Submission (#6447) Approved

The snow crunched softly under Mios paws. He ventured into the snow-covered forest near a village in the mountains of Strynahlde - on this serene winter's day he was planning to pay the local shrine a visit. He was in need of some guidance and soothing thoughts. The forest laid before him; the eternal winter wonderland, with the ground blanketed in pristine, untouched snow, and the trees adorned with delicate layers of frost. As he took each step, his dainty pawprints left a trail in the glistening snow… but the peace he normally felt, did not set in yet. Something was odd about today. A feeling he couldn’t describe crept up on him, an uneasiness that lingered in the back of his mind.

Mios ears perked up as he heard the gentle sound of snowflakes falling and he looked up into the dark clouds. The snowflakes flurried through the air; mixing with his visible breath in the cold air and he started to worry a little. The last thing he wanted was to get lost in a snowstorm, and a little anxiously he tucked on his white scarf and tightened it a little. He had packed a few things in order to prepare for his walk, but getting lost in the woods was still not something he wanted. As a Nestling he needed to be extra careful once he left the safe borders of cities and villages behind.

He was getting closer to the shrine, and now more than ever he could feel something was off. It was eerily quiet - when it shouldn’t be. Of course; Strynhalde was always quieter than other regions, the thick layer of snow muffled an otherwise vast variety of sounds.

But there was nothing around - at all.
It was like all the animals had vanished, when normally the area was buzzing with life.
Mio remembered the first time he stumbled upon the shrine and saw it for the first time.

Deep within a secluded area in the forest, hidden away like a well-guarded secret, the shrine was nestled between a half frozen waterfall and unusual lush vegetation. The setting was a captivating blend of tranquility and enchantment; the ice of the waterfall was so clear that it seemed like one could glimpse at the secrets hidden beneath the water's surface.
Yet, the water still flowed beneath, echoing a haunting, ethereal melody that resonated through the ice.
Crystal clusters were found all around; sparkling in blue, white and faint lavender; decorating the area with their radiant beauty. These crystal formations sparkled like precious jewels, shimmering in the soft, diffused winter light and Mio spent hours just watching the light break through the clear crystals, like natural sun catchers - and reflect into thousands little rainbows that danced across the already glimmering snow.
Unusually large animals roamed the forest near this sacred place, they moved gracefully around the shrine. Majestic deer in all shades of icy blue with enormous white antlers and thick, insulating coats browsed the nearby foliage, followed by white rabbits almost as big as Mio. Their presence added to the sense of wonder and reverence in the area, as if the shrine held a sacred connection to the creatures of the forest.
They were never hostile, despite their unusual size and odd colors. Quite the opposite, they seem to enjoy the temporary extra company of the elnin at the shrine, almost like they wanted to share the beauty of everything with the guests. Mio had almost spent the entire day by the shrine at that time. It just felt so peaceful.

Now, everything had changed.
As Mio walked onto the clearing by the shrine, all the fur on his neck stood up. Something was wrong. So very wrong.

The air felt off, dangerous even. No animals were in sight as he slowly walked closer. Not even traces of them, it was like they had abandoned this place quite a while ago. Something had scared them away, and every fiber in Mios body told him that he shouldn’t be here. But he just couldn’t believe it when he stepped closer.
The crystals around the shrine were cracked; sharp shards were half-buried in the snow. Their once enchanting glow was completely gone, they looked dull, blunt… dead. The white elnin didn’t even know it was possible for a crystal to look dead, but he couldn’t think of another word. It felt like all the energy had been drained out of them, all the spark, all the joy. He could feel it himself - no longer felt this place safe and peaceful, but heavy. Mio had trouble breathing and it felt like the air itself was thick and pushing down on him.

He shook his head.
“No-... please-....”

How was this possible?

The shrine itself had cracks all over; pieces broken off. The plants, once lush winter evergreens, were now all rotted and void and frozen over by the cold. It was heartbreaking and Mio could feel tears forming in the corner of his eyes, and suddenly it was like the temperature had dropped significantly. His tears froze on his cheeks, and the snow that was falling peacefully before slowly turned into a storm - and he had no shelter.
Mio felt lost and devastated and he looked around, unsure of what to do next. It was then that he noticed small, flickering vertical lines coming from the cracked shrine. Unsettling. Unnatural.

Mana bleed.

Mio gasped for air, and he knew he had to get out of here.
Now.
This place was no longer safe, but he felt like he couldn’t move. Shock and grief held him in place, weighed him down as if the mountains themselves had buried him.
“Move-”, he whispered to himself, a desperate attempt to get his senses back. He didn’t want to be here any longer, it was too hurtful. But the urge to just lay down and stay here, in the cold, in the endless white void…
“-No!” Mio cried out. No! He wanted to go home, back to his friends! //Let me leave-!!// His heart was racing, while he could feel his head getting dizzy. He stumbled backwards, still trying to understand how things went so wrong. Fear swept through his body; he didn’t know what to do. The storm was getting worse and he was freezing, quite badly now, shivering uncontrollably.

