Yuzuru stood on the edge of the bluff and cupped his hands around his mouth.

“Yahoo!”

In the far distance, the face of a mountain slid off with a deep rumble, dusting the skies with snow.

He turned, grinning. “I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Gweyn shook her head. “You don’t get out much, do you?”

They hiked up the steep slope, the stone turning to snowy mush under their feet. Yuzuru felt extremely lucky there had been a small village near the foot of the mountainous Corridor, and luckier still that it was well stocked with winter gear. It was only too bad Gweyn couldn’t afford to buy more than the bare minimum, which was two sets of snow boots and gloves, fur-laced cloaks, and three days of rations.

As they climbed further up and the temperature plummeted, Yuzuru felt his arms and legs freezing. He tried to warm himself by hopping in place but Gweyn quickly warned him about saving energy.

“You’ll also make yourself more visible,” she told him. “I have a feeling we’re not alone up here.”

“I thought this place was too treacherous to get an army through,” Yuzuru said, reaching down to help Gweyn up the last bit of incline.

“It is,” said Gweyn. “But when the fate of the entire realm is at stake, no road is forbidden. And the hidden railroads we found makes me think the world has changed since I last paid attention to it.”

They stood surveying flat, icy land. By how his lungs were struggling to pull in air, Yuzuru guessed they were at Himalaya’s levels of altitude. A few thousand more feet and they’d be climbing Everest.

What did I get myself into?

Gweyn crouched by the frozen ice and knocked on it with a gloved fist. When she stood, she was frowning.

“I have no idea if this is safe to walk on.”

Yuzuru nodded. “Let’s look for another way, then.” He walked two steps before Gweyn grabbed the back of his cloak.

“There’s still a way to check,” she said, then stepped onto the ice, pulling Yuzuru behind her.

The moment his feet touched the ice, Yuzuru slipped and fell over. He slid three feet away before struggling to a stop. “Now that was mean," he said. "You could have just asked."

Gweyn helped him stand. She didn’t look happy.

“If we can cross then so can the Tachlems,” she said, pointing towards the other side of the lake, hidden behind the horizon. “The Red kingdom is there.” She traced a path towards the south. “It’s a straight shot to the Yellow Kingdom if they can cross this lake.”

“And the east is Cold Castle,” Yuzuru finished. “We’re basically at the crossroads of the world.”

Gweyn rested her hands on her hips. “We’ve been lucky so far. Maybe, the Skull Prince hasn’t realized this lake had frozen so early in the year.” She dug out a length of rope and held one end to Yuzuru.

“Only one way to find out?” Yuzuru asked, tying it around his waist.

"That I can think of," Gweyn said, and tied the other end around herself.

The air itself was frozen, snowflakes hanging unmoving like stars. At first, Yuzuru inched along the icy floor, a dozen feet behind Gweyn like they were tight-rope walkers, but they both realized soon enough that the ice was thicker than expected, and it wasn’t long before they were walking normally.

Gweyn stayed a few paces in front. She had worn her fur cloak over her cape, which made her look bigger than she was. She tied up her hair in one long braid that swooped down her back, swishing to the rhythm of her steps.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

That was how Honoka wore her hair.

Yuzuru looked behind him. The shore they left behind was gone from view. In all directions, mist had started to build, covering the sunlight until it felt like they were walking in a void.

He told his sudden nerves that Gweyn was born and raised in this world. If anyone knew what they were doing here, it was her.

That was, until she stopped walking and Yuzuru nearly bumped into her.

“I think we’re lost,” Gweyn whispered.

“Good one," Yuzuru said. "What’s next? We’re not even on a lake?”

Gweyn turned around. “This isn’t funny.”

A beat passed between them.

“You’re not joking?” Yuzuru asked, his alarm growing as he studied the look of horror on Gweyn’s face. “Wait, wait. How were you navigating us before?”

“Instinct?” Gweyn said.

“What?” Yuzuru’s jaw dropped. “You… Instinct?”

Gweyn’s eyes grew round with fear, then narrowed as she smiled cheekily. “Gotcha.” She turned and continued walking, arms swaying.

Yuzuru watched the rope around his waist stretch as Gweyn got further away. He bent down and scraped some ice off the floor.

Gweyn had her gaze fixed on the distance so didn’t see him. Yuzuru plowed into her, shoving the ice down her back. He took off, laughing as Gweyn screamed.

