Auren walked deeper into the forest, the crunch of snow beneath his boots echoing in the stillness. He didn't care for the biting cold, though—it was nothing compared to the heat of battle or the weight of betrayal. Finding a large oak tree, he paused and then sank down, resting against its sturdy trunk.
With a soft chant under his breath, his fingers moved in a familiar pattern. "By the breath of the ancients, I weave the shield of warmth," he murmured, and a shimmer of magic surrounded him. Instantly, the chill of the air seemed to bend around him, as though the cold had no power here. Not just warmth, but a protective bubble that would ensure he could rest undisturbed.
He glanced around, and with another quiet wave, the trees parted, revealing a small, makeshift shelter. It wasn't grand, but it was enough—a simple protection against the elements. He leaned back against the shelter's side, his eyes drifting upward as his thoughts wandered.
"Sometimes," Auren muttered softly, more to himself than to anyone else, "those who walk in the shadows see the most. It's only when you step into the light that you realize how little you know."
With those words hanging in the air, he closed his eyes, allowing the warmth of his magic to envelop him. His mind wandered back to the party he once traveled with, and though they would never know it, he had already given them more than they could ever understand.
Back at camp, the Lions' Vanguard — Leon, Lyra, Seraphine, and Garron — were in the middle of a full-blown disaster.
"Why is everything always falling apart?" Leon, the supposed "hero," complained, pacing back and forth. His sword was now chipped, his once-pristine armor covered in mud and rips. "I thought we were the strongest! I really did!"
"Well, turns out we're not as strong as we thought," Lyra, the archer, said with a dramatic sigh. She fired an arrow at a nearby tree, missing it completely. "I swear, the squirrels in this forest are better at dodging than any of us."
Seraphine, the healer, sat on the ground cradling her broken staff, shaking her head. "I can't even keep my spells together right now... I tried to cast a healing spell and ended up curing my own headache."
"Yeah, we should've listened to Auren when he suggested we take a detour around the forest," Garron, the grizzled warrior, added. "But no, we were like, 'Nah, we got this.'" He flexed his muscles but winced as his shoulder popped painfully. "Turns out, we did not got this."
"Yeah, about that," Leon grumbled. "Auren really seemed like he was just tagging along, didn't he? Not helping... But we were totally wrong." He kicked a rock out of frustration and hit a tree. "He wasn't even trying to look weak, was he?"
"Nope," Lyra chimed in, fiddling with her bow string. "I bet he knew exactly how to deal with all this stuff. I mean, remember the swamp? Out of nowhere, we had enough food for three days... and it didn't taste like moss. How did that happen?"
"And then there was the cave," Seraphine sighed. "We were all about to be crushed by falling rocks, and then... bam, they just stopped. Like... we were just fine. That was him, wasn't it?"
Garron crossed his arms and nodded. "I've got the bruises to prove it. We were literally dead for a second, and suddenly we weren't. He never even said anything!"
"I knew he was too quiet," Leon said, putting a hand to his chin. "The guy doesn't show off, but we always thought it was because he was lazy..."
Lyra blinked. "He was never lazy! We were just too stubborn to admit that we were getting saved by the guy we kicked out!"
The moment of clarity was quickly interrupted by a loud rustling from the bushes.
"Alright, everyone, get ready. This time, we'll handle it ourselves," Leon said, drawing his sword, puffing his chest out dramatically. "No need for Auren's... uh, mysterious help!"
They watched the bushes intently, waiting for whatever monster or foe might emerge.
Suddenly, a massive dire squirrel emerged from the foliage. It was larger than a dog, with glowing red eyes and giant, razor-sharp teeth.
The party froze.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" Lyra shrieked, her bow still in her hand, but shaking.
"Is it… is it a dire squirrel?!" Seraphine stammered, clearly not prepared to fight anything at this point.
"It is, and it's coming straight for us!" Leon shouted. "Everyone, prepare to—"
But before he could finish his command, the dire squirrel leaped at them with incredible speed, claws bared.
"GET IT OFF!" Seraphine screamed, tripping over her own feet as she scrambled away.
"Stand still! I need to aim!" Lyra yelled, firing an arrow that veered far off course, embedding itself in a nearby tree.
Garron swung his sword, missing the squirrel entirely and instead hitting a rock, which bounced back and hit him in the face.
