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Changing in more ways than one, at that! Following after your scale-ridden scout, your breath grows heavy and your eyes start to sting as the trail leading upwards meets you with a cold reception: trudging uphill through a blanket of fresh powder, you nonetheless take a few spills on your ascent thanks to some well-placed patches of ice!
Try as you might to match Volka’s pace, keeping up with the amazon proves to be too much for your poor heart and lungs. Mouth dry and face numb, your journey is put on hold when your boot catches on a root hidden beneath the snow and you take a header straight onto the ground! Good thing there’s snow-
<span class="mu-s">CRUNCH!</span>
Oh, and there’s ice too. You nearly forgot about that. Extracted from the snow by your lovable Lamplighter, Volka carries you and TT over to a secluded clearing and plops you on a frost-capped fungus!
“The Hells you think you’re doing, Rook?” She chides like a mother catching her son playing in traffic, “‘<span class="mu-b">LAMPLIGHTER CODE, RULE 634: ALWAYS TAKE A BREAK WHEN YOU NEED IT!</span>”
You uh… you never… never got a manual, you wheeze as you watch Rezalith controlled-burn away the snow from the clearing… and most of the vegetation, from the sound of it.
“Really now, Rook–you said it yourself, remember? We’ve gotta be at full strength if we’re gonna stop that cult!” You try to avert your eyes from Volka’s, but she’s not letting you off that easy! Also they’re pretty big, so…
“Listen to the… to the Cap’n, Ant…” Mutters TT as she slides off your back and lands in a heap on the ground. Well if she insists… trying your best to catch your breath as an icy gale rushes through your rest site, you find yourself working extra hard to get what you need. H-how high up are you, anyways!?
“High enough ta’ feel it in yer’ chest…” Mutters the Skog as she pauses gathering kindling to shoot you a concerned glance. “Just take some deep breaths, Rook. Slow ones.” Rising from her task, Volka’s yellow eyes sweep the clearing as her face scrunches up in thought. “Heya Rez, think ya’ can track down some running water for us?”
“Psssh, easier done than <span class="mu-i">SAID</span>!” Leaving your group with a haughty laugh, Rezalith takes to the skies leaving you alone with the sound of distant trills and wind rustling the tree boughs above…
“Bell for… your thoughts?”
The weak voice takes you by surprise until you remember where TT is laying. Glancing down at her resting place, you raise an eyebrow in response. Huh?
“You just look calm, is all.” Smiles the Spinner as she studies your expression with a smile. “Aside from the ‘collapsing from altitude sickness’, that is~”
Really? You’re still a little shaken from her uh… reaction to the potion… The Durher’s eyes sink back to the ground with a tinge of sheepishness in them.
“Bleeeh...”
>CONTD.
