It was the day of the winter festival, and the city of Titan's Pass could not have been livelier. The heavy snowfall had finished earlier that morning, leaving the roofs a pristine white, though the streets had been cleared once more. Despite that, in every corner, garden, and park, children could be seen running around. Wooden masks hung from their neck as they threw snowballs, carved ice sculptures, and drank hot chocolate in the cold.

Wyn too, was walking the streets along with Corrin and Kei, soaking in the atmosphere. It was impossible to be down on such a day—the sky was clear, and the sunlight reflected off the snow, making it nice and bright. Even the cold didn't seem to bite as much as it usually did.

Jolaine, of course, had thanked Ein'al for the wonderful weather, but when Lilian confirmed that weather was always perfect on festival days, he had accepted it was true.

Even Eia seemed in a good mood, flitting around in the air with unrepressed energy. Every now and then she would fly over to Kei and laugh about something, delighting in the experience of making another friend. Kei, as well, seemed to get along with the spirit perfectly, saying something about how it was 'nice to have another girl in the group.'

Wyn wasn't exactly sure how that made any sense with Eia being a spirit and all. But then again, perhaps it was the perception of it. Regardless, much to Corrin's chagrin, the two had become fast friends.

But Corrin's mood wasn't soured too much, he'd always been a big fan of festival days, and so he bounded around from stall to stall, his own borrowed wooden mask bouncing against his similarly borrowed festival robes, which were a tad too big on him, and a tad too small on Wyn.

"Woah! Check this thing out!" Corrin came back from one of the stalls with what looked like an apple on a stick, except it was covered in some sort of shell. He bit into it with a loud crunch before his eyes brightened even further.

Kei laughed into her hand. "Have you never seen a candied apple before?"

Wyn looked at the treat curiously, before reaching out for it. "Let me try."

Corrin pulled away, protecting his apple with his body. "Get your own! This one's mine."

"C'mon, I don't even know if I'll like it! Just a bite!" Wyn reached over his shoulder, trying to grab it from his hand.

"Then buy one and find out! This is why you suck at cards," Corrin struggled to keep it safe. "You've gotta take risks sometimes."

They jostled back and forth. Wyn strained to reach a little further.

"Just… one… bite."

Corrin just hissed like a cat in response.

The apple slipped from Corrin's grasp. In horror, Wyn grasped at it desperately, but his hand collided against Corrin's. Neither caught it, and the candied apple cracked open against the ground.

They stared for a moment, letting the shame, frustration, and of course, grief, wash over them.

Then, Corrin shouted. "Five seconds!" He reached for one of the halves.

Wyn couldn't get sick. He reached for the other.

They snatched them up, grinning as they brought them to their mouths, and then both paused as they saw Kei staring at them, a disgusted look on her face.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "That's so gross. I'll just buy you guys two more."

"Aren't you broke?" Corrin asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Corrin, my family's money problems are on a whole different scale. An apple or two is nothing." She turned and walked over to the stall that was selling the apples.

Wyn looked at Corrin while her back was turned.

"Rich people," Corrin muttered.

"Tell me about it."

They glanced down at their apples. It would be a waste… right?

Kei returned a few seconds later with another one, holding it out to them without a thought.

Just as Wyn was reaching for it though, a purple spirit whisked in out of nowhere, alighting on Kei's shoulders and whispering something into her ear. The apples were pulled back, just out of reach as Kei gave them a look like they were trash on the ground.

Wyn's hand grasped at empty air, his jaw slack.

Corrin, none the wiser, gave Kei a look of 'innocent' confusion. "What's wrong?"

"We… we were betrayed," Wyn muttered.

Corrin looked his way, his eyes lighting with understanding before he turned back to the holder of the apples. "Kei…you already bought them," he reasoned, holding up two hands up placatingly. "Surely you don't need two right? It'd be a waste to throw the other away. And it was my apple to begin with, so if anyone should be punished it's—"

Kei threw her arms up and stormed away. "I'm giving it to a kid!"

***

The afternoon wore on, and the streets only grew busier. Music drifted from every corner, children danced with sparklers, and the smells of roasted meat and sweet breads filled the air.

Wyn, Corrin, and Kei wandered from one end of the festival to the other, sampling everything they could get their hands on.

At some point, they stopped to watch a group of performers dressed in colorful robes and elaborate masks reenact the founding of the city—a tale in which the humans and Hutong formed a contract with the four seasonal spirits, who offered protection in exchange for offerings. There was dancing and singing the likes of which Wyn had never seen, and even Eia hovered at the edges of the crowd, twirling along to the music, her laughter blending with the sound of bells.

