The Immortal Prince

~Vaela

My feet scuff over rocks, gloved fingers gripping slick ice as I climb.

"Can you wait up? I'm going as fast as I can and am seconds away from breaking my ankle."

Turning, I look over my shoulder. My friend and companion for this trip, Eyla, struggles up a particularly steep part of the cliff, bundled in layers of clothing to the point I can't see her face.

"We are nearly there," I assure her, prying my numb hand between two slabs of rock, hoisting myself up onto a ridge.

"Exactly, so wait up."

With two feet planted on the flat edge of the ridge, I look out over the view. Sharp mountain peaks rear up into the sky, grazing the clouds. Below, a layer of hazy fog wraps around the thick base of the mountains, shrouding our view of the village tucked into the valley.

"I'm sorry, I'm just anxious." Leaning down, I grasp Eyla's awaiting hand, her feet scrambling on ice as she struggles up the crux of this climb.

This trip has been in planning for months now.

Only a few feet above us, a cave is situated snugly into the mountain. Rumours suggest that somewhere in this mountain, a pureblood immortal lives in solitude. Not only is he a pureblood, he is a Sin.

Eyla braces her hands on her knees, breath clouding in front of her face.

"You have..." I motion to my own face with my finger, grinning at all the snow that has gathered on her features.

"Yes, I know, you were kicking it all down on me. Jerk," she mutters, brushing the flakes away hurriedly. When she looks back up at me, I realise how poor her attempt was, snow still dusting her dark lashes and tinted cheeks.

I tilt my head, smiling. "It suits you."

She ignores me, tilting her head back to examine what’s left of the climb.

"What do you think we are even going to find up here anyway?"

"An ancient burial site, maybe an old rendezvous point for powerful immortals from centuries ago, maybe a pond of eternal life..."

Truth is, I don’t exactly know. I’ve researched this place to death, and yet no one can truly confirm it’s origin, it’s inhabitants, or what is hiding up there. Eyla and I are to be the first to explore it.

Eyla gapes at me, her large brown eyes practically swallowing her face. "Seriously?"

"You can't be having second thoughts...Not when we had to hunt down that crazed lady and get her to transport us all the way up here,” I remind her.

I nudge my foot into the rock, testing it’s ancient stability.

"Could she not have transported us right into the damn cave?" Eyla mutters, adjusting her gloves.

I don’t divulge the manner of ridiculous things I had to do to conjure up enough money to pay the old hag off. She doesn’t have the ease of magic like the pure bloods do, to transport herself and others around at leisure. I’m not even sure she’s going to be there to take us back at dusk.

"It's shrouded by magic. That's why I'm so interested in being the first one up there,” I exclaim, dragging myself up the rock, my stomach pressing painfully against its jagged surface. I hate ice. I hate snow. I had this.

"Fine, but if there a single vial of eternal life juice, it's mine."

Why Eyla is so interested in eternal life when she is an immortal whose lifespan lasts into the centuries, I’m not sure. I have other motivations.

"Alright, but if there are chests full of priceless jewels, they are mine,” I tease, holding my forearm up to block against a stack of disturbed snow that rains down upon me.

"Okay. Maybe we can share,” she grumbles.

With one last push, I’m up onto the final ridge. Eyla follows my route, a string of creative profanity joining her climb upward.

"Up here," I encourage, grabbing her wrist, tugging her up the final part. "Don't slip on the ice."

She’s shuddering under my grip as I steady her. The height is dizzying, the thinning oxygen forcing me to calm my hurried breaths.

"It's freezing up here.” Eyla turns, teetering on the narrow ridge. "I may not be able to die from falling from these heights as an Immortal, but it's sure going to impair my life for awhile."

"Then don't fall." I shrug.

She whips her head toward me, gaze narrowed. "Have I ever told you I'm grateful for you being the most annoying person I've ever met."

"Sarcasm isn't very becoming of you." I turn, scrambling up the short slope, revealing the mouth of a cave tucked into the mountain side.

"This is it..." Eyla marvels, swatting me away as I lean over to turn her flash light on.

"This is the entrance. Let's go in."