The labyrinth of Yggdrasil was a curious formation. Shaped like an enormous tree from the outside, it towered over High Lagaard as its helper and hinder, hiding unspeakable terrors of a bygone age, when people still believed that their world was salvageable.
But in the present, nobody really knew how the tree appeared or even the true reasons for its existence. People have learned to live alongside it and harness the resources of the labyrinth that was hidden within its trunk and crown. And eventually over the centuries, they created their own mythos to explain the unknown.
However, said tree was different from the Yggdrasil at Kenny's hometown. In Etria, people had to go deeper and deeper into the labyrinth, descending among its roots by using makeshift stairs. With each floor, they were forced to watch natural light sources slowly slip away from their grasp until their only waypoint was the azure forest with its glowing plants and leaves. In contrast, High Lagaard seemed to create its labyrinth in an upward method, leading people higher and higher, hiding an entire microcosm among its branches while following extreme seasonal patterns.
They haven't gotten too far yet, but the first forest they explored was warm and humid, resembling an eternal summer, while in the second, leaves were constantly auburn coloured and an earthy smell lingered in the air, soothing their nerves despite the constant danger that waited them on every corner.
If only Kyle would have chosen to get lost in this part instead of the frozen darkness...
Truth to be told, Kenny would rather fight fire breathing salamanders than to go near the wolf infested frozen hell that resembled the coldest winters of his homeland. Even as a team, they barely survived their first encounter with the darned creatures, and there he was now, trying to get past through them all alone.
Thankfully, the wolves weren't really active during the day and they just rested at various strategic points, protecting the rest of the pack that waited for the fall of night way deeper in the forest. This time, Kenny had no problem slipping past them, while avoiding the rest of the fauna. He could only hope that Kyle managed to do the same as he silently took the steps toward the next floor.
The Frozen Grounds… Elven Keep only arrived here few days ago, before turning heels and returning to town. All Kenny had was a completely blank map with absolutely zero waypoints, safe for the stairs leading down. However, he didn't really have the time to draw anything complicated, so all he did was to make a basic sketch of the routes he followed.
It took him some time, but he managed to find lone shoeprints in the snow. They must've been fresh because they didn't get buried under the snowflakes that drifted endlessly down from the sky. It could've belonged to anyone, really, however, most explorers weren't stupid enough to venture there alone. Well, most explorers…
"That son of a…" Kenny cursed under his breath as he started following the wakes in the snow.
Obviously, they were taking him deeper. Deep, into the heart of the forest, because he didn't have enough problems as it is!
Something let out a muffled moan near him, and quickly withdrew into the shadows when he saw small white creatures march through the undergrowth, smudging through Kyle's traces without a single care in the world. The tiny snowmen were no enemies to them, but they could hurl themselves together into one sentient snow golem, furthermore, they loved to invite all the monsters in that area for their fights and Kenny had no time to fend off all of them right now.
He needed to find Kyle before nightfall and preferably before everything else decided to go on their nightly hunting. With this thought, he stepped past the trail left by the snowsouls and continued tracking down that redhaired idiot.
Kenny never really had a chance to walk alone in the forest before. Partly, because it was too dangerous and he didn't feel like running for his life, but also because the survivalist loved to listen to his friends arguing and chattering about the stupidest things. Be it about the weather, taking the wrong turn, forgetting to draw a corner… His friends did the talking for him so he could be sparse with words in return. That was their balanced arrangement and right now, the silence around him was almost suffocating and forced him to listen to every tiny noise made by the wildlife.
Off in the distance he could hear the leaves rustling as something slowly created way for itself. Heavy steps reverberated in the air in a rhythmic, almost calming way. Yet no matter how curious he got, Kenny decided it would be best if he went to the opposite direction, probably Kyle had done the same to avoid confrontation.
Cold wind swept through the forest, biting into his skin as snow started falling around him in tiny flakes. Snow flurries like this lasted only for an hour or two but fortunately, they were too light to completely bury the footprints Kenny followed up until now. Also Kyle must have fallen several times, because occasionally there were bigger holes in the snow right next to the traces left by him. If everything else fails, he will just follow those…
However, just when he was about to quicken his steps, the path suddenly ended before him, because Kyle decided to walk through a dense group of bushes. The place was almost unmappable and in normal cases they tried avoid adding them to the possible routes. He couldn't even see the end of the snow covered underbrush and without any distinct traits, following a trail would either lead him to Kyle or a monster. Once again, getting tangled in uncertain territories would bring too much risk in his current situation.