Eventually, they met up with Jolaine and Lilian, who didn't have the energy to party all day with the rest of them, but still wanted to enjoy the festival as much as they could.

The two women were sitting at the edge of one of the plazas on a bench, dressed in ceremonial robes of their own—though Lilian was also bundled with a scarf and hat to keep her warmer.

"Well if it isn't our lost little lambs," Jolaine chuckled. "You country folk enjoying the festival so far?"

Corrin grinned. "Don't be like that granny, we're the ones bringing all the style to this thing."

Jolaine snorted. "Not in those robes you're not."

"These are your robes you old bag!"

Jolaine waved her hand as though that was of trifling importance. "Youth these days, no respect for tradition. Back in my day, the midwinter festival was about being grateful for—"

"You say this every year," Lilian smiled.

"It's truer each time!" The old woman insisted.

Kei clapped her hands together. "Are we ready to get going?"

"Yes yes," Jolaine muttered, slowly getting to her feet.

Lilian started to stand, but her movements were shaky. Looking closer, Wyn saw that her skin was pale, and there were bags under her eyes. Perhaps she hadn't slept well the night before, but either way, her symptoms seemed worse.

"Lilian, are you going to be alright? You seem tired."

"I'm afraid I'm not feeling very well," she admitted. "I was hoping getting some fresh air would make me feel better, but I'm not sure it's working as well as I'd hoped. I may have to sit out."

Wyn saw the hurt in her eyes as she said the last of those words, he'd known how much she'd been looking forward to the festival—one of the rare days each year she forced herself to leave the house. But she shouldn't push it.

"I can bring you back to the house," he offered. "You should rest."

Lilian opened her mouth, but Corrin stepped in before she could say anything.

"No way," he said, light but firm. He crouched next to the bench, a lopsided grin on his face. "You're not sitting out the best part. Didn't you say you wanted to see the performance in the town square tonight after the fireworks?"

Lilian blinked. "Well, yes, but—"

"We'll slow down, you can set the pace," Corrin insisted. He held out his hand. "But you can't sit out, you just can't!"

"It's not worth risking her health for a few hours of festival Corrin."

"It's not about the festival," Corrin said, his voice growing sincere. "It's about living. You've got to enjoy things when you can, while you can. Isn't that right Lilian?"

For a long moment, Lilian said nothing. Then, slowly, she reached out and took Corrin's hand. "I'll go," she said, smile brightening. "But you really will have to slow down for me."

Corrin laughed, and helped to her feet. "We'll crawl if we have to."

Jolaine huffed under her breath, feigning exasperation, but Wyn could see her smiling as she turned away.

They moved on together, all five of them, moving at a gentle pace, and the festival continued.

Wyn stayed close to Lilian, keeping an eye on her without making it too obvious, while Corrin provided an endless stream of commentary about the different food stalls, and Kei dutifully sampled anything Eia pointed at, relaying detailed descriptions of how it all tasted as Eia daydreamed about being able to eat food someday.

They tried more candied fruits, watched a troupe of dancers that breathed fire—without channeling somehow, and even won fourth place in a snowman competition, earning them nothing, besides bragging rights.

They paused at a booth selling glass figures, where Lilian spent a long moment admiring a tiny, delicate phoenix with fiery wings.

Jolaine appeared at their side again, slipping something into each of their palms—a small wooden charm meant to bring luck and safe travels.

"Don't say I never gave you anything," she said gruffly, but her eyes were warm.

The city was alive under the midwinter sun, and every street overflowed with warmth and song. Wyn could've lived in the day forever, and he would've been happy.

But then the noise of the crowd shifted.

A ripple of tension spread through the square as a group of men hurried past, facing grim, speaking quickly to each other over the sounds of music and chatter.

One of them nearly barreled into Wyn, who caught him by the shoulder.

"What's going on?" Wyn asked.

The man gave him a worried look. "A group of children are saying their friend went missing up by Keiran's lake. Predators aside, if we don't find him by dark…"

Wyn nodded in understanding. Even barring natural predators, wraiths would come out when the sun set, meaning danger to the search team as well as the child. "Got it, do we know his name?"

"They said it was Litty," he pushed Wyn's arm away and ran off towards the east

Wyn turned to Corrin, who was already taking off his outer robe and mask. He handed them to Kei. "Hold these for me."

Kei just nodded. "Good luck."

Jolaine grunted. "You two can't stay out of trouble can you? Well, I suppose I can't complain."

Wyn followed Corrin's example—best not to dirty Eldress Jolaine's hand-me-downs, and he would manage without the extra layer. He pooled aura in his legs, eyes flashing as he began to burn spirit fire.

"Let's go."

