Wolf Child

VI

By dawn, the blizzard had subsided and the duo staggered forward through the white desolate wasteland, with Mirdaff still adhering to his idea of cutting through the snowy mountains. Their lips were cracked and mouths were parched, bits of snow clinging to their tunic and face, the cold biting deep into their skin.

With every step they took they left a mark on the white plains, the footprints etched deep into the snow. The route was slow and painful, they could only see barely a few feet from where they were and the frost-biting weather did not help them at all.

Finally, they stopped in their tracks as the mist cleared and they finally could see into the distance, an entire canyon filled with snow that seemed to have rested there for ages, silent and untouched, and they had finally reached a cliff and beyond it lies the entire canyon, outstretched across the scenery they could see. But beyond the spirit-like serenity lies something else, a thick mist that shielded what was beyond from their eyes, and the dark wall of mystery extended up into the skies, blocking all light beyond."That is... unnerving," Mirdaff whispered, his eyes still fixated on the wall of darkness.

"That sure is," Kilfer replied. They did not expect what lay at the end for them was this, yet what was beyond the wall of mist, they had to find out.

"So... we continue?" Mirdaff glanced uneasily into the distance.

Kilfer nodded but signaled for Mirdaff to wait and crouched under the sand. Mirdaff wanted to speak but Kilfer placed a finger on his lips, glancing into the snow. Then, the entire serene white blanket of snow erupted in front of them, drifting higher and higher until a path was formed connecting both sides of the canyon, the width of the canyon a few feet apart from each other and snow itself was moulded together so flawlessly that the surface was smooth from where they could see. Under the bridge, from the cold, unpigmented snow something welled up from within, so crystalline and pure, little pools of water finally forming. From beneath the snow around them, bits of green started popping out, and soon the entire canyon was filled with life. Even Kilfer could not understand how he managed to create such a magnificent canyon from sea of snowy loneliness when he simply wanted to create a bridge for them to pass, but that was magic. It delves beneath the monotonous unappealing view to the eye and pulls out the beauty buried deep underneath.

"Wow," Mirdaff awed, "You did all of this?"Kilfer shook his head. "It wasn't me. I only control magic, but to who -- or what -- did all this, it is magic. It is not anything to marvel about for it is the soul of nature, a veil around all things that causes change in everything, including birth, growth and even death. It is here, within and beyond us."

Kilfer remembered what the Alpha told him, yet as he told Mirdaff all he learned throughout the years of practicing magic, he was still filled with doubt to these words he had just uttered. It just did not make sense how magic could lie within every soul, and be the constructing bricks for life itself.

Seeing Mirdaff's bewildered face, Kilfer shook his head, "Never mind, we've got to continue."

They continued across the bridge and ventured towards the wall filled with dark mist, their footprints sinking deep into the snow and their feet were freezing from the cold and felt numb and lifeless. With every step, the dark wall loomed closer and closer, and finally covered them overhead and into the distance, they could already see the snow narrowing, giving way to sand and a few shrubs.

Kilfer felt the air getting warmer, and he could smell... the sea. It was a peculiar smell of salt and he had not smelt it for a long time. The continued until they were right in front of the wall of mists, the thick gas swirling in front of them. Kilfer signaled for Kilfer to wait, and reached out to brush across the mist in a fluid manner. How dark it appeared, the mist felt the same as air, just darker, and when he reached onto the ground within the mist, a surge of water rushed between his fingers, cold and refreshing.