Chapter 29
Hello everyone, I regret not having published last week, but I went on a trip to live XD life. I'm back and I'll continue publishing as usual, although if I take a little longer it's because I'm enjoying summer. I hope you do the same.
By the way, I was asked if Cathy, Lok's sister, would appear. Warning, I do not plan to put it in my story, but if I change my mind I would not put her as Lok's sister, but I would invent her existence.
Kisses for everyone.
Lok's POV
Sophie and I were walking through our tunnel hoping the others were fine, we got lucky and got away unharmed, but we did not know anything about Dante and Zhalia.
We descended through the tunnel, it was dark and narrow, the temperature kept decreasing and that slowed us down, Sophie and I did not stop shaking, we hugged ourselves to try to keep warm.
-Co ... come on, do not ... you ... stop Lok.
-It's eas ... easier to say than ... than to do it.
-Only a li ... little more. There is a ... a ... a light.
Sophie pointed forward, sunlight illuminating the exit of the tunnel. At the idea of light we hurry. Sophie went ahead of me when she slipped and fell to the floor.
-That hurts- Sophie said as she rubbed her back.
-Jajaja-You cannot help laughing- Come on, let me help you.
Sophie accepted my hands delighted, but when I pulled her up I lost my balance and we both fell to the ground, to make the situation worse we slid down like a slide. The impulse of the descent slid us to the centre of a room. The room was circular, with two entrances, one in front of the other, the ceiling was a dome of ice, which let in the light, and the walls the same, and the floor was again snow, except a few tiles in front of the doors semi-circular.
-It's not possible!- Sophie shouted.
-Oh, wow. We are still trapped.
Sophie and I got up discouraged, we both wanted to get out of the cave once or find the others.
- How have we fallen?
-The ground had to turn to ice in the final stretch of the tunnel and we did not realize.-Sophie explained looking at the sky.
-Well, we only have one exit, let's continue, I do not think it's good to stay still, we could freeze. -I approached the exit
-Hey, Lok, does not this room look a bit like the snakes?- Sophie started to walk around the room.
-I do not think so, why do you ask?
-Well, the other room was reached by a tunnel similar to the one we were in, besides, we have not found more rooms.
-And that? Here there are no statues of snakes.
-Not Lok ...- Sophie's concern was very evident.
-Well, in the other we stayed a while, we did not make the same mistake. So, let's continue!
My mood infected Sophie and we both walked to the exit with me in the head.
I was about to cross when the entrance collapsed; Sophie pulled my hood back and saved me from being crushed.
-You're good?
-I think. What happened? -I answered a little stunned.
-Probably only collapsed over the years. We'd better go back where we came from.
I nodded at the thought of Sophie. When we had reached the centre of the room the tunnel where we had come collapsed in the same way that the other had.
-It's not possible!- Sophie shouted.
-We're trapped!
Everything rumbled and the ice dome became opaque allowing the light to be minimal and from it snow began to fall quite quickly.
- Is it snowing in here?
-It's a trap!- Exclaimed Sophie. -We're trapped and that snow buried us alive.
-Before we will die frozen- I said as I hugged myself while a current of cold air ran through the room.
Lok's POV end
Dante's POV
Zhalia, Cherit and I walked through a bright tunnel and very wide, in addition, the temperature had remained stable, the tunnel descended but everything was fine, except for the fact of having lost Lok and Sophie. Cherit kept asking if they were okay, but how did he want him to know? The Holotomo stopped working so we no longer had the map and we could only follow the tunnel, which seemed infinite.
Dante's POV end
Lok's POV
Sophie and I had been on the move all the time not to die frozen, but the forces failed us and I kept wavering because of the desire to transform me. We had not found any way out, and the snow was beginning to bury us.
-Th ... there's no way out. What ... what do we do? - I cried exhausted.
-Oh, w ... we can give up.
We kept looking for each one on one side, but we did not get a solution, I had tried to dig but the snow had come to burn my hands a little and I stopped.
-Have you ... found something?- Sophie did not answer. -Sophie?- I turned around and looked at her. -Sophie!
Sophie was lying on the ground, the snow had almost buried her, I ran towards her as fast as I could and wrapped her in my arms.
-Sophie?, Sophie responds!
The only thing I got was a little moan. Sophie was very cold and her lips were violet. I knew that I would not get her to wake up and I would not stand much longer. I lifted Sophie in my arms, I went to one of the side walls and sat on the floor, I sat Sophie on my lap and rested her head on my chest, hugging her, I wrapped my body, especially hers, with my queues to keep warm and I created a dome with my wings, as I had done in the tent, so that the snow would not bury us.