"Stay safe," Lilian said. "May Ein'al guide your way." They took off towards the east, weaving through the crowded streets as best they could, even passing the man that had given them the information on the way.

Though the walls of Titan's Pass were impregnable from north and south, it was impractical to run them all the way up the slopes of the mountain, where the natural terrain would impede any attacks from man or beast.

Other than a few guard posts, it wasn't actually that hard to get up out into the mountains—it was even encouraged, with several trails and hunting areas the higher up you went.

Within minutes, they caught up with the main group and asked for directions to the lake, which was somewhat close by, only a few miles along a trail that ran into the woods. Thanking them, they raced ahead, further into the mountains

"We don't have our swords," Corrin shouted over the wind as they ran.

"Well thankfully, one of us can mantle," Wyn yelled back. "Grab a stick or something!" He'd been working on the technique, but his control over his aura was still too weak to hold any useful amount outside his body.

Even with mana channeled into his legs, the snow slowed each of his steps, and it seemed to be affecting Corrin the same. The harder he tried to push off the ground, the deeper his foot sank. Though the city streets had been cleared after the intense snowfall, the trails were completely snowed over, and Wyn didn't see any footprints, which meant the children had taken an alternate route. The search was bound to be a slog.

They slowed to a stop as they finally came within view of the lake, and Wyn bit back a curse.

The lake was huge, stretching out past and around several of the misaligned slopes, surrounded by forest on all sides. If they went too quickly, they'd miss things in the trees, but if they went too slow, they'd take too long.

"Damn," Corrin muttered. "What's the plan?"

Wyn exhaled slowly, the air fogging in front of his lips. "We'll jog around the edge of the lake and call his name. We should be able to loop it by sunset."

"Do you want to split up?" Corrin asked. "I could go left and we meet up on the other side."

Wyn paused, but only for a second. Without Corrin, he'd be more vulnerable to any attacks. But that was fine.

"Good idea, keep your eyes peeled."

Corrin nodded, and they set out in opposite directions.

Eia, fly around and see if you can find him as well.

Of course, she thought back. I'm already on it.

Save for the sound of his voice, the frozen lake was eerily quiet as Wyn jogged along its half-frozen bank. Even dead, the trees obscured his view deeper into the forest, but he hoped Eia would be able to compensate for that.

The cold ebbed away as the heat of the run filled his limbs, but ironically, spirit fire kept him from feeling hot. He settled into a good pace, shouting Litty's name every thirty steps, but he never heard a response.

Run, shout, run, shout. The area was so large, finding a single child would be like finding a light spirit during the day. He'd hoped the white backdrop of the snow would make things easier, but his hopes had been dashed.

I should've found the children first, they'd have known where they were playing, he thought as he ran. He'd been too hasty, rushing out without thinking things through. A calm head would've come up with a better plan than this. They could've narrowed down the area, then combed it with a large group—maybe that was the plan for the rest of the searchers, though he didn't know for sure.

Eventually, he caught sight of Corrin's distant figure approaching around the outside of the lake, and he sped up to meet him sooner. Unfortunately, as he got closer, there was no sign of a child with him.

"No luck for you either?" Corrin grimaced. "What now?"

Wyn sat down, rubbing his forehead. The sun was already starting to dip over the mountains—if they took much longer, it would be too late.

Think Wyn, think. What can you do to narrow down the area?

Running back to town to ask the children wasn't an option. They'd waste too much time, even if they could find them right away. But then, maybe there was someone they could ask after all.

He spoke out loud for Corrin's sake. "Eia, do you think any spirits might know where he is?"

She touched a finger to her lips. "That might actually work. You humans all look so alike you're hard to tell apart sometimes, but with everybody in town for the festival, if any have seen a human at all, it was probably the kids!"

Wyn relayed her response to Corrin.

"We need to cast a wide net then," Corrin said. "Ask some spirits around here, then walk a mile that way, then ask again. If we can just get an area…"

Oh! Of course, Eia got the idea and flew off into the forest. Wyn felt spirit fire pulled from his core as she did.

While Eia interrogated the local populace, they chose a direction and started walking, continuing to yell for Litty as they went.

As the search continued to turn up empty, Wyn began to grow nervous. What if they'd chosen the wrong side of the lake to search? It was only a fifty-fifty chance, so they had no way of knowing, and the silence of winter remained. The sky changed colors, the sunset painting the clouds in hues of purple and orange. It was a beautiful sight for any other situation, but for Wyn, it just served as a reminder that they were running out of time.

I've got something, Eia thought.

Wyn spun around in the direction he sensed her, immediately running that way. Corrin didn't need explanation—he followed without question.

We are on the wrong side, Eia said, but I know where they were playing.

