It’s rather strange. We put all this time and effort into climbing the mountain before us, and yet the ridgeline beyond seems no closer.

I cling tight to Grímr’s fur as we run through the snow-laden slope. An icy gale rolls over us and I increase my heat to push away the cold.

Why are we moving through here? Couldn’t we have stuck to the areas without such a deadly carpet? They aren’t trying to put me in danger on purpose, are they? I cling tighter to the fur and consider changing to give myself flight and escape any possibility that Grímr might toss me off again.

“You look like you’re enjoying yourself, Grímr,” Remus muses. “If only we could say the same about your passenger.”

“It’s incredible. She’s like a living heat pack. The higher altitudes won’t be a problem if she can keep this up.”

Alright stuff this. I’m not going to put myself in danger to be someone’s back warmer. I change my legs first and dig my talons into Grímr’s hide. Beside a curious glance back, he doesn’t complain. Despite pressing in hard, the sharp points on my feet don’t pierce through.

By the time my transformation is complete, we are approaching the summit. The mountain is probably tall in its own right, but the speed at which we scaled it and its position underneath the Titan Alps makes it feel like nothing more than a hill.

The moment I take wing, we surmount the peak. I ignore the sigh of disappointment from below as I stare in amazement at the view before me. The Titan Alps have always been a constant companion. It is always visible. Always present. To see it so close and clear is incredible.

Snow covers the Alps as well, but unlike the mountain underneath me, the snow only reaches the lowest rung. While still far above me, the white sheet eventually ends and unmarred black and grey stone blocks out the sky.

“From this point onwards, Solvei, is where we hunt,” Remus declares with three limbs raised toward the mountain ranges before us.

The land between here and the Titan alps gradually increases in altitude, leaving most of the ground white.

“You never said anything about the snow.” There isn’t any way I’ll be working with them if I’m constantly in danger.

“Don’t worry so much, as long as you control the heat you give off, like I’ve seen you do, you’ll be fine until one of us pulls you out.”

I give him an incredulous look as I circle above. That’s hardly reasonable. Am I supposed to just let myself freeze out here? I’m already burning through far too much resources to keep myself warm in these icy conditions, I’ll tire myself out in no time if I try to keep a temperature difference so that I’m still warm on the inside while forcing my exterior cold enough not to melt snow.

I can do it somewhat when I’m trying to lower my outer temperature to interact with others, but it’s almost impossible to force my body that cold. Why does he assume I can do that?

“There’s no way I can do that. Do you know how hard that is?”

Remus just looks up and tilts his head… body at me. It looks odd.

“Don’t think about it too much.” I almost jerk out of my flight as Jav appears beside me. “Remus expects the best in everyone. If he believes you can do it, then there is a good chance you can. Even if you don’t believe him, you only need to get through this trip. I’ve put an order in with my sisters to get you proper snow gear to fit. You shouldn’t have to deal with those oversized clothes after we get back. And trust me, their work is so good you won’t get a drop of water on you even if you decide to go swimming. Although, probably best not to try it.”

I guess it’ll be fine just this once. “I’m not changing back, though.” I’d rather keep flight available to me than be susceptible in my normal form.

“That’s fine. Do what makes you comfortable.” Jav glides down to land on Remus’ head again.

Tetsu is already charging down the mountainside, too impatient to wait while we argue. The rest of us are soon to follow behind. As I glide above while they sprint their way down, I cast my sight across the valley before us. While most of the area is blanketed in snow, with the exception of the lower altitude of the valley that drops into a river, an almost perfectly circular region to the west lacks the white cover entirely. The area, half a league wide, sticks out from the surroundings.

“Hey, can we hunt over there?” I call to Remus and direct my beak to the area I won’t have to worry about the snow.

“No.” Remus answers immediately. “We never go near there. That’s the home of the Ice Glutton.”

“The Ice Glutton?”

“It may not be in the realm of a Titan, but it is still far from anything we could hope to take on. As long as we leave it alone, it’ll stay near its home and only come out to gullet some snow.”

“It just stays here? A mountain away from people?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Yep. Hasn’t moved from the spot since it arrived over a century ago. Good thing too, cause the last time a hunting party was formed, none survived.”

I send one last glance toward the only extensive area without a buildup of snow. It’s annoying. The only place that looks at all appealing to fly toward just happens to hold some unbeatable monster.

“What about above the snow? Do you ever go there?” I nod toward the Titan Alps above.

“We’ve certainly tried, but no. I don’t think you would want to try either. If you think it’s cold here, I don’t think you could imagine the chill up there. It takes months to prepare for a journey to the Middle Elevation, and that’s not accounting for the time it would take to traverse. Sorry, but you’ll just have to learn to work around the snow.” Remus picks up his speed and we close the distance on Tetsu.

“Has anyone tried to climb over the Titan Alps?”

“Plenty. If any have succeeded, they never made it back. It’s the biggest cause of death for Beith class mercenaries. They tend to get bored after a long time without a good fight and go looking over the mountain. Well, that or they hassle the Theocracy and Empire.”

“So, does anyone know what’s on the other side of the mountains?”

