Parallel Vol. 4 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 14.1 - Snow

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Huuuu...

The wind maliciously shrieked as it rushed past the rocky terrain of a cold, snowy mountain. The late-night blizzard simultaneously bit at the skin of every living thing while burying the world in white. Dense, rapid winds rendered it almost impossible to see past a few feet ahead, the few rays of moonlight that struggled through, the only solace to any creature stupid enough to remain outside during the terrible blizzard.

Despite the fact that it was certainly suicidal to remain outside during the blizzard, three silhouettes could be seen seated close to the mountain's summit. The silhouettes, one large and two small reacted differently to the tormenting wind. The large silhouette was calm, without a single shift in its muscle, whereas the little silhouettes trembled, often curling up in a futile attempt to conserve their body warmth.

Upon closer inspection, the silhouettes were revealed to be that of a bare-chested young man with his eyes closed, accompanied by two young kafu cubs. The young man's scattered hair danced freely in the wind, occasionally revealing a gnarly scar that ran down his face. The scar lent credence to the cold, unfeeling aura that chilled the already frozen tundra around himself. The cub by the man's left's beautiful white fur blended with the snowy blizzard , whereas the cub to his right bright brown fur was barely visible through the snow collected over him.

The white cub, teeth chattering, looked up at the stoic man with fear in his eyes. He'd managed to hold back so far out of fear of retaliation, but at the moment, his desire trumped his fear. "R--R-Razznik-san." The stoic man's eyes snapped open. A pair of irritated blood red eyes fixed on the little kafu. The cub's spine instantly chilled beyond anything the cold winds could bring. Paradoxically, despite the cold, the cub's fur instantly soaked with thick sweat.

Indifferent to the little kafu's plight, Razznik coldly demanded, "What?"

The cub hiccupped, his answer caught in his throat as Razznik brows slightly furrowed. Still, despite his fright, the cub was aware that if he did not speak up, he would most likely not live through the night. Mustering up his courage, the cub stammered, "I-I-I'm cold."

Razznik glared at the young cub, then turned to his right to inspect the other kafu, only to realize the brown cub was even worse off. Sheets of ice had formed on the kafu's fur, the young cub too weak to even shake off the ice. However, despite the deathly trembling, and sickly pallor, the young cub had a ruthless stubbornness in his eyes. It was obvious he had no desire to rest despite the torment.

Razznik looked from the brown cub to the white. With a slight shake of his head, he lightly tapped the earth. A large mandala spread out from his fingertips to occupy an area of roughly 20 square meters. A dome-like, stone structure rose from the earth, and enclosed the trio within. Razznik got to his feet, and tapped the roof of the dome. Another mandala spread itself over the walls. With a red flash, it blended into the walls. A second later, the walls began to emit heat, instantly warming the inhabitants of the dome.

Razznik glanced at the white cub who had quickly snuggled up against a wall. He walked over and nonchalantly grabbed the cub by the scruff of his neck. He unceremoniously dropped the cub at the center of the dome next to his brother. Razznik glared at the white cub. "Cathek, what is your brother's condition?"

Cathek glanced at Razznik with question in his eyes before taking a good look at his brother. As expected, just like Cathek himself, his brother suffered a severe shiver. Upon closer inspection however, Cathek's heart nearly leapt to his throat. His brother's situation was far worse than his own.

His brother's fur had begun to gray at its roots, belying the terribly high fever of the little kafu. Cathek's brother's violently chattering teeth rendered him incapable of speaking a coherent word. Even worse, the young cub's eyes were glazed over and unfocused, as if he could not see anything. However, even though the cub looked like he was only a second away from death's door, the stubbornness in his furrowed brows revealed his obstinate resolve to power through, through sheer force of will.