#something brute forcing its way through its illness just to live a little longer

[vela-pulsars]

a little experiment

[depressedhatakekakashi]

Let's Save the Day

Word Count: 1809

Characters: Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Maito Gai, Nohara Rin

Warnings: None

Summary: It's the middle of a world-ending war, everything is going wrong, and Obito can't help but think that things might work a bit better in their favour if an old friend showed up

All eyes were on him. Everyone was expecting him to save the day. To put a stop to Madara and Sasuke’s plans and prevent the world from being put into an infinite dream. He could feel the weight of all those expectations on his shoulder, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure out what to do.

There was no plan forming in his mind, and brute strength wasn’t helping him win the fight. He was outmatched, even with the entire shinobi army standing behind him ready to fight by his side. After everything he had done to protect all of his friends, it was starting to feel like a lost cause.

“We can’t give up,” Gai’s hand came down on his shoulder, pulling his attention to his side where his friend was now standing by his side. “We have to keep fighting.”

“I know that,” of course he did. It was just starting to feel like a hopeless fight. Like they were doomed to loss, no matter how hard they fought. “We need a plan. Throwing punches at them without one isn’t working.”

“That is true,” Gai sighed. “If only Kakashi we’re here-”

“Well, he’s not here!” Obito snapped. For years he had wished for Kakashi to come back and fight alongside them. To prove the village wrong about him by their side, but he refused. No matter how many times Obito tried to get through to him, or how many times he told him the villagers' opinions didn’t matter. Kakashi always turned his back to him.

“Don’t give up so fast, Obito,” Throwing his signature thumbs up pose out towards Obito, Gai beamed. “Kakashi will be here, I just know it. Until then I’ll keep These two weirdos back while you recharge.”

“Rich words, coming from someone looking like you,” If he wasn’t in the middle of a battlefield, Obito might be tempted to laugh when Uchiha Madara, one of the strongest shinobi known in history, stomped his feet and yelled at Gai. “I might just have to teach you a lesson before I deal with Hashirama, you little brat!”

“Just rest,” Gai continued, completely ignoring the angry god-like shinobi yelling at him. “By the time I’m done, Kakashi will arrive.”

Obito’s eyes widened when he realized just what Gai was saying. “Gai, Wait!” But it was too late. With a calm breath, Gai suddenly burst with chakra. The sixth gate bursting open and his power multiplying exponentially.

Obito had only seen the gates in action once before when Gai opened the fourth gate during the fight against The Akatsuki in Konoha. It was nothing compared to this. So brilliant and bright, Obito found it difficult to look at his friend as the sheer power of his chakra surrounded his body.

“Gai, wait!” Rin ran past Obito, but it was too late. In a burst of incredible speed, Gai was gone. Headed directly towards Madara, determined to hold him off. “Damn it! He’s going to get himself killed!”

She wasn’t wrong. There was no way that Gai would be able to beat Madara on his own, but at the same time, they didn’t have much other hope. They had tried everything. Fought with all of their energy, and they weren’t any closer to winning.

At least Gai was trying something new.

He hadn’t given up, which was more than Obito could say for others. Just looking around the field he could see all of the hopeless, broken expressions. Looks that wrote a story of doubt and fear.

“He has to try,” he whispered, smiling up at Rin when she looked his way. “He’ll be fine. It’s Gai after all.”

Nothing could take Gai down, no matter how hard it tried.

“Well, I hope you have a plan forming in that head of yours,” Turning her attention back towards the fight, she watched as Gai threw a punch towards Madara’s head, just barely missing as the man ducked under his hand and struck a blow to his stomach. “And fast. I don’t know how long he’ll last.”

Unfortunately, he was all out of plans. No matter what he had come up with, it didn’t work. Madara and Sasuke were always one step ahead of him, and Naruto-Sensei hadn’t been able to pull himself out of his slump since finding out who was behind that ugly blue mask.

They were doomed.

“Gai!” Looking up, he watched as Gai took a kick to the chest and was sent flying off to the side at top speed. Apparently, their time was already up.

Digging his heel into the ground, he prepared to run after his friend. To at least be there by his side when he came to a stop if he couldn’t catch him. Before he could though, a burst of orange went flying past him. Brilliant and hot, he watched as it ran between everyone until finally reaching Gai.

Only then did Obito finally see who it was.

The person surrounded by such a brilliant, bright chakra.

“Kakashi…”

Watching as his old friend caught Gai mid-flight, he couldn’t help but smile. After giving up hope and setting his goals on saving the world by himself, Kakashi had finally shown up. He’d made it to the battlefield, and Obito couldn’t be happier.

Together, there was no doubt in his mind that they could beat Madara and put a stop to a war that had already taken so many lives.

“I can’t believe it,” Rin’s voice was soft when she spoke, her eyes glued on the scene in front of her just like Obito’s. Watching as Kakashi pulled Gai close to his body and dug his feet into the ground to slow down their movements until finally coming to a stop. “He actually came.”

Kicking himself for doubting his friend, Obito forgot about Madara and Sasuke for the moment and rushed towards him while Rin followed close behind. For three years he had been chasing Kakashi. Trying to get him to come back home to Konoha and find his peace with his friends once again, and finally, he was here.

He was back.

“You’re late!” Coming to a stop beside Kakashi, Obito threw a punch into his shoulder. Not hard enough to hurt him, but enough that it forced him to take a small step back. “Of all the times to be late! And to think you’d always give me a hard time about being late to training, just to pull this?”

He’s not sure what he expects. Maybe a scolding for ‘wasting time’, or a sharp reminder that it was more than just training he had been late for. What he’s not expecting, though, is to see the way Kakashi looks at him with eyes full of sadness and regret.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, fingers curling into Gai’s shoulder as he stands there. “I...Got lost on the path of life.”

For a moment Obito’s stunned. Unsure of how to respond to Kakashi’s words, but it passes quickly and laughter starts to bubble up in his chest. Slowly, he lets it spill out. Small chuckles at first, and then bright and happy laughter that fills the air around him.

“You’re so…” closing his eyes, he gave his head a shake. “Please tell me you have a plan.”

“Wait, seriously!?” Rin grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around to face her. “After everything he has done, we’re just going to trust him!?”

“He’s our teammate,” Obito reminded her with a soft smile. “Isn’t that right, Bakashi?”

Returning Obito’s enthusiasm with an unimpressed look, Kakashi sighed when the Uchiha didn’t budge an inch. “I guess,” he whispered before turning his attention back to Gai. “That was dumb of you. I expect dumb things of Obito, but you Gai?”

“H-hey!”

“Sorry,” The shocked look that had made its home on Gai’s face as soon as he saw Kakashi disappeared suddenly and was quickly replaced by that signature blinding smile of his. “But it worked. I knew you’d show up if I help him off a little longer, and here you are.”

The logic was flawed, but the results had worked. He was willing to give Gai that.

“Just don’t do something stupid like that again,” Kakashi continued to scold Gai, his hand lingering on his shoulder for a moment longer while that brilliant orange chakra slowly transferred over and started to surround Gai’s body as well. “If we’re going to beat these idiots, we’re going to need all of us.”

A plan. That meant that Kakashi had a plan!

“Before we start,” he cut Obito off before he even had a chance to ask him what his plan was, his hand reaching out towards him. “I need to make sure everyone’s safe.”

Safe.

“You mean…” looking down at the hound hovering in front of him, Obito thought about it for a moment. Kakashi wanted to share his Chakra. To make sure everyone was safe.

What had gotten through to him after all of this time? Why was he suddenly changing his mind about being here with them? Protecting them.

“We can talk about it later,” Meeting Kakashi’s eyes, Obito searched for any sign of ill intent. Something that would tell him that Kakashi wasn’t here for them. That he’d turn against them as soon as Madara and Sasuke were dealt with.

No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find anything.

“Alright,” grabbing his friend’s hand, he inhaled sharply as a comfortable warmth spread over him while Kakashi’s chakra engulfed him. Covering every part of his body in a protective body of chakra. “What is…”

“Kurama’s chakra will help keep you going,” Kakashi assured him. “He’ll also protect you, even when I can’t.” Once he was done sharing the chakra with Obito, he turned to Rin and held out his hand towards her. “You don’t have to trust me. You don’t even have to like me, but right now I need everyone or this plan isn’t going to work.”

Watching as Rin glared at Kakashi, Obito waited patiently to see what she would do. Out of the three of them, she had the least reason to trust Kakashi. She had been the one to give up on him first, and the one who had tried to attack him when Iwagakure put his name in the Bingo book believing that he had killed their Jinchuriki.

“I trust you,” She whispered, reaching out to grab his hand and gasping when the chakra started to surround her. “But I hope you know that If you betray us-”

“You’ll find a way to bury me six feet under the ground?” Kakashi cut her off, a playful look visible in his eyes. “I don’t doubt it. For now, though, let’s focus on saving the world from the worst plan I have ever heard of.”

[flutteringphalanges]

Summary:  “Am I in Hell?” Agatha’s voice was hoarse, a hint of fear in her tone. “That depends on your definition,” Dracula answered. “Perhaps.” His fingers felt cool against her burning skin, the fever raging through her body. “If you’re going to kill me, then do it,” she mumbled. The count chuckled, gazing into her eyes. “On the contrary,” he smirked. “I’m going to save you.”

((In which Dracula cares for a gravely ill Agatha))

Characters: Agatha Van Helsing/Dracula

Rating: T

Read on FFN and AO3

A/N: Sorry for the delay! Thank you all so much for the feedback! I hope you enjoy! -Jen

                                                 Chapter Five

"You're dead."

Ten year old Agatha Van Helsing yelped in surprise as she was swiftly knocked off her feet, her back hitting the ground hard as her grandfather loomed over her. Abraham's weathered face showed no sympathy as he held a stick right underneath the girl's chin. Out of the corner of her eye, Agatha saw her own weapon lying far from her reach.

"Stand up," the old man grumbled. "You let your guard down again. In a matter of seconds, you could've been taken advantage of and drained of your life blood." He motioned towards her stick. "Again."

"We've been doing this for hours," the child complained. By now, bruises had already begun to form on the places that had been battered the most. She hated practicing combat, especially when it was with someone as highly skilled as her grandfather. "Can't we take a break?"

"There are no breaks when you're being hunted," Abraham replied firmly. "Now quit your protesting and come at me. We are going to keep doing this until you get it right." He ignored the girl's scowl and prepared his stance. "Again."

Even though she had yet to come across a mirror in Dracula's castle, Agatha felt as if her appearance was already improving by the day. No longer was her skin a deathly pallor and blotched with a red rash, but her fatigue had lessened too. By no means was she cured, far from it, but at least she was one step in the right direction. Focus on the positives. The nun had to constantly remind herself of that.

A loud knock sounded against her bedroom door causing Agatha to jump a little in surprise. Her eyes fell to the door knob, anticipating for it to twist and push open. She didn't put it past Dracula to waltz inside without permission. He'd done it several times before. However, after a few moments had passed without the vampire gracing her with his unwelcome presence, she relaxed.

"Will you be joining me downstairs to eat, or shall I leave it by the door as usual?"

Accompanying him for dinner, as if he actually ate alongside her. She inhaled deeply, flattening out the creases in the dress he'd gifted her. It was rather lovely, but it did agitate her knowing he probably realized her fondness of it. Regardless, she hadn't much else to wear-thanks to him, so she had to make do.

"You truly make being a good host such a daunting task," the vampire continued when she refrained from responding. "I've opened by home to you, healed you, and yet, you still don't trust that my intentions aren't sinister." He paused, quickly adding. "At least, not to what you expect."

"Exactly where does one find trust with someone who has slaughtered countless innocent lives," Agatha retorted. "I don't expect you to see my reasoning behind my hesitation as you kill without a second thought."

"We do what we must to survive," Dracula stated. "Monster or not, human or creature, it's in our genetics to thrive by whatever means necessary. If I made you a vampire right now, I can assure you you'd give into your cravings within a second. Whether you feel guilty or not afterwards is no concern, but you would consume blood."

"I'd rather die," she frowned deeply.

"As you've made very, very clear," the vampire exhaled. "Anyway, if desired to kill you, you'd already be dead. So rather than acting like a broody hen sitting on a clutch of eggs, perhaps it would do you good to come join me by the fire. Being confined in a room for so long isn't good for one's sanity."

His mere existence was pushing her to the brink of insanity. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Agatha's eyes fixed on the door. Something told her that he wasn't about to give in and leave her to her own devices. At some point, she'd have to really face him. Exhaling heavily, she stood up. Positive thoughts. Maybe she could use this to her advantage. A learning experience. Information. Clearing her throat, she forced a stoic expression.

"Fine," she exclaimed. "I suppose I'll join you."

"Ouch!"

A small drop of blood trickled from the knick on Agatha's thumb where she cut herself. She set the knife down, and examined the piece of wood she'd been whittling into a stake. Abraham strode forward and grabbed her hand, his brows knitting as his ever present frown deepened.

"You need to be more careful," he instructed. "A vampire would be able to smell this a mile away and you'd be killed before you even knew what hit you."

"It was an accident," Agatha insisted.

"Doesn't matter," the old man frowned. "You can't afford to make a mistake. Always be vigilant. Vampires are monsters, Agatha. They don't feel. They don't care. All you are is a meal to them. You must remember that!" He snatched her stake, his fingers trailing down the pointed wood. "Keep going," he muttered, handing it back to the girl. "You're looking if this would go through a human's chest."

"How did you learn to cook anyway?"

Agatha's eyes followed Dracula as he set a dish in front of her. At first glance, it appeared to be some sort of fowl, perhaps quail, along with root vegetables. She'd be lying if she didn't admit it smelled incredible. It wasn't until the vampire placed a crystal glass filled with a red liquid that the nun visibly stiffened.

"It's just red wine," Dracula chuckled, snorting softly. "Honestly, Agatha, I may be a 'brute' as you'd put it, but I'm not twisted enough to give you blood." There was a glint of mischievousness in his eyes. "Especially when it's a requirement in my diet."

"You didn't answer my question," Agatha said, lifting up the cup to swirl the liquid around. "Where did you learn to cook? And why?"

"I picked up many skill sets throughout the centuries," he admitted. "When you have a lot of time on your hands, why not take the opportunity. Besides," he smirked. "It comes in handy when I have guests over." He gave a nod towards her dish. "Go on, give it a taste."

Eyeing him warily, Agatha lifted up her fork and picked up some of the meat. Hesitantly, she placed it into her mouth. Throughout her decades of life, she hadn't ever tasted anything so delectable. She tried to ignore Dracula's wide grin as he watched her eat. He was a good cook, she'd give him that.

"Well?"

"I'm not dead yet, so I suppose you didn't poison me," she said, setting her utensil down. "Impressive for someone who only consumes blood."

"I do try my best," he smirked. "And if we are offering compliments, might I add that you are looking much more lively now. The fire really brings out the color in your cheeks."

Agatha almost choked on the wine she'd taken a sip of. Heat rose to her face as the vampire eyed her smugly from across the table knowing what he'd done. Pleasant conversations and Dracula didn't go hand in hand. Especially when he was attempting to flirt for her own embarrassment.

"You really lack the ability for romanticism despite your centuries of life," she countered, an argument not helping her cause. She should've just dropped it. Left his snide remark where it was. "You have as much charm as a decaying crow."

"Ah, your insults are enthralling," Dracula mused, clearly entertained by her disdain. "Go on, do continue."

She should've stayed in her room. Ignored him. Pretended he wasn't there. Hell, she should've died back in that rundown clinic. But here she was, sitting before the buffoon of a man-if one would even give him the dignity of calling him that. Anger began to bubble within her chest, her witty demeanor fighting the urge to leap over the table with the strength she clearly didn't have and stake him in the chest with her butter knife.

"You're a pig," Agatha growled. "A barbarian."

"Come on, Agatha, you and I both know you can be far more creative than that," he teased, making his way over to her side. "I've witnessed it before. Give me your best shot. That is," he paused. "If you still have it in you."

What happened next was a blurred memory, as if Agatha had blocked out the event that led up to it. The next thing she realized was that she was standing, her mouth against Dracula's as he pushed her back against the table. The force of it hurt and the nun knew she'd have a bruise later. But that didn't matter now.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her up, the dining ware knocked to the floor. Shattered. Teeth grazing her bottom lip. Fingernails digging into his impenetrable skin. She couldn't breathe. She didn't want to. The fabric of her dress tore as he ripped it off like one does the wrapping of a present.

"Don't trust a vampire." Abraham's words echoed in her mind as she lay splayed across the table like some elegant feast, Dracula looming over her with dark, lustful eyes. "Never fall into their trap."

His words faded as the vampire pressed himself close, his forehead against Agatha's. Her body ached for him. Burned. And she was a victim to its demands. Perhaps later she'd regret this. But later wasn't now. She allowed her eyes to close, bare skin to bare skin, as she drowned in the passion that was desire.

[dansiere]

Pearl have you noticed Steven isn't himself lately?

random asks ./ anonymous; mini-drabble time.

✩⋆ .DEEM IT A PROCESS THAT HAD BEEN SPANNING ON FOR MONTHS; noticing the petite shifts in demeanour, the mood swings as evident as former self’s very own. Watching him succumb to some distraction; something that plagued him each passing day. How fingers sometimes flexed from some unknown strain, how knuckles turned white & mien pale; a glimmer of rose, a hue of pink to a point where it could no longer be ignored. Deem them warning signs; the very imprint of something sinister [impossible… no, no, no]. Ah, ever undeserving of his trust now. Why, own lies & solemn oath had caused so much harm. – despite it all: she had spoken up thrice already.

     One, around the time their petite group had left for a mission bringing them to some faraway star cluster. Remember, remember: he had been scatter-brained, too distracted to properly focus on teamwork, too tired to listen to one’s intricate strategy talk. – eventually, she had taken him aside, carefully inquiring what was wrong / a nightmare? no sleep? Nothing really. – it will pass. Are you sure? Of course it would. ‘twas what she had told herself a decade ago, too; how everything would work out in this oh so BRIGHT future of theirs. With Garnet by her side & a new-found purpose [obsessive / overprotective / a liar]. – except it had never worked out / A FARCE & all that had followed in its wake had been grief & resentment & mind-numbing agony. Cue a lethargy that had almost gotten her shattered. – she had watched him when he boarded the starship again, a single hand wrapped around her waist, another set against her lip. Perhaps ‘twas to be expected: you have long lost his faith. Why, you would not trust yourself either. 

     Two, in Beach City; during construction work. Bismuth & her had been tasked with building a gardening centre with the smith delivering material & her contributing most of the construction sketches; detailed angles & setting of pillars, overseeing & aiding in the very progress. – he had helped too, of course. Naturally so, hands lifted in petite greetings here & there. Did he not revel in these tasks? Building Little Homeworld, a safe haven for anyone who desired to start a new life. Then an argument breaking loose, screaming & shouting & a crash. – she had asked him again while handing him an icebag for his head, a single hand settled against his shoulder / cue worry, this gruesome sentiment of fear; nothing really. He stumbled, crushed a part of the primary structure, people were agitated, that is all. – she had watched him teleport back to the Temple to go & catch some sleep. A pang of anxiety in her chest, heart heavy / aching under the ill-sentiment of foreboding; perhaps she could tell he was lying, why it took one liar to spot another. 

     Three, in the Reef; when broken heart had hammered wild & wilder still. When yet another catastrophe loomed, shaken voices echoing back & forth; remember all the misery unleashed through seemingly random accusations; feeding own doubt, ever living in denial. Screaming, almost, feeling as if her throat had been slit / lack of air, lack of… sense. A revelation as severe as this knocking the very air out of her lungs. && Steven, in the middle of it all. – always in the middle of it all – bearing the brute force of yet another world-shattering divulgement, yet another agonizing moment of truth. Balled fists, both of them; cue a scream, ache felt in every fibre of her form, fusion. – they had stayed at the beach, afterwards. Pink Pearl holding own hand, clutching fingers as if her life depended on it. – enter this grave feeling of GUILT & UNCERTAINTY; how crestfallen he had looked, smitten by yet another merciless truth, yet another mystery solved. – she had looked over her shoulder when walking up the winding way up to the Temple; had asked Pink to wait for but a minute, to walk ahead ere sprinting down. – drawing him into an embrace only to hear the same, wretched mumble: I will be fine, I promise.

     liar.      like mother, like son.

     ‘twas haunting, truly. To think she could have done more; ah, but that would mean having to admit that maybe, perhaps, mayhaps it was her he ought to condemn. For not stepping out of Rose’s looming shadow quickly enough, for not fulfilling her promise ['take care of him, for me'], for not being more persistent, or useful, or genuine even. Calling yourself a CARETAKER mother? albeit lacking whatever qualities you ought to have; oh, how she wished to stay with him every given day now / the image of pink skin burnt into the back of her mind.

     “Yes, I certainly have.” Fingers tap, tap, tap against her thighs, voice sturdy & posture tense with an expression there to match felt dismay; all CONCERN & furrowed brows & quivering bottom lip. – there is a sign of resignation / clueless for but a second before proper composure grabs her by the throat: here, a nod, arms in a fold. She speaks again, almost languidly [as if back in the war, picking words & phrases ever so cautiously]. “It’s an issue Garnet and I have been discussing quite thoroughly as of late. – we… just haven’t figured out how to address it yet. I mean we can’t just…– things like this demand sensitivity after all.”

[d3-iseefire]

Princess of Shadow

Note: So apparently I can’t do a writing prompt without it turning into a full fledged story SO I decided to just give in and write a full fledged story! Yay! Here is Chapter One! :D

Summary: Bilba Baggins, Crown Princess of Erebor, knew the stories well. How her wandering ancestors, desiring a home, had tricked the King of Erebor and stolen his throne. It wasn’t a particularly nice story but, according to the legends, the old king had been a brute anyway so Bilba never particularly minded.

King Durin had reportedly vowed to one day return and reclaim the mountain but, as the years passed the threat became little more than legend.

Legend, until the day they weren’t.

Now declared a threat to the stability of the throne and the new king who sits upon it, BIlba is given an ultimatum. She can marry her sworn enemy and bear him heirs to strengthen the Durin line, or be executed to remove the threat she presents by simply existing.

The choice is hers.

