The blizzard showed no signs of slowing down, and the dreadful darkness that enveloped Mt. Reilu only seemed to get denser. Khiboreas' wrathful screeching could be heard, muffled by the winds. Amidst the dark, the light of the lanterns created a small, melancholy haven within the temple grounds. Oracle Larya led a silent prayer in front of her congregation, while the corpses of the two guards burned at the central bonfire in an impromptu funeral.

Joanne and her group were scattered; some were still inside the temple, lying on the ground but unable to sleep, fearing the return of whatever monsters attacked the guards. Joanne, Zippy's owners, and the Diderot couple observed the prayer from afar at the wall's entrance. They planned to set out as soon as the first rays of sunshine peeked from the horizon to find the twins and Ari, though this would be one of the roughest nights for the Diderots. Panic and stress overwhelmed both, even as they tried comforting and reassuring each other that their children would be alright.

In the meantime, Ari was swiftly flying through a snow-covered valley further down the mountain, relentless in her chase.

"How long has Ari been flying?" Asked Eila as she tried wiping wind-swept hair off her face.

"I don't know! Feels like I haven't touched the ground in forever! Ari, please, you're not gonna get 'em!" Shouted Tomas while rubbing his eyes with one arm.

A few moments later, the twins felt Ari slowing down at last. She roared in defeat, unable to catch up to the cloaked strangers after losing sight of them in the storm. Once she landed, Ari lowered her head and scratched at the snow, venting her frustration. Though the twins felt relieved when they finally put their feet on the ground, they were soon overcome with dread as they looked at their surroundings.

They were lost.

All they could see was snow, hail, and some rocks on the ground. Try as they did to find where Mt. Reilu's peak or the tall temple tower was, it was far too dark to see anything beyond a few feet ahead. The adrenaline from their nighttime ride faded away as they walked on the desolate mountain valley, and a terrible cold came upon the twins. Although they had long-sleeved pajamas with trousers, it did nothing to protect them from the freezing winds.

They needed to find shelter, and fast. With Ari beside them, they wandered through the snowy void, looking for any crevice they could squeeze into and wait until morning. They found a few caves by a rocky cliff, and most were large enough to fit all three. They then settled near the back wall of the smallest cave they could find, hoping that the slim opening would allow less of the chilling winds inside. Their slippers were damp from walking through snow, and the twins shivered uncontrollably, even while curled up tightly with Ari. Eila asked Ari to breathe some fire near them, but with nothing to start a campfire, they relied on her short flame bursts for warmth.

"H-hey, Tommy? I feel sleepy, but its so c-cold here! I wanna be with mom and dad again... I don't wanna freeze out here..."

Eila rambled on, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

Tomas barely heard his sister, consumed by confusion and frustration. Why did Ari not listen to him? Why didn't he do something sooner? And what were those monsters doing in the temple anyway?

Overwhelmed by so many questions, he pulled away from Ari, yelling, "This is your fault! We could've woken up mom and dad, get Joanne, or anything but chase those things! Stupid dragon..."

Ari lowered her frills and averted Tomas' glare. Eila frowned at her brother's nonsense, wiping the tears off her face, "Hey! She was trying to help, in her own way!"

Tomas groaned and covered his face, murmuring, "I know, I know... I-I'm sorry, you two."

He believed it was not Ari's fault, she was just following her instincts and trying to protect them. If they had just let her go, there was a chance Ari would have come back to them unharmed. On the other hand, what if the monsters decided to fight her? With those long claws, they could have hurt her badly, and she would not have come back to them at all. Upon reflecting on that, the twins figured risking Ari's life in that manner was not a good idea.

Even with these thoughts, Tomas felt powerless in the mess they were stuck in, so he sighed and let himself fall back to Ari. After lifting his hands off his face, he saw Eila's puffy eyes. She was just as scared as him, and neither was sure if they would get to see their parents again. It was a small comfort having each other's company, and Ari's flame gave them hope to make it through the night.

Still trembling, Eila softly wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, and grinned. Ari curled her head and tail towards the two.

"Hee hee, group hug!" Said Eila in a weak tone.

With a little smile on his face, Tomas wrapped one arm over Eila and another around Ari's head.

"Yeah...group hug!"

Both twins laughed, as an overwhelming drowsiness enveloped the two. Ari continued emitting small fire breaths, trying to fight against the blizzard's chilling air entering the cave. The twins soon drifted off to sleep, as though the gusts closed their eyes, and a feeling of warmth enveloped them.

