Naren was used to those words. He's probably heard about a hundred variations of them, to the point where he could predict them before even coming out. The same look of confusion and unfamiliarity. Followed by an apologetic glint in their eyes, for forgetting something so basic.
"Who are you?"
He learned to live with it. Often times forgoing the answer as a remedy for the inevitable. But now it was different, now he was among shaman. And now he even found someone who remembered him, just as Alice had told him: "Shaman with a lotta willpower like me won't forget you too easily. They have already steeled their resolve enough to not be veered by a petty spite."
He stared at the curly haired private.
"Ya know her?"
Naren shook his head.
"I'm Naren."
That was that. He got up right after, already bored of wherever this conversation would take him. It was unproductive anyways.
"So what now?"
Yuna was deep in thought. Naren could guess what she was thinking: How do we withstand the Pnoe?
The guards might be gone for now, but they'll definitiely be back by dawn, if this is really a nightly routine. So they have to make a way to dissappear before then. Some way to walk through this desolate white land at night.
Yuna's eyes darted around. The white material, statue, the floor, Cairo's flames, the walls, the sky. It seemed like she was taking every single possiblity into account. She cracked her neck and stretched her hands.
"We've got one go."
———————
Within an icy ravine, carved houses and structures stood absorbing the pressure from the night sky. Along one such wall, four figures were pressed up, completely flat against the icy surface. Moving ever so slightly at a time: A one-eyed man, followed by a curly haired girl, followed by a girl with a flower in her hair, and a red haired boy in the back.
"Ya sure...this is better?"
Cairo was still feeling the pressure. Everyone was. Though Naren was the only one who could tell how much better it truly was. After experiencing the full brunt, this was nothing more than just a couple hundred pounds on his head. Compared to a couple thousand that is.
"You...wanna...test it?"
Yuna kicked a little bump in the wall, chipping a way a pebble of ice that rolled onto the ground. Or at least it tried rolling, as soon as it detached from the wall, it crumbled into fine dust. Seeing this Yuna couldn't help but mutter. Something nobody else but Naren could hear: "How'd that guy even survive?"
"I just...thought about...butterflies."
Yuna glanced over at him, as best she could with the pressure. But she didn't say anything.
One by one, little by little, the four made their way, sliding through the wall. Thankfully, the gate had an overhang right above it, so they weren't immediately crushed by the pnoe before even making it to the wall.
Making it to an underpass, the party was finally able to relax. Chrys fell onto the ground, grasping for air, relaxing her muscles. The other three stayed standing, Yuna leaning up against the wall for support. They made it past the easy part, according to Yuna's plan.
"Cairo, lemme lean on you man."
Naren leaned on the sturdy man, yawning. He was getting really tired by now. Normally he would sleep at least twelve hours a day, but lately that numbers been dwindling.
"I'm so sleepy. How about we take five Yuna?"
She didn't respond. Instead, she was focused once more. Looking up into the sky this time, as if trying to calculate just how long they had left until dawn. Well no way she could assume all that through how foggy it was.
"We have maybe an hour before the guards come back."
'Smart.'
"If your friend can really take us to the Tomb of Atlas, then we should split into two groups."
"Yeah yeah, I'm gettin my sword."
"Fine, fossil you can get all our confiscated belongings with chrys. Naren, let's worry about your friend."
Chrys, gave Cairo a look of apprehension. The brooding man in return didn't give her the luxary of a glance at all. Ignoring her all together.
"Whatever ya want weed-head."
"O-okay."
Yuna pointed towards the layer above them. The whole ravine was in layers — floors carved out every hundred meters or so. Totaling four including the bottom floor. The one above them seemed to hold all the combat related facilties: Mess hall, training ground, barracks.
Yuna specifically pointed to a reinforced chamber carved deep into the ice wall. A single entrance with a heavy white door. By the looks of the shadow cast by the lanterns overhead, it seemed like there was even a guard there. Naren could hear them, breathing ever so slightly.
"She's out of earshot right now, but be quiet up there. That buildings where they put our things."
Naren couldn't even hear Cairo's footsteps leaving. Only the sounds of a clumsy pair trying hard to cut noise. The heat leaving along with him, making Naren shiver slightly.
"We have to—"
As her gaze fell on Naren, he was staring up into the black sky. Golden eyes completely fixed onto nothing in particular.
"The stars are so beautiful."
"There are no stars."
"You're not looking hard enough."
"There's nothing there at all."
Naren looked down at Yuna.
"You gotta feel them."
"What kind of bull are you spewing?"
"You got me. At least there woulda been something pretty up there."
He took one last glance into the empty night sky before fixing his gaze back on Yuna, scrunching his face slightly.
"Not a single pretty thing down here."
Yuna gave him a dirty glance.
"Go off yourself."
She turned her head back towards the floors above, while Naren giggled to himself.
"As for your friend."
She pointed at another building on the layer above, opposite side of where they were: A chamber was carved into the ice, roughly circular, maybe five meters across with low arched ceilings.
———————
The ceiling was high and arched, reinforced with wooden beams coming down from the ceiling to the floor. There were two floors, the top had ice completely expose, while the body had thick pelts lining the walls and floor, keeping the warmth in. Several bodies sprawled out over the floor. Each and every one had a weapon right next to them. A spear, sword, shield, bow.
Among them, was a blonde girl with pale skin. Slight freckless scattered around her face holding onto a spear while snoring away. Right next to her was little girl in an oversized button up shirt, and a long skirt.
Vera's eyes were wide open, scanning the room around her. Her breathing froze up and she didn't know what else to do but nod after seeing that mask . Not that she had any intention of staying here that was. None whatsoever.
'I have to find Naren."
Just then the door swung open. Two figures in the doorway, dimmly illuminated by the orange glow of the lanterns outside.
"This scarf isn't ugly!"
"Shut up. Shut up. You're so loud!"
"I'm loud?! You're gonna burst my ears!"
"Yeah? I'm gonna tear them off!"
"Ow! Ow! Yuna let go!"
"Then stop shouting!"
The whole sleeper quarters sprung up at once. All ready with their weapons in hand. All facing the same two figures.
A girl with dark blue hair, and a purple flower in her hair holding the ear of a boy with dark red curly hair, converging into black tips. A crimson scarf warpped around him.