It was too hot for any life to survive. As far as the eye could see, nothing grew and settlements were amiss too. Not one single creature crawled on the ground. And none had been spotted so far. Nothing was in the sky. Not even the sky itself. What existed was just an empty void. It color was unidentifiable. It neither black nor blue. One could question if this was even possible.
The sky reflected what waz on the ground. When the wind blew dust away, the sky imitated. However, what was blown was not dust particles but what seemed to be fragments of a metallic structure. It condensed, stretched and fell back into what was the sky. Plus, it was big enough to cast a shadow on the ground.
The sun was not present either, which made it more mysterious and down right creepy. If there was no sun or any source of light whatsoever, why and how was the shadow cast on the ground earlier? Someone was walking on this barren land. It was hot without the sun. The wind was harsh but it did not touch him. The dust in the air did not bother him either.
'What a strange place.' He thought to himself as he walked. It was true that the atmosphere was hotter than any he had been in but he did not stop for one minute. The wind dis not touch him or rather, he could not feel it. It also went right through him. This meant that he could not get cooled and his temperature only raised higher and higher.
After two hours of walking, his body could no longer take the heat. His eyes played tricks on him. His mind could not support his motor functions any longer. But his heart wanted to find her more than anything. So he continued walking. Soon enough, his feet began to burn because of the heat. It felt like he was walking on hot coal. And even though his body was moments away from shutting down, he was convinced that he was getting closer to her the more he moved.
These lands were cold. When she opened her eyes, je was nowhere to be seen. She did not know how long she had been walking but she still went on. The first thing she realized when she got here was that she could see. He had been about to tell her something important but this happened. She had looked around and what she had seen left her perplexed.
White, as far as her eyes saw. Still could. Everything was covered in white. The ground was covered in snow, deeper than any she had been in. The land was one that had eternal snow. It snowed both day and night. All water sources were frozen solid and no matter how strong one was, they could not even scratch it let alone break it. She had avoided walking on the water sources she had come across. Just to play it safe.
The sky amused her more. The first time she looked at it, she froze. The sky was covered in frost. One could almost see themselves on it if it was not so far away from her. She was convinced that nothing could survive in such a place and she was right. So far, she had not come a cross a corpse or a carcass. However, that did not bother her. What kept her going was him.
Soon, her feet burned from the cold. Her hands were hugging her body, trying desperately to keep her warm. Her body functions were shitting down one by one. She had stopped feeling anything, and for s while, she was glad. But now, she really wanted to feel the pain. It was the only thing that could keep her awake.
Snow fell continuously and the one on the ground grew thicker and tougher to walk in. She dragged her body forward. It was only a matter of time before he body gave out. The wind blew harshly but her sight was as clear as day. She might have not been feeling anything but she was sure she wasn't colder when the wind blew. It light have been her imagination, but she knew this to be true.
She fell. Her fall was cushioned but, this was not a good sign. The snow began swallowing her, and she fought as hard as she could but still could not get out. With all the energy she had saved, she gave one more try. Nevertheless, it did not change the fact that she was cold and exhausted. Her last push consumed all her energy. All she could do now, was watch.
Watch as the ground swallowed her whole. She was too cold to cry. Too cold to fight anymore. To cold to see. As she saw less and less of the cotton covered ground, she regretted not thanking him for going this far for her. Thanking him for trying to be considerate, and perhaps loving her. She knew it was a long shot but for some reason, she could feel his love. It wasn't much but it was something.
She prayed for his safety. She hoped he was in a better place. She wished she could live. Wished he had too. She needed him. And she also wanted him to find her. It might have been selfish of her, but, there is nothing wrong with wanting to live is there?
'Bendra, where are you?' she thought as she faded into nothingness.
Time had gone on for what seemed like forever. The journey seemed endless but he still kept on. His heart pounded in his head. His throat ached for nourishment. His eyes could no longer see. He might have been walking in circles. But he did not care. He wondered why he was walking in the first place and no answer came.
However, every time he wanted to stop or stopped, his heart ached in a way that seemed familiar to him but also strange. Tears would threaten to fall and his eyes would want to see again. What his eyes wanted to see on the other side was still unknown as well. He knew he knew of this special something, he could just not remember what.
Tears were now falling from his eyes. His heart raced unevenly just thinking about it. He was hurting but could not remember why. He wanted it, he wanted it so bad. But still could not see what that it was. His body was exhausted and thirsty. His knees gave out. His hand was over his heart trying to calm it down somehow. He wanted to find it with his whole being. This feeling was refreshing yet, it was also crushing him.
He was about to give up when he heard it. A faint but clear voice. It was weak. So weak that the feeling in his heart grew more intense. It recognized her. With new found strength he stood and searched desperately for her. He could not see her but still searched. He staggered forward and fell. He heard it once more. Slowly, he hoisted his heavy body off the ground. Taking in a deep breathe, his eyes remained closed and listened.
"Bendra, where are you?"
He heard it! It was her! Without wasting a second, he sprang forward. Bendra could feel his strength coming back to him. The lore he ran, the clearer he could see, the more he was aware. Aware of his surroundings and what this place was.
'Faster.' He thought to himself.
Ears grew on his head. A tail sprouted from his coccyx and his speed increased tenfold. His eyes glowed making his vision more clear. At a distance he saw a faint glow in the air. On the ground, there were particles of ice. This was strange since all he had experienced here was unbearable heat. Bendra went for it and jumped through it.
When his body came into contact with this thing. He found himself in in a world of snow. Bendra did not want to know the details of the environment he was in. The bond they shared had grown stronger. She was close. He could feel it.
"Achlysa." He called out to her.
No response.
Bendra decided to do something he had never done before. Listen to his heart. He calmed down but his heart still raced. It was excited. He was sure she was here. He just had to find her before it was too late. The world around him slowed down. He could count how many snow icicles were falling. He expanded his search a bit. Nothing came up.
He tried again, this time with her in mind. Bendra felt it. He opened his eyes and rushed to where he had sensed her. She was covered in snow. Her skin was cold and pale but she was still breathing. She dug her out of the snow and held her in his arms. He did not mind whether he acted like himself or not. Tears rolled down his cheeks and he smiled.
"You're alive. Am so glad… I thought I'd lost you." He hugged her.
Bendra had noticed but the ice had began melting at an alarming speed. The color of her skin was coming back. The land was also coming back to life. Grass sprouted from the now dried ground. The waters were free from its solidified prison. The sky was still strange but it was more lively now. Instead of ice, water was up there. It did not flow downwards and neither did the fish that swam. This was one strange land.
A hand wiped away his tears. He was shocked and opened his eyes. He released her from his hug and looked in her eyes. Mismatched eyes looked into his grey ones. He had never seen such beautiful eyes before. One was red while the other was blue. He could not help but stare. She was indeed beautiful.
He smiled, closed his eyes and let their foreheads touch. They stayed like for a while before letting go. They both had lots of questions but they had to deal with the most important one. And they both knew what had to be done. Now that they were together, their odds were slightly better. Achlysa was exhausted, she could not move just yet.
Bendra helped her to a sitting position.
"From the looks of it, we are trapped."