Chapter Twenty-Three Mist

W e raced down the sloping tunnel, the cries of the Draugr echoing off the stone walls behind us. My lungs burned and my legs ached, but terror kept me moving. I couldn't believe how quickly our situation had deteriorated. One moment I was practicing a simple spell, and the next we were fleeing for our lives from undead warriors I had accidentally awakened. The guilt gnawed at me, but I pushed it aside. There would be time for self-recrimination later - if we survived.

The air grew noticeably cooler and damper as we descended deeper into the ruins. The faint glow of the bioluminescent fungi that had lit our way earlier began to fade, leaving us in near darkness. Only Baldr's heightened werewolf senses allowed us to navigate the treacherous path without stumbling. I held his hand tight, hoping we would make it to safety. Although going deeper underground didn’t seem like a good sign.

As we came around a curve, I noticed light up ahead. My heart soared as we raced toward it. Suddenly, the narrow passageway opened up into a vast cavern. My eyes widened as I took in the massive underground lake before us, its dark waters stretching out into the shadows. Baldr skidded to a halt at the water's edge, his hand still gripping mine tightly.

“Shit,” he muttered, scanning the cavern for any sign of an escape route.

“Now what?” I gasped, struggling to catch my breath.

Baldr scanned the cavern quickly, his eyes glowing faintly gold in the dim light. “There,” he said, pointing to the other side of the lake. “See that light? That’s the way out!”

I squinted, trying to see what he saw. But all I could make out was the glowing mushrooms. Everything on the other side looked like just darkness to me.

“I don’t see it.”

“Trust me,” he said, his confidence surging over our bond. “It’s there. I can see it and smell it.”

“What if it’s another dead end like the last one?” I asked, terrified of what that might mean.

“Either way, it’s better than staying here and getting ripped apart by the Draugr.” I couldn’t argue with him there. “But we’ll have to swim.”

I balked at that. “Isn’t it going to be freezing?”

“Probably. So we’ll have to go fast.”

Before I could protest further, Baldr waded into the water. The frigid water made him gasp, but he still held out his hand to me. “Mist, we don't have much time!”

Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the water. The icy lake took my breath away, but I forced myself to keep moving. The water was up to my waist, then chest-deep. I clung to Baldr's hand as we struck out across the lake, swimming as fast as we could.

The cold water sapped my strength, and my clothes felt like lead around me. It felt like it was getting harder and harder to breathe no matter how much I gulped down air. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the light of the Draugr’s eyes growing closer. They had emerged from the tunnel and were now stalking along the shore, their dead eyes locked on us.

“Faster!” Baldr barked, his voice filled with panic.

I kicked harder, pushing myself to keep up with Baldr's powerful strokes. The cold water numbed my limbs, making each movement a struggle. But the terror of what awaited us if we failed drove me on.

Suddenly, Baldr let out a strangled cry and disappeared beneath the surface.

“Baldr!” I screamed, frantically searching the dark water.

He resurfaced a moment later, gasping and thrashing. “Something's got my leg!” he shouted.

I dove under, forcing my eyes open in the dark water. To my horror, I saw a skeletal hand gripping Baldr's ankle, pulling him down. One of the Draugr had slipped into the lake without us realizing it. And now it’s bright blue eyes were the only thing I could make out in the lake except for a rare shimmer of white bone.

Without thinking, I grabbed the bony arm and pulled with all my might. The cold water dulled the pain as my fingers dug into the desiccated flesh, tearing with all my might. I screamed underwater, bubbles exploding in front of me. He couldn’t have Baldr! He couldn’t have my mate!

Suddenly, the water around us was no longer dark. A bright blueish light emanated from my body as I focused all my hate and fury on the Draugr. Something inside me snapped, and I felt magic rush out of me. But this time, instead of searching to create life, it sought to destroy. Before my focus had been spread thin, making control difficult. However, now I had only one target, the Draugr pursuing us.

Even under the water, I watched as flames exploded inside the Draugr itself, the liquid around it boiling in an instant. Bone quickly turned to ash and dust as it cried out, the mummified flesh disintegrating in seconds. I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment as the light in its eyes finally went out and the skeletal hand let Baldr go. Both of us rushed back to the surface, gasping for air as we broke through. It was only when I cleared my eyes and looked back at the shore that I realized my magic had targeted all of the Draugr, not just one. Pillars of flame burned on the shore and in a matter of seconds there was nothing but ash and cinders left behind.

The Draugr were dead.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing Baldr who was staring with his mouth hanging wide open. “Or we’ll freeze to death.”

