----------- Melody's Tale - Bitter Blood -----------

“So that’s the ‘ruin’ they reported?” Melody said, lowering the spyglass. Through the driving snow, she was just able to make out the dark gash in the face of the mountainside. Above them, The Edge of the World towered off into the sky, it’s peaks lost up and into the clouds that spat cold, lancing snow at them now.

“Allegedly. We won’t know until we get inside. I suggest we advance with caution now. No more flying fast and hard, we move in on foot, scout every last corner, and see what we can find.” The sergeant accepted the glass back from Melody, who mulled it over.

“Sounds like a plan. But I want Verse and I near the front. In the close quarters, we’ll be more effective with our magic than you with your weapons.”

“Melody, you know-“

“Yes, yes…” She huffed. “I know you are supposed to be keeping my brother and I safe. But truth be told, if we’re going to get this mission done, Verse and I are more capable of defending ourselves than you will be. In there,” Melody pointed at the dark stain on the face of the mountain, a gash into the heart of the world. “We’ll be ten times more effective than you and your wings.” The sergeant listened to her, but finally huffed a sigh and nodded.

“Fine. You win, Melody. We’ll be your support, but for the sake of my own mental sanity, take it slow? Please?”

“Of course. We need to make sure Connor’s unit is safe. Not join them in whatever state they’re in.”

“Right then. Let’s go.” Gesturing, the sergeant set the search party into motion. There were fifteen of them, with Verse and Melody they were seventeen strong. A sizeable force for a rescue mission. Then again, Melody didn’t know what they were going to encounter. All of them tramped through the snow and wind, Melody and Verse at the fore. Slowly, the dark gash in the side of the peerless mountains grew in size. It took them probably five whole minutes to advance the last little way, until at last they stood on the threshold. Melody held up a fist, commanding them all to stop. She and Verse stood still, their jackets open at the front and their hands hovering close to the knives they wore. They listened, waiting to hear something… Anything… The gaping maw before them inhaled wind, exhaled musty stone scent and mildew. Flicking her wrist forward, Melody and the search party stepped into the darkness.

Verse lit their way, his hand bobbing down towards the floor. His magic lit up with a blaze, arcing off into the dark passageway along the floor. They followed the glowing line it left behind, the soft glow the only illumination they needed. It was eerie, the silence that enveloped them. The soft, sucking sound of the wind passing them, the damp and mildew-scented air pulsing back and forth around them, almost like the cave were alive and breathing. Melody’s eyes scanned the walls and crevices, checking every dark corner as they slowly moved forward. The only sound was the soft shuffling of boots over the floor of the cave. Melody could tell this was a mine after all… Every now and then wooden supports, their frames bolstered by magic, held up weak points in the ceiling. The walls were marked with pick and shovel lines, the pale streaks adding contrast to the dull, grey surrounding stone. Skilled hands and spells had shaped this cave. This was no supernatural or natural work. This was human, magi, and avian intervention.

They shuffled along quietly, Melody and Verse attentive to every little detail for close to fifteen minutes. The first definition came when they finally reached a variance in the long, blank corridor of stone. There was one branch that led off to their left while the tunnel continued, sloping down and away from the entrance into the mountain. Melody could only guess by the rough opening on their left and the unfinished stonework had been a pocket of water or something… Upon closer inspection, she saw this opening used to be boarded over. The ends of the planks were still bolted into the stone, splintered and blown inwards… Someone had blasted the opening. She narrowed her eyes, looking into the dark space. Verse’s line of light extended down the long corridor before them, so she blazed her own into the open space. Inside, the area was roughly-hewn, and glimmered with water. Verse remained inside the main cavern while she explored this space.

Only that was it. It was just a space. Nothing to note, no major differences between this and any other portion of the walls around them. So why had someone blown their way in here? She returned to the splintered remainders of the planks that previously covered the hole, her foot moving the long sections about. As she flipped one over, she noted an indent of sorts… Unless she was mistaken, it was a boot print. So they hadn’t blown their way in. They had beaten the planks until they broke. She heaved a sigh and let her light die. The question remained why, but at least she knew it wasn’t a magi. The most logical solution was Connor’s party had kicked it in when they conducted their first search, but something about it still nagged her… Maybe it was just the current situation, her nerves making her think there was more to it than there really was…

At least, she thought there was more until they came across four other similar holes. All of them were at random intervals, and one of them was even drilled straight into the ceiling. Using a clever rope spell and some avian boosting, Melody lifted herself into the hole, only to find them exactly like all the others they had encountered. “Nothing.” She muttered quietly, dusting her hands on her jacket. “Let’s keep moving… I’m beginning to think these were just pockets of water or something… C’mon.” They trekked on, passing the third hole in the floor. Melody didn’t really even bother looking into this one. A quick glance betrayed it to be smaller than the previous two. But the fourth… That was an entirely different story.

