Their feet pressed against the muddy terrain as they climbed. The roots of the dark trees that stuck out from the ground, mud that aggressively stuck to their boots and winds that were itching to knock them over – it gave the brothers a different type of thrill.
Missio's lips curled slightly, his arms swinging widely. His foot dug into the mud. He stepped forward, pulling the foot out with a light grunt. The smell of the forest – a musty scent that irritated his nose. He coughed, wiping his nose as he traveled deeper.
Dante walked ahead of Missio. He stepped over a tree root. His body shifted forward and his foot collided with a rock. His eyes widened as he fell down. He quickly raised his hands, catching himself. Unfortunately, his hands landed in the mud. His face contorted as he stood straight, barely avoiding the trunk.
"Ugh…" he groaned, wiping his hands.
Missio caught up to him, chuckling at his brother.
"You're so stupid. How did you trip?"
"Don't talk so big or I'll bury your face in the mud." Dante flicked his head to the side, spitting.
"Man… I just can't believe the supreme commander is like that…" Missio stepped ahead.
Dante curled his lips, heaving a sigh.
'He's just rage baiting me… don't fall for it…'
He continued forward, catching up with his little brother. Their climb continued without any difficulties from then on. They evaded the trees with ease, following the path that Mythos gave them. Eventually, the forest was sharply cut off by an empty landscape. The ground was littered with volcanic rocks, light patches of snow, loose gravel and grey shale. The hill became steeper. The wind blew fiercely than before.
"More wind? Nice…" Dante tilted his head.
Missio drew a sharp breath and coughed. He pressed his feet against the floor, maintaining his balance. The two treaded across the rocky terrain, the wind howling down from the peak. Snow piled up from the top, forming small walls that blocked the duo's vision.
"Yo, bro! Look, an igloo." Missi pointed at a snow pile.
"Is there a villager under there?" Dante chuckled.
"Maybe. Wanna check?"
"Nah." Dante shook his head, looking forward.
Mythos showed him the trail, using the data collected over years. The siblings climb went smooth from the on. The rocks, while annoying were nothing of a problem. The real problem seemed to be the altitude. The air thinned the farther they went. Nevertheless, it wasn't something they couldn't handle.
An hour passed in a blur. The hillside plateaued. Rock littered across the narrow expanse – the summit of the Forcella Lagazuoi. Winds howled at them at high speeds, making their hair flare up.
"Oh, shit." Dante blurted as the wind pushed against him.
"It's feels cold!" Missio shouted, his voice distorted by the wind.
"No shit!" Dante responded with a loud voice.
His body leaned forward as he placed one foot in front. The wind almost made him lose his footing but he picked himself up at the last moment. Missio held his ground, fighting aggressively against the cold air. The blizzard raged on with storm-like wind and snow that constantly hurled itself at the duo.
The snow struck Missio like lightning. The transcendent recoiled from the strike, spinning around. He placed his foot on the ground, facing south. Dante laughed watching this.
"Still laughing now, my dear little brother?" The King mocked.
"Shut up." Missio grumbled, turning around.
"Sorry, I can't hear you." Dante curled his palm around his ear.
"Hush." Missio tapped his index finger and thumb.
Dante gasped, his jaw dropping slightly. He frowned, grabbing his brother's side. Missio scowled, pushing Dante away.
"Stop that!" Missio squealed.
"You little scoundrel." Dante's lips couldn't help but curl into a smile as he tickled Missio.
The ascendant pushed Dante away, rushing ahead. Dante adjusted his glasses, licking his lips. Missio tripped, falling face-first into the snow. Dante clutched his stomach, bursting into laughter.
"This is Karma." He neared his little brother.
Snow piled atop Missio. The ascendant pushed himself up, rubbing the snow off his face. He ruffled his hair, shaking the snow off it. He stood straight, dusting himself off.
"I can't believe my brother is like that… the former lieutenant general of the black ops and an ascendant just fell face-first into snow like Ploof!" Dante teased Missio.
Missio rolled his eyes, adjusting his backpack.
"It's not like you're any different."
Dante stopped teasing his brother. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pulled him forward.
"Come on, we don't have all day."
Missio tilted his head, marching through the snow behind his brother. After a few minutes, they reached the edge of Forcella Lagazuoi. They halted before the edge. Missio lowered his head, gazing at the stee, almost vertical descent to the next camp. Then, he flicked his head up, peering out towards the horizon. His eyes widened. His jaw dropped slightly as his eyes gleamed with the light.
Beyond the pass, he saw massive glaciers covering a lake at the foot of the mountain. He paused for a moment too long, drawing a long, deep breath. A chill washed over him, calming his nerves.
"What's that?" Missio nudged his brother.
Dante adjusted his glasses. Mythos initiated, scanning his vision. Then, a message popped up on screen.
[Grey glaciers – Dolomites.]
"The grey glaciers." He replied.
Missio nodded, gazing back at the massive glaciers. For afar, the glacier's color seemed a bit dimmed, making them look like their name. They hovered on the lake like titans made of ice, sculpted by nature's wrath. In the distance, he could see individuals boating across with guides. Another gust of wind hurled at them. They held their ground, peering at the glaciers for a few more seconds.
"let's hurry up." Dante sat down.
"Wait, why'd you sit…?" Missio inquired.
Dante froze. He slowly turned his head, locking eyes with his brother.
"Do ya think we're going to WALK down THAT?"
"I mean… we can jump it?" Missio shrugged.
"Shut up. We're gonna experience the entire thing the right way." Dante pushed himself forward.
"Okay, captain." Missio sat down as well.
He braced himself, drawing a sharp breath. He pushed himself ahead, sliding down the gravel. Jagged rocks stabbed his arse, making the ascendant squeal. He stopped, catching his breath.
"Ouch…" he mumbled, rubbing his arse.
He lifted his head, noticing Dante getting farther away. He heaved a breath, knowing what he'll have to do. He braced himself once more, gripping the ground. Then, he began sliding.