[zapdragon555]

Shyster could've sworn he had icicles hanging from his nose--not that he'd be able to do much about it, paws buried in two feet of snow. Human forms were impractical, in a place like Fe'gan, as much as Shyster wasn't terribly fond of walking on all fours. He'd grown quite used to the two-legged life, and of looking devilishly handsome. Nothing about this great, snow-powdered beast was attractive to live in, but it served its purpose.

He angled his head back as he heard Stray grunt in frustration, the kuhna's trek a lot less easy, with shorter legs. Shyster had made attempts to help him before, out of the goodness of his own heart, but Stray was having none of it. Fine, then. Shyster still kept an eye on the boy now and then, squinting against the howling wind as it whistled. He was thankful for the boy's dark fur--in such a strange phenomenon as this, it would be easy to lose him if he were any lighter.

[zapdragon555]

That was the nature of it--and why the two found themselves carefully scaling the side of a mountain, trying to find ancient walking trails beneath the snow drifts. It had happened a week ago; the blue sky had settled into a stark grey, and every color underneath it had faded along with it. No one seemed to know the cause, but it was a thing that set Shyster's fur on end, for one reason or another.

"Your friend better be here," Shyster grumbled, for perhaps the fourth time since they started climbing this accursed thing. Stray grunted, an irritated flick of his ears and tails flinging powdery snow onto Shyster.

"He will be," Stray finally said after a beat, his voice exhausted.

[zapdragon555]

Shyster paused, and after a small, pensive frown, he reached over and grabbed Stray by the scruff. The kuhna spit and hissed instinctively, then seemed to sag as the comforting gesture spread some peace through him. Shyster was no mother kuhna, but at the very least, Stray wouldn't complain now. He was tired. His feet were numb. If that cheapskate Shyster wanted to carry him, Stray had finally decided he would accept it.

Shanty knew something. Or had heard something, at least, through the grapevine--some information about what had happened to the world. Shyster wasn't sure how he'd gotten roped into agreeing with this trip, but it was too late now to turn back.

[zapdragon555]

The sun was starting to go down--it was hard to tell at first, with nothing but white snow and grey sky. But the air around them was growing darker, colder, and more cloying. Shyster was shaking on his feet, plowing forward and wishing very much that he could take a good flying tumble off the side of the mountain. If he could reach the bottom with only a few broken bones, he'd take it. It would be a no brainer. It--

"Fuck!" Shyster cried out as his leg hit a loose snow drift, and Stray dropped from his mouth as his body slid sideways. He clawed for a foothold as he skidded down snow, rocks clipping his underbelly as he fought for stability. Stray had managed to grab onto a gnarled, half-buried log, and watched helplessly as Shyster plummeted until he hit a shelf of rock. Stray held his breath for a moment, watching with wide, pale eyes, and exhaled with a small roll of his eyes as Shyster rolled over and groaned dramatically. "Owww..."

[zapdragon555]

Stray carefully hopped off the log and moved near the offending snow bank, then peered down. It wasn't a terribly long way, but it was enough for a nasty fall. "Shy? You good?" he called, his voice weak under the howling wind.

Shyster, good? Hilarious. Fucking bonkers hilarious. "No!" he barked back, an anguished tone in his voice as he tried to paw at his hind leg. No good--the thing was twisted at best, or worse, broken. "My leg's..."

Stray's smug frown shifted to worry. Oh... gods. How were they going to manage this? Stray stuck out his claws and searched for solid ground beneath the snow, inching as close as he dared to the dropoff. "Stay still," he called, brows furrowing as he looked up at the path ahead. Steep... but he wondered...

[zapdragon555]

"Stay there!" Stray called, and Shyster groaned, as if he had a choice. The kuhna turned around and started scrambling up the side of the mountain with renewed adrenaline-born vigor. If he was right... surely... it would just be a little further.

So what if he hated Shyster. He didn't want the guy to die. He couldn't live with himself if such a thing happened.