“Nope. But people like to guess-”

“It’s a land of endless conflict. Men and women fight for their lives every day with weapons and talents unheard of.” Tetsu stops dead in her tracks to interrupt.

“Don’t you already have that here?” Remus asks.

“Hardly. Most people cower in their cities not even knowing what a monster is until it butchers them.”

Remus sighs at his teammate. “Like I was saying, people like to guess at what might be over there, but nobody knows for sure. I like to think it’s just the same as over here, with plenty of people trying their hardest to live the best lives they can.”

“It’s definitely the home of the Titans over there, why else would they name it the Titan Alps?” Jav says.

I look at Grímr, expecting him to give his thought as well. He takes a moment before he notices my gaze.

“What? I don’t know what’s over there. I couldn’t even guess.”

“Now that you mention it, Jav,” Remus says. “Maybe that Titan who climbed the Alps near two years ago was trying to meet its family?”

“Don’t even say that,” Grímr says. “I don’t even want to think of the chance that those things aren’t perpetually sleeping. Could you imagine the death that crocodile Titan could have inflicted should it have passed through inhabited land rather than the wasteland?”

Ah yes, all the lives that were saved by it choosing to devastate my tribe instead.

No longer in the mood to talk, I fly higher. The air seems to get colder with every extra metre I rise, but I just burn through it. I’m getting hungry from how fast I’m expending energy, but I can wait. I just need some time to myself so I don’t fall back into a slump.

I’m not even given time to clear my head, though. Remus launches Jav into the air and soon the little Volan flies beside me.

“Remus sent me after you. Is something wrong?”

“I’m fine.” I don’t mean to snap at him, but that’s how it comes out.

After a moment of silence, Jav speaks. “You know, you’re a part of the team now. So if there’s anything you need help with, just ask. We’ll be waiting for you.”

I watch him glide back to his resting spot on Remus’ head. I guess making space for myself without being noticed was too much to hope for.

Will I really be able to hunt out here with them amongst all this frozen water? When I agreed to work with them, I never expected to be thrown into such a hazardous environment. I instead pictured fights with wolves or colossal-worms where I’d have no need to worry about their claws or teeth. In my head, there never would be any genuine danger.

Now the question is, do I still want to go forward knowing it will actually be dangerous?

I need to grow, and if all creatures strong enough to enhance my growth have the same resistance to fire as each of the members of this team seem to have, then I’d have no chance of bringing them down. If I could even find creatures outside the Titan Alps without their help.

Remus has already organised a home for my friends and all the other victims of the mill. If I don’t at least put some effort in to help them, then I haven’t done my half of the deal. Worst-case scenario, Remus might even go back on his promise to provide them safety.

For now, simply following along seems like the best course.

I can’t stay away from them any longer than I already have. I’m hungry, but all the trees in the area are covered in white slush.

“Hey.” I call as I get close. “Do you mind shaking the snow off that tree?” I ask Remus.

He gives a glance to Tetsu, who is already approaching the tree ahead of her.

She places her muscular arms around the thick trunk and shakes. If it was anything but a tree, I’d assume she was trying to strangle the life out of whatever she’d caught in her grasp. Cracks and groans from the tree accompany the sight of falling snow.

Tetsu brushes the powder off her shoulders as she steps away from the deep arm shaped depressions left in the cracked wood.

“Thanks.” I land on a branch and enwrap the tree in flame.

“Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to take a break,” Remus says and takes a seat in the snow under the flaming tree.

Tetsu looks annoyed, but I can understand the impatience that comes with getting so close to something you’ve missed. Even if the thing she misses is fighting.

“So how far until we reach wherever we’re going?” I ask.

“Not long at all. Only a few more hours until we reach the roach colony hotspot. They’re the perfect creatures for you to practice the ritual; they aren’t too dangerous, they’re close to home, and best of all, you’ll never run out.”

“I don’t know how you could ever consider that a good thing.” Jav cringes. “They are ugly things and their meat tastes disgusting.”

“You’re the only one I know who has tried to cook them,” Grímr says.

“What? Not all bugs taste bad. Crickets are delicious.”

“Normal crickets or blood crickets?”

“Both. But you have to slow roast the blood crickets for a good five hours before they are edible. Usually not worth the effort.”

While I take my time to burn through the tree, Tetsu has pulled out some chain weapon with a knife linked to the end. The blade tears through the trees as if they are paper. How does a single person get so good with so many weapons? None of my elders ever branched away from the single weapon they learnt.

“Not gonna practice forming the inscription while you have the chance, Solvei?” Remus calls up to me.

Oh, right. I still need to do that, don’t I? I can hardly take the parchment back from Grímr’s pack where I left it while burning through the tree, but I can try forming it from memory.

I create the two circles and try to fill them in with as many of the lines as I remember. I don’t get very far. A good portion of the smaller circle is filled, but I'm not sure I got them perfect. Trying to fill the larger circle is too much for me; I can’t remember a thing.

I look down at Remus, expecting to see disappointment, but he stands there holding the parchment up above his head for me to see. “Good job on your first attempt, but you still have quite a bit to memorise.”

A breath escapes me. Yeah, I do.