I Am...All of Me

The Winter Cup (Part 2)

A/N: Looking back through this book, I saw that some of the chapters were deleted. How, I have no idea, but I'll try to get that fixed soon.

Shadow's POV

     As soon as I left the motel that marked the halfway point of my drive, I had to fight the increasing onslaught of snow and ice. I had to stop once to throw on my leather jacket and a pair of shades designed for this kind of weather. I may be impervious to extreme temperatures, but if I showed up at the resort with nothing on but my gloves and skates, they would know something was up. 

     It took roughly five hours of the same kind of driving through some of Mobius's most well known mountains until I finally reached the top of Ice Peak. The storm was only an hour or so behind me, which meant I had a limited time window to check in.

   The Ice Peak Resort was a welcome sight as I pulled up. It was a small community based around a large three-story hotel built to look like a giant cabin. The warm contrast was a soothing one, not as loud as the city, but quiet and serene. Or at least for a little while...

    As I navigated through the streets of the resort's town, I received a few cheerful waves from the passerby. This felt good, having a normal welcoming, where no one here knew what I really was. Here, I was just a teen that was good at snowboarding and nothing else.

    "Hey, Storm!" a familiar voice called, and I slowed down, pulling off to the side. Axle was waving emphatically as he stood beside a tall polar bear I recognized as the third member of my team. Koda. He was pretty quiet and easygoing for the most part, but his size made him something to be feared on the ice. I returned the greeting with a casual two-finger salute.

    "Hey, guys. I'll meet you at the cabin. There's a storm a few miles behind me."

    "Say no more," Koda nodded, and the two left. I could faintly hear Axle arguing about how his weather forecast was right. That white wolf was obsessed with weather predictions, hoping to someday become a local forecaster for the region.

    Once they were clear of the street, I kicked my motorcycle back into gear and drove up to the hotel to check in. Carson, an old brown bulldog and the designated shuttle bus driver, greeted me as I parked my bike. We didn't get a chance to exchange pleasantries, as his bus was filling quickly with passengers. He still shouted an order for me to crush the competition next week, earning several strange looks from his patrons, that is, until they noticed me. That was my cue to disappear into the hotel. Crazed fans were not high on my list of things I was looking forward to on this trip.

     The scent of hot apple cider and cocoa was a welcome one as I entered the hotel lobby. The interior was decorated with the same homey cabin idea in mind as the exterior, with exposed wooden rafters and support beams. Photos of the resort accented the walls, and the floor was a polished hardwood. It was a nice change from the concrete of Station Square.

     "Hey, Stormchaser! You're right on time!" Manic, the green hedgehog that ran the front desk, waved, brushing some of his shaggy quills out of his face.

    "You finally made it to the front desk."

  "Yeah, man. No longer scrubbing floors," he laughed and leaned on the countertop, "Here's your key. Can't wait to watch you shred it out there."

    I caught the thrown key with one hand, "I can't wait either. Thanks, man."

    "No problem, my dude!" he grinned. The phone rang, and he picked it up, rolling his eyes as heard the voice on the other end.

    "Dude, I told ya that you and your crew are all set for showing up tomorrow. Ya don't have to check in till 4. The storm will be over before then, so chill out, man."

     Before the caller could get a word in edgewise, Manic hung up, "Sorry, dude. My big bro and a couple of his pals are coming up here for a vacation. It's their first time to the resort, and ever since he heard about the storm coming in, he's been calling to make sure we were clear for them to come in tomorrow. He gets a little antsy around snow."

    I nodded in understanding, "I didn't know you had a brother."

     "Yeah, we lost contact for a few years, but my sister helped get us back in touch. She runs a boutique in Westopolis, I think. Or was it Spagonia? Dude, I've been up here so long, it's hard to remember what goes on off the mountain sometimes."

    I hmphed in acknowledgment. It was because of that fact that I enjoyed this place so much. If no one knew who I was, there was no reason why I couldn't kick back and relax like a normal person.

    "Well, I hope your brother and his friends have a good trip," I stated and turned to leave. The snow was beginning to pick up outside, and I still had a small drive to my cabin.

    "See ya later, dude!" Manic called out, and I waved my goodbye. Time to get settled in....