melodiesoflife | Footsteps in the Snow (Central Lost Continent)

Entry tags:

Footsteps in the Snow (Central Lost Continent)

Characters:Saori Nakagawa, Ira, James Kidd, Lydia Deetz, and NPCs
Where: Lost Continent (Center)
When: March 5th
Summary: The four awaken in the chilly tundra of the Lost Continent without a sign of civilization nearby.

At impact, Ira had held out his hand in an attempt to summon another Corridor - at the very least, he wished to get those already injured to safety. Yet as he reached out, something far more inexplicable had reached back. He found himself falling, before oblivion accepted him. It was a sensation he hadn't felt in years, this sleep of stasis that had overwhelmed all of them - one that he thought would never be again. As it took hold, he didn't know if his hand had grabbed air or railing, but he knew, in the end, there was no fighting it any longer.

What he didn't expect, was suddenly finding his face hit with something so bitterly cold. Grunting, he shakily moved to place his hands beneath him, wincing as he felt the chill within his gloves. Why was it so cold? Hadn't they just been over the desert?

None of this made sense, but he... had to get moving.

Blearily looking around, he saw three others lying in the snow around him. Without much thought, he stumbled in the frigid clime to reach out to the one nearest to him in an effort to shake their shoulder and wake them.

"M-Mom, L-Lydia, Mary," he called out through his teeth chattering. Of all the times he was mad about inheriting shit from Riku the island kid- "We n-need to get moving."

Wait, why did his voice suddenly sound more matured? And when did his bangs get so long? "Ugh, the h-hell's going on?"

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Saori cast Clone to help Ira and Mary as the three made their way over.

"Please wait!" Both Saori and her clone used their free hand throw a smoke bomb. The duo strained to get everyone to close the distance between them and Lydia and the sleigh.

"Hang in there," She could barely get the words out if it wasn't already muffled by the winds.

The man - Kadoc - held Lydia's hand firmly and guided her to the spot between the two people dressed for the weather. "You're lucky we ran into you. Hold on, we'll get you somewhere warm." He stood on his seat, briefly apologized for the moment of cold, and reached into the sleigh in search of a blanket.

The woman peered in the direction where they saw Lydia. If there were others with her, they wouldn't be too far, but it was difficult to see in the storm.

"Did you hear that?" She thought she heard a man's voice nearby.

Ira stumbled in the snow, nearly falling to his knees more than once after Saori's Smoke Bomb transported them somewhat closer. Coughing as he gasped in far too much cold air for his own good, he held up his sword and Dualcast Fira into the air. Aiming one slightly closer to the sleigh than the other, neither directly at it.

It was happening fast, and Lydia was cold--even if she was dealing with it better than the others. "I...I-have-others-with-me. They're over there." Pointing, resisting her teeth chattering.

Then she saw the Fire-spell. "THERE!" Almost jumping out of the sleigh and warmth, shouting, trying to make her rescuers see. She wasn't losing Ira, or Mary or Saori. Not after everything else, and everyone else she'd lost to this damn planet.

Edited 2017-04-13 12:50 (UTC)

Mary was holding on. She kept her fingers moving, both to keep warm and also to use Shunshin. At the least maybe it would get her back up to walking speed until she could finally reach shelter. The rest could be figured out later.

Saori's clone cast a Katon Ninjutsu into the air to aid signaling the sleigh. "C'mon, get your sleigh over here!" Saori growled as she cast Shunshin as well to help keep up.

Multiple spells firing in the air got the woman's attention. She waved a hand sharply at Kadoc and Lydia. "Sit down you two, or you'll fall off." Kadoc flopped onto his seat and handed Lydia a woven blanket. The pattern seemed better suited for a wall decoration, but it was good against the snow.

The woman shook the reigns and tugged the Chocobos into the direction of the others. With a triple "kweh!" the birds trotted lightly across the snow. Kadoc folded his hands on his lap and kept Lydia steady on the ride.

To Ira, Saori, and Mary, the dark shadow drew less blurry, eventually forming into a large sleigh pulled by Chocobos. The woman pulled on the reigns, slowly down the Chocobos until she was facing the person in front.