“Woah…” She breathed, covering her hand with her mouth.

“Well.” Verse grunted, grimacing. “We found scouting unit forty-eight…”

What was left of them.

“Check for identification. Pull their tags, and search for evidence.” The sergeant said solemnly. Soldiers filed in past Verse and Melody, their faces grim and set in stone as they set about rummaging through the dead bodies. Whatever had claimed these men, it was not kind. The wounds were long since frozen over, the flesh pale and grey, rimmed with frost and apparently brittle to the touch. Melody watched as one man’s arm snapped off. They had been here for weeks, refrigerating in the cold recesses of some stinking hole in the mountainside… A quick search revealed eight dead bodies, all but two of Connor’s unit.

“There’s still a chance, then.” Melody said. “We can’t lose hope.”

“What did this to these men, though?” The sergeant asked. “They didn’t die of frostbite. For fuck’s sake, this poor guy’s torn in half… Something killed them, then dumped the bodies here. I’d be willing to bet it was chimera.”

“Chimera?” Melody said, arching her eyebrow. She leaned in, her normal compassionate self replaced by the cool, calm, level-headed healer she had learned to become. Her fingers passed over the ragged edge of one wound in a dead man’s torso, and when she pulled it away, her neon-green magic was edged with a frosty blue. The ephemeral, wispy aura wafted as if in a breeze, dissipating slowly. “No… The chimera have few magi, and none of them could have taken out an entire unit of trained scouts. Even if they were caught by surprise. Something else did this…” She rubbed her fingers together, feeling the texture of the magic. Despite the blessed clothes she wore, she felt a shiver run up her spine. This magic was cold… Very cold.

“Then…”

“I don’t know, sergeant.” She said softly, straightening herself. “But we can’t just leave them here… We need to at least give them a proper burial.”

“What, in the snow?”

“No… I don’t… Look, we have their identification, right?”

“Right.”

“Good. Everyone out.” Hesitantly, the avians obliged, eyeing her warily. Even Verse looked confused.

“Melody, you don’t mean you’re going to…”

“I’m going to try… Mom could do it before she became Ephemira, and I’ve seen Jokkan do it once…”

“Right… Need help?” He asked.

“I think… I think I can do it… Is the reverse invocation on the fourth or the fifth apex?”

“Fourth. And the eighteenth, I’m sure. For stability.”

“Right… Then…”

“Okay. Everyone, stand back… She’s… Well, she’s going to try something not every magi can do… Come on.” Verse led the unit further into the cave, leaving Melody behind. She put aside the heavy feeling in her chest, though she knew what it was. Sorrow. Depression. Bitterness… All of these things left her mind, leaving her serene and clear and in control. Her hands blazed bright green, the field dense and consuming. This was the limit of her power. About everything she could summon, she poured into the spell. She would need it all, she had the feeling…

”Why hello there…” Melody’s eyes shot open. Before her stood a very small, very innocent-looking child. She fought to keep her power blazing hard, her concentration unbroken despite the child standing in the midst of the death and destruction. ”No, go ahead… Bring them to me.” The child said softly, smiling. ”I’ll make sure they sleep. Just like I need to.”

“Wh… What?” Melody managed to say, her teeth gritted and grinding together painfully.

”I’ll keep it short, since you’re at your limit. You woke me up, but I need to sleep for a bit longer. Sister says so.”

“S… S-sister?”

”Fate. Destiny. My sister. Now, child… Bring them home.”

“Rrrgh… RRAAAAAHH!” Melody’s hands erupted in brilliant flame, pouring into the cavern. She emptied every bit of energy she had into the spell to make it work. The child, the frozen corpses, all of them were engulfed by the burning heat and fire of her spell. But this fire was not like any other. Where it licked at the dead bodies, it didn’t melt the frost and char the skin. Instead, their bodies were remade. Stitched together. Then they faded, from the outside in, glimmering pinpoints of light wafting to the ceiling to make their way out to the surface, one way or another…

Melody collapsed. Her chest heaved as she stared at the cold, dark ground. Light came back, along with the sound of running feet, creaking leather armor and tingling gear.

“Melody!” Verse skidded on his knees across the smooth stone floor, his arms wrapping around her. She leaned against him, letting his strong arms support her weight. “Are you okay? What happened?!” She lifted a finger, shakily pointing into the depraved, improvised crypt. “Woah… You did it…”

“Yeah…” She grunted, feeling the after-spell fatigue fade. Strength returned to her muscles, if not her magic. She felt herself steady, able to stand again. When Verse helped her to her feet, she sighed and straightened her back. “Verse, I saw… I saw him…”

“Him who?” Verse asked, looking around. Melody noticed his hand falling to the knife on his side. Melody swallowed, her voice shaky.

