Page 71 of Beneath the Flames
I glanced toward the volcano, even though I couldn’t see it through the wooden walls of the cabin.“I’m supposed to somehow cross a sea of lava and find a cave in the dark, search said cave also in the dark, and find a relic I won’t even recognize?By myself?”
“That about sums it up,” he replied, his voice teasing.
“And how do you suggest I do this?”
Rhydian smirked.“Don’t die?”
Anxiety was a low buzz filling my body, making it hard to breathe.“Sure, I’ll just do that.”
“Come on,” Rhydian said, slinging his bag over a shoulder and heading toward the door.“It’s time to face your task.”
“You mean time to die.”
“Semantics.”
At the look on my face, Rhydian laughed before leaving the cabin and heading out into the cold.
My breaths were coming in panicked gasps, and each and every one of my bones locked up.I couldn’t move.How was I supposed to do this?He made itsoundeasy, but last time I checked, a human couldn’t survive a lake of lava.It wasn’t like there was a heat-proof boat that I could use to sail across.Despair settled into my muscles, weighing me down, and I fought to drag my feet forward after him.
Was this it?I’d get killed on the first task and leave my family forever?I’d never get home if I didn’t make it off this volcano.
“Just be careful,” Rhydian threw over his shoulder.
I scowled at his back.“Yes, I’ll just do that.”A frustrated breath escaped my lips.“That’s easy for you to say, Rhydian.You’re a magical being with super cold immunity and golden death rays.”I held my arms out at my sides.“I’m just a human.I’m nothing special.”
He was quick to respond, his caramel eyes swinging to mine.“Who said you needed to be special to accomplish something difficult?”
I blinked at him, taken aback by his response.Then he was suddenly in front of me, his face inches from mine as he stared down at me, those gold-rimmed eyes fierce.My heart stuttered again.Why did my body keep responding like this when he got close to me?
“Perhaps you’re stronger than you think, Maren.Don’t give up before you’ve even started.”
A breath shuddered through my lips, pooling in the cold air.The warmth of the cabin had been a nice reprieve, but now that we were back outside, the cold was even more bitter andbiting than it had been last night.
Rhydian turned away before I could respond, walked a few feet, and then came to a stop.It wasn’t until I arrived at his side that I understood why.
We were at the mouth of the volcano.A huge crater-like shape sat in front of us, filled to the brim with glowing lava.
At least it’s not so dark now, I thought to myself.
“And how do you expect me to make it across a lake of boiling-hot liquid?”
“No one said you had to goacross.”He pointed in the distance.“Just walk around the outside.”
I blanched.“Do you see how big this thing is?That would take hours!”
Rhydian’s shoulders lifted in a silent laugh.“Better get moving then.”
I mumbled a string of curses under my breath and stomped away from him.At least this task didn’t seemtoodangerous.Sure, I was at the mouth of a volcano, but the lava wasn’t moving and hunting me like the Scorching Rivers, nor was it erupting, so I assumed I was relatively safe.Or at least that was what I kept saying to myself so that my feet would keep moving forward.
The heat from the lake was just warm enough to take the bite out of the frigid air, and soon, I was sweating beneath my coat once again, a blessed relief after nearly losing my fingers and toes yesterday.
The ground was hard beneath my boots, crunching here and there.The passing thought that the lava might suddenly break and burn through my boots kept replaying in my mind, along with some very frightening visuals, and it had my steps quickening.
I swore the closer I got to the other side of the lake, thefarther away it seemed.Time slowed, my legs growing more tired by the minute.At least I didn’t have to climb anymore.It was a relatively easy trek around the sea of hot boiling liquid, even if it waslong.
The twin moons stayed exactly where they always were, but I knew they were moving like Rhydian said, even if I couldn’t tell a difference as the hours ticked by.Speaking of hours, I had no idea how many had passed, but it had to have been several based on the way my legs were wobbling, the blisters on my ankles throbbing from the too-large boots, and the fact that I could no longer make out Rhydian’s shape across the lake.He was just a small dot on the shore.
I knew that I had to accomplish this task myself, but it still surprised me to find that Rhydianwasn’tbehind me.I looked back periodically and found him still standing there…until he wasn’t.Had he gotten bored watching me go for a long walk on top of a volcano?Or maybe he’d lain down to take a nap.
