Coldsnap: Harbinger of Ice

Chapter 33: A Brief Detour

The three Aspects headed for the city and took a break at one of the Grand Terminus's many restaurants. As they sat at a table and started ordering lunch, Firebird and Keena celebrated the group's recent progress.

"We're doing pretty well for ourselves," Firebird commented. "The Water, Earth, and Ice Sects now know what's really going on, and have promised to help us."

"Of course they have!" Keena responded. "I don't see any reason why they wouldn't; after all, looking after Earth is what we do!"

"True. Plus, I don't think it'll be hard to get the Fire Sect on board, either. I'm one of them, anyway, so I can vouch for Coldsnap pretty efficiently," Firebird pointed out. "And on top of that......I've seen how aggressive and impulsive they can be; they can get very riled up once they're set off. If anything.....we might have to stop them from recklessly storming the Inferno Fortress on a dime and trying to attack Flamestar too early, once I show them the video feed. They could end up getting themselves killed if they just rush in without the rest of the team."

Keena slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Right....I didn't even think of that at first, to be honest with you...."

Firebird moved her eyes across the menu without looking up. "Do you think I should talk to them this time, Coldsnap? Or do you still want to do it?"

However, the icy heroine wasn't paying attention.

"Umm.....hello?" the fire mage called, snapping her fingers three times in front of Coldsnap's face to try and bring her back to reality. "Earth to Coldsnap! We kind of need you over here!"

After a while, she snapped back to her senses. "Sorry, guys.....I was just.....thinking of something."

"What is it?" Keena asked concernedly.

She briefly looked at Firebird, took a deep breath, then made eye contact with her partner. "Earlier, before our journey even began.....Firebird and I called all of the people I knew from Earth to a meeting to discuss everything that was going on. The family that took me in and the friends I've made, you know? We told them everything about Flamestar's plan and how dangerous the Seared Hand is. Leo originally planned to come up with a way to temporarily bring my friends and family to the Elemental Realms and grant them the powers of an Aspect, so they could aid us in squaring off against Flamestar's forces as well. But...."

Coldsnap sighed. "Now that he's gone.....I don't see any way that can be possible. He never told anyone else about what he was going to do, and his workshop on Earth is likely going to become abandoned without him around to maintain it."

Keena got up out of her seat, stood next to her lover, and gently patted her on the back. "Hey, listen.....he tried to kill you twice. At that point, he was basically asking for a butt-whooping." She then snapped her fingers. "By chance.....does Firebird have one of those 'transport pucks' on her? Maybe she can be the one to bring your forces from Earth to the Realms instead!"

But Coldsnap shook her head. "Only Aspects can pass through the gateways created by it. Leo might've found a way to work around that, but I guess now we'll never know. We may have managed to teach him a lesson, but we've likely given up our chance to gain even more allies in the process. .....Was it really worth it?" the heroine wondered aloud.

The three girls stayed silent for a while. Then, an idea came to Firebird.

"Okay.....I know what we're going to do."

Coldsnap raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Yeah, what did you have in mind?" Keena added, leaning forward intently.