Kyle could've sworn that he'd slept through the entire night since his muscles felt relaxed, as if nothing truly bad happened yesterday. He couldn't feel the pulsing pain that previously prevented him from raising his weapon higher than his chest, nor the burning sensation radiating from his wounded arm. Everything was back to normal.

Unconsciously, he scooted closer the source of warmth that protected his cheek from the cold air that restlessly bit into his other side. Maybe someone left the window open…? Well, that someone was probably him, considering how people hardly visited him in his home.

He should close it, then go back to sleep, but… another ten minutes surely wouldn't hurt before he kicks himself out of the warm couch..

As Kyle naively reassured himself about this, he tried to make his way toward the warmth, letting the familiar scent lull him back to sleep. Then, out of nowhere air wormed its way into his warm cocoon and the gunner felt something soft but terribly cold on his cheekbone. He just frowned at the contact, trying to bury himself in his rough blanket, pulling at its button-like decorations in order to drag it closer to himself. Then the cold was gone and Kyle felt his body relax once again, until the sensation was replaced by stinging pain as out of the blue, cold hit his neck, lightly pinching his skin. As if he was bitten by a spider, the gunner couldn't help but jump, cursing loudly as he kicked the source of the pain away from him.

"Kenny, the fuck?" he asked almost out of instinct, when he saw the blond was lying on the snow-covered ground, trying to recollect himself after the impact, before scooting back to him.

It only took Kyle several seconds to realize that he was not at home, resting on his old and beaten couch and there was no blanket around him, just an orange scarf that barely protected his shoulders and his neck. Without any doubts, they were still stranded in the dreariest part of the labyrinth with no chance to escape unscathed.

Fuck, indeed.

"To my defense, you wouldn't react to anything else!" Kenny piped in, the moment Kyle opened his mouth to voice his displeasure. "Besides, I told you not to fall sleep and there is no way I'll take these gloves off for a second time!"

"Well, sorry for being tired after running around in a forest!" he countered, rubbing his neck. "That's not a reason to bite me on the neck!"

"No. That's all the reason to bite you on the neck! Plus... that was only a light peck! Years away from an actual bite!" he huffed amusedly, but didn't even try to conceal the smirk on his lips as he gave Kyle a playful shove with his shoulders. "I swear, next time I'll just shove a handful of snow down your shirt, you ungrateful asshole!"

"Just dare to do that and I-!" Kyle raised his index finger in a threatening manner, but his expression quickly became puzzled when he saw that Kenny was smiling at him, shaking as he tried to hold back his laughter. "...What now?"

The blond could only shake his head at his actions.

"It's good to have you back!"

"Uh, Sure? Though, it would be much better if we were already back in Lagaard..."

"Can't argue with that."

In reality, Kenny wanted to argue. Snap at him just a little bit. Tell Kyle that if someone would've been wise enough not to go on a wild goose chase with an obviously fake map, maybe they wouldn't be sitting neck deep in trouble, staring at dozens of lifeless snowmen.

Just blame Kyle for everything.

Let him feel the weight of his stupid choices…

And yet, deep down he knew that their current situation was nothing more than a series of unfortunate events that probably started way back… way before Cartman decided it is time to play his sick games.

Kyle probably blames himself for this even if he doesn't show it, he thought to himself, eyes stopping on the gunner's worried frown. Biting his chapped lips, Kyle took several steps between the snowmen, staring at their empty smiles, then continuing his journey across the room, muttering to himself about something.

As Kenny watched the redhead, venom slowly dispersed from his mind, and he finally swallowed his thoughts and biting remarks that threatened to come out of his mouth. Fortunately, if there was anyone who could get them out of there, it was Kyle.

However, before Kenny could sit back and let Kyle do his part of thinking, combined with a dizzying walk, the gunner looked at him. The look in his eyes betrayed that he had no idea how to progress from their current position.

"So... do you have a plan? Any idea on how to get down from here?"

"We dig us through the layers of frozen earth until we reach the floor infested with wolves," Kenny told him with a stoic expression. "I'm not sure what do you expect from me."

"Kenny! This is not the time for jokes!" Kyle stomped on the ground.

