"I'm glad we're not traveling by sea," Yuki said, her voice raised above the wind. "This weather would be treacherous on the water."
Kojo nodded in agreement, his eyes scanning the horizon.
Kojo and Lin walked side by side, their winter attire a testament to Kojo's skill with Arcane Threads. He had woven the fabric of their thick, hooded black trench coats, which were adorned with luxurious fur at the collar, sleeves, and hems. The coats were not only stylish but also remarkably warm, a necessity in the harsh winter weather. Kojo saw Lin struggling a bit in the cold weather, so he held her hand and pocketed the other, transferring a bit of heat to her. He saw her pointy ears and cheeks turn slightly red, so he assumed it was working.
(Ignorant.)
"Shut up," Kojo thought.
Lin's hood was pulled up, shielding her face from the wind, while Kojo's hood remained down, revealing his striking white hair tied in a ponytail behind his head. Two bangs framed his forehead, dancing in the wind on either side. He had also made thick white fur cloaks for the Saints and, reluctantly, some for the rest of the caravan as they were out of stock and they needed to move fast if they wanted to avoid the upcoming snowstorm.
As they trudged through the snow, Yukio informed them that teleportation gates were available in various cities, allowing them to bypass the treacherous journey to Eldrida. Kojo's curiosity was piqued, and he asked why a gate wasn't present in Portfol, the port city they were departing from. Yukio's expression turned serious, and she explained that it was due to security concerns, aimed at preventing interlopers and outlaws from gaining easy access into, out of, or around Ezkanur. Kojo raised an eyebrow, commenting that this seemed excessive for a church. Yukio's only response was a pursed lip, her silence speaking volumes.
The storm was gathering pace, and he could see the snow-capped mountains in the distance, their peaks shrouded in mist.
"We need to find a place to wait out the storm," he shouted above the wind. "How long till we get to the nearest town or village?"
Yuki nodded, pointing to a cluster of mountains in the distance. "There's a settlement a few kilometers ahead. We can take shelter there."
(But do you think we'll make it though? My calculations show the weather is only going to get worse, and with our current speed, we may cover only half the distance before getting there.)
Kojo nodded as they continued forward.
"We can use magic to alter the weather or make us go a bit faster," Kojo said after a while.
"No," Leo said.
"Why not?"
"The shattering of the Savage Land Continent has altered the deflection of wind and water currents," Aldean answered, raising his voice over the wind.
"This blizzard is most likely a side effect. Before coming to Archadia, blizzards had become more frequent. That and the early transition to winter across the continent of Appolonia."
He glanced at Kojo.
"What?" Kojo asked, raising his voice.
"It's nothing," Aldean voiced back.
"The change would probably have happened sooner or later. The point is, we can't just make changes now."
"As for making our journey more convenient," Leo continued.
"Our doctrine teaches us that the tempered will is forged in the fire of adversity, and to shield oneself from life's challenges is to risk a resolve as brittle as untasted steel. True strength lies not in the avoidance of hardship, but in the courageous embrace of life's trials, for it is in these crucibles that character is refined. By choosing to face adversity with equanimity and determination, one may cultivate a depth of resolve that would be impossible to attain through a life of ease and indulgence."
"Huh?" Kojo said, glancing at them.
They all nodded.
"Not even a little?"
They shook their heads. He sighed, a cold mist forming in front of his mouth. As they stumbled through the wind and snow, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, and that the storm was only a harbinger of the troubles ahead.
As the group traversed the mountainous terrain for a few more hours, Kojo suddenly stopped and yelled, "I can't hold it in anymore!" Lin turned to him, concern etched on her face. "What's wrong, Kojo?" she asked.
Kojo's face turned bright red as he admitted, "I really need to go to the bathroom." Aldean glanced at him, his expression sarcastic, and gestured to their surroundings. "Oh, sure, because this is the perfect place to take a leak."
Kojo shot him a withering look.
"Buzz off."
Cyrus chuckled and came up beside Kojo. "Kojo, it's not safe. Once you leave the camp, it'll be hard to find us again. The wind is covering our tracks."
Kojo looked back, and indeed, their footprints had already vanished.
(And it'll be difficult to sniff them out as well.)
"Yeah, and you may not know this, but the various holy magic enhancements and the continent's natural magnetic field tend to throw any form of Magic Sense or Homing off," Aldean said.
But Kojo was insistent. "I'll be fine."
Aldean shrugged.
"Well, your funeral," he said, walking off.
Yukio, who was at the front of the camp, nodded reluctantly. "You can go, but we won't wait for you."
"Alright," he said, letting go of Lin's hand.
She instinctively reached out to grab it again, but stopped as he walked towards a nearby cave.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," Yukio reassured Lin, and the group continued on their journey.
Unbeknownst to them, a figure clad in a dark, tattered cloak observed Kojo's departure from the peak of the mountain nearby. Kojo entered the cave and relieved himself on a mound of snow. Suddenly, the figure raised a hand and swung it downward, triggering an avalanche of snow and rock that covered the mouth of the cave.
The cave shook, and Kojo's eyes widened in surprise as the exit was blocked.
"Oh crap. Now of all times?" he muttered, kicking the mound of snow. As he did, he heard a faint groan. He tilted his head and bent down and discovered a man buried beneath the snow. Kojo's eyes widened further as he wondered what this stranger was doing in the cave.
Meanwhile, the mysterious figure atop the mountain waved a hand, and a mist descended upon the landscape, obscuring their view. As the mist swirled, the figure faded into nothingness, leaving behind only a world where the gray sky and earth became one.