Author's Preface
Cairo sighed heavily as he pursed his lips.
"What a dumbass."
Naren pointed at himself.
"Hey man, I just don't know any better."
"Not you, the prick on your lap. Nobles really got no clue what it means to be in danger."
Naren titled his head, developing a faint understanding of Cairo now. So he just hated nobility in general. That explained his apprehension to Yuna. Though it also brought about the question on why he carried her out here.
Cairo stretched his hands, as he began surveying his equipment. Making sure none of them had been negatively impacted by the inclement weather.
"She'll survive...Prolly."
"Whatchu mean prolly...Even I can tell now that this isn't really Atlas. I don't know where we are, but she's the only one who's got even the slightest clue."
Cairo didn't bother looking at Naren as he spoke. Instead, fixing his various equipment around his waist. Making sure they were snug in place.
"If she got ambrosia poisoning it means she musta drank herself silly. I doubt she had too much...Though if she did, she might just croak."
Cairo's voice was very matter of fact. As if the outcome of it didn't bother him at all. But to Naren it was that aspect that had infuriated him. Though he didn't show it.
But, that in itself was pretty hypocritical. Just moments ago Naren was ready to throw both Cairo and Yuna away at the sight of danger. Now here he was with one of them on his lap, getting mad at the other for being inattentive of her state.
As hypocritical as it was, Naren didn't mind. His actions were always confounding and crisscrossing over each other. In the end following one pattern. He simply did what he wanted at that moment.
Naren laid Yuna on the cold hard floor of the their hideout.
"Say she did drink a lot. What's the cure."
Cairo shrugged.
"Hope there's a doc nearby."
Naren grumbled at the unhelpful remark. Sitting crisscross as he tried to figure out what to make of their current situation.
Disregarding his wants, there was a simple map of needs. Become a shaman by finding Vera in the Tomb of Atlas. And to get to the Tomb of Atlas, the only clue Naren had was Yuna who was currently sitting on the dirty floor shivering with a face as pale as a ghost.
Well, he was just wasting time sitting here.
Naren pranced over to the door. His hands gripping the handle only for the door to swing open with the force of a freight train as the howling wind brought in a small landslide of snow inside.
Cairo ran over, melting the incoming snow with his body heat as Naren continued pressing against the door until it finally closed. Though, now there was a noticeable hole from the pressure of the snow.
"Great going dumbass!"
"Hey! I'm the one doing something!"
"We woulda been better off if you'd just squelched over!"
Naren pointed over at Yuna.
"Yeah? Well if it was you, then we still woulda had a path to Atlas!"
"The hell's that gotta do with the bullshit you're doin!"
Naren slunk against the door. The draft sending him into a shivering feat as he slowly scooched closer to Cairo.
"Look, we gotta do something!"
"And I am doing something!"
Cairo pointed to the Yuna who was now laying more comfortably on a bed of mounded soil. A small wet cloth on her forehead and a blistering ember dancing by her side.
Naren's face contorted as he looked at Cairo. Like the eyes of a puppy who made a mess, but was trying to get on their owner's good side.
He threw his hands around Cairo, grabbing him in an embrace.
"Oh, Cairo! You care! And here I was-"
Suddenly the ground began to tremble once more. This time the building they were taking shelter in began to slowly cave in. The walls slowly shaking as the roof began to tremble.
But more than that, what caught their attention was Yuna. The princess that seemed to be barely holding out just moments ago had forced herself up. Wiping the towel off her face.
"Hey, you two...In case you didn't notice...our little hideout's going to fall..."
Yuna limped over to the two, placing her hands on both their shoulders as she struggled to stand.
"North-west...taller building...Looked more intact and better insulated too...Fireplace, can't complain..."
She struggled to speak, pointing to her eyes to let the two know that it was her fable that she was giving them words on.
Enough to let the two pack their bags and start making preparations to set out. Not that there was much to really prepare with what they had.
Opening the door was a gale threefold stronger than before, cutting through Naren's ears as it shook the door off it's hinges completely. The mound of snow piling in completely stuffing the entrance.
As Cairo melted it away, clearing a path for the other two, Naren wound his scarf tight around his ears, dampening the sound enough to give him some piece of mind.
Looking back at Yuna as he did so, he watched her pull out some branches from trees growing out of the buildings cracks and wind them with torn fabric she collected from Lastlight.
As Cairo continued melting away, Yuna continued tinkering while Naren watched in silence. Not quite understanding what Yuna was doing, or why she was even moving in the state she was in. Her hands were obviously shaking. And even if Naren's hearing was dampened he could still tell her breathing was haggard.
If it were him, he'd capitalize on the opportunity to sleep as much as he good.
Just thinking about it made him sleepy. And as he yawned, his eyelids slowly closed, dozing off.
"Wake up...Soldier."
Naren awoke to Yuna coughing over him and a pair of crude and lopsided shoes around his feet.
The primitive pair did not much for the weather, instead looking oversized and awkward.
"What're thes-"
Cutting him off, Yuna spoke in a cutthroat manner. Coughing as she spoke.
"Snow shoes...You won't fall through."
"How cute of you."
Naren helped himself up, as the three made their way outside. The immediate storm slamming onto their faces as their coats were barred useless by the evolving situation.
But despite all that, Yuna was the first to begin walking. Her movements were shabby as she was clearly still going through immense pain. It looked like the girl would topple any moment. Not that Naren or Cairo offered to help.
Instead, Naren watched as the princess led their traversal through the harrowing storm that befell them.