Extra Note: For the purposes of this story hobbits and dwarves have the same lifespan, cause it’s my story and I say so. :P :D :D

Princess of Shadow Master Chapter List: https://d3-iseefire.tumblr.com/post/187613581372/princess-of-shadow-master-list

Link to my other works on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ISeeFire/works

Bilba Baggins’ life as she knew it was turned upside down on a bright, sunny morning in late fall. Usually, Bilba longed for such mornings. Winters were frigid in Erebor and often left her, and the rest of the mountain’s inhabitants snowbound for months on end. It often made her wonder just what had possessed her ancestors to target the land for their own, especially when those hobbits who’d chosen to continue wandering had sent word of the Shire’s discovery less than two years later. Deep down, she had a suspicion that the decision to stay came more from stubbornness and pride than any genuine love for the mountain’s bruising stone or its constant, biting cold. Better to suffer in a stolen mountain than admit they might have been wrong to take it in the first place. In any event, Bilba loved those rare, sunny days that arrived less and less as the year ticked on toward winter. They were a reminder of what she’d enjoyed during the summer, and a promise of what awaited her on the far side of the harsh months that lay ahead. On such days she always did her best to stay outside as long as possible, visiting her best friend in Dale or simply wandering the hills around the mountain. There was no chance of her doing either activity today.

She’d been trapped inside for weeks now, so long that the urge to leave had slowly shriveled into apathy edged with despair.

She stayed in bed for several long minutes after awakening, perfectly still and with her eyes fixed on the underside of her canopy. She had nowhere to be anymore, and nothing to do so the impetus to get up in the morning had long since fled. As the days had crawled by she’d begun to crave sleep. It allowed her to forget, if ever so briefly, the way her stomach was perpetually tied into knots, or the increasingly dead look in the eyes of those wandering the halls of the mountain.

They all knew what was coming. It was no longer a question of if, but when.

She found the will to move finally and forced herself to sit up, She pushed the blankets back, shivered at the bite in the air, and carefully stood. Her feet slid into the plush rug her bed sat on and she took a second to dig her toes in and relish the warmth under her soles.

Her thin nightgown swirled about her legs and she snagged the matching robe off a nearby chair. As she slid it on and cinched the belt she reflected on the fact that it had been intended as part of her wedding trousseau and, had things gone differently, she’d be wearing it for her husband now instead of an empty room.

A shudder not born from the cold washed over her and acid churned uncomfortably in her gut at that particular thought.

Her intended, Lord Grima, was a nobleman of some note in Gondor, and loosely related to the throne. He was also at least four decades older than her. Despite her pleas, Bilba’s grandfather had accepted his offer of marriage in return for a promise that Grima would try to bend the king of Gondor toward an alliance with Erebor. 

It was an alliance her grandfather had long desired, but which had long been denied for reason Bilba didn’t entirely understand. Gerontius Took firmly believed politics and the like to be the realm of men and it was rare Bilba had any idea of what was going on with her grandfather or his councilors.

Not that any of that stopped her grandfather from attempting to sell her off like a trinket at market. Grima had visited a few times to view his purchase, and his leering gaze and wandering hands had made her physically ill.

She was supposed if there were any silver lining to be found in their current circumstances, it was that at least she no longer had to worry about him. Still, had it come down to her marrying Grima, or watching her people suffer as they now were...she’d have chosen the marriage. As awful and miserable as she knew it would have been, if her marriage could have spared her people she’d have gone to it, and gladly.

Well, maybe not gladly, but she’d have gone.

A light knock came on her door and, at her quiet word, it opened to admit her maid, one of the few women in the mountain with a smaller stature than Bilba, which was saying something. In the past, Josie had always dressed more like a Lady in Waiting than a maid, with her blonde hair curled and piled high and her gowns bright and eye-catching.

She’d had a dream, she’d confided once, of catching the eye of a nobleman willing to overlook her class and marry her. A fairy-tale come true she’d said, eyes sparkling with excitement, and hands clasped before her. Bilba had quite agreed and had done her best to steer the other women toward the kinder noblemen, while simultaneously extolling her virtues to them every chance she got.

None of that excited, hopeful girl was evident now in the quiet woman who entered the room. Josie’s hair was in a knot at the back of her head and her gown was homespun and simple. The bounce that was normally present in her step was gone, and her eyes were dull and lifeless.

As if the sight triggered something deep inside, Bilba’s feet began to move almost on their own toward the two large doors that led onto her balcony. Dawn tinted sunlight streamed through the large panes of glass set in the wood frame, casting a reddish orange hue over her room. In the past she’d loved it when it looked like this.

Now all she could think of when she saw it was blood.

“Your Highness,” Josie said, hesitant, from behind her. “Perhaps it’d be best if you didn’t go out there. It’s not safe.”

Bilba’s heart began to hammer in her chest as she curled her hand around the handle of the door and, in one smooth motion, yanked it open before she could talk herself out of it.

It was deceptively quiet, just the rush of air about the mountain and the faint, raucous sound of ravens that like to roost among the rocks. Her balcony was enormous, dug from the side of the mountain itself and sporting a rock ledge that rose from the edges to nearly her waist.

It was a masterwork of engineering, and one of the few still usable in the mountain. Hobbits were not gifted in the art of stonework, and lacked the necessary skills or knowledge to learn. There were entire sections of Erebor now that were considered unstable and were closed off to the public.

It was quite possible that, had things been allowed to progress naturally, they would have had to leave Erebor in another hundred years or so as it would have simply become to dangerous to continue living there.

Not that any of that mattered now.

Bilba shuffled out slowly onto the balcony, shivering as the cold air bit through her clothes. Now that she was out she could hear it, the faintest clamor from far below, of voices, tack and equipment as bodies awakened and readied themselves for the day.

She let out a slow breath and then, resigned, made her way to the edge. She already knew what she’d see, but held out the irrational hope that once, just once, she’d look down and be wrong.

That her eyes would look out over an empty plain, stretching back serenely toward Dale and farther still until it reached the borders of Mirkwood. That the only movement would be a light breeze dancing through the grass and rustling the branches of trees. That, in the distance, she’d catch sight of the Men of Dale ratcheting open the gates as they readied for a day of brisk trade between their merchants and those of Erebor.

It was a sight that had greeted her daily for most of her twenty years. It was a sight that she’d often considered boring, her restless soul yearning for adventure and excitement beyond the daily, repetitive grind.

It was a sight she’d given anything to see again.

The gates of Dale were shut, as they had been for over a month now, and if there was a breeze dancing in the grass she couldn’t see it.

Instead all she could see was an army. It filled the plain below, swelled against the walls of Dale and muddled the borders of Mirkwood. Row upon row of soldiers, horses, and siege weapons. From the height she was at, they looked like little more than ants milling about the landscape, but Bilba knew they were anything but.

The dwarves, as it turned out, were not willing to wait another hundred years to reclaim Erebor. They wanted it back now and, given how things had been going of late, they would soon get it.

Bilba’s eyes drifted toward the largest tents in the center of the camp, and her heart twisted at the sight of the banners proudly proclaiming their owners. She would never understand. Lady Sigrid was her best friend. She’d spent hours in their home, considered Lord Bard as a surrogate father of sorts. Mirkwood she’d spent less time in but, even so, she was still on a first name basis with Legolas, had attended dances and banquets in both their honor and her own.

She’d thought they were friends, and yet here were the banners of both fluttering alongside that of the dwarves, proudly announcing their allegiance.

The pain of the betrayal cut deep, and even now blurred her vision. Apparently, they hadn’t been as close as she’d once believed. All the while they’d laughed and smiled, invited her into their homes and lives, they’d been plotting behind her and her grandfather’s back. Planning, smiling to her face while simultaneously sneaking around to drive a blade into her back.

It hurt, and it was humiliating. She’d believed them. She’d really, honestly, thought they were her friends. She could just imagine how they must have laughed at her behind her back, mocked her...

Bilba drew in a sharp breath. Her nose burned and she scowled as tears began to track down her face. She needed to get that under control. The writing was on the wall, and the last thing she wanted was to break down in front of them later. It was bad enough that they’d hurt her. She didn’t want to let them see it, and hear their mocking laughter in return. 

“Your Highness?” Josie’s voice came from right over her shoulder. “Perhaps we should go back inside. You’ll catch a cold standing out here.”

Bilba set her shoulders back, and nodded stiffly. “You’re right of course.” She pasted a shaky smile on her face, and turned to face the other girl. “Let’s go.”

Josie nodded and turned to go back in. As she did, Bilba couldn’t help a final look over her shoulder, down to what had become a battlefield far below. Her eyes caught on one tent in particular, the largest in the dead center of the camp.

There she knew she would find the source of all of Erebor’s problems. A bloodline her grandfather believed gone, died out and lost generations ago. A line descended from the evil brute her ancestors had described, and undoubtedly still just as brutish.

A pox on them, Bilba thought bitterly, as anger overcame her. If it weren’t for them none of this would be happening. She clenched her jaw and, with an angry motion, jerked around to follow Josie inside.

As she slammed the doors shut with slightly more force than necessary she found herself wishing fervently and passionately that the Valar would send a bolt of lightning and strike the entire line dead where they stood.

Damn the line of Durin, and all those who supported them.

                                                     ***

Frerin shoved back the flap of his tent and strode out into the open. Brisk, cool air wrapped around him and he relaxed into it. He raised his arms over his head and stretched, nearly groaning in pleasure as his various joints and vertebrae popped and snapped themselves back into position.

There was just nothing positive about sleeping in a tent, regardless of the furs and food and whatever else put in to try and convince him otherwise. The cots were always too small and too hard, and the air quickly became stuffy and overbearing.

He always woke up stiff, sore and drenched in sweat, and with a renewed gratitude for his quarters in Ered Luin. Small and cramped they might be but, compared to a tent, they might as well have been the lap of luxury.

Giggling drew his attention to a pair of human, female archers passing by. He hadn’t thought much about seeing women when he’d chosen to walk out in nothing but his trousers. Females in dwarven society weren’t allowed to fight. They were so rare as it was that risking what few there were in battle would be idiotic.

He raised his eyebrows suggestively at the two archers, and smirked. The women immediately went beet red and scurried off, laughter ringing out behind them.

Frerin chuckled. He could get used to having women on the battlefield he decied as he ducked back inside his tent. When he emerged a few minutes later he was properly dressed and had pulled his boots on. He’d opted for a leather cuirass instead of full armor, and had simply belted on his sword rather than spend time arming himself with the various blades he liked to carry. 

He made his way toward the large pavilion set up several tents away. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see Thorin already there, pouring over a map laid out on the table before him as if it held all the answers in the world.

“Planning our next battle plan?” he asked in amusement.

Thorin paused long enough to glare at him before resuming his study of the map. They both knew there wouldn’t be another battle plan. The last fight had been over a week earlier, and it had been the last. The hobbits had barely been able to muster a force of thirty, and less than half of them had made it back inside the mountain.

The hobbits had shut and barred the gates behind them, while the forces outside had surrounded the mountain.

It was no longer a fight. It was a siege, the outcome all but guaranteed. The only thing question now was --

“How much longer?” he asked as he approached the table.

Thorin raised his head, eyes directed toward the mountain that loomed over their encampment. He’d been hesitant to use the trebuchets and, in the end, the decision had proven to be a good one. The hobbits seemed to have no siege weapons of their own and, in Thorin refusing to use the ones at his disposal, they’d avoided unnecessary damage to their future home.

The last thing anyone wanted was to destroy the very thing they’d spent blood trying to reclaim. 

“There are natural springs inside the mountain,” Thorin’s voice broke into his thoughts, “so they’ll have no fear over water. The biggest question is if they’ve stored food for the winter and, if so, how much.”

If they had stored food, the hobbits could conceivably last months, assuming they were careful and rationed it. 

Frerin chewed on his lower lip as he followed his brother’s gaze to the mountain. If this siege did last months, it could soon erase their advantage. The snows would come, leaving the hobbits safely ensconced inside the mountain, while they would be trapped outside in the elements.

Planning a war with winter fast approaching wasn’t what any of them had wanted, or would have chosen had it been solely up to them. If they could have, they’d have spent time carefully planning before marching in early spring with months of warm weather ahead of them within which to outlast the hobbits.

It hadn’t been up to them, however, not entirely. The previous winter in Ered Luin had been brutal. So bad that it had managed to upset the delicate line they had long walked between extreme poverty, and outright starvation.

He’d lost count of how many had died that winter. Of how many times he’d stood silently alongside his brother and sister as flames had flickered and snapped over the wood of pyres, sending yet one more soul to the Halls of Mandos to await the rebuilding of the world.

Not only had the winter itself been brutal, but it had lasted far longer than normal. The optimal time for planting was long past by the time the frost finally loosened its grip, and many crops that were planted failed to produce. Those few that did were destroyed in a series of spring storms that plagued the mountains.

They had tried reaching out to surrounding areas for help but the grip of winter had spread far and there were none who could spare the resources.

Motion caught his eye and Frerin saw Gandalf emerge from his tent. The man looked grave, as he had from the day the war started. He knew the wizard deeply regretted every life lost on both sides, an irony in some ways as he’d been the one to start this entire mess. Gandalf had arrived just as all hope had seemed lost, bearing tales of the tyranny of the false king of Erebor. Dale and Mirkwood were ripe for alliance he’d claimed, and he’d been right. And now here they were, locked in a battle they had to win. If they failed those they’d left behind would starve, might still starve if they didn’t receive word to begin their journey to Erebor soon. Bard appeared, face grave and worn in spite of the night he’d spent in Dale checking on his family and people. “Are you all right?” Frerin asked with a frown. “Your family?” “Fine,” the dark haired man said shortly. “My daughter is angry with me, but she’ll recover.” He didn’t sound entirely convinced, but Frerin knew better than to press. Lord Bard had been reluctant to ally with them. He detested war, regardless of its justification, and had only agreed in the end when it became clear war was inevitable. All that mattered was whose side he wished to be on. In the distance, Frerin could hear Thranduil barking orders and he turned just in time to catch a glimpse of Legolas vanishing around a corner in that direction. The elven prince had proven to be a peacemaker, often tempering his father’s more aggressive temperaments. Said temperament had been on display more and more of late, and not just with him. No one enjoyed the waiting game they were currently engaged in, and less so every day they grew nearer to winter. Frerin’s eyes were drawn back to the mountain and his stomach twisted uncomfortably inside him. He preferred being in control of his own fate, able to take up sword and fight for his life and that of his loved ones. Now all he could do was wait, and hope, that fate would play out in their favor. That the Hobbits’ food would run out and they would surrender before the snow hit. The bite in the air registered and Frerin raised his eyes toward the sky where heavy, dark clouds looked over them. Time would tell on whose side the Valar stood, and soon. He could only pray it was theirs.

[lillaxtrigger]

Young Hope: Chapter 35

A chilling, but gentle breeze glides down the peak of the worlds highest mountain; brushing over the snowy white blanket that covers most of the rocky ascent. Breaking apart the very snow be two figures that dare to ascend to the very top as the chilling winds beat down on them; one of them dressed in appropriate winter white attire for the trip upwards, while the other taller of the two remains bundled in a strange furry pelt with the head of a panther covering their head from the gale. While these winds prove no match for the taller’s panther pelt, they run strong enough to blow off the seconds winter white hood; his indigo blue hair flapping in the breeze as he shivers from the utter cold. “M-Mall, you sure that r-radar of yours says that the second search nod is s-somewhere around this mountain?” the blue boy questions his taller partner. “The radar never lies, my young ward. It has pinpointed the location of our second nod to be within these very icy peaks.” “W-why the heck did they have to hide it s-somewhere so cold and breezy? All these winds are practically making my nipples poke through the inside of my coat. All the chilling winds make ya wonder why they wanted the Kybr gone enough to stow one of the nods away somewhere so cold. You think you might know what they were rounded up for?”

“...All of us were gathered to this very planet upon hearing the outcry of one of our fellow kin; one whose chilling call echoed out to every corner of this universe. It is thanks to that lone Kybr that most of our own kind are now gone.” he explains to the boy, his demeanor growing more snarled as he speaks. “Hey now, this guys yer talking about must’ve been in a pretty desperate spot to call everyone. I’m sure he didn’t mean to get everyone caught.” Speaking this very claim causes a pulse of pure space to emit out from the cosmic angel and push back all that was near; the snow underneath his feet, the winds blowing passed him, even the indigo angel that stood behind him knocked over onto his back.

Pulling himself out from the blanket of pure white powder, Tore hears his spacial mentor calm himself with a deep breath; Mall glancing back to the boy as he gets back on his feet to answer how: “Yabahoth had been simply feigning his capture.” “So this guy betrayed all of you?” “Indeed he did. The very Kybr that had selflessly aided humanity into ascending alongside us had sown the seeds of their very imprisonment. After he had aided the so called rulers and gods of this universe in casting us aside this very plane of existence, Yabahoth parted with one of the nods of the warp gate to the unknown; assuming to have fled to the deepest depths of this very planet. Alas, it seems that he had the thought to conceal the search nod within the very mountain where the humans had ascended to our ranks. What do people call this stinging feeling, rubbing salt in the wound? Yabahoth was always amused by poetic irony.” “Well, now that its down here, all we gotta do is punch through this mountain til we dig up the nod.” Tore suggest. “Pretty straightforward, if not ill advised. The nods that we had constructed are tough, but nowhere near indestructible. Simply tearing through this entire mountain so carelessly like a mindless brute could end up destroying the nod. We need to practice caution here if we wish to retrieve the nod in one piece.” As the duo resume their rising trip up towards the peak of the mountaintop, the clouds above them begin to darken; partially covering the bright rays of the sun hanging overhead.

As the two angels continue to brave up through the rising snowy ascent, the blue boy can’t help but gaze up as flakes of snow start to gently flutter down around them; Tore noticing the clouds growing darker then when they first started to climb. “Ehh, Mall. I think that a blizzard might be approaching. Think we might have to find a cave to hide in before it slams down on top of us.” he warns his cosmic teacher. “Hm, perhapes that might be best. Yabahoth would be smart enough to hide the nod somewhere inside the mountain rather then have it exposed out here in the open.” “Hey uh, while we’re on him. You think we might run into this Yabahoth guy while were looking through here?” “Hmm, I’m honestly not too sure. Yabahoth had a strange relationship with the solid matter of their universe; if he had the closest thing to describe the guy, he would most likely compare him to what humans would call a guru of sorts. The Kybr was known for understanding and knowing the very inner history and feelings of a planet itself, so much so that he was well known for communicating with its very matter; even when it had no life to give. And as such, Yabahoth could be concealing himself anywhere among the universe; hidden within the soil of whatever sort of earthly material he held dominion over.”

Midst to his mentor explain all of this, Tore suddenly feels something clutch at his ankle and stop him dead in his tracks; the young angel peers down his leg to find a limb of pure white snow hugging his calf. When jerking and tugging his held leg in all different directions, the icy arm refuses to release the boy for even a single moment; Tore feeling its cold touch underneath his pants the longer it holds onto him. Finally fed up with the frosty arms attachment issues, the blue angel finally hammers his fist down upon the limb and shatters the ice to pieces; falling into the snow upon finally being freed from its grasp. Turning back to his blue ward, Mall watches as the boy rises out from the white powder and questions: “What are you doing, boy?” “Ah...I don’t think were alone out here.”

Breaching the very snow that surrounds them both be several figures icy pieces taking the shape of numerous animals and humanoid figures; all of them continuing to rise out from the snow to reveal themselves melded together by a long amalgamation of stranding frost. Gazing all around to the ice line of creatures that encircle them, the two glare up to the very end of the line of ice and witness the head of a giant serpent baring its fangs as it stares down upon them. The icy predator delves its head down towards the two angels between its length, both Mall and Tore taking off away from the head before it could hammer down onto them; the two feeling the chilling mountain winds brush against them as the hover in the air. “What even is that thing!?” Tore questions as he sees the giant serpent rise from the snow. “Whatever it may be, it shall not stand before us much longer.” he proclaims as the snake prepares to lunge out to them. Moments before the frosty serpent could bite its icicle fangs into the cosmic angel, Mall commands the space around its neck to tighten with his bare hands; trapping the snake within his spacial stranglehold. While keeping the chilling serpent trapped within the palms of space, he begins to pull its very neck apart; the snakes whole length crumbling and breaking from the sheer spacial force until he shatters their foe’s very body. The snakes shards scatter down onto the snow as both the angels lower down and land; Tore cheering from the serpents demise with: “Alright, nice one Mall.” “Do not cheer yet, my boy. A creature of this strange origin will not be so swayed into surrendering that easily. We must still remain on our toes for whatever may be creep out from the snow behind us.”

Fresh from saying this does Tore notice something emerge out from the sheet of snow just behind his mentor; an entire cluster of frosty limbs and claws stretching out and reaching behind the cosmic angel. “Mall! Duck!” the blue angel shouts to him as he forms a ball of pale energy in the palm of his hands. Witnessing his wards readying to fire right out towards him, Mall does what his pupil warns him to do and ducks down into the snow beneath his feet; Tore finally casting out the deadly beam right to the mess of limbs that loom right over the spacial angel. The ray of light blasts the collective of ice and shatters it to pieces that scatter down alongside the raining snow.

“I-” Before the cosmic angel could speak any further, he then witnesses something breach right out from the snow underneath his pupil and launches him high up into the air; the head of a giant icy dragon splitting its head open and threatening to chomp down upon the boy. Taking off out from the powdery snow, Mall races out to the very neck of the monstrous piece of frost and rams right into its ice cold side; the cosmic angels shoulder tackle reducing the beast to shards before it could bite down upon his blue ward. Stopping himself short from flopping down into the snow, Tore turns back to his spacial teacher and says: “Thanks a bunch there, Mall. Didn’t expect them to just pop out under me like that.” “Don’t thank me yet. We’re still not out of this storm.” Peeking behind each other, both angels could find a dozen more beings of living ice and frost all rising out from the snow that surrounds them; their form jagged and sharp with numerous sharp edges as their transparent shells let them see the fleshy muscles and organs working within. Standing back to back against his mentor as they stare down the mob of ice, Tore glances back to the cosmic angel and asks him: “So, uh. You got a plan for getting us outta this, cause I sure as heck don’t?” Hearing his ward wonder such, Mall’s gaze ventures a little further up the snowy incline and discovers the mouth of a cave up ahead; responding to the boy with: “Indeed. I shall keep these chilling beasts at bay while you head up and inside the mouth of that cave over there. Once you escape, I shall find another way inside and reunite with you within the mountain.” “Em. Are you sure splitting up in giant mountainous tunnels is the best idea here? You know how many people die getting lost in those?” “You underestimate yourself Tore. I promise that you shall have nothing to worry about so long as you remain attuned to your aspect of reality. Simply let it guide you and your journey shall be without worry.” “Um, alright...”