“I saw Death.”

--------------

Silence wasn’t the word to describe the atmosphere after that. It didn’t do it justice. The oppressive lack of sound from then on was not just quiet. It was deafening. Like she would never hear again. Personally, Melody didn’t mind… Not even a little. Verse was quiet, the soldiers were quiet, she was quiet, everything was just. Plain. Silent. They advanced further into the mine, into the portions where the main cavern began to branch off and split into smaller tunnels, some of them just as large and shaped as the one they were currently in, and others so small it would take a smaller, less busty person than Melody to fit into. Even more were low enough one would have to crouch over and crawl through it to make headway. But they stayed in the main branch, not straying too far left or right, if only to search for a ways. They realized then that in one trip, they could never hope to cover the entirety of the mine. The last two members of Connor’s unit would be everything but impossible to find.

Nevertheless, they delved deeper, into areas of the mine that seemed more roughly hewn than others, like it was more recently dug into. Two hours into the expedition, and they hit the end. It just ended. Verse’s light ran four feet up onto the rounded end of the wall, stopped, and pulsed there.

“Is that it?” Melody asked, the first sound in the past hour and a half.

“I think so… Something seems off, though.” Verse whispered, his eyes squinting at the light. He advanced and laid his hand on the wall.

“OOF!” The sergeant wrapped his arms around Verse, both of them falling to the ground. The whip-like crack of a magical barrier ejecting Verse’s touch echoed up the shaft, making them all jump, a few of them shouting from shock and fear.

“Verse!” Melody fell to her knees beside them, helping the sergeant and Verse untangle themselves. “Are you okay?”

“’M fine.” He grunted, rolling off of the sergeant, who wheezed slightly, but held a thumbs-up.

“The fuck was that?” He croaked, sitting up. Melody lifted him to his feet, looking back at the wall.

“Barrier. And a strong one.”

“Is that why Verse just flew into me like a javelin?”

“Yeah… See, you guys wouldn’t have been able to stage this rescue yourselves. Good thing Verse and I were here. We’ll start picking at this. Stand back.” She and Verse nodded to one another before their hands began to glow.

All barriers were much the same. Each one had to be rooted to a solid object. For a barrier in a cave like this, there were millions of rocks and deposits to attach the spell to. No hopes of finding the key and unlocking it that way. So Melody and Verse began to search for a back door. Their hands hovered over the wall, or at least what appeared to be a wall. It might have been twice as hard as the stone around it and able to repel anyone who laid a finger on it, but it technically wasn’t there. When the key was gone, the barrier had a back door. Always, there was one thread, one small little imperfection, and if you fingered it, touched it, toyed with it, the whole thing would come unraveled.

“Found it.” Verse muttered. Melody followed the trail of his magic. Indeed, there it was, just near the floor. Both of them fell to their knees and began picking at it. Like a loose thread on a dress, they unraveled it piece by miniscule piece… To the untrained eye, they were just waving their hands mysteriously over some wall. But to a trained magi, they were picking the barrier apart with an expert touch. They had, after all, had some of the most powerful barriers known to anyone to work on. Twilight tested them almost weekly in such a fashion.

“There we go…” Much like any piece of fabric, once you unwove it enough, the entire thing came unraveled. The image of the stone wall before them dissolved into millions of individual threads, each waving and fluttering as if in a breeze. As they fell to the true stone floor, they dissipated and flickered out into nothingness. Melody sighed, her head slightly aching with all the effort she had been expending…

“You alright?” Verse asked, nudging her.

“I’m fine… Let’s keep moving.” She muttered, offering him as brave a smile as she could muster. The cavern before them opened up into blackness, though it was quickly dissipated by Verse’s burning light.

“Man… Wild shit.” One of the soldiers behind them muttered. Melody cast him an inquisitive glance. “My cousin’s a magi… He’s okay, he goes to the university in Canterlot… He told me about barriers once. Said some of the best magi in Canterlot take hours to pick it apart like that… You guys did that in ten minutes.”

“Well…” Melody said, smiling softly. “My mother IS Ephemira…” A soft chuckle from all of them echoed down the cave, and when it came back to their ears, they were silent once more. The cavern extended deeper and deeper still, everyone growing as quiet as they had been before. Melody and Verse, leading the way, didn’t notice one key factor, though… Something that was made painfully obvious to everyone behind them…

It was freezing past the barrier. The poor avian’s breath turned to white vapor the instant it left their lungs, and those who had shed jackets and coats in the somewhat warm descent into the mine quickly put them back on. It was during one such rustling experience Melody looked back and noticed the chill in the air.

