The snow fell heavily, almost like rain
A yellow light steadily moved through the thick gray haze
It was the man carrying Thomas, his binoculars hooked tightly to his belt.
He held Thomas by the shoulders while flames fired from his feet like thrusters
At times, it looked like the man might slip and lose his balance
Thomas's crown dangled gently with each near slip
The vine that wrapped the crown was already browner than usual
Thomas didn't notice
As they moved, the high-rise buildings began appearing less and less
The buildings they passed were in ruins, their roofs destroyed
Some had collapsed to the ground
Even the few trees they saw were damaged. One was completely frozen in ice
Snow covered most of the buildings and broken sturctures. Only their silhouettes were visible
"I feel like a snail," the man said after almost slipping again
Thomas didn't answer
Despite the heat generated from the man's thrusters, frost had formed on one side of his face
His hair was already covered in snow. He breathed heavily, mist forming at his lips
"Are you sure you cannot fly?" the man asked
"N-no... I-I cannot," Thomas replied, his teeth chattering slightly
"Have you tried?" he asked again
"Of course I have!" Thomas shouted above the sudden gust of wind
The man looked at Thomas, a faint smirk forming on his face
"Sure," he muttered, sarcasm heavy in his voice
It didn't take long for Thomas to feel it
He was slipping
"Hey, watch it!" Thomas yelled, his voice getting swallowed by the wind
The man didn't listen. He only smirked at Thomas
"Don't you dare," Thomas said
"Relax, I learnt it this way," he said
The man released Thomas
He watched as Thomas fell, screaming.
Thomas's hand stretched outward, trying to reach for the man
It didn't take long for Thomas's screams to become blurred by the weather
His falling silhouette grew hazier below
"Oh... shit, he's not stopping," the man muttered, looking down below
Meanwhile
OLD MAN'S POV
A mix of smoke, dust, old wood, and mint tea filled the room
A short chain attached the lamp to the wooden ceiling. Its dim glow illuminated the room.
Suddenly, a soft bang was heard outside. The building shook slightly, dust falling from the top.
The lamp dangled from left to right, the room getting brighter and darker depending on how it swung
"They don't ever stop, do they?" a voice asked
Below the dangling light stood a round wooden table
Four men sat around the table, game cards and tea cups laid out in front of them
"Nah... Its just for the week," a man with ginger hair answered
He lazily leaned backward into the wooden chair.
A burning cigarette rested between his fingers, its ash falling into a tray containing six other burnt cigarretes
To the ginger-haired man's right, another old man spoke
"Kado, they are taking an awfully long time," he said, sipping his tea." Should we go look for them?"
Despite being fully aware of his surroundings, both the old man's eyes were completely shut.
He wore a long oversized black robe, his hand trembling as he took a long sip from the cup
His black hair was streaked with gray
"No, sir," Kado answered calmly. "I have good faith in Craig to carry Thomas safely."
"Carry?" the other man asked. He had a red circle surrounding his right eye.
His black hair had traces of red running along in patterns.
"Right," Kado muttered before sighing. "He's not able to fly."
Instantly, the old man choked on his tea. He quickly placed the cup onto the table.
Looking blankly at the table, as if rethinking his life decision
Kado was sitting opposite the ginger-haired man, so he could see his reactions clearly
He was unfazed
The cigarette rested between his lips as he stared quietly at Kado. He raised a finger toward it. Flames ignited from his fingertip, burning like a candle.
He relit his dead cigarette
"Well, that's some news," he said after taking a puff
"Baahahhaaha!" The other man laughed loudly while banging on the table
When he looked at Kado's face, he stopped
"You're kidding."
Kado sighed
"I wish I was," he added. "But that guy appeared out of thin air with a glowing crown."
"I see what you mean now," the old man said, clasping his hand together on the table
"Edd, what do you think?" the old man asked
The ginger exhaled slowly, smoke rising
"Dunno. I have to see him first," he added
Suddenly, a knock came from the door
A door opened behind Kado. In came another man.
"Sir!" He shouted. "They are here."
"Then let them in," the old man answered quickly
The man nodded before exiting
A few voices could be heard muttering outside the room
Then the door was pushed open wider
"Craig, long time no see!" the man with the spot around his eye shouted.
But
The bare feet came in first. Definitely not Craig.
It was Thomas.
Skin a bit pale, snow piled onto his head, misty breaths, heavy breathing.
He clutched the crown tightly in his right hand. The vine that tied it was gone
"He fucking dropped me!" Thomas said to Kado instantly
Instantly after Thomas spoke, the old man grunted, shifting in his seat.
"Hey, no swearing," Edd says calmly, cigarette in hand
The man with binoculars entered the room, also bare foot
"Craig!" The marked face man shouted again
LEO'S POV
His eyes slowly fluttered open, groans escaping his lips
The wind whistled against his ears
The sound of metal hitting stone echoed continuously
"Wakey wakey," a voice said before chuckling softly
Leo pushed himself upward
For the first time, Leo felt cold
He exhaled. Even his breath felt icy
He looked upward.
Marquez sat on a higher rock in front of him.
A guard stood beside Leo.
"Before we work, a safety tip," Marquez said, smiling.
He barely twitched his fingers
Instantly Leo felt it
He fell to the floor clutching his chest
His heart spasmed violently. He tried to breathe
The air felt too shallow
He rolled over on his back, eyes wide
He could feel an icy pressure inside his chest
"I didn't do it," Marquez said casually.
"But I felt it. There's a pool of liquid resting directly beside your heart and lungs. Just waiting to freeze solid. If you attack... if you even try to run... it spreads. Instant freeze. You'll be a statue before you hit the ground."
He flicked his finger again
The pressure stopped
Leo stood up, breathing heavily
Marquez hopped down.
He picked up a pickaxe and threw it into the snow in front of Leo.
"Dig," Marquez said. "Find me an Ember. And maybe I'll let you take a breath."
He started walking
Leo watched as he moved, his fist tightened, jaws clenching
His knuckles cracked
But
He stopped, eyes closed
The tension disappeared from his body
His fists slowly unclenching
"What's an Ember?" He asked
Marquez didn't answer
He was too far off
A haze of snow suddenly flew between them
It didn't even take long for it to clear
But Marquez was gone
End