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Chapter Nine: The Demon in the Snow

Upon reaching the town of Winter Ridge, Koza and Tera wasted no time wandering in. The snowfall was now at a constant pace, gentle as it was. The entire town was coated in a thin film of snow, which was reflecting the light from the morning sun, causing the entire town to glow softly. Koza suggested that they find an inn where they could rent a room for the night. Tera commented that it was barely morning, and that the day hadn’t even started yet. Koza said that he planned on spending the entire day in this place, since it was rare to find anywhere that was as cold as this. With a name like Winter Ridge, he figured it must stay cold and snowy all year long. Tera agreed, and the two wandered through the town in search of an inn. Besides, when was the last time either of them had actually slept in a real bed?

Crunch… crunch… crunch… The sound of them walking through the freshly fallen snow echoed softly in the stillness of the early morning. A building with a snow covered sign protruding out of the side simply said “Inn” in bright red letters. Still holding hands, Koza and Tera made their way inside, away from the cold. A fire was going in the brick fireplace, filling the room with its rhythmic crackling. An old looking couch was stationed in front of the fireplace, along with a dark oak coffee table. Both were sitting on a red wool rug with a gold outline. Koza and Tera made their way up to the counter to check in. After obtaining their room key, the two headed back outside to explore the town.

The air was crisp and smelled of snow. All of the houses had smoke rising out of their chimneys. As they walked along, their footprints were slowly covered up by the fresh snowfall. There were multiple stores full of all sorts of various items. One of the shops was similar to the Rock Shop in Aurum Town. It had its fair share of gemstones, but also multiple glass objects, such as statues and vases. Tera asked if they could go in. Koza didn’t care, but he wasn’t going to waste money on anything. Tera practically dragged him into the store in her excitement. Opening the door, a bell tied above on the inside rang, signaling their entrance. The person at the counter greeted them as they walked in.

As she looked over at the person to greet them back, Tera stopped and gasped. On a rack that was sitting on the counter hung a necklace with a pure white, snow colored gemstone in the shape of a heart. She walked up slowly and stared at the necklace intently.

“Its beautiful…” she said in awe.

“Ah, yes. That’s a real treasure right there. That stone is known as a Snow Demon Tear, a type of gemstone found only around Winter Ridge. It’s extremely valuable, and it’s not something you can find just lying around. As such, it is also extremely expensive,” explained the man at the counter. A look of disappointment came over Tera face as she wandered off through the rest of the store. He then turned to Koza and said a little softer, “However, were you to find one just lying around outside, because of its rarity, if you bring it back here, I’d be happy to polish and shape it into anything you want, for free. Of course, what are the odds of that?” The man at the counter laughed, annoying Koza.

Koza thought to himself for a moment, smiled, then followed after Tera to see the rest of the store. She seemed sad about not being able to afford the necklace. Koza wanted to help, but he knew that even with his money and hers combined, they couldn’t afford something of that value. He did, however, have a backup plan. After they were done looking around the rest of the store, the two headed off further into the town. Tera suggested that they find a restaurant somewhere. Koza agreed, since neither of them could remember the last time they ate anything decent. Not having to look too far, the two stumbled upon a small little family owned restaurant not too far from the shop they had been in previously.

After ordering, the two got into a small discussion about the Snow Demon Tear necklace Tera had found. She said that she really wanted it, but knew that they couldn’t afford it. Koza said nothing of what he had planned, but he knew it’d make her happy. After eating, the two headed back to the inn for a bit, walking along slowly and enjoying each other’s company. They talked of how cool it would be to live in a place like Winter Ridge, where it snowed year round. They said that someday, they might like to move into a house somewhere close by. Laughing at the thought, they made their way to the inn.

Once inside, they went over and sat in the couch that was in front of the fireplace. As much as they enjoyed the cold, they both agreed that nothing beat warming up to a fire on a cold winter day. As they were sitting and talking, one of the employees brought them both each a mug of hot chocolate, which surprised both of them. They thanked the person and continued talking for the rest of the day. When nightfall came, Koza suggested that they turn in for the night. Yawning, Tera agreed. They got up and headed for the room.

Upon entering, Tera headed for the bathroom to change. Koza simply laid down on top of his bed and closed his eyes. Coming out a few minutes later, she noticed Koza had fallen asleep on top of the bed. She laughed to herself, and got into her own bed next to his. She drifted peacefully off to sleep shortly after.

Koza opened one eye and peered over at Tera, who was fast asleep. He then quietly got off of the bed and snuck out of the room. Quietly creeping outside, Koza wandered through the town and made his way for the back gate. He had heard that it lead to a pathway into a nearby forest maze. The forest was rumored to be riddled with Snow Demon Tears. He figured he would just sneak in, look around for a big chunk, and sneak back out to the shop from before without going too far in to avoid getting lost. Upon reaching the back gate, he wandered off down the path. After a few minutes of walking, he came upon the entrance to a snow covered forest. Before he had a chance to advance, he heard something rustling behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with what looked to be a giant, white fox with sapphire blue eyes. It simply stared at him for a moment, then leaped over him completely, and vanished into the forest. Koza had no idea what he had just seen, but he didn’t care to find out. However, he knew how much a Snow Demon Tear meant to Tera…




Next Chapter: Crazy Days in the Forest Maze