(ACE) The FROST Team

OoC)) Skip, got a busy day today but I'll come back to this as soon as I can.

The crunch of the icy ground was a welcome and somber change to the barn-wood floor. While not much of a difference the dry air burned as she breathed in, a frozen cloud following on her exhale in the outside chill. Soon, she was reminded, the snow would be on this area and would bring with it a fresh chill. Walking onto barren ground she stops and tosses the head out in front of her unceremoniously. With heavy beats of his wings Flamey tosses his cargo forward with more grace, allowing the corpse to fall into a mostly natural position. With the loss of hydraulic pressure its legs were already starting to curl, and its dull eyes had faded to the black of death. Grinding her teeth Green tossed the armful of straw on top of it and watched Flamey fly off without need for direction.

Scanning the barren earth Green lingers close to the farm. The field of holes would provide plenty of kindling but the risk was not worth her piece of mind. Along the fence and within the weeds she gathered a collection of brush, sticks, and broken planks. It would burn easy, bugs always did, so one good armful was more than enough. Stacking it upon the corpse so the quick burns would rise she waits for Flamey to return with his own bundle of branches and arranges accordingly. Stepping back to a safe distance her Talonflame lets rip a stream of fire, lighting the brush instantly and catching the splintered wood full of embers. The smell of burning was instant, a free fire coming to life and climbing as it consumed the fuel piled below. Finally, Flamey came to his own rest upon her shoulders, his first moment of calm since arriving at this barn, and the pair watched the rising smoke in silence.

"I hope this is alright." The Meowth frets with a concern-filled mew. Through filled cheeks the Wigglytuff's silky voice manages to escape, "Its no trouble, deary." Expanded to a size to allow ample cushion and minimal drop from her round tummy to the ground, Jiggly tapped her tummy to signal 'bombs away!' to those above. Compared to attacks, falls, and drops she had taken in the past these crates of varying weights were child's play. "Much appreciated." He follows up, clearly not convinced this was a simple task on her part. "Anytime~." She coo's, tired eyes tipping off toward the door in curious search of her trainer.

"Do we actually need that many seeds...?" He asks another question, and whether it was directed at one Pokemon or not the Wigglytuff's attention was caught. "Seeds, for plantin' and growin' and such?" She had to take in her surroundings quickly when called, a habit for all trainer Pokemon, and while 'barn' had registered the purpose had not. "A few seeds goes a long way, Sweetie. Think of how much space you have to work with. That'll tell you how much you can handle." Looking at the crates as she deflates to normal size Jiggly could tell even one box was more than most shelters would be able to handle, especially given the chill she had felt in the air. By the minimal amount of noise Jiggly could assume this group was small, though she did not know if there were more, and surmised they could not defend the massive area needed to grow dozens if not thousands of seeds. "Berry trees grow fast and produce rapidly; a few will go a long way."

With a satisfying th-thunk another crate safely made its journey to the floor. With a heaving breath Kolven took a second for himself and stared at what they had sent down so far. It seemed like a lot, and with a bead of sweat he grew more and more concerned of hauling it all back to the mansion. Checking for permission from the Wigglytuff and receiving a signal he takes the chance to hop down as well, the plush feeling of her springy body surprisingly comfortable as he rolled gently to the floor. With deft paws Kolven carefully pried open one of the crates, its wood holding up surprisingly well for the years of neglect. Inside were rows of handmade and store-bought seed packets, with images of plants upon them that he both did and didn't recognize.

Love and care were obviously put into sorting these seeds out, and Kolven was forced to pause as he gazed upon them. Their owner was no longer around, but taking anything so precious still left a sour taste in the humble feline's mouth. "Seeds, for plantin' and growin' and such?" The fae Pokemon asks, having come in late to the entire situation. "Yes, we were going to bring them back to a greenhouse and try growing a few." Would it work though? How many did they need, how many would survive? Are they like fish? Goldeen's laid hundreds of eggs in hopes a handful would survive. With a longing glance the cat knew not if they needed that many.. "A few seeds goes a long way, Sweetie. Think of how much space you have to work with. That'll tell you how much you can handle." How much space? Back in Saffron gardening space was rare, what with it being a booming city, but people made due with window boxes and rooftop greenhouses. They were always full of plants, but Kolven had no reason to ever count them. Just a handful, or maybe a dozen in the bigger ones..?

