Rising Shards

“The snow here feels a little different, you know?” Iris asked.

“I dunno.” Maia said.

“It’s the same color, but it feels a bit…I don’t know, sharper?” Iris said. "Maybe it's sharper from that blood moon, eh?"

"Fang Moon Web," Amara corrected.

"Well it sprayed out like an ocean of blood so it's a blood moon to me." Iris said. "Maybe that blood makes the weather harsher here."

The group’s footsteps crunched on the snow. It had been at least an hour of a trail they were following that brought them steadily uphill. With no way to contact home, or the other students in the void, following the mountain adjacent trail seemed like their only option.

“Like, the little blades of each snowflake are sharper, and maybe the snow’s falling more like hard? Like what’s the word, that one—"

“Iris, seriously, shut the hell up.” Maia said, shivering.

“All I’m saying is it’s interesting we haven’t been in a snowy place much in the void,” Iris said.

“And I’m saying to shut the hell up.” Maia said.

After falling into the void from the blood wave, Iris and Maia had found themselves in the middle of an intense blizzard. After some wandering, they met up with the love trio, and they all decided it’d be best to stay together even once they'd made their past the worst of the storm.

“Those two sure are something,” Rain giggled.

“Yeah, something really loud.” KJ said.

“The green-haired one covers up her nervousness with being increasingly chatty,” Amara said. “And the inkblot cat gets, well, cattier when she’s nervous.”

“Who said you could analyze me mentally?” Maia snapped, turning around to face Amara.

“You two sure seem to take plenty of time analyzing us.” Rain said.

Maia rolled her eyes, and Iris badly attempted to change the subject to something else. The tension stayed in the air as she continued to talk to no one in particular, seemingly hoping to just drown out all sound.

As the trail led them closer to a mountain wall, Amara flinched.

“Wait, stop!” Amara said. “I saw something.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a brief swoosh of white, or maybe a shade of purple so light the color was barely there. KJ and Rain quickly darted behind Amara.

“What is it?” Iris asked way too loudly, prompting a shush from everyone.

Amara stepped in front of Iris and Maia as well, drawing her bloodsaber as she cautiously searched around.

There were a few places whatever had rushed past them could hide. There was tall grass on either side of them, plenty of rock formations, and maybe even hidden caves past all that.

Amara didn’t have to search long, as a girl nervously stepped out.

“Not one step further!” Amara said, igniting her bloodsaber.

The girl had casual clothes, not a school uniform. She had lilac hair and blue hued eyes. She had a long poofy tail with the same color as her hair. The girl’s eyes widened.

“You’re a Cani…” She said. “Well, a Kanibari!”

“Technically Kanibari are Cani,” Iris said. “But if you want the more typical Cani type in this group,” She pointed both thumbs at herself. “I’m your girl.”

“Wait, if you’re Cani…then…” The girl felt her teeth. “Ahh, my mouth’s…!” The girl said, spitting blood out onto the floor. She then tripped on her poofy tail. “What the…? Is this?” She screamed when she realized the tail was her own.

“Get a hold of yourself,” Amara said. “Take some deep breaths.”

KJ got her camera out and filmed the girl as Amara tried to console her.

“I know a great relaxation exercise she can try,” Rain said. “Relaxation is something we could all benefit from.”

“Did your fangs just come in?” Amara asked. “That could explain…well, everything here.”

“My fangs…?” The girl asked. She touched her teeth again. “I’m finally a Cani…” Her eyes glimmered, and wonderment shone in her voice. “I guess I’ve always been one, but…I’m really a Cani. This is the void, then? If I'm really a Cani...then I'm really in the void?”

“Can you tell me your name?” Amara asked. “I’m Amara Allegro.”

“My name is Caeda Firae,” she answered.

“This could be a trap,” KJ said, shutting her camera off. “It’s probably a trap. This seems like something Wildfire Hearts would do, right?”

“It seems as though she either just got her fangs, and fell into the void, which does happen,” Amara said. "Or..."

“Or she’s a spy.” KJ said.

“Or she’s a void conjured vision, like a dream sent to guide us!” Rain said.

“Or she doesn’t matter, and the longer we talk, the closer that blizzard gets to us again,” Maia said. 

"Aw, look at her, she's shaking," Iris said. "She looks too spooked for me to think she's from Wildfire Hearts or something."

"Or she's shaking because she's cold, like we all are." KJ said.

"If it helps any, I don't think I'm a dream?" Caeda said, raising a finger to try and get the others' attention. "And I don't know what Wildfire Hearts are?"

"Is," Amara said. 

"Huh?" Caeda asked.

"What Wildfire Hearts is," Amara said. "It's a school."

"Oh." Caeda said.

“Can we just bring her with and decide if she’s a traitor or a dream or whatever later?" Maia asked. "We’ve been standing so long my whiskers are starting to freeze.”

“Maia, taking charge, I like it,” Iris said. “I vote Maia’s idea!”

“I suppose it could work,” Rain said.

“As you are aware, my vote is always with you, Rain,” KJ said, looking like she was about to kneel before Rain.

"I'm fine with trusting her, though I'm not giving up my theory that she's a dream," Rain said. “What do you think, Amara?”

Amara thought about it for a second.

“Alright stranger,” Amara said, kneeling before Caeda.

“It’s…it’s Caeda,” she said. “I said that already—”

“We’re bringing you with us, but if you even show so much as a sliver of betrayal, I will immediately fry you with a volley of laser blasts.” Amara pointed a single claw at Caeda, and the point seemed to get through.

“Right.” Caeda said. “I will do my best. To do…what are we doing?”

“Oh my god, we’re just walking! We’re trying to get out of here.” Maia said.

Maia stomped forward, and Iris shrugged at the others.

“She gets crabby when we’re trapped in the void,” Iris said.

“I see…” Caeda said.

Maia had come to a stop in front of a dark cave in the mountain wall.

“Well, we can either go through this or die here,” Maia said, desperately rubbing her arms to warm up even with her adaptive gear in coat form. “Should we have a vote on if we’re gonna go through this or die here?”

“I can do the scary cave if Amara goes first,” Iris said.

“Amara is very reliable,” Rain said.

“I’m reliable too!” KJ said. “I could use my camera light to help out here.”

“Or your bloodsaber.” Rain said.

“You are so smart Rain, I didn’t even consider that!” KJ said.

Caeda strummed her chin as she looked at the cave opening.

“Is this really our best path?” Caeda said. She shook her head. “Nay, party, tis our only path.”

“Who are you talking to?” Amara asked.

“Oh, I’m just." Caeda looked surprised anyone had noticed her talking to herself. "Yeah, let’s go.”

“You can walk right beside me,” Amara said sweetly. “That way, I can protect you if something’s wrong, or take care of you if you’re going to betray us.”

Caeda nodded and gulped, then followed Amara into the cave with the others close behind.

“My first real Cani adventure!” Caeda quietly said to herself.