Taking Shelter

The blizzard was getting worse. 

Akeem should have predicted that the storm would appear before he went out for an evening flight. The winds had gotten harsher and then once the rain had started, it told him there was no way he would be able to head back to Fidelia. Thankfully he landed before the weather got any worse, the rain turning to snow and the wind howling around him. It made the trees creak as they shuddered, the wind shaking them down to their roots. 

He shuffled his wings closer to try to provide warmth for himself. The snow was soaking into his scales, icy coldness melting in. He needed to find shelter fast.

For a moment, Akeem wished he had Rivia and Monti’s Earth magic. That would make finding a shelter easy if he could just build himself one. And with him landlocked, there were no lakes for him to take shelter in and ride out the storm. He would not risk trying to fly even more in this weather, he had a feeling he could get himself more lost.

Opening his maw to take in the scents - and coincidentally snow - he tried to focus on the smells of rock. For a moment, all he could taste was the bark of the trees around him before the scent finally registered. Hopefully it was a cave and he was not just going to walk straight into a mountain. Quickly, his maw snapped shut to avoid getting even more snow down his gullet.

It was a bit difficult to wade through the snow even with his large build. His wings were pressed tight to his body to preserve any body heat he had and his head lowered. It was hard to see with the flurry of snowflakes that flashed past him but the darkness of trees at least gave him a hint before he could walk into them. As he moved though, he could hear a faint whistling, of wind trying to find their way into a cramped space. His heart soared at the sweet sound and he hurried his pace.

It was not long until he stumbled towards it. Before him was a yawning entrance to a cave. Thankfully, it was large enough to shelter him, though it would be a tight fit. He might have to curl up to fit inside fully. His wings twitched a little, already knowing they might get cramped during the waiting period.

Akeem was about to step into the cave when a loud growl forced him to a pause. It was a warning.

From the darkness, two bright eyes appeared and focused in on him. A new growl erupted from the cave’s apparent owner and he could hear heavy footsteps as they stepped closer. Akeem tensed up, prepared to back away and possibly do either fight or flight when the creature stepped into the light. Under normal circumstances, and if he had Fidelia or Vita or Aila with him, he might have taken them more as a threat. Their teeth and claws showed they were not to be taken lightly - but in comparison to his size, they looked small.

The creature was a bit bigger than Quilla and yet smaller than Rivia. They reeked of fear and they had yet to charge at him. They instead stared up at them and growled, their white fur fluffing up to make themselves look bigger than they truly were. Akeem only felt sympathy for the poor thing who seemed more terrified of him than anything else.

“Shhh, it’s ok,” Akeem whispered and the creature let out another snarl. He didn’t step closer in case they decided to take a swipe at him. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

The creature gave a whine, tilting its head at his words. They still weren’t convinced. Maybe if he showed he meant no harm, it would be alright. Taking in a breath, Akeem focused in on the howling wind around them. Carefully, he grabbed at it with his Wind magic and swirled it away from them along with the falling snow. In a quick moment, he and the creature were left in a bubble that was free from the charging winds. 

The creature tilted its head again, maw open as it stared at what Akeem had just done. Their beady eyes were soon back on him. He gave a shrug before asking the needed question.

“Can I take shelter with you?”