“Is it cold?” She mouthed, trying not to speak out loud. The sergeant nodded and huddled into the fur-lined collar of his coat. He was shuddering. “Go back and wait for us,” She motioned, hoping they would retreat to where it was at least marginally warmer. The sergeant just scowled and shook his head. They were in this to the end. With a rock-jawed nod of her head, Melody pressed forward. Verse illuminated their path, and she kept a watch for anything out-of-place…

The only thing she noticed was the cavern growing larger… Wider… Verse had to split his light after a while to avoid the long shadows obscuring her vision of the edges… After a while, they gave up. Every soft noise seemed amplified in here, the scuff of a boot coming back to them a second later at three times the volume it had been made at. It was eerie. The floor evened out, and more than that, it turned smooth… Unnaturally smooth… Melody bent down and ran her fingers over the surface.

“Verse.” She breathed. Her brother looked down at her wide-eyed expression. “It’s obsidian… This whole cave, it’s obsidian…”

“No way… The whole thing?”

“Feel it, it’s smooth…” Verse obliged, bending to his knees. Melody took over with the light, her hands casting the same glowing orb he had. Maybe it was because she was unaccustomed to the dark conditions, but she over-compensated, her blazing light making her squint her eyes and cast it as far away as she could, lest she be blinded. When her light raced off, though, she saw something else… Something big. Something menacing. Something very, very blue…

And it was breathing.

A dull, low light suddenly lit the entire cave. Melody gasped, her magic fading away as everyone snapped to attention. Blades flew into hands, spears leveled all around. Melody and Verse stood in awe of the beast that now fixed them with it’s cold, calculating, intense gaze.

”Well, well…” It’s lips didn’t move, but it’s voice rumbled all around, making them all stumble a little, their feet spreading for balance. Melody felt the breath catch in her throat. Behind her, the sound of the soldiers shaking breaths became audible.

“Identify yourself!” The sergeant swept around Lily and Verse despite his fright, brandishing his spear at the creature.

”Hmm? Oh? It raises a weapon at me? Come then, avian… Let us see your skill.” Melody watched as the wendigo took a few steps forward. The sound of it’s hard hooves clacking into the smooth obsidian sounded like bones snapping. It’s blue coat shimmered in the light of Melody’s magic, thin and emaciated ribs giving way to a sickly, thin neck. It’s mane was thin and ragged, hanging in sickening locks down it’s pale blue flesh. It’s eyes were cold and black, no difference between the iris and the pupil… This creature, whatever it was, was frightening. As it opened it’s mouth, sickeningly green saliva drooled out, passing over brown and weathered teeth to drop, hissing to the floor.

“Stay back, creature!”

“Sergeant, get back!” Melody laid a hand on his shoulder. This wasn’t the visage from Verse’s dream. Those horses had been strong and proud… This one was sick, emaciated, and evil. She could almost feel the cold radiating off of it’s cursed body. This wendigo was no average wendigo… Somehow, Melody knew this was THE wendigo…

And THE wendigo was lowering its head, his eyes still fixed on them. In it’s low, rumbling voice, this evil creature said words that chilled Melody’s blood.

”Typical. You cower behind one another, afraid to awaken to the anger in your hearts, that bitter contempt you all hold for one another. Sergeant, if you had any sense, you’d impale this woman upon your spear and run for home and hearth. You sicken me. Leave now, or I’ll eviscerate you all.” Melody didn’t doubt it. This thing radiated power, contempt, bitterness, hatred. She felt it tinge the air, begin to slowly seep into her bones. For the first time since donning Hurricane’s brilliant, colorful garment, Melody felt cold. She wanted nothing more than to run away and scream and hide and pray this thing never found her again… Instead, she and Verse stepped forward.

“We’ll not leave.” She said, her tone shaking. She saw her breath mist in front of her face. “We need to speak with you.”

The wendigo attacked.

Melody tried to cast the shield, to deflect the first sharp-looking icicles, but three of them slipped past. The fourth was caught halfway into her shield, spinning off and behind her. She and Verse escaped the brunt of the attack, but the soldiers behind them weren’t so lucky. Melody could hear one of them screaming in pain, heard bodies fall to the floor.

“RUN!” She screamed, looking back at them. Soldiers scrambled, picking up their comrades, covering the retreat. They all began to move back the way they came, some of them fleeing while others carried or dragged injured friends… Melody thought she saw one man supporting his friend with his weight, while he carried a disembodied arm in his free hand.

“Melody, Verse, come on! Run!” The sergeant hollered at them. The cavern was filled with the sounds of the keening blasts, each icicle the wendigo materialized from nowhere shattering against the neon-green glow of Melody and Verse’s shield. The scintillating sounds of glass-like shards of ice skittering across the smooth ground, along with the shouts and screams of dead and dying men filled her ears.

