Trek For Survival 83 Chapter 83 A Fleeting Ember

The wind was whipping her hair into her eyes, but Gia couldn't pause to tuck it out of the way. Her hands were wrapped tightly around vines suspended between two pillars. Below her, was a thick mist hiding untold dangers that she wasn't interested in investigating. As soon as she managed to get across this chasm, she would have to run as fast as she could to the cl.u.s.ter of bushes in order to hide from the creature that was watching her intently from the edge of the gorge behind her.

Reaching the next pillar, she clawed her way onto it, scooting along her belly until she was no longer at risk of falling. Raising her head wearily, she could see the other side of the gorge just a few feet away. Her arms burned and ached from all of the effort of getting to where she was, but Gia knew there wasn't time to stop and rest. Vonn had been with the mage for far too long. There was no telling what horrible things that evil man was doing to her love.

If she could manage to stand up on the slippery surface of the rock column she was laying on, Gia was certain she could jump the last little bit. As she was getting her knees up under her, the guard creature appeared in her vision. It must have run around while she was working her way across the gorge. Tears welled in her eyes. What was she going to do?

"Please, just let me cross?" she whispered into the wind. Her arms were shaking, and her hands were trying to slip out from under her on the wet moss.

The creature tilted its head to the side, as if it hadn't heard her well.

"Please, just let me go by," she said louder, hoping the amulet around her neck would be strong enough to sway it. Sending a prayer to Bob, Gia watched as the creature seemed to consider her request. It didn't have a mouth to speak to her, and she couldn't see any ears, for it to be able to hear her. The glow from its eyes terrified her, but she watched it with bated breath as it made up its mind.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Gia stood up and jumped as the creature moved out of her way. Landing on the solid ground, she curled into a ball for a moment, as her body shook and s.h.i.+vered. Her clothes were soaked through, and a chill had worked its way into her bones, but Gia didn't have time to change or build a fire to warm herself.

The shadow creature approached her, each step making a soft sizzle sound, and as it reached her side, Gia saw with surprise that it was actually giving off black smoke. Its skin was actually rock held together with what looked like molten lava. The heat that emenated off of it warmed her, and she found herself huddling closer to it, despite the obvious threat to her life.

"You're so warm," she moaned, holding her hands up to the creature.

It drew even closer to her, almost reaching out to touch her, before drawing back and sitting, with all four limbs held tightly together. Leaning its head closer to her, she saw the spikes start to glow a deep red that grew brighter and brighter. The area grew warmer and warmer, and she couldn't help but sigh in delight. Her clothes dried out, and her chills faded.

"That is so nice! Thank you!" she murmured, suddenly remembering her manners. "I have to go, though. The mage has my mate trapped in his castle."

She went to stand and move towards the castle, but the creature jumped in front of her, shaking its head.

"Please let me by?" she asked again, thinking it worked the last time she had asked.

It shook its head at her again, glancing back at the castle, then motioning with its head, and pointed towards the bushes she had planned to try and hide in. The bushes branches and leaves sizzled and withered where the creature touched them, as it pushed its way into the thicket. Glancing one last time at the castle, Gia sighed and followed it. The path it left was pretty easy to follow, and she soon found herself standing in a hollow surrounded by trees. Before her was a strange formation she didn't understand. It looked like the trees had grown into a circle. No leaves covered the trees that made up the circle, and she approached it hesitantly.

The creature had walked right up to the edge of the circle, staring into it intently, as if expecting something to be standing in it.

"What have you brought me?" whispered a sly voice, and Gia watched as a small fox appeared in the middle of the circle.

She gasped in shock and froze in her tracks.

"A human? There hasn't been a human this close to the mage's keep in a long time. He must not know you are here," said the fox, its eyes flickering with yellow flames.

Gia swallowed the lump of fear that had formed in her throat and shook her head. "The mage doesn't know I'm here yet," she managed to whisper.

The fox nodded, laying down on the bottom edge of branches that formed the circle, and curled its tail, which looked to be nothing but flames, around it.

"Once he finds you, he will take you to be fed to some of his pets. He doesn't keep people around long."

Gia gasped at the thought of her poor Vonn, as tears gathered in her eyes. "I have to hurry then!"

"Did you not hear me?" asked the fox, looking startled. "I just said the mage will kill you!"

"But the reason I'm here is because the mage took my husband! I'm trying to save him!" she sobbed, as huge tears streamed down her cheeks. "I have to save him!"

"You… want to go up against the mage?" stammered the fox in amazement. "I have to see this! Alright, I'll help you get into the castle, but remember, the mage has traps everywhere!"

Gia nodded, wiping her eyes and hiccupping. She was so tired! Why was she breaking down like this? Was it because she was pregnant?

The fox hopped down from the circle of branches and tentatively took a few steps across the gra.s.s. After a moment of contemplation, it nodded and turning to look at her said, "Follow me as quickly as you can, and I will get you through the traps he has set around the castle. Whatever you do, don't look at the glowing crows. They will report you, if you do!"

Gia nodded again, and forced her tired body to follow as fast as she could as the fox darted off into the forest. Branches slapped at her face, and she felt cuts form on her arms and hands. Birds screamed at her, but she kept her eyes glued to the glowing form of the fox before her. When it turned, so did she. When it ducked under something, she slid to her knees and crawled. When it jumped over something that could have been crawled under, she tried her best to climb over it as well.

By the time they reached the small sewer grate at the base of the castle, Gia felt like she was about to drop dead from exhaustion. The fox sat on its haunches and studied her for a moment.

"I would bless you, but you've already been blessed. Any chance you would be willing to remove the necklace?" it asked, tilting its cute little face to the side, to study the amulet that had fallen out of her s.h.i.+rt at some point.

Gia wrapped her hands around the amulet and took a breath, to be able to answer.

"Thank you very much for leading me here, but I'm afraid this amulet has been the only thing that got me this far. I can't part with it, until my husband and I are safe and away from here."

"He's probably already dead, you know," said the fox, looking disappointed.

"I pray he's not. And if he is…" her voice faltered before she shook her head violently. "No! I won't even think it! Vonn is still alive! I will save him, and we will raise our children in the village below, in the house he will build. I can't risk the thought of him not being alright!"

"I admire your loyalty," said the fox. "I'll grant you temporary strength to finish your quest!"

It reached out and booped her nose with its own, before vanis.h.i.+ng as if it had never been there. Gia rubbed her nose, feeling a blister starting to form as if she had been burned by an ember. Strangely, she didn't feel as tired anymore. Turning to look at the gaping hole that lead into the bowels of the mage���s castle, Gia took a breath of fresh air and nodded to herself. She had made it this far! Vonn was on the other side of the tunnel, and she was going to save him!