Stray clamored over the edge of a cliff, the wind squeezed from his lungs, and a rush of relief came over him as he saw a flag planted in the snow. Oh, thank gods. It was close. He sprang up and started running, following the small trail of flags until he reached the simplest structure he'd ever seen in his life. It barely looked like a house, made of metal walls. It seemed temporary. Stray shuffled to the door and threw his shoulder against it, knocking in the only way he could in this form.

[zapdragon555]

The first thing that struck Stray as Shanty opened the door was how much he towered over Stray. In kuhna form, Stray had to look up to the human's face, his brow creasing as he noticed the color in Shanty's eyes was gone. Well, of course it was. It was a strange thing to be startled about, at this point.

Shanty smiled at first, then seemed to realize the expression on the kuhna's face. "Where's that lowlife?" Shanty asked, reaching down to pick Stray up in his arms and brush some of the snow off of him.

"He fell. He's on a rock shelf somewhere... nearby. I need help getting him." Stray spoke quickly and quietly, shivering as some of the cold was chased from his bones. The shelter had heaters, and Stray wanted nothing more than to stay there, but Shyster needed rescuing first. "Please. I can't leave him out there."

[zapdragon555]

Shanty placed a hand on top of the kuhna's head, effectively silencing his plea. "No convincing needed. The man's dangerous, and terrible to you, but it's bad luck to let a dead body stay on this mountain. Won't decompose... bad energy."

Stray tried not to look troubled at that, and carefully leapt down from Shanty's arms to morph into his human form in a flicker of light. Shanty tossed him a heavy coat moments later, pulling on one of his own. "I have some rope and spikes. I think we can manage a rescue mission. The worst of the storm's still on its way, so we should hurry."

Whatever weird ominous stuff he'd been saying before, Shanty seemed on board now. Stray exhaled with relief and nodded, grabbing the rope that was pointed out to him and hurrying out the door after the boy.

[zapdragon555]

As Stray was tasked with the job of hammering a spike into the dirt below the snow, Shanty was making his way carefully down to the fallen lucain. "Oi! Look alive, lowlife!" he barked, landing beside him and sending a shower of snow onto his fur. Shyster grumbled and lifted his head, squinting at Shanty with a venomous frown.

"You little tramp! You're the friend?" Shyster groaned again and laid his head down. This was all for naught. All hopeless.

Stray sighed from his post up top, but gave the spike a few more good hammerings. Just in case. "Alright, it's secured," Stray called down, and Shanty gave him a thumbs up before bending down to a crouch beside Shyster.

"Listen, buddy. Gonna need that human form of yours. It's ten times easier lifting a human out of here than a lucain." Shanty grinned and poked Shyster's cheek, receiving a snap of teeth in return and laughing. Shyster obeyed, however, and hissed in pain as his very human skin was exposed fully to the biting, freezing cold.

[zapdragon555]

It was rotten work, but soon enough the two teens had managed to haul Shyster to safety, with minimal rope burns. Shyster's leg looked fine enough, but a sprain was likely. "Your breath smells," Shanty muttered where he'd looped one of Shyster's arms over his shoulder. Stray had one in kind, the two managing to pull Shyster to the shelter together.

Shyster himself had fallen into a half-aware state, roused to wakefulness as soon as he was placed into the warmth. He hissed as pain throbbed up his leg, curling up on his side and covering his head in a tangle of limbs. "Goddd, I hate this so much," he muttered, regretting ever agreeing to this. Who cared if the world never had color again? His leg hurt like a bitch. Wasn't worth it.

Shanty rolled his eyes and moved over to what looked like a stack of books, and an old, brick-shaped laptop. Stray watched him curiously, but decided pulling a rolled up blanket from the side of the shelter to bolster underneath Shyster's foot would be kind. "It's okay," Shanty murmured, drawing both of their attentions. He turned around, a heavy tome in his hands and a gleam in his eyes. "I think I'm onto something with this. And I'm going to need both of you to help me."

[Wild Pet Found]