Forlorn Winter

Oracion's POV

A while passes before any three of them wake up, the first being Freya and then Requis.

They don't immediately ask any questions, instead deciding on examining the place for themselves as they look at Ira's chained body. "I'm sorry. He was telling me something wasn't right and I wasn't listening at all. I was so focused on chasing Indura." Requis apologises, briefly picking up the chain we wrapped around Ira's body before placing it back down.

"Why are you here?" Freya comes closer to me, placing a hand on my chest.

My body twitches as I feel intense guilt for what I'm about to do, "Musai, you wouldn't have any problem doing it to these two...would you?"

"None at all." She answers.

Freya looks past me, staring daggers at the other woman. "And who's this?" She asks, but I don't answer. "She's endangering our lives back within the Veil, we should go back, right?" Freya continues to ask.

She's not worried about Ira, she's not worried about Indura. All she's concerned about is the Veil, 'Why?' I think to myself. 'Why is she so focused on only that?' I look at her in her eyes, trying to find what sort of sensation she must be feeling in order to move on so fast.

Mousai begins to speak over Freya, "I owe you for the necklace, so if this is what you want then I'll do it. Although there is something I need to tell you."

Freya comes from in front of me, instead insisting on approaching Mousai directly. "I-" She tries to speak but I look away as Mousai's head raises, lowering her gaze upon Freya as if to express authority over her. 

"Do not." She spits with malice, supposedly freezing both Freya and Requis as a cold chill runs along my body.

I look back to see her once transparent irises flux to one of pure gold, gleaming just past the moonlight's edge in the dark. "Take them back to the Veil, please." I request.

"Oracion why are you letting her do this!?" Freya yells at me, still stuck in her one position.

Requis' mouth shivers as she attempts to speak "F-find Indura, Oracion. Keep Ira safe. That's all I ask of you, p-please." 

"I promise you, I will." I answer.

Mousai walks back into the light, looking at me in my eyes for what feels like the last time. "You've seen their strength, their speed and their means of healing. But I still don't think you understand what they're capable of." She explains. "Be careful of Eragon's blood, I've not seen it myself but I've heard stories of that tyrant king's power over it." 

I simply nod as a response as she begins walking, but quickly turning back to mention one more thing. "I'm sure you've seen it in some form. But the vampires have some influence over the nature and will of others, namely your humans. Be careful."

"I'm aware from Mael, thanks."

She again takes a footstep forward but retracts it to say something else, "They can't force their will upon those who are already influenced by another, something or someone stronger than themselves. Luckily for me, that's not how my Grace works." She looks between the two women, "Show me the way home." She commands them as they look towards their next pathing reluctantly.

"Oracion please..." Freya begs as her own body carries her away, slipping her hand in my own and admittingly I hold on a little.

Mousai looks at me, urging me to let go before she changes her own mind about this.

Requis breaks our hold on each other as she passes by, taking my attention away from Freya. "I don't understand your reasoning but I'll put my faith in that boy I grew up with. Bring those two back as well as yourself" She advises, resisting Mousai as best as she can but ultimately following Freya.

Their footsteps begin to echo just before I hear Mousai say one last thing, "I'm not sure what happened to your friend, but Eragon would know. Goodbye, Oracion."

I take the words to heart as I look back at his sorrowed state but then focusing my gaze back to the newly formed large crack within the castle wall. 'All I have to do is keep heading forward, leave him here' I think to myself. Beginning to walk, leaving Ira behind in the bloodied arena. 

As I take more steps towards abandonment, phrases start to fill my head, 'It's better for him' 

'It's safer for him'

'It's easier this way'

'You're saving him'

"It's for him" I speak out loud. Turning back to him, drawing out my sword and arching it towards him. 'They'll understand why you did it' My own voice speaks to me as my shadow flashes in my vision.

I swing my sword down, breaking the chain and sheathing it once more. "C'mon" I speak to the unconscious Ira, lifting him over my shoulder with a huff as I carry him along with me.

