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Arrabalta- Outcast- Chapter 3- Bitter Cold
I... have no idea why this chapter turned out shorter than I expected... but oh well I guess...
CH 2 Summary: Aerobolt tries and fails to get out of Castla nu Craara for a number of reasons and Eira makes a surprising decision.
In chapter three, Aerobolt finally leaves... but is ill prepared...
(No seriously. When the hell am I gonna get back to book 2...?)
______________________________________________________________________
Arrabalta: Outcast (Book III)
Chapter Three-
Bitter Cold
“Eira! A-are you-?!” Aerobolt was too shocked to describe how he felt about this.
Eira looked back at him. “It is obvious FIelra will not uphold her promise at guarding lives, so I refuse to live with a hypocritical leader.”
Fielra barely handled the criticism. “Eira! Think carefully at what you are doing!”
Eira shook her head. “I am. I just did. You are not a Guardian. You may have well just murdered this Qiin fox by denying to offer help when he needed it most.”
And Eira was now assuming this revaera fox is dead? No. No this can’t be. Aerobolt could not handle the wait of the situation and bolted. He ignored the voice, or voices, calling his name. He just ran out of Commons, into Crossroads and finally out of Castla nu Craara without a word. Whether he was ready or not, he was not coming back. Not without Qiin by his side. He would rescue him alone if he had to. He didn’t care that Kyaeta was waiting for him and Eira. He didn’t even wait to see if he was waiting for him. He just kept running. Running until he was more than halfway across the valley between the next rise and the citadel he was now leaving behind. He ignored the stinging cold the snow under his paws attacked with. As he finally stopped, he felt the midwinter winds buffeting his fur, sending powerful chills through his body. He could barely hear a female voice calling his name. He could not tell if it was Eira, Fielra, or both over the howling gale. He ignored them. The winds were pushing him further away from Castla nu Craara and deeper into Myunae nu Eira. His back grew colder and colder until he could have sworn his tail was frozen. He was not coming back until he rescues Qiin. Whether Fielra likes it or not, Qiin is coming home.
By the time he reached where he initially rescued Storm from a dactylon, the voices calling his name stopped. He thought about Kyaeta, and how he was most likely being told that Aerobolt ran away. He thought about Eira, and how she was most likely looking for him. He thought about Fielra, and how she might be organizing search parties and devising his punishment. Finally he thought of Qiin, hoping and praying over and over again he’ll be all right when he gets there.
The sun was on its was way down the other horizon, and Aerobolt was soon shivering. His fur was as fluffed out as can be, but the wintry mountain was too much for him. He wished he had brought more supplies with him. Even the warmth his Scarf granted him was not enough. The frozen air made his nose runny. By evening he was sniffling and sneezing. His throat ached and stung from breathing. His lungs so full of the air, it made him cough violently. He was very ill prepared for the harshness of Myunae nu Eira’s brutal winter environment. Aerobolt regretted his decision to brashly dash out the way he did for that reason. But no matter the trials the mountains held for him, he still held the determination to get to Hydyraen as soon as possible.
The light was dimming. The temperatures dimmed with it, further than Aerobolt thought was ever possible. The cold was not uncomfortable anymore. It was downright numbing. At first it stung. Stung painfully at his ear and paw tips, hands and feet. Excruciating pain. So painful, Aerobolt could no longer move without hurting himself even further. His body could not withstand this particular magnitude of cold. Aerobolt loved the cold, but this was far too much. The pain dwindled. At first Aerobolt believed he was finally adjusting to the biting bitter cold. He tried to stand again, and found himself completely unable to feel his paws. He yelped as he fell over. There was no feeling at all down there. Aerobolt moved his handpaws, which he held in his chest fur, down to them. They felt shockingly cold and hard as a rock. He began to breathe quickly in panic. His paws were completely frozen. He thought despairingly that his Bane being Fire, he couldn’t warm himself up. If his paws were frozen, how was he going to move on? He hadn’t even made it to the ridges yet! One night out here in Myunae nu Eira was all that could be needed to do him in? Aerobolt thought he was stronger than that. As he sat down with a huge sigh, he realized he underestimated the strength of the mountain winter all too much.
