Chapter EIGHT: Cold Feet

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The snowfall began to worsen with every step Devin made towards the Mule Express, which was quite a hike south of Thais. His legs were getting numb from the frigid wind and ice. When he arrived at his destination the attendant and mules were nowhere in sight. Instead, Devin saw a small a sign posted on the wooden gate that read:

CLOSED! Due to the dangerous climate and fragile state of the mules...

Furious, Devin kicked the sign to the ground knowing already what the rest said, without bothering to read the rest. He needed to get to Mysten Far immediately, but his options were limited once again.

"The canoe!" Devin remembered suddenly, ecstatic when the idea came to him, and began running west towards the wooden bridge. Although it had been a long time since he used the canoe, he knew it was the only way now he could get to the portal in time.

When he arrived at the bridge, he dug for the canoe, which was covered knee-deep under the snow. The water in the river was mostly slush, but Devin managed to slide the canoe onto the surface and keep it afloat.

He paddled aggressively upstream through the ever increasing dense waters. As he finally approached the mountains, a large sheet of ice floated ahead. He tried steering clear of it, but the sheet, large and merciless, collided with the canoe, breaking the vessel in two.

At once, Devin was thrown overboard into the bone-chilling river water. Fearing the worst, he inhaled for breath as the cold liquid seeped into his knight clothes and armor; and clinging to his back from the cold water, was Talia's journal, which he feared would submerge away into the depths, more than losing his own life. He scrambled forward trying to keep his back above; however, he quickly realized that he was only in a couple feet of water and ice. Gasping from the stinging cold, he was grateful for the bit of luck, for had the waters been any deeper he probably would not have escaped the current.

He crawled onto the snow covered shore nearby and began moving north again until he reached the base of the mountains. When he arrived it was only to discover a large glacier blocking the opening of the valley. Devin fell back on the snow, defeated, and unable to stand; feeling the frost forming slowly and stealing the heat from him; sure he would die within hours.

"I tried my best Talia...I'm...going to die here without telling you... I'm sorry," he said out loud, hopelessly now that he was barely able to move and began to shiver violently. He picked up her journal, found the quill hidden in his cloak pocket and began to write inside. When he was finished, he looked up into the snow covered pine trees ahead; a white wolf emerged from the shrubs staring intently at him. With his last strength, Devin pulled out his sword preparing to attack the animal. The wolf began slowly towards him.

"Stay away, beast!" Devin yelled in hopes of scaring it away.

"Devin...Friend? What are you doing here?" the wolf said throwing him off guard. However, he suddenly remembered that Animalville was close by, but who was this? Devin suddenly knew.

"Frederick...is that you?...I didn't recognize you," Devin said weakly, hoping to conserve his waning strength.

"Aye, it's good to see you, old friend. Sorry about scaring you. I just learned to shape-shift into a wolf and was out hunting," Frederick said as he changed into his dragon form and blew hot air towards the freezing knight.

Devin felt a lot better almost instantly and began walking towards the mountains again, readying himself to climb them, while leaving Frederick behind. His friend quickly caught up to Devin, still wondering why he was there and beckoning him to return with him to Animalville instead of continuing the treacherous journey ahead.

"Frederick, I have to get to Mysten Far. It's urgent! Do you know of any short routes that will take me to the portal near Glenvale?" Devin asked without delay, now with only a few hours before sun fall. Fredrick roared happily by his request.

"Besides knowing how to change into a dragon, I finally learned how to fly as a dragon. I think I can get you to the portal in time. But why do you need to go to Mysten Far?" Frederick asked, curiously.

As Devin climbed onto the dragon's back and they lifted into turbulent sky, he began to explain everything that had happened.