Right as he finishes this statement of his, the frosty figures and animals that surround them all begin to lunge out to the two of them; their sharp icicles and claws ready to dig into their flesh. “Get down!” the cosmic angel demands. As his young blue ward ducks within the snow, the glittering angel starts to rapidly twirl in place as the monstrous frosty figures threaten to pounce on them both; Mall expelling out pulsing waves of space that repel the horde back. Seeing the entire armada of living ice knocked to the ground, the blue boy rises off the snow just as his cosmic mentor stops spinning; glancing to the man as he demands that he: “Now! To the cave!” Upon hearing his teachers words, the indigo angel rockets out towards the very cavernous mouth that Mall had pointed him to go; the cold winds beating against his face as he flies forth. Arising out from the powdery snow, the ice minions that had been knocked aside start to climb after the blue boy; their climb to the escaping lad thwarted when something from behind sucks them back with incredible force. Lifted right out from the snow, the horde of fierce living pieces of ice are swallowed by the miniature black hole that Mall keeps held in his hands; their figures shattering to pieces as they’re drawn into the void. “Don’t take me so lightly, you cold hearted abominations!”

While the majority of the frosty forces are devoured within the cosmic angels black hole, those that had avoided such a fate delves straight into the snow and dig their way around the black holes grasp; slipping by the incredible gravitational pull and shovel their way towards his fleeing ward. Though the cold mountainous air forces him to slow his flight, the blue boy nonetheless starts to reach out to the very cave that Mall had told him to go; able to make out the rocky insides the closer he gets to the mouth. Before he could simply glide right on in however, the snow in front of the cavern erupts out an icy tower full of harrowing faces; all of which glare to the approaching young man with a sinister glare. With but a single punch does Tore break through the frosty blockade with incredible ease; the eyes of the face glowing a shade of blue as the boy pass right above them. From underneath the ice beneath him, the teeth of these broken faces erect up and pierce themselves straight through the young boys limbs; effectively trapping Tore within their very jaws.

Seeing his young pupils just inches away from escape, Mall raises his hands up to the very peak of the mountain they stand on and grasps its very tip; suddenly jerking his palms back and causes the snow at the top to start sliding down. As this sliding snow quickly begins to turn itself into a raging avalanche, the cosmic angel leaps up right in the middle of the bellowing blizzard and lines himself up to where his pupil and the cave stand before him. By clapping his hands together does he cast out a force of pure space towards the young Kybr, breaking him right out of the walls teeth and shoving straight into the caves mouth moments before it could be covered by the approaching snow slide. His blue ward saved, Mall watches as the terrible avalanche destroys the icy wall of faces that had once trapped the blue boy; simply able to do little but await for the snow slide to stop. Tore. Just relay on the aspect that responds to you. It shall you the way.

From within the dark recesses of the cave that his cosmic mentor had launched him right into, Tore starts to recover from the tumble that he had suffered and sits on his bottom as he grasp one of the icy set of teeth that pierced his body. Taking a tight clutch of the icy teeth, the blue boy quickly uproots them from his very flesh, a sharp hiss sucking into his teeth as his wounds begin to bleed. Before any more of his blood could spill out from his leg, the indigo angel places his palm right over the red wound and expels out a warming light; uncovering the gash and healing it as good as new. Ah, wish Mall would’ve gave a bit of a warning before doing that kinda stuff. Almost got whiplash just from the launch alone. Still, sure as heck beats being buried under a literal mountain’s worth of snow. Just imagine all the spots all that cold chilling powder would creep its way into. Brrr!

Once pulling out the last of the chilling walls teeth from his limbs, Tore rises off the rocky cold floor and unfurls his bright white wings; their natural luminescence lighting the caverns tunnel that descends down before him. Least the cave Mall found didn’t lead to any dead ends; seems like this tunnel goes down quite a long ways too. He said that the nod was stowed away somewhere within this very mountain; best guess here is that it’s hidden beneath all the rock and snow and rests at the very center. Best not to worry Mall, this angel here can scout ahead and find our little search nod before ya freeze yer wings off. Thinking all of this does the blue boy start to glide down the depths of the rocky mountain tunnel; the glow from his wings illuminating the way as he proceeds downward.

Continuing down the descending rocky tunnel, the start of the young angels mountain spelunking adventure quickly comes to its very first snag; the chilling stone path before him splitting off in opposite directions. Left pondering on which of these craggy trails will lead him the right way, the blue boy thinks back to the piece of advice his cosmic mentor shared with him before they had been separated; Mall’s words echoing repeatedly in his head. Remain attuned to your aspect...What does that even mean though? Does he mean like the way that he explained how Yabahoth did with solid matter? Even then, that doesn’t say a whole lot. He did compare him to like a guru… Hey, maybe its like the way Roy senses things. Its just all in the head. In that case, it might be best to focus and try to sense which way the universe is pointing towards.

Upon this does the indigo angel calmly close his eyes and attempts to focus on this particular aspect of his; reviewing the moments where he had helped the orphan flourish and how he had given the droids back in the city their control back. Come on...Gotta be something here. Even with his thoughts solely focused on these very moments, almost nothing but the ambiance of the hollow caves are what reaches his ears; the chilling air gently wafting around him being all that he really feels in the moment. Alas, nothing relating to those events seems to give any hint on which path to take, the boy left utterly clueless as when he had first arrived. Gah, what the hell do I even do!? I know it was pretty brief, but why couldn’t Mall just try to explain it a little better than just give the whole “Trust in the force” line. Its never just simple, isn’t it? It’s always left purposely vague just to screw with people....Ya know what, screw it! Just gonna flip a coin and let lady luck decide.

Not even a single fuck given right now, Tore starts to dig through the contents of his pants pocket for anything he could flip in the air; his fingers then feeling the metal of a lone quarter deep inside his trousers. Pulling out the quarter right out, its metal feels rather warm compared to the chilling air around him as he holds it in the palm of his hands. Kay. Heads for left, tails for right. With but his thumb, the blue boy flips the coin right out of his grip and watches as it careens through the frosty cavern air; soon seeing it bounce right off the uneven rock and tumble down one of the splitting paths. Not the kinda expected results, but whatev. Simply deciding to just roll with the flow, Tore up and starts to flutter down the very tunnel that his little coin wound up tumbling down; listening to its metal ting as he continues to chase after.

Back outside the snowy peaks above, Mall endures the raging blizzards snowy winds as he glides along the mountain; tirelessly searching for another way within as the fog looming before him makes it rather difficult to see the snowy face beneath his feet. There’s far too much snow to reliably spot even the very mountain from this high; perhaps descending further down to inspect may yield some results. The spacial angel starts to flutter right down towards the mountains powdery white surface; Mall’s seeing his immediate surroundings start to clear up, but unfortunately nowhere near enough to see but only a few feet before him. No good. Seems relying on the naked eye isn’t ideal here. This snowy fog far too thick to let even a smidgen of light pass through… Well, if the light will not show the way, then perhaps the space it attempt to conceal will.

Hovering just inches off the powdery face of the snowy mountain, Mall takes in a meditative breath as he clears his mind of every thought looming within; listening past the blizzard bellowing around him and to the very space floating within. Among all of the deafening gales, the angel sends out a small bit of his own cosmic power pulsing through the cold bellowing air; the spacial power piercing straight through the running blizzard and racing along the very surface of the mountain. His cosmic pulse then finally reveals to him the mouth of a cavern not too far off from where he floats, discovering the space within stretching down within the inside of the mountain. Hmm, perfect. How appropriate to use the very same technique you’ve developed where you hid our races key of imprisonment, Yabahoth. With a way to get inside set in front of him, Mall takes off straight through the thick chilling fog and cuts right through the blizzard to reach the very mouth of the cavern. Just hang on a little long Tore. Mall’s starry wings glitter among the darkness as he continues into the descending rocky cavern.

As the blue angel continues to glide down further into the dark recesses of the cold mountain tunnels, the ice that had coated the rocks making up the tunnel begins to thicken as it reflects the pale light shining out from Tore’s wings. Even with the added visibility however, he fails to see where the little coin he had tossed down here landed among the frost. Man, its getting pretty chilly down here. Feels like the further down it is, the colder it gets. Almost feels like an actual freezer all the way down here. Feels like getting trapped in that freeze locker back in elementary school all over again; icicles forming straight in the nose and all.

Once he finally starts to see the frozen rocky ground beneath him begin to flatten out, Tore then spots something out of place among all the stone and frost; something that peeks him to flutter over and investigate. Descending down to the ground does he inspect a peculiar trail of dark violet goop running across the cavern floor; the angel lowering his nose to the goo to smell what it could possibly be. Hmm, no smell. The boy then lowers his hand over the purple slime and runs the tip of his finger right over its face, feeling its nearly rough texture slip along his tip as he gently rubs it. Feels pretty warm. Scooping up a little finger tip full of the stuff, Tore decides to put it through the final test and shoves the bit of slime right into his mouth for a little taste; the overwhelming bitter taste causing him to tremble as he spits out whatever goop he could out of his mouth. Eh! Don’t got much taste, too. Wonder what’s crawling through these caves that could be leaving behind this sort of messy slop. Only one way to find out. Tore starts to follow the goopy trail of dark violet ooze deeper into the cavernous depths, curious of what could be dwelling within these caverns that could leave such a trail.

As he continues following the trail of messy dark purple slime spread out before him, Tore’s ears start to pick up something echoing alongside the caverns crackling ice; it start to become rather clear to him for these to be a pair of voices sounding out from the tunnel ahead. That doesn’t sound like Mall...Sounds like a couple of girls. With the realization that these voices might not belong to his mentor, the indigo angel withdraws his wings to let the caves natural darkness creep back in; careful sneaking through the rest of the tunnel as he follows the sound of idle chattering. Coming out from the tunnel to a little wide cove, Tore lays right on his stomach as he approaches the very edge of the cliff he stands; the boy peeking down the edge to find the voices belonging to a pair of young girls. One of them stood dressed in a salmon pink coat while sporting a long blond bowlcut; the other seemingly on the verge of melting as her long dark brown hair drips down along with her purple coated dress.

From where the boy laid hidden, he could listen into the two of them bickering among themselves; seeing the blond starting off with: “Oh, like your slimy sorry ass has any idea where we are right now. If you knew where the hell we’re going, we’d be outta this frozen hole by now.” “Maybe we’d wouldn’t be stuck in this shitty freezer if you had seen that white lion coming at us.” the slimy girl retorts. “How the hell was I meant to see it coming!? It fell out of the damn sky! That ain’t even what got all of us split up and lost either, it was that random avalanche that came outta nowhere.” “Random my juicy sweet ass. Bet it was yo loud ass mouth that made it all fall right on top of us.” “You could at least be thanking me for finding this cave here so we all didn’t get buried and freeze to death.” “Oh great, now we get to freeze slowly as our friends are underneath piles of snow.” “How do you know they are? I’m willing to bet they went in and found their way in here like we did.”

As he simply watches the two girls bicker among themselves, the spying blue boy shuffles himself a little bit to keep his stomach from freeze on the icy ground; his moving causing a bit of icy rock to fall down onto the floor below. Once the frosty piece of rocky finally hits the ground, both of the girls immediately stop talking and glance out to the cliff above them; Tore quickly slinking back along the cliff as he covers his mouth. In the middle of remaining utterly motionless and hoping that they didn’t notice him, the cliff that he lies on suddenly crumbles apart with a resounding boom; both the blue boy and the cliff rubble slide down the face and stop right at the bottom as a couple of rocks land right on him. Pushing the rubble right off his body, he emerges out from the pile of broken cold stone to see the pair of girls face him; preparing themselves to fight the uncovered blue spy. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I ain’t here to rumble. I was just following some weird goop trail and it lead me to you two.” he explains, putting his hands up. “Ah, I told you that would give us away.” the blonde girl claims to her gooey partner. “Well, sorry I wanted to leave something behind so the others could find us. Least I was doing something instead of just running my big fuckin mouth.”

Breaking themselves away from the subject, the two girls turn back to their big blue sky for the blonde ask him: “J-Just who the hell are you anyway?” “I could probably ask the same thing. Why are you two crawling around inside this mountain for. You guys just were going on a hiking trip with yer friends and wound up getting seperated?” “What? No, we’re-” Before the blonde could speak any further on the matter, her gooey companion covers her mouth and speaks on her behalf with: “We’re heard about a bunch of weird wildlife up and out on this side of the mountain and wanted to see if all of it was true. And lo and behold, we got our wish...with a giant ice lion dropping down on our asses.” “Ain’t much of a shock there. Figured out myself early on how the wildlife around these parts are a little less than welcoming. I wouldn’t stick around here for very long and just get back down the mountain if I were you girls.” “Wow, you figured? Cause I sure as hell ain’t risking my sweet ass for this kinda creepy bull.” the bowlcut blonde claims. “Oh, you wish you had an ass to call sweet, Gigi. That flat thing under yo back barely counts as one.” the goo girl then sneers. “At least it ain’t rancid and gross like yours is, Toxi. Your’s looks like its practically melting off at the seems.” “Uh, ladies.” Tore then cuts in with.

Upon hearing the blue boy call to them, the girls hear him out as he claims that: “Maybe I can help you two out on finding the rest of your friends; that way, y’all can climb down the mountain together.” “Oh, how sweet of you.” the slime girl sarcastically states. “If you can help us do that, then we’d been more than happy to return the favor.” the blonde offers. “Well...nah, probably shouldn’t say.” “Aw come on. Its the least we could do offering to help us out. There’s gotta be some reason why your lurking around in here, right?” the blonde adds. “Ah...I actually pretty much came here looking for something hidden inside this mountain.” Hearing the boy simply stating this very fact makes their eyes twitch for just a brief moment, the slime girl continuing their little negotiations with: “Tell ya what, you help us find our friends, we help ya find yer little mcguffin here.” “I’m not too sure. What can any of you even do to help me out on this?” the boy asks them. “One of our friends that was with us can track anything like a bloodhound. If somebody put treasure down here, then she sure as hell can trace it back.” the blonde informs. “Mmm. Alright then, you two can stick around to help me out. Just follow me closely in case of anything lurking in the shadows.” “We’ll we simply can thank you enough for your help. We’d might have been pretty dead if you hadn’t shown up.” Toxi thanks him with with hidden sliver of sarcasm. As the young angel starts his little trek through the treacherous frosty caverns; the pair of girls follow after as they head down into the tunnels; both of them quietly snickering under their breath as they approach.

Within another far off part of the maze like mountain tunnels, Mall continues to flutter deeper down into its cavernous depths; the cosmic angel continuing to echo out waves of his power through the space making up the tunnels. Its thanks to them that he takes every fork in the road and intersection without hesitation, seeing which paths lead further through the rocky cavern and which lead to impassible dead ends. Heading down one of these twisting tunnels do his ears suddenly catch something howling not too far off, further alarmed when hearing panicked screams and grunts echoing in the mix. Wait, is someone else down here? Wondering about the voice’s urgent outcry and hurry, Mall takes off down the very rocky tunnel he glides through as the rushing footsteps and cold howls guide him; the walls making up the tunnels gradually losing their rocky texture and growing more icy the further he flies forth.

Every hint of rock that was once a part of the tunnels eventually stops showing up as the walls of the cave finally turn into unfiltered ice, Mall gazing through the lower right of these new transparent walls to come to discover the very cause of the commotion. From where the cosmic angel hovers could he see what seemed to be a young strawberry blonde girl racing through the frosty caverns and away from a pursuing vicious wolf with a transparent icy shell in place of a fuzzy fur coat. The icy canine that chases after the young lady peeks the spacial man’s curiosity quite a bit, witnessing the fact that its internal organs were clearly working underneath its cold frost shell being rather fascinating. What sort of natural forces could be at work to spawn wildlife like this?

While closely observing the strange icy beasts very make up, he witnesses the young girl that it tirelessly purses suddenly slip off the chilling cold floor and fall right into her stomach; turning back with fear in her eye as the wolf leaps out to her and ready to dig its icicle claws straight into her flesh. Meager moments before the hellish frosty canine could even sink its teeth into the downed lass, Mall sticks a single hand out between both it and the young lady; effectively separating the two with but his only palm. No matter how much the frosty beast attempts to claw and bite against the barrier that he had erected, the cosmic angel keeps his hand casually steady between the two of them as he watches the strawberry blonde rise off the slippery icy floor; staring curiously at the wall of space that separates her from the wolf. “The fuck…?” he hears her utter underneath the ice. Come now young lady, just move along. Ain’t got all day to entertain your curiosity.

He starts to worry as he sees the girl stretch out a devious smile between her cheeks, growing upset as he witnesses the girl flip the dog off and jeer at it with: “Ha, suck a flaccid dick, ya shitty carved piece of piss ice! Can’t even tear through whatever the fucks keeping ya from chewing on my sweet ass with those stupid icy teeth. They ain’t even tough enough to chew through my fuckin bone. Just crawl back out from the frozen shithole that ya cam-” Oh for the cosmo’s very sake. Having just about none of the lady’s misplaced mocking, Mall jerks the back end of his hand a smidgen right to the jesting girl and knocks the girl right on her ass. “God, fine! I get the memo, alright! God damn, a girl can’t savor her lucky break, can she?” he hears her yell out as she gets back on her boots. Soon does the grumbling young girl start to venture further down the very tunnel she was sprinting towards; the wolf that was pursuing her finally giving up the chase and retreating in the opposite direction. Mall watches each of the disappear into the caverns chilling dark before finally putting his hand away, mostly staring upon the transparent wolf as it heads out for another hunt.

A piece of living ice taking the form of the common wild canine, a rather curious life form indeed; especially given how its insides seem to be complete made of mortal organs and muscles like those monstrosities from above. Could this have been your work, Yabahoth? Did you leave the search nod in the care of these living packs of ice? Could you not have stayed and guarded it yourself like you have done for this very mountain so long ago? No matter what your excuse might’ve been, the truth lies within these very beasts of you’re own making. Though you have made for them their icy shells, where you have harvested their organs be another mystery.

A deeper ways down the inside of the mountain, the cosmic angels blue pupil continues to venture down through its depths alongside a pair of strange girls; all of them soon left amazed when the tunnel they travel through trades its rocky texture in for far more smooth and oddly shaped ice crystals. “Holy shit.” Toxi utters. “Its all so pretty.” Gigi complements. “I’ll say.” Tore adds. Protruding out from the walls all around them stood dozens of icy sculptures that take the form of several people, animals and mythical creatures; all of them seemingly calm and at peace stuck among the ice. Glancing back could Tore see both girls pulling out their phones and taking several pictures of their surroundings; their flashes and clicks reflecting off the ice with each photo they take. “All this must be one heck of a find for your girls wildlife expedition, ain’t it?” the blue boy states to them. “The hell you mean, boy-” Before Toxi could continue to speak any further, feeling a swift nudge on her side given by her partner suddenly reminds her and then corrects herself with: “Ah, yeah yeah. We ain’t ever seen shit as hella nice as this.” “All this is gonna raise some serious traction on my blog!” the blonde mentions.

Its in her giddy excitement that she starts to calm down when noticing their blue guide staring to her with this rather curious glare; Gigi slightly blushing as she asks him: “You like something that ya see on me?” “Hmm...Just got this little itch in the back of my head saying that I seen ya somewhere before.” “Oh, well you got that from peeking at one of my blogs. Toxi here wishes she had as many followers as me.” “Bitch!” the goo girl exclaims. “Nah, I don’t really use social media all that much. Kinda prefer talking mono e mono to be honest.” the blue boy admits. “Well, I’m sure that one of you’re friends had to have mentioned me at some point.” “Eh, not really. I feel like I’ve literally seen you somewhere in person before. Face to face.” “Well, if it wasn’t online, then I can’t tell you where you might’ve seen me.” “...I guess so. Might’ve just been nothing much then.”

Continuing through the icy tunnel, the trio eventually reach the very end of their trail to discover another wondrous site that sprawls out before them all. Standing spread to them do they find an entire forest made from frosty stalagmites given the odd familiar shape of oak tree’s, all with their very tops splintering off and given a coat of frosty leaves to decorate their crown. Running along the very bottom bloomed flora and fauna of glistening ice, taking the shape of numerous familiar flowers and bushes. Admiring the scenery presented to them, Toxi slithers over to one of the rising tree’s to brush the palm of her hand against its icy surface; the very texture of the tree uncannily resembling the bark of an actual oak. “Weird shit right here.” Kneeling down to the flowers planted along the frosty ground, Gigi reaches right down and breaks a single ice blue rose right off their stem; putting its head right up to her nose and taking in the aroma coming out and remarking how: “It’s like an actual rose.” “Hey, come check this out.” they then hear their indigo guide suggests.

Glancing over to their blue guide do they seem him ducking right underneath a frosty shrub and staring out to what lies on the other side; the two girls sneaking over to his side to share in the view and soon behold what the young indigo boy sees. All of them are left dazzled when seeing a lone deer wandering through the frosty forest, its very flesh made from the same ice that coats the trees and protect the functioning organs held within its body; the bucks horns in the shape of upside down icicles. “What even is it?” Toxi whispers. “Its so gorgeous.” Tore answers. “Just need one pic.” Gigi claims as she start to slip her phone out. Just before the blonde could snap a good pic of the dainty deer standing within view, the icy bush they hide within suddenly sounds crackles beneath them; the audible crack drawing the frosty animals attention right to the trio. As soon as the deer sees them move an inch, it prances off into the icy horizon never to be seen again. While rising out from behind the brush, Gigi lets out a frustrated groan and shouts: “Nice going Toxi! Its thanks to your melting fat ass sitting on the bush that it heard us and took off.” “My ass? Your’s was clearly sitting on the bush. You bitch betta look where ya sit before ya up and throw shit at me.” Upon hearing the two girls start going at each other once again, their blue guide before them can’t help but let out an exhausted breath; dreading how long he’ll have to put up with it this time. Jeez, this again, feels like the third time they’re screaming each other in the last half hour; hard to believe they’d stuck around each other long enough to make up a wildlife discovery team. Those friends of theirs must have some hell of a time keeping them from gouging each other’s eyes out.

