Chapter 4: The Surface

  The morning sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the ground as Elena sat by the fire, her heart racing with anticipation. After a long night of mixing and experimenting, she had finally completed her special paint—a concoction made from tree sap, crushed leaves, and minerals that promised to allow them to walk on any surface it was applied to.

  As the first rays of sunlight broke through the canopy, Elena couldn’t contain her excitement. She carefully placed the jar of vibrant paint beside her and called out, “Ember! Wake up! You have to see this!”

  Ember emerged from the tent, her hair tousled and eyes squinting against the light. “What’s all the commotion about?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

  “I did it! I finished the paint!” Elena exclaimed, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm. “It’s ready for us to test!”

  Ember raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile creeping onto her face. “Oh really? You think your little potion is going to magically help us walk up a wall? Sounds like a fairy tale to me.”

  Elena’s excitement faltered for a moment, but she quickly regained her confidence. “No, seriously! This is based on the methods from that book you gave me. It’s going to work!”

  Ember crossed her arms, a playful smirk on her lips. “Right. And I suppose you expect me to just take your word for it? What’s next? Are you going to tell me you’ve discovered a way to fly?”

  Elena rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a smile. “I’m serious! Just watch. I’ll prove it to you.” She dipped a stick into the paint and walked over to a nearby rock, applying a thin layer of the mixture.

  “Okay, but if you fall flat on your face, I’m not helping you up,” Ember teased, leaning against a tree with an amused expression.

  With a deep breath, Elena pressed her foot against the painted surface. To her delight, she felt a firm grip beneath her foot, as if the rock had transformed into a solid platform. “It worked!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

  Ember’s eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly masked it with a smirk. “Well, color me impressed. But let’s see if it holds your weight, Princess.”

  Elena laughed, her confidence soaring. “Alright, watch this!” She stepped fully onto the painted rock, then began to walk across it, her heart racing with exhilaration. The paint held firm, and she felt a rush of triumph.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll admit it’s not a total disaster,” Ember said, her tone light but still teasing. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You still have to climb that wall.”

  Elena grinned, her excitement infectious. “And we will! We can create a path up the wall with this paint. If we can make enough footholds and handholds, we can climb it together!”

  Ember nodded, her skepticism fading as she began to see the potential in Elena’s plan. “Alright, let’s do this. But if you end up covered in paint and mud, don’t come crying to me,” she teased, a playful glint in her eyes.

  Elena laughed, her confidence growing. “I promise I’ll try to keep it clean!”

  “Good luck with that,” Ember replied, rolling her eyes with a smirk. “So, what’s the plan? How are we going to get up the wall?”

  Elena took a deep breath, her excitement bubbling over. “We’ll fly to a certain height on Nimble, and from there, we can use the paint to create a path up the wall.”

  Ember raised an eyebrow, her expression shifting to one of concern. “But how are we going to make all that paint? We don’t even know how long the wall is!”

  Elena grinned, her mind racing with possibilities. “Follow me! I have a stash of paint I made last night.” She led Ember to a hidden spot near their campsite, where she had carefully stored several jars filled with the vibrant mixture.

  As they approached, Ember’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You made all of this?” she asked, astonished. The jars were lined up neatly, each filled with a different shade of the magical paint.

  “Yep! I figured we might need more than just a little bit,” Elena replied, her pride evident. “This should be enough to cover a good portion of the wall.”

  Ember looked at the jars, then back at Elena, a mix of admiration and disbelief on her face. “Alright, I’m impressed. But how are we going to carry all of this?”

  El ena’s grin widened. “That’s where you come in! You’ll carry it all while I guide Nimble. We’ll make it work!”

  Ember crossed her arms, feigning annoyance. “Why do I have to carry everything? You’re the one who made the paint!”

  “Because I’m the one who’s going to be climbing! It makes sense!” Elena argued, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

  “Fine, but you owe me big time for this,” Ember relented, rolling her eyes but unable to hide her smile. “I expect a feast when we get to the surface.”

