Desolater's Clearing
"When we first decided to do this, I was not imagining this outcome."
Ceecee frowned, turning to Jared. "What do you mean?"
He sighed, gesturing to the wide, open space before them. "I mean, look out there! There is literally nothing. Just an empty space of ice. I thought you said this place was supposed to be dangerous...?"
A pause.
Jared stood from where they were crouched and hidden behind a large, frosted-over rock. "Okay, I'm just going to head over the ice. If we keep hiding back here, there's no way we'll get anything done." He rubbed his hands together. "And we need to get this done soon." A step out. "Let's go-"
Ceecee grabbed his arm, pulling him roughly down beside her. A harsh whisper crept from her mouth. "Quieten down and stay hidden! I know you've been away for a while but get your head back in the game! I know what I'm talking about!"
Silence broke between them once more as they stared at the empty field.
A second passed.
Another one.
A tap broke through the air on their right.
The two glanced at each other and Ceecee raised a hand to her lips, indicating for Jared to follow her.
Feet sliding across the ground, they manoeuvred their way around iced rocks and frozen spikes, peering around a series of ground-emerged rocks to see the back of a figure.
He knelt on the ground, hands clasped together and eyes closed. However, his concentration appeared constantly interrupted by his flickering eyes, opening and shutting, glancing from the field to a large piece of paper in front of him. He took a deep breath, clearing his mind before rising to his feet. A second. His hands curled together and then out again. He looked straight ahead, narrowing his concentration.
And he sprinted out of the rocks.
The two scuttled forward, staring at the back of the man's path as he burst into the open. His running began a strange pattern, a series of leaps and steps as his back bent and raised, jumped and crouched. Yet, still, onwards. And he was fast. Exceedingly fast. Impossibly fast.
His face drew into a slight smile as his body began to relax slightly...
And his midsection began oozing red.
Horror broke over his face, mixed with a tinge of fear as another spear of ice shot through his chest. And then another through his neck. And head. His body fell to the ground.
A great rumbling started and a block of ice broke from the ceiling, almost three times the man's length. It crashed to the ground atop him before rising slowly back to the ceiling, leaving only a pooling red stain and flattened fragments of white and brown. The ground opened up and the flattened corpse and fell through the earth, blood trickling down with it. A great, icy wind started, sweeping across the earth and carrying the remaining blood and ice fragments with it to a far wall. A few drops of the blood joined together into a short line and ingrained itself into the wall as the rest of the blood and fragments sat at the bottom of the wall.
Jared stared at the wall, mouth widened. Dark red. Almost black. The entire wall was soaked with blood.
Ceecee glanced at him. "Welcome to Desolator's Clearing."
He licked his lips. "This is... impossible. How can a place like this exist? I mean... how can nature perform such a cruel task in this specific area? I mean... it makes no sense..."
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Frozen Flame
Fantasy[Finished and being edited] Once captured by a distraught king, a fierce warrior is forced to choose between saving his family or his country. But choices are never that simple. ...
