Page 25 of The Gods We Defy (All Gods Must Die #2)
CHAPTER 25
A week is all we’re given to find the gold ore. Seven days in total to climb down a steep, curving mountain, move through an endless landscape of moving, collapsing rock. Fight off creatures, poisonous plants, and illusions. And that’s all before reaching the mountain of monsters. The home of the enormous snake and other unimaginable creatures to find the raw gold ore we need to create our weapon for the last trial.
I arrive at the courtyard where Vidarr is already opening a large portal and move into the group of chosen just as he turns to speak to us.
“The portal behind me will drop you all off in different places. But you all—barring the chosen who won the immunity—will have the same distance to go.” He nods his head to the chosen who won it, whose arm I see has healed quite nicely as he raises it to a round of cheers. I guess the rest of his group didn’t fare so well.
He steps up beside Vidarr and I can only image the smug look he wears behind his mask. The eyes alone reveal a boastful delight.
“Just like the cave, there is a shield blocking the creatures from escaping. That means no Caligo can shadow through the void. Using your shadow abilities will not be an issue. But once you step into this portal, it will be the only one you see until the end. You are all on your own. You have seven days. Make them count.”
The gloating winner steps through the portal first. While he gets his head start, we wait for the rest of the chosen to arrive.
Twin silver masks appear a couple minutes later, followed by a mask split evenly with black and silver.
Indira is the first to spot me and makes her way over. Yasmin and Hael follow close behind.
“What did we miss?” she asks, keeping her voice low.
“We need to go through a portal and not die,” I tell her.
Hael barks out a laugh and the other chosen around us turn, frowning. Indira nudges me in the shoulder, asking for an actual answer.
“The portal will drop us off in different places, but apparently, we’ll all be at the same distance to reach the gold. Once we pass no portal or shadowing through the void will work just like the cave. But our abilities should be fine and the winner of the immunity already went through. We’re just waiting to give him a head start.”
“Something that should have been ours,” Yasmin grumbles and I nod, agreeing.
After a few more minutes, Vidarr finally signals the chosen and we start moving through the portal one by one. I share a look with Yasmin, Indira, and Hael silently wishing them good luck before they step through next.
I linger, waiting for Hunter, but can’t spot his mask. But some of the other chosen are still trickling in.
Stepping up to the portal, I catch the malicious smirk on Vidarr’s face before I step through. An icy claw drags down my spine at that look, blending with the cool rush that floods my body.
I step out of the portal and onto the top of a mountain high above the clouds. It’s covered in green grass and trees with not a sliver of snow in sight.
There’s no one nearby, but I expected that. What I didn’t expect was to see a group of chosen walking across a long bridge a few hundred feet below me.
I doubt any of the other chosen landed this far away. But I should have expected something underhanded, especially after seeing the look on Vidarr’s face.
Shoving my growing frustration to the back of my mind, I head for the long-winding path down the mountain.
I should be grateful that it at least has a path, but all I can think about is how I’m going to waste half a day just getting to that bridge.
The sun beats down on my back and I stop for a moment to take a drink of water from the bag and pouch I brought.
Hunter made a good point last time when he brought his own supplies. Along with some bread and another pouch of water, I can also use the bag to carry the gold when I find it. If I find it.
Sighing to myself, I place the pouch of water back in the bag and continue down the mountain.
As guessed, I take half a day to reach the bridge. I glance around to make sure no one is near before crossing. Most of the chosen should be well ahead of me, anyway. The thought gets me picking up my speed.
Hundreds of feet above a deathly drop, the simple wooden bridge spans far across the immense gap between mountains.
I’m halfway across when the bridge shakes, swaying from side to side.
My eyes immediately find a chosen at the end of the bridge, cutting it off.
Sprinting forward, I need to make it to the far side before it breaks completely.
Just a few more feet…
A snap echoes around me as the rope breaks and the slats fall, yanking me down with them.
My Sidus light rushes out of me in long, thick ropes and heads straight for the mountain as I continue to fall. I grab hold of the end and swing toward the mountain wall just as the top catches multiple holds above me.
Glancing upward, I spot a small jutting ledge and pull myself up to it. I take a minute to catch my breath and slow my heart rate while checking for injuries. Apart from some light bruising, everything else is fine.
I look up at the mountain I have left to climb and with my thick strings of light in hand, I weave them up and to the left before making my ascent.
With each movement, I let my anger grow and fuel me, allowing me to make it up the mountain in half the time. When I reach the top, I peek over it and spot the chosen who cut the rope waiting off to the right.
Pulling my Sidus light back, I aim for my new target and fling it straight for the chosen. While I’m moving up and over the cliff, my Sidus light drags him down to the ledge halfway down the mountain.
Adjusting my bag, I don’t look back as I leave him there, but I keep my guard up with every step I take.
A forest slowly appears, wrapping along the curving path down the mountain. I quickly spot the tops of the enormous Burren rocks as I move downwards. They’re colossal, with some of the vast structures just as tall as the mountain.
As I make my way down, the forest slowly clears, revealing the entire expanse of the Burren. It spans out and across an enormous landscape. Some oval structures are so tall that I can’t see where they end, others have flatter tops or are circular and thicker. But there’s a layer of green moss that grows on the north side of every single structure, pointing me in the right direction.
It looks like it’s going to take me at least a couple of days to get through it and it’s already getting dark.
After what feels like forever, I finally come to the end of the mountain and a fog rolls in around me and the start of the rocks.
The sizes of the enormous structures are varied. They range from my height to the mountains.
I continue on keeping my wits about me and follow the direction of the growing green moss. I’m a few steps into the Burren when the darkness of night closes in around me. And along with the fog, I can no longer see even a few feet in front of me.
Taking a chance, I weave a small Sidus light in the palm of my hand.
I navigate the narrow paths, but a tremble ripples through the ground beneath me. It stops seconds later, and I glance around before moving once more.
Something catches the corner of my eye, and I turn to find a rock breaking away from another. No, not a rock, a male.
My eyes widen as he shoots forward and slams something into the side of my head. I fall to the ground as darkness envelops me.