Lok's POV end
Dante's POV
The tunnel never ended, and it seemed that it was not taking us anywhere, Zhalia was beginning to despair.
-For the love of God! We will never leave this tunnel.
-That we do not know, besides, we cannot go back, the snakes must be waiting.
-I know, but if I do not complain, I'm going to go crazy.
-With that's why you complain so much- I could not help but smile a little.
-Very funny. You are very calm to have lost your children.
-They are not my children. And I'm not calm.
-Okey..., I'm more worried than you.
- Are you worried?
-Of course. This was my mission, not yours, I am responsible if something happens to them.
Zhalia kept walking a little annoyed by my question and very, but very annoyed by not finding the exit, I was also impatient me, it seemed that we had been walking forever but the tunnel did not end. It had been two hours and we decided to stop to rest, Zhalia sat on the floor, I agree to lean against the wall, I did not know how much we had walked, nor what we had left to walk, the only thing we knew was that we had to find Lok and Sophie soon, this place was very treacherous and if they had not been damaged by snakes could be damaged by any other trap.
-Fuck! It seems we've been walking in circles! "Zhalia shouted, startling me.
-Come, do not be like that. Surely we have almost left.
-I would not be so sure-Zhalia and I look at Cherit interrogative.
-Why do you say it? -I asked.
-By this- Cherit gave me the wrapper of a chocolate bar- I threw it around when I finished it.
-Where did you get it from? -I asked
-From your backpack.
- And you throw the wrapper on the floor? What did you think? You cannot do that!
-I am sorry.
-By God Cherit ...
-Wait, how long ago did you throw the paper?- Zhalia asked, getting up quickly.
- An hour and a half ago, more or less.
- And you tell us now? - Cherit I was sorry, Zhalia scared me even, it was red and it seemed that the snow and ice melted around her, I did not want to be in Cherit's skin.- We've walked for two hours, and now you're telling me we've been walking in circles for fun ?! I swear I'll kill you flying rat!
Cherit flew to hide in my coat looking for protection. Zhalia started pacing back and forth, I swear I saw smoke coming from her head.
-I'm sorry; I had not seen the wrapping until we stopped.
-What have you not seen? Here everything is white, and the paper is red! How, how have you not seen it ?!
-Dante, help.-Cherit whispered to me.
-Let him relieve himself.
I was right, once Zhalia cursed everything and everyone, cursed a few curses, and said a few curses, she calmed down. At that moment I was glad that the boys were not here and would not have had to listen to all the things that Zhalia had said. I was also angry with Cherit, but I knew I had not done it on purpose.
-Now that you are calmer, why do not we look for a way to get out of here?
-How, the Holotomo does not work?
-We do not need it.-I smiled widely- Have you forgotten that you are in a place made of ice?
-Do you intend to melt the wall?
-Exact.
-And if everything collapses? - Cherit asked looking at the ceiling with terror.
-It is an irrigation that will have to be run. But I think there has to be a way out somewhere.
I went to one of the walls and walked with my hand stuck in it, Zhalia was quiet, sooner or later I would end up going back, and Cherit went with me for fear of staying with Zhalia. I already saw Zhalia when I noticed a variation of the temperature in the ice.
-Zhalia! -Zhalia looked at me -It seems that here is the exit.
-Sure?- She asked as she approached.
-Tap, it's hotter than the rest of the ice.
Zhalia placed her hand next to it.
-If you say it.
- Do not you notice?
-It's just as cold.
I looked at her strangely and then looked at the ice.
-Maybe Zhalia cannot perceive it and you can for your power.- Cherit suggested earning a murderous look from Zhalia.
-It may be ...- I moved away from the wall-move away.
Once Zhalia and Cherit turned away from the ice and me, I unloaded with all my strength a "Rayfire" against the wall of ice, it did not take long to give in to my power and melt opening a large hole, although it did not reach all the height of the tunnel. We stood looking at the ceiling waiting for it to come down, but it did not even crack. Through the hole you could see a spacious room of ice, in its centre there was a very nice ice fountain, although it did not expel water, in the upper part there was a serpent with its mouth open looking towards the ceiling. When we decided it was safe we entered the room. I watched the room for a moment, it was circular, the floor was made of ice tiles, in some of them there was a snake drawn, there were two doors, one next to the other, closed with a grid of ice, the bars were the body of some snakes and the mouth was stuck in the ground, between the two doors there was a kind of ice plank. The room was illuminated by standing candelabra, also of ice, arranged in rows attached to the wall, however they did not have a normal fire, in them there were blue flames, except in one. In the place where the entrance was open there were no chandeliers, and the nearest one had no blue fire, only a snowball.