  “Deal! Now let’s get ready. We’re going to conquer that wall together!” Elena said, her excitement palpable.

  With their plan set, they gathered the jars of paint and prepared for their ascent. The thrill of adventure coursed through them as they approached the soil wall.

  Once they reached the base, Elena turned to Nimble, who was perched nearby, his feathers glimmering in the sunlight. “Alright, Nimble, this is where we part ways,” she said, her voice softening. “You’ve done so much for us already, but I can’t take you with me this time.”

  Nimble chirped softly, nuzzling against her hand as if to reassure her. Elena smiled, feeling a pang of sadness at leaving him behind. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.”

  With a final pat on his head, she stepped back, and Ember climbed onto Nimble’s back. “Let’s go!” she called, her voice filled with excitement.

  Nimble took off into the sky, soaring higher and higher until they reached a suitable height above the wall. Elena took a deep breath, her heart racing as she prepared to execute their plan.

  “Okay, here goes nothing!” she said, pulling out a jar of paint. She carefully applied it to the wall, creating a vibrant path that shimmered in the sunlight.

  Once she was satisfied with her work, she positioned herself as if crawling on the ground, her hands and knees pressing against the painted surface. “This is it!” she called back to Ember, who was still on Nimble.

  Ember followed suit, mimicking Elena’s position as she began to crawl along the painted path. “You’re definitely going to get me killed,” she mumbled under her breath, a mix of exasperation and amusement in her voice.

  Elena focused intently as she continued to apply the paint to the wall, each stroke creating a vibrant path beneath her hands. They moved slowly upward, the paint holding firm, but the progress felt agonizingly slow.

  “Come on, Elena! This is taking forever!” Ember complained, her voice tinged with frustration as she crawled behind her. “We’re not going to get anywhere at this rate!”

  “Just be patient!” Elena replied, trying to keep her tone encouraging. “We need to make sure the paint is secure. If we rush, we could fall!”

  Ember huffed, glancing up at the wall, which seemed to stretch endlessly above them. “I didn’t sign up for a slow crawl! We’ve been at this for hours, and I can’t even see the top!”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape, a chill settled in the air. They had been crawling for almost four hours now, and the fatigue was starting to weigh heavily on both of them.

  “Okay, we need to rest,” Ember said, her voice firm. “I can’t keep going like this.”

  “Rest? We can’t just stop in the middle of a climb!” Elena argued, her resolve flaring. “We’re so close!”

  “Close? We can’t even see the top!” Ember shot back, her frustration boiling over. “What are we supposed to do, hang here all night?”

  In her anger, Ember’s aura began to glow a faint blue, a sign of her rising emotions. “You know what? This is ridiculous!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing against the wall. In a moment of impulsive frustration, she punched the wall beside her.

  To both their astonishment, the impact created a hollow circle in the soil wall, as if a large section had simply disappeared. Dust and debris fell away, revealing a small alcove behind the wall.

  “Whoa!” Elena gasped, her eyes wide with surprise. “What did you just do?”

  Without waiting for an answer, Ember forcefully grabbed Elena, scooping her up in her arms. “We’re going in there!” she declared, her voice resolute as she quickly maneuvered into the newly made hole.

  Elena barely had time to react as they tumbled into the alcove, the cool air wrapping around them like a blanket. They landed softly on the ground, and Ember set Elena down, both of them breathing heavily from the unexpected turn of events.

  “What just happened?” Elena asked, her heart racing from both the climb and the sudden shift.

  Ember leaned back against the wall, her expression thoughtful. “You know, I think my powers from the Orion tribe might have something to do with that punch. I didn’t even know I could do that!”

  Elena rolled her eyes, a hint of exasperation in her voice. “Great, but that doesn’t help us right now. We need to focus on getting to the surface.”

  After a few moments of silence, Elena shivered slightly. “I’m cold,” she admitted, rubbing her arms for warmth.

