Sen's heart beat faster even in the cold. She kept very close to Yag so as to keep the ice at bay. They both walked forward in the snow, with Sen taking the slight lead. She could see Yag was uncertain and could tell he had never been in the snow before, by the way he picked up his feet and hopped with the cold. They stopped periodically to warm up the frozen scarves and their bodies, then continued on.
"It gets worse before it gets better - that's what the Elder told me a while back," Sen commented to Yag. "But don't worry, there are places to shelter from the wind." Her ears were numb already.
A sudden roar caused them both to flinch. Yag and Sen looked up to see a Guardian slam into a flock of cloth dolphins and watched as one plopped into the snow, lifeless. Yag dove for the nearest rock and hid behind it, while Sen followed more slowly. "They won't attack here; too many rocks,"she stuttered out. Ice was beginning to form on her mask from the distant blasts of wind. "We should keep moving."
Yag's ears and feet were already frozen over, and he clinged to Sen as the ascended the mountain. He normally did not fear the Guardians so much, but seeing how mobile they were in the biting winds compared to him, it shook him to his very core.
They reached the windy valley and made their way through it slowly. The wind kept blowing Sen's scarf back which tugged on her neck, but Yag did his best to hold onto it for her so she wouldn't be choked by it. Once they made their way to the other side, they came across a small room which lit up when they chirped. Little scarf fliers surrounded them, and Yag took the time to warm up as best he could, not know when they would next get the chance to thaw.
"Brrr….it really is cold," Sen shivered. Together they sat on the lamp, away from the snow, where it was warmest. It was comfortable, but Sen knew they couldn't stay there forever. I'd fall asleep if I could!
They continued over the bridge. Sen went slowly, knowing there was danger near. "Careful, Yag….the Guardians will be patrolling nearby. When I say run, you RUN with me and we'll hide under those Guardian remains, got it?"
She made sure she saw Yag nod, albeit weakly, and they hustled under the first structure. Tepeyollotyl's scarf made sure she was never out of charge, but for Yag's sake, she deliberately went at his speed. The spotlight zoomed over them just as they took cover. Sen's heart was beating quickly as she gave the signal to run again and they dove under the second structure. "Wait," she ordered quietly, and they watched the Guardian swoop away.
Sen took a deep breath. "Okay, it's safe for now. How are you doing?"
Yag was about to speak when his vision started spinning. He staggered sideways and leaned against the inner shell of the Guardian. He felt something cold drip out of his eye, and wiping it away with his robe hand, saw it was blood.
No…
Yag looked at Sen, eyes wide. He could feel more tears of blood seeping out of his eyes. {Sen, you need to run. You need to get far away from me, and now.}His body began to quiver violently and he slumped down into the snow. His vision was entirely unstable now and he couldn't define shapes, just colors. The red blur which Yag knew to be Sen hadn't moved yet. {GO!}
She bolted, using her scarf to get more speed. Her feet threw up clouds of snow and the wind catapulted her forward. Where? Where? GO WHERE? There's NOWHERE to hide. Oh, ancestors….
She knew she wouldn't be able to outrun whatever was taking over Yag for very long.
Yag screamed out in pain as he felt his bones burning inside of him. They began to surge with a hellish energy, one that coursed through his body and overtook him rapidly. He gasped for air, a cry piercing the freezing air as his eyes began to liquefy in their place. Grabbing at his eye sockets, Yag reached into his head accidentally and poked at the flesh inside, he shrieked. {My eyes!} His heart was racing, his vision gone, but suddenly replaced by a sort of thermal view of the world. While he couldn't see much with it, he noticed a small red dot in the corner of his vision. Sen….
Yag's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a ripping in his mouth. Moving his robe hands to the source of the pain, Yag could feel large sharp teeth forcing their way through his gums, forcing out the ones he already had. The roots ripped out and fell out with the teeth out onto the snow, blood dripping down out of his mouth and steaming in the cold air. Still staring off into the distance where Sen was, Yag felt his mind rapidly shutting down. {Sen…..get away…from me…}
A mere moment after Yag completely lost his consciousness, his mind flashed back on. He was aware. He was ready. But he could not control himself.{{What….what is happening to me?}}
{SEN!}
Yag shot up and stood on his all fours looking out into the snowy landscape. His thermal vision still the only thing allowing him to see, he spotted the small red dot way out in the distance. Without a thought he was sprinting towards her, teeth bared, a maniacal smile across his whole face, blood flying off his face in freezing droplets. {YOU WILL BE MINE!}
Sen threw herself forward, running as fast as she could even though her limbs were numb. She heard the voice of her nightmares and sobbed. The scarf wasn't doing much good now. It was encased in ice. Her face was frozen over and she could barely see. The heavy breathing behind her increased in volume, and she had no other thoughts besides fleeing.
Yag rapidly approached his target, leaping up into the air and diving down onto her. Blood was still dripping out his mouth and eye sockets, staining Sen's robe. {I'M NOT MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE.} Yag dragged his robe down her back, his robe points stiffened to be like knives, and shredding the back of her robe and the bottom of her hood.
The sharp sudden agony crippled Sen and she skid onto one knee and onto her stomach. The snow billowed up into her face and she was momentarily blinded. She rolled away as Yag stabbed down again and missed. "No!" she she kicked out with one leg but hit nothing. Her robe had a giant rip in it and blood was beginning to stain the snow. She focused just on avoiding Yag's attacks and trying to gain distance.
Yag cackled in a sickeningly sadistic tone. He pounced on Sen and grabbed her before throwing her up into the air. {YOU WERE THE PREY I LOST AND YET HAD ALL ALONG. THANK YOU FOR NEVER LEAVING ME.} He grinned and leaned his head back, laughing loudly while priming his robe to impale her when she would fall on him.
{{SEN! Fly away if you can!}} Yag shouted internally. He couldn't reach the outside. He was trapped in his own head, and all he could do was watch himself kill his best friend.
Sen felt the wind ripping by her as she ascended into the air. Yag had used his momentum to toss her while rolling, and was now on his back, waiting. Sen could see his figure, prone in the snow.
He's going to murder me when I fall back down, she realized. Like a sleeping Guardian. Desperately she hovered in the air for a split second. I can't waste time. I have to kill it before it kills me.
"Sen," the Elder's voice whispered. "You know what this will do,"
Yes, but there's no other way. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Yag.
Tepeyollotyl's scarf released a burst of energy and she rocketed down, slamming her left foot into Yag's chest. She tried not to look at the demon's face as the blow was struck. He gave a howl of pain and struggled, teeth snapping at her leg, but Sen held firm, crouching, anchoring herself to the ground. The tears were frozen on her face. The cries were both the demon's and Yag's; she could hear them both.
"I don't know why this is happening, but please be at peace now," Sen sobbed. "Yag, if you're in there," she struggled, trying to speak through Yag's cries and thrashing, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me!"