Without another glance back, Baldr and I swam as fast as we could to the distant shore. By the time we’d dragged ourselves onto the rocky shore, I was panting and shivering so badly that I thought I might pass out. It could’ve been from the magic draining energy, but I wasn’t sure. I’d never used it in that way before, so I had no idea what to expect. Besides, I was too cold to think about it much anyway. The cold made it difficult to be coherent. Baldr, however, seemed to be able to shake his shivering much faster than I did.

“How did you do that?” he asked, his jaw hanging open. “I felt the surge of magic but it was… controlled.”

“I have no idea,” I replied, still trying to catch my breath. “I thought of you getting hurt and it just… happened.” I glanced up at him, putting on an exhausted smile. “I can’t let my mate get hurt, right?”

Baldr smiled, but there was some hesitation in his eyes. I felt a tiny pang of melancholy over the bond. Maybe it was because he’d never had anyone say something like that to him. It was entirely possible that despite his being out in the world, he was just as lonely as I was. And I didn’t want him to feel that way. So, I dragged myself up off the stone and threw my arms around him, holding him tight despite my shivering.

“It’s okay,” I said, channeling all my affection through our bond. “We’re safe now. I’m right here.”

I felt him tense up for a second before he relaxed into me, wrapping his arms around my waist. There was still a niggling worry at the edge of our bond, but all I could do was hold him and tell him everything was going to be alright. The rest he’d have to do himself. And he had plenty of time to work through it because after all this, I wasn’t going anywhere.

We stayed like that for a long moment, holding each other close, our wet clothes clinging to our shivering bodies. The warmth of Baldr's embrace began to seep into me, chasing away some of the bone-deep chill. I felt his heartbeat slow as he relaxed, the tension gradually leaving his muscles. Even the claws and fangs began to recede until he was merely human.

“Thank you,” he murmured into my hair. “For saving me. For... everything.”

I pulled back slightly to look up at him, my hands still resting on his chest. “Always,” I said softly. “We're in this together now.”

Baldr's eyes searched mine, a mix of emotions swirling in their golden depths. Wonder, gratitude, and something else I couldn't quite name. He opened his mouth as if to say something more, then closed it again, shaking his head slightly.

Instead, he leaned down and pressed his forehead against mine, closing his eyes and taking a moment to just breathe me in. I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt his moment of peace. Eventually he let out a long sigh and pulled away, a smile on his face once more.

“Come on,” he said, taking my hand. “We need to get moving before we freeze.”

I nodded and together we made our way towards the light Baldr had seen earlier. Now that we were closer, my human eyes could make out what he’d seen. It wasn’t much at first, but as we walked, it grew steadily brighter. Eventually that little tunnel turned in an upward direction, the air getting fresher with every step. As we climbed, I could feel warm air flowing down from above, a stark contrast to the chill of the cavern below. Even my wet clothing started to warm and I just knew we were going to make it.

“Do you think we're close to the surface?” I asked hopefully, holding tight to Baldr’s hand.

“I hope so. This feels too bright and fresh to be just a ventilation shaft.”

We continued on and within a minute, we found ourselves stepping out into bright sunlight. I held my arm up, shielding my eyes from the sun. It took a moment or two to realize we were standing at the edge of the forest. And another full minute before I finally felt like I could see enough to make sense of the strange sound I’d been hearing. We were standing at the mouth of a small cave. And there, not fifty feet in front of us, was the river touching the edge of the forest.

“Looks like we made it to your spot,” I said, giving Baldr a nudge. “Isn’t this where you wanted to set up camp?”

“Y-Yeah,” he nodded. “Although, after the Draugr, I think I’d rather just keep going.”

“It’s getting late though,” I said, glancing up at the sky where the sun hung low. “And I’m exhausted and starving.”

“I’ll find food,” Baldr said.

“And I’ll take care of the fire this time.” I reached back, pulling my soaked backpack off my shoulders. My box of matches was in there and it was with a heavy heart I realized they were now useless. “Uh… I guess I could try rubbing some sticks together? Probably shouldn’t try magic again.”

“How about we both get food and then I’ll start the fire,” Baldr offered, a smirk on his face. “And as much as I’m thankful to you, I think you should lay off the magic for a moment. You need to rest anyway before it takes too much of a toll on you.”

“Right,” I said with a shrug. “Well, lead the way I guess. I’ll follow your nose this time. And hopefully we don’t run into anymore giant snakes.” I glanced down Baldr’s body, my eyes zeroing in on his crotch. “Well, maybe just one.”

He lifted and eyebrow, planting his hands on his hips. “Seriously? Right now?”

I just laughed. “What can I say? I’m hooked.”

“I’m not gonna get any peace with you, am I?”

“At least I’m not boring.”

He just sighed, shaking his head. “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”