Their bond stretched further as Eia flew off to the north. Wyn sped up, though he began to worry for his aura reserves, which were steadily draining from the usage.

Finally they spotted other people near the northwestern banks—the rest of the search party. They were trudging back towards the town with looks of defeat. Wyn saw a few of them cast rueful glances up towards the sky.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Wyn shouted.

One of them turned around, pointing upwards. Wyn almost hadn't noticed in his frantic run, but the sky had darkened further. "We searched the entire area where the kids said they were. There's no sign of him. The wraiths will be out any minute now, it's not safe to continue."

Wyn caught up to the man, grabbing his shirt. "What are you talking about? We can't just give up!"

The man shook him loose. "Didn't you hear me? If we stay out here any longer, we're in just as much danger as he is! Frost wraiths are gold ranked threats." He grimaced. "I want to save him too, but it's hopeless."

After staring at Wyn for a moment longer, the man trudged away with the rest of the group. Wyn cursed his back, but he didn't have time to waste being angry. The later it got, the more worried he became, though it wasn't himself he was worried for, gold ranked threat or not.

"Are you good to keep going?" he asked Corrin.

"Of course."

Wyn smiled, they'd manage with the three of them.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

Eia, the search party was looking around this area. Is there any chance the spirit might've confused them with the children?

It's possible, but I doubt it, she thought back. The spirit I talked to was smarter than most, at least enough to tell somewhat accurate time. It saw humans here a while ago. I'm going to start contracting the spirits here to look for him.

"Alright, we'll start looking around here," Wyn told Corrin. "Stay in shouting range. I'll keep trying to get the spirits to help."

The search continued, and the forest grew darker with each step. As Wyn tried harder to focus, he felt the cold finally begin to nip at him, creeping back into his body little by little.

In the absence of the sun, light and snow spirits began to glow faintly in the dim, as a light snow began to fall from overhead. They shouted and shouted as their voices grew strained, but the only answer was the wind through the trees.

"Anything?" Corrin called over.

Wyn shook his head, jaw tight. He could feel dozens of strands of spirit fire stretching out from his soul, but Eia hadn't said anything yet.

A small snow spirit, like a snowflake frozen in the air, drifted in front of Wyn and stopped, catching his eye. Wyn slowed to watch it—feeling something.

The spirit slowly approached, and Wyn held out a hand. The spirit landed in his palm, and Wyn felt something brush against his soul, weak and cold. His breath caught. This spirit wasn't contracted to him, but was it trying to? It wasn't impossible, he'd heard stories of spirits leading people to lost children, or saving people from drowning.

Wyn lifted his palm, "show me."

The little spirit glowed a bit brighter and flew off into the dark. Wyn followed.

Eia, get back here, I'm following a snow spirit right now, I think it might know where he is, but I can't talk to it!

On my way.

He yelled for Corrin, who quickly showed up at his side as they dashed through the snow. Eia's purple light flashed into view as she flew up next to the spirit.

There's something, Eia's thoughts caught. Then, her mind became sharpened, urgent. Hurry Wyn! They're saying he's in danger!

As if on queue, the wail of a frost wraith rolled out into the mountain air, echoing off the slopes as it blanketed the entire lake.

Without thinking, Wyn sprinted forward, pulling on the threads of spirit fire, beckoning the spirits to congregate. Corrin noticed and cursed, speeding up to keep pace.

Snow whipped at their legs as they ran deeper into the woods, leaving behind the faint light of the lake as they left the search area. Around them, small spirits began to appear—tiny pinpricks of light weaving through the trees, chittering anxiously. Some were bound to him, some were not, but they zipped low over Wyn's head, guiding him northwards.

"He's close!" Wyn shouted. "Follow them!"

Corrin didn't reply, but his pace sped up further, overtaking Wyn as he shot ahead, clutching a branch in his hand.

Through the trees, the spirits clustered in a tight circle, floating above a crumpled figure, half-sunken into the snow.

Wyn's heart dropped, there was no doubt, it was Litty.

The boy's face was pale, and pinched with pain as he slumped against a tree. His leg was twisted at an unnatural angle, and even from a distance, Wyn could tell it was broken. He was barely conscious, and with the broken branches on the ground besides him, it only took a moment to get the picture.

Falling from a tree into snow was safer, but not safe. The worst part though, was that the boy was not alone.

Just beyond the boy was a tall figure in spectral white robes, a pale mist rolling along the ground beneath it.

The wraith did not walk, but rather glided silently across the snow as it approached. The ring of spirits hummed defiantly, but as it drew closer, they were pushed aside by an invisible force, their lights dimming.