"You are right. Because our entire situation is a joke," Kenny huffed dusting the snow off his clothes as he stood up, walking up to Kyle to join him in his walk.

In the meantime, the flakes got even smaller, almost turning into diamond-dust as they descended from the web of trees. The temperature probably dropped another few degrees, meaning they've finally reached the end of night and things were about to get better from here on.

Morning was approaching the forest of white.

If only the map Cartman gave to Kyle was legit. If only...

Smiling to himself, the survivalist reached into his breast pocket, pulling out a tattered piece of paper. He still had remnants of the map he began drawing when he first entered the unknown floor, however as he stumbled into Kyle and they started running around the forest, their route became untrackable and unusable. But not everything was lost! He proudly turned the map so it was showing him a completely blank sheet of paper, then pulled out a pencil from the small bag on his side. Plan A might have failed but this is why they had to come up with Plan B by using some good old critical thinking.

Kyle didn't say a word and just stood dumbfounded, when Kenny silently started walking around the room, then he put a slim wooden tablet under the paper and carefully drew lines on it.

The survivalist closed his eyes, trying to backtrack their route before he made a thin line around the southern corner of the paper.

"This is our current position," he explained to Kyle, then pointed at the circle "And approximately this is where I started. It had two four-way intersections and a small frozen lake. If we could somehow find the lake then we can easily walk back to the start of the stratum."

"So what you are proposing is… is basically backtracking?"

"Backmapping. Nobody says you can't start a map from the middle!"

Kyle let out a small chuckle, brushing his snow-covered bangs out of his eyes.

"Because nobody thinks that's a good idea! Also technically it is not only not recommended, but dangerous and goes against certain laws of the duchy. But personally… I love it! And something tells me it might even work."

"Well, we all know that I'm a genius. Would you accept the honor of drawing?"

"Obviously, unless we want a map full of doodles and tiny flying dicks by said genius."

"It pains me that you did not like my artistic rendition of the labyrinth."

Kyle slid the map out from Kenny's hand before the blond had a chance to change his mind.

"I told you already, signaling FOEs as dicks is not an artistic rendition!"

"The guard liked it and called it accurate!" Kenny countered grinning proudly.

"Uhum. Then asked us to stop walking around with a map like this if we want others to take us seriously!"

"You are saying this like you weren't laughing at first. Kyle, you even drew one!"

Holding the map in his hand Kyle said nothing, but the embarrassing memory made him wince a little, as colour made his way to his cheeks. It was their second or third trip to High Lagaard's Yggdrasil labyrinth, so obviously after getting chased around by deers and bats, they had to let their frustration out somehow. What they did not expect was that there are several guard-posts and checkpoints situated around the first two floors, where they could only proceed if their map was accurate and presentable.

Kyle still remembers the heat rising to his cheeks as the guard glanced over their childish drawings of human genitals, disappointment clearly visible on his face.

"Remember, you got so embarrassed by it, you had to take off your coat once we were out of sight and you almost bit my head off for making a clown of ourselves."

"Then I hit you with my coat several times while cursing you for being so immature," Kyle added, smiling at the memory. Things were so much easier back then, for instance, they were not trapped in a freezing hell, trying to find their way out with dangerous methods.

The gunner twirled the pencil between his fingers as he easily finished the sketch of their current room and the doors that stood between them and certain death. His heart felt heavy, stress weighing him down more than it was probably healthy. Taking a deep breath then easing his shoulders, he folded the map, then pushed the door open again.

They both waited in silence. Kenny's hands were ready to reach for an arrow as they slowly made their way out of their hiding spot. The dragonfly was gone, but the natural music of the night disappeared with it, leaving suffocating silence in its wake. The entire forest grew eerily calm around them, safe for the ever-resounding steps of giants.

Something happened during the hours they had spent in the room, but none of them could really put a finger on the cause of disharmony.

As they walked forward, Kenny faintly remembered running straight to the door, and taking exactly one turn before that.

"Did we came from right or left?" Kyle asked, pulling out the paper again.

"Definitely from the right," Kenny confirmed, and watched as Kyle drew a barely visible X over the left and the road ahead of them.

