A Song of Ice and Fire

#37 As real as Ice

I might as well be making up all of this up in my head due to my excessive isolation from society.

"Alex, you are no making this up!" The queen exclaimed, which gave me a bit of a shock. It was like the first bit of emotion she had shown that wasn't passive.

"The Dieties of before that protected our land gave us the power to defend and protect our realm, but there are those who sought to disrupt that!" She rubbed her temples and muttered under her breath. Jazz shot me a death glare that looked awfully like it was made by a pouty puppy. And guess, what? I hadn't even said anything yet! The woman read my freaking mind!

I didn't even bother looking apologetic.

"Just get the story over with .Lady Eryka sent us here for some kind of mission or quest or something.." I trailed off.

Queen Isabel just sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, it's just that it's not as simple as it sounds. The First Sarrist is...to say hard to find. Follow me." She turned to a corridor, the fabric of her dress flowing around her in a gentle fan.

We passed another glass corridor, this time only half filled with portraits. Soon we were passing plain paneled glass tube the bridged the towers of the castle. I look down but for a second and felt my stomach plummet. The glass bridge was a serious down side of this place.

And once again I find myself in the familiar atrium of a library; the scent of old books filled the air. This was twice as big as the one in Lilith Academy. The glass on the top tainted with the map of the world. Inverted that is. Totally normal.

The queen turned to me. "It the map of second realm, Alex." She said with an eye roll. And continued. , "Here, I'll show you."

She turned to her children. " Lavendar, Jazper, get the book from the chains, both of them." They perked up immediately, you like how they were in the throne room early. So this was new to them to...

I eyed Lavendar curiously and stared in awe when a book materialized in her hands with nothing but a blur. She handed in to Isabel as Jazz heaved the book from the other side. Only stopping to dust the ... frost on the cover?

I looked at the old books with their foreign titles and thought of the inked map from before.

"You're gonna show me?" I said, smirking in recognition at the queen.

The queen raised a brow at that. "I believe you are familiar with it."

"Indeed."

The queen lightly dusted her gown and took a deep breath.

"Then let's begin"