Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The elites, no matter how well prepared they were with insider knowledge about the location of the keys, were moving with slow caution. Everyone was, and for good reason. The first very audible screams of pain as whatever was lurking out there attacked one of the teams made it quite clear that traps and natural obstacles were not the only dangers they would be facing.

As a result, this was going to be a longer trek than many of the competitors had initially thought. The elites were still moving toward their targets, going through the motions so the spectators betting on them wouldn't realize the game was rigged, and it was following them that led Dorrin and Ziana to their first of the three keys.

The terrain was icy and cold. One of the lowest areas in the caverns, and sporting not only a small frozen lake, but also a small frozen waterfall they'd been unable to see from their original vantage point. All around was ice, and some of it was thin and unable to support a person's weight, let alone two. The crackling was all the warning one would get before being unceremoniously dumped into the frigid water.

Fortunately, it seemed the predators did not like the cold, so while it was miserable for the teams searching for the key, at least they didn't have that one additional deadly thing to worry about. Of course, the traps were more than enough to keep them quite busy.

The area was pretty sparse when it came to plant life. Being this cold, not much could handle the extreme temperatures. Trees were few and stunted, and the vine-like bushes that grew around their bases sported short but very tough thorns, almost like barbed wire, making any thoughts of wading through them to climb the trees quite moot.

"They're heading left," Ziana noted as Lonks and Quilla plodded along in search of their exit key.

"I see others following but veering right," Dorrin added, watching the different teams as they performed their searches.

It seemed the other commoners weren't aware of the elites' advantage and as a result they were walking a different, and ill-advised path. They would quickly learn the error of their ways.

One team plunged from view in the blink of an eye. They were there, then they weren't, the ground at their feet giving way, sending them tumbling into a deep pit. Whether or not they'd been injured by the fall was unclear as both the hissing of the lavafall impacting the lake as well as the crackling of the ice itself created enough ambient noise to block out any hints of cries for help that might have managed to make their way out of the hole in the ground.

Dorrin saw Ziana's look and shook his head. "Do not think it. The instinct is admirable, but we do not have the equipment to attempt a rescue. To make the effort will be putting our own lives in jeopardy, and we must not become victims ourselves no matter how much we wish to help."

"But it's just so wrong ."

"I am not saying you are incorrect in your observation. But our lives are on the line as well, and we must act accordingly. Do you trust me?"

Ziana didn't have to think twice. Whatever conflicts the pair had experienced, one thing was certain. She did trust him. He could be a dick at times, sure, but his motives were pure. Survive and win. And that meant his partner needed to be kept in the best possible condition at all times. Her success would lead to his. A true partnership in that regard.

"Yes, I do."

"Then follow. We must not linger here too long. The cold will take its toll given our limited clothing. We need to find our key and move to a warmer area, and quickly."

"No argument from me there," she agreed. "What now?"

"Now we follow, but from a distance. The discomfort of this area will motivate Lonks and Quilla to be as short with their subterfuge as possible. They want to get warm as badly as we do, so they won't drag this out. And once we see the general location of the checkpoint, we'll only have to wait until they move on to claim our own key."

"And then there will be only two to go."

"Precisely. And once we have those, we simply find an advantageous location and we wait."

Ziana shivered against the cold but steeled herself for the discomfort surely to come. "Okay. Lead the way."

Dorrin did precisely that, carefully choosing his path, ensuring solid footing as he moved. This was a risky area, and the frozen ground could easily hide more pitfalls, not to mention other nasty traps. Even trailing the others, this required care and deliberate movement.

On they progressed, slowly following the elites as best they could, careful not to get too close, avoiding them as well as the additional teams that were slowly making their way into the area. The players were all scattered throughout the caverns, but at least a few of them had decided to also start their search low and work their way up, getting the cold part out of the way first.

Large chunks of ice that looked like some sort of geologic upheaval had shoved them into place blocked their way more often than not, and no one had been provided with any ice climbing gear. It made for particularly treacherous progress.

"Hang on," Dorrin said, pausing their progress and redirecting.

"What are you doing? They're going that way."

"Yes, but this will help."

He didn't go into further detail; he just shifted their course toward one of the trees dotting the landscape. It was white with frost, but as they drew closer, she realized he wasn't interested in the tree, but the barbed vine growing at its base.

She watched as he worked the vine until it finally began to fray. It was tedious, slow going, but eventually, with the help of a rock to scrape it against, he managed to separate several long sections. He then used the rock to whack the tree, pulling free a few long pieces of bark.

"What are you doing?" Ziana wondered.

He carefully lay out the vines and stepped onto one section, placing one of the pieces of bark on top of his boot then tying the vine around his foot. "Making these," he replied, quickly doing his other foot. "Now you. Step closer."

She did as he asked, more than a little impressed at his improvised ice spikes.

"You sure those thorns won't break off?"

"Certain. This type of vine is known for the painful strength of its thorns. They were placed here as a rather difficult obstacle. I have simply repurposed a little for our needs."

She watched his thick, muscular forearms flex as he worked, his body radiating heat from his efforts as he was tying the spiked vines to her feet. In no time he was done. She took a step.

Solid. Secure. Best of all, no slipping.

"Come on," he urged. "We need to catch up. The checkpoint will be close."

Sure enough, they'd only moved ahead for a few minutes, their new footwear helping them scale the ice with relative ease, when they saw movement to their right.

