Private Tales The Tragedy to Exist

[Naser]

"Wha-" Naser called out to Avery as she suddenly went charging forward. Breaking into an odd sort of jogging rush through the thicket of flurrying snow. "What the fuck are you doing?"

The Initiate called, watching something that no one could have seen coming. "You look like you're...skipping?"

By the time Naser managed to assess what in the fuck Avery was even doing she was already beginning to disappear in the flurry of snows. The sparks of heat she had managed to bring to his skin now beginning to fade as she disappeared.

"Fuck me." He said to himself, breaking into a sprint to catch up.

When he finally managed to hit her stride once more it was not long until they reached the cliffs. Snow already clung to the tall black stone now, beginning to cling and gather to the ground as the blizzard continued to cast down.

Nas' eyes flickered, turning white for a brief moment as he pointed towards a spot on the cliffs. "Down there."

He said.

"There's a-" A how echoed in the night, cutting off his words. "Cave."

Naser finished, flickering a worried look towards Avery.

 

[Avery]

"Have you never seen someone desperate enough to warm themselves?" Her teeth chattered still as Nas caught up, the scowl on her face only born from the misery of chill that seeped into her bones.
A cave sounded like the best thing he had ever spoken, her eagerness to move towards it after Nas pointed the direction they needed to go—

The howl startled her. Avery hated how easily she could be scared, for the Academy failed them in one regard. It was always safe, trouble never came to the Academy, even the missions they were on there was always a way out... but out here in the woods close to home? Avery relied on that safety too much.

She flinched, an audible gasp burning her throat as the cold air was inhaled.

Her eyes met Naser's, widening with unfiltered fear.

"W-werewolf?"

Avery wasted no time. She wouldn't want to be stuck out here freezing and being hunted by whateverwas out there. "Hurry!" She called to him, finding the cave he had seen.

 

[Naser]

"W-werewolf?"​

Nas wished he had an answer to that question.

The brief glimpse he'd caught of the beast hadn't exactly told him anything about it beyond big fucking monster. His predictions did not offer further information, simply a glimpse into what might happen next, and in that instance it had been an utter slaughter.

Without a word he quickly followed after Avery, the two Anirian's rushing down the slope and towards the cliff. Within just a few minutes they reached the entrance of the cavern, the small rocky outcropping already covered in a thick layer of snow.

Nas slid down, motioning for Avery to stay behind him as the bracer around his arm flowed into his hand once more.

The inside of the cave was nothing significant, least not in it's front. The outcropping extending into a dark abyss which tunneled far into the cliffside, the entrance just large enough for the two Initiate's to squeeze through.

As they pressed themselves inside, another howl echoed in the distance. "That thing is going to stay out there all night."

Naser said as he stepped after Avery into the darkness of the cave, the howling of the blizzard echoing out behind him. The cold still touching them, but already slightly abated simply by stepping out of the wind.

 

[Avery]

Avery couldn't help but walk practically onto Naser's heels as he led them both into the crevice in the rocks. She tampered the whimper that threatened to fight it's way past her lips the second time they heard the howl, and her panicking only made her be sure that is was was werewolf now stalking them. The gap they had to squeeze into surely would not admit that monstrosity that had seen...

"All night?" The whimper did come as she followed him into their cave. "How are we supposed to warn someone? To ask for help?"

She did not like this, at all. Kress, Vincent just had to make his escape, didn't he? If he was alive after all of this, Avery was going to make him feel close to death.

"It's still freezing." She complained with a grump, but Cathaoir used the same college magic she had earlier. She placed them delicately on the walls to their cave, which itself wasn't too large but enough that they weren't standing on top of one another. Now, she turned to Naser, "I can warm you again if you want?"

 

[Naser]

For a second, he hesitated, his eyes flickered and faded away. Then slowly he shook his head, instead he took a step forward and wrapped an arm around Avery. His black cloak flowing around her as he brought her against himself.

His touch strong enough to drag her in, but not to keep her pinned if she pulled herself away. "No."

Though perhaps she did not know it, Nas had seen what the speeding of his heart would lead to. Like adrenaline, he would feel warm, but ultimate become colder as his hormones counterbalanced against the heightened thrum.

It would feel good, but they had no idea how long they would be down here.

Better to do the sensible thing, what he had always done in the Gutters. "We go deeper in the caves, see if we can't find something to light on fire."

These tunnels were narrow enough that that thing would have to squeeze through. That would at least give them warning, advantage. With that storm out there, he was more worried about freezing to death than that creature mauling them.

Better to hole up somewhere.

"It'll be fine." He told her, still holding her close as he began to walk. "We just need to stay warm tonight, wait for the storm to pass."

Easy. Then the werewolf...beast could be dealt with.

 

[Avery]

Avery was useless the moment Naser had wrapped her in with one arm. Her eyes widened, she stiffened, and she stayed still the moment he tucked her in and simply said No.

Kress, she thought, this is awkward.

She hadn't ever been this close in someone's space before, but the heat she gave off with her own steady heart beats would keep them both warm for a short while. Clearing her throat, she didn't dare lift her face for in fear of actually seeing the masked face up close. As if Naser had something horrible to hide and she did not wish to find out.

"You want to go deeper into... the cave...?" She had meant it to be a simple question, but the uncertainty and anxiety riddled her words. Avery startled only slightly the moment his arm curled around her proper and guided her slowly so that they both could move in step with one another.

The source of light that Avery conjured would follow them, only pushing to go ahead of them when she willed it to, so that her eyes had something to look at as they ventured deeper. She felt as if the air was growing thin the deeper they went, remembering that time they had been in Kortes and through the sewers. She was sure something would jump out at them, that the werewolf creature was clever and knew their way into the caves to finally eat them.

"What if people realise we are missing? They would send someone to find us, right? What if they come across the werewolf?"