I got a ton of writing done today! BONUS! Two chapters in one day! ^^ (Good, 'cause I can't wait to get out of here! (JK; I just want to get this book done!))
CH 21 Summary: Shade says her final farewell to her closest friend, the chief of Thalda, Stonepaw, as he succumbs to illness and old age... This chapter will mean more once I write TGoL: Tribulation, but for now, it doesn't matter much...
So now the foxes face their final obstacle before Castla nu Craara... Myunae nu Eira. The Spires of Sky. In Chapter 22 of my first book...
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The Guardians of Life: Justice (Book I)
Chapter Twenty-Two-
Myunae nu Eira

Light tried to infiltrate Aerobolt’s closed eyes. Moaning, he turned over to try and block it out. It can’t be morning already! It felt like he had just fell asleep! He was still so tired. But alas, he could hear Shade and Storm’s voices talking and trying to wake him up. Moaning some more, he opened his eyes to a blinding light. It took a few seconds to clear, and when it did, he saw Storm and Shade’s beaming faces.
“Good morning sleepyhead!” Shade chorused as Aerobolt dragged himself to sit up. Yawning and stretching, he noticed Storm and Shade were already ready to set off again.
“We do not need to renew supplies again?” he asked sleepily.
“Already done. Marqi has already spoken to Thalda about Stonepaw, and she has left for Uron. Now Aerobolt, are you ready? For we must hike through Myunae nu Eira to get to Castla nu Craara,” Shade explained. “It will be treacherous; not only will the weather be unpredictable, but there are dangerous creatures lurking in some areas. Not to mention the occasional landslide. Castla nu Craara isn’t too deep within the mountains, but given all the trials the mountains will give us, it may take another two to three days to get there.”
“With everything I’ve been through so far, I do not think Myunae nu Eira is too dangerous at this point,” Aerobolt said sarcastically and getting to his paws.
“Careful what you say,” Shade warned, as Aerobolt started towards the door.
“Let’s go. We have wasted time already. Despite what my body and mind wants, I think you should have woken me up earlier,” Aerobolt said.
“Yeah, and if we did, he would have cut off our tails,” Storm muttered to Shade. Shade smiled. They giggled slightly as they followed Aerobolt from a distance. Before they could leave the inn, however, the lynx keeper, Aes, stopped them.
“Marqi told me to tell you three that up in Myunae nu Eira, there are a couple of foxes lost somewhere up there. We are not sure if they are Guardian or otherwise vagrant, but could you keep an eye out?”
Shade nodded. “Of course. They are probably a couple of cubs that disobeyed their parents. This sort of thing happens a lot,” she added when she looked at Storm. Storm turned red and indignant.
“That only happened once with me!” he exclaimed as they ended up in the bustling streets of Thalda once again. The commerce here was astounding. No wonder the place was considered a trading town.
“I did not think Thalda was this big!” Aerobolt half yelled over the crowd.
“It really isn’t! It is just so popular for traders and travelers, it makes it seem so!” Shade yelled.
Before Aerobolt knew it, they had crossed the southern gate outside Thalda. The sounds of the Thaldan commerce behind him were still loud and fresh in his ears. As the cobblestones faded into a dirt path, the traffic on the paths also began to dwindle sharply. The path began to incline slightly. They had arrived at the mountains they saw days ago at long last. Their final obstacle: Myunae nu Eira. The further the foxes went, the more plants they begun to notice. Shade noted them as being native to Myunae nu Eira, and nowhere else in all of Nyethra. The path grew rockier and less kempt as they continued. Already Aerobolt’s pads grew sore from stepping on many rocks. The air grew colder and thinner. Everywhere he looked, the mountains surround Aerobolt. It was like he was caged in between the massive spires of earth. How high had they climbed so far? It looked as though they were about to walk right into the sky itself. If they were, how would they survive? As they climbed higher, and the sun was directly above them, seemingly closer but colder, Aerobolt found it harder and harder to breathe. The clouds all seemed much closer. Aerobolt felt he could touch them. A cold wind started to blow, making Aerobolt’s fur fluff out against it. Shade said the valleys of these mountains could generate some of the most powerful winds, even more so than the ones in Windfall Fields around Hydyraen. The headwinds only made Aerobolt’s ability to breathe worse. He was panting rather heavily, yet Shade and Storm seemed perfectly fine. Then he realized the pair of them had lived and survived through these conditions every day for a very long time. Aerobolt, however, was far from accustomed to such conditions. When it became late afternoon, Shade called them to rest. Aerobolt plopped down instantly, like a rock, on a rock.
“Are you okay, Aerobolt?” Shade asked, concerned.
It was damn near impossible for Aerobolt to talk, but he said, “Well, my throat hurts from trying to breathe. My paws hurt from all the rocks everywhere. My chest is pounding faster than it ever has before. And I am freezing my tail off! What do you think!?” He was gasping hard. While he was gasping, he found his breath was coming out in small little clouds that disappeared after a second. “What the-?”