The little spirit that had led them there flew forwards, holding stubbornly between Litty and the wraith. Its light dimmed further and further as it pushed back, refusing to leave.

Corrin wasted no time, he shot forward and swung his stick at the wraith, but the wood simply passed straight through, hardly doing more than disturbing its cloak. Corrin, however, yelped as he stumbled into the snow, dropping the stick and cradling his fingers.

Wyn took a step forward, but Corrin yelled back. "Stay back Wyn! Shit… It's too damn cold!"

The wraith continued walking forward, making no sound at all, and the group of spirits threw themselves against it once again.

The child, no more than eight, caught Wyn's eyes from across the clearing. He was sobbing, body shaking with cold, pain and fear. He whispered a single word, too quiet for Wyn to hear, but he could make it out on his lips.

Please.

Wyn shouted, an idea forming in his head. "Eia! Bond them!"

Eia flew in like a purple comet across the night, and Wyn felt more and more strands of spirit fire tugged out from within him, the weight increasing with each one. The spirits glowed brighter, pushing back against the wraith for a moment, and Wyn shouted in celebration, they were winning!

It only lasted for a moment though as the wraith swept its hand through the spirits, and Wyn felt the strike in his soul. It was as if the weight of a bull had suddenly dropped onto his back. Spirit fire raged to the edges of his body, flaring up in defense as he fell to his knees. Black spots flashed in his eyes and his vision blurred.

"Wyn!" Eia screamed, but the wall held.

The wraith struck again, and the spirits scattered as Wyn blacked out.

He must've only been out for a moment though, as when he lifted his head from the snow, the wraith had hardly moved an inch.

Corrin, having gotten back up, charged again, swinging the stick in a wide arc with his left hand instead. Unlike before, the wraith staggered back as the wood disrupted its form, though Wyn was unsure what he'd done.

"It can be affected by mana." Corrin gasped for air, frost creeping up his neck. "But I can't attack it while defending my whole body. I saved my fingers this time," he held up his right hand, showing off fingertips turned grey with frostbite, "But it got my chest instead. You can't take it on without a full mantle—gold ranked threat huh?"

"I'll hold it back for one more attack," Wyn said. "You take Litty and run."

"Are you kidding? That last one knocked you on your ass. I'll hold if off, you take him. I can recover from a little cold."

Wyn grabbed Corrin's arm, he could see the way he was breathing. Mana kept him going, but he wasn't in much better shape. "I'll be fine. Trust me."

"Not on this I won't," Corrin argued. "Take the kid."

They stared each other down for a moment, breath misting in the freezing air, neither willing to yield.

But it didn't matter. The wraith shrieked—like the howling of a furious blizzard—and surged forward towards the ones it had decided were the real threats.

"Move!" Corrin roared, shoving Wyn aside.

As Wyn hit the ground, he saw the wraith's claws flash against Corrin's arms. With a crack, Corrin was hurled backwards into the snow and his body skidded across the ground.

The wraith glided towards Wyn then, relentless.

Wyn staggered up, his aura reserves running dry as he tried to lure the wraith further away.

A few snow spirits flew in to stop the wraith, but they melted against its cloak, like snowflakes against skin, hardly slowing it.

Eia circled desperately above, her little voice frantic in his mind. We can't win! You have to run!

Wyn grit his teeth, snapping a branch off a nearby tree as it burst into flame. Maintaining the bond, he threw it at the wraith, praying the spirit fire would do something.

But the wraith was not a monster, and the stick simply passed through harmlessly. The wraith didn't react, showing no outward emotion. Wyn understood as it approached, it was the winter itself—cold and uncaring—it was a force of nature, more spirit than beast.

Corrin's body rose from the snow, shaking off the blow, but he was too far.

The wraith reached out with a cold, human-like hand, blackened and rotted with frostbite. Wyn felt a chilling wind as the temperature around him dropped further, the moisture freezing on his lips.

And then the wraith stopped, and the air warmed some. Wyn heard the slow approach of footsteps, with a strange cadence to them as the wind began to blow from his back, and a strange light lit the snow.

He felt a sense of awe enter his mind, Eia's, and he slowly turned.

Walking through the snow came a lone elk, with glittering silver fur which darkened to a fir green at its neck. It was larger than one of the beasts could ever be, and its enormous antlers glowed gold, as did its hooves, which left a trail of soft gold light behind as they walked. Wyn felt a warmth from it, emanating like a hearth, though the snow beneath its feet didn't melt at all.

Shifting into a river of gold, the elk vanished and appeared again between Wyn and the wraith. Its antlers glowed for a moment, and the wraith was torn asunder without so much as a sound, its cloak melting on the wind.

