On Sapphire Wings and Jade Scales

Chapter 8: Lost in A Frozen Void

The blizzard showed no signs of slowing down, and the dreadful darkness that enveloped Mt. Reilu only seemed to get denser. Khiboreas' wrathful screeching could be heard, muffled by the winds. Amidst the dark, the light of the lanterns created a small, melancholy haven within the temple grounds. Oracle Larya led a silent prayer in front of her congregation, while the corpses of the two guards burned at the central bonfire in an impromptu funeral.

Joanne and her group were scattered; some were still inside the temple, lying on the ground but unable to sleep, fearing the return of whatever monsters attacked the guards. Joanne, Zippy's owners, and the Diderot couple observed the prayer from afar at the wall's entrance. They planned to set out as soon as the first rays of sunshine peeked from the horizon to find the twins and Ari, though this would be one of the roughest nights for the Diderots. Panic and stress overwhelmed both, even as they tried comforting and reassuring each other that their children would be alright.

In the meantime, Ari was swiftly flying through a snow-covered valley further down the mountain, relentless in her chase.

"How long has Ari been flying?" Asked Eila as she tried wiping wind-swept hair off her face.

"I don't know! Feels like I haven't touched the ground in forever! Ari, please, you're not gonna get 'em!" Shouted Tomas while rubbing his eyes with one arm.

A few moments later, the twins felt Ari slowing down at last. She roared in defeat, unable to catch up to the cloaked strangers after losing sight of them in the storm. Once she landed, Ari lowered her head and scratched at the snow, venting her frustration. Though the twins felt relieved when they finally put their feet on the ground, they were soon overcome with dread as they looked at their surroundings.

They were lost.

All they could see was snow, hail, and some rocks on the ground. Try as they did to find where Mt. Reilu's peak or the tall temple tower was, it was far too dark to see anything beyond a few feet ahead. The adrenaline from their nighttime ride faded away as they walked on the desolate mountain valley, and a terrible cold came upon the twins. Although they had long-sleeved pajamas with trousers, it did nothing to protect them from the freezing winds.

They needed to find shelter, and fast. With Ari beside them, they wandered through the snowy void, looking for any crevice they could squeeze into and wait until morning. They found a few caves by a rocky cliff, and most were large enough to fit all three. They then settled near the back wall of the smallest cave they could find, hoping that the slim opening would allow less of the chilling winds inside. Their slippers were damp from walking through snow, and the twins shivered uncontrollably, even while curled up tightly with Ari. Eila asked Ari to breathe some fire near them, but with nothing to start a campfire, they relied on her short flame bursts for warmth.

"H-hey, Tommy? I feel sleepy, but its so c-cold here! I wanna be with mom and dad again... I don't wanna freeze out here..."

Eila rambled on, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

Tomas barely heard his sister, consumed by confusion and frustration. Why did Ari not listen to him? Why didn't he do something sooner? And what were those monsters doing in the temple anyway?

Overwhelmed by so many questions, he pulled away from Ari, yelling, "This is your fault! We could've woken up mom and dad, get Joanne, or anything but chase those things! Stupid dragon..."

Ari lowered her frills and averted Tomas' glare. Eila frowned at her brother's nonsense, wiping the tears off her face, "Hey! She was trying to help, in her own way!"

Tomas groaned and covered his face, murmuring, "I know, I know... I-I'm sorry, you two."

He believed it was not Ari's fault, she was just following her instincts and trying to protect them. If they had just let her go, there was a chance Ari would have come back to them unharmed. On the other hand, what if the monsters decided to fight her? With those long claws, they could have hurt her badly, and she would not have come back to them at all. Upon reflecting on that, the twins figured risking Ari's life in that manner was not a good idea.