"Hey, I was thinking. Why put those vines there at all? I mean, if the checkpoint isn't there, then why?"

He looked around, ensuring no one was watching. Satisfied, he nodded subtly to a plain section of icy rocks against the far wall.

"Do not point, but that is the exit," he said quietly. "Hidden in plain sight, but not easy to reach."

"Holy shit! We know the way out!"

"Yes. But we must first retrieve the keys. And even if we had them all, this is far too harsh an environment to wait without proper cold weather gear. Undoubtedly chosen for precisely that reason. No one can camp out and wait for the gong announcing its opening. They would perish during the night."

"Oh. Damn."

"Don't be upset. The others will find it, no doubt, but they will face the same restrictions. Not even the elites can find a way around that. No warm clothing. No shelters. We are monitored at all times and their cheating would be seen. Now, where are they?"

"They've moved off to the slope," Ziana said, pointing to the elites as they came back into view. "They're heading up to that green area over there about halfway up between the frozen part and where the lava is coming from."

"They are careless," Dorrin said with a grin. "They telegraph their moves. The next key is in that smaller cavern toward the left of the elevated plain they are heading to. And the third will be near the lava flow."

"How can you be so sure? They're not heading that way."

"Their bodies may not be, but watch their gazes. See how they keep looking that way? They are telling us their next move without even realizing it."

Ziana watched the pair as they walked, paying special attention to the way they angled their heads. Even at a distance, she could see where they were looking clear as day.

Son of a bitch. He's right .

Dorrin put his hand on her chest, stopping her in her tracks. His touch was hot on her cool skin, and she felt her nipples tighten at the sensation, sending other feelings rippling through her body.

"What?" she asked.

"We are close. The checkpoint is just ahead."

"You're sure?"

"Look at the footprints."

Sure enough, the faint outlines of boots were just barely visible in the ice. Snow would have been easy to spot, but this surface required a bit more attention.

"I can see them. But they look like they moved all over the place."

"That's the problem. They knew the checkpoint was here, but even the elites had to make their approach from the correct direction lest they activate a trap. And now we must do the same."

"So what do we do?"

"We sit a moment and wait. We observe. We take in the details of the area without preconceptions or assumptions. Sometimes all it takes to see what is right in front of you is to stop looking."

"You should put that on a mug."

"Why would I do that?"

"Never mind. How long do you think?—"

" There ," he said quietly. "I see the path. Stay close."

She squinted her eyes but had no idea how he'd made out the correct direction so quickly. Sure, she'd had it explained that the runes could enhance someone's senses, including vision, but this? It seemed almost like a superpower the way he did it.

Regardless, without another word Dorrin carefully walked ahead, Ziana in tow, their makeshift foot spikes affording them excellent purchase on the icy ground. He led the way, looping to the right, then climbing over a chest-high hunk of ice and rock, the cuff linking them going tight a few times as Ziana struggled to keep up. He reached up and helped her down to the small patch of safe ground at the rock's base.

"Okay, that's clearly the checkpoint," she said, staring at the just barely glowing orb hovering at waist height.

"Come. They do not booby-trap these," Dorrin said, stepping forward and placing his hand on the device. It didn't even hum or flash, it just slid out a small oval of polished green metal. He pulled it free and tucked it securely in his pocket.

"That's it?" she asked.

"That's it. Let's go. There are still two more to retrieve. Then comes the worst part."

"Worse than avoiding traps and animals?"

He chuckled. "Sometimes, waiting actually can be." He stood tall, scanning the cavern all around them, looking confused before finally shrugging and pointing. Pointing in the direction they already knew they would be going.

They moved fast, following the only relatively clear path toward the slope leading up to the warmer area where the elites had gone. They'd made their decision seem random. Organic. But they had a clear route in their minds. Unfortunately, they had to veer slightly off from the one the elites had taken. There were coincidences, but then there were instances that were just a little too convenient.

The transition from icy to grassy was quick, and unlike the ice, the spikes didn't do too much to help when the soil decided to give way. It was steep, and it was going to be a relatively miserable climb. Dorrin stopped periodically, his strong hands on Ziana's waist as he hoisted her up over obstacles with ease. His grip was firm but not painful, and the way he moved her body wherever he thought she needed to go with such effortless grace was starting to distract her in an annoying sort of way.

No, do not think that, she chided herself as she felt her body reacting of its own accord to the man's touch. That is not cool .

The warm glow low in her belly said otherwise. More than just that, it was distracting her from the one thing she had to do. Namely, keep her footing and climb.

"Shit!" she blurted, slipping just after he'd put her down on the slope in front and above him.

His hands shot up fast, cupping her ass and cradling her as she fell, but it was more than just her ass he'd gotten a handful of.

Ziana's pussy thrummed with instant heat and a tingling buzz when his fingers slid a little too far between her legs and pressed her clit with a delightful firmness of touch before sliding back, almost teasing her pulsing hole as he adjusted his grip.

As quickly as it had started it ended, his hands a flash of motion, stabilizing her and making sure she was solidly on her feet.

"Your cheeks are flushed. Are you okay?" he asked, oblivious to what he'd just inadvertently done.

Ziana stammered. "Uh, yeah, I'm fine."

She was not fine. In fact, her nipples were pressing so hard against her top she thought they'd cut right through it. And her clit? She just hoped the rapidly swelling nub would calm the fuck down and let her continue as before. If not it was going to be a very long, and very distracting climb.