A Winter's Tale

Snowy Adventure

Childe walked over the icy path and looked around vigilantly. But there was nothing up here, only the mountain, the frost and the silence. The group continued to move north. The young Harbinger let his eyes wander to Pulcinella. Unlike everyone else, he seemed to be enjoying the trip. It was getting dark and so far they hadn't hunted any monsters. Except for a few common Hilichurls, there was nothing to see here.

Suddenly, however, a loud roar broke the silence. The adventurers immediately went into attack position.

"Damn it. Is there really something up there?" asked Pulcinella, looking toward the summit.

Childe fixed on a dark speck moving in the snow up there. But maybe he had just been mistaken. But without hesitation, he tightened the string of his bow and aimed at the shadow.

"CHILDE, DON'T!" he heard Pulcinella still shouting beside him, but at that moment he had already fired.

"Didn't hit it anyway..." he said laughing and shrugging his shoulders, "let's keep moving..."

He started moving, and was already a good distance ahead before he realized he was alone. The others had just stopped there, as if shock had gotten into them. Pulcinella could not take his eyes off the snowy peak....

Suddenly a loud rumbling could be heard and now Childe saw it too - the snow had started moving....

"Run!!!" shouted Pulcinella, pushing the adventurers along. Childe ran after them, trying to reach them.

"Childe, hurry the hell up!" he could still hear his voice in the wind. They had to get off the pass urgently, if the snow masses caught them here, they would rush down with them.

He kept running, but there was no time. Suddenly he could perceive a figure beside him, Pulcinella had run back to him, grabbed his arm and pulled him on.

"Run, you fools!" he was still shouting to the adventurers who were almost off the pass. But the next moment the two were caught in the avalanche. Childe could only feel himself being washed by the snow and plunging into the depths until everything went black before his eyes.

#

Childe thought his last hour had struck, but he hadn't even hit the ground that hard and, surprisingly, he could still breathe. The snow was still in his clothes, but otherwise.... Only that everything was dark, disturbed him. And what was that eerie groaning next to him?

"Shit, I think you broke all my bones," he heard Pulcinella's voice next to him and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry... thanks for catching me..." he said, trying to find out where he was. When he could touch him, he held onto him.

"Tch. Where are we anyway?" he asked, continuing to walk, "there's a flicker up ahead..."

"I don't know but at least the avalanche is gone and we're still alive...come on," Childe said, walking toward the pale flicker.

"Hm. Normally I wouldn't go there right now," Pulcinella grumbled, " who knows what's down here.... But do we have any other choice?"

Childe followed him. A little later, they spotted a torch that sparsely lit the passage. On the floor they could see ores and tools. Then on the next wall some distance away ... the end of the passage.

"An old mine shaft.... But there's no one here anymore... then why is the torch still burning...? ?" asked Pulcinella skeptically, grabbing the torch. "Come."

Sighing, Childe followed him down the narrow shaft, searching with him for an exit. But the shaft was empty, not particularly large, and there was only scree and snow at the far end. The avalanche had completely trapped them.

Resigned, they both sat down on the ground and stayed there for a while.

"We could try to clear it away somehow," Childe said uncertainly after a moment.

"Ah well... with ice and water? We can't even activate our Harbinger form down here. The shaft is way too narrow," Pulcinella stated.

"And now? I'm so cold... ", Childe muttered, rubbing his arm. The snow had melted by now and his clothes were completely soaked.

"We wait until the miners come back? Yeah, I don't know. Don't ask me. You can look for a way out, you're the one to blame for all this mess, after all," Pulcinella murmured, trying to find and light more torches.

"I'll be frozen to death by then," Childe countered, beginning to shiver. Despite the warmth of the torches, he felt like he was locked in an icebox. Pulcinella seemed to care little. He was sitting on the ground, but he also had his coat loosely over his shoulders and his undergarments still seemed dry.

"Maybe you should take off your wet clothes," Pulcinella said. Childe stared at him with wide eyes. Slowly, however, it dawned on him that it was only well-intentioned advice, and he hesitantly undressed.

"Come," Pulcinella said and unceremoniously pulled him to him under his coat. Childe felt his warmth and pressed closer to him. Pulcinella had his arm around him and would not let go. Childe suddenly jerked back because he couldn't believe this was happening and how violently his heart was pounding right now.

"Huh? I thought you were cold?" asked Pulcinella in confusion, laughing.

"Um... yeah, I am...", Childe answered sheepishly. Shyly, he leaned against him again and could feel his warmth.... By now he didn't even care that they were locked in the cold, the torches lit up the corridor and slowly he got a little warmer. Pulcinella apparently thought similarly, because he had his shirt slightly unbuttoned. When Childe snuggled up to him again, the contact of skin on skin almost made him go crazy. He bit his lip.

"Are you all right? Are you a little warmer?" asked Pulcinella, laughing.

"A little? Um... I'm starting to feel really warm," Childe admitted, blushing, but probably not showing it. "And I can barely contain myself..."

"Then why are you doing it, huh?" he heard Pulcinella reply. The next moment he felt him stroking his chin and cheek.

"I don't know... my heart is pounding like crazy," Childe breathed, coming closer to him unsteadily.

"Well, you better not puke again," Pulcinella said, laughing. But instead of a reply, he moved a little more, then felt his lips on his. Pulcinella pressed him against him and returned the kiss. Childe didn't even know why it was happening, but let it happen with violent butterflies in his stomach.

Their kisses grew more and more intimate, they only broke away from each other each time to catch their breath for a moment. Childe could feel him stroking his body and now let his fingers wander under his shirt. With a slight movement, he slipped it off his shoulders. If he wanted to warm him up, this worked just fine...the redhead grinned against Pulcinella's lips and stroked the back of his neck before pulling him in for another hot kiss....

Childe was now not only warm after a while of such closeness, he was so hot for him that by now he was pretty hard and it already hurt. All the happier he considered himself when he felt Pulcinella sliding his hand under his waistband of shorts to finally release him....

#

Suddenly, something collapsed behind them. A yellow light emerged from between the large stones, which suddenly curled up like small pebbles. Pulcinella hurriedly moved down from Childe, who was just holding his hand in front of his eyes because he couldn't see anything because of the glistening light.

"About time," he heard his former mentor say, putting on his fur coat. Blinking, Childe realized that the shaft entrance had been cleared and a group of Fatuis soldiers stood in front of it, led by a Geo skirmisher.

"Um... how did you..." he asked, confused, gathering his clothes and quickly holding them in front of him.

"I always let my soldiers know where I am," Pulcinella simply said, grinning. "Good work, men."

Childe dressed quickly, embarrassed to be standing around nearly naked in front of half the regiment. At least his hard-on had apparently disappeared again. Strangely, though, no one wondered about it either or said anything as they talked to Pulcinella, who assured them that they were unharmed and fine. Childe didn't know whether to rejoice or to cry as the troop then headed back to headquarters....