While attempting to block out the girls constant bickering from behind, the blue boy drifts his eyes over to a set of icy shrubs along the wayside; staring right at them when watching those very bushes shake and shiver. “Uh, girls...I think were not alone out here.” Hearing their guide comment this, both young ladies look away from one another and gaze out in the very same direction; Toxi going: “What the hell are you on about no-” Peering out to the very same bushes, all three of them witness a massive ursa made of dense frost sporting sharp icicles along its back suddenly charge right out from the shrubs; both girls shrieking upon the very site as the monstrous beast approaches. Before the fierce frosty bear could attack, the blue boy in front of the two girls unfurls his wings before their very eyes and dash forth towards the oncoming ursa; the icy woods surrounding them reflecting his wings light as he charges. With nothing but a single shoulder tackle, Tore sends the deadly ice beast hurdling back towards one of the icy oak; bears entire body slamming right into the base of the tree and causing the entire forest to quake from the impact. The pair of young ladies stare right at their blue guide as he stands facing the frosty ursa as it rises right off the frosted grassy ground; Gigi taking it upon herself to take a little pic of the indigo angel as he faces the beast. Hearing the camera go off, Tore turns back to the two girls and demands for them to: “Don’t just stand there! Find somewhere to hide!” “But what about you?” the blonde wonders. “Ain’t gotta worry about me. I can deal with this overgrown ice cube solo. Shouldn’t be that much different from fighting a real bear.” The two girls comply with the blue angels demands and back away towards the frosty oak tree’s standing behind them; both of them peeking out and watching as their guide looks back to the beast as it gallops right back at him.

This ain’t gonna wind up like last time; this time, this piece of ice is gonna end up turning into ice cubes once were done here. Once close enough to the young angel does the frosty ursa swipes its ice cold claws right at him; Tore slipping right around the monstrous piece of frosts sharp paws to its left, then driving his foot right into its ice cold side hard enough to send it sliding along the icy grass. The beast drives both of its frosty claws right into the ground as it continues to slide back, slowing itself down to a crawling stop before it could slam right into another icy oak tree. Once stopping itself from taking another chilling crash, the icy ursa tries its luck in charging right at the winged young man once again; opening its maw to bare its frosty fangs as it lunges outward. Before the dastardly beast could chomp down on a single part of the boy’s body, Tore grasps its mouth before it could clamp down on his shoulder; pushing the ursa away as he keeps its maw wide open. While keeping his grip on the beasts open maw, Tore lifts the giant icy bear overhead and tosses the beastly frost back to the set of tree’s behind him; the sheer weight of the bear breaking apart the tree’s into ice shard. Looking back to where he had tossed away the heavy piece of living ice, the indigo angel gaze around the remains of the solid cold tree’s to find little sign of the ghastly beast anywhere in site; failing to see even a little bit of the beast no matter which way he peeks. Where did it go?

While keeping hidden behind one of frosty oak tree’s set along the wayside, Gigi takes a little peek out to the ensuing battle to see her blue guide left looking everywhere for their frosty predator; her eyes widening when wandering up to find the monstrous piece of frost climbing right to the top of one of the neighboring tree’s. Left realizing how the beastly bear was planning to take down their blue boy, the blonde quickly starts to dig through her coat pockets; grunting and muttering to herself how: “Come on, I know I brought it with me.” Hearing her partner mumble to herself, Toxi looks over to the blonde and watches her pull out a single frilly pom pom right out of her pocket; a smile cracking between Gigi’s cheeks as the slime girl berates her with: “Bitch, you serious here? This sure as hell ain’t the time to practice your gym routing.” “Just shut up and watch.” the blonde tells her as she once again peeks out from behind the tree. Gigi gazes back up towards the tree line to find the chilling ice bear having climb to the very top of the tree and hanging right above their angelic escort, soon watching it leap right off the top and descend down towards the blue boy with its spiky back facing the ground. As the beastly piece of ice plummets down towards the young man, the blonde girl lobs her pom pom out to where the dropping ursa will be; its frills flapping in the air as it careens through the air.

Moments before the frosty bear could pierce its spikes straight down upon the unsuspecting angel, the seemingly harmless pom pom hits the beasts icy shell and explodes in an inferno of flames; Tore gazing up to the fiery explosion above him as the blast sends the ursa hurdling back. Crashing back down onto the ground, the strands that had blown off from the blast shatter all over the icy forests; the frosty bear flailing about as some of them remain stuck along the beasts icy shell. While watching his frosty foe struggle in shaking the flaming frill off its icy skin, Gigi comes out from behind the ice oak and wanders over to her blue guides side as she claims how: “That right there is a little weapon that I had been working off for quiet a while; and what better to test it on than a bear made of ice. I got the idea from watching people throw molatov’s at a DMV once, thought the flaming strands would be a nice little touch.” “Whoa, that’s so hella cool!” Tore exclaims. “Eh, shit ain’t all that.” Toxi mutters.

Despite some fiery strands of the pom pom remaining stuck on its frosty flesh, the icy ursa persists on continuing to pursue its prey and takes another chance to recklessly charge straight towards the two. Tore quickly grabs the girl beside him as he takes off out of the rushing beasts ramming charge, holding the blonde his arm as he casts forth a beam of power right towards the monstrous piece of ice; the ray of white light strikes the beastly bear right upon the side of its head. While the ferocious frosty beast reels back from the ensuing blast to its face, the slime girl takes the chance to dash out from one of the icy oak tree’s and race right behind the bear as it backs away; Toxi splatters down a glob of her own goo out behind where the bear backs away as she races past. As soon as the solid cold ursa steps right onto the goo girl’s slippery slime, it trips right off its feet and stumbles right onto its back; the spikes along its backside piercing through the icy grass ground and leaving the bears defenseless stomach exposed. “Finish this frosty piece of shit!” Toxi shouts to their blue guide. Hearing her claiming for it to be his moment to strike, Tore puts the blonde back down on her own two feet and then rockets high into the chilling mountain air; soon bombing down towards the helpless ice ursa as it struggle to free itself. Descending right down, the blue angel hammers his fist right down into the upside down beasts smooth stomach and shatters its entire icy shell with but a single blow; both girls retreating away as the monstrous piece of ice’s guts and frosty chunks fly everywhere.

After the shower of ice shards and gut chunks was all over, the pair of young ladies peek out from behind the frosty oak tree’s to find their angelic escort standing right in the middle of the monsters splattered remains; with chunks of its organs dangling around his body. Tore shakes off all the bears gooey guts right off him and scatters them along the red stained ice beneath his feet; both Toxi and Gigi approaching after the boy is finished getting the rest of the bear off him. “Phew, man all that was fun. Seriously took me back to when my grandma flung Roy and I right in the woods to survive for about a month. Bear meat just tastes more succulent than deer or rabbit after beating them down.” the blue angel expresses. “Aight, first thing to get outta the way. What the hell are you!?” Toxi questions. “Are you some kind of angel?” Gigi asks with stars in her eyes. “Well see, I...I’m...Huh, I don’t really know what I am to be honest. Guess that’s why I’m here at this mountain to find out.”

Once gotten that little skirmish behind them, the trio look out to the rest of the woods left sprawling out before them, Toxi asking aloud: “So where the hell we go now.” “Doesn’t look like we can see much down here. I know, how bout you two get on my back and I’ll rocket over all this. Bet we could definitely find something up in the air.” the blue angel suggests as he presents his back to the two ladies. The two of them glare upon back of the boys coat in disgust as some stains and gut chunks were still left littering its fabric, the slime girl simply tell him: “Yeah, screw that shit.” “I think it might be a better idea to go on foot. We might miss something all the way up in the air like that.” Gigi politely explains. “You two sure?” “Positive!” they both enforce. “Alright, guess we should get moving then.” Upon this do the three of them continue their way throughout the icy oak forest, Tore following as both the girls take the lead on ahead; all of them remaining alert to what could popping from the woods at them next.

Within another part of the cavernous icy mountain, the cosmic angel ascends right up from a hole left along the cavern floor and ascends higher within the cove to witness an amazing site sprawling out in front of him. Inside the opening he hovered through, Mall could see the cavern filled with the luscious site of countless flora and fauna of pure ice spread all throughout the cove; the plants taking on numerous shapes and sizes as they stand reflecting his wings glittering glow. Among these plants could he find dozens of creatures and animals all living together, some of them surpassing regular animals and taking on the shape of creatures from folklore and legend. Is this what you’ve done after our kins imprisonment Yabahoth? What could peaked within your very soul to give these creatures another chance?

As he ponders these very thoughts, the flora thtn looms beneath him starts to gather around and rise as they all morph together; Mall turning back to find the very head of these plants forming a giant eye that stares right at him. That very same eye start to crack itself open before the angel, revealing the voracious maw hidden underneath its pupil;  the giant plant suddenly devouring the spacial man in one whole bite. Just before the icy tower of fauna could swallow its thought to be prey, its entire structure starts to be scrunched to where Mall had once flown; its icy shell cracking and breaking under the incredible pressure until finally imploding in a vacuum of space. Once easily blowing apart the icy fauna that attempted to consume him, the angel gazes down to the denizens of this icy cove as the plants remains rain down upon them; some frightened by the display of power while others run away from the showering chunks of ice. One of these chunks manages to hit what looked to be a satyr of ice right in the head, fleeing deeper down into the tunnels with parts of itself missing. This was once your dominion, Yabahoth. Many have died daring to cross and flourish within the depths of these very peaks in chasing the stories of our kin. Did you simply take pity on these perished creatures wishing to see us with their own eyes? Is that why you created this icy utopia for them to spend their remaining years? Strange. Its beginning to be a mystery if choosing humans to join us was the best choice. Humanity has seemed to have touched your very soul as well, my fellow Kybr. Perhaps these answers lie with this young ward’s own soul. Just how he will use our power to reshape this world is a mystery only he can answer.

Deeper along through the forest of pure ice, the blue angel continues to be guided the two girls by his side through its faux oak depths; curving around the dozens of frosty tree’s as their surface starts to less resemble bark and start to bend out. Eventually do they see all these tree’s morph right into walls and ceiling of another approaching tunnel, the bark swiftly replaced with the sort of icy sculptors they had bared witness to before; their form and expressions however being far more twisted and disturbing then those they’d seen last. “Geez, all these ice statues are seriously starting to freak me out here. Really makes ya wonder what kinda sicko would spend their days down here carving all of this.” the blonde comments as she glares upon their panicked and fearful expressions. “I ain’t too sure if anybody did come down here and do this. All of this doesn’t look like its man made; it might’ve just been formed by something else around here.” “Tha-that’s ridiculous! You honestly gonna stand their and tell me that all these highly detailed ice carvings and sculptures were made my something else entirely!?” “Girl, did you not see all us get done fightin a giant ass bear of ice that wanted to tear into all our asses, or were contacts too frosted up to even see all that shit go down?” Toxi jeers her with. “At least I did something substantial to actual damage during all that. All you did was just shit out a buncha gunk and goop and made it slip up.” “Bitch! I gave you the perfect moment to land the killing blow; we might be haven to still deal with that ursa’s shit if I didn’t step in.” Stopping dead in his tracks, Tore lets out an exhausted breath as the two bickering girls continue, hearing them at each others throats once more. Man, again? It took about 15 minutes for their bickering to fizzle out last time. If they keep at this every half hour, then we might never make it out of this mountain or find the nod. How the heck did these two even land jobs being wildlife researchers if they’re constantly going for the jugular at each other every chance they get? Hopefully their friends can manage to take their reigns when we find them.

Glancing back towards the two of them, he finds them not even noticing the sculptures around them melding together right into one another; their figures coming together until it was all that made up the walls and ceiling of the ice cavern. Countless limb, people, and animals, all forming together into one as their fearful expressions start to disappear; beginning to calm as their finally merge with one another in unison. Taking a look back towards the bickering girls however causes him to form his own panicked face as he takes off after them; both Toxi and Gigi stopping their argument when their guide swiftly grasping both of their coat collars and lifts them right off their feet. As the pair of young ladies struggle to get out of the blue angels grip, Gigi is the first to cry out: “Ah, what’s the big deal!?” “Yeah, the hell is your problem man!?” Toxi demands to know. “So, did you two not see the big hole you guys were not about to fall down?” he then questions them. “What are you-” the blonde says before she glances under her. Beneath their very feet do the two girls then realizes the massive hole their blue guide had mentioned being just another step away; neither of them able to even seem the bottom among its endless dark abyss.

Tore finally lets the two of them back down on the ground and lets them back away from the massive icy hole they nearly plummeted down into; the blue angel starting to chuckle upon seeing their realized glares. Their fearful gazes quickly turn sour as they glare out to their laughing blue guide, Toxi yelling at him with: “The fuck is wrong with you, boy!?” “Yeah, you find the fact we almost fell to our deaths funny!?” Gigi then joins in. “Ha ha ha, no no. I...It’s that…both of you are just so caught up with each other that neither of you even realizes what’s happening around you. I mean just look.” Their angelic escort suggesting such, the two gaze up through the walls and ceiling to discover the very same mystifying site he had seen before; all the people and animals on the walls melding together until coming to make up the walls alone. Midst admiring these nearly missed site that sprawled out before them, they hear Tore continue to tell them out: “Both of you might never see anything like this again, but you two are so caught up with eachother that you almost missed what was happening around you...I guess it’s kinda sweet in some strange way.”

Right as the two of them were beginning to appreciate the bizarre, but magical pieces of icy art that stood before them, a loud and trembling roar resounds right off these very walls; breaking their site towards the chilling caverns ahead as something stomps its way out. While the two girls lightly tremble from the quaking stomps, Tore takes his stance in front of them and prepares for a fight as they all face the tunnel ahead of them; gazing out as they watch a massive figures start to emerge out from the shadows. Lumbering out from the dark depths of the cavern tunnel be a massive frosty ogre, its icy shell protecting the numerous muscles and organs working within its chilling body. The three remain utterly still as the giant stares down upon them with its icy cold glowing eyes; its gaze piercing through their bodies as the trio await for the behemoth to make its next move.

All of them watch carefully as the towering giant finally starts to move its icy body once more; the living ice clasping its hands together alongside moving its legs to make what seemed to them all to be a strange pose, the trio left utterly confused wondering what the giant might be up to doing this. Breaking out from this odd pose does the giant shift its body once more, making another stance to show up the bulk of its icy body; both Toxi and Gigi remaining confused as the slime girl wanders aloud: “What the hell is this giant motherfuckers deal here?” Tore’s eyes then widen upon seeing the behemoths pose before them all and claims that: “I know what it is.” “You think you know what this frosty son of a bitch might want from us?” Gigi asks him. “Yeah, it wants a challenge...a challenge of the body!” Proclaiming this to the two girls behind him does he wholeheartedly accept the frosty giants proposal by strips himself of his white coat and exposing his skinny, yet mildly built body to the open cold. The two girls seem utterly baffled at the sequence of events playing out before them, Tore discarded coat landing right over Gigi’s head as Toxi questions him: “You fuckin serious on us here?”

With his bare chest left exposed to the elements, the blue boy faces the flexing giant before him and decides to return the site with his own stretched pose; the ogre before him left shocked when witnessing his muscles bulk out from his very form. Responding to the young boys poise, the ice giant shifts its own body to take on a more towering and aggressive position; as if showing off how tall and empowering its own icy body stands over the small boy’s own. Tore responds to the giant towering form by lowering himself to the cold chilling ground, closing his arms against his chest as he scowls up to the giants own eyes; giving the impression that he’s ready to scale the overwhelming height of the behemoth. Though the giant reacts with silent shock once more, it refuses to quit with just this and reforms its pose to have its entire frosty body stretching out before the boy; showing how wide of a challenge it really is. Tore nonetheless does the same and flexes out his own body as wide as he possibly can to match the ogre’s own stature; the giant seeing the young blue boy straining his own body to attempt and match up with its own stature. The towering piece of living ice then breaks away from this widening pose and simply shifts to another; its poise this time presented in a far more flashy way. Tore meets the giants expectations with his own sort of extravagant and stylish.

Left standing along the wayside of this entire flexing show, Gigi and Toxi continue to stare on as both their blue guide and the frost giant continue to flex against one another; Tore’s expression growing more determined and fierce with each pose he takes. The blonde girl drags the blue boy’s white coat and can’t help but stare upon on the owners bare chest; her face growing more and more blushed and red the more she stares right at the boy’s body. Finally does Tore and the giant finish their posing competition with by mirroring each others stances; the two perfectly mimicking each others stances; each detail of their bodily movement being copied by the other as if they were themselves a mirror to the other. While Toxi remains utterly dumbfounded by the strange display, her blonde partner finally falls over from the overwhelming site set before her; the slime girl staring to them as the monster and the boy bow to one another to conclude their competition.

With the two competitors splitting off in their own separate directions, Tore wonders back over to the girls side as he hears Toxi questions: “What the fuck was all that about!?” “That, my slimy friend, was the sort of fight that the giant wanted. A test of the spirit expressed through the body! Hang on a sec, where’d Gigi go?” Seeing the goo girl point down to the cavern ground beneath their feet, the blue boy finds the blonde girl having passed out on the floor with his coat in her hands; Tore lowering himself down to pick her right off the chilling ice floor. “Is she okay?” “Yeah, the bitch is just fine.”

From her short little nap, Gigi starts to open her eyes once more back to reality and finds her young blue guide staring right down to her with a warming smile; hearing him mention how: “Oh, thank goodness. Glad to see you okay.” The blondes eyes start to wander down from the boys face and are quickly glued to the boys bare chest in front of her; the tone of his abs mixing with his sort of rough, but tempered skin quickly causing the girls face to redden once more. The girls breath grows more and more panicked and anxious until she finally passes out in the young man’s arms; Tore panicking as Gigi lays utterly limp in his arms as he asks: “Ah! She passed out again! Wh-what should I do? Should I pump her stomach, give her chicken soup. I think my health teacher told to do CPR on something like this.” “You go anywhere near her mouth and Imma melt yours right off.” “Oh, wait a sec. Duh, of course.” he finally states as he starts to gently set the young woman in his arms down upon the cold hard ground.

Just before the frosty behemoth could lumber back into the shadows whence it came, a strange new light suddenly illuminates out from behind it and dispels this very vial of darkness; the giant peering over to the light reflecting off the surrounding ice and discovering the source of the glow. It stares back alarmed when witnessing the very same boy it had just finished its great pose off with suddenly bring out a pair of bright graceful angelic wings; watching as this almost rainbow glow crawls off the boy and slithers throughout the girl lying upon the icy floor.

The very colorful light that had crawled along Gigi’s very body starts to vanish beneath her flesh just as she starts to reawaken from her short lived nap; shaking off any sort of dizzying feeling left behind as she looks to both Toxi and Tore to ask them: “Wha...what happened?” “Your weak flat ass just slammed down onto the ice as you passed out.” the slime girl gleefully fills her in with. “Ah! You just passed out for a sec was all, we’re both glad to see you up and okay. You had us really-” Tore suddenly cuts in as he slowly starts to move to the blonde. Before the boy could take another step closer to, Gigi tosses his white coat right back in his face; adverting her eyes in a red fluster as she demand him to: “Ju-just put your coat back on, please.” “Oh yeah. Thanks for holding onto it for me, Gig. Practically below zero down here, feels like the stinging cold is making my nipples hard as diamond.” “Bitch…shut the fuck up.” Toxi tells him as the boy starts to slip his coat back on. Donning his coat once more, Tore crosses his arms as he takes back the welcoming warmth along his upper body; letting out a little sigh as he claims that to be: “Much better here.” Its in his moment of returning comfort that he feels something looming over him and the others; Gigi and Toxi peeking out as Tore gazes behind to discover the very same icy ogre that he had just finished posing with, its piercing icy blue eyes staring down upon them all. “Uh, what do you think it wants now!” the blonde questions their angelic guide. “Don’t know. Maybe its wanting to show us the way outt-”

Right outta nowhere does the giant icy behemoth slug the boy with a solid cold powerful punch, one strong enough to send Tore careening straight into the cold walls of the cave; some of the sculptures that make up the walls cracking and crumble upon the harsh impact. Both Toxi and Gigi scramble away from the enraged giant as their blue guide falls back down onto the chilling cavern ground; the angel hopping back on his feet and shaking off the unexpected blow to glance up and find the behemoth racing right out to him with rage in his glowing blue eyes. Guessin it wants a real fight this time. Well, if that’s it; better not disappoint.

Attempting to meet the rushing giant halfway, the indigo angel takes off towards his icy foe just as he witnesses the living ice ready to swing out to the boy once more; Tore strafes right out of the giants punch before it could hammer its fist down upon him. An opportunity to strike back set up before him, the blue boy lunges right up to the frosty ogre’s side and drives his fist right into its lower torso; the behemoth staggering away from him as it covers where it had been struck. As soon as the ogre stops stumbling back, it uncovers the side its blue angelic foe had hit him at and reveals their being only a single short hair of a crack left on its chill shell; the indigo angel left astonished upon having done so little damage. Whoa! It didn’t even leave so much as a dent. Maybe its time to stop goofing around and take this a little seriously.

A little more determination running through him, Tore once again rockets right towards the icy ogre and prepares a kick right to the very side he had punch moments ago; soon swing his leg out to the behemoths lower torso when in range. Moments before his foot could strike the frosty giants side, the behemoth suddenly steps off to the side to evade the angels kick. This guy’s pretty nimble for how big it is. Towering right over the young man, the chilling giant clasps his hands together and hammers them both down upon its angelic foe; the blue boy quickly turning and holding his hands out before its fists could slam down upon him. The beastly behemoth hammers both of its fist down onto the bright blue boy and right into the solid cold ground underneath him; the pair of girls watching from the side keeping their footing as the blow causes the entire cave to quake. Even when being beaten down upon the icy cold ground at full force, Tore withstands the giants hammering assault and holds its arms back from crushing him on the spot. This guys icy shell might be tough, but his strength sure ain’t. As long as were careful, we might just make it out of this. Just need to where down its shell until it breaks.

