Aurelis' grip loosened around Zenshi's shoulder, he huffed "Well, you can interpret it as you'd like."
He patted Zenshi and tilted his head back "Feelings aren't that great to have anyways."
Zenshi nodded, a smile slowly drawing on his face "I see.."
He leaned back, his body dropping on the grass "And yet, I would like to go one day.. one day unrestrained."
Vex placed his hand on his chest "Well, I always act like myself. Shouldn't be that hard!"
Zenshi tilted his head, his nose brushing the grass "Well, unlike me, you don't need to restrain yourself..."
Vex groaned, scratching his forehead "You don't make any sense... Why would you need to restrain yourself?"
Aurelis pinched Vex's cheek "Stop talking about others as if they are yourself."
Vex squeeked, jumping back.
He rubbed his cheek, now reddened from the pinch "Wh-what was that for?!"
Aurelis' hands flopped downwards "Look, Zenshi.."
He turned to Zenshi "I really need to reach Nuro town. As quick as possible."
Zenshi pushed himself up, sitting on the grass "Well, I can open a door to the entrance of the dungeon. But really?"
His lips curled in revulsion "Nuro? I have only heard bad things about it..."
Aurelis nodded "I was told my brother is there."
Vex snapped his head towards Aurelis "Oh right! you have a brother!"
He walked forward, nudging Aurelis "You never really elaborated, did you?"
Aurelis clenched his fists "And I wont, we're going to see him soon anyways."
Vex scoffed, lifting his hands up and flopping on the grass "Always will and soon with you."
Aurelis sighed, turning to Zenshi "Anyways, I'd like you to let us out, as soon as possible."
Zenshi's eyes darted between Aurelis and Vex, his smile stretched a little wider "Sure, I hope we get to meet again."
He leaped up, pointing his finger forward.
Black goo slowly dripped out of his finger.
The goo formed an imperfect rectangle, each drop piling on the other.
As enough piled, reaching Zenshi's height, Zenshi snapped his fingers.
The goo changed color to brown, and then gaining a wooden texture.
Zenshi pushed the rectangle, opening it like a door.
The leftover goo dropped on the floor, vanishing into the ground.
As the rectangle fell on the ground, it slowly lowered into it.
As it got swollen by the ground, a gap is created around it.
Beyond the gap, whirling snow makes its way into the dungeon, the sound of a storm filling the air.
Aurelis grabbed Vex's hand "That's definitely the outside, thank you Zenshi."
He nodded, and pushed his hand forward, throwing Vex into the hole.
Vex's eyes widened, screaming as he fell into the hole.
The whirling snow slowly muffled his screams.
Aurelis sighed, mist forming out of his mouth "I swear, sometimes I can't get this guy."
Zenshi nodded, chuckling "Well, you two are direct opposites.."
Aurelis gazed at the gap, Vex's hands slowly digging his way out of the piling snow "You're not wrong."
Aurelis leaped into the hole, leaving Zenshi alone on the grass.
As Aurelis' face hit the snow, the rectangle closed, leaving no trace of the dungeon.
Aurelis groaned, he straightened his hands, reaching above the snow, and pushed himself up.
Vex gazed at Aurelis, his mouth scrunched "What the hell was that for?!"
Aurelis walked towards Vex, patting his back "Hey, no need to be so mad."
He turned around and walked downwards, the mountain's entrance barely visible.
Vex bit his lower lip, a half formed smile formed on his face.
He let out a sarcastic chuckle "No need to be so mad?!"
He stomped his leg, sinking it into the snow.
Vex pulled his leg back, and kicked snow in Aurelis' direction.
The wind changed the snow's trajectory, pulling it back onto Vex's stomach.
He fell on the snow and grumbled, pushing himself up.
His hands flailed as he made his way towards Aurelis "One moment, I'm on warm grass, another moment I am on cold snow!"
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He shouldered Aurelis, his eyebrows twitching "I might have your cloak, but it's still cold!"
Aurelis sighed, shaking his head "It is a robe."
Vex stomped once more, he weeped "Thats not the point!"
Aurelis waved his hand dismissively "Well, it's a robe."
Vex's hands flailed downwards, his walking slowing "Just.. dont do it again!"
Aurelis stopped briefly, scoffing "Do what again?"
Vex ran towards Aurelis, grabbing his shoulder.
His gaze pierced Aurelis "Throw me from a pile of grass to a storming snow with no warning?!"
Aurelis shrugged, and kept walking "Sure."
Vex huffed, clasping his hands "Not even a sorry huh?"
Aurelis shook his head "No need to be sorry for something you believe in."
Vex exhaled, his hand squeezing his other "Throwing someone into a whirling storm is not something you believe in."
Vex tilted his head downwards "Well, at least we've reached the end of the snow."
Aurelis looked down, his feet visible, not swollen by piles of snow "Guess you're right."
They walked towards a wooden signpost, barely held in place.
Vex pointed up "Look, Nuro town's that way!"
He tilted his head towards the town, barely visible in the horizon.
Aruelis' eyes locked on Nuro town, his breaths quickening "That's... where we're going."
Vex's eyebrows lifted, he sniffed the signpost "Doesn't it smell weird?"
Aurelis slapped his own forehead, turning his head away "It's a wooden signpost, what is it supposed to smell like?"
Vex shrugged "I just have a weird hunch about this place."
Aurelis rolled his eyes, stepping towards Nuro "Happens to the best of us."
Vex quickly rushed to Aurelis' side "Are we... sure, this is where we want to go?"
Aurelis firmly nodded, his steps across the gravel leave a crunchy sound "That's the goal, Vex."
As the two started walking, a slouched person stumbles into Aurelis.
Wings were connected to the individual's back, one pitch black, a few cuts spreading across the feathers.
The other wing was made of metal, countless screws lazily screwed in, barely hanging.
The wings flailed in the air for a moment after the collision, quickly setting back in place.
The winged man quickly lifted his head up, his face tired, gray bags under his eyes "Ah, I must apologize."
The person's hair was short yet messy, and had a tint of blue.
His eyes colored differently, one light blue and the other dark red.
His clothes were formal, an organized pair of yellow sweatpants and a gray t-shirt.
Aurelis flinched back as the wings moved "Are those.. wings?"
The person bowed, nodding lightly "Bumping into you was not planned.. yes, I am a bird-human hybrid, known to you folks as a Featherian, if you must ask."
He snickered his nose as his eyes passed Vex "Want to walk together to Nuro? I must ask."
Aurelis lifted his hand, his palm held in front of the person "Ah, sorry-"
Vex leaped forward "Of course you can! One more partner never hurt!"
The person smiled briefly, quickly gazing up and dismissing it "Name's Mujun, I must inform."
Vex stretched his hand forward "I'm Vex, and this is Aurelis!"
Aurelis clenched his fists, his breath quickening "Yea, you know what? Sure."
Mujun rubbed his arm revealing a yellow, ring shaped tattoo encircled one of his wrists, with an identical band in blue marking the other.
He turned towards Nuro town "Only to there, I must promise. It's safer."
Vex nodded enthusiastically, striding forward "Agreed!"
Aurelis sighed, resting his hands on his hips "It's not even that far away..."
Vex jumped on Aurelis' back, clinging to his shoulders. He stretched his hand forward, onto the horizon "Look!"
Above Nuro, the sun started rising.
Vex smirked "It's not that often you get to see a sun rise!"
Aurelis tilted his head towards Mujun, his eyebrow twitching.
Mujun gazed back, a tint of amusement sparking behind his eyes.
Vex leaped off, skipping forward.
Mujun walked slowly behind the two.
Aurelis speed walked in between.

