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"You bet." I gave Kendrick a hug before stepping away in preparation for the teleport. "Wait." Merida stopped me when I would've teleported out and handed me a shovel. "You're going to need this." 2 Merida wasn't kidding when she said I'd need a shovel. 2 The Caves of Kamatayan got narrower by the minute as I want deeper into the cavern, and the winds were chilling me to my bones. The lack of clothing wasn't helping either. I only had on a silk shirt and dress pants which translated to almost nothing here inside the icy caves. I had arrived at the foot of the KamatayanMountains about three hours ago. I began the hike up almost instantly, the blizzard outside providing a barrier for any telepathic lock on to the caves entrance. The KamatayanMountains were located on the North Pole of Sanctium. I made the four hundred feet hike on a steep slope using my bare hands and feet and without the use of any hiking gear. I only had a shovel to get me across the trickiest parts of the mountain. My hands had been bloody, and my shoes had nearly worn off, but I made it through the hike and reached the mouth of the cave. It was dark in this part of the world, but I used my night vision to navigate through. I smashed the shovel into the ice of the cave lining and dug a chunk out of the wall to widen it a bit as I passed through. The walls kept closing in on me from both sides, making it almost impossible for me to squeeze through. It would make even a perfectly normal immortal feel claustrophobic. The caves didn't start out like this, though. The entrance was wide enough to hide an army, courtesy of so many treasure hunting missions It wasn't long before the caves started going downhill. The road took a steep slope towards the centre of the mountain. No wonder so many had perished on a treasure hunt in this cavern. Even for a vampire, climbing back up this steep slope would've been impossible. It's a good thing I could teleport out or else— I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw a humongous solid wall of ice standing in front of me. I have to save Alina! I said to myself and slammed the shovel into the heart of the wall, but all it did was peel off a tiny chunk of ice. The side walls were too narrow to allow me to use all my strength, and I couldn't teleport without knowing what the other side looked like. So I bashed my shovel through the crack I'd made earlier over and over again. Finally, I could see a crack on the dratted thing. I gave it one more hit, and a hole formed, allowing me to have a better look on what was on the other side of the wall. I teleported in. The other side was even steeper, and it made me slip and fall on the hard ice. Getting back up immediately, I began walking forward until I reached a dead end and a gaping hole on the floor. Water dripped from the ceiling of the cave and rolled down through the opening. This must be where the river was formed. I knelt down and looked through the opening for a safe place to teleport, but couldn't find any. Leaving everything to fate, I jumped down. Keeping my eyes on the ground below, I teleported to a safe place just before crashing on to a heap of skeletons. And there it was, the river created by the melting ice of the mountain. It didn't have much current to it, having formed inside the mountain, but it did look deep. The water was a clear crystalline blue, and the banks were made of ice. I found several skeletons on the river bank, and there were also some bodies that have been preserved by the ice. They would decay once summer came to the northern hemisphere, but for now, they would rest in the snow. I looked around. There was no trace of the Arctic Blade. Making sure I don't lose my footing, I bent over the edge of the river and touched the water but pulled back my hand instantly. How could it be possible for the water to be colder than the air inside the cave and remain in liquid form? However, the frigid waters didn't break my resolve. Jumping into the water without letting myself think about the cold, I swam as fast as I could towards the centre of the river. My entire body went numb, and ice crystals began to form on my skin, but I wasn't giving up just yet. This was for Alina. I had to get to her before her transition was over, or I would lose her forever. I broke through the surface of the water and looked around to see if I could find any trace of the sword. Still, I couldn't see anything. Damn it! I slammed my fists into the water. It couldn't have been a lie. I couldn't have wasted all this time searching for an object that doesn't even exist. Allen's memory might have been sketchy, but Merida wouldn't lie to me. She could hate vampires all she wants, but she wasn't a liar. "No. I can't give up just yet," I told myself out loud. "I didn't come all this way to give up. I have to get to Alina! I have to save her." 1 With that, I ducked under the water once more and began searching for the sword with renewed determination. Coming up once more to fill air into my lungs, I decided to go deeper into the river and search the river bed. As if it wasn't impossible, the temperature dipped with every stroke I swam downwards. At first, I didn't see anything, but then a ray of light hit my eyes from the bottom of the river. It was like finding an oasis after wandering around in the desert for months. I swam towards the ray of light and grasped at the source of the luminance. My hands touched something solid, so I clasped it with both hands and yanked it up with every strength I had left. It came loose after the third attempt just when I was almost out of air. 1 Swimming back to the top as fast as I could, I broke the water surface, gasping for breath and holding my hand above the water. The sword was made fully of ice from the hilt to the tip of the blade. It was heavier than any other sword made of metal and looked brittle. However, there was a hum of ancient power emitted from the surface of the blade, telling me it had seen eons pass by before it was sealed in this desolate place. My search was finally over. I had the blade in my hands, and my mind was set on only one mission. "Hang on, Alina. I'm coming for you." I teleported back to the castle.