Chapter 30: A meeting on the snowy cold

"Darn it, what the hell was that?" he muttered, huddling against the cold. He lacked any gear for this, not even appropriate clothing, and that could spell his demise at any moment.

Snowflakes fell at speeds his eyes could barely keep up with. Every second was crucial, and he needed shelter as soon as possible.

With visibility reduced and the temperature dropping steadily, he was starting to grow worried.

"Darn it... cursed mountain, cursed weather!" He inwardly roared, afraid of triggering an avalanche if he spoke too loudly. He didn't know where he was, or how he could survive, but he already had in mind what needed to be done in this situation.

"First, I need to find shelter; then, get warm... Darn it, why did everything have to get so complicated?"

His mind was disturbed, and that wasn't good. In a situation like this, calm and caution were necessary, but Strax... he wasn't in a situation where he could have control, and that made him uncomfortable.

Moreover...

"Samira and Jason vanished suddenly. I need to find either of them, and it doesn't make sense... how did I lose track of them so quickly?"

Strax had a lot to ponder, especially about what had happened. After all, this snowstorm was anything but normal; in fact, it could even be part of the hunters' plan. What bothered Strax was something else...

"They didn't have a proclaimed leader..." He muttered, reanalyzing the whole situation.

"They had wolves, warriors, a mage, and an archer. That alone is strange... how does someone bring only a mana cultivator to an ambush? No, worse than that, how was there no one giving orders among them?" There were several silly questions, but they pushed away his negative thoughts about his potential death...

"[The hidden mission is still active]"

He thought as he tried to bundle up in his own clothes, sitting in a place where the wind didn't hit him.

"I will survive this," he said aloud, the words sounding like a promise to himself and to the relentless universe around him. "I have to survive. I will kill those idiots when this is over." With a burning rage in his chest, Strax waited, knowing that the only way to beat the storm was to face it with courage and perseverance.

Hours passed.

As Strax sheltered under the rocky overhang, seeking refuge from the furious storm raging outside, a indistinct figure emerged from the snowstorm.

A woman, wrapped in a heavy cloak and with her face partially concealed by the hood, only letting strands of her orange hair peek through it, slowly made her way towards the makeshift entrance of the cave.

Strax quickly sensed the woman's presence and looked alert, but when he saw her expression, he couldn't help but feel relieved.

He could see the exhaustion in her eyes, but also the determination burning in her gaze.

Her arm, completely injured, her cloak slightly reddened by blood, and her eyes sharp with anger: she was familiar, of course.

"And to think I would find you just now," she said, her voice echoing in the cave entrance, falling into the darkness. Strax saw that scene and couldn't help but wonder 'What happened to you?'

But it wasn't time for that; now... Samira needed help. She took a few steps forward and almost fell to the ground; fortunately, Strax managed to catch her. He reached out in a gesture of solidarity and questioned, "Need help?"

The proud woman swallowed her pride and nodded, allowing Strax to hold her and sit her down on the ground, leaning her back against the wall beside him.

He saw the battle marks, but couldn't question now. When he saw the tired face of the woman, she had already fallen asleep.