Chapter 731: Just Out of Mind

Chapter 731: Just Out of Mind

Alexander Roth was many things.

He was a wizard, alchemist, brother, a father, businessman, warrior, leader, friend, lover and prophesied Hero. The young man was also a baker, a hard worker, a scholar, and a traveller. He'd been a counsellor, guide, healer, and a helper.

Alexander Roth was many things.

A quitter had never been one of them.

He hadnt quit when McHarris abused him because he knew how much Alex needed the job.He hadn't given up when the Mark had seemingly stolen his future. He hadn't given up when all hed really wanted to do was give in to the call of the after-world and bleed out in the snow, letting the peace of death take him.

But now? For the first time in his life, he was strongly considering giving up.

Shalesays that our golemswill run out in three weeks Claygon said through their link. She is askingif you will be returning soonfatheror, if you will be making more golemsto ship back home She isgetting worried

Alex's stomach dropped. Tell her he paused. Tell her I'm working on it

There was a moment of silence.

FatherI have told her thatevery time she has askedover the past month, the golem thought.

I'm still working on it, I'm working on it as hard as I can, Alex thought. Is everyone okay over there?

We miss youfatherbut we are okay Claygon said.

I miss you too, Alex thought. I hope this last place I hope this last place is where the sanctum is. Ive gotta go for now, Claygon. Goodbye.

Good luck, father was his last thought through their link.

The young wizard sat for a time, staring at a wall in the snow cave he and the giants had tunnelled to use for their camp. He watched the early morning sun shining in the distance through the cave opening.

He almost didn't want to face the day.

Over two months, he thought. Over two months searching for this sanctum, and the only thing we keep finding are snow, cold, and getting ambushed bythe damn church. They get closer while we get nowhere!

He nearly kicked down a wall in the snow cave. And how in every hell do they know where we are? How are they finding me?

The young wizard had no answers; he hadnt even had time to do any research to get some. And damn you, Kelda! Whyd you have to make your sanctum so damn hard to find! Couldnt you at least have told Hannah where it was?

His grip tightened on the aeld staff as he leaned against their supplies, well away from the dried twig protruding from the snow. Snoring grated through the cave, father and son were sound asleep.

Maybe if I could

The twig snapped.

Light flashed.

The young wizard didnt hesitate; his hands whipped out, touching both giants. In an instant, they were gone. He, Birger, Bjorgrund, and the gear hed been resting on, appeared in a freezing tundra.

So, when Alex spoke, his words were measured. If we don't find it therewell, I just don't know. Id probably want to go back to the other sites and check again.

And if that doesn't work? the firbolg pressed.

Part of me just wants to give up. I'm homesick, and this is looking more and more futile. Everyday I wake up wondering if Keldas sanctum is even in the Empire. Maybe we were wrong, maybe it's somewhere in the ice cap to the north. Maybe it's somewhere in the ice cap in the south. Maybe it's somewhere even farther! It could literally be anywhere. But

He shook his head. Why would she build an organisation in this Empire, if she didn't intend to have her base here? Im really good at reading people: maybe Warder lied to us, but it didn't seem like he was lying. No, I get the feeling that the sanctum is in one of those four places. But

Alex bit his lower lip, now chapped and raw from weeks of endless cold. He picked at the side of his face, scratching the itchy whiskers growing there.

At some pointwithout him really noticingthe beard had been resurrected.

But what? Bjorgrund asked.

I keep thinking were missing something. Alex frowned. People have been looking for Keldas sanctum for centuries. Your fathers wanted to find it, the Guilds wanted to find it, and I'm sure theyre not the only ones. Yet, no ones ever found it, as far as we know. Howd she hide it so well, that for more than three centuries, no ones ever found it, or even stumbled across it by chance?

She was always wily, strong and wise, Birger said wistfully. Independent, too, maybe too independent. If she trusted more people, like me, then we'd be at the sanctum by now.

Hmmm, if she trusted more peoplethere's something Alex paused, considering what the ancient firbolg had said. I think there's something in that. I think you just said something really importantbut I can't put it all together.

Suddenly, the wind rose.

It's cold bite sank into their flesh.

We should get moving, Bjorgrund said. Everyone feeling better?

No, but I apologise for my outburst earlier, Birger said. Im ten times older than the two of you. I shouldn't have let my feelings get the best of me like that.

Were cold, were frustrated, we're all tiredand more than a little scared, if I'm honest. We didn't do anything we can't take back, we're just agitated. Come on, we've been in one place for too long anyway. Let's search the rest of the tundra.

With that, the trio teleported far to the north, to the last location marked on Warders map. With a newfound determination, they searched for the sanctum for the rest of the day.

And for the next.

And the next.

The day after that, they barely escaped another ambush from the church.

After laying low for a day and a night, they returned to the tundra, scouring it again.

Days passed.

Those days became a week.

A week of finding nothing.

A nagging thought kept playing in Alexs mind. Hed been overlooking something.

Something he could almost grasp.