“Gotcha!” he called back, only to see she wasn’t there. A flash zipped past him. A heartbeat later he slammed into Gweyn. They fell in a tangle of limbs and rope, giggling as each tried to shove ice down the other’s clothes.

In the corner of his eye, Yuzuru caught sight of something in the mist. He was on the ground and couldn’t tell which direction. When he opened his mouth Gwyen took the opportunity and crammed it full of snow.

Cold raced through Yuzuru. His teeth clenched and exhilarated laughter gripped him. He tried to drag Gweyn down with him, making her shriek with laughter.

But then he felt her pressing close. She wasn’t laughing anymore. Neither was he. In the dim light, Gweyn's eyes were so red it made his breath pause.

Gweyn leaned closer, a strand of hair falling across Yuzuru’s face. Her hands were on his chest, fingers digging softly through his cloak.

Yuzuru tried to make words but he had nothing. He watched as Gweyn’s lips parted, the tips of her fangs peeking out.

And then he remembered what he saw.

“Wait,” he croaked, placing his hands between them. “Something… in the mist, Gweyn.”

Gweyn’s expression snapped from hurt to confusion to alarm in the span of half a second. Just in time too, as an arrow zipped silently out of the haze, gliding past her head.

Gweyn vaulted off Yuzuru. Men were shouting. It was coming from his right, or was it left?

“Who are they?”

“Dead men,” Gweyn answered, pulling out her dagger. She drew it through the rope binding them, then dashed into the mist before Yuzuru could stop her.

Yuzuru clambered to his feet. He called for Gweyn but the sounds of clashing steel rang across the lake. Somewhere, a man screamed. Sparks ignited through the fog. Yuzuru smelled blood.

Untying the severed rope from his waist, Yuzuru raced towards the sounds of fighting, only to crash straight into Gweyn.

“Run!” the girl yelled, yanking him away from the mist. “We kicked the damn hornet’s nest!”

Arrows flew over her head. Yuzuru ducked, hearing the hum of their feathered-ends gliding past.

“This way!”

Gweyn took off running, Yuzuru’s hand grasped tightly in her own.

“Are they red or blue?” he asked.

“Does it matter?" Gweyn shouted back. "I killed one of them.”

“You didn’t stop to check first?”

“Shut up!”

They ran directionless while arrows streamed around them. Yuzuru glanced back and saw armored men charging out of the mist. They wore red-tinted steel and their footsteps sent shudders along the lake.

The crackling of ice thundered through the air. Jagged lines raced below Yuzuru, white against the blue.

“Gweyn!”

Gweyn looked down as well. She ran faster, pulling Yuzuru. But he couldn’t keep up. His feet were starting to slip. And then the world was suddenly sideways and he was on the ground, sliding, scrambling.

Gweyn skidded to a halt and ran back for Yuzuru. She screamed out to him but the Tachelm soldiers were closing in, their shouts covering hers. Another volley of arrows flew past. One caught Gweyn on the shoulder.

Yuzuru got to his feet, making it three yards before another arrow sliced across his leg. He yowled, knee smashing against the ice.

"Use your powers!" he shouted, waving at Gweyn. "Fly!"

Footsteps thundered close. The soldiers were gaining, armor glinting red in the light.

Was this the end? Yuzuru thought as he reached out for Gweyn. She was on the ground, the ice beneath her splattered with blood. Were they going to die before they could even kiss?

The ground sank. Massive cracks circled a group of soldiers, spraying jets of water high into the air before they fell into the water.

The soldiers. There are too many!

Renewed with strength, Yuzuru crawled to Gweyn. He drew her close, pressing her wound to make it stop bleeding.

Gweyn’s eyes fluttered. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I really thought we could do this.”

Holding onto her with one hand, Yuzuru placed the other against the ice. In front of him, more soldiers were coming out of the mist, running around the gap which consumed their comrades.

“We still can, Gweyn,” he said, and focused on the well of magic inside him. “We're going to get you home.”

The ice burst into steam under Yuzuru’s hand, launching pieces of it high into the sky. He felt his stomach drop away as the sheet below him tipped. He held onto Gweyn with everything he had as they slid towards the water, its crystal surface broken by the numerous armored bodies crashing against it.

The last thing Yuzuru felt before the cold robbed him of his senses, was the warm embrace of leathery wings.