(Book 4) Hayden Mackay and The Fest of Vrindahina

18.1 Gate 5 -Make a Mountain out of a Molehill

"Oh God!" Nazira shrieked, bending low and hugging her own body. Her voice in my head seemed to have drifted away with the sudden impact caused by the ferocity of the winds. The massive blizzard raging in the realm of Makara was par from our anticipation. It was blustery, subzero temperature, and the wind was howling creating a sound like a whistle of a giant monster. 

This cold was a killer. It was as if Nazira and I were transported straight into an iceberg, chilling us to the marrow. My teeth began to chatter and my vision blurred. The snowflakes pelt my cheeks, icing it and clinging to my lashes and hair. I pulled my jacket too close to my body and zipped it hurriedly before my finger went all numb. Then I realized Nazira was wearing nothing over her casual top, nothing that could help her keep the bitter cold away. Makara was Pruthvi's Constellia, born in the month of January. I should have known the possibility of this sudden drop in temperature and prepared her for this before we had passed through the Gates. Feeling responsible, I extended my shivering hand to hold her. She tentatively turned towards me and watched me struggling to reach out to her. Thankfully, she lent her hand up and instead of just clasping, I pulled her closer in an embrace holding by her shoulders.

She was shaking terribly, taking deep breaths. She covered her face with her hands and had her head bent down touching my chin. I rubbed her upper arm to give some warmth, and then it struck me what type of a Samagraha I was.

"Fire Shield Formation!" I shouted, not caring if I uttered the words right.

In my year-long history playing a role of a Samagraha, I hardly might have ever created such a tiny protective ball of fire that sustained only for a few seconds. The high current of wind fanned the fire away and falling snow totally put it off. It was frustrating but I didn't let it get me down. I focused and concentrated hard on my stone to try it again, with every possible formation that could possibly withstand this weather and give her the necessary heat, but my fire was barely able to fight the temperature.

Pushing myself to keep my eyes thoroughly open, I began to search for a safe place to get some shelter until we located our hut. Dhanu had mentioned that hut was traveling it us, it must be somewhere around, but for now it just too difficult to look especially for it.

I turned my head at all direction and on keenly watching I noticed that we were actually standing at the foot of a mountain, looking pristine and white, rising tall until it reached the horizon.

Beneath it that I spotted was a gaping hole, an ovoid shaped cave. Watching through the whiteness of the snow, it seemed to have engulfed with a chilling blackness. In this deadly temperature, it was the only option existing and I decided to go for it. I didn't know how to call for Nazira's attention who had her head down. I tapped her on her shoulder but she couldn't acknowledge that I was calling her. This was the matter of safety and I couldn't care less if she thought of this otherwise of what I was going to do.

I gently put my finger under her chin and pulled it upwards forcing her to look at me.

"We-have-to-run," I said as slowly as possible, looking at her pale face, "Do you understand me?"

Nodding slightly, she tried to move her hands to give me a response, her lips chattered from cold but she couldn't convey her message. She was shaking as hell.

"And stay close," I added, holding her hand.

Tightening my jaw, I took a step forward and pulled her to run with me. I could feel her whole body shivering against mine and was struggling to run at an equal pace as mine. Her knees were giving up. I immediately grasped her shoulders to help her atleast stand. We were about a few feet away from the cave but running over the hard snow and fighting the storm was taking excessive time than required.