The Metaphorical Key Book II- Forge the Path

Chapter X

hh I hate this chapter so much

As the snow storm approached its fifth day, Dulcie could only stare outside the window, her jade-green eyes sombre and dull.

Kayden cleared his throat behind her, and with a sigh, Dulcie turned around to face him as the wind howled outside. The snowstorm would occasionally stop for brief moments, and so Dulcie would dart outside to the snow that spilled into her boots and numbed her toes before Kayden would always, always yank her back into the hotel mumbling about how it'd be back.

And it always did.

"What do you want?" She asked, leaning over her chair so her jacket brushed the sides and her chin rested on her arms on top of the chair.

Kayden cleared his throat.

"Uh - do you want a bagel?"

She grumbled.

"Mm. Do you have cream cheese?"

"Yep. Want it?"

"Mm."

She heard him set the toaster and sit down in the oher chair, the one beside her. Instead of turning to face him, she fixated on the toaster, tilting her head so she could see all the different ways the light hit the metal.

"Uh, anyway. The storm should be letting up soon. Longest blizzard I've heard of lasted hmm, nine days? That's really rare, though. Even this five day is rare."

Dulcie nodded.

"Okay. Okay, good. I'm glad."

Kayden sighed, and she heard his head thump to his chest.

"I know I don't really know you, but I don't like seeing you upset. I want to know how to help."

She heard the chair creak as he leant over and shook her shoulder.

"Can you, y'know, explain what exactly is going on? Why you're looking for the prison?"

She stared into his eyes, examining them for any sign of malice.

She sighed.

"...Can you keep a secret?"

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Aiden gasped and stumbled back, crashing onto the concrete air as he stared into the shaking eyes on William

William, as he saw now, had dark, messy hair and deep brown eyes. His skin was medium brown, and his brows were fairly large.

"Oh my god." he whispered, clenching and unclenching his hands with bright eyes and a wide open mouth.

"Holy sh-" Aiden started, but turned back around to face the still sleeping girl in the other room.

"We need to get out of here."

"Yeah, I know that."

"I mean now. They'll change you back, Will."

Will suddenly became very quiet.

He darted forwards, towards the sleeping Pollux.

"Hey, hey wake up."

Pollux sirred, blearily waking up before hissing like the snake that Will had been not so long ago.

"Oh my go-!"

Will clamped his hand over his mouth and yanked him to his feet.

"Pollux? Pollux, it's me, Will."

"Wait, wha-"

"Aiden.. Changed me back to human. Somehow, I dunno."

Aiden glanced down to the stone in his palm

"I think I did it with this thing?"

He held it up and shook it, the pulsating stone humming as he did so.

"What's it doing?"

Aiden shrugged, but curiosity got the better of him and he shook it thrice more.

A squealing sound pierced his ears and the girl in the other room shot awake.

The stone shot out of his hand and struck the glass.

It didn't bounce back.

Instead, the glass shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, bouncing off the floor and scattering into various corners of the room.

The girl jumped back, away from the glass that'd spilled into her room.

"What the heck?"

She smacked a button and an alarm sounded all through the building.

Pollux was awake now.

In fact, they all bounded through the new opening and into the room. Will's hands suddenly grasped the screaming girl's shoulders, and Aiden watched in curious horror as Will changed from human to horse, knocking the girl to the floor with his new hooves.

She slumped onto the ground, her blue blazer slipping off one shoulder as a small amount of blood pooled beneath her head.

Will switched back.

"She'll live. Just needed to knock her down."

The door was unlocked. Why wouldn't it be? There was no way they could get through the glass.

Aiden smirked as they ran through the halls, glancing down at the stone in his hands.

Maaaaybe you should've had somebody else test it. It's quite unpredictable.

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It took what felt like forever and a day, but the storm eventually let up and snowplows crossed the streets until the roads were no longer coated in the fluffy white substance.

"I can't believe it snowed!" Dulcie grumbled. "In October!"

"I mean, it's Italon. It's cold."

Dulcie nodded, biting her lip as they made their way towards the mountain, still stumbling slightly when they missed the edge of the path due to the high piled snow. They climbed up some ways, walking a bit up the path before Kayden pointed out the flat ledge nearby.

They pulled up the trapdoor, and this time, knowing that they could make it to the top, made their way down the tunnel.