Becky woke when Mason started cooking.

"Mmm." She stretched like a cat, then seemed to panic a little until she saw Mason by the fire. "Come back to bed," she tried to whisper, glancing at the others still in their sleeping bags. "Maybe if we're quick and quiet we can...wait, where did you get the meat?"

"It's not goblin, if that's what you're worried about." Mason grinned and rotated his sticks. "I went across the river. Hunted some more birds. Swam them back. Nothing fancy."

"Swimming back and forth across that awful river is more fancy than you think," Phuong said, quickly rolling up his sleeping bag and joining Mason by the fire. "Sorry Miss Rebecca," he winked. "I was already awake."

'Miss Rebecca' went beet red, then hid under her blanket. Mason chuckled and handed the older man a stick that was mostly cooked. He bowed slightly in thanks and took it, soon gorging on the steaming meat with a few appreciative groans. "How on earth did you flavor it?" he asked.

Mason sighed, unable to fight the grin, while also knowing the answer was ridiculous. "Haley, uh, puts seasoning in my pack. In little plastic bags."

Phuong sort of choked on a stifled laugh. "She'll make a good mother one day," he said, and Mason met his knowing eyes with a nod.

"I expect she will."

They left it at that. Soon Seamus was up to piss and swear and be his generally foul self, Rebecca dressed in her clothes plus whatever extras Mason had. They ate and put on every scrap of clothing they had, save for Mason who stripped down to his underwear to give the rest to Becky.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" she asked for maybe the fifth time. "I mean you're practically in yer damn birthday suit. And it's cold!" She shivered for added effect, but Mason just shrugged.

He wasn't even entirely sure what was protecting him. His level, or stats? His classes? His powers or titles? Some combination of them all? Whatever it was he felt only a bit cool in the frigid air, despite knowing it was below freezing.

"Where's Streak?" Becky asked as they were picking up their camp, and Mason shrugged.

"He's...busy. He'll find us when he can."

"He's alone?" The cowgirl's green eyes widened a little. "We can't just leave him. He might get in trouble, and then what the hell..."

"I'm pretty sure Streak is the trouble here. He'll be fine. And if he isn't, I'll know. We good? There's plenty of miles yet to the tree."

The others nodded and Mason got ready to start jogging before Becky slapped her face and rolled her eyes.

"Christ Mason you're bare foot. You don't even wear shoes now?"

He'd actually forgotten, and glanced at his feet slightly buried in a bit of snow.

"Took 'em off for the swim." He shrugged. "But, uh. I guess not. Shall we?"

God only knew how she'd react if she saw him take on a half-wolf form or severely Transform. Not that he could blame her. It all sort of freaked him out, too.

Or at least it used to. But he was getting more and more comfortable with his increasing stats and powers and ridiculousness. It was a bit like getting seriously hurt, or ill, he supposed, you just had to accept it and move on. Wasn't much point in stewing.

The players ran north through a seemingly never-ending light snow. The forest remained unnaturally quiet, with no sounds at all save the crunching of their feet, and the howl of wind through the trees. They'd crossed maybe ten miles when Mason finally heard something different, something new.

He held up his hand to stop the others, turning all his senses towards the strange noises ahead. "Quiet," he whispered, then touched a tree and activated his Nature's Sleeve camouflage, creeping forward as the noise increased.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Soon the light snow became a blizzard. In an increasingly unnatural 'wall' of weather, Mason's vision obscured into a swirling maelstrom of snow. It seemed to sit unmoving, cutting a line through the trees in some kind of magical separation just like the river, but with no obvious geographic marker.

"Let me guess," Seamus muttered. "We've gotta go through that fecking thing."

"Good guess," Mason said, pulling up his map with Wayfinder. They could try and go around, of course, but Mason fully expected to find the unnatural barrier completely encircling the Great Tree. "Not much else for it," he said, mostly to himself. "We go back. Or we go through."

He glanced at the others. Phuong and Rebecca clenched their jaws or hands and looked ready for anything as they nodded in response. Seamus mostly just sighed.

"Least I can light on fire," he said. "You other buggers are fecked."

Mason frowned, then gave Becky an encouraging hand on her back.