"Just three?" She bit her lip. "There isn't any more room in the front. Hop in the back, but don't touch anything." Kadoc looked at her worriedly, to which she responded with a weary gaze.

He stood up and lifted a corner of the tarp. "Don't worry. We'll get you somewhere warm." Kadoc spoke with the urgency of a person unsure of how close to death the rescued were. There was no idea how long they were out in the snow.

The sight of the chocobos at first caused him to seize up. Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope. No, he was not getting close to the birds agai-

... He forced himself to focus on the other woman's words, nodding. Warmth. Warmth was the priority.

"Y-yeah. Just us." He affirmed, before turning his attention to helping his mother (but especially Mary) into the back. At the very least they would be out of the snow and the wind. That had to help at least somewhat. He tried to ignore his own chattering in order to make sure the others were safely in the back of the sleigh. Once the other two are in, he'd follow suit with a nod and a "Thanks," through chattering teeth. Though at cursory glance, he was the second-worse off.

Lydia was watching, and Ira'd BETTER get in, from the large eyes she's glaring at him with. "Just us 4. Thank you." A grateful smile turned to both their rescuers. "Thank you so much." Then more quietly, to Kadoc. "Please also don't be frightened..." Trying to warn him, before tossing the blanket-at-Ira, and shapeshifting again.

Back to a bat, but she was tinier this way as she zoomed to him and clung near his shoulder and neck. Easier for him to have the blanket, and them both to stay warm this way. He was cold and it worried her.

Saori never thought she'd hear Chocobos again. The clone disappeared as the sleigh got closer. She finally felt like she could breathe again now.

"You have our thanks," Saori said to their saviors as she helped Mary aboard. She grabbed a blanket to wrap it around the pirate, making sure her head and hands were covered. With a second blanket, she draped it over both her and Mary.

Mary hoped it was just them. That there were no moogles lost in the snow anywhere. She hadn't seen any sign of them but she still spared a glance back in search of her companion and Tnitiate, hoping she was safe. But for now getting out of the cold was all she could do.

She failed to notice Ira's discomfort as she half hauled, half was hauled into the back of the sleigh. She lamented not being of more help to the others but at least they seemed to be safe now. Still, her instincts pushed on even while she struggled to stay awake. Her eyes flashed with her Eagle Vision trying to get a better grasp on their rescuer.

She wasn't in fantastic shape, but she'd be fine in due time. For now she just settled for curling closer to Saori, drinking in her body heat.

The woman grunted in response and hit the reigns again. The sleigh moved more quickly than before as it traveled west again.

Kadoc was frightened. Not too many people he knew could turn into bats, especially young people who didn't learn enough magic to do so at their age. "W-what are you?" Were they faeries? Were they going to reward them for their kindness?

"Speak up, we'll be arriving at the camp any moment now." There would be no time to ask questions while the survivors were washed up and fed.

Through Mary's vision. She saw that the woman and brown curly hair behind the coat hood. Her face was perpetually in a frown, hardened by years of struggle. Kadoc was not as thin as the woman, and his face was rounder and childlike.

Edited 2017-04-19 11:34 (UTC)

Oh no Kadoc's reaction was so precious, but he wasn't the type to point it out. Instead he slightly leaned into bat!Lydia as he wrapped himself (and her by extension, making sure she wouldn't be suffocated by it) with the blanket once he was in the back of the sleigh. As instructed, he touched nothing of what was back there with them - only clung together with three of the most important people in his young life. Though he had to admit he was just as curious as their two rescuers.

"Just four souls who found themselves awaking in the snow, far from home." With how much time had passed, he had no idea how they would react to the three words 'heroes of light'. He'd always tried not to refer to himself as a hero, anyway - for he knew a lot of the things he had done were anything but. And with how much time had passed, who knew what sort of standing they had with the general populous? "What's the camp like?"

Kadoc nodded, still wary of the girl that could turn into a bat so quickly. "Did...Kalki do something to you?"

The woman looked downward in thought. After a minute, she opted to answer Ira's question. "It's the auxiliary camp, but it's been forced to grow. Don't worry, we'll have space for you. The Head Engineer used the extra time he has now to build stables and sleeping quarters." She blew off a large snowflake that landed on her nose. "When he isn't moping, that is," she muttered more quietly.

