Ledge

Standing at the doorframe, Natan continued to look at Dave. He didn't waver or avert his gaze as he patiently awaited a response. "We're here to speak to the assassin who arrived just a few seconds before us, so please excuse us..." he said.

To avoid misunderstanding their intentions, Dave declined their request. "I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be here. No one else is there except me." Dave clarified, observing Natan look behind his shoulders to see whether anyone was seated in the back.

"We don't intend to make a disturbance, but I can't deny that we saw a woman enter this place, which may be a place to hide. Kindly do us a favor and invite us in. All we want to do is talk to her."

Dave watched every move Natan made to determine how he would react and what he would do, but the more time he spent watching, the more rational Natan seemed.

Dave's arms were folded. "I don't care whether she's here. Will you shelter her for whatever reason, or will Etuna decide? You must leave this area right away if we are to initiate a conversation." Raoul progressively began to lose patience, but Natan maintained his composure and remained unfazed or angry. "Come on, Natan. We don't have time to talk to this guy. We go in without waiting."

Natan stopped Raoul from moving in by placing his arm in front of Raoul's chest. "Raoul, we're not here to cause a commotion. Not this girl, but Silvio is the one we're looking for. She does, unfortunately, have something that is not hers." He looked at Dave. "I want her to give that back. We'll leave her alone if she does."

Dave crossed his big arms and maintained a menacing stare to show them how serious he was. "Whoever you're referring to is not present. This conversation is over, so leave!" Raoul rushed forward and stopped the door by pressing his palm into the wood as Dave was about to close it in their faces. He pushed it in, causing Dave to withdraw, and came in angrily.

"Quit talking so much! We saw the woman entering this cover, and we weren't about to let her escape our sight. We'll kill the two of you if she doesn't give back our weapons, so you better tell her that! We are bounty hunters, and our pastime is taking lives!

"Now hurry before things get nasty and get her out," he exclaimed in a rush. Natan noticed that Dave was beginning to lose faith in them and, as a result, grabbed Raoul's arm and drew him back. "We're not here to hunt *her*! She's not the one we're looking for; we have a specific target."

Natan had Raoul's wrist in a firm hold as he backed away. "Although we don't want to cause any hassle, we would appreciate it if you gave the pendant back. I declare we'll withdraw without a fight."

Fuji flinched when a pipe abruptly rolled out from under the chair. She whispered, attempting to get away from them, "Damn it." Natan observed the pipe and fixed his gaze on Dave. "Explain why that pipe is rolling out on its own if she isn't here," he said.

While trying to remain silent, Dave showed signs of annoyance to the front but took a gentle look back. He carefully extended his arms behind the vas. He yelled, "Fuji, run!"

Natan, who had raised his arms in front to defend himself, was struck with the vas that Dave had picked up and spun from behind his body. Fuji had time to pick up the pendant off the table before bursting through the doorframe and avoiding Natan's startled reaction.

Raoul said, "There she is!" and quickly whirled around. Dave said fiercely, "You're leaving your hands off her!" as he tightened the grip on Raoul with his powerful arms, stopping him from running away. "Natan, damn you! Chase her down! "Raoul screamed.

Without hesitation, Natan turned around and pursued her. "Your pal won't be able to catch her, I'm afraid. She is a proficient assassin and outruns a few lone bounty hunters." Dave smiled and continued.

Raoul grinned as he persisted in forcing his way out. "Is that so? We'll see about that!" Raoul escaped Dave's hold by violently smashing the back of his skull on his nose. "You little-!" With his nose bleeding, Dave shook his head to ease the agony and then nearly hit Raoul in the face.

To dodge the attack, Raoul knelt and retreated his feet into the snowy landscape. "Sorry, big boy, but you shouldn't have attacked me!" Raoul grinned as he stood in the snow and waited for Dave to approach.

Dave tightened his fist, building pressure inside of it. He dragged far too much wind behind him as he stepped forward forcefully and hit.

