A blizzard lashed against them as they traversed the snowy mountain cascade on foot. Dressed head to toe in white, two figures battled the wind as they ascended. Snow began to reach up to their knees.

The weather had been favorable since the beginning of their trip. For an entire month, their days were all sunny skies. But on their last day, seemingly from nowhere, they were hit by this storm. 

"Walter, How much further!" Yelled the woman struggling in the back as she waded through deep snow.

As he pulled a puck-shaped device from his pocket, a holographic projection of the mountain appeared, showing their progress to their destination.

"100 meters more Lady Caitia, don't you worry, we're close."

The weather seemed to fight them with every step, The first day of summer had already passed just three days ago, yet strong cold winds still blew like a winter storm, causing their suits' heating systems to work overtime.

The trip had already taken its toll on the two of them. Both were struggling to maintain their pace, Caitia, most of all. The rope harness that linked them became tight as he began to trail ahead.

Unlike Walter, who had become accustomed to hardship, Caitia was not. Most of her time was spent in the labs and libraries of the university and her estate.

"Tell me if we need to stop Ma'am."

"No… we're close, I won't stop now."

She pushed through the pain and exhaustion. In her mind, she had worked too hard and waited too long to let a little snow and wind stop her from her goal.

"What are those?" Caitia pointed to large dark spots peering through the snow.

As they approached, they began to see hands, legs, and other body parts sticking out of the snow… they were not the first to attempt this climb.

Others had been where they stood now. These men and women had suffered the misfortune of an avalanche.

The Ayenir Mountains were deadly year around, but for a two-month window where the weather was fair enough to allow passage to its top. Lady Caitia and Walter had begun their trek at the beginning of the window.

"Poor sods...buried alive while looking for treasure." Walter approached one of the bodies, the only one that had its upper body free from the snow. He began searching around the corpse.

"A little disrespectful, don't you think."

"I have no respect for those of an unrespectable profession."

Reaching deep into the man's pack, he produced explosives and a collapsable automatic rifle, and it already had a bullet in the chamber. The words crude and archaic came to mind upon looking at such a weapon.

"One could say the same of you, Walter." Caitia teased.

"You wound me, ma'am, I work for you, and the work is to be respected. Nothing good about these men, more alike to thieves than to an old soldier like me."

Unfastening his pack, he pulled his rifle from an extended case attached to its side. Pulling a T-shaped plunger, he exposed an empty chamber in the back, and he loaded a hand length cylinder. Pushing the plunger back in, the weapon let out a mechanical hiss. Holding his rifle to his chest, he made a silent prayer that he wouldn't need to use it.

"From this point forward, ma'am, I'm going to need you to stay close behind me…"

She nodded in agreement.

Walter put the dead man's rifle, its reloads, and explosive set in his bag. They carefully continued their ascent.

Walter knew well what kind of people those men and women they left behind were. Scavengers, lowlifes... bandits. Where there were some, there were always more and caught off guard, the two of them would lose the prize they sought as well as their lives.

Nearing the summit, they saw it in the distance, a great clump of twisted metal. Crashed, half of it lay embedded in the side of the mountain, and the other half dangled at the edge.

"Good, it's still mostly intact."

After a month of climbing, she feared to find only burned-out wreckage waiting for them. But after waiting so long and coming so far, she was filled with relief to see her goal in sight.

Dropping low, and moving as swiftly as he could to an outcropping of rocks, Walter gestured to Caitia to do the same. Coming to his side, she stayed low behind him.

Attaching the scope to his rifle Walter examined the wreckage from a distance. It seemed to clear. Holding on to the back of his, they both cautiously approached.

A cold sweat formed at Walter's brow as they neared the hull of the wreckage. He felt exposed, if attacked now, there would be nowhere to take cover. He wanted to get Caitia out of the open as fast as possible.

Feeling the tension, Caitia spoke up.

"Danger?" She gripped his bag tight.

"No...nothing but an old soldier's superstition."