Tyranny: Onwards

Chapter ~¦~ Eighty One

Previously---

  "So, now...Blaze has gone again...and last time...I held Dagwood for months and I rocked him in his pain and anguish...but there is no way to contain him here, it's already too late. Because of Blaze's disappearance last time, and how he was found almost dead, Dagwood fears worse will befall him this time. It's only natural though I suppose." Aegis explains and we are all darkened to an enormous extent, even the Earth shivers beneath me.  

Blaze and Dagwood have gone missing, a blizzard beats away outside, and no one knows what's going on or what to expect.

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There is no sound. Even icy winds outside go silent, the embers have evolved into higher thicker flame. The lack of speech is due to the plain fact no one can even bring themselves to say a word at all, all of us seemingly too overcome and burdened all of a sudden.

"Sitting here isn't going to bring back Dagwood or save Blaze; if he in fact does need saving." Phoenix stands, but his voice is wrinkled and harsh from effort.

"I know." Aegis rises also.

"Don't you find it odd how we found such a random and wide tunnel in this hill?" Hester points out grasping for any leads.

"Hm, let's not think too hard about it unless we see any others that are similar to this one." Aegis decides.

I push myself up on legs too wobbly for the inevitably lengthened journey we are entering into. Genesis stays at my side delicately heaving herself up, Hester pulls Rin to her feet. All of us have our shoes back on and the clay pottery melts into the Earth where it was from, the fire draws into Phoenix's outreached and open hand, disappearing completely so we are now in a darkness.

"Hester, you take the staff and stay at the rear, Phoenix, find a stick to light or use fire in your palm as will I. Claire, you will have to take the lead because Genesis could try following his scent again. I will walk by you and look for signs of anything; for I know more of beasts than you." Aegis plans and does not mean any insult, this is a time to take no offense and have ultimate understanding.

Aegis nods to me and I pat Genesis to let her know we are going on now. She steps into the long wide tunnel and I crawl along behind her, now my sight barely reaches to the white snows outside. Dread of the cold threatens to make me stubborn, to harden my heart, but I shove it away for good.

I must find them, I must save them, I just must. Even if I die doing it. Poor Dagwood...I can't even imagine the grief and the pain

The Luzumi are like one big family, taking care of each other always, no hatred anywhere in their hearts; even when Dagwood became angry with me, he did not hate me nor Humans, he was just upset and regretful for reasons I can now understand and know.

Earth seems to have sympathy for us, the soil so tender now to save our knees and hands from any discomfort. Genesis leads me out into the swirling snows gently, pulling me to the side, waiting for everyone to be out before proceeding.

Winds are even more fierce, trying to push me over, I now stand in the knee-deep drifts of it; this will be more difficult than I had first imagined clearly.

I help the others if they accept a hand. Finally we are all statues freezing over time together. Making a path down to the Spruce tree at the hills base is easier in the sense we no longer have the fear of slipping away, but more challenging in that we now must plow a path through the thick deep snows. Genesis is at the very head and her trail is too thin, so me and Aegis trudge on side-by-side to widen it for the others following. I turn my head every now and again to check that everyone is still within sight.

Hester's staff fire is very close still at the rear, barely, very barely, allowing me to have a general indication of where Rin is in front of her, Phoenix has an enormous fire in his hands, so solid I cannot see through it; but he holds it lower so he can see, Aegis with fire also.

"Phoenix! Switch with Hester!" Aegis calls through the pounding winds so cold.

I'm so very thankful for the cloak, pulling it around me.

"Claire?" I am confused because I am in fact right next to Aegis, yet he's calling for me and gazing around.

"I'm right here!" I try to raise my voice over the storm.

"Oh okay, here this will help!" He places a hand on the cloak and it lights up neon red instantly to his warm comforting touch.

"Okay!" And on we go until we reach the tree.

"Dagwood or Blaze first?" Phoenix inquires. "Could split up.."

"No, we are not splitting up. I say we go find Blaze first, more likely to draw Dagwood back to us if we have him." Aegis confirms.

"Genesis, find Blaze." I whisper to her, crouching. She snorts and grunts.

"She can't pick up any scents in this, but we could go where the trees are thicker and there's less snow!" I yell, hardly connecting to everyone.

"Okay!" They all holler back.

It is so difficult to see anything more than half a foot in front of me but we just must find them. But how? No matter, we will figure that out after getting into the thicker trees in the direction we followed Blaze's scent last night.

I can hear nothing but the creeping winds and see nothing but lonely flakes along with bare shadows of of people, the darkened figure of Aegis next to me and occasionally we bump each other; maybe just for confirmation of the others existence to both of us or some kind of simple relief. Either way, it's a mutual understanding. The fire allows me to slightly more and better of Aegis though.

I gasp sharply and fall into the soft velvet snows.

NO! Not again! I need to get up! I need to keep going! But I just can't!