♦♦♦♦♦

The man in green ran through the frozen lands, pushing through the thick layers of snow that covered it. The chilling air barely fazed him, his tattered cloak flowing violently with the gusts. After seeing Khiboreas flying above the temple tower, he surmised that the creatures must be nearby.

"Tch, I can only hope Khiboreas deters them before a tragedy happens. At this rate, I fear I will not arrive in time..."

As he passed by a vast, white valley, he noticed a trail of footprints on the ground. They were similar to those of a human but had four claw-like toes at its tips. The footprints went in the opposite direction that he was headed to, which worried the man. As they led away from the temple's location, he inferred the creatures must have already attacked them. He felt his heart sink into his chest, and he let out a frustrated groan.

"Curse them...If any survivors are left, I may be able to help them, it is the very least I could do now. But why must I be so weak..."

After several minutes marching against the violent wind, he saw small flickers of light amidst the darkness, near a rocky cliff. He supposed they could be hikers, but he found it odd that they would camp so isolated from the temple and the resort. Then again, he too had been hiding out, but he preferred being alone. As he approached the cave system on the way to the temple, the flickers of light became fine flames, flashing periodically from within one of the smaller entrances. Intrigued, the man decided look inside the cave, where he saw a large dragon hiding far inside, curled against the cave wall.

"Hmm? Could it be that there is a lone blue dragon here? How very curious, their kind does not wander in such high altitudes naturally," He thought as he placed a hand on the side of the entrance. "If I were to find dragons here, I would expect white drakes, feathered wyverns, or jade serpentines."

Upon noticing the tall, ample-shouldered figure standing in front of the cave, Ari arched her neck and began hissing, stretching her frills outwards. The man stepped back, briefly surprised by her sudden movement. However, Ari did not move her wings, keeping one spread in front of her, and remained on the ground staring at him fiercely. The man noticed a few strands of long hair hiding underneath the wing, near her tail, and a hand resting on her neck.

The man slowly moved one step towards Ari, speaking to her in a calm tone,

"You must be hiding someone, are you not? Judging by the size of their hand, they must be a child, maybe two... "

He recalled the footprints left by the monsters and thought perhaps the dragon was protecting survivors from the temple attack. Whatever the situation, they will not withstand the cold like this, he thought.

He took another step towards Ari, who swung her head to the side and let out a huff in response. The man lowered his arms, keeping his hands outstretched in front of him, hoping she would understand that he was not a threat.

"If whoever you are hiding is in danger, please, allow me to aid them. I mean no harm; I can promise you that."

The man placed a hand on his chest as he talked and bowed to her. As he stood back up and approached slowly, Ari locked eyes with him, noticing his yellow irises seemed to glow in the dark. She tilted her head and lowered her frills, confused about the stranger's demeanor. Ari figured that he would have already attacked her if he intended to do so. She slowly began lifting the wing that sheltered the twins, but her body remained tense and ready to strike in defense.

Once Ari lifted her wing, the man's eyes widened. Two black-haired children, with identical faces, were huddled close together. They breathed slowly in their sleep, and their skin looked pale, likely dehydrated. And yet, they seemed so familiar to him.

He crouched down near Ari, who observed his every move with a curious, yet wary stare. Once he got a better look at them, something clicked in his head, and recognized the two as the children who aided him after he hid in Cherub Forrest one year ago. In their current condition, he inferred that hypothermia was already settling in, and the two were unconscious due to it.

"To think I would meet you again in these conditions... I believe it is time I repay your kindness."

He then turned to look at Ari with a stern glare, saying, "We can take these two back to my camp quickly if you help me, blue one. I shall carry both in my arms, and your flame will let me see through the darkness. We shall find the way there easily."

Ari complied and carefully arose from the ground, allowing the man to grab the twins and hold their heads steady. She then exited the cave as the man lifted the twins, carrying them on one arm each with ease. He adjusted his cloak to cover both as best he could, and then nodded once to Ari, signaling that he was ready.

With that, the group went out into the blizzard, with Ari flying above the man in green as he marched through the snow. They headed to the other side of Mount Reilu, where his camp lie covered by a small rocky shelter in a small cliff. They walk to their destination went by quietly, with only the sounds of the snowy tempest accompanying them.