"...You could say that, yeah," Ira muttered, glancing down at the bat on his shoulder. She'd told him before the confrontation, what going back to that city meant to her. And as much as he hated to speak for her, when no one else spoke up, he felt obligated to fill the silence. "Though her turning into a bat is more due to her Job than what that hag's done."

He glanced at Saori, muttering under his breath, "Seems like we missed a lot."

Bundled up as she was, Mary made quick work to restore the feeling in her fingers. This was a worse chill than she'd ever faced but she still had some training in how to deal with it, even if it never came to practical use in her old life. She knew of other Assassin outposts in northern waters who had to deal with such things.

She still felt worn out and ready to go back to sleep, but she struggled to stay awake at least until they were someplace with a proper fire. And talking would help her with that. "We're no friends of Kalki, if that's what you're asking." Not that she wasn't given every opportunity to make a change. Mary was impressed with Riku's careful response as well.

"This Head Engineer...does he have a name? And a fireplace?"

Kadoc was surprised, worried that he said something wrong for Mary to respond like that. "No, not at all. Sorry if I sounded like I did." He folded his hands at looked at the floor.

The woman still had questions. With the camp buildings now visible and a group of people waving at the incoming sleigh, she took a break from watching the road to talk.

"You must be good if you can turn into a bat at such a young age. Have you been practicing?" She patted Kadoc on the shoulder, silently comforting without having to smile. "What do you think? Of course we got fireplaces. We're not going to throw you out into the snow.

"The engineer's name is Gelin. I'm sure he could use the company to cheer him up. By the way," she turned to the back of the sleigh, "I'm Mevanwi."

"Kadoc," said the man, finally introducing himself to the others.

Once the sleigh reached the camp, Kadoc jumped off the seat and ran into the nearby makeshift hut. The buildings looked sturdy enough to last in the wind, but they were a mix of wood and metal that gave the impression they were built in a hurry and without the intention to be permanent. Mevanwi beckoned to a nearly group of heavily covered camp members and explained that they brought some people they found in the snow, so help them get out while removing the supplies. Mary, Saori, and Ira were assisted out of the sleigh.

If they paid attention, there were no children to be seen.

Kadoc returned from the hut. "Gelin's in here. We'll get you dinner after we unpack."

Edited 2017-04-22 17:29 (UTC)

"Gelin. Got it." He knew who to pester later with questions, and likely get a feel for how they reacted to the Heroes. Still, he pondered whether or not it would be wise to continue to snark at their rescuers. At least it meant Mary was still awake, though.

"Ira," he replied in kind. "This one," he said, slightly lifting up his shoulder, "-is Lydia." He felt they deserved a little bit of honesty, for their kindness. Mary and Saori could introduce themselves. Mainly because, ike him, he wasn't sure which name Mary would prefer to be introduced as. They both had different pseudonyms, after all.

But there wasn't much time to inquire further as they approached the camp, he stole a peek outside, surprised by the fact that he was the youngest present. (Granted, no one else would realize this, considering he appeared to be at least twenty-one.) Yet he still managed to smile faintly, putting on a brave face as he was helped out the sleigh.

"We owe you one," he said in response to Kadoc, keeping the blanket closely wrapped around his shoulders as he moved to approach the hut to keep himself and bat!Lydia warmer in the harshness of the winter winds.

Saori nodded in agreement to Ira's assessment. Given the fact her son apparently had a growth spurt while in stasis, it was safe to say several years had passed. At least the confirmation that their rescuers weren't Kalki supporters put her mind at ease.

"I'm Saori," she gave a small bow as she introduced herself once she was out of the sleigh. "Once we get our strength back, please let us know if there's any way we can help."

Being a mother, the lack of children was rather odd to her. Surely they would've heard or seen some evidence of them by now. Perhaps this Gelin person could fill them in. Saori was the one to open hut's door and let Ira and Mary in first.

"Head Engineer Gelin?" she asked once she closed the door behind her.

Lydia waved a wing and gave a nod and soft squeak when Ira pointed her out. She was just gonna stay like this for the moment, since it was easier for her to not consume more resources. Although she was careful of claws and his hair where she was on his shoulder.

