"Hey, are you awake?" 

She shuffles in her sleep, shirting left and right, unable to find the most comfortable of positions as it seems. 

Trying once more, I nudge her. A response of a twitching eye and an irritated moan escapes her mouth. 

I've given her as much warmth as I could give, but it seems that it's not enough to sate someone like her. Her body seems to have heated up immensely these past few minutes. 

I can't just drag her out of here. I've already exhausted most of my energy, and it seems that I won't make it without rest. The best option is to wait out the blizzard and travel back in the morning. 

The question that I ask myself is 'will we outlast the cold?' 

It doesn't seem like the weather will be forgiving, as it becomes stronger and stronger, the sound of wind runs rampant outside, its whispers echo through the remnants of the fortress. 

I find it a great stroke of luck that I could scavenge a few fur coats and some lightly burnt blankets for warmth.  

Nevertheless, she continues to be uneasy in her sleep, rolling often. 

"Ugh, no more, please, no more. It's too painful." 

I instinctively react to her voice just moments after turning my back. Taking a better look at her, she seems not that bad for someone who had lived in the frontier. You would've thought that people there would look chiseled and well built, but this one's different. 

She possesses a surprising slim figure that can be seen from her light piece of clothing, her snow-white hair glistens lightly like crystals in a cavern. Though her pale white body is covered in scars and wounds, her face retains a vibrant beauty to it, unknowingly captivating me for a while. 

If I were to assume it, she may be the same age as me, or younger possibly. 

I can't help but feel weak as well due to fatigue just by watching her rest. "How envious."

"Mhmm, grandfather is that you?"

She slowly rubs her eyes with her arm, stretching out her body in a child-like manner. 

After blinking a few times, adjusting her sight to her surroundings, her face begins to darken. Instantly, she stands up, clutching her clothes and the blanket serving as her only source of warmth. She retreats into a corner, unable to clearly find an exit to escape to. There she takes a small pebble among the many scattered on the ground, defending herself with it. 

She seems to see me as a threat after just a few seconds. Well, not that it matters anyway. The only relevance with her is that I need to bring her back to the elder for my reward. Nothing more, nothing less. 

But it might make things difficult seeing as how hostile she is as of now. Do I knock her out, or do I drag her back? *sigh* I don't have the energy for this. I just want to pass out in peace. 

I focus my eyes on her, she quivers in fear rather than the courage she displayed before. Her body vibrates, reacting to the immense cold. I don't think she'll believe anything I say, not unless I calm her down. 

"Hey, what's your name?"

"...." 

Nothing but a glare is returned. I wonder what I should do. This is the first time i've encountered in my life a person, specifically a woman, as vicious as this. I've got nothing to lose anyway, might as well take my time in calming her down. Hopefully I'll be done by dawn. 

"Are you going to keep shivering there or are you going to come here for warmth. I won't harm you, I promise."

"...." 

"Fine, your choice. I'll just immerse myself in these blankets all alone."

I hog all of it in my arms, leaning towards a nearby wall and covering myself in it. What a nice warm and cozy home. It even feels like I could sleep here for eternity. 

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"...."

No reaction huh. Pretty stubborn. It seems really irritating dealing with these types. It's hard to persuade them with easy means, nothing seems to get through to them unless you trigger a prerequisite.

Maybe there's no use forcing these kinds. 

I lay down, adjusting my position to be as comfortable as possible. Putting my hands behind my head, looking up at nothing specifically. then I begin to think back, a little farther in the past. 

"I wonder how they're doing. Nerian, Lazarus, Juliette. Has peace been attained by either two I wonder."

It's been quite a while, although not that long. I seem to think about them less and less with the passing of time, like I'm losing bits and pieces of my memories. It's been like this very often. Is this a curse? Possibly. I think I deserve it after all. Taking countless of lives, and still taking more, being unable to protect people from death. It's ironic really. You try to become a defender of people you care about, but in return you take lives of people just to ensure that. 

"What a messed up world and life this has become... It all started with that letter, and that quest."

What do I hope to accomplish after I obtain my long awaited power? Will I come back, or will I stay in solitude for the remainder of my life. 

After a deep sigh of exhaustion yet again, I begin to close my eyes, hoping that I fall asleep. But to my dismay, It did not happen. Rather, there's that sinking feeling in my gut telling me to do something ridiculous. 

I guess it can't be helped. Two people being stubborn are enough, I won't add to that.

I pick up a blanket, silently getting up from my comfortable bed of fur coats and blankets. I inch towards her, making light steps as to not wake and provoke her once more. 

Even in this kind of conditions she found the time to sleep. How admirable, and at the same time idiotic.