It was the dead of night. Aerobolt was exhausted. Much too exhausted to move. He knew however, that if he fell asleep, he’d never wake up again. He was constantly coughing anyway; there was no way sleep could claim him now anyway. The coughing was so strong he felt that even the cure-all, never-failing otter medicine would help him now. The coughs steadily evolved into wheezing. Aerobolt knew he was beginning to succumb to his entire situation. He curled his tail over himself as a last effort to keep himself warm. Without meaning to, his eyes closed.
His hurting subconscious gave him a dream, a dream of which he saw himself standing beside Qiin. It was a breezy day. It seemed like it was springtime. Was it going to take that long to reach him!? No! It could not be. There was something peculiar about Qiin though. He seemed to be wearing a Scarf. Was he… about to become a Guardian? Aerobolt tried to make out the color of it, but the sun was too bright. He and Qiin were barely more than silhouettes. Aerobolt longed for the weather’s warming comfort. The weather was gray, just like him, yet there was something very warm about the way it beamed down at him. Aerobolt reached for the warmth. Where was Qiin? Aerobolt could only see the warmth of the weather, as he tried to embrace—
Morning. Bright sunlight, trying and only just succeeding in warming him up, was shining on him. His eyes opened. Blinking in the sunlight, he could barely wonder how he was still alive. He wondered what he had just seen. Was he about to…? As he tried to sit up, he found himself so stiff it shook his thought out of his head. Groaning, he tried to move his legs, but found them much too heavy and stiff; they refused to budge. Even though the bitter cold of the night was over, it was still too cold to move. Aerobolt knew there was not much time left for him. The sooner he got out of the mountains, the better. He realized with dismay that he was not even halfway through. He began to lose hope that he probably was never going to make it out.
He thought of the search parties Fielra has likely organized. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, they’d find him. Dead or alive. Aerobolt had a feeling they were going to find his body, encrusted in ice, lifeless. Aerobolt shook the thought away. Of course he was going to live. He refused to die until Qiin was rescued. He was willing to do whatever it took to make it out. Aerobolt had taken off his Scarf, exposing his neck to the venomous bite of the bitter winds, and wrapped it around his frozen paws. Instantly he began to feel relief down there. All he could hope of it was that he could still use them. He realized just how much luck he was going to need. He feared he would simply not have enough.
Finally it was midday by the time he could feel his paws again. Maybe, with any luck at all, he would be able to get a move on again. With difficulty he stood up, legs aching terribly with the stiffness. Instantly he fell backward when a shadow fell over him. His heart beat quickly as he began to think of the dactylons. Was one of those monstrous bird-like creatures here to finish him off? Aerobolt was far too weak to fight anything let alone a worthy adversary such as a dactylon. It was strange however; Aerobolt could not hear it screeching. Had the frigid air disabled his ears completely? Had Aerobolt gone deaf? Aerobolt could only hear the urgency in his own heartbeat. It practically pounded right inside his head. Aerobolt had a feeling any of those predatory birds could hear his heart beating in panic. He tried his hardest to keep his breathing silent. Somehow he knew that it was not good enough. The shadow fell over him again. It seemed closer this time. Aerobolt knew he was going to have to fight it despite his incapacitation. He remembered the dactylon he faced with Shade to rescue Storm, Cloud, and Iris, and how that dactylon gave both him and Shade a run for their money. Now he was alone and weak.
Suddenly he heard it. It was as if a switch had flipped inside his head and turned on his ears. He heard the loud screeching as the shadow fell over him once again, much closer than ever before. No doubt the dactylon knows he is there. And no doubt that it was a dactylon Aerobolt was seeing. Aerobolt staggered to his paws, swayed ominously, before jumping out for an attack. The second his paws hit the ground, his legs almost buckled. He refused to let that break his concentration as he sent jagged boulders flying up to the moving target flying above him. They missed. They did not fly high enough to reach the gigantic flying beast and fell a few yards away with a thud, kicking up snow, ice, and dust. The dactylon screeched at him, like it was taunting at him. It swooped down to grab Aerobolt in its torturous looking talons. Aerobolt could barely dodge in time. As he quickly stepped out of the way, his legs did buckle this time, causing the talons to slice his shoulder open. Aerobolt yelped in pain as the red drops hit the snow. He clutched his shoulder as he tried to find his footing again. He found it hard to stand. Looking up at the dactylon with defiant eyes, he used his free handpaw to enhance the cold air around the dactylon in an attempt to freeze it. No effect. The dactylons must be especially resistant to the cold to be able to live like this. The dactylon screeched again. It was going to dive again!? But Aerobolt had no more energy to move. This was it!? After all he had been through and this was it!? Aerobolt refused to give in! Gritting his teeth, he painfully forced himself to his paws. Looking at the dactylon, who decided to swoop again, he attempted to summon Hyda nu Craara like he did with the dactylon that tried to kill Storm.