Regardless, his muzzle twists as he realizes, I never saw the greenhouse. I dont even know how big it is, or how big these things will get! Suddenly this entire endeavor felt very overwhelming, with so many factors coming to mind the cat had not thought of. Was gardening really his complicated? Nature truly is amazing to do this without help. Shaking off any apprehension Kolven regains his soft smile. "Honestly I don't know how big the space is. You'd have to ask Drake." He purrs with an awkward chuckle while tipping his amber gaze toward the Charmeleon. Snatching the burlap sack Clover had brought over Kolven inspected it for tears or holes. It looked solid, with no gaps or overly thin spots, and would graciously be able to hold their selection. "Berry trees grow fast and produce rapidly; a few will go a long way." Berry trees? Are they not all food? Legends help them, if they did all this for a field of flowers.. "You're right; iif we have a limit," he continues while running a paw through the box of seeds, "We should probably stick to the berry bushes."

Clover remained quiet but did not seek to hide her presence as she followed the human outside. She did not appear to be feeding, to want the catch for herself as she carried it haphazardly away. A waste, a sin! Why would she take it from her then?! Clover practically panted as she watched the body bob in the Talonflame's grip. Digging her paws into the dirt she hurried herself forward to catch up, and mrrow'ed in displeasure that her catch was not being used properly. In the same nonesense motion she dropped it on the ground and both walked away. Ignored by the others Clover simply sat and watched, tail flicking impertinently as she guarded the kill.

Despite craving it, wanting it, feeling desperate for the corpse the little bit she had put in to it was.. disappointing. Even as she crouched, watching its body grow cold and hard in the frosted air her desire to feed off of it specifically was.. lacking. Hunger gnawed at her belly, and her focus was entirely on the bee, yet she could not see it as a worthwhile meal. With a curious tilt of her head the cat did not know why. Even as snowflakes settled on her pelt her drive for food just could not bring her to pounce.

When the human and bird returned with wood with grass Clover had faint memories of campfires and cookouts. Did the human mean to cook this bug? Faded memories of hauntingly delectable smells drifted through her mind.. steaks, friend chicken, hotdogs.. her tongue lolls to one side, the want for food the brightest thought in her mind.
Then, the crackle of fire returned her to the present. Unlike a grill, spitroast, or normal campfire this blaze climbed upward and the bee was completely engulfed in it. It vanished within the smells, the smells that followed not at all like the savory meat scents she remembered. Burning, charring, ash and wood, it sent alarm throughout her pelt as the cat leaped to her paws. With a panicked growl she hisses at the human, tail trashing, "Why waste it?!"

With Jack letting the Wigglytuff take care of the rest, the pikachu jumps down from the second floor and lands on the ground. In truth, he doesn’t know how much space was in Drake’s greenhouse that they can use. Speaking of the charmeleon, he was starting to look outside. Jack never thought of what he might be looking for other than the sign of the weather changing more. "Berry trees grow fast and produce rapidly; a few will go a long way." Nodding to that, the others look like they’re also harvested crops that are pretty good. "We should probably stick to the berry bushes." A slight giggle came from Jack but in good humor. He was thinking about something he had a while ago that was one of the tastiest soups involving oran berries and other ingredients. What he wouldn’t give to have that again.

Drake was staring outside noticing the clouds continuing to slowly move on and the flurries becoming more of a light snow. He hoped that Maka was right about the timing. The warmth of the fire though had then popped into his head. “Shit, the fireplace!” The Charmeleon had said out loud. He forgot to get the wood into it before they left. Then he remembered Finn was still there. Afterwards a shrug came from him. “Oh well, Finn’s got it covered….hopefully.” Drake doubted the Braixen’s ability since that other fire type wasn’t smart enough to figure out where the wood is. Turning to look at the others, he knew what Green was doing. Common to burn and cremate the body so the infected can’t spread their infected blood on it. Walking over to it and seeing what they was planning, he gave a moment of silence.

Jack on the other hand went to make sure everything was good. “Looks like everything’s here. You know, this gives me an idea on a soup I had back home. I know at least most of the ingredients we need but it needed a hint of something.” The pikachu said as he looks at each bag. Oran berry seeds and various other seeds and roots. “Fresh oran berry soup I think it was called. It would be awesome if we all had it sometime.” With that, Jack then seen the fire and what Green was doing. That, he gave then some silence for what’s to come.