In response to the high-pressure wind that was darting from Dave's knuckles, Raoul jumped aside, the snow being tossed to the side as it swirled with the force of a cyclone. "You're one of those brutes, and now I have an even stronger motivation to kill you. Your prize is without a doubt worth my time." Raoul revealed.

He looked at Dave's enraged expression.

The summit of the mountain was nearly reached. The very jagged ledge in front was the last challenge. It was really difficult to vault as it was bulging out at the top.

"The wind's even heavier than before! I hardly hear myself talking!" concerned about the potential failure, Kyora yelled. "We just need to cross that ledge! Keep going!" Tim replied while quickly ascending.

Their arms were numb as wind currents continued to sweep past them. Kyora, whose hand wound started reducing her grasp on the wall, said, "If... we keep climbing within this frost... Our skin won't hang on to ice much longer!" She got close to the ledge and said, "But I'm almost there!"

She would soon reach the top.

The only thing needed to get over the ledge would be for her to pull herself up. She could clasp the ledge. She said, "I'm up!" with joy but immediately felt her arms slipping on the slick snow. She shrieked, "Ah," as she became more aware of the ledge distancing from her vision.

Screaming, she fell. Even the snowdrift at the bottom wouldn't save her if she fell from that height. It was a deadly chasm. However, all of a sudden, she felt Tim's right arm grip her left one. He yelled, "Gotcha!" knowing that clinging on with one hand would make him more likely to collapse.

"Timothy, don't be insane! We'll both fall!" she yelled. Tim found it difficult to pull her up. He shook from holding onto the ledge with one hand while holding her with the other. "No. I'd hate to lose my navigator! You're the only one who can guide us to the gate, and once I choose someone, I won't change my mind until necessary." He elaborated and carried on. He shouted, "But I don't need to lose you when I have the chance to help!"

Kyora grew a little impatient. "I'm not your guide. Timothy, not until we track down Flare!" Tim smiled while she yelled. "Shut up, will ya?! And stop calling me by my full name! I told you..." His right arm grew stiff and proceeded to lift her.

He hauled her up, hearing her scream, "To call me Tim!" he shouted, and with enormous force, she rolled in the snow after being flung to the very top and over the brink by him. But by doing that, he chopped through his fingers with his left arm, which resulted in bleeding. The more quickly he started sliding down the wall, the more pain he felt as his skin began to get sliced on the rocks.

The blood stain of his fingers drew down a long line, and it dug deeper into his right arm, which was already hurting from the injury he suffered from his abilities.

He was forced to let go of the wall and sink faster as he felt his skin become more ripped, but he opened his lips and used his teeth to hold onto the rock. His teeth sliced in between, and blood from his mouth was pouring like rain. He wanted to say, "Dhammit... I nheed to ghet uph," but his lips were full of holding him on.

When the pain subsided, Kyora crept in the direction of the cliff. She was horrified since the heavy snow prevented her from spotting Tim. She shouted while placing her hands on either side of her lips. Her voice resounded in the region in quick pulses, "Tim!"

Nobody responded, which increased her uneasiness. "Tim! Talk to me! Are you alright?!" she hollered at him as she wailed. Soon later, she caught sight of a shadow moving quickly. "Damn it!!! I'm not about to die because of some snow!!!" he was screaming, roaring, yelling, and crept up like a spider and shouted, his voice bordering on shrieking and snarling.

When Kyora saw that Tim didn't give up on the ascension, she appeared impressed. He accelerated rapidly till he finally reached the ledge and leaped into the air at a high rate of speed. He joyfully exclaimed, "I'm up!" arms high in the air and landed in the snow, turning it scarlet from the blood on his hands.

He had a moment to catch his breath kneeling on the snow. Kyora hurried over to him to check on him and see how he was doing. Tim wiped the blood from his mouth and the sweat from his brow before she could finish, "Are you-?"

"I'm alright. How do I look to you? A baby? " he questioned while beaming, but his vision abruptly clouded. He said, laying his body in the snow, "I... guess..." losing consciousness.

To be continued...