[Chr24] Avalanche! Watch Out!

The air was sharp, biting, and thin—a constant reminder of how far the group had climbed. The snowy mountains stretched endlessly around them, their jagged peaks clawing at the pale gray sky like the teeth of some ancient predator. Each step sank deep into the snow, the crunch of boots muffled, as though the mountain itself was swallowing the sound. Breath fogged in the air, each exhale quickly consumed by the icy winds. The cold was unrelenting, seeping through every layer of clothing to settle in their bones.

Anubis led the way, his posture stiff, his face set in a mask of determination. “Stay close and step where I step,” he ordered, his voice cutting through the wind. “This is no place for mistakes.”

“Got it,” Aviary chirped from behind, his words laced with an almost unnerving cheerfulness. His bright eyes darted to the trees above. “Did anyone else see that? Looked like another twiwa! Aurora did you see them?!” he exclaimed, speaking to his glacial twiwa that was flying just above them. The bird appeared to glance down at Aviary as he spoke, but gave no indication of emotions.

“Focus, Aviary,” Anubis snapped without looking back.

Darkk followed silently, his movements precise, his eyes scanning the terrain.
Somewhere far behind, Lyric had lagged, the only one bothering to stay behind with him was Snaps, Lyrics gingerbread shoon.
Every step felt like a battle against the unrelenting snow. They glanced over their shoulder uneasily, the vast expanse of white giving them the feeling of being watched by the mountain.

Then the tremor came.

It was faint at first—a whisper beneath the snow. Aviary froze, their breath hitching.
“Do you feel that?” he asked, their voice barely more than a whisper. Aurora hooted up at the sky, circling the group as couple of times, seemingly panicked.

Darkk paused, turning his sharp gaze to the slope. “Yes.”

The low rumble grew louder, a guttural growl that reverberated through the ground. Anubis’s head snapped toward the sound, his eyes narrowing.
“Avalanche!” he barked, his voice cutting through the growing roar. “Move! Now!”
The group turned, their hearts lurching. A wall of white chaos was racing toward them, tearing down the mountainside with impossible speed. The avalanche churned with brutal force, consuming everything in its path.

“Go!” Anubis shouted, gesturing toward a cluster of boulders further up the slope. “Get to the rocks!”

Aviary let out a strangled yelp, his earlier cheerfulness replaced with panic. “It’s coming too fast!”
“Then run faster!” snapped Anubis, already moving.
Darkk darted forward, his movements fluid, his eyes scanning for the safest route. “Stick to the shallow areas!” he called back

Behind them, the roar of the avalanche grew deafening, a relentless beast bearing down on them.

Lyric appeared suddenly from the mist, camera still in hand. He jogged toward the group with an eerie calm. “You’d think something like this would photograph better,” he said, almost to himself.

“Lyric!” Anubis snarled. “Move it, or you’ll be buried!”

Aviary slipped, letting out a terrified cry. The traveler grabbed his arm, hauling him upright.
“Thanks,” Aviary panted, his usual grin nowhere to be seen.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Lyric muttered.
The boulders loomed ahead, dark and jagged against the white chaos. Anubis reached them first, scaling the nearest one and turning to help the others.

“Hurry!” he shouted, his voice barely audible over the roar

Darkk scrambled up next, his movements quick and deliberate. Lyric followed, his expression unreadable as always.

Aviary reached the base just as the avalanche struck, the sheer force of it knocking him off his feet.

Snow surged around them, icy and suffocating. For a terrifying moment, he was certain he would be swallowed whole. Aurora hooted loudly in the air in panic, seeing her owner struggle in the snow

Then strong hands gripped Aviarhs arm, hauling them upward.

Anubis pulled them onto the rock, his face set in a scowl. “Keep moving, or it’ll pull you back!”

Aviary scrambled toward safety before collapsing next to the others.

Everyone accounted for?” Anubis demanded, scanning the group.

“Barely,” Aviary muttered, his voice shaky.
Darkk, ever composed, simply nodded. “We’re clear.”

Lyric was petting Snaps, his expression oddly serene.

For a moment, they sat in silence, the roar of the avalanche fading into the distance. The world around them was eerily quiet, the devastation left behind stark against the pristine snow.

Anubis stood, his shadow long against the rock. “No time to rest. We keep moving.”

“Of course we do,” Lyric said dryly, snapping a quick photo of the aftermath.

Aviary let out a nervous laugh, brushing snow from his coat. “Anyone else feel like the mountain’s trying to kill us?”

“The mountain isn’t trying,” Darkk replied, his tone quiet but firm. “It just will if you’re careless.”

“Exactly,” Anubis added, his voice firm. “Now, let’s go.”

The group rose, shaken but alive, and pressed on into the cold, unforgiving expanse.