Unflinching, unblinking, unreadable, with cold eyes Green stared at the flames and the shrinking pile of kindling. The thick taste smell of char and burn lifted with the smoke, the cloud dark and black as it penetrated the grey sky. It was a painfully familiar smell, something done far too often in this age for safeties sake. The splintered wood caught easily, and threw embers out as it split under the stress of the heat. Was this a good thing? Such scenes were often emotionally heavy, but Green felt bitterly hollow as she watched. Which way should she feel; she didn't know this Pokemon, didn't care about this place, and didn't wish to risk a new undead. Desecrating this land, euthanizing a living Pokemon, wasting its meat before the body had even gone cold, not allowing a familiar to offer a goodbye.. she was too numb to feel or care about the whirlwind of emotions burning away within her pyre. The flames grew, burning hot and white as they greedily consumed their kindling, taking with them any chance to care or repent.

Flamey shuffled on her shoulder, bothered and alerting her to something while not fully interrupting their vigil. Clover's presence had not gone unnoticed, the undead literally attracted like a moth to a flame as they went about their work. It hissed and spat, like the feral creature it was as the food source went up in flames. How long could these Pokemon live in their delusion that this was safe? It would turn on them eventually, killing or infecting the ones that tended to it, that had loved it once upon a time. Unlike the lapdog back at Pastoria this thing didn't seem as bodily stable, but that made it all the more pointless to keep. You aren't even useful. A liability was a liability, and this blatant stain upon the group would eventually tear them apart.

"Why waste it?!"

But then again, it was different from that Weavile. Somehow, it could still talk. Hoarsely, roughly, but coherently enough that some thought was clearly ticking through its exposed skull. It responded to Kolven's commands, processing his words alongside its own. How was that even possible with a body so degraded as hers..? "Better than it ending up like you." With a voice eerily flat and cold Green could scarcely believe she was responding to an undead. "You left it anyway." Flamely scoffed, feathers ruffling as he eyed the pitiful creature with a tense gaze.

The fire continued to smolder, climbing to the heavens that did not exist, and crackling under its own might. With the pitiful undead's presence her vigil was soured, the reality of it being a waste of time settling uncomfortably upon her skin. Turning away from the flames, as it had nothing in direct proximity to light and be a threat to, she walked back to the barn without so much as a mental farewell.

Inside, her Pokemon immediately turned to her with a soft, concerned gaze. Such kindness radiated from her old friend who always worried for her well-being first, an understanding look that had seen too much sorrow. Reaching out, Green gave her a gentle ear rub, Wiggly's favorite comfort and praise. She beamed, her task successful and complete despite all the missing details, and she was returned to her ball with a whispered, "Thank you." These Pokemon were now standing around, the crates moved and ready to be pillaged. Why did they delay? Aside from the seeds there was nothing here for them but death and loneliness. "What do we have?" Green inquires sternly, approaching the crates without needing a response. Carefully organized packets from a skilled and loving hand, long since deceased no doubt, with living sustaining seeds categorized within them.

Running a soft paw through the box Kolven gently flicks the packets to get a loose count and visual inspection. While he tried to sniff the contents the thick coating to hay dust and regular dust was enough to make anyones face ooze profusely and immediately jammed his senses. With a grumble he pulls his muzzle away and rubs it with one paw. He didn't expect much scent from seeds anyway, but it was still a bit frustrating as he soothed his burning nostrils. Casting a seeking glance at the others he waits patiently for input on the seeds but the others were understandably distant. Using the task as a distraction but not present at all. Turning his sights back to the box Kolven stares blankly forward, knowing all too well that grief was a hard mistress to overcome, even if the lost was not one of their own.

“Looks like everything’s here. You know, this gives me an idea on a soup I had back home. I know at least most of the ingredients we need but it needed a hint of something.” Jack says after a quick look at the packs, his thoughts drifting somewhere more pleasant in the much needed distraction. With a light sigh the tomcat lets a smile crease his face. "Soup sure sounds lovely." He purrs, allowing himself to indulge as well. “Fresh oran berry soup I think it was called. It would be awesome if we all had it sometime.” Oran berries.. a hardy, ubiquitous fruit that would certainly aid them regardless of their ability to cook. Thumbing through the packs the cat cursed his inability to read, and the misleading pictures of multiple berries on each pack.

