Dream of a Vast Blue Cavern

Chapter 4: Holding Grimshore: Larc

 “Stasia!” Larc screamed, as she saw Stasia fall to the ground burning. The Flame clawed at his lava, chilled and vulnerable. Her friend’s skin began to blacken and split, angry red lines opening on her back. Stasia was burning to death before her eyes, burning up. Soon she would be ash. Larc stopped screaming and tried to think. Flames swarmed past her, ignoring her; scorched and down, she was no threat; they would pick her off later. They were taking the city. Iskalon was falling behind her, and her friend was dying in front of her. What could she do? She didn't know how to fight. Even if she did, her armor was gone. There was no cold she could draw from. She experienced an overwhelming sense of failure. In the moment when her friend and her kingdom needed her most, she had succumbed to shock.

 “Heal her!” a voice shouted in her ear, and for a moment it didn't register. Then a wave rose from the lake and doused Stasia and the Flame with cold water. The Flame, his lava already hardening, cursed and spluttered. Stasia lay still on the ground. Was she unconscious, or dead?

 Prince Casser pushed past Larc, a blessed breath of cold amidst the hot press of Flames and fire in the great cavern. He still wore his ice armor, but it was soggy with melt. He flung a knife of ice into the Flame, finishing him. Blood welled from the wound, but the dagger did not melt all the way, and the Prince withdrew it, tossed it to Larc. He knelt by Stasia. “Quickly! Help me heal her. We must get her to safety.”

 The little bit of cold spurred Larc to action. She drew T'Jas deeply and rushed to Stasia’s side. The Flames were gone from the shore; they were all in the city now. Larc did not look toward the burning buildings, tried not to hear the screams. She thought of the burial chambers and the people trapped there. Had Pasten ever finished her passage to the Outer Tunnels?

 “She’s too hot to touch. Melt it all!” Casser snarled. Larc reached toward her, hoping to at least determine if she lived, but the Prince was right. The heat in her body nearly burned Larc's hand, and she withdrew sharply. The little bit of cold she had began to melt and fade.

 Casser was looking toward the far shore of the lake. Larc followed his gaze. For now, at least, no Flames were coming from that direction. They were all in the city. “Go heal Glace instead, Larc. We need a human to carry her. Hurry.”

 Larc scurried to obey. At least there was something she could do. Glace was unconscious, and several of his bones were shattered. Exhausted as she was, Larc was able to knit the bones, soothe the pain, and give Glace the strength to wake. “Stasia,” the huge Warrior asked as his blue eyes flickered open. Larc helped him to his feet. They both turned to the shore, where Casser stood over his niece's body, still watching the other side of the lake.

 “Does she live?” Glace asked.

 “No time,” Casser muttered, shifting his gaze to the city. “There is another wave of Flames approaching. We have to get out before my armor is melted away. Glace, you must carry her. She's boiling with heat.” Glace scooped Stasia up in his arms, wincing. The heat would not make him ill like it would Casser or Larc, but it could not be comfortable. Stasia did not stir. “Stay close. Breathe as little as possible. Larc, do you still have some cold?”

 “Yes, Majesty.”

 “Then use it to make us an airshield. Squeeze my hand twice if it falters. Once we are below, you can draw cold from the water. I must conserve my strength for the tunneling.”

 Larc took Glace's free hand, then Casser's. Together they followed Casser into the lake. All along the shore, others were fleeing for the lake, diving under just like she was. Some of them were Icers, and would survive. Others were humans who would likely drown, unless the Icers joined them. Some were on fire, screaming. Just before Larc's head fell below the surface, she saw more Flames approaching across the fiery water.

 Under the surface of Lentok, everything was dark. Larc formed an air bubble around their faces. It took every bit of strength she could muster. Glace's hand was rough and heavy, Casser's smooth, his grip firm. Glace held Stasia in his other arm. Was it Stasia he held, or her corpse? Larc could not be sure. The older Icer led, though Larc didn't know how he could tell where he was going in the murky darkness. Casser made an icelight, but close as she was Larc could barely see it through water thick with ashes, mud and blood. A ripple pushed against her air bubbles, and a corpse drifted down toward them. Larc pulled Glace closer to avoid it. She couldn't tell if it was a comrade or a Flame.

 After what seemed like hours, they reached the other side, a vertical rock wall that contained the lake. Casser drew them to the surface and helped first Larc and then Glace, still heavy with Stasia’s body, onto a tiny stone ledge above the water. There were no Flames in their immediate vicinity, but Larc could smell the smoke from their fire coming off the lake.

 “She's breathing,” Glace whispered, amazed. Her body blazed with heat, even after being immersed in the cold water. Larc still could not bear to touch her.

 “We'll make for the Outer Tunnels,” Casser said. “There is some cold there, and likely no Flames.”

 “No,” Glace said. He sounded bone-weary. Larc could hear her own loss reflected in his voice. Even if she still breathed, Stasia could not last long. Not with all that heat.  She would try to heal her, but no Icer could withstand what Stasia had taken in. “There is another place. A better place.”

 Larc felt like sobbing. She looked out over the lake, and saw the city burning. She should have been able to see the top of the Council Hall from here, but it was not there. She did not know how Glace could speak without crying. But when he spoke again, his voice was strong and steady as ever. “A burial chamber.”

  Great chunks of ice, wings and rooms and balconies of the Palace, began to fall from the ceiling, crushing what few buildings remained standing, creating huge waves where they landed in the lake. A little wake stirred against the shore at Larc’s feet. Casser began to tunnel into the rock wall at Glace’s direction.

 Iskalon had fallen.