text: (IP) Punishable by Death The scarlet glow of the lanterns that hung in the trees suddenly looked too bright for the explorer’s eyes, and she swore under her breath. But when she looked up, seeing the portal yawning open, and she saw a small cluster of wood houses, and a chill wind swept around her, lifting her braid off of her shoulders. Had she finally done it? She’d spent years training in the magic of opening portals, and warm blood dripped down her hand, staining the earth a darker brown. Had she finally become successful? She’d tried so many times over the years that she’d lost count. The world above her glowed a white so bright it looked almost blue, and she shivered; she wondered if this was a dream, but the gentle, fat flakes falling upon her upturned face were melting, sending a shock of cold on her cheeks. Samira knew that she should go back to the village to report her success, but something kept her rooted to the ground. A crazy, absurd thought came to her. What if she could climb into that portal and explore it for herself? From the time that she’d been a child, she’d served the village and The Elders, happily so. But that had been before she’d found the books, hidden in the larder, of all places. They’d told impossible tales: mountains that pierced the sky, canyons that contained black, yawning chasms, magic of all kinds and secret doors to worlds that Sam could only dream of. First came the wonder, and then the betrayal. Why had this been hidden from their people? They deserved the truth; however tangled and strange it was. Sam had found herself at a crossroads. Despite jeopardizing her role working as a trusted explorer for The Elders, her curiosity would not be doused, no matter how she tried. Insubordination was made punishable by death, but she no longer cared. Her world was more than just the village and the forests that surrounded it. She’d always suspected, but to have proof, undeniable evidence that they’d been lied to; it had almost been enough to shatter her and everything she’d ever known. Defiance roared in her heart like the flames within the lanterns, and before she could question herself further, she walked over to a tree and began to climb, ignoring where the sharp, prickly bark cut into the skin of her palms. The portal above her loomed ever closer, and she gritted her teeth against the cold, howling wind. Whatever happened next, she was determined to discover something for herself, for once. At long last, she reached the top branch of the tree, and she hung tight, wincing when she felt the branch buckle and sway. She was so close. But her foot slipped, and she gasped. It was a long way to the ground, and she swore once again. But then she felt a hand grip the back of her hood, and the fabric started to tear. Before she realized what was happening, she was pulled off of the branch, and when she landed in the snow, she gasped at its cold wetness seeping into her clothes. “Who are you and how did you open the portal?” A gruff voice asked, and Sam had no idea how to answer it.