Too slow.
The dactylon was on top of him, digging its tools of death into both his shoulders. Aerobolt screamed in pain as his already injured shoulder was further damaged. Aerboolt struggled. He grabbed the dactylons legs and tried to yank them off of him. His bloodied handpaw made them hard to grip. The dactylon held a very strong grip on him. There was no way it was going to let go easily. Aerobolt felt his paws beginning to leave the ground. The dactylon was beginning to take him skyward. Aerobolt yelled in disbelief that his life may be over. After all he’s been through… after all he’s done. “I’m not done yet,” Aerobolt growled. Yet he knew it was futile. He was completely immobilized. The dactylon was rising higher into the air. It must have been ten yards in the air when it suddenly slammed into the ground. The talons loosened, but Aerobolt couldn’t move. The impact from hitting the ground jarred him too much. His consciousness was fading fast, but he caught a glimpse of two figures fighting the dactylon. They had found him. The dactylon, seeing that it was hopeless for it now, tried to take off. As Aerobolt’s vision blurred, he saw the figures force the dactylon to the ground before finishing it off. Then he was out like a light.
He dreamed again. At first he didn’t understand where he was. He saw nothing but darkness. He heard just one sound. One bone chilling, eerie sound. Chills were sent down his spine as he could only listen to the hyperventilating of pure fear. The fear was so strong Aerobolt could smell it. Smell it even over the usual vulpine musk he has grown so accustomed to. What was going on? Why couldn’t he see anything? Where was he? Was he the one hyperventilating? Aerobolt could only guess it was another vision of Qiin. It was too dark for him to see the frightened Shadow Vulpine. Aerobolt again could only guess Qiin was hiding. Hiding from all the Shadow Vulpines like Aerobolt did when he was trapped there himself. Aerobolt did not feel a pang of pity for him. Instead he felt a jolt of fear when the shadows moved. The hyperventilating stopped. Breath held, he watched as the movement also stopped. Aerobolt and Qiin both screamed when there was a soft, ominous voice saying, “Found you…” The red eyes of a Shadow Vulpine met with Aerobolt/Qiin’s.
Then Aerobolt was gasping for air in a tent. Instantly his shoulder ignited in a fiery pain. He yelped and gasped and clasped his paw on it, feeling the hard material of a cast on it. His vision was too blurred to make anything out. Never mind where he was now, what had he just seen? Was he… inside Qiin’s mind? How could that be…?
“Aerobolt… calm down and rest…” a familiar female voice was saying. Aerobolt either did not hear or unintentionally ignored it. He could not tell what was real at that moment. Then he felt a gentle touch on his good shoulder pushing him back into a laying position. “You need a lot of rest… Please don’t overexert yourself,” she said. Aerobolt’s vision finally focused enough and he was looking into Eira’s frightened and concerned eyes.
“Eira…?” he whispered.
Eira shushed him. “It’s all okay now, Aerobolt… please, get some rest. You really, really need it,” Eira said softly.
“The dactylon…” Aerobolt whispered hoarsely.
“It’s dead. Kyaeta and I have slain it,” Eira whispered in response. Kyaeta is here? With them? Aerobolt almost did not believe it. But he was too exhausted to ponder on it. With a sigh of relief that he made it, he slipped back into a sleep that this time would be left undisturbed.
____________________________________________________________________
BOOK ONE! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11187661/
BOOK TWO! https://www.furaffinity.net/view/12848456/
FIRST CHAPTER! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13229506/
SERIES INDEX! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5340298/
CH 2 Summary: Aerobolt tries and fails to get out of Castla nu Craara for a number of reasons and Eira makes a surprising decision.