"Right it is." Kyle muttered to himself, before yawning into the map. His entire body ached, and that small rest did more bad than good as the remnants of the adrenaline rush finally left his system. He was pretty sure that his arm got swollen and needed immediate medical care, however, he swallowed his complains and only mutter a quiet sentence.

"I'd kill for a bed."

"The sooner we navigate out of these woods, the sooner you can sleep. Until then you have this to keep you awake..." Kenny told him as he touched Kyle's face with his ice-cold gloves, the redhead immediately swatted him away with a disappointed frown on his face.

Part of him expected something more… sensual.

"Alright, that's a fair deal," the gunner scoffed.

Soon, they arrived to the same spot where they'd first met.

The small clearing and the rich undergrowth that had no problems with growing in harsh weather conditions, prevented them from taking a shortcut and from going straight to the other side of the thicket. This alone wouldn't have been so bad, as on their travels, they encountered worse roadblocks than this. Yet, there was something strange about the untouched layers of snow.

Kenny only noticed it at second glance that deeper into the foliage black and dark-purple thorns were hidden among the leaves, glowing above the thick layer of snow that desperately tried to hide them from unsuspecting explorers. If they were to cut through there, the thorns would probably tear into their skin, inflicting burning pain like their counterparts at the lower-levels of the auburn forest.

Seemingly Kyle didn't notice that and he was ready to wade through the bushes, nose deep in his map. If Kenny didn't pull him back by his belt he would've probably let out a loud shriek in the next moment, alerting everyone around them.

"Hm? What is it?" Kyle raised an eyebrow. The survivalist didn't say a word just nodded toward the white carpet of snow and the many dark thorns emerging from it. "Oh. Right… Right. We should probably walk around it."

Kyle stepped back hesitantly, never taking his eyes off the foliage. Who knows what will jump at them at the next step or what kind of monster created the tense air around them.

The atmosphere of the forest was something the gunner couldn't really describe. Compared to the previous murmurs and constant noises, the moment they left the safe haven it felt like time itself stopped in the labyrinth. The happily chattering birds went completely silent as if their entire existence got wiped from the history of Yggdrasil. The lone echoes that belonged to piles of snow falling from trees only added to the suffocating feeling that crept up on the boys.

In any normal environment, this would have written off as mere paranoia. However, in Yggdrasil, was an obvious warning from the forest itself. Something truly big was on the move, but they had no way of knowing about its characteristics yet.

As they walked around the thicket Kenny instinctively scooted closer to Kyle, following him like a devoted shadow, while keeping his bow at hand. They both knew that the origin of silence was pure fear and in that moment any attacks from local monsters was highly unlikely.

"If someone were to attack us right now, we wouldn't survive," Kenny muttered under his breath as he tried to find his own traces in the snow.

"Yeah. Way to lighten up the mood, Kenny" Kyle growled at him as he inspected the wall in front of him.

Unlike Kenny, he didn't exactly try to trace their steps back, as he barely even remembered how he ended up near these bushes in the first place. Everything was hazy, with only few clear moments. So instead, Kyle tried to find a new path, hoping that it might lead them back to stairs in the form of shortcuts. He kept pulling away the branches that framed their way so far, smiling proudly as the snow-covered ferns revealed a narrow path that probably led to a different section of the labyrinth.

He glanced at Kenny, who was trying to make some sense and the roads leading out of the room, seemingly having no idea which way he came in as he had no idea about the second road.

However, after feeling Kyle's gaze on his back he turned around and trotted back to him.

"Have you found something?"

"Kind of. It is definitely something and maybe we could take this as a shortcut."

"And if you are wrong, we might end up in an even worse situation," Kenny sighed, glancing at his rough-and-ready map. "I mean, while It IS in the way we are going, but I think it would be safer to stay on a road where we can see what's ahead of us."

"And if we run into something like that serpent from earlier we will surely die." Kyle countered, still keeping his hands on the fern leaves.

"But if we end up in some monster's lair, we will die all the same. I'd rather try to outrun something I know about, than jump into the unknown."

Kyle stopped for a moment, probably thinking through Kenny's words, trying to come up with a solution by comparing both possibilities. He kept glancing toward the fork in their road, trying to keep things logical, but despite his exhaustion, his curiosity and enthusiasm about finding hidden secrets was winning.