"Ow!" he yelled, rubbing his nose. "Okay, not the time for this!"
"We're gonna die," Lyra moaned as the dire squirrel charged again, now circling them like a predator. "We really need Auren!"
"Maybe not…" Leon said, clenching his sword tightly. "We've trained for this! We've got this! Let's—"
The dire squirrel lunged again, knocking him off his feet and into a bush.
"Does anyone remember how we survived last time?" Seraphine said, panting. "Because right now, I feel like I'm just waiting for Auren to appear and save us..."
"No one's coming to save you," Garron muttered as he tried to get back up, now face to face with the enormous, fanged creature. "I'm starting to feel like we're on our own here."
And as the squirrel closed in on them, the Lions' Vanguard once again realized just how utterly helpless they were without their mysterious "useless" former teammate, Auren.
The sun was now high in the sky, casting a soft golden hue across the snowy forest. Auren stirred, his eyes fluttering open, and he blinked at the morning light filtering through the trees. His enchanted barrier, which he'd cast the night before, shimmered gently in the cold air, protecting him from the freezing winds. Stretching with a quiet grunt, he sat up and noticed a small figure standing right outside the barrier.
A tiny, fluffy ice bunny stood on its hind legs, its blue fur blending with the snow around it. Its bright eyes were locked on Auren, its twitching nose sniffing the air as if it were sizing him up, wondering if he was a suitable snack—or just an oddity to investigate. The little creature's icy paws left delicate footprints in the snow as it hopped closer, its innocent curiosity apparent in every movement.
"Hello there," Auren muttered, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. He had to admit, it was a rather cute little creature, but he wasn't exactly in the mood for distractions. His stomach had started rumbling, reminding him that he hadn't eaten yet. The bunny stared at him, its nose wrinkling as it sniffed the air again.
Feeling slightly playful, Auren flicked his fingers, and a burst of energy shot out toward the bunny. In an instant, the cute little creature was engulfed in a tiny flare of flames that barely touched it before it fizzled out. The bunny let out a squeak, leaping back, its fur now glowing slightly from the residual heat.
The ice bunny froze for a moment, eyes wide with surprise, before it hopped backward rapidly, its tiny feet skidding across the snow. It looked at Auren with a mix of confusion and indignation, its ears twitching angrily.
Auren raised an eyebrow as he watched the bunny scamper off, muttering to himself with a chuckle. "Should've stayed away from the big bad mage... Now you're roasted. But hey, at least you'll have warmth for the next few hours. Be thankful."
He leaned back, hands behind his head as he stared up at the sky, the chilly morning air filling his lungs.
Then, with a half-smile, Auren sighed and muttered under his breath, "You know... hunger makes the mind as sharp as a sword, but unfortunately... it also makes the stomach sound like a dragon in need of a snack."
His stomach growled loudly in agreement.
"Well," Auren said with a shrug, "if only it could be as loud as my wisdom... Maybe then I'd get a feast."
He stood up, brushing the snow off his cloak, and glanced toward the forest. "Guess it's time to find some real food. Let's hope the next thing I roast doesn't have fur."
With a wry grin, Auren started walking toward the distant treeline, his stomach growling once more, as he continued with his journey, completely unaware of the odd, magical moments he had a habit of creating.
As Auren continued his walk through the quiet snow-covered forest, the air crisp and his boots crunching softly beneath him, something caught his eye—a faint bluish glow nestled gently in the snow just a few steps ahead.
He stepped closer and saw it clearly: a glacial flower, its icy petals radiating a soft luminescence, untouched and perfectly bloomed in the middle of nowhere.
Auren blinked, then smirked slightly.
"A rare find," he said under his breath.
He crouched beside it, hands behind his back, simply observing.
"It's not the flower that's rare," he mused aloud, "It's how it's found. It often blooms in cold, forgotten places... but only when the world is still."
A pause. His breath curled into the air.
"You won't see this in a crowded city, or even with a noisy group charging through the snow shouting about monsters and loot."
He leaned closer, voice quieter.
"They say eating it boosts mana and cleanses the body… but it's funny, really. Most people don't even know it exists."
With one careful motion, he plucked the flower and slipped it into his coat.
Then he chuckled, straightened up, and whispered with a grin,
"Cold places bring out rare beauty... kinda like being left alone."
And with that, he kept walking through the snowy forest, cloak fluttering lightly behind him.