"I'll move slow," he said. "Stay with me. And if you get lost, uh, yell. I'll come get you."

Then he walked into the immobile storm.

* * *

Heightened senses didn't help much when the whole world became loud and white. Texas didn't get too much snow, but hunting up North Mason had certainly heard stories of Canadian farmers getting trapped in some blizzard, getting lost and freezing to death on their own property. That's how this felt. His only comfort was Wayfinder.

He soon had everyone link hands, walking them all forward a tentative step at a time towards the tree on his map 'overlay'. His actual eyes couldn't see a damn thing, and he knew if it wasn't for the map it was extremely possible to get turned around.

For what felt like many long, disorienting minutes, Mason pulled the others along, grip tight and secure on Becca's wrist.

"Everyone good?" he shouted over the storm, relaxing a little when all three shouted back.

On he went. It was a little colder here than outside, at least enough his mostly naked body fought with the occasional shiver. But he soon realized Becky's arm was starting to shake in his grip, and suspected it was worse than he realized. He sped up his pace.

They'd gone far enough now he knew he couldn't easily go back. They could run, but it wouldn't help much, and for all they knew they were surrounded by pit traps full of spikes and just picked a lucky path.

Still, distasteful as it might be, he knew if things got bad enough, he'd pick up Rebecca, run her to safety, then do his best to save the others. He expected Phuong would know as much, and probably approve. And, well, who really gave a shit what Seamus thought?

It was unpleasant thoughts like these in Mason's head when the blizzard ended. Just like that, Mason stepped from swirling wind and snow to a world so bright and green he squinted, so warm he practically gasped at the change. Then the others were through and shaking from the cold and from relief.

They looked like snowmen. Every speck of clothing was covered in snow or frost, and they all raced forward and dropped down together as they pulled off clothes or shook themselves. Mason knocked some out of his hair, but mostly focused on the view.

A huge spruce tree rose into the sky, its needles covering the ground everywhere, the scent incredible, almost overwhelming. It was warm here, warmer than before the blizzard, with green grass and vegetation, and even the sound of birds.

Two rivers ran right past the tree to the north and south, and Mason suspected the running water was also somehow connected to the warmth of the tree. It was amazing. Beautiful.

But Mason knew he was here for a reason. Something was harming it, threatening it. Was it the cold? Or was that somehow 'natural'? Was there something else inside?

"Can we...build a...f-f-fire?" Becky said, still shaking off snow and flexing her fingers.

Mason dropped to his knees and took her hands in his, cupping them and blowing hot air.

"It's warm here," he said. "You'll feel better soon. Come here." He stripped off wet, mostly frozen layers then pulled Becky against him and pushed as much of his skin against hers as he could. She shuddered at the feel and clung to him.

Seamus roared into flames beside them.

"Ahh Jesus that feels good."

Mason turned Becky to face him, and Phuong stuck out his hands like you might at a bonfire.

"Tree looks fine," said the Irishman. "Suppose we're here to stop the blizzard? If so it might like me more than the last one."

"Speaking of which," Mason felt his eyes narrow. "If you have any 'burn the tree' quests, I promise it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"Calm yourself, mate. I've nothin' of the sort. Just here to help." The Irishman's glowing eyes went up and down Becky's mostly exposed body until Mason glared hard enough he cleared his throat. "Well." His fire sputtered out. "I'd best save me mana. Shall we?"

Phuong shrugged, and with a last, sort of annoyed shiver, so did Becky.

"Alright," Mason said, slowly stepping towards the tree. "Be ready for anything. I've no idea what actually..."

He stopped when he found footprints. Familiar footprints. These were bigger than the last time, with a wider shape that resembled a bear print save for the more humanoid marks.

"Gnolls," he said, gritting his teeth and fighting the memories of his tutorial dungeon.

"What? Like grassy knolls?" Seamus said before he cocked his head and looked at the footprints. "Well those are bloody big."

"Yeah," Mason said, mentally preparing himself for another round with the vicious creatures. "Expect big clawed brutes and probably some casters with elemental magic. Unless these one's are different, of course."

He stepped up and stopped with a hand near the tree before muttering to himself.

"At least it's not snakes." Then he pressed his palm to the trunk.