"What do we have?" Ears perking gratefully at the humans return Kolven's tail curls with delight. "Seeds, lots of them." He confirms for her, whiskers twitching as he gazed upon the packs. "But Im not sure what each of them is though," Unable to read or smell, he pulls a pack from the crate and feels for the seeds inside. "But we should take the Orans, of course, and anything else that's reasonable." Setting the pack down Kolven grabs the small sack Clover had brought to him. "This is for the keepers." He was quick to explain as he holds the bag open.


Better than it ending up like you. Clover could feel her frozen blood start to boil. With a thrashing tail she growls at the human, red eye blazing with indignation. It shimmered in the light of the flame an even more brilliant crimson, and undeniable symbol of her reanimation. "It's nOT!" She spits, words hitching and coming to a sudden end as she had no response, no defense. All thoughts his a dead pause with only a prickling rage tingling through her skin. She was not?

The human did not humor her pathetic comeback, leaving the scene before ceremonies end. With another angsty growl Clover's calls out to her, alerting the girl to the hazardous flames she was leaving behind, but Green did not turn back or respond. It was just her and the blazing, deathly fire. Its heat ached against her icy skin, like a stabbing pain as she stared instensely into the center of the pyre. The Beedrill could not be seen, even its scent was lost under that of wood, flame, and ash. The rising smoke blew in the cold wind, its caustic smell reminder her body of past pains. Digging her claws into the hardened ground the Meowth felt her hackles raise as the pungent memory of murderous Arcanine's returned to her.

OoC)) Skip, I can't think of anything for Drake and Jack to do at the moment.

"Seeds, lots of them." Withholding snark as the cat pointed out the obvious Green approaches and kneels next to the set of open crates. Running her hands gently across the packets a wave of nostalgia hits her, better days lost to time growing plants from these same pouches. "But Im not sure what each of them is though," he laughed awkwardly while holding up a packet. Had he said otherwise she would have been shocked, but gave no reaction while squinting at the raised item. "Well that ones got Chesto seeds in it. Probably not the best choice." The dry fruit did best along craggy and mountainous areas, and could probably survive this frozen wasteland, but it wasn't the most nutritious or helpful type.

Looking back in the box Green has to take a mental step back after judging the berry. These are for eating first, medicinal effect comes second. Survivability and production rate were key here, and Green searched the packs with that at the forefront of her mind. "But we should take the Orans, of course, and anything else that's reasonable." Orans. Prolific, hardy, useful, healing; a perfectly ubiquitous berry out-classed only by its cousin Sitrus. Thumbing through the box Green is pleased to find a vast number with Oran labels, and takes out a small pinch of packs. "Got it." She vocalizes, setting them aside to continue her search.

If she had the leisure to dawdle and look deeper into this Green would have taken out her botany book. Some plants would do better out here than others, but they had a greenhouse to negate the frozen world, and whatever was in this box reasonably would have been grown freely on this farm. The lack of common Pecha Berries told her as much, as the delicate plant would never prosper in this cold.

The number of each type of berry, among other plants, told its own story of what sold best or was most needed out here. A forgotten pack of Lum Berries stuck to the back of a row. Perhaps at one point they were sold for a good price here, but those days were as dead as the plants. They were useful but, being notoriously unforgiving to grow, would not be worth their time now. "This is for the keepers." The cat held up a bag, and placing her Oran packs inside finalizes her selection.

Pulling out a small handful of packs, far more than they should need, Green collected a variety of seeds that should serve them well. Setting them inside the burlap she offers only a quick explanation. "Alright, you got plenty of Oran berries. The Yache and Tamato berries will help keep you warm, and there was one pack of Sitrus in here too, luck enough." It wasn't a massive variety, the flavors tipping in one direction, but they would serve the group well out here.

"Well that ones got Chesto seeds in it. Probably not the best choice." Green retorts while taking the reigns. With another chuckle the cat returns the pack to the box, accepting his role on the sideline. A slight purr rumbles in his throat, grateful for the assistance of one with skills he had never gained. "Not out here at least." Speaking lightheartedly Kolven wished there was more chatter in the space, but when the others remained quiet and Green does not respond he knows it is still too soon. Between grief, the general vibe, and her focus it would be hard to hold any sort of conversation. Instead, he simply smiles and readies the sack for the selected seeds.

