Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108376 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
“Let me take off some of these layers first.”
“Good idea. This place is hot as Hades,” he agreed as he pulled off the hoodie and tied it around his waist. I followed suit, stuffing everything into my backpack before hitching it over my shoulders.
“I hate how finicky portals are. Why can they never just bring you exactly where you need to be? Teleporting is so much more efficient.”
“Maybe when you’re older you’ll learn how to teleport,” I said, trying to resist the urge to drink from the limited supply of water we’d brought. I was already parched and we’d only just arrived.
“How do people survive here? The heat is impossible,” I complained.
“I’m guessing they don’t go on treks when it’s this hot. They probably stay indoors until it gets colder.” He paused, a worried look crossing his features. “It does get colder, right?”
“Yes, at night time.”
“Wait. Do you mean to tell me this is day?” Ren exclaimed. “But it’s so dark. That’s got to get depressing.”
“Maybe they don’t know any better. I mean, if you’d never seen daylight like we have at home you’d have nothing to compare the darkness to.”
Ren wore a pensive expression. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
We fell into silence then, both too hot to converse. Besides, we needed to conserve our energy for walking. By the time we reached the outskirts of the city I was about ready to keel over. We took a short break, mostly to drink some water and eat a small amount of the dry crackers I packed, then we got back to trekking through the strange, ashy terrain. The ground was dark as charcoal and completely barren. There was no greenery, no life at all, not even a dried up shrub or cactus.
There were also thousands of small circular holes in the ground scattered all about with steam rising out of them. They reminded me of tiny fires in the earth, like the core of Oreylia blazed hot and closer to the surface. A tremor went through me at the thought.
Ren and I quietly navigated the holes, making sure not to step on them for fear they’d burn through the soles of our boots. In the distance, on the other side of the city lay the mountains. Vas had called them the Hamlivs. Rivers of lava trailed down towards the city like fiery veins and I shuddered. I wasn’t a demon, and that meant I’d have to avoid the lava at all costs.
“Are those volcanoes?” Ren asked, the gold flecks in his brown eyes glittering as he stared beyond Treyu.
“Yes, the demons here are immune to fire and heat, so the lava doesn’t harm them. Their buildings are also made from materials that don’t burn. They use the lava streams like rivers, with boats transporting people around the city.”
“That is…honestly incredible. Have you noticed there’s no sun? That must be why it’s so dark here.”
“Yeah, all I can see are those fiery patches in the sky,” I replied. “They seem to be the only source of light.”
“I wonder what they are,” Ren pondered but I didn’t have an explanation. This place was a mystery to both of us and I had a feeling it would take more than a brief visit to figure out all its workings.
“Have you noticed the flying creatures that circle the city?” I asked and Ren shot me an uneasy look.
“Demons, I’m guessing,” he replied.
“Vas never mentioned them, but it’s almost like they’re on patrol.”
“Maybe they’re some kind of sentinels,” Ren suggested.
We’d almost reached the city when one of the steaming holes in front of me popped and sparked. I stopped walking, reaching out and grabbing Ren’s arm to stop him in his tracks, too.
“What the hell is happening?” he whispered, a tremble in his voice, right before a tiny being emerged from the hole. I guessed it was some variety of demon as soon as I saw its little orange horns. Its skin was red with splotches of charcoal and it’s eyes were vibrant yellow. They reminded me a little of Sven’s eyes.
The demon, who couldn’t have been more than a foot tall, began speaking in rapid fire Oreylian and it took me a moment to catch up and start translating.
“What’s it saying?” Ren asked, drawing close.
“Um, I think it wants to…purchase my earrings?”
I listened to the tiny creature ramble and gesture to the small gold hoops that adorned my ears. I had three piercings on each ear, alongside a cuff piercing on my left. I was suddenly glad that I hadn’t removed my jewellery before coming because this little guy seemed to find it valuable.
“What’s it saying now?” Ren went on, unable to take his eyes off the tiny demonic creature. We didn’t have demons like this back in Tribane, or if we did they preferred to wear a human shaped glamour.