"It...moves" He briefly calls out in his sleep.

"I bet whatever you're thinking about does bud, enjoy the free travel." I laugh to myself for what it's worth. 

Hopping down the gap and coming face to face with a Noisi laying down, shrieking me with fear as its gaping mouth still appears pried open like an unwilling yawn. Even so, I walk patiently towards it, knowing it could possibly help me.

"North?" I question it, placing a hand along its face slowly as its eyes eerily follow my movements. "Please?" I finish, walking around to the side of it and hoping to take advantage of it already laying down. Throwing Ira over it's back and then climbing on myself just as we're lifted back into the night, albeit darker than before. The moon's gaze no longer lingering and the lights of Will-o no longer present as if the festival's supposedly finished.

"No-r-th-" The Noisi repeats as it turns its body towards a mountain that stands at an equal height to it's gargantuan size. Tremoring the ground with each step as it gradually makes its way towards it.

A trip that would of taken me possibly over an hour to walk along with Ira on me, taken mere moments cause of these kind...soulless...giants. Even still a couple of feet away, it pauses to avoid touching the mountain. Normally I'd be thankful but I can't confidently move with both me and Ira.

"Closer?" I ask it, touching the back of its soft neck. Only to retract my hand instantly as it clicks something along its head. Slowly and gradually extending its neck towards the cliff of the dark shaded rock. Allowing me to step along it like a bridge, yet another sleep depriving fact I've learned about them.

I gently walk over it's skull, tapping my bare foot on the ground with confidence as I wave to it in hopes it understands without me having to touch it. The Noisi pulls away, retracting its neck and re-joining the others it left behind in favour of helping me.

I follow suit, turning towards my destination but almost literally freezing in place as the world shifts into an almost primordial winter. Taking a step forward and almost slipping immediately as I lose my footing against the sudden ice. But something fills me just as the sub-zero temperatures soak through my body. 'Tread the whispering white' Mael's voice almost mockingly beams through my head, making me feel light on my feet and forcing me to lose balance. 

'You've made it?' Another voice speaks directly into my head. Causing me to sway forward and back as the snow slams against my body, beating my skin senselessly and forcing me to slide down the backside of the mountain. 

"I-ra-" I try to reach out to his ankle, barely being able to grasp it as we briefly fall before plummeting along a slope of concentrated snow. 

'Of course he's here already!" A new voice argues while I try to command my body to move itself.

"Ir-a?" I quiver as my fist that had his hold is now empty. My lips gradually seize up as my skin succumbs to the temperatures. I try to blink as fast as I can, forcing what strength I have left into finding his immobile body. 

'Don't you know who that is?' One more asks as I practically drag myself forward, knowing he could of slid a lot further than me.

"St-op...i-t." I plea to the voices.

'What's your name?' They ask in sync.

"Or-a-cion." I murmur, as sudden as it came, the snow vanishes to clear the vision of the pure white world around me.

Instead of questioning it, I take the opportunity to look for Ira. "T-her-e" I briefly glance at the ragged black clothing he had on as he barely sticks out of the snow. But further, far further...just sitting along this white sheet. I see it. The castle, reconstructed and far bigger than the last. 

A blood freezing chill lines up along my skin as I just barely make contact with Ira's body. A single drop of snow hovers down to my open skin, planting an echo of the previous voices. 'Die then.' It whispers. Dropping what felt like an avalanche of snow upon my head and body as the blizzard continues once more.

My body is freezing, my limbs are being bound by ice, the very air is icing my lungs and my feet are burning with an everlasting frost. Even so...'I won't let go of him.' I state with a sinful pride within my mind.

I close my eyes, hoping for it all to pass over, hoping for it all to just be a place inside my head. Just as one final voice continues to alight that hope within me, "That's just like you, isn't it?" He humbly laughs while speaking from outside my snow burial.

"Aeron?" I try to answer him.