Part 2: Reunion of monsters“When am I going to see something other than snow?”This is getting irritating.“HOW MUCH LONGER!”.I have been walking for too long; I had a lot of energy at the start while running down the mountain, but as time passed, most of my energy and excitement dissipated. The way Capti framed it, I thought I would only have to walk a little, but nooo, it’s just walking.I could get to the top of the mountain to leave Draga quickly enough, so it seems my little house was closer to the top of the hill. I guess Capti made it further to his destination than he thought. I don’t feel like losing to him, so I start running.“Just watch Capti. I am going to have lots of fun,” but as I am running, I bump into something, which causes me to trip and fall face-first into the snow. “Ouch, what was that?” As I turn around to look, I see an adult man with scars all over his body.After I get up, I take a second to ready myself. This is the first person I have met, and I have alr

"Hey Cole, do you know any songs other than the heroes?”“I do, but why do you ask, Orb?” Cole says in the saviour’s song.“It’s just that I don’t want the guards listening in on our conversation, because I don’t know what information we say will set the people here off,” I reply in the saviour’s song.“I see, but it could also raise their suspicion if they can’t understand us. There is nothing scarier than the unknown.”“I get your point, but with how they treat us, I doubt they could get any more suspicious of us.”“That is true.”“So now, since we can talk without worry, Cole, tell me about yourself.”“It is rude to ask for information before presenting your own first.”He is starting to annoy me with this whole courtesy thing, but if this is what it takes to make friends, so be it “Ok, then ask me anything.”“Well, first, why did your hair just turn red a second ago?”“My hair changes colours according to my emotions.”“So, what does red mean?”“It means I am relaxed.”“Why did you

Today has been unnecessarily difficult: Physical exercise, all the learning, and even almost dying. It was just too much for me today, but at least when I went to dinner, I saw Buloke with both his cheeks swollen, but still, he got off too easily for almost killing me. I still can’t punish him for hurting me, but at least I can reward Willow. I should see what I can do for him, but that is tomorrow’s Orbs problem. Right now, I am going to sleep.So, as I am about to get into bed, something drops down from the roof and lands on my back. As I am about to say something, a hand appears over my mouth, and I hear, “Quiet down, or I will snap your neck.”Following my instructions, I quieted down, but the voice I heard was oh so familiar to me. I heard it every time I approached Sequoia house, It was Maples.Soon after this, Maple gets off me, and I quietly ask her, “How did you get down from up there?”“They needed to take me down so I could do some things.”“I see you needed to relieve yours

-Break-Φ I have been in this cell for almost six months. The only contact with people I have had is the guards who bring me my food, and the doctor who comes to treat and check on the progress of my frostbite. Still, I do not know why I am still here. If I were an issue, I would be executed; if I weren’t, I would be let go, but I was much more likely to be executed.My reasons being, that these people were highly hostile towards outsiders when we first came, they immediately tried to dispose of Orb and me, and if you add in that most of them look at me as if I am some monster, as well as their primitive clothing I can only guess they are an isolationist village that doesn’t let people come in.But how long have they been like this? People have been adventuring in the bottom half of Fimbulwinter for centuries, and there have never been any reports of civilisation here. And from the brief look I had around the village, they seem well adapted. They must have been living here for quite so

-Break-Φ I still remember those days, when an epidemic ran through our village. It would make the infected suffer in extreme agony, while their brain started to swell. It was a slow, painful death as they lost control over their bodily functions. Every single day, people were dropping like flies, and the population of the village was halved. Brothers lost their sisters, wives lost their husbands, and I lost my parents.Eventually, it was decided to put all the sick to death to stop the infection and end their suffering, but I opposed it with all my might. Even as a kid, I stood in opposition to everyone, saying there still might be a way to save everyone. I keep saying that we can’t just dispose of all these lives like this; it was just a pipe dream. I knew there was no way to save all those people, yet I kept opposing the decision to buy time, because I didn’t want the last words my parents would say to me to be, 'It hurts, Buloke.'It was a selfish desire that gave false hope to peo