysterious voice says from behind me. I turn, to see a strange elderly man watching me.
“Who are you?” I don’t know how this guy is defying the time stop, but he seems powerful.
“I am the Keeper of Time, the great Spirit known as Illfaldor. Not only did Alexandi stop time itself for you, he also sent you into the Realm of Spirits, or the Spirit World if you prefer. What happens from here will determine all of history, so make haste.” And with that, he vanished into thin air.
“Good to know,” I mumble. I look at Mom, and sigh.
“So what now?” She gazes out over the frozen waves, then replies,
“We get moving. Alexander isn’t going to save himself. By the way, how DO you intend to do that?” She asks quizzically.
“Well,” I say reluctantly, “The doctor said that he had lost the will to live right? I thought that I would have to give him something to live for again. The only thing I could think of was… his wife.” Mom stares at me.
“So that’s why you wanted to leave for the Dragonling Isles so bad. I’m not going to stop you, but I feel a little uneasy about all of this.”
“Thank you, Mom. I was actually worried you wouldn’t let me if I told you my plan. In any case, how are we going to get all the way to the Dragonling Isles now?”
Mom gives me a look. “Have you honestly forgotten you can teleport?”
I do a facepalm. “Uggh, you’re right. No time like the present, I guess.” Most beings find teleporting everywhere to be downright lazy, and it doesn’t help keep you fit. I prefer to travel as a normal person, I don’t usually need to teleport. For this, I’d gladly make an exception. However… there are limits to teleporting. For example, you can’t use it spontaneously, once a day in fact is the limit. Mom and I hold hands, and teleport to the edge of the Gem Dragonling Isles. You see, you also have to have been there BEFORE, so I can’t just teleport wherever I want. From there, we swim over to the black isle that I saw literally a month ago, when Alexander and the rest of us came here.
We swam to the ruined land of the Chromatic Isles.
When we get there, it is like a miniature Desolate Lands, countless forests of blackened trees stretch out before us, the landscape of the Red Isle black and burnt, far worse than the burnt look of burnt toast. The skies are a grim, dull grey, the clouds a sickly white, even under the effects of Time-Stop, I’m not sure there’d be much difference.
And then we saw Alexander’s home town. The ruins are like the rest of the land, burned and scarred. From the memories we saw during my battle with Alexander, I am somewhat able to locate where Wintress, Alexander’s wife died.
When I reach the area where I saw the battle, I begin to lift debris from the ground, and eventually I uncover… a body that looks as though it had just died, and not twelve years ago.
“How? How is her body still… in this condition?” I gasp.
Mom sniffs the air. “Smell the air, Danica. There is a great amount of Arcane radiation here. The debris was once Crysem, and it magically sealed and preserved her body, that’s what I would assume. It will take time for the effects of time to catch up with her body.”
I nod. “That makes sense. Mom, get my stuff ready for the ritual. We should get started as soon as…” A rush of artic cold air buffets me, knocking me and Mother against a wall.
I look up, and I see a frightening female specter, her body completely ice. I look down at Wintress’s body, and realize immediately that this spirit is in fact Wintress’s ghost, and she hasn’t been able to ‘pass on’. In order to resurrect her, first we would have to defeat her ghost.
“Please! Wait! We’re here because of Alexander! He was critically injured and…” Immediately, her face tightens with rage.
“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM?! I’LL KILL YOU ALL!!!” She screams, huge walls of ice rise up to form a dome over our heads, preventing any chance of escape.
Crap. I’ve gone and done the one thing you never do with ghosts: find and press the big red button.
Looks like peace talks have broken down… unfortunately for me.
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Dragon Tide Chronicles: Dawn Rising
FantasyThis book is co written by Blake D. Price (Me) and Kamari (On booksie). Around ten years ago, war ravaged the blessed world Aladoria. Fairys and Dragonlings engaged in a violent war that left a great portion of the continent desolate and barren. The...
