Shirokouu's legs ached, each step sending waves of pain through his legs, which were near numb from the biting cold of the flurries that followed the Santaru. The paths through this jagged range did not remind him of home, but he did hope that these precipices were some of the final obstacles in his way. Much longer and frostbite will set in. I need to stop and warm up. The elements were relentless, following the man as chakra rained, impeding his progress. When he was meditating, concentrating and maintaining focus, it was easy to fuel his inner fire, but while traveling it was a true obstacle. Needing respite from the driving snow, the white-clad shinobi searched for shelter.
The jagged precipices and narrow ledges of the now snow-covered environs were hardly simple to navigate on half-feeling nerves. Shirokouu supported himself on a cliff face as he rounded a particularly thin ledge around a rocky outcropping. As his fingers slid into a slit between stones, he swung his body around to the landing on the other side of the natural pillar, dropping to a knee as he leaned his center of gravity forward to ensure he didn't slip down the incline. As the Santaru looked up from the snow with glowing pale blue eyes, he saw what appeared to be the entrance to a cave. It appears luck is on my side again. He thought to himself. He smiled, realizing it must have been a while, as the muscles in his wind-reddened cheeks felt hard to tense in the cold air. There seemed to be a light coming from the cave, beckoning him to the shelter it would provide from the burning cold of the wind.
Standing back up on shaky legs, exhausted by the elements and near-constant chakra use, Shirokouu slid himself between two rocks into the cavern within. Wavy strands of light shone on carved walls as calmly moving water stirred in what appeared to be a natural pool within this man-made interior. Taking the last sip from his traveling jug, Shirokouu walked forward, kneeling before the pool of pure water he refilled his canteen for the journey ahead. Now that his body began to thaw and his mind somewhat reset from the instinctual nature it had settled in for survival, the snow-crowned shinobi studied the walls of the cave he now found himself within. Intricate carvings of figures lined much of the cave, but one stood out in his mind. Raiden~ He had heard the name once, long ago, and it came to mind as he gazed upon a stern statue of a clearly grand figure. Chills, no jolts, filled his body at the sight and his eyes shone, shifting from his usual pale blues to a stark and shining snowy white. "Are you not guided?"<i></i> The words of his father echoed in his memory as he gazed upon this facade that somewhat appeared to have resembling features. Or maybe it was simply the honored connotation in his mind. "You know... I believe I am." Saying the words to the memory he held tight was a comfort in the cold. The Will of Fire burned within him again as he made his way through the hollowed mountain, refreshed and ready for the unexplored path ahead.
The jagged precipices and narrow ledges of the now snow-covered environs were hardly simple to navigate on half-feeling nerves. Shirokouu supported himself on a cliff face as he rounded a particularly thin ledge around a rocky outcropping. As his fingers slid into a slit between stones, he swung his body around to the landing on the other side of the natural pillar, dropping to a knee as he leaned his center of gravity forward to ensure he didn't slip down the incline. As the Santaru looked up from the snow with glowing pale blue eyes, he saw what appeared to be the entrance to a cave. It appears luck is on my side again. He thought to himself. He smiled, realizing it must have been a while, as the muscles in his wind-reddened cheeks felt hard to tense in the cold air. There seemed to be a light coming from the cave, beckoning him to the shelter it would provide from the burning cold of the wind.
Standing back up on shaky legs, exhausted by the elements and near-constant chakra use, Shirokouu slid himself between two rocks into the cavern within. Wavy strands of light shone on carved walls as calmly moving water stirred in what appeared to be a natural pool within this man-made interior. Taking the last sip from his traveling jug, Shirokouu walked forward, kneeling before the pool of pure water he refilled his canteen for the journey ahead. Now that his body began to thaw and his mind somewhat reset from the instinctual nature it had settled in for survival, the snow-crowned shinobi studied the walls of the cave he now found himself within. Intricate carvings of figures lined much of the cave, but one stood out in his mind. Raiden~ He had heard the name once, long ago, and it came to mind as he gazed upon a stern statue of a clearly grand figure. Chills, no jolts, filled his body at the sight and his eyes shone, shifting from his usual pale blues to a stark and shining snowy white. "Are you not guided?"<i></i> The words of his father echoed in his memory as he gazed upon this facade that somewhat appeared to have resembling features. Or maybe it was simply the honored connotation in his mind. "You know... I believe I am." Saying the words to the memory he held tight was a comfort in the cold. The Will of Fire burned within him again as he made his way through the hollowed mountain, refreshed and ready for the unexplored path ahead.