// lava | part 01 //
If Jack could exhale steam, he would have.
My eyes widened and I peered into the depths of the forest. I couldn't see much, but I thought I could make out a heavy, immobile mass between the trees. "Blocked off?"
"Yeah. Blocked off, bean sprout. I tried climbin', I tried both directions. The entire forest's blockaded. Do not enter." Jack paced, his tail whipping back and forth.
My nostrils flared. The only instructions for this round were to retrieve the precious item and return to the castle. But now I couldn't get back to the castle at all.
"While it sounds elementary, it is not." The Prince's words echoed in my mind, and hearing his voice caused my teeth to grind. The replay sounded like a mockery, like a sneer.
"Why?" I growled through my clenched teeth, scowling at Jack. "Why is the forest blocked off?"
He glared back. "Don't get pissy at me, kid. This ain't my fault." He gestured behind him at the forest. "My livelihood's in there. You really think I'd be okay with somethin' like this?"
His words pushed through the frustrated fog in my mind and snapped me back. When I realized I had no right to lash out at Jack, I deflated with a slow exhale, my fists relaxing. I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Wanna know what I think? I think those royal asshats decided things were too easy so they closed off the forest."
Voice quiet, I asked, "What about the other girls? What if they're trapped in there?"
Jack shrugged a shoulder. "I don't really care. I thought I saw a group of 'em gatherin' back at the beach."
I turned, and in the distance, I could make out human-shaped figures milling about the edge of the lake. Cursory relief sunk my shoulders.
With a grunt, Jack headed to the left. "Well, c'mon, kid. My guess is they're herdin' you to Mount Volum. So let's get goin'."
I strode beside him. "You're coming with me?"
"The forest's still inaccessible. But I ain't followin' you the whole way. I refuse to get dragged into this tsulin shit."
As we marched on, my thoughts bounced between the competition and home. Memories of the people I'd been taken away from squeezed my lungs in ways I didn't like. Thinking about the trials — the maze, the lake, and now the mount — only contorted my innards more.
My emotions tangled into confusion: anger at the injustice of being torn from Earth, hopeless at the finality of Eternity, awe at the untouchable beauty around me, an almost grotesque longing to stay and explore.
My face grew hot with unshed tears. My voice was soft and broken as I bemoaned, "Why does it have to be this way? Why is it so cruel? Why do these Olympian death traps exist at all?"
Jack peered sidelong at me. "Are you bein' rhetorical or serious?"
I swallowed the lump of emotions stuck in my throat. "Both, I guess."
The crocodile looked up at the sky, one of his clawed fingers tucked into the belt of the holster about his waist. "I didn't care for the history lessons shoved at me when I was a hatchlin'. But from what I can remember, the heir needs to take a spouse before they can 'sume the throne."
My brows furrowed. "But why?"
He released a quick sigh. "I dunno. Something about two heads bein' better than one."
"So the Prince has to marry before he can become King?"
Jack nodded once.
My lips pursed. "Well then, why does the competition have to be so dangerous? Why do the risks have to be so high?"
A quiet growl escaped his mouth, and it caused me to take a small step away from him. "Listen, bean sprout, I don't care about all this. So if you really wan' answers to your questions, find someone who actually cares about this stuff."
Eika popped into my head, and I wondered if she would indeed have answers for me.
"But," Jack continued, his voice lowering, "we've been thinkin' that Eternity's grown dark, been dark for a long time, and only goin' to get darker. Especially since — well, since the Queen's crimes. That convinced almost everyone that Eternity's doomed to darkness. I mean, look at our beloved Prince!" The sarcasm was overwhelming. "He ain't exactly sunflowery proof of good to come."
While my eyes scanned the living shadows to my right, my imagination conjured the Prince: the ghostly pallor of his skin, the midnight hair and attire, the storm raging in his eyes.
My heart squeezed. I could understand their hopelessness, the conviction that Eternity was doomed.
"If, by law, the heir has to marry to assume the throne, what happens if the Prince doesn't find anyone?"
Jack came to an abrupt stop, sucking in a breath. "Acaign, bean sprout. Didn't I tell you I don't care about this political shit?"
I winced but pushed onward anyway. "But . . . do you know what happens?"
His eyes shut and he stood there, focused on his breathing for a moment. "The Eslyr family'll step down and some other bloodline will take over."
"Well, maybe that's for the best."
Jack's yellow eyes were intense, and I shrunk away from him. The ridge above his eye arched. "You really think swappin' out royal asshats will change anything?"
My lips pressed into a line. "I suppose not." We continued toward Mount Volum. "What about the citizens? Why don't they protest or something? Force the competition to change?"