My arms extend towards her, and at close inspection you could see her shivering excessively, embracing her arms and gritting her teeth as they rattle. Even her breath produces a white cloud of smoke as she exhales. Luckily her eyes are closed, I wouldn't be as close as I want otherwise. 

Lightly touching her forehead, I feel an odd sensation from it. An unnatural body temperature seems to make her ragged. "A fever? Hypothermia?"

My voice seems to rouse her spirit, waking her, and in clear surprise. 

She opens her eyes wide, and her mouth as well but no words nor a sound comes out. Still, she goes through all the trouble of throwing the rock at me, failing miserably as I strafe to the side, avoiding it. 

Her arms go limp once her deed is finished. It seems I assumed right. She has a fever, and one that's going to keep getting worse without rest. 

"G, get away from me!"

She forces her words out, trailing off near the end, the message is still conveyed to me clearly. But I don't do as she says. Not that i don't want to, but doing nothing at this point will only bring pain and suffering to her. She might not last the night at this point. 

"Don't be stubborn. You'll die. Do you want that?"

"I don't care. This is all too much. I can't take much more. Please, just stay away. I don't know anything about the crypt."

She's completely ignoring my words, rambling with her own misunderstanding. I'll have to worry about the crypt later. There will be no crypt at all without her. 

"Stay silent and don't move."

I oppress her further, making my approach menacing and straightforward as possible. There will be no other way at this point, her fever will only grow stronger and worse. 

"W, what are you doing! I told you to stay away from me!"

I forcibly take her in my arms, carrying her towards the bed of warmth i'd created earlier. Though she keeps on struggling by hitting me weakly with her fists, I as well struggle to ignore the pain coming from the wounds that she is hitting. 

"Save your energy. Sleep, I won't do anything else to you."

She looks at me with malice after I utter my words of sincerity. I don't really mind, but can't she just cooperate? Even the cold is affecting me now. I can't be bothered to use my flames, let aone have anyone touch them. They'll burn down easily. 

She burns hotter and hotter with each passing second, and I've not even left her for more than a minute. 

"This is even worse than I thought. Bear with it for now. I'll do something, just rest."

Though my words do not seem to reassure her, her eyes slowly close until she finally succumbs to the warm embrace of the blankets I had laid out for her. 

Who knew taking care of someone needed so much out of you. This is quite hard to grasp really. 

Now, I have to do something about that rampant fever slowly enveloping her body. I take off my tattered clothing, setting them down close to the makeshift bed. Never have I attempted such a thing, and merely basing it on something that I had read in the past, not knowing that it would benefit me in any way. But now's not the time to hesitate. If this succeeds or not, I shall see tomorrow. 

I lay down beside her, absorbing the heat both our bodies emit. Aware of the situation, I can't really push myself to do something like this, but... It's a warm feeling.

Is this what it feels to have someone beside you? Hmph, I don't think that's the case. It's more like a material need rather than a necessity. It might look like that from an outsider's perspective, but it won't matter afterwards. I'll be done with her after I return to the village.

Slowly, I feel my eyes gain weight, and I drift into a deep sleep...

The next day came quickly, and in the sign of a loud screech and a fierce slap on the face. 

"What did you do to me!?"

"It's not what you think it is... (Though I doubt you'll believe any of that)"

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Taking advantage of me when I was at my weakest."

"I didn't want to let you die. You are a part of my success. Without you, my plans wouldn't be complete."

"What are you talking about? Plans? Success? And what do you mean by not letting me die?"

I stay silent instead, avoiding this ensuing conflict that might last forever if this keeps up. I had predicted that something like this would happen, but I was too carefree about it. 

I just need to get back, and after this... The crypt. And no one will stop me. Anyone who gets in my way will perish no matter who they are. 

Simply closing my eyes and exhaling deeply, blocking out the loud noise coming from her I felt a small fraction of ease.

"Wait for me Samael, Andour. Just a little more." 

Thinking back on it once more, it feels very distant and lonely. Those times I spent with them, the adventures we went through. But why? Why disappear suddenly. What's the reason behind all this? 

And my past... The one thing I'm never able to forget nor doubt. Just who was I then. I can't help but feel out of place knowing that I'm someone else, but I don't know who. 

It's amazing that I haven't become paranoid yet. People disappearing left and right. It feels like I'm cursed already. An induced melancholy strains my emotions, making my body tremble ever so slightly. 

No, I need to get a hold of myself. I've abandoned my past, so why? Why can't I leave it alone then?

"Why? Is what I'm doing right?"

 Silence. I hear nothing. I expected to hear her rant, but it's unfounded for some reason. I can't look since i've seem to have teared up, but why did she stop?

"Who are you then?"