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Part 2: Blizzard
"#%$," Tasuki muttered to himself as his feet sank into the snow again, "I knew I should’ve brought a coat." He reached for his fan, "Lekka Shien!" The snow melted, leaving a huge muddy puddle, that was waist deep. And Tasuki was right in the middle of it. "#%$!"
He managed to pull himself back onto solid ground...er...snow, and continued his grumbling. After about ten minutes he had used up his entire collection of curses, as well as all his complaints, and his feet were getting numb. He glanced around, "Where am I?" He shrugged, "It doesn’t matter, all I have to do is retrace my path to get back. He glanced down at his tracks in the snow, "It shouldn’t be too hard..."
A snowflake landed on his nose. "Oh great," he muttered, "it’s #$%& snowing." He started to walk back to the cave. Unfortunately the snow was beginning to fall faster now. "I can’t #%$& see anything!" He swore, shielding his eyes from the flying snow with one hand, "Just my luck to be caught in a $^%# snowstorm."
It was getting even harder to see where he was going, and Tasuki was beginning to feel a little desperate. He pulled out his fan, "Lekka Shien!" The wave of fire succeeding in clearing the snow blocking his vision, at least temporarily. Unfortunately it also turned the snow on the ground into a slushy mess that stuck to his legs and refroze. Tasuki hesitated, he didn’t want to try melting it with his fan, he might get burnt. Yet, if he didn’t do anything about the ice freezing on his legs then he might not be able to make it back to the cave.
"#^%$!" He was already losing feeling in his lower legs. He looked around wildly, not only were his legs frozen, the falling snow had covered up his tracks as well. It didn’t look too good for him. "#%^$..." His curse was half-hearted, he felt a twinge of despair. I’m never gonna get back this way! But if I stay out here...I’ll freeze to death...I have to do something!
He could no longer feel his feet, but he pushed on anyway. He needed to find shelter, someplace he could get out of the cold and wait out the storm. It didn’t look good, though. There weren’t any caves nearby, no houses, not even any hollow trees. Tasuki’s knees gave out and he fell into the snow, catching himself with his hands. He snarled futilely, but couldn’t regain his feet.
Oh great, he thought, I’m going to freeze to death in the middle of the Hokkan Empire. What a joke, considering I’m a Suzaku seishi whose ability is to throw fire. He laughed bitterly, reaching for the tessen strapped to his back. He couldn’t even feel it. Suddenly it seemed as if it wasn’t so cold anymore. So tired...I have to rest a moment...
A sound caused him to snap back to awareness. He raised his head and listened carefully. He heard it again, a low snarl, but he couldn’t see anything that might have made it. Suddenly, less then two feet in front of him, a solid form seemed to materialize. It was a wolf, as white as the snow flying around on all sides of him. Its eyes were like molten gold.
Tasuki suddenly felt hopeful, even a wolf couldn’t survive outside in a storm like this. It must have a den or something...I can get out of the snow...
The wolf snarled again and turned around, walking away leisurely. Tasuki was startled, "Hey! Wait!" The animal did not slow down, and Tasuki staggered to his feet and tried to follow, "Hold up!" He had only gone a couple of steps before his numb legs gave out and he pitched, face-first, into the snow. When he raised his head to look for the wolf, the animal was gone. "#$%&!"
"Hoy there!" A voice called out, "Is anyone out there?"
Tasuki glanced up hopefully, "Hai! Hai! Over here!" He raised himself on his hands and knees, "Come on! I’m @$%^ing over here!" Tasuki stopped yelling as a figure loomed above him. "%^#^!" He muttered to himself, "It’s %^&*ing big!" He looked up, and tried to get to his feet, but a wave of dizziness came over him and he collapsed in the snow.