In chapter three, Aerobolt finally leaves... but is ill prepared...
(No seriously. When the hell am I gonna get back to book 2...?)
______________________________________________________________________
Arrabalta: Outcast (Book III)
Chapter Three-
Bitter Cold
“Eira! A-are you-?!” Aerobolt was too shocked to describe how he felt about this.
Eira looked back at him. “It is obvious FIelra will not uphold her promise at guarding lives, so I refuse to live with a hypocritical leader.”
Fielra barely handled the criticism. “Eira! Think carefully at what you are doing!”
Eira shook her head. “I am. I just did. You are not a Guardian. You may have well just murdered this Qiin fox by denying to offer help when he needed it most.”
And Eira was now assuming this revaera fox is dead? No. No this can’t be. Aerobolt could not handle the wait of the situation and bolted. He ignored the voice, or voices, calling his name. He just ran out of Commons, into Crossroads and finally out of Castla nu Craara without a word. Whether he was ready or not, he was not coming back. Not without Qiin by his side. He would rescue him alone if he had to. He didn’t care that Kyaeta was waiting for him and Eira. He didn’t even wait to see if he was waiting for him. He just kept running. Running until he was more than halfway across the valley between the next rise and the citadel he was now leaving behind. He ignored the stinging cold the snow under his paws attacked with. As he finally stopped, he felt the midwinter winds buffeting his fur, sending powerful chills through his body. He could barely hear a female voice calling his name. He could not tell if it was Eira, Fielra, or both over the howling gale. He ignored them. The winds were pushing him further away from Castla nu Craara and deeper into Myunae nu Eira. His back grew colder and colder until he could have sworn his tail was frozen. He was not coming back until he rescues Qiin. Whether Fielra likes it or not, Qiin is coming home.
By the time he reached where he initially rescued Storm from a dactylon, the voices calling his name stopped. He thought about Kyaeta, and how he was most likely being told that Aerobolt ran away. He thought about Eira, and how she was most likely looking for him. He thought about Fielra, and how she might be organizing search parties and devising his punishment. Finally he thought of Qiin, hoping and praying over and over again he’ll be all right when he gets there.
The sun was on its was way down the other horizon, and Aerobolt was soon shivering. His fur was as fluffed out as can be, but the wintry mountain was too much for him. He wished he had brought more supplies with him. Even the warmth his Scarf granted him was not enough. The frozen air made his nose runny. By evening he was sniffling and sneezing. His throat ached and stung from breathing. His lungs so full of the air, it made him cough violently. He was very ill prepared for the harshness of Myunae nu Eira’s brutal winter environment. Aerobolt regretted his decision to brashly dash out the way he did for that reason. But no matter the trials the mountains held for him, he still held the determination to get to Hydyraen as soon as possible.
The light was dimming. The temperatures dimmed with it, further than Aerobolt thought was ever possible. The cold was not uncomfortable anymore. It was downright numbing. At first it stung. Stung painfully at his ear and paw tips, hands and feet. Excruciating pain. So painful, Aerobolt could no longer move without hurting himself even further. His body could not withstand this particular magnitude of cold. Aerobolt loved the cold, but this was far too much. The pain dwindled. At first Aerobolt believed he was finally adjusting to the biting bitter cold. He tried to stand again, and found himself completely unable to feel his paws. He yelped as he fell over. There was no feeling at all down there. Aerobolt moved his handpaws, which he held in his chest fur, down to them. They felt shockingly cold and hard as a rock. He began to breathe quickly in panic. His paws were completely frozen. He thought despairingly that his Bane being Fire, he couldn’t warm himself up. If his paws were frozen, how was he going to move on? He hadn’t even made it to the ridges yet! One night out here in Myunae nu Eira was all that could be needed to do him in? Aerobolt thought he was stronger than that. As he sat down with a huge sigh, he realized he underestimated the strength of the mountain winter all too much.
