"Didn't I just see that symbol a second ago?" I ask myself out loud, and grip my chin. I decided not to think much about it and run down the hall again.
The lanterns that were hung upon the wall for light stopped working a while back. So now the only things I can see is either the path I took to get here, or the place my own lantern shines upon.
Holding out the lantern to the wall once more I notice the same exact markings on the wall. A line of empty boxes about seven inches by seven inches lineup upon the walls.
My heart screams at me to keep going, but my eyes won't stop staring at the markings. There's something about them that gives a "look or die" type of vibe.
And since I'm currently working on avoiding death I just give in and hold my lantern upwards. Inspecting the wall closer I notice there's a line of characters that look like an ancient language.
"Death of love, and life of sadness.
Queen of Ice, an unsealed room.
Great power, and discovery of Ice
Daughter of the beast, with faint flames.
Frozen Floors, Kingdoms, and lives.
Bloody ink, frightening speed, destruction.
Good of sapphire and frozen destinies."
As I read the words my breath quickens. Glancing around I see more boxes with a similar language to both sides of this box. Blinking rapidly I feel my attention focused on the next one then I stop.
"There's a lot of doomsday vibes from these poems. I should probably stop reading now." My body shivers as I speak this and I take that as my queue to continue my journey. This time instead of going left I go right and find a hallway.
My footsteps echo across the cavern and I assume that means the roof is getting higher. Keeping my guard up I turn to my right again, and then take a quick left once more.
Walking into a room that looks like an ancient temple cafe I sigh. As I inspect the area there are a couple things of interest, and since this room is brighter I stand still and gaze around at my surroundings while my eyes adjust.
Cracked columns of a pure white line the walls, and in between those columns are ice blocks. Blinking the last bit of blur from my eyes I see the figures I thought were ice blocks are actually fridges.
My heart leaps and my stomach growls. "Hopefully they have something edible." I think out loud as I walk towards the first fridge. I grip the handle and pull…
But nothing happens. I sigh and walk over to the next one. It opens, but there is no food inside it. My mind freaks out and starts ranting about how there should be food in here, even if it's an ancient temple room.
But my stomach growls at my brain from below. "That's what I get for being hungry isn't it." My stomach sighs and I take this chance to stop the incoming conversation about yummy food wishes.
Walking out of the room's light back the way I came, my eyes fall upon a doorknob glaring within the light. Its glint is just bright enough to reveal a closed door about seven feet from the room.
I put one foot in front of the other as carefully as I can so I don't slip within the ice patches. But as I take the second step I hear a thump from behind the closed door. The room's temperature drops so drastically that I can feel it.
"That's not something you wanna hear while inside a cave." I think as my awareness rises. "So is now a good time to panic?" My heart chimes in before I frown and grip the door knob.
Taking as deep a breath as I can then holding, before blowing out a misty cloud of air. Then I twist the knob and jump over the ice patch covering the doorways steps.
Sticking with the landing I brace myself for the worst… But nothing happens. No wild animals jump out and attack me. No people gasp and shove me out of the room while throwing towels at me like an old school bathroom scene.
The floor doesn't click and sends a giant rock to crush me. It's surprisingly… calm. Almost too calm. But I figure I might as well make the most of my surprising good luck. Then I stand up all the way and gaze around.
"It's dark." I mutter softly. Then the room lights up with a row of lanterns across the wall's edge. The semicircle shaped room is decorated with frozen ice sculptures, snow men, and chipped ice columns.
But then I blink and notice even more than before. The figures I thought were snow men are actually ice sculptures clad with snow covered armor with blue and white helmets.
They each carry a sword in one hand and I shield in the other. My anxiety grows in my chest, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Now is the perfect time for these things to start attacking me. That would be a classic movie scene." I laugh nervously and then one does move.
*Clang*
"Ahh! Please wait!" I shout and cover my head. But nothing else happens. "Curse you broken ice sword. You scared the cold out of me." I mutter under my breath as I move forward.
I gaze at the fallen sword piece for a moment longer and then my newfound warmth spurs me into the furthest depths of the room. There are markings upon the walls within the ancient ice.
But as I step forward my foot kicks something, causing me to trip.
*Thud*
My face plants itself in a pile of snow and I slowly raise my head. I guess my luck has run out already.