He stopped at the edge of the thicket, carefully listening if he could hear any human sound. A cry, muttering, a gunshot, anything.
The veil of night already loomed above him and while it hurt to admit, he grew more and more impatient. The more he waited, the less chance they had to survive the trip...!
Just when Kenny was about to close his eyes in order to focus on his hearing, a gunshot thundered behind him and something hit the tree next to him, tearing out part of the tree's bark with a cracking sound. Relief and terror washed over the survivalist's heart as he swiftly turned around and faced his attacker. Green hat with woollen hem. The person's thick coat followed a similar style, making him stand out of the white and blue hues of the forest.
It took him some time to realize the dirt and mud that accumulated on his friend's clothes and once his gaze wandered to Kyle's face he realized the trouble they got themselves into.
Kyle was not himself! His expression revealed clash of emotions, everything being present and absent at the same time. He looked at Kenny like he had just found the murderer of a family member and wanted to hug him in his anger. Kyle's smile slowly morphed into a snarl as he targeted Kenny once again.
"Kyle, put that down." he tried to reason with the gunner, cautiously stepping closer to him. He had a feeling that the next shot won't miss him. "It's me, Kenny."
"I don't want to hurt you!" Kyle told him in a strained voice.
"And you won't hurt me. Yes. But first, I want you to put that gun down. You're not in a state to wave that around like a feather duster."
At this Kyle broke out in laughter and waved the gun in front of him, twirling it by its trigger. Before Kenny could've reacted Kyle shot at him one more time. However, this time bullet seamlessly went through Kenny's scarf, burning the fabric in its wake.
Obviously, Kyle had to bring his Fire Saker out of every gun. Not just a regular gun, but one that converted frozen iron into scorching bullets. Great!
Kyle was visible in a state of extreme confusion. His emotions and action changed on a whim, often not reflecting each other, working in complete disharmony. It was a wonder that he somehow recognized Kenny to the point of hesitating when his mind told him to shoot, but this didn't change the fact that the survivalist had no idea how to handle the situation alone.
If only Butters was there... Conditions caused by pollens and saliva were nasty even when they had someone on team who knew how to treat them, but without a skilled medic, getting rid of them was almost impossible. Worse, Kenny was only equipped to treat the gunner's external wounds!
"I don't want to hurt you, Kenny." Kyle told him in horror.
"Kyle, calm down." he stepped closer once again, ready to jump if he sees Kyle moving once again. If he was bitten, Kenny should start digging two graves, because there is no way he can get the poison out of the redhead's system without a serum. However, if he got hit by pollen or dust, then they just had to wait out until the effects are gone from his body and then, they could somehow make their way down. Knowing their luck, though…
"I could kill you right now!" Kyle roared with tears streaming down his face, suddenly throwing away his weapon and flinging himself toward Kenny. The blonde got caught off guard and he was tackled to the ground, air being clenched out of his lungs. He looked up at Kyle, eyes wide, quickly grabbing the arms of the gunner, and pushing his legs down with his own, preventing him from moving.
"Are you out of your frigging mind?" he hissed. The gunner didn't answer, only looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.
"What?" Kyle asked out of the blue, furrowing his brows. "Why am I crying?"
Just when Kenny was thinking about slapping Kyle, he felt the ground softly shaking under him. It had the same rhythm he had felt before. Getting trigger happy in the forest was definitely not a good idea. No, it was a terrible idea, that attracted all the local bad boys to the party.
"Wait a minute! Kenny, why the hell are you here?"
Using the momentary confusion, Kenny pushed himself off the ground, taking Kyle with him as they promptly switched places. He wasted no time and once again held down Kyle's hands and promptly sat on the gunner's thighs to bind his legs.
"Because of your stupidity!" Kenny shot back, hoping that his words finally managed to reach his friend.
But he almost immediately regretted his anger getting the worst of him, when he saw the tears in the corners of Kyle's eyes. Ah, yes, he almost forgot that the five basic emotions played switcheroo in his friend's brain right now! The next moment he might shout bloody murder while trying to bite him. It happened once, and it required two people to get Kyle off of him.