Waiting patiently he watches as the girl filters through the packets at a lightning pace, discerning what each was with little more than a glance while pulling select packs out. Even when finished and their selection had been placed into the sack Kolven was shocked by how little it weighed. Was the heft of the crate really all from the container itself? "Alright, you got plenty of Oran berries. The Yache and Tamato berries will help keep you warm, and there was one pack of Sitrus in here too, lucky enough." Green explains, the spread surprising small yet plentiful for all the packets she had pulled. Trusting the human's judgement Kolven assumed they would all do well here, and pulled the bag closed for safe keeping. "Its perfect, thank you." He purrs gratefully, and tipping his head toward Jack and Drake while closing the crate back up. "Yaches might be nice in that soup." He suggests with a coo, the idea still peaking his interest for when they got back to the mansion.  

Staring at the crates they had taken down a twinge pulls at his heartstrings. After all that effort they would be little more than pillagers, leaving the place worse for wear with their spoils in tow. The barn would lay abandoned, the death of its resident felt only in silence and likely forgotten by the next day.. It sunk like a stone in his heart, a heartbreaking and common scene that he had witnessed too many times now. Still, the smile remains on his maw, his care for the others always coming first.

With a twisting knot in his belly Kolven realized hunger was creeping up on him again, yet they had nothing immediate to show for their venture. They had a long walk ahead of them and nothing but sorrow awaited them at the mansion. With a hard blink he pushes the negativity away, and focuses on the 'success' of their mission, no matter how small it felt in reality. "Well, we got what we came for. Should we head back?" He keeps the suggestion open, not wishing to prematurely push them out as he awaited answers, but as soon as it leaves his mouth the tomcat realized Clover was not among them.

Scanning the room he recalls she had followed Green outside but not back in, and watched the open door with a scrutinizing gaze as a cold bead of sweat rolls across his neck. The light scent of smoke had lingered about, trailing inside but not causing concern as Kolven knew its source, but as he watched said door alarm started to twinge along his spine. Light grey and black swirls of smoke wafted across the space outside with flashes of grey ash and orange embers. All the way over here? There was no chance a burning ember would survive this far with the distance he assumed the barn was from the pyre. In fact, the scent of smoke and flames should be as strong with the distance, and growing stronger at that--

An ear-piercing shriek and squawk rattles his very body, the sound of alarmed Pokemon breaking the quiet that had gripped this barn for seasons. With an alarmed gasp he yips, "What's happening?!" but the question was futile as sound assaulted his ears. The crackling of flames was loud, too loud, and a familiar screech was enough to send him barreling toward the barn door. Before reaching the threshold he could see Clover shooting toward them, her filthy pelt charred with black spots and stopping short of the barn itself she crouched low to the ground. Kolven stops dead in his tracks, jaw trembling as his amber eyes reflected the raging flames behind Clover's stained silhouette. Whether or not she heard his query she snarls, "Out, Out!"

Jumping up from her crouch Clover bounces before the barn, hissing and growling incoherently with alarm at those inside. Kolven's eyes dont follow her movements, and she shrieks again to reclaim his focus before bolting out of view. The sound of pawsteps following her tells her of the chase, but the sound is drowned beneath the hissing, crackling, screaming sound of the inferno as it claimed the field of grass as its own.

"Alright, you got plenty of Oran berries. The Yache and Tamato berries will help keep you warm, and there was one pack of Sitrus in here too, lucky enough." What Green said was pretty knowledgable and would be of great help and Jack would remember that well. At least now they have the supplies in need, it was time to wrap this up and head back. The Pikachu looked over to see Drake looking rather tense. Normally he thought the charneleon was pretty chill but seeing him like this was completely different. The only other time was that rivalry with Finn. Something must be wrong. "Out, Out!" That only means one thing. Danger!

Drake growls in anger as he looks out seeing the fire and smoke rising into the cloudy sky. Bird pokemon fleeing in a panicked frenzy was the first sign that something was the source of the blaze that he sees before him. "We need to get out of here now! Fire in the field and its coming right towards us!" The Charmeleon calls towards the others alerting them of the impending danger that is going on.

Jack runs and looks. Listening to what is being heard and what he heard was other pokemon panicking and flying away in terror. "This isn't good! Looks like we'll have to find a different way back! Whatever caused that fire might be still nearby!" There's no way this was Finn causing it and there isn't any other fire types besides Drake and Green's pokemon. Something's got to be out there.