"At least the snow tastes normal." I grumble as I shift my body to stand back up. Then my jaw drops at the throne in the middle of the room. It was so covered by snow that I didn't even see it.
Wiping away some snow with a single full armed push, I inspect the throne more. It's a beautiful sparkling sapphire color. Spaces for stone are carved out of its armrests.
But instead of more jewels, snow has been caked into them and frozen by ice. I would say it's cool looking, but the temperatures are not really helping my senses right now.
Deciding I should go back and say I didn't find anything I walk back over and step over the ice block in the doorway while my mind wanders.
"I guess nothing bad happened after all." I say out loud but then I hear a loud shriek echo accompanying the walls, coming from the cave entrance. My body chills and my hair stands on end.
"Spoke too soon?" I ask myself as a scream sounds again except this time I hear it differently.
"SKYE!" Luna's voice echoes past me and into the room behind me like a cold wind. Hesitation is gone and I'm already sprinting through the snow.
Turning right, then left, then left again, running towards the cave entrance as fast as my legs will allow. Then I come to a sudden halt, my eyes widening at the scene playing out before me.
Luna stands completely still in a half crouched position staring down a giant bear. The bear is in all four and has at least an inch of height toppling Luna.
My legs move faster, but my mind seems to stop. By the time I blink I'm standing in between Luna and the bristling bear. It seems to have snow falling from its fur, but the snow outside has long since stopped.
The fur I thought was covering its back seems to resemble icicles more than a pelt now that I'm closer to it. The beast bares its fangs and a ball of spit slides out of its mouth, turning into ice and then planting itself into the ground beneath me feet.
"Back away very slowly. Follow the cave deeper, take two rights and a left. Then hide…" I whisper to Luna without looking away from the icy monster.
My face seems to reflect back to me in its eyes. A mirror of pure terror within my facial features. The one thing I'm confident I'll never fail at is staring fearless and level headed.
But as the bear snarls I feel my heart race, pounding so hard in my chest that I forget my own thoughts and beliefs of myself for a moment.
Then I cave and lose the very contest that might have kept me alive, looking backwards to see Luna slip behind the first turn.
I take a step back myself and the bear notices. Luna's footsteps are beginning to pick up pace, and I can hear them echo throughout the entire cave.
*grrr*
"Nice bear?" I smile and wink.
*Grraah*
My adversary bellows and I take that as my answer, and cue to move. I turn so fast that I slip on the snow, but I won't let that stop me. Putting one foot in front of the other I quickly near the first right turn. But I made a fatal mistake, I look back.
The bear isn't letting me out of his sight and as I see it begging to sprint at me my adrenaline kicks in.
"RUN! Now!" I shout at Luna who stops just long enough to see me round the corner. The bear slams through the corridor and into the wall.
My pace quickens and so does Luna's. She's about five strides ahead of me and takes a sharp right turn. I follow and glance back once more to see the bear gaining speed.
*GRROOHHH*
Icicle shrieks so loudly that I can see the snow falling off of the ceiling in front of me.
"AH,, WAIT A MINUTE… This is Skye from The Tower. The one who's currently telling the story. I'm here to inform you that I did in fact name the bear Icicle at that very moment. Names are powerful, and so are ice bears. It fits perfectly too, you can't even deny it…
"But anyways, RESUME."
Luna screams in response and then turns left so sharply she almost trips on the ice. But she catches herself just before then and dives into the room, veering sharply to the right.
Filling close behind her I take a step. But instead of entering the room and following her I trip and fall on the ground at the entrance.
Icicle shrieks and I scramble upwards just in time to dodge a fatal strike. Snow covered paws swipe at my legs and rip a hole in my already ripped shorts.
"Shit!" I shout as blood runs from the scratch in my legs. But I know there isn't time to do anything else except move, so I do exactly that.
My feet now under me I launch myself towards the throne of sapphire, bumping into something and knocking it off of the chair.
Somehow my body ends up sitting perfectly in the chair and the bear knows I have nowhere to run. Reaching to my side I try to grab something to defend myself, but instead I end up kicking the footrest farther away.
It shatters like ice and spills out something resembling a sword onto the floor. But the bear steps up and blocks my view with its body.
Breathing an icy cold breath downward into my chest area. My body freezes, but not from the breath. The terror running within my body is so great that I seem to be unable to move.
So like any logical human would, I sit there and whimper. Then the bear towers over me and I have yet another staring contest with Icicle.