CHAPTER 10

After many days hidden behind the clouds, the Sun decided to show its face. The evening rays illuminated the frozen fields, revealing the exotic and deadly beauty of that place Lÿarah called home.

The day was beautiful, but the freezing, biting wind wouldn't let anyone forget that these were the wastelands.

“It's decided. It will be today,” Lÿarah said to herself as she walked through the snow toward the stables.

As usual, she found Alex working on grooming the Gruohs.

“Good morning, Lÿarah.”

“Good morning, Alex. How is the work going?”

“Well... It's laborious, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.”

“That's why it's called work. Because it's laborious, right?”

“In Mu, there are jobs that don't tire you out as much as the ones here.”

“I don't doubt it; after all, you have those automatons to do the heavy lifting, don't you?”

“Yes. I can't deny that.”

“Anyway. We will leave today.”

“Today? Really?”

“Why the surprise? Weren't you anxious to go back home?”

Alex didn't answer.

“A storm will arrive in a few days; we need to leave today.”

“How do you know?”

“Everyone who grows up here knows. We learn to see the signs. Every time there is a clear, vivid day like this, it will be followed by weeks of intense cold, heavy snow, and strong gales. If that storm catches us during the journey, our chances of survival will drop drastically.”

“Right... and what do I do then?”

“Prepare the saddles and the luggage compartments on the Gruoh. We will need to bring provisions, medicine, and a tent to camp in. Among other things. Don't worry, I'll take care of sorting out what we will need.”

“Have you made many trips like this?”

“Yes, when my father was in good health, the two of us would always travel among the sister tribes to trade and barter. Good times.”

“I'm sure I'll be in good hands.”

“You will be, but much of your survival will depend on how badly you want to stay alive. Believe me, there will be moments when thoughts of defeat and giving up will be tempting.”

“I will remember that.”

“You won't be able to forget. Let's get to work; there is a lot to do.”

The morning and that afternoon passed very quickly, but by the ninth hour, the tasks were finished. Everything seemed ready.

“It's time. Let's go.”

“And you don't intend to say goodbye, Lÿarah?”

“No. I'm not good with goodbyes, and everyone knows I need to go. We won't waste our precious time with ceremonialism. I have already put everyone on notice and delegated tasks. I believe Siegfried can handle it. After all, he used to do it before me.”

“Right. I've already brought everything I could from the Shaman's house, too.”

“Yes, we have to be careful about how much we bring. There will come a time when we'll have to hunt, once our provisions start to run out.”

“I'm only bringing the essentials.”

“Good. Very good. Get on the Gruoh.”

To Lÿarah's pleasant surprise, Alex mounted the beast with dexterity, as if he had been doing it for years.

She smiled and followed him, climbing onto the animal as well.

They began to move away from the village, and everyone who saw them passing stopped what they were doing, kissed the tip of their own index finger, and then touched their foreheads. It was a tribal sign wishing good luck and showing respect for those passing by.

Besides the sign, Siegfried raised his blade and pointed it at the ground, suggesting he would protect the place with his life.

That gesture also signaled reverence, submission, and loyalty.

Lÿarah knew she could walk away and leave everything in his charge.

A few meters later, she saw her father, leaning on her stepmother, waving goodbye. Lÿarah smiled at Igor and waved back. She wished from the bottom of her heart to return from that journey in time to see him alive one more time, so that this would not be her last memory of him.

Half an hour later, Lÿarah and Alex were already outside the village. The Gruoh's pace was slow, but steady. And in the snow, that was what mattered.

Lÿarah remembered seeing the faces of everyone who believed in her and the mission show up to say goodbye, but she missed one person.

“Lÿarah... look! Who is... who is that? No, what is that thing?”

A non-human humanoid creature in the distance raised its staff in reverence to the huntress.

“That... that is my master. Someone very special. That is BahDehToh.”

Alex couldn't understand. That was the first time he had seen another intelligent humanoid race. He knew other races had competed with humanity for control of the world before the ice age, but he hadn't imagined they still lived.

At a certain point, BahDehToh became a small dot on the white horizon. Until he completely disappeared.

“We'll keep this pace for about three hours,” Lÿarah said, staring fixedly at the walls of Mu, still far in the distance. “Then we'll set up camp.”

“Yes,” Alex agreed.

Quickly, daylight gave way to dusk, and the lower temperatures brought a heavy gale. In no time, visibility dropped to almost nothing, but wisely, Lÿarah and Alex had set up camp and the tent before that. The triangular tent was perfect for preventing snow accumulation, and its circular base let the wind flow around it. Lined with countless layers of leather, it was designed to keep the heat inside from escaping. Inside, Lÿarah kept them warm with fire magic conjured on a stone that remained glowing hot, thanks to the symbols and signs carved into it to program and execute commands.

Alex wondered how that worked.

“Lÿarah,” Alex called to his campmate as he finished wrapping himself in his animal fur blankets.

“Yes?” she said while checking her blades.

“Can you explain something to me?”

“Ask away.”

