A single spear pierced through the wall of a small cave.

“Cut that out Keilan, you’re letting even more of the cold air in!”

Crystal, who had spent the past hour trying to get a fire going, was now glaring at her brother with her hands on her hips. Aria, Aira, Oden, and Sorn had left to find some goats to eat. Toren had been trusted to be a lookout, and Kaen, as per usual, had disappeared without letting anyone know.

The further south the group went, the worse the climate got. The temperature wasn’t an issue for any of them, except Sorn. Despite assuring anyone it didn’t bother him whatsoever, his body language and the distance he kept from the fire didn’t lie. More importantly, finding any type of shelter to cook had proved to be extremely easy. Small caves were littered across the terrain. Animals were harder to find in these areas, but for the meantime, they had been successful when it came to going to sleep with full stomachs.

”They’re late.”

Kaen swung in from the entrance of the cave, with Toren closely behind him. Keilan gave Kaen a suspicious glance. The sun had just set, and there was still no sign

Keilan: “Where have you been?”

Kaen: “I’ve been scouting around. If we have any pursuers, they’re terrible.”

Toren: “I must say, being a guard has become quite the drag.”

Crystal: “Would you rather go out hunting or cook?”

Toren: “No, I apologize.”

Keilan: “You should.”

Toren raised an eyebrow.

Toren: “Excuse me?”

”We’re back!”

Aria’s voice called out from outside. She strutted in happily alongside her three other companions.. The goats they held were plump and healthy. Crystal was beaming as she grabbed the goats. Keilan however, wasn’t as pleased.

Keilan: “You can’t be out that long for a simple goat.”

Oden: “I know you haven’t been doing anything, so I’ll forgive your lack of knowledge and inform you instead. The population of any food around here is extremely scarce. This is the fastest we’re getting back.”

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Keilan began arguing with him, and Sorn suddenly felt a slimy presence creeping behind him. Toren had snuck up beside him, and they were now locked into an uncomfortable eye contact.

Toren: “Hello.”

Sorn: “Um, hi.”

Toren: “Yes.”

Sorn: “Have you been doing alright?”

Keilan and Oden had ceased their short discourse, and had chosen opposite sides of the cave to stand at. Kaen, Aria, Crystal, and Aira were collectively working on cutting up the goats.

Toren: “It’s somewhat crowded here. I say we go on a walk.”

Oden, who was the most nearby, overheard this.

Oden: “Are you sure? It’s pretty dark now.”

Sorn: “The weather is better than usual, I don’t think there’s harm in going.

Truthfully, Sorn wasn’t sure where his place with Toren currently stood. The initial dislike had been almost completely spurred by Toren. Sorn, for the most part, had only reciprocated it. He had never once imagined Toren could be such a laid back individual, especially with Sorn.

Sorn didn’t really trust Toren, or like him at all for that matter. However, Toren’s extreme internal change caused Sorn to perhaps entertain a new perspective on the man.

They stepped out of the cave onto the empty tundra. Sorn let out a chilly breath. No one besides Oden had noticed their departure, but Sorn didn’t expect this walk to be a long one.

Toren: “It’s somewhat nice knowing that the likelihood of pursuers are becoming less and less by the day.”

Sorn: “I mean it’s only been two days.”

Toren smiled.

Toren: “I suppose that’s right.”

They walked in silence for a moment. Toren was the one to break it.

Toren: “When do you think us Ice Elementals first awaken our abilities?”

This question acted as sort of a curveball for Sorn. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.

Sorn: “Um, twelve?”

Toren: “Not a bad guess. In rare cases, some do awaken their powers at that age. I am different. My first mask appeared when I was five years old.”

Sorn wasn’t sure why he was being told this, but he decided to play along for the time being.

Sorn: “Wow, that’s impressive.”

Toren: “I agree. But for us Ice Elementals, truly unique abilities are developed by our deepest internal self. This is part of the reason as to why they develop beyond our adolescence. One’s self is not generally found without some level of life experience”

Toren held out his hand, and four different masks generated before him. Sorn recognized the green and red ones from his previous fight, but this was his first time seeing the blue one. There was one other at the end that was a mesh of many colors. It was also struggling to fully materialize, as though parts of it were glitching out of reality.

Toren: “I’ve always thought the world belonged to me. I was given and promised everything. The kingdom, my clan, a wife. I was called a genius and a prodigy. As a result, I let my talent and fortune get to my head. But such is not reality. No one is without insecurities or flaws. But I wasn’t allowed to show them. After all, no paragon can afford to show a moment of weakness. Such expectations resulted in these masks you see before you.”

With a wave of his hand, the first three masks disappeared, leaving only the disorienting one. Sorn recognized the look Toren was giving it to be one of longing.

Sorn: “So that’s your true self.”

He was guessing, but it also seemed correct to say.

Toren: “I’m surprised you deduced that. But you are correct. This mask embodies my deepest insecurity, my inability to understand or find myself. When we first met was perhaps when my frustration was at its highest. It was only after tasting true defeat for the first time where I could truly take a step back and understand that this mask won’t magically appear. It is one that requires a long journey, away from the influences that I was raised with. This is the main reason as to why I won’t return to the Fortress.”

Sorn: As interesting as this is to listen to, I don’t really understand why you’re telling me this.”

Toren: “You distrust me, no?”

He wasn’t wrong.

Toren: “Apart from trying to clear the air, I’d also Iike to ask you to accompany me on this journey. You have a sense of naivete that the rest of us do not possess. Perhaps that inspires me. Regardless, I believe your company will be something I value.”

Sorn didn’t know whether to take that compliment as somewhat backhanded, but he stretched out his hand regardless, offering Toren to shake it.

Sorn: “Apologize to Crystal, and it’s a deal.”

Toren: “Apologizing is not my forte, but I will follow through on your offer.”

The two completed their handshake to seal the promises before heading back to the cave.

End.