A plan set in his head, the indigo angel pushes his frosty foe back hard enough to send it sliding along to the other side of the cavern; Tore leaping right off the icy ground as the palms of his hands start to let out a pale glow. Better play it smart and not even get near him. From the very palms of his glowing hands, the blue angel tosses out an orb of pale power right towards the lumbering icy giant; the behemoth refusing to move even an inch despite the ball quickly careening its way. But rather than blowing up right on contact, the blue boy’s pale sphere simply ricochets right off the ogre’s icy transparent shell and heads over to the life like carvings set along the ceiling; the blast bouncing all through the entire cove in its uncontrollable flight. Both of the girls watch their blue guides pale sphere zip through the cave and soon find it flying in their direction; Toxi and Gigi hitting the deck before the ball could hit either of them. “Watch where the hell you firing that, ya jackass!” the slime girl yells at him.

During its little trip around the icy cove, the bouncing ball of pure white starts careening back towards the very giant it had been aimed at; the ogre taking the opportunity to put its arm up towards the back in a particular angle. The angel that it had set causes the orb to ricochet right off its arm and directly on a swift crash course right back to its sender; the best that Tore could do was cross his arms to attempt and block his own speeding blast. The resulting explosion sends the indigo angel back towards the very edge of the icy cove, where he slams right into the very face of a giant carved horned beast; the impact reducing the sculpture to meager icy shards. Right, ain’t trying that again. Guess the only way this is going down is up close and personal. And from how this guys shell took a punch; this little war of attrition might just take a little while.

Out along another part of this giant mountainous ice maze, Mall continues to flutter through the frosty cave as the echoes of space he exudes guide him through its winding tunnels; taking the paths that stretch out through the rest of the nexus as he remains determined to reunite with his blue ward. Tore must be doing well for himself if this is what this mountain all has to offer. So far, what the inside of this place is hasn’t offered much resistance in our short little visit. Of course, maybe it wasn’t really prepared for encountering us; most of this this mountains creatures were too frightened to put up any resistance. Nowhere near powerful enough to guard the search nod. Did you figure that all of us were really gone, Yabahoth? Wherever you may be now residing within this very reality, surely you have left the nod in better care than this, have you? Or was that what lead you to form this very mountain the way you have? Upon the very next moments do his spacial waves detect a presence strolling his way, the very shape that the waves hint him to suggesting that it could be human of sorts. Another one. How many others are wondering within these cavern?

Through the chilling caverns ahead does a lone light pierce through the shadowy void, the glow growing as whoever holds the source continues to move forth; the light reflects off the icy walls of the tunnel to reveal a lone tall man with odd baby blue skin holding out a phone whose flashlight shows him the way. While shivering from the constant cold of the mountains insides, he lets out an irritated growl as he grits his teeth; cursing aloud to himself with: “Fucking god dammit! Why the hell did those alpha team bastards haveta send me and the other girls out to this frozen hellhole, all just to look for something they’re not even sure is real. Why the hell couldn’t they just send the B team to investigate rather than sending me to babysit the girls; be hellava lot more effective and quick then not having all of us wind up getting lost, its what I told them. But no, they insisted. “Oh quit acting like so lazy and slack, Charles, its just a simple investigation around the mountain; it shouldn’t be that much trouble for you.” Guess what Drake, sure as hell is for one guy have to watch a buncha teenage brats. ...Ah, honestly, what I wouldn’t give just to have a steaming cup of hot cocoa and just sit by the fire. That’d be nice about now.”

Before the baby blue man could wander any further within the icy cave, he start to notice something within the reflections of the frosty carved sculptures that loomed around him; Charles slowly walking over to one of these statues to find what seemed to be a winged figure fluttering within the ice. Gazing at all of the icy figures that are trapped within walls and ceiling does he see the image of the very same man within their reflective surface; the blue man backing out to the center of the tunnel as watches all of them wriggle and squirm. “I am serious not in the mood for this right now!” Its then does he witness all of the reflections of the figures suddenly fly out from the ice set around him and begin to gather in a single spot before the tall blue man; all of them forming together in a flash of stars to form the cosmic angel himself, his starry wings glittering along the frost he had emerged from.

Mall gazes upon the pale blue man standing before him to find his eyes filled with fright, his legs inching away from him suggesting the need to sprint in the other direction just from the spacial angels appearance alone. “Be not afraid. If you simply answer my questions, then I promise that I shall not harm you.” he claims to the man. Hearing the strange man say this to him seems to ease Charles a fair bit; his frightened gaze shifting more towards skeptic curiosity. “So, the hell are you then, some kind of angel?” the pale blue man finally responds to him with. “I suppose its what you humans refer to us as? Might I ask what prey tell is someone like you doing out here within such a bitter cold mountain? Your skin seems to be turning pale blue at the seems.” “Believe me buddy, I sure as hell ain’t eager to spend another minute in this frosty natural freezer. I was pretty much forced down here to try and look for something they say is in this mountain. Like god know what they think is buried underneath this frozen over hellhole.”

The blue man’s statement on being sent to look for what is within this mountain causes the cosmic angel to twitch a little; playing it completely cool as the cave both of them reside within when saying to him: “I assure you that whatever they had sent you to look for is nowhere to be found in here; this mountain is only home to a collection of strange creatures made of solid living ice. Other than that, there is nothing for you to find here. I suggest you climb back down the mountain before you freeze to death.” “Believe me, man. As much as I’d love to get down and back to my cozy warm computer chair before my testicles turn a deeper shade of blue, I can’t really go without finding any of-” “Those girls you brought along your expedition? Seems rather irresponsible for a man of your age to bring them somewhere like this of all place.” “You think I’d actually choose to be responsible for all them? All those burdening prepubescent bitching hell spawn were just thrust upon me without a single care.” Charles objects. “Hmm. Nonetheless, I suppose it shouldn’t be to hard to track them all of them if they’re still inside here.” “Uh, how the hell you plan on doing that?” Upon being asked this does the cosmic angel then clasp his hands and closes his eyes, waves of his own spacial being echoing out from his body during this meditation; Charles can’t help but quake as these invisible waves of pure space phase through his entire body and travel out along the tunnels that stand behind him.

His very waves all stretch throughout almost the entire nexus of the mountains inside, echoing along every single small nook and cranny that makes up its tunnels; the cosmic angel discovering countless living beings all dwelling underneath its very rock and snow. From these waves does he discover several other numerous people all venturing through the mountain: A pair of red headed children, a boy and a girl, balancing along a thin icy path. A girl skating along the top of transparent icy slides while pursuing the girl he had saved from the fangs of the icy wolf earlier. A lone woman with green flaming hair traveling through the caverns. And at last does he discover where his young ward had wound up within this very mountain, fighting off what seemed to be a giant while two girls watch from the side lines.

Once sussing out all of these people that travel through the mountain, Mall takes in a tranquil breath before opening his eyes and stating to the man standing before him that: “Right, I have seen where the children you have lost reside in this mountain.” “You seriously did that just closing yer eyes and praying?” Charles questions. “Indeed. And rest assured that I will not stop until every one of these children are back in your very care. All I ask of you is to let me escort you back down the mountain and wait at the bottom where I shall bring them to you.” “He he he he...Ya know, as ideal as your making this all sound, I don’t think I can really buy it all for even a second. I mean really, do you think I’m dumb enough to just blindly believe some angelical ass in a panther’s pelt that just popped out from the ice?” Saying this little rhetorical question, the pale blue man starts to stroll past the starry angel while continuing with: “Thanks but no thanks, man. Think I’d rather find them myself then believe whatever you’re spitting at me.” Among his smug denial for the angels assistance, Charles suddenly feels himself smack into what felt like a solid wall, looking in front of him to find nothing but the rest of the cavern stretching out before him. The baby blue man puts his hand up to the air in front of him to find the entire space having solidified, running his fingers along the surface of this space as if it was a solid wall of the hardest steel. “What the...” “I implore you to reconsider.” he suddenly hears the angel request out of him. Glancing back to where Mall floats, he could see the cosmic angel turning towards him while continuing his little request with: “I really wish to not hurt you. But I find it in your best interest to exit these caves and head back down, whether you are willing to or not.”

Back within another part of this maze like mountains many coves, the cosmic angels blue ward continues his brawl against the enraged icy ogre; every punch and kick he could throw to the very same side that he had hit before. Yet no matter how many times Tore swings out to the behemoth, the giant blocks and evades almost every single attack he throws at it; particularly focusing on keeping its lower torso guarded from the young angel. Before the indigo angel could take another chance at the frosty giant, the ogre whacks him aside with its massive icy solid arm and sends him careening towards the cove wall; Tore landing on his feet against the wall before he could crash right upon any of the sculptures. Damn, not getting anywhere here. It might not be that strong, but its definitely smart enough to keep its weak spot guarded. Just need a way to distract it and break its stance, then that’ll be the chance to move and strike.

From the side lines, both of the young girls continue to watch as their blue guide take back off towards the hulking piece of living ice; seeing the young boy dodging his attacks while the giant evades his attempts to strike. “This don’t look like it ain’t gonna stop anytime soon.” Toxi comments. “Yeah, we might just haveta do something that’ll tip the scales in our favor. We can’t just stand here and do nothing, else we’ll be here all day.” Gigi responds. “Remember when you thought the same thing about that giant ass ice cat? The hell you plan to take on this massive motherfucker?” “We didn’t have this guy by our side back then, and he seems to be holding this icy bastard off alright.” “That’s what I’m saying girl. We can just bail and ditch him to deal with frosty asshole himself.” “That’s...I don’t think that’d be a good idea.” “What the hell you talking about?” “I’m saying we might need him in case there are any more monsters dwelling inside this mountain. We only managed to get this far cause of him.” “You sure you ain’t saying that cause yo brain short circuited over seeing his bod?” the gooey girl jests. “Fucking, no! I-...short circuit. My god, that’s it!”

Taking in the monstrous piece of ice’s solid cold kick, Tore is sent rocketing right towards the horned sculpture littered roof of the cove; some of the icicles sharp sides cutting along the sides of his jacket and scraping against his skin as he crashed upon the ceiling. He soon pulls himself out from the roof of the cave and shakes off the dizzying blow, sliding his hand against the cut part of his winter coat for any sign of blood and lets out a small breath when feeling not a hint of warm scarlet. Glance back to the giant standing beneath him, the indigo angel notices something approaching the behemoths backside; the ogre turning back to witness the blonde girl race forth. “No, stop! You’ll-” Before the blue boy could warn Gigi to stay away from the hulking piece of ice, he witnesses the blonde bound up into the air and land gracefully upon the top of the giants head; the behemoth reaching up and attempting to trap the girl within its icy cold grip. Just when the monstrous ice was ready to clasp the blonde, Gigi slips right down along its back and grabs hold of one of its massive ice arms; the young girl avoiding the giants grasp entirely as she swings along its very limb. When it once more attempts to grab the girl hanging on its arm, the blonde once again slips around its grasp and sticks to its side; Gigi sticking her tongue out to taunt the beastly ice giant. As the girl then slides around between its icy legs, Gigi continues to do a ton of fancy gymnastic shit all along its entire body; proving way too small and nimble for the frosty behemoth to catch. “Uh, wow.” Tore utters as he continues to watch the blonde lead the beastly ice astray. “Bitch just be showing off now.” Toxi quietly murmurs.

Finally leaping right away from the frosty behemoths reach, both of them see what seemed to be a long ribbon tied to the end of a handle; its strand wrapped all along the ogre’s hard icy shell. She turns the dance ribbons handle upside down to reveal the button place on the bottom, Gigi pressing this very button to cause a powerful surge of electricity to course through the entire strand wrapped around the ogre; the behemoth letting out a pained outcry as the lightning courses through its icy body. “It don’t matter how hard that icy shell of yours is, its still just frozen water at the end of the day. Even ice as thick as that is conductive.” “Oh, wow.” Tore utters as he simply stares in awe. The young angels awe suddenly shatters when hearing the slime girl call out to her with: “Hey, ya blue jackass! Stop gawking and just hit it already!” “Oh, r-right!”

The blue boy starts to curve right out towards the frosty giants very side while picking up as much speed he could muster; the indigo angel rockets out to the giants lower torso and kicks its cracked side much harder than he had done last time. Gigi lets go of her little electrical ribbon as the frosty behemoth is sent hurdling straight towards the icy coves sculpted wall; the dozens of carved figures shattering from the intense impact. Gazing right to the dazed ogre’s side, all three of them find a lot more cracks lining the giants lower torso; Tore claiming to them how: “Looks like its shell can’t take much more. We need one more powerful hit in to break through.”

While getting itself right out of the cavern wall, the frosty behemoth continues to feel the tingling shock of the ribbon wrapped around its entire body; the ogre grabbing the ribbons strands and tearing them right off. Its after tearing these ribbons right off that the beastly piece of ice starts to charge out to their very owner, Gigi preparing to evade its charging approach as it closes in on her. Once close enough to the young blonde, the behemoth thrusts its ice cold fist down towards the girl; the blonde lass leaping right over its hammering fist and vaulting right over the beasts very shoulders. When turning back to follow the young girl, the icy ogre suddenly gets a handful of dark violet slime splattered right across its face; Toxi standing before the giant and tossing her goop right into the behemoths eyes. Swiftly swiping her little ribbon handle right off the icy cavern floor, Gigi races right back towards the blinded icy golem and hugs around its left arm; wrapping what strand she had left around its limb. Landing right behind the beastly piece of ice, the blonde pulls back as hard as she possibly could to tug the icy ogre back and expose its cracked side; Gigi demanding for the angelic escort to: “Now, deal the finishing blow!” “Gotcha!” Tore once more dashes out to the frosty giant while both girls have it bound and blinded, careening over with as much speed as he could gain while ready to deliver one more punch to the golem’s side; his fist faintly glowing a myriad of colors as he prepares to strike. Thrusting his fist to the behemoths cracked side, the indigo angel breaches straight through its transparent shell of ice; the organs that had once been protected under its icy flesh left exposed to the cold air and threaten to spill out.

Once finished skidding along the icy cavern floor, Tore looks back as the girls return to his side; the blue angel left utterly astonished from seeing the beastly ice still standing after the blow, keeping its hand over its wound to its insides from spilling out. “No way. I can’t believe its still standing after that.” Gazing to the towering piece of living ice themselves, Toxi and Gigi notice it left dazed from the traumatizing blow and stumbling over to the bottomless hole left along the side of the cove. “It won’t be for very long.” Toxi proclaims as she and Gigi move out once more towards the busted icy beasts. While the slime girl slither along to the back of the golem, the nimble blonde races right towards the front of the icy behemoth; pulling out a small bit of steel from her pocket as she approaches. Despite its side literally having been blown off, the frosty ogre feebly attempts to swat away the approaching blond away with its only free arm; Gigi sliding right underneath its swing and leaps right up to the giants solid ice biceps. The blonde girl quickly scales over the frosty golem’s entire body and leaves behind the piece of steel along its ice cold chest; the device beginning to blink a bright red flash. Gigi leaps right off the giants head and starts to dash away as the little bit of steel she left behind starts blinking faster and faster; finally turning solid red and exploding in a plume of red flames. The resulting explosion causes the wounded giant to stagger back towards the hole right behind it; Toxi slipping away as she finishes lathering the ground behind the stumbling giant in her own purple slime. Finally stepping upon the dark violet puddle of goo, the hurt ogre slips right off its feet and falls down towards the bottomless hole; the pair of girls watching as the massive piece of living ice tumbles down into the pits dark’s depths.

“Ya know, all that went down not as shitty as I thought it would.” Toxi admits. “Yeah, I guessing those training lessons really are paying off after all...Course, it’s all thanks to me that it didn’t end up being as bad.” Gigi states. “The fuck you saying, girl?” “I mean if you break it all down, all you really did was just toss some of your slime around. Not as practically effective as the little invention I built using my own genius.” the blond explains while twirling what was left of her little dance ribbon. “Ah yeah, cause I’m sure you just didn’t whine to yo dad and got him to make it for ya.” Before either of them could start to argue with one another once more; their blue guide comes up from behind and embraces the two of them in his arms; lifting both of them off their feet as he goes on to claims: “That was incredible! Both of you were hella awesome! I-” Suddenly does the young angel feel an intense sharp pain between his crotch, Toxi shoving her foot right into his testies as she shout for him to: “Put us fucking down, ya god damn weirdo!” After lowering both girls back onto their feet, the indigo angel collapses onto the floor while grasping his crotch; meekly shuttering out: “Sorry...”

Putting that awful skirmish behind them, the trio continue their way through the cold frosted mountain tunnels; the sculptures that had made up the walls and ceiling start to rarely show up. In their place do all of them find dozens upon dozens of strands and veins that run underneath the clear icy tunnel they walk through; the three feeling an odd warmth as they proceed further through these veiny caverns. “Hey uh, thank a bunch for helping to deal with that giant back there, I honestly have no clue why it just attacked us like that. Still, its pretty wild what kind of training experience you two got for a couple of wildlife researchers.” the blue boy tells to the pair of girls following him. “Researchers? What are you-Ah, yeah. Well, all those moves do come in handy in with the kind of creatures were left to document. I mean you’ve seen yourself what sort of animals we have to approach just doing our job.” Gigi feeds their clueless guide. “That’s true. I guess if you inching over to the lions den, then it’d be handy to know how to turn the lions into a fine pelt before it gets the chance to nibble on your juicy thick loins.” “Bet I know which of our loins is juicier.” Toxi whispers to her partner. “Oh yeah, I’m sure all that mucus coming outta your sides would make a great sauce.” the blond whispers back.

Coming outta that little conversations to the three of them stop their trek through the icy tunnels when it takes them to a four way split intersection; the veins left within the walls branching out in every single direction. “Which way do we even go?” Toxi questions. While the two girls behind him discuss among themselves, Tore keeps staring to the veins left underneath the tunnels solid cold ice; the young boy taking a closer look to see them pumping liquid through their pipes. All these veins have to be connected to something. As the girls conversation naturally begins to sound more bitter, the blue boy puts the side of his head up against one of the walls and attempts to tune out their argument while listening to the blood flowing through the veins. It takes a little while for him to realize which way the bodily strands are delivering freshly pumped blood from; peeking out in the direction it comes from straight to the path on the right of them.

Realizing where the veins lead to, Tore turns back to the pair of arguing girls and grabs their attention with: “Hey, I think I know which way we need to go.” Stopping their bickering, the pair of young ladies glance over to their angelic escort as Gigi asks him: “Really, how?” “Its all these veins under the ice. We just gotta track where they’re pumping life from and we’ll reach the center of the mountain.” “The center of the- Are you supposed to be leading us ou-” Toxi smacks her hand over the blonds mouth to stop her from speaking another word, Gigi glaring back to her as the slime girl request the boy to: “Sound like you know what your talking about. Why don’t you lead the way.” “Roger, Miss Toxi moxy.” As the two of them watch their blue guide start strolling down along the right tunnel, the slime girl finally uncovers her partners mouth and gives the blonde a little wink before she could talk; Gigi going silent when realizing what sneaky shit her slimy friend was up too. With their motive remaining hidden, the two girls continue to follow after the young blue boy as they venture deeper into the depths of the mountain; the glow of Tore’s wings lighting their way through.

Dwelling within the very caverns above them, the indigo angel’s mentor simply keeps Charles suspended in the middle of the air; the man with baby blue skin only able to flail and struggle under Mall’s spacial grasp as he whines: “Let me go, dammit! This-this isn’t fair!” “Sir, I seriously implore you to give up your search and just simply head down the mountain. I really don’t wish to see you wind up dying like the many others that have attempted to scale it.” “Oh, oh! You think you’re really the first asshole I heard talk to me like this? I’m so fucking sick of people always just ordering me around and making me do this sort of shit; I’m so god damn done with it! I just wanna go home and hack into government sites and screw around with their data; just leave some copypasta’s on their debriefing pages to get them pissed and making them wonder which one of them put that crap on there.”

While a frustrated groan slips out from his mouth, the cosmic angel thrusts his hand out to the caverns ahead to send out another wave of his space echoing through the icy tunnel. This very wave reverberates throughout the icy nexus of the inner mountain and lets him peer out to whatever resides within its very tunnels; his spacial energy letting him discover that his pupil and the pair of girls with him trek through the very caverns beneath him and heading somewhere one of the tunnels here lead to.

Realizing this does the spacial angel crack a soft little smirk as he proclaims to his baby blue guest that: “Very well, I suppose I can let you go to find your girls yourself.” “I said I ain’t gonna let you say shit about- Wait! Are you being serious here? You kept going on about how borderline strange and dangerous this mountain is and your just gonna let me go like that? The heck’s with the change of heart from you?” “Well, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t out of pity. The fact that your so often pushed and forced to do what you clearly can’t for yourself is rather sad. Whoever you happen to work for has truly made an incredible error sending the likes of you to alongside a group of children. I’m not sure whether to be thankful or ashamed of that fact. In any case, I’ve decided to let you go.” “Well...glad to see you finally have developed some sort of common sense. Now if you can just put me down, I shall be on my way. I’m feeling rather sick just floating in the air like this.” “Oh of course. Just allow me to take the lead on what first steps you should take.” the cosmic angel offers him. With the very hand that he uses to hold Charles in place, Mall bends his finger back and flicks it in the air; this gesture causing the baby blue man to go hurdling out to the caverns ahead of them. Charles is sent flying across the tunnel of pure ice and starts to plummet straight down into a frosty pit place up ahead; Mall letting a relieved breath escape him having finally sorted out that little headache. Suppose it might be best to meet up with Tore once he is finished dealing with those two ladies that follow his lead. Though it is rather pondering what he may plan to do once those harlot's eventually stab him in the back. Will history simply repeat itself, or will can he manage to change the course of fate? What will you do to offset the course of history, my little blue pupil?

As Tore, Toxi, and Gigi keep venturing deeper and deeper down through the frosty tunnel depths, they notice the veins left stretching out under the ice growing more thick and numerous as they continue going further down; the slime girl letting out a little shutter as she admits that: “This shits really starting to freak me out here. Just seeing all this hidden underneath a regular basic bitch mountain just don’t sit right here.” “Guess that makes one of us then. I’m honestly pretty fascinated on how all this biological matter can still operate under these harsh cold conditions. By all conventional accounts, this environment seems rather impossible.” Gigi explains. “Uh, you think that might be what makes it possible.” they hear their angelic escort ask them. Peeking to what their blue guide could be referring to, they discover something that they thought they would have never laid their eyes upon. Perched upon the chamber ceiling above hanged a massive organic heart still left beating a healthy rhythm and pumping blood throughout the many veins that are rooted to its top; still spreading life throughout the mountain despite being suspended in a block of solid ice. Littering the ceiling above be dozens upon dozens of holes left along the ice; frosted veins making up their tunneling curved walls. Standing right underneath this beating heart was a massive platform of pure stone, holding what seemed to be a massive golden ring decorated in eyes and wings all along its outer rim.