“Verse, we have to run. We can’t NGH take this!” She panted, grunting underneath the blast of the wendigo’s unique form of magic. Each one of these shards of ice, she knew, was not any normal form of ice. In it, she felt the same texture of magic she had pulled off of one of the dead bodies from before. That cold, ephemeral aura that made her shiver, despite Hurricane’s boon.

“Go!” Verse grunted, deflecting another blow. “They need you, Melody. Go help them! RRGH!” Melody watched as Verse planted his feet, deflecting an icicle off into the cavern, the six-foot pillar of death shattering on the hard, smooth floor.

“Verse, you know I can’t leave y-“

“GO!” Melody screamed as Verse’s magic lifted her off of her feet, throwing her back towards the retreating soldiers.

“VERSE!” She screamed, scrambling to her feet. She was about to run forward when another blast of magic caught her, propelling her into the sergeant’s arms. “VERSE!” She shoved her way out of his hold, scrambling back towards her brother. This time, it was a barrier that threw her back. Different than a shield, Melody would have to work to get through this. Her fists fell on the barrier again and again, each time getting propelled backwards as fast as she could let them fall. “VERSEEEE!”

“Melody, come on.” The sergeant pulled at her arm, even as she ineffectively batted at the barrier. Her blows were becoming weaker, her voice distorted and thin through the tears flowing from her eyes. “Melody! We need you!” She screamed at the sergeant, turning her fists on him instead. He captured both of her wrists, holding her in place. In her hysteria, her magic wouldn’t respond, her form shaking as the sergeant held her. “Wake up, Melody! We have injured! We need you to focus!”

“Fuck you!”

“FOCUS!” The smack jarred Melody’s senses. Her cheek stung like a thousand needles pierced through it. The sergeant recovered from the blow, his bare hand red from the impact. “Pay attention! We have men in critical condition, and they will die if you don’t help them!”

“But Verse-“ SMACK.

“FOCUS! How many more times am I going to have to slap you until you get the thought through your fucking mind?! WE. HAVE. WOUNDED.” Melody raised her hand to the stinging flesh, looking at the sergeant with wide, watery eyes. She blinked a few times, and once he raised a hand to smack her again, she stopped it with a thin thread.

“Stop hitting me.” She sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. “And see if you can find a place to put them.”

“There we go.” The sergeant glowered at her, pushing her ahead of him. Melody turned her back on the barrier, shooting Verse a vicious bit of scorn in her mind. Rather than despair over her brother, she left him. Just like he had left her. Instead, she focused on the present. On the soldiers that needed her help.

-----------

”Oh? That was clever. Chivalrous, even.” The wendigo rumbled, the assault stopping shortly after Verse had pulled the barrier up. Verse’s magic dissipated, but he didn’t relax. He squared off with the vicious blue beast, his green eyes cold and calculating.

“What do you know of chivalry?” Verse muttered. The wendigo laughed, a wheezing sound that reminded Verse of a death rattle… The last sound a dying man made.

”Admittedly less than any mortal. You’re amusing, magi. And powerful. I sense a deep hatred in your heart… Sorrow, depression, rage…” The wendigo inhaled, it’s flanks raising so the flesh of it’s chest stretched across it’s ribs. The sound of it’s inhalation sounded like a mix between sexual ecstasy and bone meal being ground into powder. ”A bitter sort of detachment from the world… Oh yes, Verse… I feel it…” The wendigo advanced four steps, less than ten yards between it and Verse now.

“You see the bad half of my heart.” Verse returned. “There is much good inside of me, as well.”

”Oh that I don’t deny.” The beast raised it’s head, cold eyes burning straight into Verse’s own. ”Every heart has the capacity for good… I’ve seen it time and again. But I’ve seen the inverse as well… And let me tell you, Verse… I’ve seen the latter much… MUCH more than the former.” Verse set his jaw as the beast advanced, less than seven yards now.

“You haven’t seen much of the world, then.”

”My dear boy,” The wendigo’s voice was patronizing and humorous, as if he found Verse amusing. ”I see ALL of the world… I’m a god, you silly little thing. I see the bitterness in every heart from the Edge of the World to the farthest reaches of the southern seas, from the western coast of the Shadowlands to Dragonpoint. Trust me when I say there isn’t as much good in the world as you think there is.”

“Man,” Verse said, shaking his head slowly. “You really need to get laid.”

The wendigo was speechless. It’s hoofs stopped. It was less than four yards away. Verse straightened, looking into the wide black eyes of this vicious, horrifying god.

”What?”

