Rontori and Oen reached a tucked away segment of the upper pass and pressed against the alcove to catch their breath. The momentary shelter from the raging snow around them was the first chance they had to speak again.
“We should double back soon and find a good position to signal the others. Hopefully, they’re cycling a watch on the upper ledges to look for our return.” Rontori shimmied across the wall and tapped his fingers against it searching for the edge. The tip of his forefinger reached the jagged lip of the frosted stone and he raised his other hand up to halt Oen. “Hold a moment, there’s an opening here.” The scout peered over the edge and emerged into a frozen grove of stone. The whirling buzz of the blizzard outside had ceased and Rontori rubbed at his ears to ensure he hadn’t gone deaf. He popped his head back out into the howling wind and let out a sigh of relief. “Let’s explore this cove before heading back.”
The clearing before them was a downward sloping dome with a collection of scattered pillars and a damp layer of sludgy snow. The pair carefully descended the slope to reach the bottom of the basin where the pillars resided. “Strange,” Oen began, “the pillars are encased in ice.”
“Aye, it truly is an oddity.” Rontori examined the ceiling of the cave for openings where water could have entered. “Over there.” The dwarf pointed to a ray of light piercing through the stone sky. The hole was roughly three dwarves wide and four in length. While the force of the violent winds could be observed in the trails of snow rushing past the opening, not a single flake of snow or drip of water appeared to be entering the cave. Furthermore, the sound of the raging wind was muffled completely within the basin. Oen moved beside Rontori to observe the peculiar sight and readied an arrow to let loose at the opening. She let the arrow loose and the pair observed in shock as the sharp stone sunk into the opening as if a thin layer of ice was covering the length of the gap.
“Something blocked the shot.” Oen stepped towards the slope to scale it again for a better look at the arrow suspended in the air. “It’s a thin layer of ice as clear as glass. There’s an uneasy air about this place.” A spider web of glowing cracks extended from the arrow to the edges of the ice. As the cracks reached the stone, smoke emitted from the meeting place and flickering embers fluttered towards the snow below. The arrow trembled in the ice and sputtered free with a puff of ash and soot. The clump lodged itself into the wet snow and Rontori kneeled down to pick it up. The arrow was smoldering to the touch and Rontori quickly released it with a yelp.
“Blasted arrow’s burning hot!” While the dwarf tended to his burn by lunging his palm into the snow, Oen slide back down into the basin and examined the pillars of icy stone. She felt the surface of the ice and noted that a dull heat pulsed from within them. Oen removed an arrow from her quiver and slowly twisted the tip into the ice to create a divot. Heat rose from the opening and Oen could see a blazing core within the ice. As she leaned in closer, the sound of cracking ice in the distance drew her attention away. At the top of the basin opposite them, a pair of pale blue eyes pierced through the snowy rock formations. Oen drew Rontori’s attention and pointed to the ledge above where the eyes stayed fixed upon them.
“Are those the eyes of wyverns?”
“Nay. Far too close and small to be a wyvern.” Rontori slowly approached the opposite edge of the basin. “Even if it’s a small ‘un.” Oen carefully followed suit. The creature’s eyes were beady and thin with a pair of pupils in each eye that seemed to track both Rontori and Oen at the same time. As they approached, the creature peered further from the cover of its rock and placed two jagged talons on the stone. The creature has a pitiful stature and of its three gnarly fingers, it had two slender and twisting digits with the third being a nub lacking any form of nail. Before the creature darted out of view, a leathery segmented ear of pale lilac flopped against the stone pillar.
“We should see where that beast is going. It could still lead us to the wyvern’s lair.”
“Or it could be a beastmen scout sent ahead to investigate.” Rontori added as he began hoisting himself up the snowy slope.
“I don’t recall hearing of creatures of such,” Oen searched for the proper phrase, “unimposing nature.”
“Perhaps of runt of the herd? Sent out here to find our fortress or be culled from the pack.” Rontori peaked behind the pillar and found the creature to be missing. However, a set of tracks could be seen leading further into the cave system. “There’s scratches in the track.” Rontori kneeled low to feel the grooves in the stone. “Two long front nails and a series of smaller needles on the base of the foot. Either this beastie’s in a world of pain walking on something sharp or it packs one mean kick. Remind me to make note of it when we get back to camp.”
The caves behind the pillar consisted of a narrow opening that Rontori had to crouch to enter. Oen lay prone and attempted to slither her way through the sharp stone edges. The entrance was a short distance and the creature’s tracks picked back up once inside.
“By the mountains in the north!” Rontori helped Oen to her feet and stood in awe at the massive cavern before them. The scout could strain his eyes to barel make out the ceiling. More impressive than the grandiose ceiling was the wall of ice across from them. Oen pressed her hand to the ice and turned back to Rontori.
“It’s warm as a summer’s day in the plains.” The ice shimmered from a flickering light coming from the neighboring room. In the glimmering light, a collection of ovoid rocks could be seen through the ice. “It’s a chamber carved into the stone. Completely frozen over by this ice.” Rontori approached and examined the chamber that Oen had found.
“Those are wyvern eggs, clear as day. They’re prickly and chilled to the touch in the north where other beasties like to have the eggs as snacks. It deters them, however it seems like this nest was abandoned. It’s uncommon for a broodmother to leave her clutch like this. If her nest freezes over naturally, she’ll usually burn the entire region down in an attempt to save her eggs or deny other creature’s a meal.” Rontori examined the grooves of the ice better. “It’s one smooth sheet. The ice has never melted or reformed as it should have. The poor things never had a chance to hatch surrounded by this infernal ice.”
“We should look if any survived and then head back to tell the others.”