"And why are you sitting on me?" Kyle finally asked with a hint of uncertainty but despite his tone, the gunner's expression remained disoriented. Kenny only noticed the dilated pupils and his shaky breaths when he could get a closer look at his face. At least, Kyle's body desperately tried to push him through the poisoning. That was a good sign.
The blonde let out a relieved sigh; however, they were still neck deep in trouble. Something was coming to their way and knowing the nature of the labyrinth, it would attack them on sight. They had to find a hiding spot as soon as possible, as neither of them was in the state to challenge any of the beasts living in the frozen forest, But… If he let Kyle go, he would risk him alerting every monster in a hundred meter radius.
"I'll explain that later." he whispered as he heard the trees crack in the distance. The labyrinth constantly changed thanks to these colossal monsters who kept rearranging the paths. "Ky, you need to focus on me. And only on me."
"It's not like you give me any other choice." Kyle spat back angrily while a bright blush came to his cheeks. "Your face it way too close!"
"Alright, keep this emotion for a while longer." Kenny told him quickly, before jumping up and pulling Kyle with him. He broke out in a dash toward the nearest stone column, ducking to grab Kyle's gun as they went. Kyle seemingly got caught up in his actions, not being able to react fast enough, and by the time Kenny pulled him to shelter the survivalist made sure that he had a solid grip on the gunner.
"Kenny, you can let me go. I'm okay, I swear." Kyle hissed at him and Kenny was about to believe him, however, the redhead's voice got hysterical the next moment. "And give me back my gun! I need that!"
An angry reply was about to come forth, but Kenny couldn't answer him, because the next moment something let out a low growl almost right next to them. The blond carefully slipped his hand over Kyle's mouth, hoping that he won't start jumping around like a headless chicken the moment the beast gets closer to them. Needless to say, he was surprised when Kyle leaned into him, relaxing under his touch. It seemed that redhead finally managed to tire himself out, so even though the poison was working diligently to wreck his mind, the gunner's moodswings were less explosive now, only showing in smaller punches directed toward Kenny's stomach.
Driven by curiosity, the survivalist peeked over the thicket that served as extra camouflage to measure up their situation. It was a four-legged creature with several heads that kept swirling impatiently, sniffling the air and the tree.
A Helldragon… A terrible monster that spent most of its time sleeping and only started roaming the forest at night. And if Helldragons were already active, that means that the rest of the nocturnal animals have stirred as well. Taking heavy steps forward, the gargantuan monster looked around, lowering one of its red heads and sniffing the same spot they had their previous fight. It snorted, stirring up some fresh snow, before turning around and leaving with the same speed. Kenny could see its heads looking back from time and time again, as if it was waiting for them to move and betray their position. He only let go of Kyle when he was sure the dragon was out of hearing distance.
The gunner didn't need any encouraging, he lashed out almost immediately.
"Are you out of your mind? What the hell are you doing here?"
"Me? ME?! Well I'm not sure Kyle, which one of us decided to do a yolo solo round in the highest known part of the labyrinth?" Kenny was fuming. "I'll help you. It wasn't me!"
"Well, nobody asked you to pick me up. I could've handled it myself." Kyle defended.
"Yes, and by now you would serve as the breakfast of that giant lizard! Sure, Kyle. You know what? Stay here, do what you want! I don't care."
He could see Kyle flinching at his words, furrowing his brows as if he was about to say something, but Kenny wouldn't wait for him. The survivalist simply turned heels and started walking to the opposite direction, dragging his half-assed map out of his pocket.
The gunner just stared after him, shell shocked. He hardly ever saw Kenny showing real anger, so he really took the scolding to heart, hesitating on what to do next. Did Kenny just leave him to fend for himself? After following him to Yggdrasil? He certainly wouldn't… Right?
Suddenly, Kenny looked back at him… well rather.. he threw him an angry glare, before walking up to Kyle and holding a hand out for him in silence. The gunner could only stare lamely at his outstretched hand, mind still hazy from the poison. Kenny let out an impatient sigh, then grabbed one of Kyle's gloved hands and started nudging him forward.