While Tore starts to flutter up towards the very heart before them, the two girls behind him start to inch away; the goo girl between them whispering to her partner: “You think this giant ass ring might be the treasure HQ mentioned?” “It might just be. How are they supposed to expect us to drag something this huge outta the mountain ourselves?” Gigi whispers back. “Easy, we get the rest of the crew back here and we’ll all drag it out. Only thing we gotta worry about now is what to do with our little blue boy here.”

While fluttering all through every side of the frozen beating heart, the wondrously curious blue angel feels an odd warmth underneath the cold shell as he brushes the palm of his hand against the ice; as if he was feeling the very life of the mountain itself. Its amazing how something like this could survive within somewhere as cold as the inside of this mountain. Is that why Yabahoth thought to hid the nod in here, cause nothing else but these icy creatures could ever thrive in here? But then how did this all even form in here, all the way inside the Earth’s tallest peak? Did he create all of this to guard the nod, or could this be…

While thinking about this historical figures ultimate fate, his eyes drop down towards the pedestal holding the ring and spots something littered along the edge of its base; something that nowhere near belongs alongside the harsh frosty ice that decorates the chamber. The boy descends down to the very back of the pedestal to find what seemed to be a small withered tree branch; its aged wood left in the shape of a decayed hand pointing over to the side of the solid stone stand. Tore gently swipes the old wooden hand right off the ice cold floor and brushes his fingers along its very palm, feeling out utterly ridged and decayed its wood really was. It could very well fall apart among the most gentle of force. This thing looks like its been under here for ages now. It doesn’t look like anything else in this cave, so why is it down here? Where did you come from, little branch?

As Tore ponders of this small hands unknown origin, a colorful glow start to leak out from his own palm and seep its way into the cracks of the wooden hand; the angel watch as this strange energy fills the withered and dead bark with life once again. When the wooden hand seems to be brimming with life once again, it jerks out within the blue boy very grip and over to the very side of the pedestal; its sharp wooden fingertip stretching harshly into its stone as it starts etching out number after number along the surface. Tore struggle to keep the living palm in his grip as it continues to carve out more and more numbers into the stone. Once finished etching out an entire set of numbers down into the side of the pillar, all the life that had been injected into the wood fades as fast as it had came; its lush and vibrant bark thinning out and withering as he drops the twin back onto the icy floor. What was...what the heck was all that? What happened? That glow came out of me and made the hand come back to life; all just to etch a bunch of numbers in stone. But why come back just to do that?

Moving past this bizarre sequence of events, the boy hears catch some strange whispers echoing out from behind the stone stand; the indigo angel hover to the top of the pedestal and gazing through the nod to find the girls he came with huddled together. “Well, its a nice change of pace to see you two getting along with each other. I was pretty afraid both of you were going to be at eachother’s throats for another half hour.” As soon as they hear their angelic escort speak to them, the pair of young ladies quickly turn back to their guide; glaring to him as they seem to be caught off guard. Quickly shaking off their little shock, Toxi is the first of the two to speak up and asks: “So how the hell you expectin to squeeze something that big outta this tight ass cave?” “Well, the one Mall got was about as small as a pinkie ring. He did said there was some way to shrink it down.” “Hang on a minute. Are you saying you know what this thing does?” Gigi then questions him. “Uh, kinda...But hey, now that we went and found this, how bout we go look for your friends so all you can get outta this mountain.”

“Oh no, that ain’t gonna happen.” the slime girl declares. “Yeah, we ain’t going anywhere. Not without our little prize.” the blonde adds. “Uh...what do you mean.?” the blue boy wonders. “Come on, bitch. You saying that you were stupid enough to buy us being a couple of wildlife researchers. Like hell we came to deal with this mountains weird ass bullshit, we’re taken that huge ass ring behind yo with us.” Toxi claims. “You two were just lying? But…my friend needs this ring.” he attempts to explain. “Like you think that’s gonna get us to stop? We ain’t leaving until you give up that ring.” Gigi states as both her and her slimy partner prepare to fight. Landing down in front of the stone pedestal, the indigo angel takes a fighting stance; reluctantly preparing to fend off the pair of lying young ladies.

Out of the pair of young girls is Toxi the first to engage, flinging out a glob of her own dark violet slime to the angel as she claims: “I’d like to see ya stop us while yo melting away!” The mess of gooey gunk lobbing his way, the blue boy cross both of his arms in front of his face just as the glob was about to hit him; the slimy chunk of goo breaking apart against his limbs and splattering all along his white coat. Despite the slime girls claim of her goo’s viscose properties, Tore barely feels even a little bit of burning as he uncrosses his arms and looks to the stains left along his jacket; the goo that splat along his bare hands simply bubbling without even melting through his skin. Toxi is left utterly baffled as the young man simply swats away her dirty purple ooze, left confused when finding his bare hands left intact. “You fucking kidding me here!?”

“Let me take a crack at him?” Gigi says as she leaps up in the air. During her descent down towards the angelic boy, the blonde executes numerous dazzling flips that cover herself as she take out what was left of her electrical dance ribbon. Once landing before her once blue guide, the nimble blonde swiftly races right around him and starts to wrap her shocking ribbon all around; eventually leaping off to the side once having enveloped what ribbon she had around the boy. Gigi presses the button along the bottom of her ribbons stick to send out constant flow of stinging electricity through its strand; the lightning clearly coursing through the ribbon and coursing along the young angel’s body. Even with all the volts running along him, Tore barely feels any sort of shock from them in the slightest as he simply stands and stares to Gigi while she looks upon him with a devious grin. Her mischievous smile suddenly breaks when witnessing her blue foe flex within the grasp of her ribbons; Tore stretching outwards until the strands enveloping him are ripped into pieces. “Are you fucking kidding here?” she screams.

As the pieces of the electrical ribbons flutter along his feet, Tore gazes to both of the opposing ladies and wonders: “Not to sound rude here, but was that really it?” “Like hell it is!” Toxi then exclaims while gathering up a thick glob of slime in her hands. Once the toxic ball of sludge was big enough, the slime girl lobs it right out towards their angelic opponent; its mass proving about twice the size as it hurdles out towards the blue boy. He simply conjures a small orb of pale light and tosses it out to the nearing gunk, its light piercing straight through the massive boulder of sludge and causing it to explode into chunks of purple ooze. While Tore covers his face from the scattering pieces of slime, Gigi takes the moment to dart right behind him and smack something against his very back; the blonde flipping away as the small bit of steel she had planted on him starts to blink faster and faster. As he watches Gigi cartwheel back to her partners side the device stuck upon him suddenly explodes in a plume of flames; the blonde landing back to her gooey friend as they hear the boy cry out while engulfed in fire. Their self assured victory is only short lived however as all the flames and smoke bellows away all at once in white wave to unveil the Tore left without any burns to speak off; his coat on the other hand left in tatters as its remains fall to the floor. The blue boy’s chest exposed to the bitter cold, Gigi’s face turns bright red as she stares upon the angel’s tone bod; the young lady shaking off her astonished blush before stating to him that: “Da-Dai-ah! Don’t think that sexy stuffs gonna work this time! We ain’t gonna stop til we get that ring!”

Man, this suck. They helped out a bunch and just turn out to be a couple of liars just wanting to steal the nod...they seem a little, bad at it, though. They barely got anything that hurts here, they’re just tossing out whatever they got to see if it works. Don’t really wanna fight them, to be honest here. Maybe running past them while carrying the search nod; least they might not be strong enough to carry it themselves. But how to get past them without knocking their lights out?

Out from one of the holes above them does the sound of something screaming gradually begin to grow louder, all three of them glance up to the many open ports and gaze around for which of them could be letting out such strange whimpers and shrieks. “The hell is that?” Toxi questions. “It kinda sounds like-” Finally does a body drop out from the hole directly above their young blue foe; Tore holding his arms out as a man with baby blue skin lands in his grasps. “Charles!?” the blonde exclaims. “About time you got off yo lazy ass and come find us.” the slime girl mentions. “Whe-where did I wind up?” the man mutters in a daze. “Ah! The frozen corpses lives!?” Tore screams. Lifting the baby blue man right above his head, the indigo angel chucks Charles right towards the pair of young ladies; both Gigi and Toxi panicking as the baby blue man comes hurdling right at them. The young blue man is sent slamming straight into the two young girls and fumble down onto the icy cold floor, the ladies struggling to get Charles off of them as their blue foe quickly hurries back to the giant ring. “Fucking get off!” Toxi screeches. “Ah! Charles!” Gigi exclaims.

Hopping right to the very top of the stone pedestal, Tore grasps the very bottom of the massive golden nod and lifts it right off the platform; holding the ring above his head as he starts to glide back down the way all of them came. “Get the hell off us!” the slime girl screams as she shoves the man right off them. Hitting his head on the cold hard floor, Charles sudden jolts awake from the pain; rubbing his head as she rises off the ice to say: “Ah! The hell is your girls problem!?” Rather than waste time explaining, the pair of young woman leap right off the solid cold ground and start to race right after the indigo angel; Gigi shouting him: “He’s getting away with the treasure, come on!” “What!” Jumping right off the floor himself, Charles starts rushing right after the pair of racing ladies as he attempt to ask them: “Hang on a second! What even going on!?”

Racing back through the vein tunnels with the coveted prized clumsily held above his head, Tore glance back to where he had flown from for any sign of his thought to be escortees that pursue him; all the while keeping the rather huge ring above his head from falling down onto the icy floor. “He can’t get that far carrying that huge ass ring.” he hears Toxi mention. “He might still get away, hurry up!” he hears Gigi claim. “What the hell are you two even talking about?” he hears another man’s voice ask. Even when seeing not a single bit of any of them coming up from the dark void he leaves behind, the indigo angel hurries ahead through the rest of the stretch of icy cave ahead of him.

Soon enough does he return to the very four way intersection that he and the girls had taken before, the blue boy’s eyes constantly shifting between the three potential path’s he could take. His ears manage to pick of a disturbing growl coming from the very tunnel that they had first came from; the snarl feeling rather angry and vengeful upon listening to it. Yeah, not heading down that way. That leaves just two more options. This might be the only chance to lose them. Gotta play this smart though; they could just follow the light coming from these pair of wings no matter which direction...unless. Tore withdraws his bright white wings back into his back and lands back onto the slippery cold floor, inviting the darkness of the caverns to creep back in to give the boy some cover. Though this darkness does not stay for very long, as the blue boy conjures an orb of pale power in the palm of his hand; the indigo angel casting this bright ball down to the right while he dashes out to the left.

Coming from the very tunnels that their blue pursuit had flown through, Gigi, Toxi, and Charles all halt at the very center of the crossroad and gaze out in different direction as the goo girl between them wonders aloud: “Where the hell did that little blue bitch scurry off to?” “You two are seriously just gonna ignore me and not say what’s even happening?” the baby blue man questions. “We said later, Charles. We ain’t got time.” Toxi answers. Peering out towards the right tunnel, the blond notices a faint light glistening down the tunnel and suddenly races ahead as she claims that: “I see him! He went that way! Come on!” From the completely opposite tunnel, the blue boy glances out from behind a curving corner and watches all of the follow after the eagerly rushing blond; Tore letting out a relieved breath when the last of their figures disappear into the icy dark void.

Returning to venture through the shadowy ice caverns, Tore unfurls his wings and takes off further through the cold tunnels; his glowing wings reflecting off the dozens of still figures and animals that protrude out from the tunnel walls and ceiling. Despite able to carry the giant ring under his back with relative ease, his body’s constant shivering from the cold makes it rather difficult to keep it balanced in his hands; clutching the outer rim of the ring as much as he can as he continues to tremble. Holy frozen over hell, its even colder in here then when the annual blizzards pass by back in Canada. Without any sort of coat in here, it probably won’t be long before urine literally freezes from the inside. Imagine if you just had to piss out icicles out; good god, all the sharp ends would just tear apart your insides coming out. Just need to find Mall and we can finally get out of this oversize ice box.

Right upon thinking of his mentor does he start seeing the cosmic angel in the reflections of the icy statues; each one of them fluttering around and moving in their own unique way. All of them soon start leaping right out from the ice and gather before the young Kybr; Tore setting the golden search nod down to the side as he watches all of them meld together in a flash of glittering space; the cosmic veil disappearing to reveal Mall himself hovering before him. “There you are! I’m happy to see you’ve lost those three just in time for-” Before the spacial angel could speak any further on the matter, his pupil races right over and gives him a warming embrace; constantly shivering against his waist as the boy utters: “Need to g-get warm...So cold in here...” “What prey tell happened to your coat?” “Long story...Just need s-some warmth...”

Looking down to his blue ward with concerning eyes, the cosmic angel grasps the panther pelt wrapped around him and slides it right off; dropping it onto the shivering young man and blanketing his bare body in its warn fur. “Seems you need this more than I do at the moment.” he states. Snuggling his cold chest in the pelts cozy warmth, Tore sighs out: “Ah, thank you...” “Its the least I can do for you after you have retrieved the search nod.  But I must ask, why didn’t you shrink it down to a more manageable size?” “I, uh...I had no idea how to.” “Well, I supposed now would be a good time to demonstrate.” the cosmic angel mentions as he hovers over to the size of the giant golden ring. Watching his spacial mentor approach the massive nod that he had carried over, Tore keeps his eyes on Mall as he rests the palm of his hand upon one of the many eyes littering the outer rim; the cosmic angel sending his own power through the eye and causing them all to glow out the very cosmo’s itself. With his very energy flowing through, the golden ring begin to rapidly shrink further and further; turning smaller until it fits into the palm of his hand. Revealing the very space within his own body, Mall tosses the precious golden nod straight into himself before turning back to his ward and elaborating on how: “These rings were designed to respond to a Kybr’s very soul; simply giving out your own power shall command it to resize itself whenever desired. Really, I couldn’t imagine how else Yabahoth was able to store away the nod within the tight nexus of this very mountain.”

“Oh yeah, Mall. I might’ve figured out what happened to Yabahoth. See, we found this massive beating heart encased in an ice block and rooting all these veins throughout the whole mountain; all of it constantly creating all these icy animals and people that live all in the inside. You said that he was like a guru that could communicate and become one with solid matter; what if that’s was happened?” The cosmic angel’s glare widens further and further as he continues to hear his young blue ward theorize about all of this; questioning his explanation with: “Tore...are you trying to suggest that he-” “I am. Mall, that heart I found was a part of him. He became one with the mountain itself. I mean, I never thought in my life I would even think of something like this happening. Somebody becoming a part of nature itself and creating new animals. It’s like...” Tore speaks starts to drag to a crawl when finding his cosmic mentor left looking down to the icy veins beneath his feet, left in a trembling silents upon this newfound knowledge. “Mall...What’s wrong?” “Of all the places you could have chose for your final resting place...If circumstances had been different, Yabahoth. This entire mountain would collapse underneath me...”

Seeing the man left enraged by this realization, Tore approaches his side and grasps his arm; attempting to reach out to him with: “Mall...” Snapping out from his anger, the cosmic angel gazes down upon his ward as Tore claims how: “We got what we came for. Let’s just leave.” The indigo angel’s very words calm the cosmic Kybr’s boiling fury; Mall letting out a deep breath before uttering: “You’re right…All I wish to do now is simply leave and put this accursed place behind. Let us continue.”

As the two angel start their spelunking trek through the icy tunnels, the blue boy wrapped in the panther pelt then wonders aloud: “I wonder if those two girls managed to find their friends.” “Oh don’t worry. I’m sure that they have.” Mall assures while sending out a small wave of his spacial power through the caverns. These waves give the cosmic angel the very image of all five of them having been reunited; all the while running for their very lives away from the very same icy ogre.

----------------------------------------------------

And here is the other half of this narrative, the events that had transpired here explain what happened in the last chapter. This little experiment was fun to do; but were getting closer to the end, and to the truth. Stick around

[bittersweetmigraine]

I hate liars. (chapter 2)

Author’s note: first of all, finally decided on a face for our villain and he is the actor Dong Ha (whose real name is Hyungyu and I know he’s not actually petite but I wanted him to be so yeah). His portrayal of a psychopath in Suspicious Partner was so chilling, he’s the first one that came to mind. Hope you’re not disappointed with that. second, I might have gone slightly overboard. This is waaaaay longer than the first chapter and idk whether this is the kind of lengthy chapter you’d like or whether shorter ones would be better. Please let me know! Other than that, I hope you enjoy~

Genre: mafia!AU, very graphic imagery, attempted suicide, suicidal thoughts, mention of rape (if you’re not comfortable with any of those themes, please do not read) // female mc

Word count: 5147.

Summary: You never really knew how your father got involved in a gang but you knew what he did for a living, for the most part. When a rival gang comes to get what they’re due and your father refuses, everything turns to horror.

chapter one • chapter three

The whole ride to their HQ was a complete blur. You vaguely remember the tall blonde-haired man lifting you up into his arms and bringing you over to a big black range rover, putting you in the front seat and putting your seatbelt on. After that, you only remember the streets of Seoul, flashing before your eyes. Your head leaning on the cold hard glass window, you stared at passerby as they looked back at you before glancing away rapidly. Your entire world seemed to be falling apart piece by piece as you moved further away from your father and closer to what was going to be your future. You thought of running away. You thought of suddenly opening the car door when the driver stopped at a red light but you didn't have the strength to bring that thought into motion. You just stayed there, motionless.

You finally arrived at your destination. Even then, you didn't move an inch. The door you were leaning on opened and you didn't bother putting any effort into staying upright and simply started falling towards the ground. Two strong arms caught you, lifting you up like they had off of the ground just an hour ago. You lifted your chin slightly, staring at the man who was walking you to your ill-fated destiny. He didn't look like the normal gangster. He had soft eyes and an innocent smile. You couldn't help but wonder how someone who looked so pure and so soft could end up the right-hand man to someone so despicable. You turned your head slightly to the side, examining the place he was moving towards. You were standing in an alley that couldn't fit more than one car at a time. There were shops on each side of the road ranging from pawn shops to restaurants, to dry-cleaners. It looked like every other neighborhood in Seoul. Except it wasn't. A dark alleyway was squeezed in between one of the many pawn shops and a garage from where big men all wearing black were coming out to see the show. Nothing but muscle and fat on their body and you instantly knew they were the brute force of the organization. The men you ordered to fight for you. They were part of the organization but not a single person here was important. Or indispensable. They all l looked at you like you were a piece of meat, each making their assessments on your level of beauty. 'She's cute. I could break her from her single hip thrust though.' 'Not exactly my type but then again, who cares about looks when you take them from behind.' 'Look at Daniel go, already's got hands all over her. Isn't she supposed to be the boss' son's girl?' Dry laughter followed every remark. As the last man finished his statement, you felt the man who was holding you tense up before he sent a death glare towards that group. Daniel. So that's his name. And from what you could understand, he seemed like someone who had some power.

As Daniel brought you towards the main entrance through the dark alley, you felt a shiver run down your spine. The shadows playing on the walls looked like creatures from your nightmares and you curled up against his chest. You felt his grip on you tighten slightly as he moved you back up towards his chest, grabbing you firmly. The narrow alleyway led you to a big double door that looked to be the entrance to about a three-story building. You looked up at the sky, trying to remember the shape of every cloud that was passing overhead. For some reason, you had a bad feeling this would be your last opportunity to enjoy being outside before a long, long time. The man who had murdered your father came up from Daniel's right and looked straight at you. His hand came up to stroke your cheek and you froze in fear. Your mind went back to the slap. You could still feel the vibrations it had sent through your body. "Good girl." he whispered as his fingertips grazed your lips, before nodding towards the two body guards guarding the door. They each opened a door and the man walked in first, hands behind his back, a little spring to his step. Your hand came up to Daniel's shoulder and you squeezed it tightly. He looked down at you, surprised to see you move. He didn’t think you’d have the strength. 'Save me.' were the two words you mouthed to him, fear making your irises tremble. He looked you straight in the eye and nodded ever so slightly as to not attract any unwanted attention before he made his way into the building.

You took a look around. Everything looked so terrifying. From the velvet rug that drew a path to a very large staircase to the piles of cocaine being hidden away, everything felt so unfamiliar. Even though you knew, for the most part, what your father did for a living, you never got involved. He never wanted you to. So you never witnessed the drug deals, weapon exchanges, and other illegal acts your father may have committed. To be exposed to all of it, in all its putrid magnificence, you weren't prepared for that. "Daniel, take her upstairs." The blonde-haired man nodded, a 'yes, hyungnim' brushing past his lips before he took long strides towards the staircase. It was the kind of staircase that fanned at the bottom, slightly narrowed down before opening up in a little area. Two second sets of stairs started off on both sides, allowing you to get to the second floor. The area in between the two floors opened up on a cozy living room kind of area. Two sofas were facing each other, separated only by a small marble table, an enormous fireplace taking the center stage of it all. You drank it all in, trying to remember every detail about this place. Even in this kind of situation, the lessons your father had taught you were shining through. After you had found out about his true identity, your father had taught you how to defend yourself. You knew the basics of self-defense but what he had put a lot of emphasis on was knowing your surroundings. You were only as strong as your knowledge of the space you were in. Escape routes, placements of guards, weapons, you should always be aware of where the threat lies and the easiest way for you to escape. That's what he had taught you. And despite the burning pain boring a hole through your heart, you followed his teachings. After examining your surroundings, you looked up at Daniel and at the tiny bead of sweat that dripped from his forehead. Your hand came up naturally and wiped it off. He looked quite surprised and stopped just a little short of the second set of stairs. A faint smile appeared on your face as you croaked out an "I can walk." He shook his head and started off again, heading upstairs.