Suddenly, something was swiftly moving, and he only saw a dark shadow out of the corner of his eye before someone slammed into him and tossed him to the ground; sliding him across the snow and out of the shrine area. His head was spinning, as a sharp voice cut through the winds.

“What are you waiting for-!?”

Greywind stood over him, his white eyes glowing and his long hair dancing violently around him in the storm. “You need to get out of here, now-!” Without hesitation his sharp teeth grabbed Mios scarf and he hoisted the younger one back onto his unsteady legs. “This area is not safe for you, we need to leave-”
Mio was still trying to understand where the older one suddenly appeared from; he and Cinder were supposed to be in Ealei? How-? And when-? His head was spinning.

“MOVE!”

Greywinds voice was slicing through the storm, and cut right through Mios paralysis.
“... -right!” The smaller one gasped, but stumbled against Greywind as he stepped forward; the cold and exhaustion weakened him significantly. “...sorry…-” His voice was quiet and shaking, while Greywind growled deeply and supported the younger one worryingly. Mio was already in a bad state, and Greywind was afraid he was too late.
“Lean on me- I got you. Just one paw in front of the other. There is a cave nearby where we can rest. It’s not far. Just a little stroll through the woods, you got this. Come on. You need to hold it together, just a little longer.”
The older one tried his best to shield Mio with his body from the elements, while he was slowly leading him away from the corrupted shrine area and through the storm.

Everything was a blur for Mio. The blizzard made it impossible to see anything; his only hope was indeed setting one paw in front of the other and letting Greywind lead the way. Everything was a white void; no noises other than the howling wind and the snowflakes piercing his fur. His breathing became heavy; Mio was quickly exhausted and they were so slow. Were they making any progress? It felt like an eternity.
Greywind kept softly encouraging him, but not long and the voice of the older one was drowned by the storm - and then everything went oddly quiet.
How bizarre.
Mios field of vision tilted and the last thing he remembered was darkness swallowing everything.

[...]

Mios ears twitched as firewood cracked; sharp sounds that echoed through the cave. The young elnin felt tired as he carefully opened his eyes and tried to make out his surroundings. His body was wrapped in a blanket and Greywinds fluffy tail and his long hair. The older one was curled around Mio and lifted his head from his paws as he heard Mio stirring awake.

“Welcome back…~” Greywinds voice was dark and quiet, but the concern in his eyes was ever present and he carefully watched every move of Mio.

“What… happened-? Uh…” Mio was still so utterly exhausted and he buried his face in Greywinds long hair, while the other one started to explain things.

Apparently Cinder and Greywind finally returned from Ealei; just a few hours ago and heard about Mio, who went out to visit the shrine. Unlike Mio Greywind knew the area was slowly getting corrupted; he had kept an eye on it. Things were still okay-ish when they left, yet the older one feared things might have gotten much worse over the past few weeks while they were in Ealei. So he ran straight after Mio but the incoming snow storm made it harder to keep up with the younger one. And then he was afraid he was already too late when Mio wasn’t moving away. Corrupted shrines are dangerous, and every elnin reacts differently to them. But Strynhalde posed a special threat due to the harsh winter condition.

“You passed out a few feet away from the cave.. It’s been a few hours now… You still exhausted?” Greywind gently nudged Mio, who was awfully quiet, and the younger one just nodded, while still hiding his face. He wasn’t feeling great.
“It’s okay.. rest up. We’re safe here, take all the time you need. We need to wait out the storm anyway.”

A few minutes passed before Mio spoke up again.

“.. so the shrine is gone?”

“...Yes, this one has reached the end of its life cycle.. I’m sorry, little one. There is nothing we can do. Once the corruption sets in, it’s a lost cause and too dangerous. We need to inform everyone in the village so they stay away from the area and no one else gets hurt. The wild has claimed it now and it no longer belongs to us.”

This was not what Mio wanted to hear, and he could feel tears building up again. It broke his heart that the shrine was lost and all its magic with it. All the light.
He quietly started sobbing, and Greywind sighed deeply, before adjusting himself and wrapping himself even closer around Mio. It was the first time the younger one came in contact with mana poison and loss and he was not taking it well.

“Hush now..”, Greywind whispered gently. “It’s okay to mourn today. For now, just focus on healing. Tomorrow, things will be different. And soon, a new mana well will rise. It’s a natural balance, Mio. Nothing is ever truly lost. You’ll see… someday, you’ll see…”