It was noon. However, the group of three traversing through the endless tundra had long since lost track of time. They had been walking for hours, days maybe. Their bodies ached for rest, but they could not succumb to it.

They shouldn't.

Thick mist rose high from the ground to dim the sun's rays, fatally impairing their vision. Its coldness slicked its way through their boots, lulling their dull conciousness away from below up, dangerously leading to the tempted's eternal rest.

If only there were wind, then this mist could not possibly settle for long. It seemed to had stopped blowing since the blizzard that repainted the region had passed. But having it now would feel like a death sentence.

'No, anything but that.'

The mere thought brought new shivers down Regal's back. He cast the desperation away and tucked his arms tighter to his chest, preserving every heat that this place kept sapping away from him. His back was hunched protectively while his stiff boots ploughed through snow. Regal was currently wearing every bit of clothing he owned, added with the rabbit scarf Lya handed him.

He felt something burn inside his chest everytime he remembers her pitying eyes. He was frustrated. The siblings kept stimulating something he thought he already drowned. For a long time, he conditioned himself to wear a stoic mask. Soon, he fused as one with his pretentions and became what was known as the detached and cold reaper of the battlefield.

'Cold, was it?'

The irony made him smile bitterly. Here he was, waging a banal fight against the identity everyone see him as. The picture was so ridiculous, Regal felt cracks in his soul, a sign that everything he ever was was crumbling down.

He escaped from his thoughts by looking at his side, only to be disappointed as they were in far better condition than him. Ivril had not slowed at all despite hours of carting his humongous sled. He still wore his previous attire. At first Regal found this costume ridiculous, now he could only look in envy. Behind Ivril was something, or someone, even more ridiculous, Lya. In his eyes, he saw a spoiled princess sitting comfortably atop the fur covered luggage. Her simple white dress draped down to her long, elegantly crossed legs, while her hands fiddled with fibrils of yards and needles. The sight was so ridiculous, Regal felt his pride was crushed from his weakness. Perhaps due to weariness, he didn't notice that Ivril was shaking with fatigue and Lya's lips were closer to purple than her usual pink.

"How much further?" Ivril broke the silence with his hoarse voice.

"Ten more minutes." Lya answered in a coarse whisper.

"To where?" Regal asked, as far as he knew, they were closer to death more than anything, and he would rather not die within ten more minutes.

No one spoke for a few moments. Regal felt it was hours. Then Lya answered, devoid of anything but exhaustion. "The peak."

Her imperfect voice gained his attention, and finally led him to notice something was wrong with his companions. Regal began to look back, but a searing light ahead intercepted his attention. The thick clouds parted to deliver a silver lining. It lit down on them, conquering the mist to pierce through Regal's white hazed mind. The beacon showered his world with recognition, and he saw what the journey still had in store.

The sight, however, was painful to bear.

Endlessly, he saw ice. The group stood tall atop one of the many pointed mountain peak which dotted numerously to grid a great span of tundra. Beyond it was an ice field, beside this were glaciers. Just a little more further were where icebergs hinted to existence. Of all this, the path Regal previously trekked in his way north was nowhere to be seen. Not a single tree stood to comfort his journey in this desolated land.

"We're lost." He said hopelessly, wondering how in the world did he even survived going to Yulid. "Why did you even deviate from the path I threaded before?"

The siblings steered the group's course half way through their journey, saying they knew of a faster route. Regal believed, reasoned how it would only be logical to know your way around your home. The said siblings, however, have never been as far south as they currently were.

"Down west is where the sea is. The current will run down south, so we just need to ride with it." Ivril explained as he surveyed the path they had to take.

Regal felt his life drain out of him from Ivril's reasoning. Everyone knew that the north was cold, add water in the pot, and you cook a dreadfully slow acting poison that torturously kills.

"Do you have a vessel?" Regal held onto hope.

"None."

". . . " Now he felt so stupid for ever trusting this man. "And you plan to swim thousands of kilometres?"

Lya giggled. "That would be smart."