She did wish she could use more job skills like this, but hopefully it wouldn't be necessary in the camp.

Kadoc nodded and held the fur blanket guarding the entrance from the cold away, allowing everyone to pass through. Just as Kadoc was about to let go, Mevanwi jogged up to them and slipped through. The cover fell back into place, sealing the four in a warm, dimly-lit room.

A fire was lit in the center of the round hut with blankets strewn about the floor. A low desk was covered in papers and pencils without any sense of order, and by the fire, opposite of the Heroes, was a blanket burrito.

"Gelin!" Mevanwi spoke at the blanket burrito, which responded with a groan.

"We found some stragglers in the snow, stop sleeping and look after them!" She strode over and tugged at the blanket until it rolled over to reveal a face and a mess of red hair. Nearly eight years ago, this doppelganger assisted the Heroes in tracking down Mograma. However, as Zelda was not in this group, he did not recognize anyone for who they really were.

"Eeeehhhh..." he whined and pulled the blanket tighter around him. "Grab a blanket. Too cold."

Mevanwi lightly kicked him in the side and sighed. "He's been like this ever since the Snow Beast showed up. I keep telling him to find some other way to get our goods, but all he's done is mope." She turned toward the door, briefly stopping by the Heroes with a soft expression. "Maybe you guys can cheer him up," she added and exited.

"Snow Beast, huh. Tell us more."

It sounded like a quick way to repay their kindness, eliminating a threat that posed a risk to supply lines. If they could get some time to fully recover and clothes better suited to the climate, he was confident they could handle it.

Unfortunately, Mevanwi left as he asked. Sighing, he approached Gelin instead. Tossing a blanket at him from the floor. Unfortunately for the doppelganger - while he didn't know Zelda like the others may have, he wasn't the kind to let someone mope.

Mary didn't mean anything by it. She'd hoped that the engineer in question was Cid, but perhaps that was a bit of wishful thinking. But she hadn't meant to make Kadoc feel like he was being accused of something. Perhaps it was the chill in her bones that made it seem like snark. At least everyone seemed to be in good spirits.

"Mary." She responded in kind as names were offered around, her hands rubbing at her arms to keep on warming up. She was glad to be assured they'd be allowed to warm themselves. It was a little hard for her to be readily trusting right now. But her real name would do well enough, and it was a measure of trust she was willing to offer.

Of course, trying to get back on the trail of good will nearly went out the window when she saw the hair of the engineer, her eyes going wide for a moment. Yet his time with the Heroes was before her own and he wasn't someone she remembered. Not that she'd ever have trouble in the future.

In the warmth of the home Mary was still shivering but she could feel her strength renewing already. "Looks like we're both in agreement there but...there's a monster roaming in the snow? What sort of trouble has it been causing exactly?" It seemed obvious enough but it was worth asking. As she did she looked around at the others. Seemed like just the sort of task they were fit to help with.

Gelin remained still, eyeing Mary. He appeared to be perplexed by her question. "You don't know about it?" That gave him the energy to sit up, though he immediately shivered and pulled the blanket tighter. "Everyone here knows what that is, even those guys that never leave the Village of Santa Claus."

He gave a show of taking a deep breath and sighing as loudly as possible.

"What cozy lives they must have. Large, modern houses, warm fires, surrounded by family...ah, to live in the comfort of the bustling city! To be free of the worries that plague us scavengers! Our days are dedicated to a noble cause for the people, only to tread with death each day we travel to the west! And now, with the way to Trano Golsaucia blocked by that guardian, we have no use! No purpose! What is an engineer without the parts he must build with? He is just a bum that scribbles drawings on paper!"

He threw himself back onto the floor, his head hitting the mat with a thunk. Gelin slipped his hand to his head and rubbed the sore spot.

The griping was beginning to annoy the hell out of him, but the little tidbits Gelin was giving was starting to paint a picture. Rolling his eyes, he at least tried to maintain a facade of calm. However thin it was.

"How long has it been blocking the way?" he asked, though anyone who was aware likely could tell it was a double-loaded question. This oaf? Probably not so much.

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