Sandra
*There was a particular mountain, amongst a chain of mountains, that a young fox found herself traversing. Through the lightly falling snow, a rough outline of a carved path could be seen etched into the rock, spiraling around the mountain, past the clouds and towards the stars. Though the full force of the wintry season had yet to start - and by the gods, another Charam Ta - the slopes all around the rock face were covered in vast sheets of snow and ice, with only the occasional patch of deep blue and gray visible in some parts of it. The clouds in the sky were wisps upon a dark canvas, though overlapped to create the illusion of depth within them. Pausing her journey for a moment, the fox glanced towards them wistfully; it was better to look at where youre headed rather than where youve been, after all. She'd been lucky enough to purchase a set of warm clothes at a traveling merchant's ware shop; otherwise, she wouldn't have attempted such an arduous trek. There were something about these particular that attracted Artoria to them, almost as if they were silently calling her. From afar, they were always had an ethereal, mystical feel to them; the perfect setting for the task she planned to undertake.*

*Artoria's magic was haywire. In the most recent mission she'd undertaken, every spell seemed to have completely been replaced with brand new ones - ones that she couldnt remember ever learning in her life. They were powerful, yes, but almost uncontrollable; ironically, they mirrored her at present: chaotic, random, and destructive. Pressing her hand to her temple, she began to remember a few among the ones she'd misfired previously: there was a fireball, which created a massive explosion of flame which she'd never witnessed before; a discordant, violent arc of lightning that quickly chained between targets; and a massive discharge of thunderous energy that took the shape of a ball. She let out a scowl of disapproval, recognizing the perils the magic entailed: magic she had yet to understand was dangerous, even more so when said magic came from her own person. There could come a time where her own spellcast could become her undoing; a scenario in which a fireball consumed her seemed not unrealistic to the fox at present.*

*There was nowhere to experiment on her powers in Salvainia without worsening her own bounty. Nowhere besides the deep wilderness, which was ridden with trees, and the mountains. If she had decided to test in the former, there was a chance that the levels of destruction beget by her nowfound magic could cause complete annihlation of her surroundings. To her enemies, it was essentially a calling card: "Guess who's here? Guess who just burnt down another forest?" Was the message they would interpret. The last thing she needed during this period of vulnerability was another New Sunlight goon hoping to take her down, or worse; the government trying to reach her.*

*As such, she heeded the call of the mountains. As she continued up the endless spiral, each tread crunching the fallen snow behind her, Artoria would eventually make her way to the top. To call it "Scenic" Would be a gargantuan injustice; the peak ascended beyond the cirrus clouds, allowing her to see the clear night sky with ease. The stars shone brightly at her, though seemed to glare; as if the heavens above knew of her undoing, and was scorning her for daring to be in their presence. Nevertheless, they were beautiful. Constellations streaking across black, sharing enough light for her to see far beyond the horizon. Nothing was really too visible apart from the occasional conifer pine far below, though; the sheer amount of clouds were enough to block out everything below where she stood. Artoria soon shifted her gaze away from the view, and now towards the peak itself. It was rather odd, since the top of the mountain wasn't a point. But maybe it was at some point: at present, it looked as if a giant sphere had shot itself right through one half of the peak, hollowing out a chunk of it as the other continued to stretch to the top, forming the true peak. This area was rather spacious, actually. Apart from the stalacites hanging from overhead, there was an abundance of room in all directions within this destroyed section of the peak. What remained of the original mountantop served as an overhang for the carved out portion; a dark awning of rock and ice.*

"Perfect."

*Artoria made her way towards the leftmost wall with what would have been an energetic gait, if not for the exhaustion that settled once her climb ended. She set down her backpack, feeling the tiredness creep into her bones. Reaching inside the pack, she fumbled around until she brought out what she was looking for: a small canteen filled with water, along with a glass vial of crushed tea leaves. It brought back a hint of nostalgia; she remembered, in her household, of a cultural tradition in which family and friends would gather to drink until wasted. She was young at the time, so her father gave her tea; of what kind she knew not, but the flavor was one she always remembered.*

*With what remained of her energy, she conjured a small flame upon her palm, holding the canteen above it. Her fire seemed to have gotten weaker as well; it was no longer the signature blue she'd been used to her entire life. When she felt the canteen grow warm enough, she set it down. She took out the stopper from the vial of tea leaves and procured an empty pouch from her backpack- pouch no larger than her ring finger - and filled it halfway with the crushed leaves. Tying the pouch shut, she forced it through the small opening of her canteen, continuing to warm it. She chuckled to herself: This would be the worst drink she'd ever had. But maybe it would work to restore some inner warmth; with that, perhaps, would come some energy.*
Bonnie
*She wasn't strong enough.*

*On her most recent quest, a raid of a gang's party, she had been struck down. Fighting 5 people at once was tough, yes, but she should have been able to take down all of them. She felt it. Not all her fire burned as hot as it should have. Not every strike landed, not every blow powerful. The worst part was that final blow. She still heard the metal ring loudly in her ears, knocking her down and letting Kai get away. Terry was captured, but that was because of Mevis's prowess, not hers.*

