Chapter 14.1

The shock of everything he had learned filled his mind and left him stunned and collapsed. Eventually, he came to and began slowly piecing together the reality of what he remembered.

While the town grew and the residents had been making good progress in rebuilding the town, he was puzzled by the knowledge.

With none that stood beside him being able to reach out for several days, Bludfire left Wintermorne without a word.

But with no one for the town to look to, no word about their leader's condition and now the departure of the town's greatest defender, Elyssara had to do something.

With the help of a concerned Neuna, they managed to call out to Gil and asked that no one speaks to him until he arrived. The eccentric magician would arrive at a lively and spirited place that only became more sombre the closer he got to the Winter's residence.

Gil would bump into Elyssara as she continued her search for Bludfire, with her scolding some of Wintermorne's guards that couldn't seem to come up with an answer that would satisfy her.

"I know Whitewolves have quite the temper but I don't think there's anything that would warrant you raging against the...ah" she turned around and grabbed him by the collar before walking away.

Bringing him to her place, she told him to mind the snow as she shook off her coat and hung it by the rack. Walking into the kitchen to ready a cup of tea while Gil nervously entered.

"If you wanted me to follow you home, you only needed to ask" he teased but all she did was place two mugs and the kettle down before pulling out a chair, never saying a single word until Gil slowly sat down.

"...You returned a lot sooner than I expected..."

"When you contacted me I had just returned from a Quest the Guild sent me on, but from her tone, it seemed pretty urgent. Elyssara, what happened?" resting his staff against the table, he asked her before noticing her teardrops around her cup.

"I don't know, when we got to him...he was gone for so long and now. I don't know what to do, everyone is expecting me to have the answer, Bludfire has gone missing and we've just got everyone back home...I don't want..." her ears lay flat while she spoke with a shaky voice.

"I don't understand, but something clearly happened and going to need you to tell me, okay? Now what happened to Winter?" comforting her as he held her hand, Elyssara never lifted her head as she spoke.

Not long after Gil had returned to Wintermorne, Winter sat, surrounded by various drawings and discarded pages in a candlelit room only for it to blast open rocking him with the impact sending him through the wall.

It took a moment before he found his senses only to see Gil greeting him with a drink in hand, calling him back inside. Confused by everything that was happening, he took him up on his offer as he got out of the snow and sat beside him.

"So are you going to talk or do I have to keep playing detective...your mind, it's so..."

"Until I met you, I never thought I would have to make it a point not to have anyone invite themselves into my mind." said Winter, looking more frustrated as time passed.

"My talents arent all that refined but it's plain to see there's something paining you, so are you going to tell me or do I need to blast you again. And this time it won't be for upsetting your mistress."

"Huh...my mistress?" Gil blasts him, this time taking off the entirely of the roof

"A warning shot...and?"

"Fine...just...I don't get it okay...one moment I was taking a nap to get a break from everyone and the next thing I remember was waking up in my place with all these thoughts plaguing my mind"

''I may not fully understand what you're going through but I do know that while you were dealing with your nightmares, someone else had to clean up your mess."

"You know when you asked about the Ivory stars I had no idea you were planning something so reckless. I thought you would start to realize just how much your actions affect those around you!" taking a large gulp of the strange liquid

"And you think I don't— " being cutting off by another powerful blast.

"A leader who does wouldn't leave his people despairing, he wouldn't leave the weight of his work squarely on the shoulders of others...what happened to you that you'd let your fear push her to tears?"

"..." Winter's eyes lit up for a moment when Gil mentioned her, but he instead said nothing.

"...What the hell am I supposed to do if all I can do isn't good enough?" Winter finally gave in, yelling at Gil.

"You do what you can. For as powerful as you lot are, Walkers are just as much people as the rest of us."

"...I was trying to keep them away from it all. I...didn't want her...I didn't want them to—they've been through so much already"

"Xachai, what happened to you while I was gone?" Gil put down his staff and asked his friend, now looking more concerned than anything else.

Speaking to Gil, Winter asked about the Blood Belt, the Twin Moons and the Scarlet Wolves of the Blood Winter, leaving him stunned initially, he slowly began to answer Winter's curiosity with what he knew.

As he explained, Winter always knew that they came to a new world, one reminiscent of their old one but so very different.

From what he was told, Gil knew that there would be limits to what he could tell him and so instead made his way back to Lacol hoping to get a better clue from one of the many informants peddling information and knowledge for the right amount of uld.

Another two days would pass while Winter was left alone, he took the time to hear his friend's words.

Coming back, Gil had surprising news, but Winter came storming out of his place wanting to speak to Elyssara and his people.

But Gil stopped him in time for him to try and speak to him, hoping that they could first clarify and understand what they are dealing with.