“You really need to get laid. I used to think the same. My life has been pretty shitty lately. I left my home, got chased halfway across the dragon territories, and was held prisoner in Nest. I thought life was shit. I really did. Dare I say my view on life was much the same as yours…” Verse sighed and gestured with a hand. “Then I met Sam-“

”Oh SPARE me the drivel!” The wendigo grumbled, rolling it’s eyes. ”I’ve seen enough of your sappy romance to fill a dozen shitty novels. Just wait and see, boy… Your love will turn sour, and you’ll leave her, and she’ll cry, and her heart will turn as cold as the ice I used to impale your friends.”

“That’s the thing,” Verse cut him off, silencing the god with a warm smile. “We’ve already broken up. It ended well. We understand there are others out there that are better suited for us both. No bitterness. No anger. Shit, the breakup sex was incredible…” Verse chuckled softly, his breath pulsing from his mouth in visible vapors. The wendigo’s brow drew down, his equine expression one of confusion.

“What I’m saying is… There’s balance in all things. Did I feel sad that we had to end it? Yes. Of course. What human wouldn’t? But I’m better for having known Sam. I’m a different person, more defined, more…” He straightened his back. “Me.” He took a step forward, reaching a hand out. “There’s balance in all things.” Verse said quietly, his tone soft and tender. “A balance you yourself need to learn. This… This is not you.” He said, gesturing about, to the shattered bits of ice, to the bloodstains on the floor.

”You do not know what I am-

“You’re the god of bitterness.” Verse cut him off. “A cold, shrewd, ugly, pale sonofabitch. But this… This violence, it isn’t yours.” He pointed at the thing’s face, right into it’s black, ugly eye. “Your place isn’t in some hole in the earth, freezing and cutting people to pieces, terrorizing their dreams and covering the land in snow and vicious wind…” Verse laid a hand on his chest. “Your place is in the hearts of the people of the world. You exist in every breakup, every bit of resentment, every socially awkward shut-in who thinks they’re better than everyone else. Your place isn’t here, cutting people to pieces…” Verse gestured out, behind him towards the opening of the cave. “It’s out there. Polluting the hearts of man and trying to turn us into bitter, old, evil bastards like yourself.

“But don’t be surprised when we resist.” Verse straightened up, his lips spreading into a smile. “No matter how hard you try to corrupt us, and you very well may take one or two or even a thousand men with your power… We will resist. We will find things in this life to make us smile, to keep our thoughts warm and happy. Laughter, kindness, generosity, friendship… These things are things you cannot defeat. No matter how hard you try.”

The wendigo was speechless for a long time. Verse shivered in the cold, his breath thin and wispy, floating through the air before his face. When the god finally spoke, it wasn’t until Verse was sure he was suffering from frostbite.

”You’re no ordinary magi, are you?”

“No I am not.” Verse proved his fact by smoothly shifting into an avian. His wings spread behind him, making the god’s eyes widen slightly.

”The Children of Love walk the land?”

“We do. You just tried to kill both of us.” Verse felt the coldness recede a little. Warmth flowed back into his bones, just on the threshold of what Gale’s boon could resist. Verse stopped shuddering, his fingers flexing as he felt feeling return slowly. Much to his surprise, though, the cold god of bitterness slowly bowed its head. Its eyes closed, and its voice was much more subdued and quiet than it had been previously.

”Words cannot express how sorry I am.”

“Oh, shut up.” Verse groaned, beckoning the creature to stand once more. “You’re a god. No need to be sorry. If anything, you should be angry I scolded you.” When the black eyes flared open and fixed on him once more, Verse got rid of the wings, his magic readily coming to hand. “Not saying you should,” the beast backed down, if only a little. Verse did feel a bit colder, though… “Just… Think about it. Gale commands the skies again. At the very least, hand control of the northern winds back to it’s rightful owner. And go on polluting the hearts of man, bitterness. Stop freezing our bodies, and go back to freezing our lives.” The evil creature grinned at Verse’s words.

”You really are the Child of Love… You speak with the wisdom of a god. I see now my folly. Gale can have his bloody winds, and I’ll take my place in the hearts of those who would rather see the world burn than try and help it. Thank you, child. Now leave before I see fit to split you in two… I need to think.” The beast turned away, it’s sickly tail flicking absently as it plodded away. Verse breathed a sigh of relief as it left, but something nagged at him. He perked up.

“Wendigo.”

”Hmm?”

“There were ten men… We only found eight. Where are the other two?” The wendigo paused before turning it’s head just enough to fix a black eye on Verse.

”One of them managed to crawl away, down that hole there.” He flicked his gaze off to a dark portion of the cave.

“And the other?”

Verse had never seen a more chilling sight in his entire life. The evil, lifeless grin the wendigo gave him was pure maliciousness.

”I ate him.”