His facial expression didn't match his actions. They were gentle, as if he was afraid that Kyle might break under his touch. Though, it was probably not far from the truth. The gunner needed medical attention, proper antidote and rest. His movements became sluggish and he had a hard time focusing his attention, causing him to bump into stray branches and trip over rocks. Kenny controlled both of them, gently pushing him back when he noticed smaller monsters, keeping them hidden behind the trees, farther away from the trodden paths and groundshaking steps of Helldragons. He only let Kyle's hand go when he drew a new part for their map.
"I remember seeing a resting spot around here." he explained, looking around for any hostile animals. "We can set up a camp there and rest for few hours..."
"You act like a stranger," was Kyle's only reply. He ended it with a laugh, but deep down he felt terrible and would rather choose a different action. Crying seemed to fit the occasion, because strange kind of guilt ate him from the inside, but all he could manage to push out was another tiny laugh.
"Well, you don't act like yourself either. That's only fair." Kenny gave him a smile, before turning toward the big door at the end of the road. Despite his effort to avoid any encounters, he heard faint buzzing coming from above them.
It was familiar. Too familiar.
He didn't look up, but he saw a shadow moving among the branches, pulling its long tail after itself. A moriyana…
"Ky, we might have to run…" he started slowly.
"I'm not sure I can." the gunner told him in a choked voice.
"Trust me, you can." Kenny squeezed his hand encouragingly. "Because I don't think I can defeat this monster and you are not in the right state to be let near your gun."
"Don't underestimate me!" Kyle snapped, trying to pull his hand away from Kenny, who just gripped it harder in return.
"Nobody is underestimating you, dumbass! I just stated the obvious facts."
As they argued, the green insect swooped down from the branch it was sitting on, angrily swishing its tail toward the boys. It looked like a giant dragonfly with the exception of its tail that was capable of paralyzing prey through its toxic thorns. Furthermore it was capable of spitting sticky saliva at their legs to keep them bound and halt their movements. It probably expected the duo to keep standing in one place while it kills them, as one of them could hardly even move from fatigue.
But when it hovered closer to them, spurring up snowflakes from the blanket of snow, Kenny pushed his feet away from the ground with all his might and ran toward the huge stone door at the end of the corridor, pulling Kyle after him. The icy snowflakes stung his face as he ran and he could hear the powerful buzzing of the two pair of wings behind them.
Kyle didn't say a word. He already had a hard time keeping himself together and running required his full attention. When they finally reached the door, however, Kenny didn't immediately go for it, instead, he took a swift turn, pushing Kyle behind him and pulling his bow off his shoulder. They couldn't fight the insect in the traditional sense, however nothing said that they can't fight back and distract it.
He pulled an arrow out of his quiver.
It was a selfbow, hardly capable of hurting the thick armour of the insect, however it wasn't his goal either. The trick lay at the end of its tip that was filled with pepper and salt-dust. One of the cheapest but most effective mixtures. The moment it hit its target, dust rose from the bow, enveloping the poor soul in a suffocating cloud, giving the team a chance to escape.
Kenny pulled the bowstring, aiming at the neck of the dragonfly. It didn't need to hit any vital points, just had to make an impact to make the bag to explode. As the green dragonfly fell onto the snow with a pitiful screech, scratching its face in agony, Kenny used the chance to pull the huge stone door open by pushing a hidden button and shoved Kyle through it, then quickly closed it before the dragonfly could follow them through the gap.
He heard a last weak rumble as the stone shook under his fingers, but then Kenny could finally say that the danger was gone and the moriyana gave up on pursuing them. Small fries knew they had no chance against the ancient doors.
With the adrenaline gone from their system, both boys fell to the ground tiredly, looking at the silver web of trees above them now that they were finally safe. Monsters couldn't get through doors and they hardly bothered to make a nest in the small remnants of the ruin so most of them served as resting places for weary explorers.
For minutes they haven't said a word. Kenny let the snow cool down his back and his mind. They were trapped. Well, somewhat trapped. It could've been much worse.
"I hate you so much," he breathed out at last turning his head toward Kyle. His hat fell off his head, revealing his blond hair.
"Too bad that I love you," Kyle laughed back at him like all of this was just a joke, making Kenny's heart skip a beat. He was about to believe the gunner's words when he realized that the poison was playing some extremely cruel tricks on him.
"We will get back to that later," he murmured under his breath as he stared at the branches above him.
I wouldn't mind being buried under a huge pile of snow right now... he thought to himself bitterly.