Closing up the crate Green stacked it with the others they had taken down from the loft, and heaved them toward a wall for safe keeping. They weren't hidden or 'protected' like before, but if something unsavory walked in at least they wouldn't be ruined for the next bastard. "Well, we got what we came for. Should we head back?" The cat's suggestion only receives a brisk nod. They would be burning daylight and clear skies alike wasting any more time here. With one last once over of the barn Green looks for anything she could use but nothing here was worth her time. This entire endeavor was but a bid to let Flamey rest up, yet he was out and--

The caterwaul of a feline pierces her ears, hissing over her communicator and nearly deafening the trainer as her hand flies toward it. Even pulling the device away does not stop the audible screeching from the device or source, but its smothered instantly as her ears honed in on the rising, fervent squawks of a bird in distress. "What's happening?!" The cat panics, but Green is already running and chasing the sound outside. She does not make it far, only a few yards out before the horrific sight of flames and smoke rolls out before her. "Flamey?!" Calling out to her partner with his ball in her hand Green can not spot the bird's shadow, nor can she pinpoint the location of the continued chirps he was making from within the smoke.

Gods, how?! Was this their doing? Their pyre had been separated by distance and stone from anything that could catch. They had watched it burn, clean and tall, with no embers making it far enough to threaten something. No, something did this. Where was it?! Beneath the chittering, screaming, and roar of crackling flames Green can not hear anything lurking within the smoke. "We need to get out of here now! Fire in the field and its coming right towards us!" Flamey's distressed squawks seemed to come from all directions, his movements too fast for her to follow. Was he chasing it..?

"This isn't good! Looks like we'll have to find a different way back! Whatever caused that fire might be still nearby!" The group was fleeing, but Green stared at the red flames with wide, unwavering eyes. Charging the flames blindly, she calls out to her partner, "what happened?" Whether or not he could hear her Flamey does not respond. The smoke burns her eyes but Geen does not stop running toward the spot with their pyre. Even within the black smoke she could see it was separate from the blazing field, a toppled, smoldering heap within the carcinogenic cloud. Squinting, and throwing a sleeve over her mouth Green tries to decipher clues in the rubble, but the smoke blocked any clear sightings.

Clover growled, hissed, and spat, her awkward gait turned to lunges as she ran ahead of the other Pokemon and away from the heat. Horrid memories of past flames burned worse than the fire she had avoided and steered her paws well away from the danger without need for thought. Yet her mind was a whirl of conscious and memories that blazed in a furious storm of fear and rage. Get away.. it would start, and then pulse into Get away from me! These Pokemon, the flames.. she wanted none of it, she wanted none of it. A furious growl breaches her maw, enraged at her own thoughts, but as Kolven ran up behind her the sound was no more than a signal of the way she had ran.

Chasing after his sister Kolven kept his head down but could not stop himself from looking back repeatedly. He had to make sure-- to know everyone was here, to know they wouldn't trap themselves in a circle of flames.
That it wouldn't be a repeat of last time.
Panic squeezed at the calm Pokemon's heart but he fought with all his might to remain in control. "This isn't good! Looks like we'll have to find a different way back! Whatever caused that fire might be still nearby!" Jack called out, and Kolven's wide amber eyes searched desperately for somewhere to go. "Head into the city!" He yowls over their steps and the crackling flames. Clover banked to the left and he had no choice but to follow. "The stony parts! Away from anything that could burn." Saffron was made of concrete, brick, metal.. fires were rare but did not spread easily when they caught.

The further they ran the more of the blaze he could see.  It was spreading rapidly across the grassy field with nothing around to spot it. Through his beating pawsteps he almost swore he could feel shaking, but legends help him the cat was not going to hold still long enough to know. Turning his head further back he searched; did green know better? Was there a better, more specific place to go? But the human was fading in the distance, having not ran like the rest of them. "Green!?" He gasps, spinning on his heels and stumbling to keep sight of her as she raced into the flames. Was she going to fight the blaze...? Her Blastoise, had it the strength to combat this? "Don't..!" He nearly begged, but as Clover outpaced him and heat still tugged at his fur the helpless cat knew not what to do.

The dirt and gravel turned to paved roads and Clover's uneven gait found purchase against the painful, cracked paths. With another growling call she could see Kolven half-heartedly turning to follow her again, his faith shaken but placed in Green's self-confidence. Hiding behind the buildings, homes, and debris the smoke finally left them be to climb into the sky. The ashen air burned his lungs but Kolven pressed forward, climbing around a piece of broken concrete to see a broken door. "Into that flower shop!" He rasps, just wanting out of the smoke rather than putting any more distance between them and the flames.