It's then that Winter explained what he had resolved to do, indicating on the maps that Gil brought back with him.

Realizing that the other Walkers could have been players, he's decided to seek them out.

The goal would be to gather the strongest players into a force capable of stopping what's to come:

"Before when all of this was just a game, no one was capable of handling what was coming. The seasonal event would arrive as the 'Red Season' and try as they might, no player ever succeeded.

"I can't do this alone, none of us are remotely prepared for it. I'm afraid when it does come, there'll be nothing left"

"This isn't just a danger to the livelihood of the people. It's far far worse."

'If none of the players could defeat it in my world, what chance do we have alone in this one...alone?'

"All of them, if we can find more of them then even better. But of all of this players...no, all of these Walkers here. If we are to stand any chance, I need to find"

"Can you be certain they would want to ally with us, let alone believe a word of anything you've just said?" Gil wondered.

"No, but I can be certain that doing nothing and hoping for the best will only ensure our end." packing up the map and the list of names, Winter tapped on Gil's shoulder, prompting the pair to take off.

With horrifying shards of his memories slowly revealing themselves, he knew the first place for him to go was where they were summoned in the hopes of finding something...anything that could help him remember.

Coming to the steps of the same building, Winter was surprised to find Daitei, who without a word took him into the Astrolabe Library, holding the contents of all World Walkers.

Expecting no real explanation, upon seeing his arrival the attendants rushed to retrieve his gear.

"They're...here?"

Finding a few familiar names without their contents and confirming with the attendants that they collected their items, he returned to Wintermorne with a greater drive than before.

Sitting with Gil, a returned Bludfire, Neuna and Elyssara in his room.

He told them what he knew, reluctantly, as he never realized that the day he became aware of his responsibilities would also be the same day he would learn about something like this.

"What do you plan on doing then?" Gil asked, already knowing the answer.

"I thought if anyone you would know, it would be you" Winter quipped.

"I am only shown what to see, I cannot choose." The pair's exchange managed to ease their looks of concern with Elyssara showing a weary smile for the first time in days.

"No matter. Right now, there is a threat coming, one that the rest of the world will need to ready itself for. But trying to travel the continent warning everyone will solve nothing and there's no guarantee anyone would listen if I even tried".

"Don't tell me you're planning on giving up now, slayer of the Ashen Serpent?" said Gil.

"Enough teasing. I may have a plan. One that hinges on seven individuals to be exact"

"Are these figures truly worth your praise?" Bludfire spoke out with a curious look in his eye.

"Honestly, they are some of the most capable people I know. If I can find them, we could have a start at a chance. Though that would only be the first step"

"Seems like you're filling the role quite nicely, Master Winter." Neuna praised him.

"So, tell me who they are and I'll start searching, but it's going to be a while before you can leave the town. The people need to meld and live among one another."

"Seeing their leader will help with the cohesion and limit conflict among the races. There's work you need to handle and I'll make sure to do the same."Nodding at his request, Winter handed Gil the note before he took off.

He knew that his duties wouldn't offer him much time to himself, so he instructed Elyssara and Bludfire to begin surveying the town.

The grounds near the Iron Hearth were warm and accommodating allowing them to plant their crops for the first time in Wintermorne's history, while the Jotuns crafted a sky gondola allowing them to easily ascend and descend the mountain to hunt for food in the Evergreen forest.

Nearby beasts from the Glass Sea were drawn in by the stench of warm blood and moved towards the village. The first to come were the Arachneads, drider-like creatures that were drawn to warm places.

Coming to Wintermorne and finding a ready supply of food, they tried to attack.

But faced with the overwhelming resistance of the town, they were prepared to relent so they instead resorted to hit and run tactics, entrapping and poisoning some of the citizens.

Winter once again offered a truce as he realized the threat of their assault, under their surrender he would not harm them and instead, they would be free to leave as long as they wouldn't attack them asking only for their venom to cure Bludfire and Elyssara, who shielded him during the attack.

"You would halt your assault for a few of your measly followers? Such reasoning is unbecoming of one in your position" the leader of the Arachneads added as she handed over the venom.

"They aren't my followers. They are my people, and a promise I made when I gave them my name both to the people and this town is that they would be protected by me. To save them, like this, or any other way means nothing so long as they are safe."

"You are a naive fool!"

"Then a fool I will be."

Assuring her that those that carry his name are protected by him.

Surprised she exclaimed that no one would show monsters such kindness, but he ignores her, choosing to offer her a hand instead.

"The air in the Inner Realms must have dulled your reasoning if you think tribes of the Outer and Further Realms are regarded with any measure of respect"

"If someone can follow the Wintermorne's tenants, then they are welcome to Wintermorne" leaving the Arachneads as he returned to the town and started tending to his suffering companions while they slept.