The Voyage In The Blizzard - Chapter 81

No matter how much and how loudly he would shout, a strong blizzard carried all his words to unknown lands.

Deciding not to waste his energy on screaming anymore, Longwei just kept going.

Being right next to a high mountain from which a strong energy of something extraterrestrial emanated, he realized that this part of the world to which they had difficulty getting to is a kind of transition to another level.

Remembering the words of the spell, he repeated, “Height, Moon, Three-headedness, and what next? Three roads and a turn.”

After a long flight on a dragon that disappeared altogether, oddly enough, Longwei felt like all his memories were slowly leaving him.

But clinging to the reality that was in front of him, he began to speak by himself.

“There must be something beyond this mountain. Maybe the Kingdom’s lands begin further.”.

Suddenly stopping, he fell face down into the snow and froze. Without breathing, without blinking, he looked inside the snowdrift.

“What if something happened to Yun Qi or Lei? What if they’re dead?!” he asked quietly and, having lost his sanity a little, jumped up and got down on all fours and began to look around.

“They’re okay. They’re alive.” he repeated until he regained consciousness back.

Closing his eyes from the blinding snow, he gradually felt his head spinning from the monotony of everything around.

Moving his legs, he wrapped the scarf around his neck even tighter, following his instinct, he simply walked forward. Without turning anywhere and without looking back.

“I hope there are no monsters or worse, either Sun’s soldiers or Sun himself.” he muttered to himself. “I don’t have any remaining weapons. I’ll have to fight with my hands and feet.”

Now, climbing up the slope, he raised his head and looked at the top of the mountain, which was silent.

“You must be so calm. And nothing can change or harm you.”

Climbing up the snowy slope became more and more difficult with every step. Thirst, fatigue and hunger paralyzed his thoughts. No longer able to worry about anything, he decided to meditate a little, as he always did in difficult moments.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, and so without noticing how he was already going down the slope, then he walked along a small steppe which led him (to his great surprise) to a new place. The place with high rocks that stretched upwards like walls.

Looking at his feet, he noticed that there was no snow at all on the new land. Seeing so much pure land for the first time, even with a small amount of sand and mud, he was suddenly delighted that at last the harsh, eternally icy lands were over. Looking back and seeing far behind the solitary Mountain surrounded by a blizzard, he said, “So this horror ends here and life begins further.”

The tall gray stones, which were perfectly flat and square, resembled a cards.

Once among these natural walls, Longwei looked back and no longer saw that white steppe.

Now he was surrounded by walls on all sides.

Without stopping walking forward, he studied the surface of each rock with curiosity, as if this was something important.

“Yun Qi! Lei!” he screamed with all his might, but as expected, his voice remained unheard.

Walking along the path that led him somewhere, he kept going until he heard someone’s footsteps behind.

Hiding behind one of the walls, he bent down and began to listen to the sounds.

Usually, he recognized Lei’s approach by his steps, and so Yun Qi’s. Each of them had their own style of steps, unlike the others. And then realizing that the footsteps belonged to some kind of warrior, he quickly ran forward.

Stopping, he listened again but heard nothing more. It was quiet around. So quiet that he had never heard such silence in his life.

Ahead, the same identical square rocks awaited him. Confused, it seemed to him that he was already here, at this very place.

“What kind of labyrinth is this?” he thought before he heard footsteps again.

Now these steps sounded clear and loud, as if they were behind the stone wall behind of which he stood.

Holding his breath and preparing to strike at any second, he froze and at the very moment when the footsteps stopped so close, he wanted to look the enemy in the eyes first, but suddenly he heard that these footsteps were now moving away from him at a fast pace further and further until they died down at all.

“Maybe it is an illusion?” he asked aloud to break the already unbearable silence.

Walking along a narrow path that was strewn with small stones, he bent down and took a handful of stones in his palm and began to study it. “It’s strange.” he whispered, and again he heard footsteps. But this time the footsteps were quick and as if they belonged to a small child.

Knocking the soles of his boots, this someone made several circles around Longwei and then the footsteps disappeared again.

“Yun Qi?”

Now feeling the whole situation of what was happening, panic seized him.

As if recovering from oblivion, he finally realized that Yun Qi and Lei could also wander in this labyrinth. And worst of all, they may never find each other now.

Rushing to run, he left behind him countless of stone walls and stumbled upon the same amount in front.

Turn after turn, narrow paths led nowhere and at the same time led in different directions.

Clutching his head with his hands, Longwei saw how the gray colors in front of him began to dance, creating incomprehensible patterns.

“Yun Qi, Lei.” he repeated over and over until he heard footsteps again.

“Who are you?!” he cried out, looking around.

Deciding to follow these footsteps, he moved towards the sound.

But suddenly, feeling a sharp pain in the region of his heart, he curled up and fell to the ground.

Lying in cold sweat, through slightly blurred vision, he saw someone’s feet.

Trying to get up, he wanted to push off the ground but everything around him began to spin in a frantic whirlwind, making him lose his head and senses.