While the temperature was still well below freezing, the dragons on the expedition team definitely notice the air is not quite so bitterly cold. It seems the weather has finally turned around, the sun warming the faces of all who look upon it that morning.
Snow and ice soften under the sun’s warm morning gaze, with icicles dripping water onto the heads of passerby. A fog has descended on the valley below, but hasn’t come close to reach the dragons still high up the side of Sharktooth Mountain.
Maolin, Firefly
There’s not much to say between them. With the wind dying down today and the sun returning some of the warmth to their bones they felt would never return, Maolin and Firefly set out again at the break of dawn.
It feels a little cruel to admit to himself, but he’s enjoying his time now more that Eirostle was gone. He and Maolin had been so focused on the young one’s safety that he’d not had any chance to really enjoy the view or the fresh mountain air, and now that they weren’t playing the role of babysitter, (or being chased by wolves, or being pelted with snow and hail), they were free to move at their own pace, enjoying the scenery all around them.
When they stop for their midday rest, Maolin takes out her sketchbook once again and records what she sees around her, Firefly climbing up a nearby tree to get the perfect photo of the fog-laden valley below. Maolin draws the fog covered valley as well, but with the added rendition of a little imperial flying through the sky, into the world beyond.
Taibre, Ranita
Taibre hasn’t moved since they woke up.
At first Ranita is panicked—did she freeze to death overnight? Was her body frozen over with frostbite?—but at the sight of Taibre’s
tears, she realizes this isn’t a physical affliction that’s keeping her from moving.
Ranita does her best to try to cheer Taibre up, to get her up and moving again. She shakes her shoulder, but Taibre doesn’t respond. She tries to tell a funny story, but Taibre only turns her back to her. She offers her a portion of her food, but Taibre rejects that too.
“Alright, sunshine,” Ranita finally says, exasperated. “We need to get up. We have to keep moving. I don’t know about you, but I’m not looking to freeze to death in this death trap of a mountain.”
Taibre shoots Ranita a dirty look, getting up and stomping over to the edge of the rock they’ve camped on. Ranita flinches at the hostile reaction, but uh, hey, it’s progress she supposes?
“Aaaaaalright then,” she says, picking up Taibre’s bag and handing it to her. “Let’s uh, finish this competition up, so we can get the heck out of here! Haha, you know, money and adventure and all that...fun…. Stuff.”
“
To HELL with this STUPID competition!” Taibre yells, causing Ranita to jump. “I didn’t come here for money, I came--” she stutters as she reaches into her bag, her hand grasping the flower canister “—I
came because, because--” Taibre
screams as she tilts her arm back to throw the flower “—rraAAAAHHHHHHHH--” Ranita makes to grab for Taibre’s wrist, bu it’s too late, the canister is sent flying over the mountainside “—I
miss him,” she yells into the void below.
Ranita doesn’t know what to do or say, frozen in place behind Taibre, her hands hovering awkwardly over her shaking form. She’s never been
great at the people stuff, and she feels hopeless as the skydancer’s shoulders quake with the force of her sobs, her tears mixing with the snow beneath her. The canister bounces off the ground, shattering to bits and destroying the flower inside.
“I
miss him,” she sobs again. “It’s my fault. It’s my fault.” Her voice cracks as it reduces to a whisper, cradling her head in her hands as the grief hits her fresh as it did the first time she cried over Ptarmigan’s death. Ranita wraps her arms awkwardly around the other’s shoulders, doing her best to comfort her as she cries it out.
~~~~~
Taibre doesn’t elaborates on who
he is, and Ranita doesn’t press for details. It’s clear that whatever this issue is, it’s what’s been weighing on her the whole hike. Ranita wants to help, but she and Taibre are still practically strangers in the grand scheme of things, and it doesn’t feel it’s right to pry.
With Taibre’s flower and canister destroyed, she no longer qualifies to win the competition, but the climb down is done for neither of them. They pack up camp and continue their descent.
Another day or so, and this will all be over.
Carmeline, Reverence
The two can’t help but bask in the glory of the morning sun as they both awaken from their slumber.