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“Connor? C’mon, man, you awake?” Verse grunted, dragging the man along. It really felt like he was dragging the avian… Both of his feet dragged along the ground, and he slumped heavily against Verse’s shoulder. Panic set in as Verse pressed two fingers into the man’s chilled neck. “Connor?” No pulse. “Connor, come on man… Melody can’t be far. MELODY!” He cried out, dragging the heavy man further. “MELODY! DAMNIT, ANSWER ME!” He roared, feeling Connor’s weight really drag him down now.

“Verse!” The voice wafted to him across the stone walls of the cave. He paused for a moment, listening to the echoes, trying to discern the direction it came from. “Verse! Where are you?!”

“HERE! I’M HERE!” Verse started hollering, his voice going hoarse as he screamed. Light, a flickering sort of flame, leapt to life around the next corner in the long, straight hallway he had been dragging Connor down.

“There he is! Come on!” Shadowy figures came through the flickering flame, a torch held by someone… “Verse! Is that Connor?” The voice became less and less distorted. Verse grunted and hauled Connor up further, taking a few steps forward to meet the group. As they finally came closer, Verse saw it was a group of three avian they had entered the cave with. “What happened to his leg?”

“Where’s Melody? Help me with him, I can’t feel his pulse.”

“She’s over here. Come on.” Another body took Connor’s other side, both of them hoisting the big man up. Together, they dragged Connor’s body down the long stone hallway, into a hollowed-out room that was similar to the ones they had encountered previously. In here, five extra bodies lay on the floor, each in various states of injury. At the furthest one, her back turned to him, was Melody. By the enchanting green glow on the walls, Verse guessed she was healing.

“We got another one, Melody.” One of the other soldiers said. Three of them swarmed in to help Verse lay Connor down on his back. He wasn’t breathing. Melody immediately sat up and looked at them. Her eyes flickered to a few places, first to the prone body, then up to his face, then back up to Verse. Melody smoothly stood up, her hands stained with blood and shaking a little. She wiped them off on her coat, slowly walking forward towards Verse.

“Melody, I-“ SMACK. “Ow, what the fuck?!” SMACK “Melody, sto-“ SMACK. Melody’s eyes filled with tears as her hands whipped around, cutting Verse off each time he tried to speak. He couldn’t fit a word in edgewise as she viciously slapped him again and again, tears coursing down her face.

“Melody, stop!” The sergeant moved to intervene, but Melody held him in place with a small thread of magic. She continued assaulting her brother, crying freely as she repeatedly slapped him. “Stop her!” He grunted. Each soldier that lurched forward stopped short. Melody wouldn’t be stopped. Not right now. Not until Verse grabbed her wrist mid-swing.

“STOP.” He hollered in her face, gripping her other wrist. He stared into her crying eyes, holding her in place. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save Connor, alright?! I’m sorry! I tried!”

“THIS ISN’T ABOUT CONNOR!” She screamed at him, breaking down at last. Her chest shook with sobs as she collapsed against him, her fist curling into a tiny, solid ball. Verse, shocked, let her go. She uselessly swung her fist at his chest, the blows landing with a soft thump. “This isn’t about him.” She sobbed, tears falling onto the open front of his jacket. “It never has been… Never will be.”

“What… What’s wrong?” Verse asked softly, his voice shaking. Melody shifted gears once again, looking up at him. The tears were there, but she no longer sobbed.

“You left me.”

“What-“

“YOU LEFT ME!” She screamed. Her slender frame suddenly tensed, shoving him backwards. Verse stumbled a little bit, his expression shocked as she closed the distance again. “You fucking LEFT me!” Her voice sounded loud and clear through the stone halls, echoing eerily back to their ears.

“Melody, I-“ WHAM. She was done slapping now. The full-forced punch caught Verse right across his jaw, knocking him against the far wall of the hall, his form sliding down. Shocked, he looked up at her.

“DON’T YOU EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!” She roared, staring down at him with fiery eyes. In those eyes, Verse saw many things. Anger, pain, sadness… But above all, he saw betrayal. “You hear me?” She growled, her voice quivering and low. “Don’t ever leave me again.” Melody collapsed then, falling to her knees next to him. Verse flinched as she threw her arms around him, his sister devolving into a sobbing, crying mess. Everyone was silent. The only sounds were her soft, whimpering sobs, the sniffles and choking cries echoing down the hall.

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“Melody! Verse! Sweet heavens, you look horrible. What happened?!” Lily was pacing in front of the command center when they returned to town. Melody had been unable to save three of the five injured men. The two that had lived were carried back on makeshift stretchers. It was early the next day, and each one of the remaining soldiers was haggard, exhausted, and depressed. None of them had slept since they had left.

