Shovels In Spades

Daz frowned. He, Madison, Ellie and the twins had been walking for a good while now. 'An hour? Maybe two? Hard to tell with my internal clock. The sky being blotted out by the snow is hardly useful too. I could always ask the system but it isn't that important. It's still bright enough.'

Hamson was peacefully being controlled by him outside of Mr Barrier's shield with the Frost Phoenix egg atop it. Reika, meanwhile, was being lazy on his halo. His Survivor's Instincts were silent as well.

Everything was going well but something felt... off. "I'm certain someone's watching us."

Ellie glanced his way. "Can't you see them with Soul Vision?"

Daz shook his head. "I don't see anything. Either I'm being too paranoid - possible but unlikely - or we're being watched by something soulless like one of your robots. Or..."

"... Or their souls can't be seen. One is a real possibility but I've rarely seen you be wrong before. Rarely being the key word there. Robots is even less likely. Mine can barely handle this storm as is and that's with all of the money I spent on them to get them to this point. So invisible souls it is. How though?" Ellie asked.

'A logical assessment from an emotionally distraught person in a great deal of emotional pain? A welcome surprise.' Daz furrowed his brow. "No idea. Maybe the snowstorm? It's abnormal enough."

Madison cocked her head to the side. "Try, communicate?"

Slowly nodding, Daz said, "It's worth a shot if nothing else."

He got everyone to stop moving and then approached the edge of Mr Barrier's protection. "Show yourselves! I can sense you out there! We mean you no harm so long as you share the same sentiments!"

Only the light sound of the snow hammering onto the barrier met him as a response.

"Maybe, barrier's, soundproofing, is, two, way?" Madison suggested.

Daz did note that she had asked Mr Barrier to made the snow far less ear-crushingly loud when she got the little blue ball of fluff to set up its barrier so that was certainly a possiblity.

He approached the fluffy creature sitting on Madison's head and asked it, "Can I be heard outside?"

The mysterious creature jiggled about positively.

"So I'm being ignored," Daz coldly stated.

"Really?" Katy asked with childish curiosity in her eyes. "Maybe they don't speak English?"

"Or at all. Maybe it's a monster!" Kathy added.

'Smart but I can be understood by all sapients, though you two don't know that,' Daz replied privately.

"Well, whatever it is, it's being very cautious. Understandably so but if it's acting like this then it or they know we're a threat. That implies intelligence," Daz stated. "Regardless, let's move on. Mr Barrier will keep us safe."

As they continued to walk Ellie informed the group that a large structure was up ahead but her bots couldn't quite make out what it was due to the grim weather.

A few of her disposable scouting bots had also been destroyed but not by the harsh conditions since she'd outfitted them with anti-freezing capabilities specifically for this expedition.

Someone of something was destroying them actively, proving Daz's gut feeling correct.

Not much later and his sharp eyes could just barely make out a wall of some sort in the distance. "Everyone stop."

No one argued and all of the girls ceased moving immediately.

"I'm going to go out and investigate. I'm the most suited to battle against this blizzard anyway. I don't want any of you leaving Mr Barrier's side when there's likely a dangerous predator out there just waiting for us to show an opening," Daz said firmly.

Madison nodded though worry flashed through her eyes.

"The egg?" Katy asked with her sister nodding along.

"I'll leave it in here with you two for now. Don't want it getting hurt by some strangers or a monster, now do we?" Daz replied.

They both agreed to that and took the egg off of his hands.

"Ellie, can you cover my back from in here?" Daz asked her while she stared off into the depths of the snowstorm.

She nodded. "This barrier hasn't stopped my telekinesis thus far, I don't see why it would start to do so now."

"I'll be counting on you then if I'm getting beat one-sidedly. Otherwise, don't interfere please," Daz replied then stepped out of Mr Barrier's protective shield.

His hair and skin immediately began freezing over as if his resistances, while lacking, were completely nonexistent.

He felt his movements slow almost to a crawl. Just walking was difficult but not impossible. 'Hamson and my control of him are mostly unaffected so I should be fine offensively so long as I keep my eyes open.'

Not the easiest of tasks, it turned out thanks to the cold.