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The wind was cold. Too cold. It hit through the air like a snake, biting into the skin of its victims, pointing fangs stinging with every hiss of ice and snow. But they were climbing.
Two long sticks of bones clank together in ENAs hands, recalling the life she now harbored. A life formed from the ground and whatever hellish pink liquid the Wizard seemed to spat back out at her.
That’s what the world felt like right now.
Hell.
The wind beat against the side of her head. strands of hair whipping through the angered air, a clawed hand reaching out to the top of her hat, resting steadily to keep it from flying away in the storm, her other red gloved hand holding the pair of bones tightly.
How long was this path going to take..
She huffed, watching a puff of clouded mist hit right back at her. The couldn’t even see the orb she was instructed to reach, not through this storm. She braced herself once again to keep going. She can withstand the cold, it wasn’t anything she was incapable of surviving. She can handle this.
She can.
ENA started to march forward, feeling the snow crunch beneath her feet. Eyes squinting to see the next hallowed out grave to press on forward. Eyes darting back once she heard the soft crunching of snow of another following slowly behind.
The kid.
Her kid..?
She didn’t know..
It all felt surreal to gain him, the boy that spawned from life itself. His eyes were constantly closed with a small frown plastered on his face, creasing the ends of his lips as if permanently displaying in that emotion alone forever. He spoke sometimes, every now and then voicing a concern or a desire. And she had been relatively quick to respond, sometimes a bit later than the usual. After-all, she still has business to attend too, needing to get done without a delay.
This boy however has been an entire embodiment of a said delay.
She watched carefully as he frozenly walked back towards her call. His mitten shaped hands clasping together tight up against his small nose, tipped with a frosted blue, while his shirt and strands of hair flapped wildly through the wind. Staggering with every step as it appeared that the frown on the boy seemed to have grown even further..
“Well, cmon now. There isn’t much time, I have things to do yknow?”
The left side of her voice bit back at him. raising her vocals a bit higher to try and cut the distance before her words were blown away by the wind. Eyes narrowing slightly as she watched the boy almost limply try and make his walk a bit faster. Feeling a tinge of guilt rest in her chest. This was a kid after-all.. But she needed to get to the Bathroom. She needed to clear this smoke-
“Cold…”
A small whispered voice tried to echo. Sounding more like a muffle than anything. barely audible if not for the faintest of sound of it reaching ENAs ears, just enough to pause her racing thoughts. Watching as the boy stopped where he was, now a bit closer..
He was shivering..
No, not just shivering.
Shaking.
His whole body convulsing from the harsh wind that relentlessly beat against his side. His legs were bent, weakened, frail enough to be carried by the wind.
“I’m.. c-cold..”
He repeated, frost biting at his fingertips and nose, forming chunks at the ends of his hair as he seemed to become more frozen by the second.
Of course, she could handle this cold…
But he can’t.
Her eyebrows eased as the realization dawned on her face. Feeling the tension in her body leave as a feeling of guilt and shame rushed through her instead. What was she doing to this kid..? Making him climb up here without a pause, a second glance. She brought her clawed hand down, her hat being gripped along with it. Taking a step forward as to slowly start to close the distance between the two. Letting out a sigh as she gave him a weak smile.
“How about.. a break of sorts? Just for a minute. What kind of entity would I be without letting the newest employee have a bit of a re-“
She felt hands. Small, cold, fragile hands weakly cling onto her leg. Closing the distance between the two of them suddenly as she felt his small forehead bury into her knee, seeking something, anything from the other that could eliminate the cold that ruthlessly battled him.
“What- what are you?!-“
The sudden contact felt foreign, causing her to jump, leaning back slightly as her mind tried to catch up to the sudden display. Hands moving up against her torso in an uncomfortable stance. Looking down as the boy. His body felt like ice beneath her skin, like at any moment he was to become yet another snowflake that hurled through the air.
She looked down, letting out a breath. Blinking away the last bit of startle the boy caused as it was quickly replaced with a feeling that felt even more confusing.
Something she couldn’t pinpoint, but one that screamed at her, clawing at her to bring the boy closer, to hold him. To shield him.. it felt..
Foreign..
She found herself slowly coming down to her knees, getting on the boys level, a clawed and mittened hand encapsulated the boy in a tight hug. Bringing him closer as he only seemed to curl into himself more, huddling into ENAs chest, seeking warmth, seeking comfort.
God.. what did she do to this kid..
He sniffled, burying himself further as ENA lifted her mitten hand to rest comfortably on his head, her hat still laying limply in the other, trying to simulate warmth to him in any way, pulling him in closer.
“Shh.. shh.. it’s okay.. I know..”
Her voice cooed. It was feminine, but deeper, calmed and relaxed in a way that felt new, yet welcoming. No longer screaming and shouting but instead filled with a stern protection. It also felt foreign, felt the same as the way her chest ached at the sight of seeing the kid in pain. Feeling the weight of her job, her tasks, her employment, suddenly blow away. This wasn’t something as simple as a short break. This was a priority. Froggy can live without the stupid smoke and sore legs for a bit longer. This was the job she wanted to do now.
“s-scared..”
“I know.”
“High u-up..”
His voice sounded weaker, like a candle being forcefully snuffed out, using her red hand as she gently caressed the boys short hair.
“Do you not like heights?”
The red side of her flipped, raising her voice in a way that sounded more akin to an interview question. She heard a strained whimper, watching carefully as the boy nuzzled closer against her chest, shaking his head repeatedly as she let go for just a moment, before bringing him in to resther chin on his small head in a way as that she hoped provided comfort. Feeling now that his shivering wasn’t just from the cold
But also of fear.