“You are not used to the mountain conditions… I am so sorry; I should have realized sooner. Well, I have to admit you have coped very well so far. I believe you will get used to it up here in no time!” Shade said.
“You- really think so?” Aerobolt panted.
“Yes, I am sure! Just one thing you need to know is that it is going to get a hell of a lot more dangerous up here. From this point, we will encounter gorges and canyons. The ground will be unstable… and the dangerous predatory birds…” Shade went on.
Aerobolt panicked. “Iridescent cubs! I am not going to die up here will I!?”
Shade laughed. “Only if act dumb and reckless! Just watch your step and watch the skies!”
“I can’t do both at once!” Aerobolt exclaimed.
Shade looked pensive then shrugged, which only made Aerobolt feel worse. “Just stick by us, and you will be fine,” she said.
“That is exactly what you said to me before that desert!” Aerobolt cried hysterically.
“I did?” Shade asked. When Aerobolt nodded she said, “Oh. Sorry… But really! It will be okay. It may be your first time out here, but you will be going through here a lot when you are a Guardian.”
“Sorry. I know I am being paranoid again. But after all the near death experiences I experienced so far plus all the information you gave me about this place being far more dangerous… I will probably overreact,” Aerobolt said.
“Humph. You should have seen when I first came through Myunae nu Eira. I was a total wreck! I almost gave many times, whether I was exhausted or frightened out of my fur! …Yet I never gave up. And look at who I am today,” Shade said. “I assume you are the same?”
“Huh. Considering what I have been through so far, I am not going to let these mountains defeat me! I have come way too far to let that happen!” Aerobolt declared. “But why would Iridescence choose somewhere like this to build Castla nu Craara?”
She chose Myunae nu Eira because getting to the heart of these mountains have prevented many hardy travelers, and especially, many threats from reaching our won’t do a thing against Arcane. He is just too strong… and not only that, he is used to these mountains as well…” she said in regret.
Aerobolt’s ears perked up. “What? He is? Why?”
Shade ignored him. The wind picked up, and she used it as an excuse to change the subject. “Well this looks vexing,” she said.
“What is?” Aerobolt asked.
Shade gave him a hard stare. “Something we see a lot up here. Snow.”
“Snow?” Aerobolt echoed, remembering these peaks being decorated by the light, cold, white precipitation during the massive rains in the Marsh Plains. A white flake landed on his nose. “This is snow?”
Storm laughed. “Yes! And I love it! Trying to cath it with your tongue is the greatest!” he cheered as more snow began to fall.
“Yeah, Storm loves it, but it can be quite the inconvenience. It is a softer form of frozen water, ice, but it can still make things very treacherous,” Shade explained.
As more snow fell, Aerobolt found the little white dots to be rather hypnotizing. The snow seemed pretty to him. He was skeptical that the probability of their interference was true. It still unnerved him that it could happen. The flakes melted the instant they touched the ground, but they collected on Aerobolt’s fur.
Shade was far from amused. “Really Nereid!? If it blizzards on us now, I will march your sorry tail right up to Gnome! Earth is your Bane, I remember!” She called out to the Nereid that was not there.
“But it is melting as soon as it hits the ground. How is that going to be a problem?” Aerobolt asked.
“That will not last long. Eventually it will start piling up, and then it will get even more dangerous up here!” Shade replied grimly.
The air got steadily colder as the evening wore on. Shade had cooked a warm dumpling soup for dinner, but in the deteriorating conditions it cooled rather quickly. After dinner, they got moving again. The snow did not get any heavier, but eventually, Shade was right. The landscape around them was slowly turning white with snow. Aerobolt realized with dismay that his winter coat was far away from growing, and by the time the sunset, he was shivering. In no time, his cold had come back, and he was sneezing so violently, they sent his head jerking backwards, hurting his neck. If any good came from this, the cold snow felt good on his burning paws. But even that relief did not last long, because by the time night was in full swing, they were freezing and stinging harshly. Shade had offered him strange looking objects she called shoes to protect them, but he deemed them far too uncomfortable to wear even in the bitter cold. By the time it was nearly time for them all to turn in for the night, Aerobolt almost regretted that decision. He could scarcely feel his paws at that point. They had made little progress since the snow started falling. It could have been worse; Shade’s worst fear in a blizzard did not happen, and judging by her description of what a blizzard was like, Aerobolt was also very glad. It was a rough night for him. Even though the sleeping bags were capable of dealing with this cold, Aerobolt still found it too chilly to sleep. Dozing in and out to the mourning sounds of the winds, Aerobolt knew this was only the beginning.

A world of white. That is what welcomed the foxes to the new day. It had snowed rather profusely that night. Shade was fuming; her anger had radiated itself around her, and melted the snow around her paws.
“It snows way too often up here,” she grumbled. “Iridescence should have chosen somewhere that isn’t so dangerous to her own subjects! I can’t even see the trail anymore!”
Storm somehow still found the ability to retain a sense of humor. “Why don’t you stay angry as you walk? That fiery aura of yours might help us find the path!” he laughed.