He finally put you down in front of a wooden door at the end of a long hall. Looking from the outside, you had never expected the interior of this place to be so big. They sure did a good job finding a hideout. You could hate them with every fiber of your body, but you had to give them at least that, they were quite good at being the villains. You put your hand on the doorknob, slowly turning it. Your heart was racing, not knowing what you had to expect. But you could feel his presence behind you. His overwhelming warmth engulfing you and giving you to courage to push the door open. You entered a big rectangle room. At the center of the room, pushed up against the opposite wall was a magnificent ebony four-poster bed. The burgundy sheets flowed down to the floor in a wave of silky beauty but you couldn't help but notice the white shirt, sprawled out on the bed. A man's shirt. You turned around, seeing Daniel close the door behind the two of you. "Where are we?" You knew exactly where you were. You knew what was waiting for you. But in your hopeful foolishness, you wished Daniel would tell you otherwise. "Your room." he said in a low voice, turning back towards you. "Mine alone?" You saw the hurt in his eyes. He didn't want to do this to you. And yet it was his place to shatter your last sliver of hope. "Yours and Hyunggyu hyungnim." Your face fell. He wasn't joking when he said he wanted to take you as his wife. It wasn't just something he said out of the blue to drive your father to his limits. He actually intended to make you his wife. You felt acid crawling up your throat and you rushed to a door on your right, hoping to find a bathroom. You opened it hastily and to your luck, it was indeed a master bathroom. You emptied your already empty stomach in the toilet bowl, flushed and steadied yourself on the nearby sink. You looked at yourself and had you not known you were looking at your reflection, you wouldn't have recognized yourself. In under two hours, bags had appeared under your eyes like you had been awake for 48hours straight. Your eyes were bloodshot red and drool was dripping from the corner of your mouth. You took some water in your hands and washed your face, trying to scrub off this horrible nightmare your life had just become. You heard steps coming from behind you as you saw Daniel appear into view, leaning on the doorframe. You turned the water off and crawled your way to him. You took his hand into yours, tears prickling at the corner of your eyes. "I thought you'd help me. I know what I saw. You nodded. I know you did." He squatted down in front of you and brought you back up to your feet. He moved you towards the bed and had you sit down as he lowered himself to your eye level. "I will." Even though you didn't know this man, at all, his words appeased you. For some strange reason, you felt like you could count on him. "But I can't do that right now. You'll have to endure it for a while." Fear seeped into your bones as you thought about having to live next to a man you already despised. You look at Daniel straight in the eye and he gave you a faint smile that only fueled your fire. They do say that in desperate times, you tend to do dumb things. Like, put your trust in people you shouldn't. "Forget it." The venom dripping from your every word was chilling to the core. "I don't even know why I thought you'd be any different. You're all one of the same." You spat out, turning away from him. He opened his mouth to protest, to tell you he wasn't like his boss, he truly did want to help you but not everything was that easy. He couldn't simply whisk you away without any consequences. But before a single sound could escape his lips, a loud knock was heard and Daniel stood straight up, taking a step away from you. A boy of small stature poked his head through the door. His skin was pale and his eyes perfect almonds. You had no idea how someone so young could find themselves intertwined in this kind of business. "Hyung, Hyunggyu hyungnim is looking for you." "Thanks, Jihoon-ah, I'll be right down." The younger boy nodded and closed the door behind him. Daniel came right back to your side, taking your hands in his. You ignored him and looked elsewhere. "I won't let him hurt you, that I promise." Your heart was racing in your chest but still pretended to ignore him. He sighed heavily before leaving the room quietly, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Daniel went back downstairs, looking for Hyunggyu. He found him lounging on a sofa, a beautiful woman on his lap. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the actions of his elder. Daniel and Hyunggyu went way back. Despite the four year difference, they were always like brothers. They were inseparable. That was until Daniel and his parents got kidnapped as collateral. Daniel made it out alive, but his parents didn't. They weren't deeply rooted in the system but they were associated with Hyunggyu's dad who ran everything around here and got caught in the crossfire. Daniel was only 8. After that day, Daniel was never really the same. He still was his cheerful self but he had his dark times. Moments when everything would come back to him. Because he was there. He witnessed everything. And for an 8-year-old to witness the murder of his parents, it'd be an understatement to say that it shocked him to his core. Hyunggyu's dad ended up adopting him and treated him as his son ever since, which didn't sit well with his biological son. Let's just say that Hyunggyu didn't mind sharing with friends but sharing with an adoptive brother when your father clearly favors him, is hard to deal with when your ego is the size of Manhattan. The black-haired man looked at his younger brother through hooded eyes, gritting his teeth. "How's my fiance doing?" Daniel's hand formed into a fist and he faked a smile, knowing better than to challenge Hyunggyu when it came to you. "She's adapting. Trying at least." That forced a chuckle past Hyunggyu's lips as his eyes darkened and he got up, throwing the woman he had on his lap to the side. "Guess I'd better help her get acclimated then." The smirk on his face was sickening. Daniel was clenching his fist so hard his knuckles turned white and his fingernails dug into the palm of his hand. Hyunggyu went past him, patting his shoulder before heading upstairs, whistling. Hyunggyu wasn't always like this. He hadn't always been this shell of a human being, void of emotions. But it was who he had become and knowing what he was capable of and knowing where he was headed made Daniel sick to his stomach. He gritted his teeth until his jaw hurt and with fists still clenched, he made his way outside.

He didn't really know where he wanted to go but he knew he needed to get out of there, as far away from Hyunggyu as possible. Before he did something stupid. He wandered down the dark alleyway he had brought you down just moments before. Your face popped up in his mind. Your hand, clutching at his shoulder, your eyes filled with fear as you tentatively asked him to save you. You had no idea who he was. You had no idea what his reaction was going to be. He could have just told his boss right away as they laughed about it together and you got tortured some more. But still, you took a chance. You took a chance on him. And knowing he was leaving you to the wolves was killing him. He was just hoping to any god that'd listen to him, that nothing happened to you. He'd figure it out. He'd figure out a way to get you to safety. Soon. He came out of the alleyway and moved towards the car repair shop that was on his left. It wasn't exactly a normal garage as it belonged to their gang but they did actually repair their own cars so it did have a semblance of being an actual shop. He wandered in and spotted a sedan that the boys had just finished working on. "Mind if I take her for a drive?" Everyone knew Daniel and just his presence intimidated them. They all nodded rapidly as one of the younger guys handed him the keys, looking at the ground. Daniel hopped in and started driving, not really knowing where he was going. He drove and kept on driving. He didn't really have a destination in mind yet but after about an hour of driving, he realized where he had been headed all along. As he walked towards the front door, he remembered your face when you heard the gunshot and his heart broke in half. He had witnessed countless murders and had to continue living with the images of the heartbroken families they had left behind. But never before had he been this heartbroken. He pushed open the front door and the air reeked of blood and bodily fluids. He brought a hand up to his nose and moved towards the main hall. As he saw your father, bathing in his own blood, bits and pieces of his brain stuck to the floor and nearby wall, for the second time in his life, Daniel had to look away.

Daniel gathered his thoughts and moved towards the back of the restaurant. Through the kitchen window, he discovered a backyard but no back door. He went back outside, trying not to look at your father. He found a tiny path hugging the right-side wall of the restaurant leading towards the backyard. He walked around, basking in the peace and quiet that the little garden was allowing him, in the middle of this city that never sleeps. As he moved towards the back of the backyard, he spotted what looked like a gravestone in the far corner. Upon inspection, he realized the grave must have belonged to your mother. He had heard of the stories. One of Hyunggyu's dad’s proudest moments. The sick fuck. Daniel discovered a run-down shed, hugging the back wall of the building. He made his way inside and found a shovel, a pick and a big bag of quicklime. A soft sigh escaped his lips as the thought hit him. Your father must have always had everything one needed to bury a body in this shed. And that was one of the most depressing things he could think of. Whether he was always getting ready to bury one of his men or whether he wanted everything ready for when this moment happened, the simple thought was heartbreaking. The last thing he could do for his daughter was to prevent her from having to go buy the supplies she needed to bury her own father. When you're in the mafia, most of the time, you don't get to have a real place to rest after your death. Your family, unlike the rest of the world, does not get to have a place to go and visit you after your death. Most of the time, you end up being thrown into a communal grave where every single man who died during a fight ends his days. That's the sad reality of their world. Only the lucky few get to rest in peace after living such a hard life. After everything that had happened today, and everything that was going to happen from now on, if this was one of the only nice things Daniel could do for you, he was going to put his all into it.

After about six hours of digging, some more digging, some heavy lifting and a lot of cleaning, Daniel was putting the last of the soil on your father's grave. Before putting him in the ground, he had noticed this watch you father was still wearing. He didn't know whether this was a good or a terrible idea but he took it off his still warm wrist and put it in his pocket. Whether this was going to infuriate you or appease your hurt in some way, he had no idea of knowing. And frankly, that scared him shitless. That he could be the one bringing you more pain when all he wanted to do was help you through this tough time. But what was done was done. He moved a big rock on top of the freshly made grave to prevent any stray cat from becoming grave robbers. That’s something you learn from experience. He went back into the restaurant one last time, taking a look around. He hadn't forgotten any spots, no one would ever know they were there had it not been for the note he placed on one of the counters in the kitchen. 'Your boss is dead. Buried him in the backyard. His daughter is with us. Don't try anything stupid. -The Crimson Roses' Voices could be heard from outside. For a second, Daniel thought he was screwed but he thought back to the kitchen window and made his way through it with difficulty before four large men made their way through the door. With your father's watch in his pocket, he sprinted back to the car, hopping back into the sedan and made his way back to HQ, his heart still racing.

After Daniel left you alone with your thoughts, you stayed completely frozen on the bed for a couple of minutes before you finally decided to move. You dragged yourself to the bathroom, closing the door behind you. You moved towards the bathtub and drew yourself a nice hot bath. You needed it, badly. You took off all of your clothes, discovering the bruises Hyunggyu had left on your body when he threw you on the ground earlier that day. You traced the bluish stain on your arm and hip, wincing as even a simple touch sent a shot of pain through your whole body. You tentatively entered the bathtub, letting the warmth of the water relax your every muscle. You stared at the ceiling, wondering whether your father would be able to make it to paradise. Not that you particularly believed in all that crap but the thought alone helped you cope a little. You closed your eyes and you felt yourself slowly sliding down. Your body kept sliding, and sliding, and sliding until your entire head was submerged in water. For the first time that day, you felt at peace. A few bubbles of oxygen escaped your lips and you imagined them popping as they reached the surface, releasing a scream as loud as your pain into the world. You felt the air in your lungs slowly becoming rarer. Your heart was racing in your chest, your mind was blank, your lungs were screaming. You wanted this. Or did you? Your mouth slightly opened and as you drank some water, almost as a primal instinct, you flung your entire body out of the water, choking on the tiny bit that had entered your lungs. You hit your chest, spitting out every last drop of water that entered your body and you started sobbing. You couldn't even manage to kill yourself. How pathetic was that? You heard a door slam as you jumped at the sudden sound, tears stuck in your eyes. You got out of the tub and dried yourself. You put the same clothes back on, those same clothes with blood stained elbows and a rip at the knee. You exhaled deeply before opening the door to your bedroom. You tried scanning the room but couldn't see everything due to the way the door opened. You peeked your head out and saw him. You froze in place for a second before jumping right back into the bathroom. Even the sight of him terrified you. "Don't be afraid. Come over here." You heard him call out. After a few seconds too long, you heard a loud sigh and some inaudible rambling. "I told you to come over here. Right. Now." The tone of his voice had changed and no matter how badly you wanted to stay hidden in the very bathroom you thought of taking your own life in, you wandered out. You closed the bathroom door behind you, turning slowly towards him but not moving a step. His suit vest was hanging on the armrest of the chair next to the door to the bedroom. He was sitting at the end of the bed, taking his cufflinks off, neatly placing them on the nearest nightstand. He looked at you through hooded eyes, a slight smirk plastered on his face. "Come over here. I'm not going to eat you." His voice was sweeter but you could hear the fakeness in his tone. Still, absolutely terrified, you made your way over to him as he started unbuttoning his shirt. You stood about a meter away from him, completely stiff when he took your wrist and brought you over to him. His arms found their way around your waist as he buried his face in the valley between your breasts. His grip on your hips tightened as it took everything in you not to scream out of pain. He nuzzled his nose down to your bellybutton, inhaling, taking in your scent. Silent tears started to roll down your eyes as you were completely frozen in place. His hands kept stroking your lower back as he placed his chin on your stomach, looking up at you. Seeing your contorted face, a silent tear rolling down your face, he almost felt hurt you could find him so repugnant. That fleeting thought soon enough left his mind as he gripped onto your hips even harder and threw you down on the bed. You yelped in surprise and in pain, your arms coming up to your chest as to prevent him from intruding your space even further. You dared looked into his eyes and what you saw sent a shiver down your spine. He was looking right back at you and his eyes were the color of the midnight sky, filled with lust. His right hand came up to your shoulder as he grazed your skin with his fingertips. His hand moved down your side, to your hip. He slowly moved your shirt up, revealing the bruises he has inflicted upon you. His fingertips grazed the bruise. His fingers were freezing to the touch, 'as cold as his heart' you thought. You bit your lip, keeping yourself from screaming. You weren't going to give him that joy. "Did I do that?" he said, a fake pout finding its way onto his face. He brought his lips down to your hip, placing a wet kiss on the bruise. And another slightly higher up. And another at the hem of your bra. His lips parted with your skin as you closed your eyes tight, hoping this moment would stop if you wished hard enough for it. A slight chuckle escaped his lips at your reaction. He brought his face closer to your ear. "There's nothing to be afraid of, princess." He whispered in your ear, his warm breath on your neck sending a chilling shiver down your spine. His lips moved to your neck as he started sucking on the supple flesh while his right hand moved down to your thigh. He placed his hand on the outside of your knee, slowly bringing it higher up. When he brought his hand to the inner part of your thigh, your instinctively brought your legs together, locking his hand in place. He instantly froze and you did as well, absolutely terrified of what he'd do to you for having dared refuse him what he wanted. He brought both his hands right next to your head, supporting his weight as he towered above you. You opened your eyes and your gazes locked together. You were sure he could see the absolute terror he was inflicting on you and it looked like he liked it. "I'm letting you off this time, princess. Your father did just die." In a flash, he was off of you, sitting at the edge of the bed like you had found him earlier. He finished taking his shirt off and revealed multiple scars that painted his back. He got up and turned towards you, pointing a disapproving finger at your frozen figure. "But don't you dare do that again. Reject me all you want, you're still mine." His words tore through you as he headed for the bathroom, smirking. He slammed the door and you jumped, not quite processing everything that had just happened.

You stayed there for a couple of minutes, just lying there, unable to forget his hands on you. You could still feel every single stroke of his rough hand, every wet impact of his lips on your skin and it made you feel sick to your stomach. You wanted to scrub your skin till it turned raw only so you could feel less dirty but he was in there. And you weren't about to go outside looking for another bathroom. Instead, you took a pillow, squeezed it in between your legs and curled up into a ball on one side of the bed. Silent tears were streaming down your face and you couldn't do anything to stop the current. Every trace that each tear left on your cheeks felt like burning fire but you simply couldn't stop. It was like your body was determined to empty your body till the very last drop. That's how you fell asleep, out of exhaustion. Curled up on a stranger's bed that felt as cold as the morning breeze on a January morning. That night you dreamt of your parents. You dreamt of the night you found your father holding your mother's limp body in his arms. You remember the venom dripping from his tongue and the look of defeat in his eyes. You also dreamt of your father and his two fallen front teeth. You dreamt of the gunshot that ended his life and of his lifeless body probably still lying on the cold hard tiles of the restaurant. You dreamt of them, meeting up in paradise and looking down at you. You heard your mom's voice calling out and your body slightly relaxed at the sound of her voice. "You'll do great, sweetheart. I know you're strong enough to get through this. Choose the right allies. Fool the right people. In this game you're about to play, you either win, or you die."

This chapter touched on very sensitive subjects. If any of my readers would like to talk, in private or through anon messages, don’t hesitate. I’m always there for you.

[worldbuildingworkshop]

Worldbuilding Tutorial #8: Example World A

Intro This will cover designing cultures from at least one group of all three species in this world: fey, humans, and elves. Because we’re starting to go into more detail I’m having to narrow the focus; just like we went from one world to an entire continent, I’m now going from one continent to one region within that continent. It will be the southern third, as seen below.

Due to space I can only go into brief detail with each of these. In further tutorials I will narrows the focus even more to just a couple; but it’s important to flesh all of these out with the basics so that there’s a sense of the context that the detail of individual cultures can exist in.

Region #1: Fey

The northern half of the moors here are home to a type of fey that would be classified as “unseelie” fey. Culturally, fey are very individual; day-to-day life is not governed by laws, but rather the feelings and whims of individual fey. “Unseelie” fey tend to manifest this in a way that emphasizes competition, and competition that tends to turn nasty at that: tricks, pranks, sabotage, and bloodshed, all for the cause of outcompeting your opponents and leaving them scrambling in the dust. For these fey, the wiliest ones live the longest, and thus as a whole being cunning and devious is valued - and coveted - highly. Long-lasting bonds are more often made out of jealousy or mutual hatred than out of friendship, and enemies are generally much easier to come by than friends amongst the unseelie. As a whole they also have a long-standing hatred of the seelie fey to the south, and have been known to temporarily join forces to pull some kind of ill-willed “prank” on their neighbors.

Due to the nature of the moors upon which they live, these fey tend to favor misdirection and hidden things over brute force. The moors are full of plants that cause visions, sleep, and loss of sense of time; gates and thresholds that lead to feyspaces; and a lot of fossils, which among other things are going to give off a lot of memories. It’s a much better use of magic to be clever with these elements and use them to turn your opponents upside-down than to blast them to smithereens - and a use that requires more cunning - so that is what the unseelie here do. They hoard stones from which to “feed” off of the magic they give, and around these hoards craft a safe place they can also use to sleep (often filled with traps for possible invaders); the stones they generally prefer are fossils, because they feed on the memories left there too.

Region #2: Fey

The southern half of the moors are populated with a kind of fey classified as “seelie”. Like the unseelie fey (and indeed all fey), seelie fey are highly individual and don’t live their day-to-day life following particular laws or codes - just whim. Unlike unseelie fey they don’t have a strident sense of competition and indeed much more inclined to benevolence; they see themselves as caretakers of the world and its creatures. This is not to say that they have no conflicts - quite the opposite, as any two entities with good intentions can still get in one anothers’ way. There are an assortment of rivalries that have developed over time, but they tend to be tamer and centered around pranks with little intent of causing actual lasting damage or harm. They certainly do cooperate as well; some have hidey-holes like the unseelie in the northern marsh (but they aren’t as heavily trapped), but others will line communal areas with rocks to serve as a place to rest and rejuvenate for any who pass through. These areas are the inspiration for the stone labyrinths and circles that are built by non-fey (more on that later).

Fey in this region prefer to feed off of more normal gemstones rather than fossils - they find that the memories contained in the fossils tend to impact them in unpleasant ways and come with a lot of “baggage” that other stones don’t have. Their interaction with the landscape is also different, though just like the unseelie they also live on the misty moors; rather than using it primarily as a tool to undermine others, they simply use it as a way to control their own space. If there’s something they don’t want to interact with, they simply slip away. If there’s something they want to watch without being seeing, they use the mists to do so. Sometimes they will harvest some of the herbs there to exchange with humans for unusual gemstones; sometimes they will allow humans to do the harvesting themselves, if they have a particular tolerance or like of a particular person. 

Region #3: Humans

The humans who live in this region are generally farmers and herders. They tend towards hardy stock in both cases - goats and sheep for livestock, and hardy root vegetables and grains. Oxen mostly exist as draft animals, and keeping horses or poultry is unheard-of. Most of the rhythms of the year are ones determined by the crops and harvest, as well as the harsh winter storms and long days and nights near the solstices. There is very little time for leisure; what time isn’t spent planting, harvesting, and preserving is spent repairing tools and building houses or sheds or fences (if you are a man), or spinning yarn and making clothing (if you are a woman). Leisure tends to look like evening gatherings in a communal barn with plenty of ale and a big fire.

The community structure generally looks like lots of independent villages. There are no large cities, nor any capitals; individual villages may be friendly with each other, but rarely do they share any kind of official alliance or common governance. Generally there is a particular man with the community’s respect who becomes head of the village; if he is suddenly incapacitated, his wife is allowed to take over for him until a suitable replacement is found. Some villages also deviate from this structure - this is just the most common format. 

Region #4: Humans

Crops do not grow particularly well in this region, especially the southern and coastal areas. Instead, this region is much more reliant on fishing and hunting in the ocean for resources. Some livestock - mostly heavier yak-like creatures that can withstand the cold - are kept as well as a supply of hide, milk, and meat. The fluctuation of day and night is even more stark here than in Region 3, and the weather harsher; some times of year are too stormy to be outside, especially in a fishing canoe, and people mostly keep to themselves inside. These elements are somewhat less severe on the eastern side of the region, where there is instead a greater reliance on gathering as well as woodcutting (most of which is used as fuel, for boats, or else traded north in exchange for food). 

As with Region 3, the community structure is as a number of small, unaffiliated villages without any kind of overhead government. Individual villages themselves are generally ruled by a small council of the village’s eldest men. Division of labor tends to fall in favor of men doing the fishing-related tasks and women doing the herding-related tasks, with both helping to strip carcasses and preserve the meat and other resources. The elder women are in charge of care taking of children and domestic activities. Leisure is taken during longer periods of heavy storms, mostly in the form of crafting competitions or storytelling.

Region #5: Fey

Even though the Feywood is several distinct pieces environmentally speaking, it’s one single region culturally speaking. Here the fey aren’t divided into seelie/unseelie; they are neither particularly benevolent nor terribly malicious - just prone to mischief, especially on wanderers-in to their woods but on one another. They also take great delight in taking the forms of animals (if they are able to do such things) and confusing the animals as well. The Feywood is also distinct in that space and time do not always work in a linear or steady fashion, and the wood is constantly phasing in or out of the fey realm to some degree. This is no issue for the fey, for whom the woods and the realm are sometimes one and the same, but poses problems for other beings. 

These fey are more prone to the antics of classic woods fey - which is to say, lots of parties and lots of indulging in various pleasures. These are the kind of fey who will seduce you one way or another and keep you there for a hundred years while you don’t age a day. They are very individual as with all other fey, and hold no particular cultural roles depending on age and sex and so on - except for the queen and king and their ladies and lords. These are not titles based on sex - you could have a male queen or a third/other gendered king - but more like roles that are filled. They have more to do with dealing with mortals than they have to do with internal fey politicking - sort of more like diplomats. Respected, but not bound to by the other fey of the feywood.