"I think we should still check it out. Just in case." Seeing Kenny rolling his eyes he quickly added. "I swear if it's a monster or we find nothing we can turn back immediately-!"

"Fine…! Just… Fine, we will check out that road!" Kenny threw his hand in the air, angrily taking the branches away from Kyle, nodding toward the unmapped path.

"And they say you are the brain of the team." he quietly murmured under his breath so Kyle wouldn't hear him. Nevertheless, as Kyle disappeared in the door made of branches, Kenny followed without hesitation.

Sure, Kyle was right. These tiny crevices often hid well-meaning shortcuts and useful resources, but he also valued his life and could not look past the obvious fact, that sometimes they were connected to nesting grounds. Escaping from one monster only to face a whole horde of them was definitely not the wisest choice.

As they treaded sideways, making their way through the thick foliage Kenny was caught by a feeling he couldn't really name. In the silence of the forest, the swishing noise their clothes made and the rustling coming from the branches they pushed away from their face became almost unbearably loud. As if every step they took came with the blaring noise of pots and pans being banged together, alarming something truly horrendous. And on top of everything, their concert was accompanied by a soft crackling noise coming from the ice under their feet. They were probably walking on a frozen lake or some kind of creek. Definitely not a good sign.

Then several steps away from the end of the tunnel his unease turned into pure dread. When Kyle swept some branches aside to make his way out of the hidden path, Kenny's senses were invaded by the hideous stench that somehow reminded him of death and rotting flesh. A smell that was unimaginable in the sheer cold that froze bodies and buried them under thick layers of snow. Yet somehow it was there, making his stomach toss and turn as Kenny took several deep breaths, trying to keep his gag reflex under control by regulating his breathing.

Kyle's body was almost out of the bushes, frozen in its spot as snowflakes slowly made their way into their hideout. Whatever was in front of him probably terrified the boy enough to render his body into full paralysis. Kenny was about to open his mouth, but in that moment, something sweet yet bitter stuck to his tongue, causing a numbing burn in his mouth.

It was poison and not from the weak kind.

Coming to his senses, he lurched forward and in a desperate attempt to escape, he pulled Kyle away from the open field, then quickly wrapped his scarf around the redhead's lower face. The gunner mouthed something toward him, but Kenny couldn't read his lips through the orange fabric.

You and your fucking curiosity, he thought to himself as their bodies were pressed together in the tight space. In different circumstances, it would have been the most pleasant experience, but right now Kenny's mind focused on the unknown monster in front of them. Suddenly a green hand with three fingers that ended in black claws emerged from the webbing of trees above them, slowly tearing apart the branches. Using the monetary noise, the boys started walking to the other way, halting their steps when once again, silence enveloped the forest.

Then came an inhuman shriek.

Trees crackled under the weight of an enormous body and right above them, the branches gave way to a purple head. The creature's teeth were all standing on both sides of its mouth, as if they had no real function, just to tear into the flesh of its prey. Probably, it didn't need teeth, as the creature could barely close together its jaw thanks to the blue appendage that ended in an enormous stinger and hung from its mouth. It looked like a bloated tongue, yet didn't fit the anatomical description of the muscular organ.

It took some time for Kenny to find its eyes. Originally he thought that the dark purple lumps were responsible for the monster's sight, however, when it moved its head above them the corner of its mouth started moving, with rapid movements, bright blue orbs scanned the foliage for its preys.

Thin black claws started lowering in the bushes, scratching away branches, each time getting closer and closer to the to them.

The boys exchanged glances, trying to come up with a solution without speaking a single word. They needed to get out of there as fast as possible, however this beast would probably tear down the forest only to catch two measly humans. The sweetish smell of poison came directly from the pores of the monster, making Kenny's head dizzy and halting his thoughts. All he could do was to helplessly wait for a plan from Kyle, hoping that he came up with something better than running away.

On the other hand, since exhaustion made his thoughts slow and sluggish, Kyle was not much further with plans than Kenny. Their situation barely left any escape routes that would not end with them dying. He closed his eyes, focusing on their available option when he felt it…

In midst of the noises that came from above them, the ground shook under his feet. It was slow and rhythmic and most importantly, it definitely didn't belong to their pursuer. In any other case he would probably have a breakdown at the realization that their situation didn't hold any better outcomes than certain death, however, he was not about to give up.