Neither Wyn nor Corrin could move. They could only watch as the spirit—or perhaps spirit beast—walked slowly over to Litty's slumped body, and bent down, touching its nose to the boy's head. In moment's, the harsh pain faded from Litty's face, though his leg was still broken. Still dazed though, he reached for the elk's neck, his frostbitten fingers clutching its fur in something akin to a hug, and the elk let him do so, nuzzling him gently as the boy seeked solace in the warmth of his fur.

"I knew you'd come…" Litty whispered, his voice cracking.

Wyn and Corrin, suddenly broken from their spell, staggered closer, and the elk slowly pulled away to face them.

Wyn felt a sense of peace fill his chest, and his breathing evened out as the stress to his soul lessened. Besides him, Corrin gasped as his frostbitten fingers warmed, slowly returning to their original state.

There was no mistaking it anymore, they were in the presence of a great spirit. And yet, so close to the city… The wind died down to a whisper, and the snow falling from the sky seemed to slow in mid-air.

Wyn breathed a name. "Ein'al."

The great spirit of winter, and guardian spirit of Titan's Pass

Spirit fire was suddenly pulled from his chest like a flood, as Eia's form swelled until she was almost the size of a human. Wyn gasped, completely unaware she could even do that.

She fell to one knee before the waiting spirit and bowed her head low.

"Great spirit, this one beseeches you for aid. I'm a daughter of Iillia, The Spirit of The Glades, and this is my bond. We—" She raised her head, a questioning look on her face, though Wyn hadn't heard anything. She must be speaking for his benefit.

"You don't know?" She paused for some sort of response. "My apologies. I assumed a spirit as powerful as yourself must be older than that."

Wyn looked over at Corrin, and mouthed, 'Eia is talking to him about something.'

Corrin seemed to get the idea.

"No, of course I didn't mean to assume all great spirits knew each other!"

Is she botching something right now? Wyn frowned.

"Ah, yes it was hilarious!" She chuckled awkwardly. "Truly your sense of humor is one worthy of your power."

Eia? What is he saying? Wyn asked.

Well… the long and short of it is, he's grateful to us for helping look after one of his 'children'.

"If," Eia continued, "I could ask you for a single favor, I would request that you help my bond learn how to connect to human souls. Would um… this be in your power?"

Wyn's eyes widened. Was that why she'd revealed herself in the first place? To try to bargain on his behalf?

Before he could ask her though, Ein'al stepped forward, approaching Wyn. For the first time, Wyn could see the swirling gold depths within his eyes, and he found he couldn't look away. Ein'al lowered his head, pressing his snout against Wyn's forehead. It wasn't wet like it would've been for a real beast, but it was warm, and soothing.

Wyn felt something brush against his soul, just briefly, as if to bring his attention to it. It wasn't mana, or spirit fire. He didn't know what it was, but it was there. It didn't force its way in, or press against the boundary, as Wyn had tried before. The bond just… waited, resting gently against Wyn's soul.

Wyn didn't fight against it, and the two entities slowly began to meld. It was a testing thing at first, like a dog sniffing the hand of a new person. But soon after that, the connection formed, and Wyn felt his spirit bloom with power. His spirit fire seemed to burn… hotter, and he could suddenly feel his channels, his mana, and his bond with Eia all the clearer. It was a moment of revelation, connected to a much higher being.

And then the connection pulled away, and the flames died back down, simmering like a hearth after a long night.

Wyn breathed out, looking down at his hands. Though the power had fled, the insight remained, and for a moment, he was the world, and nothing outside his body existed at all.

The high faded shortly after, and Ein'al walked back towards Litty, who seemed all too comfortable now that the great spirit had arrived.

Corrin looked over to Wyn. "What just happened?"

Wyn could do no more than whisper back. "I… I learned."

Somehow, Litty was picked up by an invisible force which blew at the snow, and lifted onto Ein'al's back, where he quickly grabbed tight to the great spirit's neck, pressing his head against the fur.

Ein'al turned to Corrin and Wyn next, and Eia slowly shrank back down to her original size as the fire in Wyn's chest dimmed.

"I think he wants you to get on his back. He says you'll be late otherwise."

Wyn took a moment to process that. "Late? For what?"

"No idea."

"I… I guess." Wyn relayed that to Corrin, who immediately lit up at the idea.

"Sweet!" He grinned, hopping onto the great spirit's back with little hesitation.

As soon as they were all on, Ein'al moved, bounding forwards and up, into the air above the forest. Despite moving at speeds faster than Wyn could dream, and taking the form of an elk, the movement was smooth, and Wyn felt as though there was no chance he would fall.