  Without a word, Ember quietly rummaged through her bag, pulling out some wood. Elena watched as Ember began to light it, her bag now looking significantly lighter after dropping several jars of paint during their climb.

  Elena took count of how many jars were left—only seven remained. They had a lot of climbing to do, and the dwindling supplies weighed heavily on her mind. Sitting down on the uneven ground, she looked at Ember, her thoughts drifting to how strong she was. Ember had picked her up like she was nothing, and the memory filled Elena with admiration.

  In just a few minutes, Ember had a small fire crackling to life, its warmth spreading through the alcove. She then pulled out one of the chickens she had forcefully added to their supplies—there were four in total—and began to roast it over the flames.

  The delicious aroma wafted through the air, and Elena’s stomach rumbled in response. Ember glanced over at her, a teasing smile on her lips. “Hungry, are we?”

  Elena smiled shyly, a blush creeping to her cheeks. “Maybe just a little,” she admitted, her eyes fixed on the roasting chicken.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll share,” Ember said, her tone lightening the mood. “Just don’t expect me to let you eat the whole thing.” As they sat together, Elena pouted, crossing her arms. “I don’t have a big appetite like you, Ember,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant, though her stomach continued to rumble in protest. She shivered slightly, feeling the chill in the air.

  Noticing her discomfort, Ember reached into her bag and pulled out a blanket, tossing it over Elena’s shoulders. “Here, this should help,” she said, her tone warm.

  Elena let out a small sigh, her expression a mix of gratitude and reluctance. “Thanks, but I didn’t need it,” she replied, trying to maintain her pride even as she snuggled into the blanket for warmth.

  Ember chuckled, shaking her head. “Sure you didn’t. You look like you could use a little more warmth.”

  After a moment of comfortable silence, Ember broke the ice. “I wonder what we’ll find up here,” she mused, gazing up at the darkening sky.

  Elena’s imagination sparked. “Maybe a little city of toads, and we’ll see a whale in the sky! Or maybe we’ll learn how to create stuff from magic,” she said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

  Ember laughed, the sound brightening the atmosphere. “A city of toads? That’s a new one! I’d like to see that.”

  “Why not? Anything is possible at this point,” Elena replied, her spirits lifting. “We’ve already punched a hole in a wall and crawled up it like we’re in some kind of adventure story.”

  “True,” Ember said, her smile fading into a thoughtful expression. “But whatever we find, I just hope it’s worth all this effort.”

  Elena nodded, her gaze drifting back to the fire. “You know, there are Iorphians up there too, but they’re more advanced. They have the same tribes as us, but they’re very different. Some of them breathe fire, control water, and can make ice from the air. The book said they are the true Iorphians, and I want to know more about that.”

  Ember raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “That sounds incredible! I didn’t know they could do all that. What else did the book say?”

  Elena leaned in, her excitement growing. “It mentioned their abilities and how they’ve adapted to their environment. I’m also curious about how Nimble can’t fly up there. What’s stopping him? And why is there this stupid wall in the first place?”

  Ember nodded, her own curiosity piqued. “Yeah, it’s strange. If they’re so advanced, why would they build a wall to keep us out? It doesn’t make sense.”

  “I know!” Elena exclaimed, her mind racing with possibilities. “Maybe they’re trying to protect something, or maybe they just don’t want us to know their secrets. Either way, I want to find out.”

  Their conversation gradually came to an end as they finished eating, the warmth of the fire lulling them into a sense of comfort. After a while, they settled down to sleep, each finding a different spot near the flickering flames.

  As dawn broke, Elena slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the soft light. To her surprise, she found Ember curled up beside her, nuzzling into her neck, taking in Ember’s warmth. A blush crept across her cheeks at the unexpected closeness, and she gently pushed Ember away. “Wake up!” she said, trying to sound firm but unable to hide her smile.

  Ember stirred, stretching her arms above her head with a yawn. “What a good morning,” she mumbled, her voice still thick with sleep.

