Chapter Text
Javis was pretty sure that it was supposed to start getting warmer at some point.
Admittedly his knowledge of how this world worked was lacking, to say the least. He was barely scraping by, barely getting enough material intake to keep his internal mana levels at a functional level. Even the little furry things that scampered about in the snow were still threatening enough to keep him from trying to go after them. He’d ingested berries that tainted his mana on no less than a dozen occasions since his escape.
Escape… that wasn’t the right word for it. It felt wrong in his mind. On the one hand he absolutely had gotten away swiftly, uncatchably. But… if he’d just walked out the front door there was a high chance that he’d have the same result. Well, maybe not with Ears there, but if it had just been Melody he doubted she’d stop him from walking away.
He was beginning to think that maybe he’d never been her prisoner.
Whatever. The whims of the pink hairy were not important. He was free to do as he wished, and all he really wished to do right now was get his staff back. And get out of the cold. That one was slightly more pressing.
Going too close to a settlement was not really an option. All the places with things like houses and electricity were too populated, he’d get spotted immediately. Or worse, one of his sons would see him in this mortifying state. That was a fate significantly worse than death.
Most deaths, at least. Death by freezing was just a bit too much. So, trying to sneak into that dinky little town they had was just barely an option.
Or, you know, he could skulk around the woods near Melody’s house and spy on her.
It wasn’t his brightest move. He wasn’t even sure why he was doing it. Not that he’d admit it to anyone else. It might’ve been some kind of satisfaction, knowing he could evade her notice while being this close. Or maybe he was trying to keep an eye on his greatest foe? He’d go with the latter, if anyone asked. Except Melody. He’d just lie to Melody.
Javis needed Melody Amaranth on his side. She was the true leader of those little adventurers, after all. He didn’t know how he hadn’t seen it earlier. The others had followed her around, like, like… some kind of creature that forms an orderly line and follows their superior around. He was sure he’d come up with something eventually. In any case, she clearly held a great deal of sway over the others, despite her comparative weakness. Such influence should not be underestimated.
Whatever. No matter what reasons he had for stalking the hairy, one thing remained. It was cold. Far too cold. He knew it was supposed to get warmer, but it only remained the same freezing temperature. The snow never lessened, the ice never thawed. He’d been here for so long, and most of that time was spent watching it slowly get colder. He’d only kept himself alive through frequent trips into a cave he’d found, where a mana construct of intense heat was slumbering inside a crystal. Waking it up would spell his doom in this state, but it seemed to be entirely dormant. So that was nice. Maybe.
At least it was a decent shelter. He’d moved the empty chest he’d found to that cave so he could use it for personal storage. All his things were in there. All his… one thing. That he’d stolen.
But it was his puzzle cube. It had been given to him with the express statement that she’d never touched it.
Javis just needed to bide his time. Find the right moment, then reintroduce himself as ‘a changed entity’. That would do it. Yes. Then he’d be able to get them to give him what he needed.
So he hid amongst the trees and watched her march through the snow, collecting twigs for her fireplace.