Everyone put on their winter coats, except Alice – she hadn't bought one. She didn't need it.
"Being a zombie has its bright sides, haha," she laughed out loud, then turned to Zetto walking beside the carriage. "You sure you don't want to come inside?"
"No, I need to see what's going on, just in case."
"Ugh, you never think about your own health, do you?" Tae sighed from atop the carriage. Zetto had asked her to be ready to strike at any moment – from above and by surprise.
When Zetto exhaled, a brief cloud of frosty breath hovered in front of him.
This cold feels… different from regular winter. I don't know why, but something… feels off.
"Alice," he called to the zombie.
"Hm?"
"Don't you think this snow… is acting weird?"
"Now that you mention it… it's got this faint bluish shimmer. That means it's overloaded with mana, I think. When I was little, I heard about something called magical winter, but apparently, it's super rare."
"That's true – stuff like that sometimes shows up in our world," the tigress cut in, "but usually it's a side effect of a huge concentration of magic in one area. Either someone's been experimenting with magic here, or, according to rumors, a really powerful magical beast has taken shelter somewhere in these mountains."
"Whatever it is, I'll make sure we get to the Northeastern Deserts in one piece."
"I don't doubt it," Alice replied, smiling.
Meime began to sing. Her low, resonant voice, a bit muffled by the caravan, was still strong enough to echo off the mountain peaks.
Do you know the tale of the eternal winter?
And the man who tried
To find, within it,
The last embers of warmth?
They told him it was long gone,
But still, here we are, all of us,
Moving forward, savoring the moment…
Zetto smiled under his breath.
Ever since I killed Hiro, I feel way calmer. Maybe it sounds like I'm a terrible person, but… whatever. The important thing is, for now, I'm keeping the promise I made.
I wonder where Gerai is. How's his rebellion holding up? Hope you can hang in there a little longer, old man. It'd be a shame if you didn't get to see your people smiling, enjoying their freedom.
"Zetto, are you sure you're not cold?" Tae asked, worried.
"I'm fine. Thanks for caring about me." I hope Ora isn't cold either.
Zetto moved to the back and glanced inside the carriage for a split second.
Maghra smiled at him – she had agreed to watch over Ora. The little girl was sleeping, resting on her shoulder.
"I've been worried that Ora's sleeping so much lately," Zetto said to her.
"Don't worry," Maghra replied with a smile. "For beast-people, especially after… tough experiences like hers, it's normal. She needs to regain her strength, but as you've seen, she can already play happily. You'll see - she'll cause so much trouble that this will be your smallest worry," she added, and they both laughed.
"I see… that's a relief."
Zetto returned to the front.
For now, the journey was going smoothly.
But still… I feel like something's weighing on me from within, like it's too quiet. If there really is a magical beast nearby – or even a whole pack – why haven't they shown themselves yet? Or maybe this magical winter is a side effect of old Atoria experiments…
Alice glanced at the map for a split second.
"Another half-day of travel and we'll be right at the border," she added, clearly happy.
Tae yawned.
"How boring…"
"I'd rather boring be the worst thing we face," Zetto said, growing serious.
"You're right. Maybe I shouldn't complain so much, haha."
The horses whinnied and started struggling. Alice stopped the wagon, eyes wide with fear.
A massive roar echoed above them, carrying for dozens of kilometers. It sounded like a throat-deep imitation of a gusty wind.
Zetto's gaze moved from Tae to what was in front of them.
A dragon was sitting on top of several peaks. Its sharp scales shimmered like silver, and its eyes glowed icy blue.
The dragon stared straight into Zetto's eyes, as if challenging him.
And then it opened its mouth…