The party continued paddling the umiak along the ice-ridden shoreline. Above them, the aurorae shimmered, casting an otherworldly glow across the frozen expanse. Around them, the silence of the frozen north was almost oppressive, broken only by the occasional crack of ice or the rhythmic splash of their paddles.
Out here, the sense of isolation was extreme, and the Baron felt like nothing more than a distant memory. Justin knew better than to let himself think that way. It was a mistake to underestimate the Baron or what he might be planning.
But still, it felt good to have won one.
He felt the weight of the Star of Elara against his chest, right next to his Amulet of Equilibrium. He still couldn't believe the Ascendant Artifact was his. Its power was still gathering, but it was nice to know that once a day, he had a way of enduring any amount of damage for a full ten seconds, and not only that, but punching back with all that stored energy. Whatever the Baron had in store, he would always have to consider that.
Then there was the possibility of travel beyond Eyrth. Justin couldn't even wrap his mind around that at the moment. What hit closer to home was the fateful decision he had made. Not anything to do with Valdrik or Vorthryn, but the opportunity he had turned down.
He thought of his meeting with Elara in the Realm Between Worlds. And right now, at this moment at least, he was kicking himself for not taking advantage of it. The Baron's words, spoken back at Harrington's party, returned to him in full force:
"Everyone you’ve met so far, aside from me, is just part of the game, no matter how real they seem.”
If the Baron was right, then Justin had essentially traded the chance to return to Earth for a false reality.
Then again...what would have actually happened if he had accepted that deal? The fact that there was a portal at all suggested that the Baron was wrong. This was a real place, some sort of alternate reality. If it weren't real, would Justin have been transported here with a portal? This reality would be entirely in his mind.
But Elara had said that this world was also as real as he wanted it to be. That if he chose to return to Earth, it might even stop existing altogether, but only for him. But didn't that suggest that somehow, somewhere, in another dimension perhaps, he would have abandoned the others to their deaths?
Justin was far too tired to puzzle it out. Especially when a more immediate problem broke him from his thoughts.
The ice seal Ryak had conjured was beginning to fray. No matter how much magic Ryak cast, it couldn’t stop the steady peeling of wood as the umiak scraped against stray pieces of ice and rocks hidden beneath the surface. Each collision sent a fresh groan through the vessel, a reminder that their journey on the water was nearing its end.
“I don’t think this thing is going to last much longer,” Justin said, his tone half-warning, half-resigned.
Ryak kneeled to inspect the seal, his brow furrowing. The glow of the aurorae reflected faintly in his pale blue eyes as he studied the damage. “I see what you mean,” he said. “But we’re close. We should be reaching Tulimak Fjord soon. It’s the largest one jutting in from the Ghostly Sea. Lots of hidden paths there—paths only the Iceborne know.” He looked up, his expression determined. “If we can’t lose the Baron here, we won’t lose him anywhere.”
“I hope you’re right,” Lila said, glancing uneasily at the water seeping through the damaged hull. “Because if you’re wrong, we’ll be sitting ducks.”
“Lila’s right,” Eldrin muttered from his perch at the front of the boat, his sharp eyes scanning the shoreline. “It doesn’t matter how hidden this fjord is if we’re still moving this slowly.”
“Then let’s make it count,” Kargan grunted, digging his paddle into the icy water with renewed force.
The party steered the battered umiak into the mouth of the fjord. The water ahead was frozen solid, a vast sheet of ice reflecting the faint green and purple hues of the northern lights above. With no way to paddle further, they pulled the boat ashore, their breaths clouding in the frigid air.
“This is it,” Ryak said, stepping onto the icy bank. His voice was quiet, but there was an undertone of relief. “We’ll travel on foot from here.”
The group worked quickly. They unloaded their cargo and packed it neatly into their newly expanded packs, the enchantments allowing them to carry far more than should have been possible. Every now and then, Justin glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting to see shadows moving along the fjord’s icy cliffs.
“What do we do with the boat?” Justin asked, pulling the last of their gear free.