"You figure?" Regal snapped to her. Though before he could stay on glaring a moment longer, he froze on the spot.

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Lya's lips were visibly purple and her skin perfectly blends with snow because of her alarmingly pale complexion. Her eye lids droop low in exhaustion, and her hands minutely shook the fabric she's knitting.

She noticed Regal's stunned face, and raised a brow in reply. "What now?"

Regal felt conflicted. He was previously ordered to not ask questions regarding 'their' unique capabilities. His superiors feared the blood elves would recluse further because of their impatience for information. Hence, he could not ask how she was fine or how serious her condition was. He could only look worriedly.

-

They had been walking for days, nine days in exact. They rested for only four hours a day, which includes sleep and meals, the rest were a non-stop treading through ice and snow. Needless to be said, they were exhausted. Regal once mentioned it took him a month with his elk, which unfortunately died from Lya's recent outburst. With the party's current pace, it was estimated that their journey would take a week less. However, that was until the sixth day.

For unknown reasons, thick mist veiled the world, and this was especially fatal for Lya. It was part of being special, as her brother called it. Knowing this, Ivril insisted of making her sit over the luggage as he pulled. She would just smile sadly. Lya was dismayed that she was weighing her brother down. She always did, but she thought that this journey would be her chance to reverse their roles. Lya wanted to change for the better, not only for her brother but also for herself. She had enough of about just everything in her life, and she resolved to believe that change have to start in her.

However, the world just seemed to be against her wishes. First the unnatural weather, now, Regal, who detested her since they met, was looking at her with same worry she knew too well from her brother.

'Am I that hopeless? If the first stranger I meet already sees me as incapable, then what does that say about my future?'

Despair was not enough of a word to convey what she was feeling over the concern, pity, and annoyance that Regal's face was showing. Unwillingly, tears began to swell on her eyes and fell tumultuously. She immediately swiped it away with the scarf she was making, but only more cascaded down rebelliously. She shamefully covered her face with both hands then bent down to her knee. Hiccups rose to her throat as she muffled her sobs..

"Li- Li- Li-" She heard her brother's voice, but did not dare to look up. She knew what his thoughts were already. How her tears were somehow his fault, how useless of a brother he was, how could he have failed to notice. Numerous thoughts would swirl his mind, but Lya knew, none were blaming her. This only stabbed Lya deeper. She would rather bear his accusations than burden him further.

Her body racked hysterically as sobs and unsuccessfully suppressed hiccups trespassed repeatedly. Eventually, she did not care any more and let everything she kept bottled burst out. She wailed rampantly at the peak of the mountain. Nothing but her weeping voice wrung to her ears. When her throat was dry and tears ran dry, Lya finally felt the warmth of her brother's arms. This time, she welcomed it and placed all pessimistic thoughts aside. She looked up, and saw her favorite eyes. Strong and confident, yet gentle and delicate. Those red eyes were always what kept her sane.

"You feel better now?"

She nodded meekly and wiped remaining tears clean, a weak smile leaked to her lips. She stood up and walked to a sharp edge. Looking down, the world seemed to have become much brighter, ice twinkled, snow were a gentle coat, even the white peaks looked beautiful rather than the redundancy it was before.

She looked back, and saw her companions eye her inquiringly. "Sorry for making you worry."

"Never mind that, what happened? Does it hurt that bad? Do you want to go back? Maybe, let's rest for a whole week? Yeah, that-"

"Brother, we do not have to. I am fine, and I will remain fine."

". . . Then why did you cry? I never saw you cry 'till this day."

Regal's previous face uncomfortably bubbled to her mind. She just frowned, and immediately popped the thought aside. Lya just smiled embarrassedly, before turning around and absorb the faint sunlight around.

'No. I have to stop getting ahead of myself. I just barely started. I cannot lose against myself.'

With a new found resolution, Lya looked back to her companions. "I apologize. I just suddenly felt really useless, the lack of sun finally is affecting my morale. But since I already cried a rivers worth, I am fine now. I have never been better."

The last sentence was a lie. However, it was Lya's first offense against her bleak outlook in life.