*To strengthen herself, she decided that she needed more exposure to the outside. Maybe relax at the same time. The mountain was a worthy challenge; not many could climb to its peak. Katherine aimed to increase her fortitude, hiking up to the peak and staying for the night, training. Bundled in warm, padded clothing, Katherine had abandoned her armor and greatsword, aiming for more maneuverability, along with a backpack containing gear. She wasn't going to fight anything on the cold, desolate mountain.*

*Hiking since the dawn, Katherine finally arrived long after the sun had set, staring up at the night sky. Embedded with stars, each like a diamond. Was that where people went when they died? Was Aleksander up there? Would she join him one day?*

*However, as her hike continued, she soon saw a familiar figure.*

*Her. The fox. The Arsonist. Artoria Dax herself.*

*Katherine froze, her mouth wide in shock. She was completely unarmored with no weapons other than a dagger. Artoria didn't seem to notice her; it was unlikely she was expecting anything. Maybe she could take her, if she went in for a grapple. However, Katherine couldn't take the chance. The last time they had fought, the fox had annihilated her, leaving her helpless. Who knows what would have happened if she was stuck on the mountain, with no one to reach her?*

"What the hell are you doing here??!!!"
Sandra
*Before she was barged in on, Artoria was lifting the canteen to her lips to get a taste of her homebrew. The liquid dribbled down into her mouth, tasting like a cross between mint, stalewater, and grass; she recoiled a little bit, upon tasting the concoction, before taking a full sip. It left a refreshing feeling when it went down, but it tasted bitter when it hit the tongue. She felt a bit better with each drink, until the canteen emptied.*

*Artoria got up, stretching a bit.* 

"Good as new," She muttered, not nearly good as new. "Now, to get to the matter at han-"

**"What the hell are you doing here??!!"**

*She froze. She knew that voice. It was the voice of one who defied her, one who she spared; it was the voice of one who sought vengeance upon her person, the fury of which couldn't be denied by even Artoria herself. She whipped her head towards the direction the voice came from, recognizing its owner.

Katherine Vayne. 

Was she looking for a fight? A chance to fulfill her vendetta? Artoria didn't know, but that high pitched scream put her into a frenzied set of alarm; the remnants of her exhaustion were the only thing that kept her from drawing her weapon to enact a defense. And it wasn't like she could rely on her magic, either; one wrong influx of power could send the entire mountain peak toppling down on the both of them. No magic, no weapons; Deducing that no other choice remained but communication, Artoria spoke with a frigid hostility - yet also with the ever-so-slightest tinge of fear, and apprehension:*

"That's not important. Why did you follow me?" *She said.* "If it's my death you're seeking, I'm not interested."
Bonnie
*Katherine's eyes dart around, scouting the surroundings. Some stones. A canteen. Armor. A sword, made of something that wasn't just normal metal, or even starsteel. That was adamantium, and it would cut through her like nothing. Maybe she could try for a grapple, but taking that chance wasn't worth dying. She had already lost the element of surprise.*

*There wasn't any going back. The mountain would be freezing, with the peak ironically being the only place with shelter. No level ground, no caves within walking distance; she would be a frozen corpse before she could reach the nearest one.*

*Artoria can see the macen's legs tense up for a split second, then relax once more as Katherine puts her hands up.*

"I didn't follow you. I asked why you were here. And I'm not here to fight. No armor. No weapons. Besides a dagger."

*The macen takes in a deep breath. Artoria could simply blast her off the side of the mountain at any moment, and it was unlikely she could do anything about it.*

"I can't go back down either. I'll freeze to death."
Sandra
*Artoria studied Katherine for a moment, noticing the macen seem to tense up before raising her hands in surrender. Artoria felt she had a decent grasp on someone's character - and whether or not they were telling lies - over the years she'd been traveling alone. Katherine, at the moment, seemed to speak the truth.*

"That sounds like your problem, not mine." *She began, though not without a hint of pitiful contempt in her voice. A breath filled with apprehension ensued, though was quickly followed up by more:*

"You look absolutely pitiful there. Get in." 

*She hoped that the macen would recognize her final line as a truce; both of them couldn't fight after all, from what it looked like. All Katherine had on her was a dagger, and she was freezing. Though objectively it was a kind invitation, the truce was borne out of a lack of other options; Hopefully it didn't come across as such, though. If there was anything genuine about it, it was the pity she felt towards Katherine; a joke about warming her right up lingered fiendishly for a moment, though she decided against telling it. After all, it'd be in poor taste.*

*She did it anyway, though, without the joke. Pointing a finger towards the macen, Artoria cast Inner Fire on her, just as she'd done for herself on the beginning of her own climb. This simple utility was something she could afford, after all; perhaps it was the one spell that was constant from then and now.* 
``` Inner Fire cast. ```