Squeezing Kenny's arm, he silently slid his gun out of his holster, then aimed at the spot where the monster's head was visible through the thick branches.

His hand was shaking from exhaustion and the adrenaline that coursed through his veins. If he makes the tiniest mistake they are done for.

Three… Two...

The monster probably noticed them, because it cocked its head, curiously measuring up the humans, slowly lowering his head.

...One.

Then in a second, Kyle pulled the trigger and a bloodcurdling shriek echoed through their very being as a bullet hit the monster's head and exploded, leaving a white cloud in its wake. The monster took several steps backward trying to get the chemicals out of its eyes, clawing at its own skin to end the pain. The gunner didn't waste any time and pulled Kenny after him to get out of the narrow space. The nameless monster followed them with slow, ominous strides.

He was never happier to see a purple dragon curiously raising its many heads to all directions, slipping out its tongue to get a whiff of some scent. When it noticed the boys, suddenly all of its heads turned into one direction and it sluggishly started walking toward them, readying himself for an attack.

"Great. Now we have two deadly monsters following us!"

"Wait for it…" Kyle told him.

"We don't have time to wait!"

The helldragon threateningly raised its middle head when suddenly, branches crackled behind them and the giant monster tore down trees like they were made of dirt. It halted its steps when it saw the dragon, but when it realized that they laid their eyes upon the same prey it lashed out on the smaller creature, trying to knock it to its side, with its claws.

"We have to get back to the other room. I saw stairs there!"

"Mind if I note that stairs guarded by THESE kind of monsters never lead to better places?!" Kenny stared at him, pointing angrily at the poisonous giant that kept circling around the helldrake. The purple dragon threateningly snapped its snake-like heads toward the monster only to quickly pull them back, snorting to get the poisonous gas out of its nostrils. "This fucker is too toxic even for that poor dragon!"

"Fine! Then what is your big idea?"

Kenny was taken aback by the sudden change in tone, but kept his ground against Kyle, standing firmly with his original plan. The one they abandoned for the sake of meeting this hellish fiend.

"We will follow our map! Stick to the plan."

"The map that doesn't lead anywhere!" Kyle noted and he was already halfway through the path leading to the sealed room.

"At least it won't get us killed!" Kenny snapped back at him, grabbing Kyle's uninjured forearm as he started to drag the gunner away from the monsters, slowly backing away from the two titans. "Kyle don't be a stubborn ass. Not now."

It was only matter of seconds before the colossi jump at each other's throats to protect their territories and Kyle stood still like a kid, reluctantly glancing back toward the newly found pathway. It attracted him like lamp attracted the unsuspecting moths and the it was made worse, when the rush of excitement made Kyle forget about his own pitiful state. His own body was urging him to go on a wild goose chase.

It was a phenomenon commonly referred to as Explorer's Demise, the eagerness to see the unknown, adventurers hoping to see something great in their last moment.

Just one more turn, just one more floor…

Kenny knew that look. Knew the signs from previous experiences. But by the time, he realized that, Kyle was already halfway toward the new room they'd found, his legs moved by themselves taking him further and further away from the monsters.

"Kyle, please! Your health is more important than exploring whatever is in that room!" Kenny dashed after Kyle, shaking him out of his reverie just before the drake stood on its hind legs and stomped on the ground with a low and menacing roar.

Suddenly, the soft snow started cracking under their feet, finally giving way to a pit that had been buried under ice for years. Kyle wanted to call for Kenny, but he felt the air being squeezed out of his lungs as his body was thrown into the abyss below them.

Notes:

I had no idea that this chapter will took me... a half year to publish? But here it is! The next chapter will be truly the last one...!

- Explorer's Demise is made up. Though, it mostly refers to the times when players not knowing their limits and push their characters to the extremes, because unlocking new floors is way too satisfying. This, especially when you are in the middle of an extra dungeon where shortcuts are rare and FOEs are many, usually ends up with the party being destroyed by one or two monsters.

- The monster they have met is actually Tindalos. A boss, only available in the DLC called Eldritch Hound.