Star

The golden infinity pulled Dorin in, as if wanting to devour him. Dorin didn't know how to stop himself, and the closer he got the greater the pull. 

After a few moments he was in the center, and he realized that the golden loop was intangible as it flowed straight through him. 

Dorin's vision blurred as various scenes took over his mind.

. . .

"You don't have to do this, Calian."

"The Spire commanded me, and you know I can't disobey."

A sharp wail pierced through the air. A familiar looking woman sat against a wall with two newborns in her arms. A white haired man slowly unsheathed a long sword in front of her.

"This is for humanity." Calian raised his sword. "Our daughter is the future."

The woman raised her hand, revealing her face in the afternoon sun. Her long dark hair curled around her shoulders. "Take care of them."

"One of them will be a star, and the other its doom."

"No- Don't."

The man thrust his sword through the boy and mother, leaving only the daughter who he picked up with care.

. . .

"You don't have to do this."

"The Spire-" 

The woman rushed the man before he could bring up his sword, sending him sprawling to the floor. The sword had dropped to his side, cutting through his leg. 

The man reached out, grabbing the daughter by the arm. "You are making a mistake."

"No. A father who is not willing to sacrifice themselves for their children is the only mistake being made here." 

"This isn't about me, Reina. The Spire-"

"Shut up about the Spire and let go of my daughter."

"No."

Reina couldn't continue struggling, as the baby screamed with increasing fervor with each pull. "If he is our doom, then we deserve it." 

Reina let go of her daughter and ran away, gently wrapping her son in her cloak.

. . . 

"Mother. . ." The memory of his mother's face blurred into Dorin's mind. He tried his best to hold onto it, to burn it into his mind, but it faded with each moment. All he could keep for himself was her name, Reina.

Dorin opened his eyes and saw that he was back in the cave with Vale. "What did you see, boy?"

". . . Everything."

. . .

Fiera

The rope around Fiera's hands had loosened over her journey being leashed to Drae. Every so often her captor would tighten them, and Fiera would feel the sharp pain once again. 

'Laqi promised she'd protect me.'

Fiera knew that it wasn't her fault, but she shouldn't have given her word if she knew it wasn't guaranteed. A small sense of betrayal flowed through her, and the trust that had been so hard to build with her was gone. 

"This is for your own good, virtue." Drae tightened her rope again. "I'm sorry that it's causing you pain."

"If you were truly sorry, you would let me go."

"If I did, then we would all die in the cold."

With each step Fiera dyed snow red, a spotty trail of blood that led all the way from the elder's cove. The rope and the knife were covered in it, and Fiera saw her marks grow on them.

'Here we go.'

Fiera felt a strange cold sensation from the black rings on her arms, and snow curled up her body from the ground. It ran along the rope, until it reached Drae's hands.

"What are you doing, stop th-"

The rope turned to snow, and it latched around one of Drae's hands. The man whistled with his other hand in his mouth. 

Fiera felt her bindings loosen, and the knife merged into the rope of snow which had taken on a pinkish tinge. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Everyone, run. Follow my beast and I will handle her." A giant black bison appeared from the blizzard, creating a space behind it that was safe from the storm. 

The two of them faced each other amidst the blizzard, just close enough to see each other through the storm. 

"We were so close, virtue."

"I'm nobody's slave."

"No one said you were."

Fiera saw no emotion on the man's face, even now that the tables had turned. Despite everything he had done, she felt apathetic to it all. 

"If you want to continue on with me on your leash, that's fine with me. It would only be fair."

Fiera looked around, trying to find the footsteps of their group, but the blizzard had filled in any tracks.

"I . . . I don't know where to go."

Drae closed his eyes before turning various directions. "Give me a moment."

The pinkish rope of snow melded into Fiera's hands, and the storm seemed to grow even harsher the longer they waited. A small twister of snow was funneling from above into her body, and the cold no longer affected Fiera quite as much.

"Follow me." Drae tried to walk but Fiera's rope grew taut. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I was only doing what was right for the group."

"That's what everyone I've ever known has told me."

"Well, I mean it. I wouldn't have put you in such misery if lives weren't at stake."

Fiera gripped her end of the leash which had turned into pink rings, wondering what the right choice was.

"You're in control here. Either we can freeze to death while some creature hunts us, or you can let me take you to safety."

". . . okay."