Quill of Thieves

Chapter 26

Alright. Okay. Break it down, Bash.

Abel's instructions rang through his head as Sebastian stood, stuck in a numb daze, staring up at this supposed watchtower that was currently lost behind a thick clump of clouds.

First things first, thought his inner Abel voice, Start climbing. You made it up Mount Halum from Eilibir, so you can do this part, at least.

As for the other part, the part where he'd have to somehow drag a body from the frozen depths of a pond—Don't think about that yet. Just climb.

Sebastian jerked forward, one foot in front of the other. The sight of Astrid, who was already near the first switchback, propelled him upwards. Sebastian recalled reading about The Watchtower of Muir years ago; it was a fort that had been built as high as possible into the atmosphere. It had always seemed pointless to him for such a fort would only be beneficial on a clear day. He'd always wondered why someone would bother building such a useless lookout point, but now knowing some of the truth, that air and light Elementi had truly existed, Sebastian guessed it made more sense.

The noise of the crowd quickly fell away, lost in the rustle of the chilled branches and the chirps of animals scuttling around in the snow.

Even as he continued to climb, the path getting steeper and more wild, it still wasn't possible to see the tower. He knew from his studies that it stood at the icy top of the peak on a small treacherous outcrop that few were agile enough to reach. 

Unless one could manipulate the elements.

Look at you, he imagined Abel jesting him, You're a proper mystic now.

Well, he wasn't about to murder anyone with his skepticism now, was he?

For the most part, the layers of snow were packed down tightly along the path upwards. It provided a stable ground to walk upon, at least. However, every now and then, if Sebastian took a wrong step, his foot would sink through the earth, falling nearly to his hip in snow. His calves already burned, breaths labored. Astrid had all but disappeared from his view.

"How are you moving so fast?"

He grasped at the stitch in his side as he pulled himself out of yet another snowy, icy sinkhole.

He cupped his hand over his eyes and stared up. A sudden strong bout of wind blew through the forest, breaking the cloud coverage just long enough for him to make out what lay beyond it. The sun brushed the top of his head, but the sight it revealed dismayed him. There was still so much ground left to cover that he wasn't sure he'd even make it to the peak by dawn, let alone back down.

A short scream broke through the silence. It broke off as quickly as it had started. Sebastian jumped and then grunted as his left leg sank into a mound of snow. 

Something fell through the trees, big enough to snap branches. A flock of birds squawked angrily from up ahead as they erupted into frightened flight.

Sebastian froze, one gloved hand braced against the icy ground, another pressing into his accelerating pulse.

What in the name of the seven realms had caused that?

Not daring to breathe—because what if it had been a ravenous black bear or a predatory mountain lion that had made those sounds?—Sebastian scanned his surroundings. 

The scream had sounded human.

"Astrid?"

He struggled to his feet. Around him, he could see nothing but rocks hidden beneath layers of snow and ice and trees standing now still. The wind had stopped.