"I can't take any more cold," Gippal murmured into Baralai's shoulder as they came back to the initial clearing. "I can't handle it. My legs are going to fall off."
"Then we'll take the leftmost path," Baralai said, his own voice cracking a little. Losing Nooj had unnerved both of them... it wasn't like him to wander off, and the worst part of it all was that an extensive search of the area had turned up nothing. No sign of him. The footsteps in the snow simply ended with no trail, like he had been picked up from the sky.
"To the hopeless..."
"People might be down there. Because the hopeless would be people, wouldn't it?" Baralai's arm was around Gippal's midsection as he led them to the third path. It looked no different than the last one at the start, but it wasn't possible to see a long distance down it.
"Yeah, just like we thought Industria would be a city," Gippal pointed out a little bit bitterly. Why couldn't he just go home, back to Bikanel, back to the desert?
"It doesn't matter. We have to find Nooj." With that, Baralai stepped forward down the hopeless path.
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"Gippal?"
Gippal looked over at Baralai, who he was half-leaning on still even though the snow on the path was now barely up to their ankles. "Yeah?"
"Do you... hear that?"
Gippal blinked... both of his eyes. "Hear what?"
"Nevermind, then." Baralai lowered his head.
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"Are you sure you don't hear that?"
Gippal shook his head and supported Baralai with his arm. The snow had nearly gone from the ground, even though ice still hung off the trees. It wasn't so cold anymore, but watching Lai's deterioration was far more chilling than the frozen water on his legs. "No, Lai. I don't hear anything." Except his breathing. It was very difficult to not hear Baralai's breathing, it was growing so laboured and strained.
Baralai lowered his head, coughing drily. "Why...?"
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"Hopeless..."
Gippal stopped walking, putting his arms around Baralai. He tangled his fingers in the other's newly dark brown hair, shushing him gently. "It's okay, Lai. Come on."
Baralai buried his face in Gippal's shoulder. "No... I can hear them... they're crying to me..."
"Snap out of it, Lai. We have to find Nooj."
"I... can't... I hear him too... his voice... he's with them..."
"What?" Gippal pulled back off his embrace of Baralai, but was shocked at the look of abject horror on the other's face.
"The voice... everyone... they're crying."
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"I'm sorry."
"What, Lai?"
"I don't know where you are."
"Lai... you're scaring me."
"I can't help you, I can't save you... I can't see you..."
"No, Lai, stop it."
"Stop... stop!!"
"Baralai!!"