Forever Lost

Chapter Thirty-Two: I Go By Many Names

[Melody]-

Chris has me up, dressed and out of the door by noon. We end up running into Stealth and Kyle as we exit our chambers.

"Oh, hey!" I greet smiling, caught a little off guard.

"Hey, where are you two headed?" Stealth comments smiling, but her tone seems unapproving.

"What do you mean?" Chris answers with a question, voice mimicking Stealth's.

"Well, for starters, you're in jeans and she's in a sweat shirt." she continues to smile. "And we all know we don't train in that!"

I roll my eyes.

"I'm giving them a day off." Kyle responds, smiling sweetly, expression soft.

"How come?"

"I'm sending her to speak with Nocturna."

"Oh," her smiles fades, but she brings it back when she looks up at us. "Well have fun!" and they start on their way down the hall.

We follow behind. I open my mouth to speak but stop when we enter the inner cavern. My teeth start to chatter as we crawl further and further into the bitter cold.

"My g-g-god it's c-c-cold-d-d." I shiver.

Chris holds me, and I smile, his warmth running through me. Oh shit, not warmth, the rush. I'm tempted to pull away, but I know if I do, it's like welcoming frost bite into my home. So I decide it's better to die slowly than lose a limb.

~

Stealth and Kyle branched off from us, heading towards the entrance of Niemock. I lean against the pearl walls of the grand hall while I was for Chris to unlock the heavily chained up wooden door.

"What is this place anyway?" I inquire.

"What, Mee Sow el Ree or the grand hall?" He chuckles.

I roll my eyes. "No, the place we're trying to get into."

I hear a small click, the a crash of chains as the lock falls to the floor. "Correction, the place we're entering." He holds out his hand and I take it.

"Okay, but really, what is it?" I continue to ask as we walk past the threshold. I stop immediately in shock.

The floor and walls are constructed of cracking, silver-ish stones. Moss has already began growing wherever it can. The ceiling is basically tightly packed dirt, roots dangling down in places. The walls are covered in vines that crawl up and along it. Small drops of water fall from the ceiling, making small plink's that echo off of the stony walls.

It's not so much that I'm disgusted as I am alarmed that such an unkempt place would be held within such an ostentatious palace such as Mee Sow el Ree.

Chris turns to me, holding out his arms. "This, is The Fortress."

I stare, jaw hung open like some fish out of water. I'm unable to speak.

He laughs a little, walking back over to me. He kisses my cheek, taking my hand. I'm brought back as I get a small burst of energy.

Dammit, I just keep getting closer to it!

"What? Sorry,"

He laughs a little and we begin on our way down the squalid hall. "This is The Fortress, the dungeon of Kurma."

"Why is it so, so--"

"Utterly and completely filthy? It's in the bowels of Mee Sow el Ree, the depths of the palace itself. It's going to be disgusting."