“Can we… Talk about this with Sergeant Icelash?” Verse said quietly, nodding inside. “I really only feel like sharing it once…” Lily saw the expressions on their faces, saw the bitterness in their eyes. Quietly, she opened the door for her children. Melody saw it in a flash, knew that in her mother’s heart, there was a sense of worry that wasn’t going to be easy to quell. Together, all the men slipped inside the building, save for the six who moved across the street to the clinic. Four carrying two of the stretchers, and the two that lay on them.

“Melody! Verse! Sergeant, I need a debrief right now.” The sergeant had been missing them, apparently. As they stepped through the door, three expressions flashed across his face. First was relief, the second was concern, and the third worry. The sergeant who had gone with them to the cave shook his head.

“Let them tell it.” He said quietly, waving a hand to Melody and Verse. “They know it ten times better than I do… They were the ones who lived it.”

“Well… Alright then. Melody, what happened?” Icelash said quietly, looking at her with concern.

Melody didn’t leave out a single detail. Everything, from seeing death when she laid the eight men to rest, all the way up to the long, foot-bound trek back… Connor, the men they lost, the wendigo, all of it. Verse shared his own brief half of the story, and when they were finished, tears shined on Lily’s face.

“So you’re telling me…” Icelash said quietly. “That the reason the storms stopped and my men stopped having nightmares last night was thanks to you and your intervention?” Verse nodded solemnly, his jaw set. “Well… That sounds like a mission success to m-“ Lily’s hand whipped around so fast, even the avian soldier’s admired her speed. The rough smack made even the battle-hardened sergeant grunt and stumble backwards.

“How dare you.” Lily growled, her emerald green eyes ablaze with a righteous fire. “How DARE you. Your men died! Connor’s men died! That’s thirteen whole men that will never see their families again! Thirteen soldiers who died serving their country! Thirteen people who will never love, cry, sing, or laugh ever again!” Her voice quivered with rage as she glared at Icelash.

“Trust me, Lily.” The sergeant grunted, rubbing his red cheek. “I’ve two more men on tables next door who I might very well lose in the next few hours. But that’s the life of our soldiers. We made a vow to give our lives for home and hearth. Each and every one of those men can rest easy knowing our mission was accomplished. The weather is calm enough for us to begin running operations safely. Now we can start diverting the chimera’s attention back to the East. They’ll retreat from the West, back into Hearth. They’ll stop killing dozens of soldiers every day fighting in Trottingham and Canterlot. They’ll stop murdering innocent families and leaving their gutted corpses in the street. If I can sacrifice thirteen lives so that thirteen families sleep well tonight, I would do so gladly. I’d throw myself on that spear if that’s what it took.” He glowered down at her. “Don’t assume I don’t appreciate their sacrifice. Connor’s unit will be remembered.”

“Sergeant. You and your unit are returning to Eyriewatch at first light. Inform Commander Dash our mission was a success, and my unit will personally man this post until suitable relief has made it’s way out here. Lily, Verse, Melody, you’re going with them. You’ve done a damn fine job, but I don’t want your lives risked up here any more than absolutely necessary. You have your orders. Sergeant, you and your men are dismissed.” He said, saluting crisply. Melody and Verse turned to leave, but the sergeant cleared his throat. Melody and the other sergeant shared a look before he left, leaving Lily, Melody, and Verse alone with Icelash. Lily was still staring daggers at him.

“What?” Melody finally said after a few long moments. With a sigh, Icelash pulled a bottle of amber-colored fluid from the desk along with four glasses. She watched as he pulled the cork and filled the glasses halfway.

“It doesn’t do to send those men off without a toast. I’d be honored if you shared it with me.” Melody knew this alcohol. She was still unfamiliar with drinking, but she was no stranger. The few drinks she and Connor had shared were enough to break her in. Hesitantly, she raised the glass, all of them did. When they clinked them together, all four of them followed Icelash’s lead in tossing the burning, acrid fluid back. Melody grimaced, but swallowed it down. After all, this wasn’t for her. This was for the men who had died. “One for each.” Icelash said, refilling their glasses. The second shot went down smoother than the first, and the third was easiest of all.

“One more.” Melody said with a frown. Hesitantly, Icelash filled her glass again, a fourth shot. She raised the glass slowly. “For Connor.” Verse, Lily, and the sergeant all nodded as she tossed it back, setting her glass down. When she let her fingers slide off the glass, she buried his memory with the burning in her stomach. “Thank you, Icelash.”

“No, thank you… Both of you. It might not seem like it now, but you’ve done more than you know helping us today. Go get some sleep. You leave in the morning.” He said, waving them off. He coldly turned his back to them, surveying the map he had pinned up on the wall behind his desk. Melody didn’t need to be told again. She could feel the alcohol taking effect already. By the time they slipped in the door, she was dizzy. Once they had kicked their boots off and made their way up the stairs, she was stumbling. Once she, Verse, and Lily all collapsed into bed, she was passed out.

She dreamt of home.