It was the dead of night. Aerobolt was exhausted. Much too exhausted to move. He knew however, that if he fell asleep, he’d never wake up again. He was constantly coughing anyway; there was no way sleep could claim him now anyway. The coughing was so strong he felt that even the cure-all, never-failing otter medicine would help him now. The coughs steadily evolved into wheezing. Aerobolt knew he was beginning to succumb to his entire situation. He curled his tail over himself as a last effort to keep himself warm. Without meaning to, his eyes closed.
His hurting subconscious gave him a dream, a dream of which he saw himself standing beside Qiin. It was a breezy day. It seemed like it was springtime. Was it going to take that long to reach him!? No! It could not be. There was something peculiar about Qiin though. He seemed to be wearing a Scarf. Was he… about to become a Guardian? Aerobolt tried to make out the color of it, but the sun was too bright. He and Qiin were barely more than silhouettes. Aerobolt longed for the weather’s warming comfort. The weather was gray, just like him, yet there was something very warm about the way it beamed down at him. Aerobolt reached for the warmth. Where was Qiin? Aerobolt could only see the warmth of the weather, as he tried to embrace—
Morning. Bright sunlight, trying and only just succeeding in warming him up, was shining on him. His eyes opened. Blinking in the sunlight, he could barely wonder how he was still alive. He wondered what he had just seen. Was he about to…? As he tried to sit up, he found himself so stiff it shook his thought out of his head. Groaning, he tried to move his legs, but found them much too heavy and stiff; they refused to budge. Even though the bitter cold of the night was over, it was still too cold to move. Aerobolt knew there was not much time left for him. The sooner he got out of the mountains, the better. He realized with dismay that he was not even halfway through. He began to lose hope that he probably was never going to make it out.
He thought of the search parties Fielra has likely organized. He hoped that maybe, just maybe, they’d find him. Dead or alive. Aerobolt had a feeling they were going to find his body, encrusted in ice, lifeless. Aerobolt shook the thought away. Of course he was going to live. He refused to die until Qiin was rescued. He was willing to do whatever it took to make it out. Aerobolt had taken off his Scarf, exposing his neck to the venomous bite of the bitter winds, and wrapped it around his frozen paws. Instantly he began to feel relief down there. All he could hope of it was that he could still use them. He realized just how much luck he was going to need. He feared he would simply not have enough.
Finally it was midday by the time he could feel his paws again. Maybe, with any luck at all, he would be able to get a move on again. With difficulty he stood up, legs aching terribly with the stiffness. Instantly he fell backward when a shadow fell over him. His heart beat quickly as he began to think of the dactylons. Was one of those monstrous bird-like creatures here to finish him off? Aerobolt was far too weak to fight anything let alone a worthy adversary such as a dactylon. It was strange however; Aerobolt could not hear it screeching. Had the frigid air disabled his ears completely? Had Aerobolt gone deaf? Aerobolt could only hear the urgency in his own heartbeat. It practically pounded right inside his head. Aerobolt had a feeling any of those predatory birds could hear his heart beating in panic. He tried his hardest to keep his breathing silent. Somehow he knew that it was not good enough. The shadow fell over him again. It seemed closer this time. Aerobolt knew he was going to have to fight it despite his incapacitation. He remembered the dactylon he faced with Shade to rescue Storm, Cloud, and Iris, and how that dactylon gave both him and Shade a run for their money. Now he was alone and weak.
Suddenly he heard it. It was as if a switch had flipped inside his head and turned on his ears. He heard the loud screeching as the shadow fell over him once again, much closer than ever before. No doubt the dactylon knows he is there. And no doubt that it was a dactylon Aerobolt was seeing. Aerobolt staggered to his paws, swayed ominously, before jumping out for an attack. The second his paws hit the ground, his legs almost buckled. He refused to let that break his concentration as he sent jagged boulders flying up to the moving target flying above him. They missed. They did not fly high enough to reach the gigantic flying beast and fell a few yards away with a thud, kicking up snow, ice, and dust. The dactylon screeched at him, like it was taunting at him. It swooped down to grab Aerobolt in its torturous looking talons. Aerobolt could barely dodge in time. As he quickly stepped out of the way, his legs did buckle this time, causing the talons to slice his shoulder open. Aerobolt yelped in pain as the red drops hit the snow. He clutched his shoulder as he tried to find his footing again. He found it hard to stand. Looking up at the dactylon with defiant eyes, he used his free handpaw to enhance the cold air around the dactylon in an attempt to freeze it. No effect. The dactylons must be especially resistant to the cold to be able to live like this. The dactylon screeched again. It was going to dive again!? But Aerobolt had no more energy to move. This was it!? After all he had been through and this was it!? Aerobolt refused to give in! Gritting his teeth, he painfully forced himself to his paws. Looking at the dactylon, who decided to swoop again, he attempted to summon Hyda nu Craara like he did with the dactylon that tried to kill Storm.
