Shade of Teyvat: The Rapture of Shadows

8. Clossing The Jaws

It was a cold, morning in Hearthglen, unusual for the season but not yet cause for alarm. Located below the towering Pilos Peak, the village was used to cold breezes and snow. But as the day continue, villagers emerged from their homes and immediately noticed something was different. The air was heavy, a sharp chill cut through even the thickest of cloaks, and a so freezing cold, a wall of clouds loomed over the mountain, slowly covering on the village. The usual cheerful morning greetings was replaced by tense sensasion as villagers looked up, shivering.

"Have you felt that? The cold..." Caelum murmured, his breath clouding in the icy air. "This isn't right. It feels like it's clawing into my bones."

Viz nodded, looking up toward the horizon where ominous clouds gathered over Pilos Peak. "It's like the mountain itself is angry.

At the town hall, villagers gathered for an emergency meeting, huddling together for warmth. Various theories circulated as everyone tried to make sense of the blizzard. Some suspected magic gone wrong, others murmured about the wrath of elemental spirits, but one voice stood out.

"I know you've all felt it. This sudden blizzard is unlike anything we've seen this season. And given our proximity to Pilos Peak, there's reason to believe this isn't just weather," she said, glancing at Viz as if to seek his confirmation.

"It could be a creature," a young man suggested, His comment tho was met with laughter. "Come on, Riven!" one villager tell him. "Viz has been keeping these village safe there's no way monster could be causing this storm!"

Thalion, a wiry, gray-bearded man with grease-stained hands and a keen eye, stepped forward. "I know this might sound strange, but I've seen... creatures out there. Strange ones. Once, when I was deep in the caves near Pilos Peak searching for ore, I saw something that looked like a shark—but on land, mind you. It moved like nothing I've seen before."

Some villagers laughed nervously, but Thalion's expression remained serious. Aranyani, standing quietly by the doorway, observed the way people debated with curiosity. She was fascinated by human nature and how they could take a serious matter and transform it into something light-hearted, almost as if to soothe themselves.

Viz, seated near the back, straightened, remembering an entry from the old hunting book he'd read, passed down by Lyra's grandfather. The creatures known as Bakesame their unique adaptations and dangerous abilities were well-documented.

"Actually, Thalion's story isn't so far-fetched," he said. "There's a creature in the hunters' records, written by those who fight before us. they called it as Bakesame—a massive, shark-like creature capable of freezing its surroundings and surviving out of water. If that's what we're dealing with, this blizzard is more than just weather. It's likely a warning."

The room fell silent as everyone processed this new information.  Chief Isolde rose from her chair, her wise gaze landing on Viz. "Hunter, if that is the cause of this blizzard, then you have your mission. We must find this creature before it brings more harm to the village."

Viz nodded, the sense of duty settling over him like always he return back to his house to grab his gear and ready to hunt it.

As Viz began preparing for the hunt, Aranyani approached him, concern etched on her face. "Are you sure you're prepared for such harsh conditions?" she asked, her eyes flicking over his thin, hunter's gear.

"Where do you think you're going dressed like that?" Aranyani called out, noting the thin fabric of his usual hunting gear. Her tone was both caring and exasperated.