Even though it was a joke, Aerobolt had to admit it was a pretty good idea. He looked over to Shade, who looked down at Storm with wonder.
“Yes. That is actually a good idea. Focus what little heat we have around here at our paws. That will melt the snow around them, and that will not only eliminate the dangerous ice, but it will also uncover the path! That is brilliant Storm. How did you figure that one out without anyone telling you?”
Storm turned red. “I was joking,” he mumbled.
“By any chance, was it snowing for you and Plazma when you came down these mountains?” Shade explored.
“N-no! I told you I was joking!”
“What a fortunate circumstance it was then, for this is what we must do. It will also do us good to keep our paws warm as well, something I forgot to tell Aerobolt last night. I must apologize, Aerobolt,” Shade added, and meant it.
Aerobolt looked down. “It’s not like I can use these ideas myself. It is too risky if Fire is my Bane,” he said sadly. His paws still felt frozen, even after holding them in front of the morning fire.
“Poor Aerobolt,” Storm murmured.
Aerobolt smiled. “I will be fine. I hope. Thanks Storm. I just hope they don’t freeze off.”
Shade shook her head. “If it makes you feel any better, by radiating all the warmth around here to our paws, it will make the air around both of us quite a bit colder. Just walk behind us, okay?” she said.
Aerobolt nodded curtly. “It’s going to get very dangerous, isn’t it?” he asked tight-lipped.
“Unfortunately. There are a series of rifts, canyons, and gorges guarding Castla nu Craara. As I said, they are meant to deter any unwanted outsiders,” Shade said.
“The thought of all that is starting to deter me,” Aerobolt said nervously.
“What is life without a little danger or a few risks?” Shade asked him daringly as she started back onto where they thought the trail was. The air around their paws was distorted slightly. The snow melted before each step.
“Here comes my next near death experience,” Aerobolt muttered to himself as he followed the two of them from behind. The ground was left warm because of them; that definitely helped him. So far so good, he thought.

Suddenly with zero warning there was open air under his paws. Gasping, Aerobolt flung his arms back to keep himself steady, hugging the rocky wall of a sheer cliff side. Their path had sharply narrowed into a point where they had to sidle and sidestep across. Above them was another cliff. The rocks along the walls looked so loose, it made Aerobolt very uneasy. Below them was several hundred feet of open air, that made Aerobolt dizzy every time he looked down. Morning fog prevented him from seeing the bottom, and quite frankly he was glad; he did not want to know just how far that drop really was. All Aerobolt could do was stick as close to the wall as he possibly could, while keeping his gaze focused on the white tip of Storm’s tail. Both Storm and Shade seemed confident that they were going to be just fine. Storm… with a Bane of Earth seemed unfazed by these mountains. How was it that he was freaking out at the river and not here of all places!? Aerobolt wished he was at the river and not here! Instantly he took that wish back, because if he were he would be further away from his new home. Gasping for air, he wished the path would widen out soon. He didn’t dare look past Shade and Storm to find out, in case he took a vital misstep. Suddenly, a rock under his right footpaw gave way, and clattered down into the foggy void. He felt himself tilting ominously sideways in slow motion. Yelping, he jumped towards Storm, brushing his tail. Gasping in relief he was still there, he felt almost too petrified to move.
“You okay back there, Aerobolt!?” Shade called behind her. Her voice echoed along the valleys and mountainous walls.
Laughing in a jittery manner, Aerobolt called back, “No! Not really!”
“Well hang in there! Only a little more to go!” But Shade’s distance in front of Storm was not in Aerobolt’s current knowledge, nor could he judge exactly how far she was by her voice because of all the echoing.
“Hey Storm!” he hissed. “How far is Shade in front of you!?”
Storm did not look back. “About five yards, I think,” he said. That didn’t seem too terribly far. Aerobolt breathed a little bit of relief. He knew he was nowhere near out of the woods just yet. In this case, it was a steep drop down an entire mountain. He continued to sidle and sidestep very carefully. He stopped abruptly when a large boulder came crashing down right in front of him, nearly crushing Storm’s tail. It caused a fair sized hole between him and Storm however. Just his luck, that was when the path decided to widen out. Aerobolt saw Shade and Storm looking back at him. Shade took one step forward.
“Hold on! I know just what to do!” she called. Aerobolt could only just nod. Shade stared at the gap. She pointed her handpaws out at it. The wall shook somewhat, making Aerobolt yell in alarm. He saw it though, a sheet of Earth slide out of the mountain that patched up the hole between him and the other two. When the rumbling at last came to a stop, Aerobolt seized his opportunity, and dashed to meet them. He collapsed to the ground astounded he survived.
“Why couldn’t we do that before!?” he gasped.
Shade shook her head. “I would have destabilized the entire mountain. Then what? Disaster. At least we are all here now. A couple more ridges like that to go, and we are there. Don’t give up. Let’s go.”
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Wanna start from the beginning? Here is Chapter One! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11187661/
Here is my series' index! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5340298/