The Last Layer. Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩
Ace, Cherry, Jim, and Anya, the four walking Granian weapons granted the ability to drain and weaponize blood in any creature, were made to scale a mountain as a form of their training exercises. With the reasons given to them, the Mutants quietly scaled the mountain and so far had not experienced any hardships.
While doing so, Ace was shocked with a wonderful surprise by his system that decided to suddenly go off on its own. This was its clever way of wanting him to rely more on his strength than the skills it could provide him. The end result was a young man who went from holding back and cowering a little to a slightly braver, tougher, and more muscular Mutant with ever-glowing red eyes.
At the moment, the Mutants were at the edge of the last layer of the mountain, the snow-covered layer.
The first was a dirt layer, having almost no difficulties climbing and certainly no life to combat or kill.
The second was a rocky layer with plenty of beasts for them to kill. So plenty that Ace was able to stock up enough blood to create clones out of them.
Now, the third layer, being the last one as well, was completely covered with snow that was most likely knee-high. As soon as they got there, they noticed the animal life living within the snowy layer and the incoming storm they were soon heading into. The Blood Mutants feared that all hell would break loose if they weren’t careful.
To make sure such did not happen, they made sure to be replenished, warm, and padded from the flesh they gathered from their killed beasts and even rested for a short while before journeying into the final layer.
"Let’s get this over with." With Ace taking the lead, Cherry and Anya in the middle, and Jim at the back, the Mutants started trekking to the top of the icy mountain peak. The snow was extremely thick, thicker than what the humans had back on Earth. Being almost as thick as mud, it became more of a challenge for them to walk without falling over. Added to its thickness was its intensely cold temperature. Even with layers of fur on, the cold snow still affected the Mutants to the point where their bodies started to shiver.
"Hardly thirty minutes in, and my legs are already cold!!" Cherry complained, opting to use her tendrils to scale the mountain instead. "Ace, why don’t we use our tendrils to scale the mountain instead of walking?"
"Because we’re heading into that," he pointed at the thick, dark clouds almost at eye level with them just up ahead. "Besides, using tendrils will expand your energy. It sounds easier, that I agree, but hardly an hour will pass and you’ll be exhausted. The best option we have is to keep walking."
The minutes turned into an hour. The Blood Mutants at this point were now slowly heading into the dark clouds. Upon making contact with them, their bodies began shivering even more. The coats of fur they had on were proving to be more useless. It was almost as if they were walking without any clothes on at this point.
"We have to do something about this, Ace," Cherry complained once more as she leaned on Ace. Her body, cold and limp, pressed hard against Ace who was having a hard time making his way through the thick snow while keeping his body and his sisters upright. Anya and Jim were finding it hard too, for they were older, thus having to expend more energy to keep themselves warm.
"Everyone, make tendrils and link them with each other’s so we don’t get lost." He said while wrapping his around Cherry to keep her from falling over. Cherry linked hers with Anya, and Anya linked hers with Jim.
’Just a little longer and we’ll be done with this.’ Ace encouraged himself and kept pushing forward. Since he was at the front, he decided to create an easier path for the others to pass, that way they would not have to use so much of their strength as he did.
"Can you guys hear me!!" Ace shouted, his ears deafened by the sound of the whirling wind and raging snow falling on them. His voice, competing with the noise of the snowstorm they walked into, was too low for the others to make out completely. Thankfully, he could still feel the links firmly attached, and yet he couldn’t see or hear them apart from Cherry, who, at this point, was basically letting Ace drag her.
"JIM!!! ANYA!!" He called but got no response, forcing him to stop and turn back. "GUYS!! CAN YOU HEAR ME!!"
He called out again and didn’t hear anything. Looking down, the links were frozen and shattered, just adding more dead weight to him and his sister.
’Oh good God.’ He worried. ’These must have fallen off a while ago.’
Squinting as hard as he could, Ace tried looking for the trail in hopes of rerouting his way back to Jim and Anya. Sadly, the trail was already covered with more snow, further showing how vigorously the storm dropped snow on them.
’Damn it,’ he cursed, looking for a secure place for him and his sister to wait out the storm.
All of a sudden, the boy’s legs were overcome with a painfully sharp irritation that brought him to his knees. Not knowing what it was, he quickly stood up on his feet, wrapping more tendrils around his sister so he wouldn’t lose her too.
’We’re not alone.’ He realized while staring at four silhouettes circling him and his sister. The silhouettes were about thirteen feet tall and shaped like humans. At the speed they were moving, Ace deduced that they might have grabbed Anya and Jim, just as they tried to grab him as well.
’I don’t have enough strength to fight.’ He cried, his body shivering, quaking, and aching due to the cold, thick snow. "Hold on tight, Cherry. I’ll get us out of this."