Dust to Dust: Frost Bite 1

In an idyllic mountainside forest, all was as it should be. Snow-flecked pines broke up the hazy gray sky, evergreen shrubs gave cover to the few animals still active in this climate, and the wintry air was as silent as death.

Above the forest, however, a violet ring was materializing in the air. The very atmosphere seemed to warp around it, as if denying its existence. With a crackling of purple sparks, the ring broke whatever was holding it back, leaving hairline cracks in the sky around it. The violet glow of the ring intensified until it bathed the countryside in its hue, and with one last blinding flash, the ring was gone.

In its place was a group of figures falling towards the idyllic mountainside forest below. The quaint snow-flecked pines now looked more like a phalanx of ivory spears as the figures fell towards them.

One of the figures moved with the grace only a wild animal could have, and managed to right itself in the air. When it approached the trees below, it had no trouble gracefully landing on an upper branch, catching a passing blue shadow as it fell past.

Another of the figures showed impressive acrobatic prowess as it spread its limbs out in all directions, slowing its fall considerably. Once it fell past a tree, it also managed to cease its descent with a few well placed hops along the bark, scraping its way down to a lower branch.

The last two figures took a similar path: straight down, no movement. Any branch unfortunate enough to exist in their trajectory was turned into splinters due to their crushing weight. After a quick and violent descent, the deadweights crashed into the snow below, burying themselves into the powdery drift.

Trees creaked and groaned into the winter air as the figures made their way down them to gather around the holes left by their crashed counterparts.

The she-wolf spat the blue-robed caster from her jaws, dropping the mage face-first into the snow. Muffled screeching and wildly waving arms made the attitude of the caster quite clear. As the waving hands finally found purchase upon some buried sticks, the mage pushed out of the snow drift and glared furiously at Travis, who had finally managed to climb and slide his way down the tree he landed on.

“I knew your brother was scummy,” the ranger offered, “but I had no idea he would have the guts to send his own sister into a randomized ejection gate.”

The mage in question winced, yet her fury returned unabated. “Grounce had no choice. That... thing. That monsterous golem was tearing up the camp, it was only a matter of time before there were casualties.”

The insinuation that his new supposed friend was a killing machine didn't sit lightly with Travis. He gazed pensively at the hole the golem left when he fell to the earth and responded “Bryn, I've never been much of a social person. But I met this golem before you did, without all of the fire and anger. It didn't seem aggressive, and it was certainly quite shit at blending in. I'm not sure at what its goal was, but if it was trying to ambush the convoy then it's either stupid or inept. I've seen its craftsmanship so I'm afraid inept is off the table.”

“What are you trying to say, Travis,” fumed Bryn, the blue-robed caster. “Are you trying to cover for this beast? I-OW”

The she-wolf raised her nose and pranced a few feet away, looking ever so prim and proper. It was as if she had never nipped the young mage, and as if she couldn't feel the eyes looking at her in anger and in bemusement.

“Your girlfriend is still the only one with a spine, I see,” spat out the mage. “Now move so I can finish off the golem. The telport magic throws magical constructs for a loop, we have a good window to shut it down for good.”

Saying this, Bryn stepped to the edge of one of the deep holes in the snow. The winter air began to gather and swirl around her as the snow beneath her feet froze solid. The form of a crystal-blue spike began to form above the pit, spun from the chilled wind and airborne powder. As she prepared to send it drilling into the form unmoving at the bottom of the hole, a hand laid on her shoulder.

“Don't. Even if you don't trust him right now, you need him.” The ranger himself didn't fully trust the golem, but his years of survival training gave him a clearer picture of the scenario. “We're in no man's land, up a mountain, half-frozen. Down those holes is a golem that works with heat and a sled full of oil. Now I don't know about you, but I don't have a way to dig out that sled, or to move it long distances.”

“But your wolf can move it, it was her that took it in the escape,” answered Bryn, confused.

Both humans glanced at the canine in question, who was concentrating very hard on ignoring them and looking the other way.

For the first time, the caster cracked a smile. “I had forgotten how well she understands us. It's been a while since I've spoken to either of you.”

A melancholic glint flashed across Travis' eyes, but he quickly shook it off and returned her smile. “She trusts him. It was her that found him, after all. Her that let me know he wasn't human long before I was aware. I'll trust her on this, too."

The two stood in silence as the frozen guillotine shattered into powder that blanketed the area. The magically empowered flurry swirling around them lost velocity, the air returning to its frozen stillness.

From the depths of the pit, two heads could be seen peaking over the edge and peering inside. A green hooded man, and a blue hooded woman.

“There will be rules,” said the woman.

“I know,” said the man, as he smiled.