“We destroy it and hide it," Ryak said simply. “If the Baron’s men come this way, we can’t leave them anything to track us with.”
It took about twenty minutes to pull the boat apart. Ryak battered it with his ice magic while the rest hauled off the dismantled pieces into a nearby cave. The group worked in silence, piling rocks over the wreckage until the boat was hidden from view. As they finished, Justin dusted off his hands and gave the heap of rocks a wistful look.
“Rest in peace, boat,” he said.
"It served its purpose," Ryak said. "The fjords at this time of year are impassable by boat, anyway. And the sea will be all too soon, in a matter of weeks or even days." Ryak gestured for the group to gather their things. “We must keep moving. I know it’s late, and I know you’re tired. But if we stay here, we risk the Baron catching up. We need to put a few miles between ourselves and the fjord. With Justin's flames, we have all the warmth and light we need to travel in the dark."
Justin sighed but nodded. "Lead the way.”
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Following Ryak's lead, the party trekked south along the frozen fjord. They stuck close to the shadows of the cliffs, the only cover available in the open expanse. Justin’s Vorthak's Flame burned steadily around his body, providing much-needed warmth in the biting cold. He knew, however, that the flames made them visible to any creatures that might prowl these icy wastelands.
Still, they had no choice—the severe cold meant his flames were the only thing preventing them from freezing to death. His companions stayed near him, close enough that they could feel the heat radiating from his body as they walked. The only one who seemed to not linger nearby was Ryak.
"Do you ever get cold, Ryak?" Justin asked.
Ryak didn't turn as he answered, continuing to walk using his glacial staff as a walking stick." We Iceborne are used to the cold. But even we must go into hiding when the weather turns colder."
"Colder?" Kargan said, shuddering. "This is bad enough."
"It gets worse," Ryak said ominously. "Thankfully, our path will lead south, but I doubt we can outpace the weather. If not for Justin's flames, I would suggest a much slower pace of just a few miles a day, building a fire every couple of hours to warm up."
"Maybe the weather will slow the Baron down," Lila said.
"Rothian has fire magic," Kargan said. "And even the Baron can cast fire magic as needed. Plus, magical shields can mitigate the worst of weather effects."
"The point is to keep moving," Ryak said. "Never take anything for granted."
Thankfully, the frozen water along the shoreline, though treacherous in places, was stable enough to allow quick progress. The crunch of their boots on the icy terrain was the only sound aside from the howling wind. The miles melted as they trudged into the seemingly endless night. Here, in the far north, darkness reigned for most of the day—about twenty hours of pitch black, broken only by northern light shows, with a scant four hours of twilight. Justin wondered if there was ever a point this area experienced "polar night," where it was totally dark with no sunrise. Probably not, but it was gloomy to think about.
Justin pushed forward mechanically, his mind blank from exhaustion. He was too tired to dwell on everything that had happened—the Baron, the vault, the Star of Elara—and too focused on keeping his companions warm to let his thoughts wander.
The fjord widened as they progressed, revealing hidden branches and offshoots, but Ryak led them steadily down the main expanse. He moved with the confidence of someone who knew the land intimately, his Iceborne heritage guiding their steps, only edified by Eldrin's Pathfinder's Stride. At last, after what felt like an eternity, Ryak led them closer to the western wall of the fjord, which was cloaked in darkness.
Then, as if out of nowhere, a small cleft appeared, and Justin closed his eyes in relief. He was ready to sleep.
“This is it," Ryak said. "It’s just the right size for an umiak to navigate in warmer weather, but it's frozen now. Whatever the case, it will take us to the Hallowed Fjord."
"The Hallowed Fjord?" Lila asked. "Isn't this our campsite for the night?"
"We have a few more miles to go. I'm not taking any chances."
"Lead on," Eldrin said.
The passage was barely wide enough for them to walk single file, the icy walls towering above them while the glow of Justin's flames illuminated the narrow cleft. When they emerged on the other side, the sight that greeted them took Justin’s breath away.