Region #6: Elves

The elves of this region are outcast from all the other regions, and very closed-off in turn. Trespassing humans are often killed; trespassing fey are usually not greeted quite as harshly, but usually there are an assortment of wards erected to keep them out in the first place. The landscape is very cold and very harsh; almost all food comes from hunting, especially larger mammals like walrus and whale, but also caribou and regular fish. Houses are usually half tunneled into the icy ground (using magic), and half built up from found stones or snow and ice. There is very little difference in gender role between men and women; usually it is only relevant in courtship, and even then only in the nuance of give-and-take. 

There is a hierarchy amongst the elves that is based primarily on age and secondarily on ability to perform - usually magical feats, but great hunters or fishers can also rise to high social standing. Magic is treated much like any other tool - useful, but potentially deadly when used wrong and to be treated with caution. Magical things and people who use them are often treated with a certain level of suspicion and never fully trusted by the rest of the community. 

------------

Those are the basics for the cultures in this region of the continent. It is unfortunately unlikely that I will flesh out other regions, because I want there to be as much context for explaining and describing as possible, which necessitates working on the same area the whole time. 

[theworstjedi]

The Differences between Kurt and Quirt

Part 1 Part 2

He felt a tab of leather he’d just cut off of a rusted farming tool that had been using it as a grip. It was tough and ill-taken care of but beating the material and then curing it with some of the plant pressed oils had brought the material back to life overnight. He traced the square’s edge until he found the uppermost left corner and pushed the needle through it. It threaded into the other square pieces forming a sort of leather chain mail shroud. Friyr sussed out the row of squares above the one he’d just stitched and pressed the needle through the top, binding them together. The needle stabbed into the meat of his finger, and he pulled it free. He could smell the copper. He pressed the finger to his mouth without thinking and was… lost

Elutherius looked at Kurt. Kurt looked back at him. Force, he was alien and handsome all at once; Elutherius didn’t feel like he’d seen Kurt, really seen him in years. Not that Elutherius could remember. He didn’t look pleased. His eyes flicked over Elutherius. They matched in color. Yellow.

“Since you’re talking,” Kurt began coldly. “I suppose you can tell me why you came home with barrack lung last week.” It wasn’t a question.

“What?” Irritated blood dripped down Friyr’s lips, and he licked at it absently. The rasp in his voice traveled deeper as Kurt mentioned it. The last vestiges of what had been a deep-rooted pain ran in rivulets down his chest and into his lungs that ached as he breathed.

“I—” Elutherius hacked a cough behind clenched lips.

“Small price for ruling the world.”

“—was sick?”

Kurt’s gaze betrayed nothing, but Elutherius could sense liability calculations behind his eyes. “I took you to the infirmary last week. You fought me every step of the way.”

The pressure of cuffs around his wrists, manifested and then disappeared, but no recollection was forthcoming.

“Barrack lung is a slave illness, is it not? We get yearly vaccinations for it; most slaves don’t.”

Elutherius drifted past Kurt and back into the downpour outside the enclave. Danara doubled over in a cough stifled against his shoulder as he pressed a hand to her chest.

Elutherius paled. “I don’t know, Kurt.”

“Gundark scum, you don’t know,” the Pureblood snapped in his infuriatingly cold tone and turned heel. Elutherius saw his uniformed back pause in the sliding doorway in the flickering light of the mirror. “I’m trying to help you; must you make everything so damn difficult? Get your vaccinations.”

Elutherius didn’t answer, and he left the Sith human in the room, the candles dripping into the counter.

Friyr’s memory swam, until it dropped off into the next thing he recalled. Kurt in a tent. “You’re a Blood traitor, Wax.” Smoke. Ash. A lush planet turning into chemical and char. Friyr shook his head and closed his eyes.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in the creaky wooden chair. It was plain but strong underneath his weight. He could hear water from the irrigation canal outside, and the call of the farmer’s wife to the orobirds as she rounded them up for slaughter. They’d scream soon then fall silent. Friyr didn’t remember everyone he’d ever seen die, but he didn’t expect to find Denara among them. In that moment, he wished he didn’t remember.

When he hadn’t, she had been alive and enslaved in Kaas City with the Mandalorians – who had the capability to be kind to Imperial slaves. They didn’t understand it – not having it in their culture – so they were kind. He liked to believe she was still alive because Brae had been a man, and he had taken an interest in the slaves of the state that found themselves working most days in the Mandalorian enclave. Though preventing wanton death? Friyr didn’t consider him charitable to Dar’Manda.

                       Friyr paused, his stitching in hand then set it aside for the thick strip of leather instead. Oil rubbed off on his fingers. He had to press the scissor blades against the resistance of the material until it parted, like flesh under a knife. Friyr’s shoulders drew together. These weren’t memories he wished to recount.

Had there been nothing worth recounting in his life? Nothing but blood, disproval of love, sweat? Friyr had always been few on tears because when one always danced close to a precipice, nearly falling was nothing to cry about. But even the times he’d been happy proved…difficult ass an adult as he recounted the people involved in it being his captors. Though—at the same time, when one lived in difficult confines, one found happiness where one could; that couldn’t be changed. Well. Friyr had few sublime memories, but they were far from constantly bad. In retrospect…perhaps they were difficult, but he hadn’t been tormented.

“Do you not know how to count?”

“No.”

Friyr rarely recalled his childhood; it was a series of events in the past, and he had never been one to dwell. The Master Tabris, Teran – they seemed to find that mindset dishonest. Friyr didn’t keep secrets so much as he didn’t care about decisions that ad already been made indelible. He didn’t think they’d understand. The Jedi constantly pushed for reflection, and Friyr had admittedly little to do aside from reflect.

“What do you mean? Why?”

Quirt sounded accusatory, as though it were the slave’s fault he couldn’t count.

“I wasn’t taught, Master W’ks.”

Fryer grit his teeth through the admission. No. No. Not Fryer. Not that name the Mandalorians had affectionately called him. Elutherius. His legal name, which was what proper people should go by the tiny Pureblood had insisted. Elutherius. Elutherius.

“Why?”

“I’m a slave, Master W’ks.”

“My father’s slave knows how to read and count.”

Elutherius knew he could pin the little wretch in two seconds if he wanted. It wasn’t that Elutherius was bothered by cruelty but by the childishness of it. Quirt W’ks was little more than a stupid little brute stuffed into expensive clothes.

“I wasn’t that type of slave,” Elutherius answered evenly. He placed his hands behind his back and cupped them. “I used to take care of the citadel buildings and run errands.

Quirt stood there silently as he thought it over. His small brain trying to puddle through its narrow view of the world. The red blur framed by the gloomy blue lighting walked over to what Elutherius had come to understand was a bag by the window. Quirt kept school things in there. He set what sounded like the clunk of a holo on his desk and a short fat arm gestured to its seat.

Elutherius rubbed his skinny forearm and pressed his lips together. Apparently baby fat stayed longer the more one ate. He walked over to where he thought his new master had gestured and stood there.

“Sit down,” the boy huffed.

Elutherius fought hesitation as he sat. This felt—wrong.

Quirt placed the holo in front of him.

“You can listen can’t you?”

Elutherius nodded, then said “May I speak please, Master? I have something to add.”

Quirt liked submission. He was ewasy to placate in that fashion, Elutherius found.

“Make it quick.”

“I can count in my own way. By touching things, like the grooves on credits. It’s easier than learning numbers. I can’t even see them anyway.”

“That… doesn’t sound…proper.”            Elutherius bit down a sigh. Nodded. And humored the boy while fighting his own embarrassment. He tried earnestly, but the concepts built on other things he hadn’t learned and a world that suddenly made sense to Elutherius didn’t any longer.

“You’re stupid, I suppose. I t can’t be helped,” Quirt sighed after days of the same stumbling repetition.

Elutherius didn’t think that was true, but he found these things incomprehensible. He supposed begrudgingly that it must be true in one way. Though, Quirt was especially dumb to Elutherius. He was loud, incorrigible, and had a nasty sadistic streak that had suffered Elly pain on more than one occasion. On the streets or in slave barracks? As a Mandalorian? Quirt would be eaten alive. Perhaps Elutherius wasn’t smart for an Imperial, but… Quirt was that, and he wasn’t. People grew into what they’d become, he realized with a yawned sort of worry. He’d become a good slave.

He twisted his thin tunic until it stung his already raw fingers. He had to find some way to escape before he grew too far into the lifestyle. He had to get off this planet.

[shared-diaries-online]

Entry 11 - Before We Get Ahead of Ourselves Part 2

December 4, 2018

Dear “Diary,”

         Last week was a bit of a fake out/bait and switch…. I know, and I’m sorry about that in so far as one can be sorry for something  that isn’t exactly their fault. And yes, I don’t think this is my fault because I had nothing to do with what happened other than being a target for its frequent beatings. I didn’t always think that way. But that’s something for my therapist to deal with. Or dealt with. Or will deal with.

         It’s been over ten years now, and I’m still a little raw about the whole thing, like I told the most beautiful woman who just happens to work in my office. After all, there’s a lot of uncertainty about what he would think of me now or the way I’m living my life or any of the many things I will be describing in this blog… One of my high school history teachers pointed out that, “nobody wins the ‘what-if’ game,” and I think she’s right. But believing something and practicing something are two very different things. Unfortunately.

         But I took a day off of work to work through my thoughts. To strip away the “what-if” from the truth. And I think I can tell this story now. Hopefully. If not, I wasted a perfectly good sick day.

         First, is this relevant? I think so. I think psychology would probably agree. My experience with my dad probably shaped so much of world view. Because, you know, I was a kid when all of this was happening, and as a kid, I was trying to learn what the world was like. And well… I learned pretty quickly that the world is a place where good people die. Some die quickly, some die slowly, and some people will suffer a lot before they do. And it seemed like there were some people who were destined to be in that latter group, so their suffering was inescapable. For a while, I worried my family was like that. Maybe it was a curse that was genetically passed down. It seemed to make sense if you heavily equate illnesses with suffering.

         Dad had, well, a lot of different things wrong with him. There’s several lines of diseases running in the family, and they all converged on him. The story goes that the asthma set in first. Then the kidney stones which were treated by taking most of the calcium from his diet. (I’m not a doctor, but that seem unwise.) His teeth soon fell out, and I can’t imagine his bones did much better. His knees and wrist went next. And there was some peace until his liver started acting up.

          The list of afflictions is longer than my time with him, and there was a long gap in my life when I didn’t bother to listen when my grandmother/his mother tried to fill the gaps. She thought I needed to know in case those genes were lurking in me, too. Of course, she was right about that. It’s my health we’re talking about, but at the time I didn’t care.

         Not that you do. It’s not relevant here except as justification for me to say that my dad’s body was a collection for ticking time bombs.

         When he and my mother were married, he was fairly healthy, as healthy as he had been. With a different team of doctors, Dad had everything in balance. So marrying him didn’t seem as much of a commitment as it turned out to be, and having a child with him didn’t seem as much of a bad idea.

         Not that I regret anything. I don’t regret being alive—even if I didn’t have a say in it. I don’t resent my mom for picking him as a husband. I don’t regret having him as a father. Despite everything, I had one of the best dad’s imaginable.

        But to get down into the actual details,  “everything” started when I was an infant, and one of his time bombs finally went off. It was the one in the center of everything: his heart, although that one didn’t feel as him-specific as any of his other afflictions. After all, a lot of people get heart attacks, but considering how many men in his family died that way, it sounds like part of the curse.

         When the surgeon came out, he was very blunt with my mom. Somehow, he wasn’t thrown off by the sight of a young mom holding an infant or that no one had come to the hospital to support the young family. Both things could be unsettling, but maybe he had seen it all before. Regardless, he managed to be truthful if not a bit cold about the whole thing. He told her that he’s not sure how my dad lived, and it certainly wasn’t anything the medical team did. After all, they’d had patients in his state before, and none of them made it.

         But my dad was different. And apparently Mom cried when she was told this and held me up wrapped in my blankets, swearing up and down that I was the reason why he pulled through. My dad was a stubborn man, you see, famously so. So in her mind, for the sake of his child, he had brute forced his way back to life.

         As unbelievable as it was, it certainly fit with his character, and he never denied her account. And neither can I, not with a straight face. Dad doted on me, his youngest child. Sure, we didn’t get much time with him, but the time we did get was pretty amazing. He did everything for me. He fought back so many afflictions for me.

         That sounds pretty noble, doesn’t it? A father going to superhuman lengths to parent his child. I’ll admit that it was. But the problem with that narrative is that it overlooks how weak we really are. It’s not quite the folly of mankind, but it’s kind of close. After all, death always gets its due. And it was due him.

         Look, what I’m trying to say is that Dad was inevitably going to die. There was going to be a time when he wasn’t going to have a say in it and then… He’d be gone.  Or he was gone.

         It was heart failure, which means that the organ which almost killed him got the last laugh. It just stopped working. Simple as that. Or not as simple. But that’s not something  I want to talk about just yet.

         Now where did that leave me? Wondering why I wasn’t good enough anymore. Why wasn’t I worth fighting for anymore? Why couldn’t he stick around a little longer?

         In many ways, this is why I think my dad is so relevant to my love life. He was the first perceived abandonment. Not truly an abandonment, but I couldn’t be expected to know the difference at my age. Especially when I was set up to look at it a certain way.

         That might be a bit vague. Or it is when I read it back over. Do you want more concrete stories? Is that going to help you understand?

Digitally yours,

Alex

Support the blog.

Find the whole story on shareddiaries.online/red

[khetali]

Zàyera City (Citè du Zàyera)

Zàyera City is the largest city on North Zàyera Island. It is the most pivotal city where just about anyone is welcome whether they are an Earth-native, a Zeraithe, or an extraterrestrial from another world. There are many prominent people and locales that reside in the City of Dragons. The city primarily consists of three major neighborhoods: the North City Development, City Center/Downtown, and the South City Expansion.

The North City Development is what can be described as groups of housing projects that have since been blighted. The City has since moved to condemn these blights, but there are residents who call these dilapidated structures home. It is a prime location for felonious crime.

Still within the NCD, the medical pride of the island was first built as a complex on the highway route leading out to Èiyaure County. Over the years since the 1940s the Zàyera Medical Complex was the central point for local medical research. Gradually, the older, outdated medical center was shuttered. However, one building stands out among the derelict complex: the Zàyera Institute for Children’s Mental Health—simply, CMH.

Children’s Mental Health is not an insane asylum for mentally ill children, rather it is a research observatory. Patients are received on a temporal basis for up to 14 days as allowed by state law—for special cases, 21 days. Two most prominent people have been patients at the facility. The previous Prince Zàichad Èiyaurëc and previous Blaize fortune heir Dràzden Auèserëc have been under the observation of renown psychologist Dr. William Raymond. Dr. Raymond of British descent had come to Zàyera to study the mental capacities of Zeraithe people, particularly the children. The CMH would just be another nameless building if it had not been for the orphan scandal it has suffered.

In the 1970s, the young Dr. Raymond had a hand in taking orphans from the nearby Celestic Gardens Orphanage. Within CMH, the basement (and sub-basement), seventh floor, and eighth floor were off limits to all staff except Dr. Raymond and his team. On those floors are machines and laboratories that specifically targeted forced mind alteration. It happens that children’s curiosities would start the evil ball rolling and the “wizard behind the curtain” is revealed.

This in turn leads to Celestic Gardens Orphanage in the NCD. The orphanage is a city-run facility for children up to 18 years old. The director of the orphanage was Griselda Gerard. Of course, in the 1970s and ‘80s lax oversight was apparent as Ms. Gerard ran the place like a fortress. Within, the teenage orphans ruled asserted their dominance over the younger children. Outstanding residents of the orphanage are Romayne Trevelyan, Sean Farrell, and Drake Cassidy. A few points about Ms. Gerard is that she was heavily vested in the occult and drugs to even worry about those she in charged to protect. Even the toughest of orphans cower in her presence when she is enraged. Years after her reign, Romayne, Sean, Drake, and other orphans lose their will to fight against her ingrained power, often reverting into a sense of subservience. A side note is that no orphans at Celestic Gardens are Zeraithes.

South of the North City Development is the City Center and Downtown. Wealth seems to grow as one drives from north to south. Herein are buildings of increasing height and multitudes of mirrored glass. Only one of these immense towers dominates the other market-seeking offices: Blaize Corporation Tower. Blaize Tower, for short, is the commercial stronghold of the nation’s most wealthy individual, Dràzden. He is the brute rival of the royal King Zàichad. Speaking of royalty, the majestic Zàyera Castle lies low among tall giants. It is a fantastical marvel that invokes the stylistic approach of fairytale castles rather than practical defense. It’s youthful, unblemished splendor is wasted as no sitting king or queen has seated there since the 1200s AD. The audience room is littered with modern, brown cardboard boxes of many sizes as if it were a lowly storage closet. The castle is unique in that it is fully constructed from materials imported from planet Zerài, the Zeraithe homeworld—no Earth-based cannon fire or ballistic missile can scratch Grand Zàyera.

Leaving finance and government while still downtown, there is entertainment. Plaize Khèntrico is a high-end outdoor mall situated around none other than Blaize Tower. While the plaza hosts expensive doodads at elegant boutiques, it also hosts extravagant bars and nightclubs that cater to just about every taste—there is entertainment for straight-seeking individual as well as those catering to the LGBT community. By LGBT, there is something for Tali Rathàniel, Dràzden’s business partner and best friend, to self acquaint himself with. Along with entertainment, there is sport. That is where the L’Aquila Dome comes in. The national sport of Zàyera is Luche! La Luche da la Championades de le Mond or Luche or LCM for short is hosted by Zàichad himself at the L’Aquila Dome. It is the most televised sport in the country, or else! The sport can be seen as a form of professional wrestling which includes its own brand of kayfabe.

Downtown cannot be fully witnessed if one were not to be educated. The scholarly Academie Auränd, simply known as Auränd Academy, has its campus a few blocks from the L’Aquila Dome. The school is situated in the Zàyera City School District; it is a public school without tuition. It is comprised of buildings for an elementary, a junior high, and a high school. The school still maintains its boarding houses, but it no longer boards students. Surrounding the mandatory school site is the Auränd State University at L’Aquila. University research comprises of Zeraithe studies in their magic system as well as their biology. By law, only ASU-LA can maintain such endeavor. One last thing is that ALL Zeraithes must take the Academy Exam even if they school elsewhere; if they do well, they get their name chiseled on the alumni wall at Main. To date, neither Zàichad nor Dràzden have attempted the exam, presumably their associates also.

As was said, the further south one goes, the more opulent the neighborhoods. The streets of the South City Expansion begin to line with large, needless living spaces. Well groomed lawns and parks mix in with classic hanging lantern shaped street lights. The Hill family residence is located in this neighborhood. Both Dane Hill and Kevin Hill made money off of their differing inventive ideologies. Kevin relies on genetic research, whereas Dane favors practical and useful tools. The Hills are both “unnatural” prodigies possessing superior intellect. Some other residents of the SCE are Zydanon O’Rourke and Wyzaron de Cerdaña both inheritors of separate family estates. The powerful women of Zàyera can’t go without saying Anastasia Remington’s name. Her family made their gold with the exploitation of alien artifacts.

In the SCE among the mansions and overly dressed convenience boutiques sits the Zàyera Center for the Gifted Intellect of Man. The CGIM is a place where Earth-native intellects can gather and share their insights of gifted knowledge. The building is distinguished by its cubic, neo-modern design in bright white; it is tucked away behind the mansions and gardens, seeking to be hidden from prying eyes. They do not allow extraterrestrials, including Zeraithes.

The city is not static with just its outstanding sights. Its people must be able to get around town and out of it. The city boasts a robust and reliable public bus system that runs just about every corner of the county as well as commuter end-of-lines at Èiyaure City and Auèsere City in their respective counties. Differently to the likes of New York City and Tokyo, taxi service is publicly owned and run in cooperation by the county and city government. The vehicles can go just about anywhere that the bus routes don’t allow. Of course, there is no law or ordinance prohibiting car ownership. A multi-lane freeway glides through the city as part of its journey to South Zàyera Island. The freeway also services the six other counties before crossing over the Ren Zàyera Bridge to Italy state. A little tidbit about the freeway is that it intentionally misses the other county seats in order to preserve their small town quaintness.

Rail, especially light rail is huge in Zàyera City. The city prefers light rail to metros or subways. The many lines criss-cross the city to provide expedited service to major transit hubs near big name sites such as Plaize Khèntrico, Celestic Gardens, Manior Roidane, and points in between. Expensively, the light rail was expanded to Èiyaure City (Èiyaure Line and Z-Line) and Auèsere City (Auèsere Line and D-Line). Both Zàichad and Dràzden had to provide private financing to the outlying lines. Freight and commuter rail run near the freeway to provide rail access to and from the island. The bridge to Italy contains a set of two way rails run between the car route.

Flight service is provided by Zàyera City International Airport in Khètzade County on South Zàyera Island. The city’s growth is ever flowing through to the southern island. Flights arrive from and depart to national destinations such as Rome, Paris, or Madrid to international ones such as New York City, Moscow, Cairo, or Tokyo. In 2001, both Auèsere County and Èiyaure County have become “No Fly Zones.”

Boat and ship service are also prevalent for an island environment. The city maintains commercial docks along its western seaboard up until they are zoned for recreational boats around the SCE. However, travel to and from Malta Island Research Center is restricted to special docking stations at government reserved docks located ONLY in Zàyera City. Departing from any other dock around the island for Malta is a crime against the royalty. Malta Island is similar to the hush-hush of United States’ Area 51; it is heavily guarded.

In 2002, the city opened its first spaceport in Khètzade County. Authorized personnel from the Galactic Federation use the spaceport to safely land their smaller scouting craft to deliver guests and trade materials. Earth-natives may enter the spaceport and the landing zone areas, however, they are not permitted to board a chartered (departing) craft. They may tour such crafts, but only if the craft’s owners allow it. Permission to land must be granted for hostile craft by order of the King of Zàyera (Zàichad) only; further, Earth-natives must be evacuated from the premises prior to landing.

Law enforcement is provided by the Zàyera City Police Department. Ironically, there are Dragon Thieves that head up some of the local precincts. These “thieves” are only known because their name marks them as an ancestral line of the old world thieves. The judiciary goes for a few courts before it reaches the Cèduai—the Thieves’ Court (as opposed to the Royal Court of Law under former King Fèrelon Zàyeralt). Law and ordinance creation is by elected city committee, then contested or approved by the King of Zàyera by option (doesn’t matter if it were Fèrelon at the time or Zàichad currently).