“Aye, we’ll need them to crack through this ice while we look though. And to make sure we’re not just delirious from exhaustion. Seeing scampering creatures and burning ice isn’t exactly boding well with me feeling properly sane. We’ll check the light in the next room to see if there’s another exit from this cave and then head back.”
The light in the next room was lazily pulsing from a dying campfire.
“Someone’s living here.” Rontori moved towards the campsite and found a rucksack lying beside a bedroll. He knocked open the flap and looked inside. “There’s books in here. Someone was doing some reading on wyverns, I see. Odd reading material to simply have on you if you’re a stranded refugee. No, someone came here by choice looking for wyverns besides us.”
“The creature, perhaps?” Oen offered.
“Maybe. Funny thing can read though? Now that is an interesting thought.” Rontori continued to search through the rucksack. “There’s chickens in here.” He pulled an entire chicken from the rucksack by its neck. “Still feathered and with the legs and all.”
“Strange meal to bring, something that’d last longer with less preparation seems like a better means of surviving.”
“I’m thinking someone was looking to bribe the wyvern with a snack. Egg poachers, maybe?” Rontori pulled a final item from the bag and held it to the campfire. “But an instrument like this seems too advanced for egg poachers.” The device was a silver box with a series of dials and gauges on it. “Too advanced for me, even.” One of the gauges on the device was ticking softly. The dial behind the glass teetered back and forth about the neutral position.
“See the ice there on the wall?” Oen moved towards the far wall where a segment of the ice was scorched as though an erupting inferno had been frozen solid before exploding. “It’s chilled to the touch.” Oen’s eyes reflected the shimmering orange hues deep within the charred ice.
“No touch.” The pair quickly turned around to see the meager creature hobbling from an alcove behind them. “Stay away from the ice.” The creature’s speech was pained as though forming words proved immensely difficult.
“Stay back.” Oen spoke coolly towards the creature and drew a dagger from its sheath. “Who are you?”
The creature moved towards the icy wall and Oen placed the tip of the dagger to its beating throat. The beast came up to her knee’s height and had a row of ingrown fangs piercing its lips. Lopsided horns jutted from the base of its skull and its pig’s nose bore crackled blisters.
“I am Piq. I am a familiar.”
“A wizard’s assistant?” Oen lowered her dagger slightly to allow the creature past. “Did your people bring wizards, Rontori?”
“Nay, we have them in the north, but the few here in the south are too busy to be bothered leaving the fortress. And the humans I’ve met so far seem too proud to keep such a disfigured creature as a pet.” The familiar appeared unphased by the insult and continued to hobble towards the scorched wall.
“Is your master nearby?” Oen returned her dagger to its sheath knowing that intimidation would serve no good against a creature bound by magic.
“No, but yes.”
“Ah, great and it speaks in riddles too. The beastmen have their own shamans, maybe they have familiars like this creature. I’m all for trusting beasties of the natural world, but this thing isn’t normal.” Rontori crossed his arms in disapproval and went back to examining the silver device.
Oen ignored Rontori’s objections and continued onward. “What do you mean, Piq?” The familiar began tapping the icy wall and scratching his horns against its surface.
“He is trapped. Familiars can’t travel far from their masters, but they can through the Rift.”
“The Rift?” Rontori’s ears perked up and he approached the familiar. “What does that mean? That unsettling human at the council mentioned rift manipulation and opening pockets and safe havens.”
“That cannot be done. The Rift isn’t uncarved space to claim. It is a realm existing without space. It needs space to inhabit. Space like this.” Piq continued tapping and scratching the ice.
“Space like this cave?” Piq did not answer and continued to tap the ice. “What do you mean that it needs space?” Rontori grabbed Piq’s hand to stop his tapping and the familiar violently jerked his hand free. “Answer me!” Piq recoiled from Rontori’s bellowing and Oen pulled him aside.
“This creature does not seem to be our foe, Rontori. He is giving answers as freely as it appears he is allowed. See the way that his gums bleed and teeth pierce his lip? He was not made to speak with you or me.” Rontori eased up and apologized to Oen.
“He’s scared.” Rontori looked to the charred ice. “But so am I. A horde of ravenous beasts is marching towards my home and this strange creature is poking around in my caves so I have a right to know why.”
“Piq, who is your master?” Piq did not answer. “Is he Yjagtari?” Piq opened the rucksack and began rummaging through it. “Piq?” The familiar kicked over the bag and began violently shaking it.
“Where is it?” Piq looked to the pair with rage sweltering in his eyes. Quickly, he spotted the object in Rontori’s hand. “Give me it back!” Piq lunged for Rontori who instinctively gave him a powerful kick to the ribs. The creature coughed fiercely before lunging again. Oen intercepted the familiar and sent him flying backwards.
“Calm yourself! Rontori, give him the device.” Rontori wiped a streak of blood from his lip where the familiar had caught him.
“No bleeding way! The beast went feral. Who knows what this thing does.” Piq’s eyes darted between Oen and Rontori. The familiar was aware that it was vastly outmatched by the pair and frantically returned to tapping on the ice. “Stop that damned tapping.” Piq continued on in a methodical pattern before letting loose a howl and ramming his horns into the ice. The surface shattered with the impact and an eruption of blazing wind shot from the crack. The inferno was followed by a gust of frigid winds that sent the pair toppling backwards onto the ground. Rontori’s head slammed into the side of an upturned stone and his vision quickly faded in and out before finally succumbing to slumber. Oen rose shakily to her feet and observed the powerful heat emanating from the opening in the wall. The winds swirled into a vibrant display of oranges and deep purples. The colors appeared at odds, clashing and intermixing for dominance of the growing sliver in the ice. Oen felt her head get light and once more toppled to the floor.