-It smells like a trap.
I nodded at Zhalia's comment.
-I do not know what it is, but it seems we have to get to the source. Look at the snake. -I pointed at his mouth.- It seems you have to put something in.
- Like that snowball so well placed next to us?
-It seems. But I do not see the trap?
-The ground is the trap.
Zhalia said pointing at the tiles. Cherit, flying above them and hearing that they were the traps quickly returned with us and settled on my shoulder.
- If we step on the wrong tiles the trap will be activated and many arrows will shoot from the ceiling.
Zhalia continued, pointed to the ceiling lining, I did not know how it had happened to me, it was full of tiny holes through which you could see the tips of the arrows, if we were wrong we would die in seconds.
-And what are the correct tiles? - Asked Cherit
-The one with the snakes.
-Great, we have to jump from tile to tile. Dante, do it.
-I?
-I'm clumsy on the ice, and if I slip and fall on the wrong tiles I'll activate the trap.
-Why do not I fly and I do it?
Zhalia and I looked at each other, truthfully, it sounded good, so we did not run the risk of dying, but the trap had other intentions, the plank between the two doors shone and a phrase appeared in it.
"No cheating, no flying"
-Great, it is a smart trap.-Zhalia protested.
-They are the rules, and you have to respect them.
-Whatever. Your turn.
-It's okay.
We already had our idea in motion, but again, the trap did not like it.
"The grumpy and unfriendly woman will do it"
-Who are you calling grumpy ?! Forget it, I will not, we will look for another way.
"I am the only way to your friends"
Zhalia and I hold our breath.
"Their lives are in danger, if you do the test correctly I will open the door you want and the ground will stabilize, but it has to be by my standards"
-Zhalia, do it-The worry was obvious in my voice.
-I already know it. There is no other option and we cannot take risks, right?
-If it tells the truth, it is the only solution.
Zhalia took a big breath and then released it slowly. She approached the snowball, took it in his hands and approached the first tile with a snake; she stood on top with fear, when she saw that the tile was not sinking, and that the arrows did not shoot out. She sighed relieved; I recognize that also, I did not want to die. Zhalia hurried to the next one carefully, did not want to slip. The tiles were smart, when I stepped on a tile, the snake that was drawn disappeared and the next tile shone with a blue tone. Everything was fine, Zhalia was getting it, and kept the ball in his hands, and despite having slipped a bit seemed to have everything under control. Each tile was a tile less and one closer to the boys, the panic was evident in Zhalia, she hesitated to tread and trembled a little. The tiles had brought Zhalia all over the room, but at last she was approaching the fountain, she was just missing one, the tile was in front of the fountain and Zhalia was a few meters away, however, there were no more tiles with snakes between them, Zhalia looked at me in panic.
-You have to jump.
-Please tell me what a joke it is.
I shook my head.
-I cannot do it, I'll slip, like on the precipice.
-There is no other option, the boys need us.
Zhalia looked at me with a lot of hatred, I knew she had just put a heavy weight on her shoulders, but it was the reality, we did not know the danger they were in, we only knew that they were in danger and the time was running out, if they were not I had finished already. Zhalia gathered all the courage she could and with "Hiperstride" flew through the air to the last tile, landed and for a few seconds everything was fine, but she slipped and fell backwards. I closed my eyes expecting to be pierced by a hundred arrows, but none touched me, I opened one eye a little with fear, Zhalia had managed to hold on to the fountain and avoid falling, I sighed really ally and felt like my legs were weakening, but luckily I kept myself from stand firmly Zhalia sat up carefully.
-Well done.
I thought she would be glad to congratulate her, but instead, she turned her head slowly with a piercing gaze that made me stunned, unable to move or make a word. Zhalia returned to focus on what she was doing, without letting go the fountain stood on tiptoe and dropped the snowball inside the mouth of the reptile. As the plank had said, on all tiles serpents were drawn making it stable, however nothing happened.
-What's wrong?- Zhalia asked, bewildered. -This should have worked.
I met Zhalia next to the fountain; we were both equally bewildered, had we done something wrong? The plank shone again.
"It has not been so difficult, right?"
-But will be...?! Hey, stupid sign, have you lied to us?!
"What do you want?"
-I do not understand, what do you mean? -I asked a little angrily.
"One of the doors leads to what you have come to look for, the other to your friends, what do you want?"
Zhalia and I looked at each other, the answer was clear, even if it meant not fulfilling the mission.
-Get us with our friends.
