Page 63 of Beneath the Flames
Once he had put out the fire, Rhydian asked, “Ready?”
“Do I have a choice?”
That amused twinkle was back in his eyes.Yes, an actual twinkle.“Not really.”
I sighed, holding back a groan at my aching body as I pushed to my feet.“Then let’s get going.If I’m going to die, I’d rather get it over with.”
Something about my words must have been funny because Rhydian burst out laughing, a full, deep sound that did traitorous things to my insides.I made him laugh again.It felt like I was betraying myself even admitting how much I liked it.
“That’s the spirit, Maren.”
My cheeks warmed at his sarcasm.
Once we finished our meager meals, Rhydian packed up and led us to the cave entrance.He lifted a hand in the direction of a massive volcano at the end of the valley, much closer than it had been before.
“Mount Kharos is there.We should reach the base by moon set.”
The two moons hung in the sky, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand what he had explained to me the night before.I didn’t see distinguishable markings, and I couldn’t tell if one was brighter now than it had been.
I was beginning to think Rhydian was nuts.
Maybe perpetual night and darkness did that to your mind.
Sensing my skepticism, Rhydian smirked and said, “It’s several hours past moon rise.Close to midday.”He nodded toward the moons.“You’ll get used to it.”
“Does anyoneget used toconstant night?”
“It’s an acquired taste to some.Others thrive in the dark.”
“And which are you?”
He held his hands out at his sides.“Iamthe night, Maren.”
No need to be dramatic, I thought to myself, barely restraining from rolling my eyes.
“Well then,Night,let’s get moving.I’ve got a volcano to climb.”
***
The hours that passed were even more torturous and grueling than the first part of the journey before I passed out.We barely spoke more than a few words the entire time, our renewed determination to make it to the volcano driving each of our footfalls.By the time we reached the base of Mount Kharos, I was back to a shivering, shaking mess.I understood that this was Rhydian’s home, and he was used to this cold, but I couldn’t figure out how anyone wouldnotbe affected by such frigid temperatures.This was beyond snot-freezing-in-your-nose cold.This was like being submerged in an icy lake with no way of getting out—for hours on end.
My breath clouded the air as I came to a stop, panting, trying in vain to catch my breath when it felt like it was impossible to breathe at all.The mountain was so tall, the very tip was shrouded in misty clouds.Thankfully, it didn’t appear to be too terribly steep, which answered my question of whether I’d be hiking or rock climbing.Gratitude flooded me that it was not the latter.
Bending down, I tugged the laces on my boots as tightly as possible once again, sending up a silent prayer that their too-large size wouldn’t hinder this trek up the volcano.Though adrenaline was flooding my body, exhaustion lurked in the shadows of my mind, waiting to pounce and drag me down.
“Ready?”Rhydian asked, staring up at Mount Kharos, lips pressed into a grim expression.
“As I’ll ever be.”Pulling my coat tighter, we started to climb.
Surprisingly there was no lava here, no Scorching Rivers in sight, which seemed odd considering this was a volcano.Instead, everything surrounding us was dried and hardened lines of lava, the occasional strange-looking plant growing out from the midst of them.They looked similar to cacti, but they were dark blue in color, and were in the shape of an odd snowman.I couldn’t tell in the dark if it had needles like a normal cactus, but it wouldn’t have surprised me if it was something worse—like ice crystals that caused instant frostbite if touched.That sounded like something that would exist in a magical land that wanted to kill me.
An involuntary shudder wracked through my body at the thought.My fingers and toes felt like they were on the verge of falling off, but still I pushed forward, beginning to climb the steep incline of the volcano.
Though Rhydian’s stamina was far better than mine, I didn’t miss the way his quiet breaths were just a little too forceful, like he was trying to hide that he was out of breath too.
I needed to distract myself.If I kept thinking about the cold and how miserable this journey was, I’d never make it to the top.I was certain my muscles would freeze up and I would die on the side of this mountain.
“Why aren’t there any stars?”I asked Rhydian, hoping aconversation would keep my mind busy.I still couldn’t get over how weird it was, seeing two moons in the sky but no stars.