The mood is quiet, light as they light a small fire to heat their food over. They heat up some snow, and Carmeline is kind enough to share some of her tea bags she’s brought, the two cradling hot mugs in their hands as they watch the sun rise together. There’s an unspoken camaraderie between them now, a spell that’s made them both feel lighter than either one has in a long time. Carmeline traces the carvings of her pearl idly as they enjoy the sunrise and the sounds of birds chirping so early in the morning. Reverence fingers the straps of his bag, aching to hold his crown. He hides it from Carmeline, as he does everyone, not knowing she’s already in on part of his secret.
When the tea is long gone and the sun is fully over the horizon, Reverence stands up, marking the end of their morning reverie. They both collect their things and pack up, preparing to leave.
Somehow, Carmeline feels restless—probably from excitement, she thinks, as their perilous journey is coming close to its end, the hardest part finally over—and she looks up at the tall imperial, asking him, “Would you like to hear about the beast I found in cliff side of Light territory, overlooking the Shifting Expanse?”
He gives her a quizzical look, but ultimately nods. Why not? It’d help to pass the time on the long hike down, he supposed.
And when Carmeline tells him the tale of adventure, intrigue, danger, and death-defying odds, there’s a part of him that aches once again for the glory and power of his domain, his kingdom, again.
And so when she trails off, her epic tale of monster-hunting prowess at its end, Reverence softly tell a story of his own—of a kingdom that fell long ago, and the foolish king who let it all burn to the ground. Carmeline listens, nodding politely along as Reverence tells his tale.
He never outright states it’s his
own story, but they both know it to be his.
Bone Collector, Sirocco
“I, uh, I’m not so sure this is a good idea.”
Bone Collector watches from the entrance of the cave as Sirocco pokes at support beams and rail tracks, practically touching
everything inside the abandoned mine they seem to have stumbled across.
“Aw, come on now! Where’s your sense of adventure?” High off the adrenaline of having retrieved the flower and emboldened by how far they’ve come along, Sirocco flits about the entrance of the mine, carelessly picking up and inspecting all the interesting things lying about. He picks up a pickaxe and swings it at the wall, causing Bone Collector to flinch as it bounces off the rock.
“
WATCH it!” he warns the spiral. “We don’t know how stable this thing is.” He lowers his voice as he realizes how loud he’s yelling into the cavern. “There wasn’t even anything
in the debriefing about an abandoned mine. Why is this even here, so high up?”
“Dunno,” Sirocco replies elegantly. He looks towards the dark end of the cavern, pondering, “You think there’s anything valuable in there?”
“Not so valuable as our lives,” Bone Collector puffs, “or the prize money.” Unlike some of the people on this expedition, he had his eyes on the prize—he
really needed that treasure. “Come onnnnnnn,” he whines, looking nervously about the cavern for any hint of danger. “Let’s just get going. We’re losing daylight!”
Sirocco huffs. “At least let me find
something interesting,” he grumbles. “How are people supposed to believe I did this cool climb if I don’t at least come back with a souvenir?”
Bone Collector sputters. “Th-th-this isn’t a tourist trap! We’re on a life-threatening hike! We almost got eaten by
wolves!” Bone collector pleads with Sirocco. “Didn’t we get those photos? That should be more than enough!” He stomps his foot on the ground. “I-if you don’t come with, I’m leaving you behind!” He’s bluffing, but he’s hoping Sirocco doesn’t notice.
Sirocco pushes over a pile of discarded wooden beams. “Ugh, fiiiiiiiiiiiiine,” he whines in return. “Give me like, two minutes--”
The wooden beams he had shoved to the side slide down the wall they were leaning on, landing on a rotting, cracked beam, causing it to split and collapse. Sirocco squeaks, instinctively backing away from the groaning and cracking coming from the ceiling—and going deeper into the cave behind him.
“SIROCC—” Bone Collector doesn’t have time to finish calling the spiral’s name before the entrance caves in, a deafening
boom echoing across the mountainside.
A boom so loud, it echoes all down the mountain, making all of its residents look up at the source. A puff of white snow is spit off the mountain, and the ground beneath them begins to rumble.
Everyone braces themselves as they watch in horror as the snow begins to shift above them, a small wave of snow above them quickly growing in size and speed as it rises, like a tsunami, down the mountain, straight at them--
“AVALANCHE!”
This concludes round 7 of Sharktooth Ascension! Aid and sabotage can now be sent for round 8. Please remember to PM me using the form on the first page to send in aid or sabotage. The deadline for aid/sabotage is 17:00 FR time—any aid/sabotage sent after 17:00 will either be refunded or pushed forward into the next round.
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