Nivgyat deserved more than an unmarked grave, but with how hard the blizzard was blowing that was the only thing that could be afforded to him, and that knowledge grated hard on Divyat in more ways than one. But there wasn't much he could do, his new found power aside, a part of him knew he needed to mourn, to take the time and process all of the feelings that was currently running wild within him, but Divyat was not in the mood, he was just angry. Anger was good, anger was better, anger was a weapon, it kept him focused and kept the pain at bay, at the moment anger was the best possible thing that could happen to him.
He had slept almost two hours ago, and when he woke up ,he realized he was impervious to the wind and the cold. The blizzard that was currently settled over the Ghadovara mountains, flying with the rage of nature and nestled in squalls of sharpened ice and buffeting winds had created a natural barrier around the mountains. It blocked Divyat's path, preventing him from seeing or returning in the direction of the sect. Of course he was not stupid, for it to be like this was extremely weird, the blizzard got stronger the closer he got to the sect, to the point that even with his enhanced body, the ice shards cut deeply into him with every step he made.
Divyat sighed, he had cried himself to a fitful and nightmare filled sleep that only lasted about an hour, then he had tried to return to the Divine Sky Dao Sect, only to find his path barred by an unnatural manifestation of nature itself. And then he had tried to bury his brother, a task that was all the more harder as Divyat could not bring himself to look at Nivgyat. It was an exhausting task as every marker he had put on his brother's grave was quickly buried under snow and mysterious vanished into thin air like it was never there before. It was almost as if the blizzard that had kept him trapped here expected him to move on and put his brother and his old life behind him. No markers on any grave to refund to, and no path back to his home to either go right back into the waiting jaws of the Imperial Rizal Sect or just death in general.
Divyat was perceptive enough to feel the intent in the blizzard, it was almost as if it was alive. But even with all his perception, Nivgyat could not really tell what it was he was feeling. The intent for all it's actions was nothing like any sort of feeling from the winter stag, instead it felt a lot heavier. Thick like syrup with a flow and sturdy disposition that seemed wild and fleeting at the same time. In front of this intent to keep him away and the Ghadovara mountains isolated, Divyat felt small, he felt inconsequential as it was like being in the presence of existence itself. There was nothing left for him at the foot of the mountain and skirting around the edge would just be a waste of time, so the only path forward was over and through the mountains.
And this was where the problem lay. The Ghadovara mountains are so extensive it takes an airship at least a month to navigate it. On foot, as a person…. It would take Nivgyat a year if not more to cross it. And without the winter stag to keep control over the mountains, chaos will ensue and the beasts on it would finally start fighting amongst themselves in order to pick who would be the new king of the Ghadovara mountains. And right now Divyat was right in the middle of it all, with no way to escape.
He shook his head, stuck in a moment where he looked around himself wondering just what was next for him, but the cold and the wind had no answer for him. He shouldered his pack, hanging his quiver behind him and holding onto his brother's bone bow. As for the equipment that had become of the Winter Stag's body, they had gone into him and at the moment he had absolutely no idea where they were, neither could he feel them. The only path available to him was the one that was now laying in front of him, and so he trudged forwards. The Ghadovara was a mountain range, and it was filled with hidden valleys, an elaborate cave system that went under and through the mountains, it was extensive enough that anyone could get lost within, and even till this day, especially with the presence of the winter stag, it has never been mapped. It had tributaries flowing through it, rivers that never got frozen no matter how deep the winter got, however the chill in them was enough to give frostbite to whatever part of the body that comes in contact with them.
Being Impervious to the cold was a bonus, plus with his senses heightened, Divyat was able to find his way out of the boundary, going past three massive hills before coming up to a ravine that zigzagged up a particular mountain. It looked as if someone had taken the mountain and attempted to split it in two, creating a scar of blackness that was dotted with meadows of green, blue and purple that stretched up to the peak of the mountain. Divyat recognized this Ravine, this was the farthest he and Nivgyat had ever come whenever they made their foray into the Ghadovara mountains.
The lip of the ravine gave off a subtle warmth that was enough to nurture a host of herbs that were important in alchemy. The blue dual petaled flowers were called Deixis; it was a powerful coagulant and one of the most important ingredients in healing salves and pills. The green was a weed called Nachin Weed, it was somewhat acidic in nature and functioned as a catalyst for other herbs. It broke down other herbs to basic components, retaining the qi held within them and ensuring that a perfect meld of different herbs occurs so that their effects would compliment each other. The purples were Tiger Hibiscus, a powerful flowering herb that invigorated blood flow, giving a short power boosts. They were all components that together could make a rapid working healing salve, or pill should an alchemical furnace be made available, but they also were used in other concoctions.
Coming across left an ache in his chest, the last he had been here was to accompany Nivgyat on a sect gathering mission, following along to keep the infatuated Zhao Min from jumping his brother's bones. That was a week ago, but right now it felt like it was a lifetime ago. They have never gone into the ravine, even though the beginning of it was a slop that led into the mountain, the brothers never wanted to risk finding out why it was possible for plants that required a humid environment to grow in an area that would kill them in under an hour. So they just gathered what they needed from the lip of the ravine and went right back home, however –
*Rooooaaaaarrrrrr!*
A loud roar resounded across the mountains jolting Divyat out of his thoughts as he jumped up startled, before looking up to notice a tiger the size of a school bus, standing on a hill almost 4 kilometers away from him. Divyat didn't stand on ceremony, he quickly ran forwards, going into the ravine as it's darkness and the scent of herbs swallowed him, leaving absolute death behind in exchange for the unknown… it looks like his trials, were far from over.