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God it was freezing up in the mountains. The cold wind was constantly blowing and the snow that was falling everyday didn't help either. The Land of Light was quite a place, beautiful but also dangerous as you saw more and more eagles since you were around the top of the mountain. It was getting too dangerous for you previously in another part of the mountain as they ended up snooping around your camp grounds. You figured it would be good to stay up here in the since you almost gotten captured in the west part of the land. Luckily you found yourself a cozy cave and you had your tent set up in a cavern so you were somewhat protected from the wind and cold.
It was almost dark and everyday you would do a quick check around the perimeter of the cave entrance. You made your way out with a lantern, seeing the grey and gloomy sky become darker as the snow fell. The wind was picking up. Something or, someone caught your eye in the snow. The first thing you noticed was red cloth, with a bit of orange under it. Perhaps it was a cape of some sort that gotten blown off..? You tried to rationalise since you didn't want to risk your own safety. No one hardly ever comes up here.
But then you see something floating above the cloth. It was moving. You gotten even more sceptical and carefully made your way forward, getting closer to the material. The figure became more clear. You could make out legs that were just stuck out and the whole body was facing down. You took careful steps and you flinched when a floating object noticed you that was above the cape, seeming to make small beeps in acknowledgement. You stood there taking in the situation and trying to determine if it was a threat despite the object seemingly floating and making small beeping noises.
You took a small step forward and the object was more clear to what it was to you. It looked like a small drone but not a traditional one where it had four legs and four propellers, it was just a floating cube of some sort with little stubs so it could sit on surfaces. It had a little hollow face which was emotionless but you honestly thought it was a bit cute. It proceeded to float around the unconscious stranger and you moved your attention towards them.
They were dead still and you made your way closer. You were definitely more certain that they needed assistance so you crouched down and wrapped your arms around the person and began to turn them over. You could see their face more clearly now as they had blue skin, a red mask covering their mouth and nose, a long red cape and a orange longer cape behind them and some sort of head piece that went around their forehead. You helped them into your arms and the little drone made more beeping sounds that were noticeably shorter and louder- almost like it was grateful for your assistance to this stranger.
God they were heavy, you instantly thought to yourself as you managed to haul them up so they were leaning mostly on your shoulder to make your way back to your campsite. You headed back into the entrance of the cave with your lantern in hand since it had gotten a bit darker with the dusk sky closing in. The sun was almost gone. You made your way deeper as your shoulder began to feel a little sore from the strangers weight on your shoulder. The little drone followed you as it was determined to not let its owner die or be in this state for any longer.
You opened your tent with one hand and made your way with the stranger right by your side, holding them tightly with one hand around him and the other hand placed on the floor for support. Once you were inside the drone followed as it buzzed in one spot in your tent and it once again made small and short beeping noises. Blue light illuminated the walls of your tent as it scanned. You assumed it was for analysis or it was assessing the new environment it was in.
Finally you got the stranger off of your shoulder and gently placed them down onto the floor and you folded one of your blankets to make as a pillow. Your turned around in the much smaller space in your tent when you heard a sudden dry cough. It was muffled and you turned around from the sound.
The stranger blinked and coughed again, this time the cough was shorter but still a bit dry. Their eyes were dark, so much so that it was hard to see colour or even they didn't have any at all. It was hard to make out what they were thinking since they had a mask on but you suspected that they were a little startled from the change of scenery. They looked around swiftly only to spot their drone before they spotted you.
The silence was awkward, you didn't know if they could speak so you decided to go first.
"You passed out in the snow face down, I couldn't leave you out there." You spoke and just gotten the truth straight out of the way as you gave the stranger a somewhat friendly smile.
They started at you then looked up to their drone, the drone making noticeable longer and higher pitched beeps. Their attention was on their little drone for a bit as you kept your eyes to and from the stranger and the drone. Then the stranger looked back at you with their eyes unchanging. Your tried to see if their mask was moving but it didn't and no sound came out.
Perhaps they can't, or chose not to speak? You thought to yourself as you tried to think of what else to say.
"Sorry" Your face fell a bit as apologized, thinking that he must have been a little spooked when he woke up.
"I just didn't want you to freeze out there. It gets incredibly cold at night" You continued as you gave him a bit of a warmer smile.
They only stared at you for a brief moment then they casted their eyes back up to their drone. It made a small high pitched beep and then it scanned you. You flinched from the sudden blue light that began to scan your body. It was incredibly quick. The stranger kept their eyes on you the entire time without a break of their facial features.
You thought it was odd but then the drone turned to the stranger, projecting a pixelated version of you. It showed your blood type, you weight, your basic physical attributes.
It then turned off the projector and turned to you. The stranger made a muffled grunt under their mask and stood up. He was a bit bigger so he crouched and made his way towards the exit of the cave without a word, unzipping the tent and stepping out as their little drone followed. You gotten out of his way when he exited the tent but you felt like you should try and get him to stay and check if he was well. He has just been laying in the freezing cold after all for god knows how long.
"Hey" you spoke up as you followed him out, he was already half way to the exit of the cave when he heard your voice, so he turned around and stared at you with the same dead and stoic look in his eyes.
You couldn't find your words for a brief moment.
Is he always like this? You thought to yourself again as you turned around and quickly closed the tent.
"Do you need anything.. food or a warm drink?" You asked just because you wanted to be courteous. It was a dangerous area and you didn't know if he even had a weapon.
He just stared at you, looking to the cave wall briefly then back up to his drone. The drone was silent this time as it whizzed by your head.
The stranger shook his head, adjusting his red mask and the red cloak he wore as he turned around and began to head out.
You felt like he just couldn't leave without you giving anything. He could have been lying in the freezing cold for possibly a long time before you noticed him. You rushed into your tent before he could fully leave and reached into a zipped up bag. You made a couple of soup pouches before from gathering vegetables and hunting wild rabbits and other animals for meat.
You didn't bother putting away the bag neatly, leaving it unzipped as you rushed towards the stranger that was just about to step out of the cave and back into the freezing environment.
"Wait mister" you spoke as he turned around, giving you a quizzical look with just his eyes. You ran to where he was standing and when you caught up to him, you held out the soup pouch for him to take for his travels.
He looked down at the soup pouch, his eyes giving you a quizzical look although it was slightly softening when he realized what it actually was. He took it with a small nod and short muffled grunt, his stare was a bit more warm as he kept his eyes on you.
You honestly felt great for the fact that you got him to emote. Even if it was just with his eyes. You gave him a warm smile and you didn't take your eyes away.
"Take care.." you spoke and gave him a small wave goodbye at the stranger. They returned the wave as his drone made a short beep as it floated by their head and followed them back into the snowy trail going up the mountains.
You headed back towards your tent, hoping that you would see the traveller again. You hoped the soup would go a long way even though it was just one pouch.
On the other end, he was looking forward to hunkering down at his camp that was right at the top of the mountain. He wanted to defeat the eagle that controlled the entirety of the eagle tribe. And he was definitely was looking forward to eating delicious soup tonight.
They may not have shown it much but it was good to see another fellow traveller, let alone lending food to him and in a way, it was good to have a stranger be concerned after he's just been isolated the entire time on his journey.
He hoped to see you again.