-Blessed by Divinity: Eternity-

Taking a Detour

Somewhere in North Sinnoh

"Hey, there's a clearing up ahead."

Elaine called out, a few steps in front of Dawn and I. The three of us had to stay close together otherwise we'd lose each other in the harsh snow. Since we exited Mount Coronet, there had been nothing but blizzards and harsh snowstorms ahead.

Ninetails made our journey much easier, her ability to control the weather allowing us some breathing space in the harsh weather. Elaine and Froslass had taken the lead which at first took me by surprise. Ever since we met again in Celestic Town, something about her had changed. A good change at that. She acted more confidently now, her vibrant aura showing this change too.

"Finally, we've been in this snowstorm for ages."

Dawn picked up her pace, joining Elaine as she stepped through the wide clearing in the trees just ahead. Ninetails nudged my leg and as I turned to her, I could see that she wanted to tell me something.

Whenever a pokemon wanted to get my attention, it was obvious what they wanted to say. Their faces held so much emotion and combined with my ability, I was able to understand their message.

But this time, I couldn't read Ninetail's eyes. It was obvious she wanted to tell me something, but this was a little different.

"Alright, I understand. Take the lead."

Ninetails nodded, turning on her heels. She took off quickly and I had to nearly sprint to keep up with her as she moved quickly through the winding spruce trees. After a while, we came to a clearing which lead directly toward the north end of the Sinnoh Mountain range. The peak was impossible to see through the intense snowstorm but it was clear that this was still the same mountain range.

There was a cave entrance barely visible just ahead of where I was stood. Ninetails approached the opening slowly, making sure I was still following behind.

I had to half crouch down as I stepped through the small opening. As I stood up on the other side, I could clearly see everything inside the cavern. The area was lit by two torches on each side of the cave, showing that the opening continued downward, into the mountain.

Ninetails calmly continued through the descending cave, and as I followed I could see that there were some faded inscriptions repeated on the cave walls. My eyes illuminated in the darkness, allowing me to read the ancient language, translating as I read through the text.

'Ic-b-rg    Ca-e--n:' I continued reading, learning more and more about the cave I was in, ' -es--ng    pl-ce    -f     Le--n-a-y     Ti--n      R-g-ce'

As I read the ancient text, I had to do a double take, unsure if I was reading correctly. But, the words I read didn't change the second time.

Finally, we came to the end of the descent, a large opening illuminated by the various oil lanterns dotted around the cave ceiling. I noticed that the majority of the cave floor was covered in thick layers of ice and permafrost. The entire cave felt much, much colder than it should have been, considering we were deep underground now.

I looked over to the snow fox who was making her way across the ice with ease. I was uncertain at first, but as I took to the floor, I was able to easily cross the ice. At the other end of the cave, I could see a large golem. It was made of solid ice and I could see that it was the source of the intense cold in the cave.