The snow fell heavier, its white veil descending in sheets that swallowed the sky. The sunlight, which usually glimmered on the endless white, had all but vanished leaving the world buried in a haze of freezing fog. The air cut to the bone; each breath was a fleeting plume of mist, stolen instantly by the wind.
Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!
Sylvia and Velthya sprinted swiftly through the silent streets of a small town. Wooden houses half-buried under snow lined the path, doors barred tight as though the townsfolk had long since sealed themselves away. The wind howled between rooftops, carrying shards of ice that lashed at their faces.
"The weather's worsening," Velthya said between breaths, her tail lashing wildly for balance. "If we're even slightly slower, we'll lose all visibility."
Sylvia glanced at her briefly, her crimson eyes glowing faintly in the mist. "Then we quicken the pace."