A vast, shadowed fjord stretched before them, its cliffs glimmering with crystalline growths. Here and there, glowing silver trees laden with ice clung to the rocky walls, their light casting a moonlike luminescence over the frozen landscape. The wind, which had been so fierce in the Tulimak Fjord, was almost absent here. Justin could have sworn it was also ten degrees warmer.
As they continued, Ryak spoke. "The Hallowed Fjord is sacred to the Iceborne. Only the Northern tribes know of it. Normally, non-Qilungit are not allowed here, but such has been your service to our people that the Ancestors will certainly allow your passage." He looked up into the sky, where the aurorae burned more intensely. "See? They are smiling upon us now."
Justin almost mentioned he thought it was due to the interaction of the sun's radiation with the planet's magnetic field, but he thought better of it. Whatever his thoughts, he had to admit there was an undeniable sense of safety in this sanctuary. The strange glow of the trees and crystals was somehow calming.
“What are these trees called?” Eldrin asked, his voice tinged with curiosity. “I’ve never seen their like before.”
“Those are aurora trees,” Ryak replied, gesturing toward the towering, silvery trees with their shimmering, frost-coated needles. “They only grow in the Sacred Fjord and are harvested for their aurora sap."
"I'm not familiar with that, and I've seen just about everything botanical on this continent," Eldrin mused.
"It’s an essential ingredient for crafting many of our higher-tier items—potions, enchantments, and even artifacts. From time to time, we may sell it to a few trusted sources.”
Eldrin smiled. "Would it be too forward to offer my services?"
Ryak looked at the Ranger thoughtfully. "Indeed, it is sacrilege for one not trained in their craft to harvest the sap. But if we ever come upon some that has naturally bled from the tree, perhaps you can take a vial for yourself. For your personal use, of course."
"I would be honored," Eldrin said. "We Rangers have some skills related to potions. It is a craft that is near and dear to me."
"We will see," Ryak said. "Even for all that you have done for the Qilungit, there are those who would kill you for setting foot in this place. At this time of year, however, we are unlikely to find them."
After another mile or two, Ryak stopped and pointed to a stand of silver aurora trees nestled against the cliffs. As they neared, Justin could get a better sense of what they looked like. Their trunks were smooth and metallic, almost as if crafted from polished silver, reflecting the faint hues of the aurorae above. The branches stretched high and wide, evergreen needles shimmering with a frost-like coating that glimmered as they swayed in the frigid wind. Small, glassy orbs hung from the branches, what had to be frozen droplets of aurora sap caught in mid-fall. Within the grove, Justin caught a fragrance that was like a melding of pine resin and apple.
Justin, however, was more interested in what was behind the trees: a hidden cave entrance, easily missed by the untrained eye.
“At last,” Ryak said. “As for the sap, Eldrin, we can see about it upon waking."
The group had to kneel to even enter it. The passage within was narrow, but branched off into larger chambers glittering with ether crystals.
Ryak led them to a concealed alcove hidden by a large, removable stone. With Kargan and Eldrin’s help, he shifted the rock aside, and the party filed in. They replaced the rock, sealing themselves in what felt like a snug, albeit cramped, haven.
The alcove was about the size of a small living room; if Justin had to guess. The walls were smooth and glistening faintly in the light of Justin’s flames. He glanced around. "I hope there's ventilation in here."
Ryak gave him a glance. “There are vents carved into the rock. You won’t see them, but they’re there. Don’t worry. And with your Vorthak's Flame, we won’t have to worry about smoke.”
Justin nodded, letting out a breath. The flames around his body flared slightly as he settled down. The alcove would probably warm up on its own, given the tight quarters, but he could at least shut them off if he needed to without losing access to the Affinity.
The group began unpacking their gear. No one offered to keep watch. With the stone blocking the entrance, there was no need, and the brutal ordeal of the Vault had left them all too drained. They needed sleep, and this seemed as good a place as any to finally rest.
Justin leaned against the cool stone wall, at last allowing his flames to dissipate. Another level-up awaited him in the morning. At Level 14, he stood to unlock a new boon that was not merely an upgrade of one already adopted.
He closed his eyes as the darkness of sleep took hold.