Too slow.
The dactylon was on top of him, digging its tools of death into both his shoulders. Aerobolt screamed in pain as his already injured shoulder was further damaged. Aerboolt struggled. He grabbed the dactylons legs and tried to yank them off of him. His bloodied handpaw made them hard to grip. The dactylon held a very strong grip on him. There was no way it was going to let go easily. Aerobolt felt his paws beginning to leave the ground. The dactylon was beginning to take him skyward. Aerobolt yelled in disbelief that his life may be over. After all he’s been through… after all he’s done. “I’m not done yet,” Aerobolt growled. Yet he knew it was futile. He was completely immobilized. The dactylon was rising higher into the air. It must have been ten yards in the air when it suddenly slammed into the ground. The talons loosened, but Aerobolt couldn’t move. The impact from hitting the ground jarred him too much. His consciousness was fading fast, but he caught a glimpse of two figures fighting the dactylon. They had found him. The dactylon, seeing that it was hopeless for it now, tried to take off. As Aerobolt’s vision blurred, he saw the figures force the dactylon to the ground before finishing it off. Then he was out like a light.
He dreamed again. At first he didn’t understand where he was. He saw nothing but darkness. He heard just one sound. One bone chilling, eerie sound. Chills were sent down his spine as he could only listen to the hyperventilating of pure fear. The fear was so strong Aerobolt could smell it. Smell it even over the usual vulpine musk he has grown so accustomed to. What was going on? Why couldn’t he see anything? Where was he? Was he the one hyperventilating? Aerobolt could only guess it was another vision of Qiin. It was too dark for him to see the frightened Shadow Vulpine. Aerobolt again could only guess Qiin was hiding. Hiding from all the Shadow Vulpines like Aerobolt did when he was trapped there himself. Aerobolt did not feel a pang of pity for him. Instead he felt a jolt of fear when the shadows moved. The hyperventilating stopped. Breath held, he watched as the movement also stopped. Aerobolt and Qiin both screamed when there was a soft, ominous voice saying, “Found you…” The red eyes of a Shadow Vulpine met with Aerobolt/Qiin’s.
Then Aerobolt was gasping for air in a tent. Instantly his shoulder ignited in a fiery pain. He yelped and gasped and clasped his paw on it, feeling the hard material of a cast on it. His vision was too blurred to make anything out. Never mind where he was now, what had he just seen? Was he… inside Qiin’s mind? How could that be…?
“Aerobolt… calm down and rest…” a familiar female voice was saying. Aerobolt either did not hear or unintentionally ignored it. He could not tell what was real at that moment. Then he felt a gentle touch on his good shoulder pushing him back into a laying position. “You need a lot of rest… Please don’t overexert yourself,” she said. Aerobolt’s vision finally focused enough and he was looking into Eira’s frightened and concerned eyes.
“Eira…?” he whispered.
Eira shushed him. “It’s all okay now, Aerobolt… please, get some rest. You really, really need it,” Eira said softly.
“The dactylon…” Aerobolt whispered hoarsely.
“It’s dead. Kyaeta and I have slain it,” Eira whispered in response. Kyaeta is here? With them? Aerobolt almost did not believe it. But he was too exhausted to ponder on it. With a sigh of relief that he made it, he slipped back into a sleep that this time would be left undisturbed.
____________________________________________________________________
BOOK ONE! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11187661/
BOOK TWO! https://www.furaffinity.net/view/12848456/
FIRST CHAPTER! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13229506/
SERIES INDEX! http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5340298/
Category Story / Fantasy
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 120 x 66px
File Size 47.5 kB
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