The Nuclear Reign of Strottimar [Part 1]

Chapter 4; What the Time Stop Washes Up

 Xander was perched at the edge of the landing branch in his usual gear, prepped for a hunt as he turned his head to meet my eyes. He seemed even paler in the snow, with his colorless lips, thin silhouette, and dark dark hair. His eyes reflected the kind of chill in the weather, the same icy blue shimmering aspect of his face, that could either give you the deadliest stare, or the warmest welcome. Four sundowns ago, as we all practiced in routine, marked the start of the so-called "time stop", or the first snowfall, the beginning to a long harsh dead winter ahead of us. It'd been a while since the harvest, and we've been ready for this, the freezing over of the earth, where the world felt like it stopped turning, and the crop no longer thrived.

Maplewood had lost a good portion of her leaves, leaving our lofts and nests visibly vulnerable high up in the safety of the air in her branches, witch also exposed us more to the terrible winds and cold conditions the canopy already provided, now that our regular homes and branches where covered in slippery icicles where any of us could lose our grip and fall to our deaths if we weren't alert. Yet, even with all the terrors, sicknesses, and deaths that the cover of the time stop provided seasonally, there was always some beauty about the world in silent peace.

Sometimes, I just liked to sit and take it all in, patiently waiting for time to start running again, and for the plants to grow, weeding up from out of the snow. From that, I presumed, is what Xander wanted me here for, we'd always scout out food together on hunts, mostly just taking in the scenery, but he'd grown to be less predictable these days, even since the harvest, he seemed more, well, frustrated all the time.

"Xander," I greeted my friend with a nod as he bowed back to me. "Are you set?" he said with a friendly smirk as I nodded again, tightening my cloak around my wings and shoulders. I had plenty of supplies in its many pockets, everything from dried berries to bandages, several sharpened spear tips and a few knives in case I felt like skinning my kills while we were out there for convenience. My blood was warm enough that I didn't need too much protection from the winds, Xander barely needed any at all already being cold blooded.

"It's early, we'll have all day to scout," said the flate-hybrid, his icy eyes wandering out amongst the barren snow sprinkled backdrop that Maplewood stood frozen, and still in, in all her extravagant dried beauty. The province was never short of life, even during the period of the time stop, "Still, let's not waste time," he seemed tense as I nodded again and followed suit after him.

For his wings, he was more of one that rode the wind, instead of using it to his advantage, like us landers did. A hybrid of his kind was special, he couldn't fly much higher from wherever he'd take off from, while I was unlimited to height as well as distance, yet, it was awfully tiring considering my wings were so small. We were still a pair in that way, I suppose, because we respected each other's disadvantages. His wingspan was a lot larger than mine purposefully, so that he could have an easier time riding the wind, which he demonstrated gracefully, stepping off the take-off branch and spreading his dark rough skin-textured wings almost like a bat's.

We glided easily along the lower canopy winds of the western woods, within the province territories before he spoke shortly again, he'd been rather quiet the whole descent for his usual chatty manor. "I'll take the North-West, you head south, it's looking pretty scarce out here," he exclaimed as I sniffed, feeling the cold air push through my lungs. "Hey-" I began to speak but I stopped myself, it was probably best to just keep to myself. He turned his head to me but I shook it off, starting to glide southward. "Nothing, nevermind." I dismissed him quickly as he gave me an odd look before nodding politely and veering to watch the wind west bound.

Once we'd gilded far enough from each other, the silence and the wind invading my ears felt annoying, while my eyes busily scanned the forest below and carefully picked apart the shadows in the canopy for any signs of edible life. Xander was right, it was awfully scarce out here, I thought to myself, yet another thought quickly had invaded my mind. I should've said something, he'd been acting strange since a couple dawns after the harvest, I didn't know what was up with him anymore. Maybe something had happened with Quincy... I haven't heard much of her since the event.