The mountains, blanketed in white, rolled beneath them light a painting as they climbed higher and higher. Wyn could see the grass sea to the west, and the vast central basin past the mountains to the east.

Litty and Corrin laughed as the ascent continued, and soon Wyn found himself joining them. They dashed into the clouds, and Wyn could see nothing at all. Then, they broke out the other side, and the snowfall vanished as the sky greeted them, its vast expanse decorated with stars, like snowflakes from the heavens. The moon glowed warmly as all three lost their breaths to the sight.

Wyn looked down at the spirit as they crested the peak of their ascent. For a moment, he thought he could feel the great spirit's thoughts, as though they were still connected. A memory struck him, from when he'd only been a child. He'd hit his head on the kitchen table, and had wailed and cried from the pain. He'd only stopped when his father lifted him high above his head and spun him around, until he was having so much fun, the pain and tears seemed like a distant memory.

Wyn saw Litty's face as the boy turned around, his eyes as bright as the stars, and his smile wide enough to rival the sky. Somehow, Wyn didn't think he'd ever forget that face.

Ein'al dove, running them back down into the clouds. They fell faster and faster, and the wind whipped at Wyn's face as he laughed with tears in his eyes. Titan's Pass stretched out below, a lighthouse amidst the darkness.

"Look at the walls!" Litty cried joyfully, pointing towards the lights "They're so small!"

They swooped down over the buildings, somehow losing almost no speed as Wyn heard gasps and cries of joy from below, as people pointed up towards their guardian spirit, racing through the sky, leaving a trail of gold behind.

Finally though, they came to a stop in one of the plaza's, a clearing opening up amidst the crowd as Ein'al landed on the ground. Though the cityfolk were clearly excited to see him, they also were respectful, keeping their distance in reverence as Ein'al slowly lowered Litty to the ground. Wyn noticed each of them were wearing the traditional masks, he'd almost forgotten they were supposed to be worn after sunset.

As Wyn slid off of his back, he heard a cry from within the crowd.

"Litty!" A maskless woman burst out of the masses, tears streaming down her worried face as she ran forward and threw her arms around her son, holding him as tight as she could.

Wyn watched with a faint smile on his face, but something prodded him to turn around, to face the spirit one last time.

Ein'al's antlers glowed a bit brighter, and he bowed his head to Corrin, then Wyn. And for once, Wyn understood the message, loud and clear.

Thank you.

"Thank you Ein'al," he replied. "For everything."

"This servant humbly thanks you for your assistance, great spirit," Corrin knelt, apparently deciding to draw on his upbringing now of all times.

Ein'al seemed to snort, and then leapt over their heads, landing in the air to the gasp of the crowd as he pranced back up into the sky. He rose higher and higher before his body melted into gold, and then vanished entirely.

Corrin stood up, brushing off his pants. He rubbed his face for a second, processing everything that had happened. Then he laughed into his hand, the laughter growing louder and louder until he looked over at Wyn, his face a grin. "I mean what the hell was that?"

Wyn let out a tired breath, smiling as he turned back to the boy and his mother. He walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "His leg is broken, please make sure to get him to a surgeon."

"I will," she choked out. She grabbed his hand, looking at him with tear-streaked eyes. "Thank you. Both of you."

Litty twisted just a bit in his mother's arms, looking up towards where Ein'al had disappeared into the sky, and he waved his small arm in goodbye.

And Wyn thought, it was all worth it.

***

They found their housemates waiting where they'd left them, masks adorning their faces. Kei's was a bit less polished than the others, but Wyn knew she'd worked hard on it, and in the end, it had turned out beautifully.

"Did you guys find him?" She asked immediately upon their return, handing them their things back.

They looked at each other with two knowing grins as they donned their robes. "Yeah, we did."

Kei let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, I was worried when you didn't get back by sunset. Did something happen while you were out?"

"You're not going to believe it, we were—" Corrin started, but he was interrupted as a huge boom lit the sky, accompanied by the cheers of the crowd.

Wyn's eyes were drawn upwards towards the flower of fire blooming in the air. Though they'd set off fireworks during the summer festival in Straetum, he and Corrin hadn't been paying much attention. As more and more went off in the sky, Wyn slipped the Ein'al mask onto his face.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Kei said.

She held out two candied apples, one for each of them. He couldn't see her face, but Wyn was pretty sure she was smiling. "In the spirit of midwinter, right?"

"Aww," Corrin took it from her gratefully. "Have I ever said you're the best Kei?"

"You could say it more."

They laughed as the deep boom of the fireworks echoed through the night sky, painting bursts of color across the faces of everyone around them. Jolaine's voice rose over the jubilant crowd, speaking perhaps to no one but herself.

