Snow Angels and Demons

[Ignis Glaciesque]

The bitter cold bit into her heavy clothes. Clouds of white snow and devastating winds blew around her. She could not remember ever being this cold. The olive skinned girl blinked rapidly, brown eyes still unable to adjust to the blizzard.

"How far!" She shouted to her guide.

The only way she could tell she was traveling with another person was the tug of the rope around her thin waist. The rope hung over her thighs as she blindly followed the guide through this wasteland of snow.

"We'll get there soon!" The guide shouted from the wild flurries before her, "Less than a mile!"

The girl shivered, holding her hood to keep it from flying off. The warmth of her breath could be felt through the mask that covered her mouth and nose, but it did little against this blight. The heavy furs and layered cloth were wet from snow, her boots were drenched and icky. She grumbled to herself, curly blonde hair flying in her face, as she pressed on.

Berevar was not the beacon of hope the girl thought it would be.

Struggling against the knee deep snow dunes, the girl constantly felt her surroundings with gloved hands, tugging on the rope frequently for assurance. She had hired a guide to bring her through the rough wilderness of Berevar, in hopes that Berevar's connection to magic would give her a clue of purpose. Not all who wandered were lost, but she was indeed lost in her wanderings. She knew what she was, but not who she was. She had hoped a journey into the mythical subcontinent of Berevar would help her to see. Yet right now, with nothing but white snow clouding her vision, she was still blind.

After a little while longer of hiking, she eventually felt the guide stop.

"What is it?" The girl huffed as she stumbled to his side.

"We are here."

The girl paused, blinking several times. She saw what appeared to be a yawning cave in front of her. She started to walk in, still trying to get a clear view.

"You will be perfect. Pure virgin with magical properties."

The girl whipped around, confused, "What?"

"I-I was thinking about my girlfriend!"

...

"Can we just head in? I'm exhausted."

The guide stepped past her, forcing the girl to follow. They were still roped together. The girl tried to adjust to the darkness, pulling off one of her satchels, "Need light? I can light a torch."

"That will not be necessary, girl."

Was that the sound of the rope being cut? She looked down, barely watching the rope fall to the black, stony ground. The girl stood confused for a moment before a heavy shove slammed into her chest.

"Hey!"

She looked up to see the silhouette of her guide. He shoved her back. Stones rattled around her as she whispered, "What are you-?"

Another shove. This time, she felt herself teetering on an edge. She heard stones slip off a ledge and into darkness. She felt pebbles give way beneath her. A flash of stubbornness overtook the girl. She reached out, yanking the rope tied around the figure as she started falling.

"Wait!"

The girl found herself falling in midair, in the dark. The screaming of her guide echoed around her as she winced her eyes shut and waited for the bottom to come.