Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116396 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 582(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
“What are you doing?”
“The horses can only carry so much Ice. It’s smarter to grow it yourself.” He sliced it clean from the earth and placed it in the sack. “All we need is for one root to attach to the ground. Others will follow. Then you can grow and harvest your own in abundance.” He cut a few others and added them to the bag.
“You think it’ll grow in HeartHolme?”
“You have caverns.”
“But our soil is totally different.”
He dropped the sack back into his pack. “All we can do is try.”
I dropped my pack and got to work, slicing off the spherical balls of glass and dropping them inside.
Hours passed as we worked in silence, harvesting all the Ice and carefully placing it into our packs. We’d each brought two packs, and while it was a lot of weight to carry, it wasn’t enough Ice to make every soldier a weapon. If the ivy didn’t grow, I’d have to make several trips out here until we had enough.
“What’s your sister’s name?”
He stilled at the question then looked at me across the cave. “Avice.” He dropped his head and got back to work, slicing another ball and dropping it inside his pack.
“What’s she like?”
“She’s a lot different now than she used to be. When we were young, she was fun and outgoing. Always told me I was an old man, even when I was barely a man.”
“I believe that,” I said with a chuckle.
“But once she became bound to Haldir, she’s become far more somber. Listens more than she speaks. Alienates herself from everyone around her. The conversations we share are stale. We can’t discuss our past lives, so there’s little to talk about.”
“Why can’t you?”
“Just too hard.” He stood upright and pulled both sacks over his shoulder. “I can’t fit anymore.”
“Neither can I.” I dusted off my hands then picked up both sacks, but I only lifted them halfway because they were far heavier than I’d realized. I dropped them back to the ground then lifted them one at a time.
Bastian pulled one off my shoulder and added it to his own load.
“I can carry it.”
“I got it.” He headed out and grabbed the burning torch from the ground.
I followed behind him, and just the single sack was enough to make my shoulder scream from the weight. On top of that, we were going uphill, so my thighs screamed too. I wore armor and carried a sword and shield, but the sacks of glass had to be ten times heavier than all of that. I lagged behind him, the distance growing between us, and soon, I was sweating so hard I could feel it soak through my shirt.
He turned back to look at me. Without judgment in his eyes, he extended his hand. “Hand it over.”
“I said I’m fine.”
“You don’t need to prove anything to me.”
“Are you kidding me? I have to prove myself to everyone—always.”
He grabbed the sack and pulled it over his shoulder, now carrying all four on his own. “Elora, you never have to prove anything to me.” He turned back up the path, moving with the same briskness as before.
I actually had to stop and catch my breath for a few seconds.
We continued our journey to the surface, the light from the tunnel visible at the very end. All we had to do was get back to the horses, and the steeds could carry everything the rest of the way.
When he reached the opening, he set the sacks down and took a seat on one of the rocks. “We wait until nightfall.”
“Oh, thank the gods.” I sat on a rock on the opposite side of the cavern, the distance between us just a few feet. “Have you always been that strong?”
“Yes. But becoming Necrosis has amplified those qualities.” He had thick arms like my brothers, powerful shoulders that were packed with different layers of muscles. Even his forearms were ripped.
“I need to work out more.”
He cracked a small smile. “No, you don’t.”
“It’s pretty pathetic I couldn’t even carry one sack…”
“The Ice has a high density. That’s why you could construct two swords out of the small amount I gave you. It’s a lot heavier than weapons and armor. I’m surprised that you could pick it up at all, if I’m being honest.”
“Well, that’s me, always surprising people.”
He looked out the entrance of the tunnel, peering through the sunlight to the rest of the hill.
“Is your city on the other side of these mountains?”
“Yes.”
“What’s it like?”
“No different from what you’re used to. Each of the Three Kings has his own castle in separate areas of the valley. The rest of Necrosis reside in their homes. We have to contribute to our community like everyone else, so some are farmers, others are carpenters, and so on.”
“So, you’re just like us…except you live forever.”