"They say that the spirits protect us because of a contract, or some ancient oath." As she spoke, her eyes, barely visible through the holes in the mask, remained fixed on the glowing sky. "But it's not just that. The love we give to the spirits, they return to us. We share that love with one another, which in turn, honors the spirits themselves. The spirits, the land, and the people… we're all intertwined. How could you not love such a place?"

She turned away from the sky, facing the rest of them. "The deep winter is halfway passed, and I know you all will be leaving us soon. But I'd like you to know this: should you ever return to Titan's Pass, my door will always be open to you."

Corrin gave the old woman a smile. "Thanks granny, happy midwinter."

"Happy midwinter!" Lilian cheered, her voice a bit strained.

Then at once, the rest of them together.

"Happy midwinter!"

***

Later that night, long after the fireworks had stopped, Wyn tapped on the door which led to Lilian's room. The rest of the group was gathered in the living room, Jolaine insisting they stayed up, 'just in case'.

None of them had any idea what she was waiting for, but Jolaine was adamant. It was best they didn't know.

Lilian however, had retired early, truly exhausted after a long day spent outdoors. She'd told Jolaine she'd watch from her window if whatever it was happened.

"Please, come in." Her voice was weaker than normal, though Wyn wasn't surprised. She'd been pushing herself all day.

"Oh, Wyn, it's you." She was sitting up in bed as he walked in, propping herself up against the headrest. "Is something the matter? I already took my medicine for the day, remember?"

"Did you have a good festival?" Wyn asked.

Lilian gave him a funny look. "I should be asking that of you. It was your first one! Did you enjoy it?"

Wyn smiled, nodding slightly. "Very much so. Lilian, I'm here to talk about… your treatment. Would you mind if I tried something? I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep without knowing if it works or not."

"Well, I suppose so." She sat up straighter, beckoning him over.

As always, Wyn sat down on the edge of the bed, and she placed her palm in his. With a deep breath, he stoked the flames, letting them trail up his arm and out his fingers.

He closed his eyes, concentrating on only what he could feel. It wasn't about force, or technique. His power could knock on the door, but it could not let itself in. Spirit fire rested gently against Lilian's soul, waiting to be invited. And after a breath, the connection was forged.

Spirit fire surged from Wyn's body into her's, and Lilian gasped as the flames flickered to life behind her eyes. She held a hand in front of her face, inspecting it reverently.

"This power… it's incredible."

Wyn smiled. "It's not bad."

The flames began to concentrate in her lungs, tracking down the source of her illness, and they burned.

Wyn almost doubled over as the strain of purification hit him. The pressure was immense.

What the hell? He gasped for air as sweat beaded on his skin. It's… so much.

He pushed against it, fighting the unbearable weight as it tried to crush him, trying to hold as long as he could. He only lasted a few seconds before the strain was too much, and he had to drop it. The fire died down in her eyes as the spirit fire streamed out of her body. Wyn leaned back, out of breath from only a few seconds of work. If he had to guess, he'd only just begun burning whatever was causing her illness, and he would need to repeat the process over and over again.

But Lilian took a single deep, clear breath, she held her hand against her chest, and wonder flickered in her tired eyes.

"I can feel it," she whispered, voice trembling. "It's… lighter."

Wyn let out a faint, exhausted laugh. "It's not over," he said. "But it's a start."

Lilian leaned back against the headrest, still holding her hand to her chest, as if afraid the feeling might slip away.

Wyn looked out the window into the night, and his breath caught once more.

"Lilian, do you see that?"

Outside the window, countless spirits were rising into the air, glowing faintly in the dark. It was as if the snow were falling upwards. He watched entranced, as they drifted through windows, doorways, and chimneys, rising from every home and ascending towards the heavens.

Lilian's eyes shined as she looked out at the spirits.

"It's said that the midwinter festival is the day when the spirits dance with the people of the pass. The day when they gather our hopes, and carry them up to the stars," she said quietly. "Most years, it's only a saying. But once every few decades…"

She didn't say any more after that, she didn't need to.

Wyn heard Corrin speaking excitedly in the main room, muffled by the walls, and Jolaine was cheering as though she were twenty years younger, but he stayed put, watching the spirits as they floated upwards.

He wondered what it was that had brought them together, in this place, at this moment. Was it the will of the spirits? Was it something deeper even than that, a bond that pulled people together? Or was it really something so simple as a chance meeting in the street?

Across Aeora, how many people would be celebrating the midwinter as well? How many of them were looking up at the same sky?

In the main room, the hearth crackled, warming the bodies of everyone within. From the hearth, smoke rose up into the chimney and escaped into the night.

And from that same chimney, a simple snow spirit drifted even higher.

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