ENA closed her eyes tightly, thinking for a moment before darting them back open. They couldn’t stay here, not in the direct path of the wind. She needed to get him warm, if not warm enough for just a moment to hopefully find the release of this horrid frozen weather up ahead. And standing right in the direct pathway of the blistering wind wasn’t going to help neither of them.
Her eyes scanned, looking around the best she could. They were rather high up, and this platform alone was a lot flatter than the one previously. A stupid mistake given the kid was probably in the same state back there as he is now.
God forbid she stops making stupid mistakes.
However her eyes did lock in on something. A jagged rock in the corner, big enough block out at least a chunk of the wind if sat behind. Looking back down at the boy as she braced her legs, positioning her hands so that she can simply scoop him up while she stood. Feeling as he tensed at the sudden change, causing her feminine voice to respond back.
“I’m just taking you back behind that rock. hang on-“
“B-but-“
“Would you rather freeze!?”
Her voice bit back too strongly, wincing a bit. Feeling regret pool in her stomach the moment the words easily slipped out. Watching carefully as the boys head seemed to lower down, a breath escaping his lips as his eyes opened slightly, fear only pooled further into his small brown eyes, tensed shoulders lifting into his small frame.
It hurt again, the feeling. That simply looking at his face broke her heart, shattering it on the impact of ice and snow. Her vocals frantically teetering back and forth, as if both of them were trying to reach out at once to fix what damage was already done and displayed.
“My apologies, I-I didn’t mean that, I promise you. We are not going to freeze.”
Her masculine voice won over. However, he didn’t look convinced, he looked terrified. All too trusting of her word as his breathing picked up pace ever so slightly. ENA slid her mitten hand down, resting to cup the boys cheek as he leaned forward to get a better look at his face.
“You are listening, correct? We will not freeze. I’ve got you. We are only going to that rock, no more going up.
Her feminine voice spoke back, glancing upward as she hoped it would further convey her message. The boys dark eyes looked back, before slowly fluttering shut, resting the rest of his weight onto the other. He was exhausted, too exhausted to fight, to care.. she could feel it as his breathing still hitched, the way he was wobbly against her, only causing her chest to ache further. ENA took the opportunity to scoop him up, letting her clawed hand lift her hat upwards to gently rest on the boys head, hopefully providing warmth as she pulled him tightly up against her, feeling the way his head rested right in the space where her neck would be.
She turned around, sharp eyes landing on the rock as she trudged towards its location. The wind hissing and biting in a way that felt even harsher from before, her knees slightly wobbly from being planted in the cold snow for so long, each footstep causing a soft crack and crunch of ice filled mesh. Looking back down at the kid she held tightly in her arms, watching as he curled up against her, shivering and shaking like he was all about to shatter.
And she was the only thing holding him together.
She was finally right about one thing, the rock was big enough, barely. It was shaped like a weird jagged triangle, like a piece of glass discarded from a massive window. The point facing the opposite direction of the wind, watching as white gusts flew and chipped away at its blue green discoloration. It wasn’t much, but it should be enough to get the boy back on its feet, if only for a little bit further..
She braced herself, making her way towards the empty space that blocked the wind, kicking bits of sharp icicles and icy rock pebbles out of the way, grunting as they plummeted back down towards the desert landscape beneath them. Digging the heel of her shoe on ground, creating a ring just for the two of them.
She slowly sad herself down, leaning up against the rocks cool surface as she tightened her grip, her polygon hand softly running down the boys side, watching as the boy continued to shake, a small frown setting on her features, letting out a sigh.
She closed her eyes, leaning her back as her thoughts danced back at her. This was a kid.. she was pushing some kid.. up this cold freezing floating mountain, using him to even climb up this thing in the first place and she didn’t even think twice, who knows how farup they have left. That stupid wizard, this stupid bathroom.. this was her fault he was clinging to her, trying to bring him back to life with whatever warmth her body maintained.
She hated it.. she didn’t know why she hated herself so much for his pain. Didn’t understand why it caused-
“Sorry..”
ENA flicked back open her eyes in an instant. Looking back down at the boy as he turned over a bit. He looked a lesser shade of blue.. that was good.. that was something.. but what he said..
“S-orry”
His voice echoed again, so faint that it would have blown away with the next coming breeze if she wasn’t paying enough attention. Her face scrunching up in concern, lifting her hat away from his small almond shaped face, peering down to look at the frown that continued to stare back.
“No need for apology, after all, I’m the one who brought you here, please do not concern yourself with this-“
“I-“
“No, no. Not a word. this isn’t your fault.”
Her voices were flipping again. What started as a gentle masculine returned back to her feminine in such a way that felt in-unison, complete. Which she didn’t even know she was capable of. Adjusting the hat gently with a clawed hand to make sure it was at least over the boys ears.
“You have nothing to blame yourself for you hear? Don’t even start.”
There was a bite to her tone, but not a bad one, one that was more filled with concern than anything else as the child in her arms only seemed to stiffly nod. Clutching back onto ENA, his shaking dying down just a little as another gust of wind was blocked out by the rock.
“Thank you..”
His small voice murmured up against ENAs ear. Bringing back the feeling again, the ache in her heart, the feeling to hold closer, taking every bit of wind in order to keep the boy safe and warm. To stand in the way of anything just to keep him safe.. anything..
Her thoughts drifted, Letting the realization slowly click into her mind. This wasn’t just a kid after-all.
This was her kid..
She hold seemed to only tighten as the thoughts of it all caught up to her, comforting hands enclosing him from the world that tried to desperately claw at him. The wind continued to bite, wrapping around the small island they sat in like sharp jagged coils. The storm will eventually die down just enough to continue, to complete her job. But for now, all that mattered to her was the boy in his arms.
Her boy.