Chapter 6

Alyx munched on a piece of dried meat as he walked. Soleil discovered that eating while he walked helped distract him, but now, instead of stopping when he got tired, they stopped when Alyx became too full to eat.

It has been two days since they set out, and Soleil found herself lost in thought. Surely by now, her grandmother…

Alyx was a sensible child. Other than a few questions when they first left, he spoke not of Hazel. Soleil knew he was upset, so she tried her best to show him new and exciting things. It helped to distract the both of them.

The air carried the same biting chill as when they had set out, but Soleil convinced herself that each step they took was a bit warmer than the last.

"Ah, but…it really is warmer, isn't it?" Soleil mumbled in confusion.

Her eyes brightened as she spotted a large body of water. Steam lifted into the air in billowing waves, the sight so ethereal that Soleil wished to pause time.

"It's a hot spring!" Alyx exclaimed proudly.

Soleil smiled and patted his head. She walked a few steps forward, sweeping the water with her hand. She let out a hiss of pain as the burning hot water came in contact with her skin.

"The water is a bit too hot to touch, but we can take a break here and warm up. Would you like that?"

Al nodded feverishly, hopping over to a nearby rock and sitting. Grinning, Soleil settled down beside him.

They stayed until the blue of their fingers turned bright red from the heat, mimicking the red flush of their cheeks.

"I suppose we should leave," Soleil reluctantly mumbled.

"So soon? I want to stay longer…" Alyx grumbled, but got up anyways.

Soleil fumbled through their bags, taking a mental count of their leftover food.

'This much…should last us until tomorrow. The day after if we ration it more.'

She sighed when she thought about how much of the lynx was left behind, simply because it would not be practical to drag so much food with them.

Luckily, they had not encountered any predators so far. In the Ice Barrens, they were just as rare as prey.

Soleil would need to stop Alyx from gorging himself to death as he walked, even if it would lead to them taking more breaks.

Certainly, before the Apocalypse the Ice Barrens did not exist, so where were all the cities that should have been here?

If they didn't find food soon, they would starve again. Hunger was something she never wanted to worry about again. Hopefully, when they reached the Southern Fortress, this wish would come true.

Her grandmother always spoke the best about the Southern Fortress. Soleil wasn't sure how much of it was true, or just an exaggeration.

She had always wanted them to leave the Ice Barrens. Hazel would forever be confined to the snowy landscape, hiding away from the Institute.

Soleil found herself wondering it this too was her fault.

Soleil shook her head as she squinted her eyes. The sunlight was blinding.

The air sparkled with hope for their futures, as well as a darker cloud of nervousness.

"Ow-" Alyx yelped, "you're hurting me!"

Soleil found herself gripping the child's hand rather tightly, lost in her thoughts.

"Oh-sorry Al," Soleil blew lightly on his hand. "I was just thinking of something scary."

"It's okay," Alyx huffed as he looked distrustfully at her outstretched hand. "What's so scary?"

"The South. I heard-" Soleil whispered for a dramatic effect, "the institute is in the South, too."

"The institute?" Al's eyes were wide, not quite understanding, but frightened all the same.

"Uh huh. They take children like you and me, and treat them like anomalies."

"They kill them?" Alyx asked in disbelief.

Soleil shook her head sympathetically. "Experiments. Experiments that make you wish for death." She paused, not wanting to burden him with something so graphic.

"But I'll protect you, so don't be scared." Soleil looked at him with guilty eyes. He wouldn't need to be scared, if not for her. She had been the one to infect him, kill his parents, and grandmother. If not for her…

"I won't be scared if Soso is with me," Alyx grinned. He looked up to her, as she had been with him all his life. She was the only one left.

Even so, Soleil found comfort in his blind trust for her. Though not by blood, Alyx was her family.

"I won't ever leave you." The sentence was spoken to no one in particular. Perhaps it was a silent promise to God, if one still existed after everything that happened.