“So... Since fire absolutely cannot appear out of nowhere, without an energy source to consume, like wood or coal, for example, how does this stone stay incandescent?”

“Have you ever wondered how Muspelheim keeps your city warm? What is the energy source?”

Alex became thoughtful. He had never bothered to know what fueled Muspelheim’s furnaces. What mattered was that the heat reached everyone's homes through the ducts.

“No... I honestly don't know.”

“Because of the roots of Yggdrasil. These roots are extremely rich in energy. That is why Muspelheim is located underground in your city, inside the labyrinth of infinite tunnels the Gruohs dug, and why your city was built on it. This stone stays lit because it has plenty of 'energy,' since it was excavated from an underground Gruoh cave near my village. It must have spent years very close to the roots.”

“Wait... Gruoh caves? What do you mean? Gruohs make caves? And underneath Mu?”

“Yes. Believe it or not, Yggdrasil's roots stretch all over the world. And these roots are the main food source for many species. The Gruohs, for example.”

“They never told me that in Mu.”

“I don't think many of you know. And maybe those who do know don't think it's relevant for the rest to know; after all, you people inside apparently only know how to look at your own navels.”

“I imagine so... but explain to me, how do these roots work?”

“No one knows for sure, but it seems that everything in this world lives because Yggdrasil lives. Its roots emanate a lot of energy, energy that BahDehToh called Mana. And our magic is executed from sparks of Mana. Mana feeds the magic until it needs to consume a viable energy source, but depending on the volume of Mana, other sources are unnecessary.”

“Interesting.”

“Yes, very. I could talk about it for hours. I loved it when my father or BahDehToh taught me about the world and nature,” Lÿarah said, quite excited.

“Then explain these Gruoh tunnels to me,” Alex asked, quite animated.

“Have you ever seen our Gruohs eating?”

“I kept wondering where such large beasts got all the energy to sustain themselves. Beings that big need a massive volume of food, but he never showed any appetite. That would be a problem, after all; where would he get all the food he needs in the Wastelands, if anything edible is so rare around here?”

“So, you understand the dilemma. How such massive beasts stay fed where food is scarce. Your questioning is valid. That's why the Gruohs dig tunnels in search of Yggdrasil's roots. These tunnels are so incredibly extensive that they can span countless miles deep underground.”

“Ah, that explains their razor-sharp claws. I was also wondering, what's the reason for a beast like this, which isn't a predator, to have such powerful claws?”

“Precisely to dig those tunnels. If we explore these caves, we can easily get lost, given how complex and bifurcated they are. Once the Gruoh finds a branch of Yggdrasil's roots, it starts eating it. It spends exactly three months eating nonstop.”

“Three months?”

“Without a break. The roots are rich in water too, so it doesn't get dehydrated. Now, I don't know if it hibernates before or after eating, but I know it sleeps for a few more months, varying between four and six months. The rest of the year, it goes without food and drinks only water. Water that it gets by crushing ice and consuming it with its strong teeth.”

“That's really cool. Fascinating.”

“Oh, want to know something else? Once the Gruoh abandons its cave, other beings use it as a home. For example, the hatchlings of the great dragon Nidhogg start using these tunnels as dens. They also feed on Yggdrasil's roots, but, as predators, they drag their prey into the darkness of those labyrinths. Whenever we explored a Gruoh tunnel and found carcasses and remains of slaughtered animals, we knew that place was home to Nidhogg's hatchlings.”

“And you've explored these caves?”

“Many times, with my father.”

“Wow! Lÿarah, you must have seen so many incredible things!”

“I guess I've seen a thing or two, but BahDehToh always told me that centuries wouldn't be enough to understand all the secrets of this world.”

“Speaking of secrets... I was never told that Muspelheim was built inside these Gruoh caves, or even that the boilers use Yggdrasil's roots as a power source.”

“Not just the boilers, but your automatons too. I saw the dragons myself, attacking what was in your ship to steal the roots inside it.”

“Curious, how can Yggdrasil's roots be so powerful?”

“I don't know either. But one day I'd like to understand it too.”

“Are you hungry?” Alex said, offering Lÿarah strips of frozen meat.

“Thank you. It seems our food no longer repulses you, does it?”

“Well, it's just sliced meat... raw. I think I've gotten used to it.”

“Human beings have this incredible ability to adapt to any adversity and environment. You're already getting stronger, you know? I no longer see you as the dead weight I did when we first met.”

“Uh... thanks... I guess?”

“You're welcome. You can be proud. I can see your progress.”

Alex blushed with embarrassment. That compliment had caught him off guard.

“Oh, thank you, Lÿarah... you were... uh... very kind,” he said through smiles and stammers. “More meat?”

“No, thank you.” She declined with a wave of her hand. “We need to save it. If we don't find any game in the next two days, we'll be in trouble.”

“We'll find some. You're very good at what you do.”

“Thank you. I think I'll try to teach you how to hunt; it will be good for you. You'll become even stronger.”

“Yes, I'm looking forward to it.”

“All right then. But for that, we need to be rested. Let's sleep.”

“Good night, Lÿarah.”