"I don't know, bean sprout! But, look, okay? We've done what we need to do to protect our kind. And — you can't partake in the Competition or the Matching if you're engaged."
Eyes wide, I asked, "Wait, what does that mean?"
"It means, when you have a kid, you betroth them to some other kid." Jack scoffed. "Oh, don't look at me like that. If you were a parent, wouldn't you do what you had to in order to protect your kid from the scary stuff?"
"So, are you engaged?"
He laughed. "Cute."
I crossed my arms. "Well, if you aren't engaged, then you'd have to partake once there's a princess."
"Well, there ain't a female seeking a male on the throne right now, is there? Besides, I'm a criminal. Criminals can't partake in the Matching. Or the Competition. So I'm safe. That's all that matters to me."
It was my turn to scoff. "Oh, I get it now. Because of your early engagements and criminal activities, everyone on Eternity is exempt. Which is why you turn to stealing people from other planets. So it's okay to kill off those people, because no one from Eternity is dying. Right?"
He rounded on me, eyes ablaze. He shoved a claw in my face. "Now look here. They do what they can to protect the outsiders, kid. And this is just how it is. Been this way forever, as far as I'm concerned. No one questions it."
I puffed my chest out to size him up. "Why not?"
"I don't care why not!" His fangs were dangerously close to my face. "Anarchy will reign or some shit like that. But I don't care about anythin' within the Royal City, so I couldn't care less about any of this.
"And for the record," a wicked grin revealed more of his teeth, "we're just protecting our kind. Which is exactly what you're doing right now, isn't it?"
With no retort on my lips, Jack pivoted again and stomped onward to Mount Volum. It was closer now — I could see its flattened peak and rocky paths. Vegetation covered two-thirds of the mountain before it turned into cragged rock and dirt.
After several moments of silence, and we approached the base of Mouth Volum, Jack spoke. His tone was lighter, more playful. "Listen, bean sprout. It sounds to me like the best way to change the Competition is to become queen. Marry the Prince. If — if you're committed to changin' the way things are." He shrugged. "Just somethin' to think about."
I stared at him, mouth agape. He had a point: if the monarchy was the only one that could affect change, the best way to eliminate the Bride Competition was to become part of it.
And I had the opportunity to do exactly that. If I won the Competition, I could marry the Prince and then change Eternity's laws. I could protect future girls from suffering this same fate.
Anna's face crossed my mind, and I frowned. On the one hand, I could protect girls like Annalyse from ever even knowing about Eternity. But on the other hand, I would have to abandon my home. I couldn't do that — I was comfortable on Earth, in Portland, with my family and friends. I belonged there, not here as a princess then a queen. No matter how romantic the notion was.
"Well," Jack clicked his tongue, "I think this is where we part."
Despite our heated discussion, I felt safer with the hunter by my side. Hands fidgeting, I asked, "You aren't coming up Mount Volum with me? I mean, the forest's still closed off."
He flashed his fangs at me in a grin. "There are other ways 'round the forest, Earthlin'. Ways that don't require hikin' a damn mountain." He clapped me on the shoulder. "Good luck."
Before he could get too far away, I called, "Thanks again, Jack, for saving me. Twice already."
"Don't make a third time. Got it, bean sprout?"
I smiled. "Got it. Bye, Jack. Thanks!" I waved until he vanished from view.
Alone once more, I sucked in a breath and shook the distracting thoughts from my head. I focused on the mount before me. Hands clenched in determination, I marched toward Mount Volum.
In the vegetation, the paths were wide and easygoing. But when the plantlife died away and became rock and dirt, the walking paths were thin and twisting and very nearly vertical.
Contrary to climbing mountains on Earth, the air didn't thin the higher in elevation you rose. My ears didn't pop, my lungs only begged for air from physical exertion.
It smelled like a woodburning stove, stronger the closer to the top I trekked. Sometimes when I paused to rest and catch my breath, I would pull in lungfuls of the pleasing scent. And sometimes I missed the smell of rainfall Eternity always seemed to emit — it reminded me of Portland during spring.
As I climbed, I was thankful for the many hours I had spent on tiptoe: the rocky paths became tripwire thin near the apex. One wrong step and I'd tumble halfway down. I dug my fingernails into the dirt mountainside, holding my breath in hopes it would keep me steady.
My foot slipped, and I squealed. I clung on harder, toes curling to stop me from plummeting. My heart pounded — I could feel it in my throat.
When I heard a rustling behind me, I assumed it was the other girls ascending Mount Volum. So I focused on my breathing and my feet.
But then I heard panting and felt the hot exhales against my neck. Gulping, I moved with careful precision to glance behind me — and came face to face with a giant birdlike creature.