At my request the fountain made a noise and began to release snowflakes instead of water, snowflakes began to fill the fountain, a few flakes flew out as if moved by the wind, flew to the door on the right of the plank and crossed the bars again and again causing it to rise and let us pass. Zhalia and I went running as fast as we could through the tunnel to save the boys.
Dante's POV end
Lok's POV
I was very cold, the last thing I remembered was seeing the snow through my wings and being very tired, I must have been unconscious from the cold, now I was beginning to recover consciousness, I heard voices speaking among them, but I was not able to decipher What they said. It took a while but I managed to open my eyes enough to see Cherit's face, he was smiling from ear to ear.
-Good morning- He sang happy.
I closed my eyes again and put a hand to my head.
-Cherit, leave him alone.
I recognized the voice as that of Zhalia. I opened my eyes again, this time I saw Zhalia looking at me with concern.
- At last wake up. Let's go up.
Zhalia helped me to sit up, once I sat down I saw Sophie sitting in front of me wrapped a little by Dante, I was awake and she was smiling pleasantly at me. I looked around, the snow had disappeared as the collapse of one of the entrances, Ignatius was invoked and in the middle of us there was a small bonfire. Zhalia helped me stay upright.
-What happened? -I asked a little sleepy.
-That's what we were going to ask you. Dante and I found you covered in snow.
-It was a trap- Sophie began to explain- The exits were blocked and snow began to fall from the roof. I do not remember much more.
-We also fell into a trap, the infinite corridor; we walked in circles for a long time, although I do not know how the entrance disappeared. -Dante reflected a few moments- At the end we left there and ended up in a kind of trap, to which, Zhalia did not like him- Dante smiled in a funny way.
-The disgust is mutual.- Zhalia grumbled without letting go.
-Although it wanted to help us, after overcoming it it led us to you, with the help of Ignatius we melted all the snow and found you in a small den that Lok had made.
-And luckily you did. -Zhalia looked at Sophie and my very serious.-If not, you would have died.
-I suppose I owe you my life- Sophie said smiling again, although you could tell she was a little embarrassed.
-There is one thing I do not understand- Everyone looked at me curiously- Why does my back hurt?
I put a hand to my lower back and winced. Dante and Sophie looked at me worriedly, Zhalia, who was still by my side, looked away.
-What happens?
-Lok, -Dante took a breath- I think it hurts, for your wings.
-My wings?
I looked at my wings, they were frozen, most of their black colour had turned an almost white grey.
-Great! This is going to bother my back a lot.
-Are not you worried?- Sophie asked in surprise.
-By?
-Well..., your wings do not look good -said Cherit as he watched them carefully- But that nothing good.
-Guys, think a little, will I really worry about useless wings? Ok, they are frozen, but they will thaw, the only thing I have to do is avoid hitting them, now they are very fragile. But if they broke me, it would not be a great tragedy, in your state no.
I smiled a little to calm the situation, the others seemed calmer.
-How about your wings, Sophie?
-Only covered with snow - Sophie, Cherit and I laughed, Dante and Zhalia, did not understand what was funny, although it was normal, they had no wings.
-Can I ask you a question? -Zhalia asked, surprised -Sophie, why did not you use your powers? It is not fire, but the light would have sufficed.
-It was frozen and without strength.
Sophie replied in a bad mood. Dante ordered us to rest everything we needed. Once almost completely recovered, we set off to the room that had helped Dante and Zhalia to meet us. It took a while, but we convinced the trap that it would leave Sophie and me to perform the test, since Dante and Zhalia had already done it, the trap agreed but if Sophie did, none had any problem in their condition, once that Sophie put the snowball inside the mouth of the snake just lacking to choose the path. The snowflakes opened the grate of our objective and we all passed, we did not know what was waiting for us, but we knew that we were close and luckily we were all together now. The tunnel that had been opened was the same as the previous ones, walls and roof of ice and snow floor, but it was brighter than the previous one by which Sophie and I had walked, but darker than the one at the beginning. We walked for a while, at the end of the tunnel opened a huge room, the same size as the first room of the temple of Thor, although it was higher than that. The tunnel ran through the upper part of the room, about sixty meters high, on one of the sides there were some stairs attached to the wall that ran all the way to the floor. Down below, the great ice snake rested. His scaly body was white, the entire upper part of his body had a thin layer of ice flakes. Despite being curled, it occupied almost the entire lower part and almost half the height. You must when his forked tongue protruded through his mouth.
-It seems that we have reached our destination.-Dante commented in a good mood.
-Yeah- Sophie was not as happy as he was- now it's all left to get out of here.
Lok's POV end