  Elena chuckled, shaking her head. “We’ve got a lot of climbing to do again. Let’s get moving!”

  After a quick breakfast, they prepared for their journey once more. This time, Elena used less paint than before, carefully applying it to the wall as they crawled upward. The rhythm of their movements became more familiar, and they settled into a steady pace.

  Five hours into their climb, Elena looked up, her heart racing with excitement. “Ember, look! That’s the top! We’re almost there!” she exclaimed, pointing toward the faint outline of the surface above them.

  Ember squinted, her expression shifting to one of concern. “Hate to say this, Princess, but this is our last jar,” she said, handing Elena the final paint jar.

  Elena’s heart sank slightly at the realization. “We can’t run out now! We’re so close!”

  “We’ll make it work,” Ember replied, her voice steady. “Just be careful with how you use it. We can’t afford to waste any.”

  Elena tried her best to use less paint, carefully moving up the wall, her heart pounding with each cautious movement. The last jar was finished, and as she looked up, despair washed over her. They still had almost seven feet to cover. "Ember... what do we do?" she asked, her voice trembling, tears threatening to spill.

  Ember took a deep breath, her expression resolute yet tinged with uncertainty. "I have a plan, but I'm not sure it will work."

  The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm orange glow that felt bittersweet against the encroaching darkness. Elena looked down at Ember, her eyes wide with fear and hope. "Let's try," she whispered, her voice barely audible, but filled with a flicker of resolve.

  Ember placed her hand on Elena's leg, her grip firm and reassuring. "I got you, Princess," she said, her voice steady, a lifeline in the storm of uncertainty.

  As before, a blue glow emerged from Ember, illuminating the space around them. She grabbed onto Elena's waist, her heart racing with the weight of the moment. With a burst of strength, she lunged forward, throwing Elena toward the top. Time seemed to slow as Elena felt herself flying through the air, her stomach lurching with the sudden motion, a mix of exhilaration and fear coursing through her veins.

  Ember quickly followed, her hands and feet scrambling for purchase on the wall. She managed to climb up to a small ledge, but it was all she could muster. Hanging on the cliff's edge, she called out to Elena, her voice strained and desperate. "Give me a hand!"

  Elena, who had fallen onto the surface, quickly regained her footing, her heart racing with panic. She rushed back to the edge, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Ember hanging precariously. "Ember!" she yelled, her voice cracking with urgency. She reached out, her heart pounding with fear for her friend.

  "Give me a hand," Ember gasped, her strength waning, her eyes filled with determination and vulnerability.

  With a surge of adrenaline, Elena reached down, her fingers trembling as she grasped Ember's hand. "I've got you!" she cried, pulling with all her might. Together, they fought against gravity, their hearts pounding in unison.

  With one final effort, Elena pulled Ember up from the cliff, and they both tumbled onto the ground, breathless and trembling, their bodies spent from the exertion.

  Ember looked up at Elena, a hint of a smile breaking through the exhaustion. "That was dangerous," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with both relief and disbelief.

  Elena exhaled shakily, her chest heaving. "Yeah... but we made it."

  As they caught their breath, they took a moment to look up at the sky. The sun had dipped below the horizon, but the darkness was alive with a breathtaking display of blue light. Creatures glowed in the night, their luminescence painting the sky with colors that felt otherworldly. Eldaries flitted about, their delicate wings shimmering like stardust, and other enchanting beings danced in the air, illuminating the night with their ethereal glow.

  In that moment, the weight of their journey fell away, replaced by a sense of wonder and joy. Ember and Elena exchanged glances, their eyes wide with awe, and laughter bubbled up between them, a release of all the tension they had carried.

  Elena, overwhelmed with emotion, threw her arms around Ember, tears of joy streaming down her face. "We did it! We made it!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with the weight of their triumph.

  Ember smiled, her eyes shining with happiness and relief, and hugged Elena back tightly. "We sure did, Princess. We sure did."