Page 100 of A Kingdom so Crimson

Finally, we reached an alcove nestled within the side of the mountain and rushed inside, gasping for breath in the suffocating darkness.

"What…was that?" Zeph panted, hunching over as she tried to catch her breath.

The boy exchanged a look with me, his expression etched with defeat and frustration. "Maybe Fernwen was right," he muttered between labored breaths.

I glared at him, inching my way out to see if anything followed…or flew.

"Where are we?" Zeph slurred the effects of the drug evident in her speech.

"Judging by the towering peaks and the blanket of snow, my guess is we're somewhere along the Aduantas Mountain Range. The Unmarked Territory. Known for its unforgiving, icy terrain," the boy remarked, stepping up beside me to survey our surroundings. "And for the chilling tales spun to scare the wits out of children."

I furrowed my brow, recalling the map of Creos in Jesri's study. How far were we from the King's Court? Days of travel? A week? How had they managed to transport us here so swiftly?

"The Aduantas Mountains?" Zeph hissed, her panic pulling me back to the present. "Thiswasn'tpart of the plan. I didn't sign up for this! We were supposed to be in the King's Arena…not here, in the middle of nowhere!" She stumbled toward us, tripping over loose rocks in her disorientation. The boy rolled his eyes, a smirk playing on his lips, before turning his gaze back to me.

"I'm Osric from Samar," he declared, extending a gloved hand to me. I glanced down at his hand, then back up to his piercing blue eyes, before diverting my attention back to the daunting mountain range. Engaging in small talk felt insignificant in our situation. "Now you're supposed to sayyourname," he prodded, grabbing my shoulder and turning me to face him.

I sidestepped out of his grasp, planting myself out of his reach. "So what was the plan then?" I reiterated.

He chuckled, the sound grating against my nerves, his too-perfect teeth glinting in the dim light. "Tell me your name first, and then maybe I'll consider sharing," he said, stalking closer to me and folding his arms across his chest.

I exhaled sharply, irritation prickling my skin. "IsFernwennot good enough for you?" I retorted.

Zeph snorted, stepping up beside him. "She's the lord's pet," she sneered.

My anger ignited like wildfire, coursing through my veins with searing intensity.

Osric held up his hands, attempting to defuse the tension. "No need to be unpleasant, Zephyr," he said smoothly. "Yet, hearing it would make for quite the interesting story."

"How much do you know?" I spat, reigning in my fury.

"Enough to realize you didn't sign up for this willingly," he replied, closing the distance between us and shoving me against the jagged wall. Towering over me by at least two feet, he leaned in close. "Now, let's get one thing straight. The one who was too afraid to join doesn't get to win. Got it?" he ordered between his teeth. His tone dripped with arrogance and malice, fueling my anger until I surged forward, unable to contain myself any longer.

I stomped on his foot with ferocity, relishing the surprise in his eyes. In a fluid motion, I drove my knee up into his groin, satisfaction coursing through me as his agonized scream tore through the air, echoing off the walls of the alcove with startling intensity. Doubled over in excruciating pain, he clutched at himself, vulnerable, and I seized the moment, thrusting my elbow upward with all my might, the impact reverberating through my arm as it connected with his chin.

He staggered backward, dazed, and I released his foot, pivoting to unleash a swift, punishing kick to his chest. The force of it sent him crashing to the unforgiving stone floor. He landed with a curse, his words dripping with venom as he condemned me to a fate worse than death at the hands of the monsters.

Zephyr spat at me, rushing to his side to help him up as he clasped his torn, bloody elbow.

So much for the fancy suit.

Zephyr curled her lip, assisting Osric to his feet, who now clutched his manhood. He began to laugh, a cruel sound thatechoed through the alcove. "Impressive moves for a petty ward," he sneered.

I flexed my fingers, feeling the anger coursing through me like a taut bowstring ready to snap. Pressure built deep in my core, shaking my body with each inhale and exhale. Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fists and flared my nostrils, letting the pressure burn more profoundly until it melted and curved against my body like a second skin.

With a shuddering breath, a surge of crackling energy burst forth, illuminating the air with blinding light and scorching embers that crackled and danced around us. The force slammed us against the unyielding stone walls, a sudden onslaught that left us gasping for air, disoriented and shaken; as quickly as it had materialized, the light vanished, leaving only the echo of its power reverberating in the air.

The two looked at me with even more disgust and confusion, coughing as they got to their feet. With disbelief, I glanced down at my hands, rotating them only to find my suit scorched and riddled with holes.

"What the—"

A large smashing sound reverberated through the alcove, snapping my attention back to the two of them. Fear was palpable on their faces as they silently retreated into the dim light beyond the alcove's entrance. Another startling rumble of rocks stirred behind me, raising the hairs on my neck and causing the fire of defiance within me to flicker as if seeking refuge. I quickly got to my feet as a loud clicking noise emerged, echoing hauntingly in the darkness from the depths of the alcove.

I stood paralyzed, the very air fleeing my lungs and leaving me breathless.

The clicking sound echoed louder off the walls and penetrated deep into the recesses of my soul. Osric and Zephyr's facescontorted in frozen fear, their eyes wide with terror. I whipped around to see a Breva slithering into view, its grotesque form twisted and mangled, festering with a putrid infection that assaulted my senses. The stench alone was enough to make me gag. Frantically, I scrambled back as the creature's wide mouth clicked threateningly, sending another wave of terror coursing through us.

Zephyr screamed and sprinted out with Osric trailing her wake. I shot after them, falling and hauling my thick boots over the tumbled rocks.

---