Pocketville lost Diamonds

Chapter 38: attack from snow

After a travel  Ava expected to be less long, the horses finally started stepping on the soft layer of snow.
The noise they produced was almost pleasant at the animal’s ears.

They entered into the woods and finally everyone could see the most wonderful view of all: the trees, whose brown and thin trunks were covered by thousands of minuscule iced drops, grew up to the cloudy sky with long branches.

At a first glance, they looked like they were holding a normal snow storage but, after a few istant, they realized they were observing beautiful white flowers.

They were similar Magnolia ones, but much more delicate and painted of azzure at the base. Each petal was covered by a minuscule layer of ice which reflected the tenuous light, from the one some water drops fell down.
It was like staring at gems, the most precious jewels nature offered.

- The Iced Ladies… - mormored Balloon, looking at the plants all around her, amazed.

The water drops created the effect of a soft rain under the trees, which began wetting their fur.

- It’s…
- Beautiful!
- Wow…
- I’ve never seen plants like these.

Mela looked back, behind her horse’s tail: Steel Wool was looking up, astonished. He was as surprised as her and his mouth betrayed a smile.
Titan and Kayl were looking right straight on, totally indifferent to such a spectacle.

After a few minutes, spent admiring the Iced Ladies, the group stopped walking to understand the direction to take.
- What are we looking for? – asked William, turning to Ava.
- My father mentioned the Komorebi event and I think it should indicate a way, or something else... but there’s no sun!
- Shall we wait for it? – questioned Danny, dangerously moving on a side of the saddle. His poor horse, Toast, already exhausted for having carried the heavy mastiff for miles, neighed a not-nice word.
- No. – nodded the Guards leader – Wind pushes clouds to the east, where we came from: it’s just bringing more clouds; maybe today will always be like now and we can’t waste time anymore. We’ll be faster, looking for the trace by ourselves. 

Ava whispered: he was disappointed to miss komorebi, it had to be wonderful between those trees, but she understood William was right.

Titan and Kyle began smelling air, carefully.
- Hey guys – said Balloon – don’t you feel something weird here?

William raised his head to smell.
- Uh? What’s this?

Wind began blowing from their left and Ava finally smelt it too: smoke, exhausted gas, naphthalene.
A scent that completely blinded her brain and filled her bones of a deep, terrible fear.

- William… - gasped, trumbling.

A creak caught everyone’s attention: from behind a tree a tall, scrawny figure appeared. It was like a piece of the trunk separated from the tree.
A monstrous creature with long, unnatural limbs and almost totally covered by tissue pieces began walking to them. On one hand, it was holding something small. He raised it to the sky and…

A flash exploded, right above it and a thunderclap sounded like making the whole world falling down.

Ava screamed as loud as she never did.
Many horses spooked, wheelied on back paws, unsaddling some Guards.
Ava only saw William falling down in front of her, barking, before Ambra neighed and lashed out through the wood, in the opposite direction.

The princess caught the saddle and kept it as strong as she could, using all her force.

They ran desperately, without ever stopping.
Rain hit their furs like arrows, but neither of them cared.
Ambra’s huge and strong body hit trees and brunches, making snow fly and breaking many small plants on the ground.
Adrenaline was burning Ava’s spine, too terrified to do anything but keeping herself safe.