Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Ice fortress
Caleb rubbed his thumb along the edge of the empty snack wrapper, his gaze narrowing slightly.
"That’s true." He paused, studying her face. "But shouldn’t you be more guarded around me if you already know I’m going to share everything with them?"
Amelia’s expression didn’t change. If anything, she looked rather pleased that he’d finally asked the right question.
"That’s exactly what I’m hoping for."
Caleb frowned. "You’re going to have to explain that one."
She gathered the remaining snacks, dropping them into the supply bag before sealing it. Once she was satisfied that everything was packed away, she pushed herself to her feet and brushed the grass from her clothes.
"I believe the Underworld Territory has already infiltrated Moonfist," she said, her tone turning more serious. "They know—or somehow manage to avoid—almost every move your side makes in this war. Don’t you find that strange?"
"No. We’re dealing with an enemy that has nothing left to lose. They’ll use every weakness they can find against us. That’s what makes them dangerous."
"And you’ve never wondered how they keep finding those weaknesses?"
"We don’t know everything about their methods. That doesn’t mean they’ve infiltrated us."
Amelia stared at him for a moment, her lips pressing together as she fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"I wish you’d start thinking for yourself instead of repeating whatever you’ve been told."
Caleb’s expression hardened. "You don’t know what I’ve been told. You can’t just make an accusation like that and expect me to accept it because you say so."
"I’m not asking you to accept anything." She folded her arms. "I’m asking you to stop dismissing the possibility before you’ve even looked into it."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. The breeze swept across the meadow, stirring the grass around their feet.
Caleb lowered his gaze to the ground, his expression troubled despite his efforts to hide it. Amelia could tell he was still unconvinced. Years of loyalty to Moonfist and its leadership weren’t going to disappear because she’d challenged him during a conversation over terrible mission food.
She wasn’t expecting him to change his mind immediately, anyway.
"Looking into the future might even help open your mind," she added, her voice quieter now.
His head lifted.
"You keep bringing that place up. Do you actually believe it can show someone the future?"
"I wouldn’t have mentioned it if I thought it was completely useless."
Amelia raised two fingers to her lips and gave a short whistle.
The white wolf lifted its head from where it had been resting. Its ears perked up, and it was on its feet a moment later, padding across the grass toward her. When it reached her side, it lowered its massive body without needing to be told twice.
Amelia ran a hand over its thick fur before grabbing a handful to steady herself. She climbed onto its back with the ease of someone who’d done it many times before, then settled comfortably between its shoulders.
"Let’s go."
Caleb looked from her to the wolf, then back at her again as he scrambled to his feet.
"Wait. You’re not seriously expecting me to get on that thing with you."
Amelia glanced at him. "Would you prefer to walk?"
"How far away is this place?"
"Far enough."
He looked at the wolf again. The creature was enormous, its broad back easily capable of carrying both of them and more, but that did little to reassure him. Its eyes followed his movements with a calmness that somehow made him even more uncomfortable.
"I don’t trust it."
The wolf let out a low rumble. Amelia patted its neck. "It says the feeling is mutual."
Caleb muttered something under his breath before approaching the wolf. He moved cautiously, keeping a careful distance from its teeth as he climbed onto its back behind Amelia. His expression suggested that he’d rather be facing another army of Underworld creatures than sitting on an animal he couldn’t predict.
Once he was settled, Amelia glanced back at him.
"Better hold tight to the fur."
"I don’t need to—"
The wolf shot forward.
Caleb’s protest turned into a startled shout as the ground seemed to disappear beneath him. He managed to grab a fistful of thick white fur with both hands and hauled himself forward, pressing his chest against the creature’s back until he managed to steady himself.
"You could’ve warned me!"
"I did!"
Caleb had no breath left to argue with her. The wolf was moving far faster than he’d anticipated, its powerful legs eating up the distance with frightening ease. Trees and meadows blurred past them, and the mild breeze that had followed them across the grass soon grew colder against their faces.
Before long, the landscape began to change.
The green meadow gradually gave way to patches of frost. Snow appeared along the edges of the path, spreading across the ground until the wolf was running over a blanket of white.
Caleb lifted his head, blinking against the icy wind. Snowflakes caught in his hair and melted against his skin, while others struck his face hard enough to make him wince.
The temperature dropped further as they ventured deeper into the winter region. Heavy snow swept across the landscape, and the mountains ahead disappeared behind a veil of white. Amelia leaned forward slightly, allowing the wolf’s thick coat to shield her from some of the wind. She seemed perfectly comfortable, which only made Caleb more convinced that she was enjoying his misery.
Then the wolf began to slow.
Caleb looked up, ready to demand a break, but the words died in his throat.
A massive ice fortress rose before them.
For a moment, he forgot about the cold.
The structure looked as though an entire mountain had been carved into a palace of ice. Towering walls stretched toward the clouds, their upper reaches disappearing into the pale mist. Spires rose above the battlements, while enormous ice pillars framed the entrance. The fortress’s surface gleamed like polished crystal, catching the faint light and scattering it across the snow in shimmering reflections.
Caleb’s hands loosened in the wolf’s fur.
His mouth fell open slightly as he stared at the breathtaking structure, unable to decide which part to look at first. He’d seen grand buildings and imposing strongholds before, but nothing like this. It didn’t look as though it had been built by ordinary hands at all.
Amelia glanced back at him. The sight of his stunned expression brought a small, satisfied smirk to her lips.
"Try not to drool."
Caleb immediately shut his mouth and straightened his back.
"I wasn’t."
"Don’t worry. I drooled the first time I saw it, too."
The wolf lowered itself into the snow. Amelia slid down first, landing lightly on her feet before stepping aside to give Caleb room.
He took a moment to loosen his stiff fingers from the wolf’s fur, then carefully climbed down, his footwear sinking into the snow when he reached the ground.
"Welcome to the fortress of doom"