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  "description": "Huzzah!!! It's finally done! The intro story for the only character I have a picture of is done!\n\nThis( as I just said) is an introduction story for my most popular(I've already said why) character Cole the Husky. This should be one of the more fun ones, especially since it has some details about Cole his mate isn't aware of.  ",
  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Huzzah!!! It&#039;s finally done! The intro story for the only character I have a picture of is done!<br /><br />This( as I just said) is an introduction story for my most popular(I&#039;ve already said why) character Cole the Husky. This should be one of the more fun ones, especially since it has some details about Cole his mate isn&#039;t aware of.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>",
  "writing": "Plumes of smoke rise from the chimney of a cabin that lays on the outskirts of a large snow covered town. Bustling and movement is heard from within as a family of deer prepare for the day. The back door opens and the father walks in, brushing the snow from his hat and coat. “Back again so soon dear?” his wife asks from the kitchen, “Yeah, someone beat me to the shed and already filled it with firewood,” he responds. The wife giggles to herself as she stirs a pot of porridge on the stove. She looks towards the living room and calls out, “Samuel, come and set the table for breakfast.”  \"Okay mom.\" A voice responds and moment later a young deer enters the kitchen. He walks over to a cupboard and takes out a set of bowls, plates, and utensils. “Actually Sam,” the father begins, “I’ll handle the table, do me a favor and go wake our tenant.” “Okay dad.” Sam places the plates and bowls on the table and exits into the living room.\n\nHe climbs the stairs to the second floor and heads to a small door at the far end of the hall. Sam knocks on the door three times and says, “Uh, Cole are you awake?” No response.\nHe knocks again and calls out, “Cole?” Again no response is heard. Sam looks around before slowly opening the door and climbing a small narrow set of stairs that leads to a nicely sized attic room. On the far side of the room next to a large window sits a bed with a slowly moving bump under its blanket. Sam slowly approaches the bed and glances down at the lump before removing the blanket. There laying on the bed was a young husky with grey fur and a snow white tail, all he wears is a pair of blue briefs as he sleeps soundly despite his cover being removed.\nSam clears his throat, “Cole. It’s time to wake up.” The husky continues snoozing, unperturbed by the deer’s words. Sam places his hands on the Husky’s shoulders and gently shakes him, but still no response. “Come on Cole, breakfast is almost ready,” the deer pleads. The husky simply turns on his side and continues sleeping. Sam blushes slightly and looks around the room. “Come on Cole, please?” the deer pleads. His begging goes ignored. Sam’s face grows bright red, “Please Cole, just wake up normally.”  But still no response. “Fine!” Sam blurts out. The young deer proceeds to drop his trousers and hesitates for a moment before pulling off his underwear. “I really wish I didn’t have to do this to wake you.” He complains. Sam carefully moves his underwear towards the husky’s nose, when suddenly a cold aura engulfs him. The next thing he knows, Sam is on his back with someone on top of him.\n\nIn a brief moment the husky sprung up from his bed and pounced the young deer pinning him to the ground. The husky giggles happily, “The perfect way to be woken up in the morning.” He sits atop the defenseless deer with the undies in between his teeth and his tail wagging about happily. “Coooole.” the young deer whines. The husky quickly springs upon and moves back to his bed while Sam sits up and covers himself. “Why is it that every time I have to wake you up you don’t even respond until I take my underwear off?” Sam complains. “Huh?” Cole responds as he seals the plastic bag containing the deer’s undies and puts it under his mattress with several others.  “Sorry Sam, were you saying something?”\nCole politely asks, his tail still wagging. “Uh,” he begins, “never mind. Breakfast will be ready soon, so head down once you’re dressed.” Sam stands, covering his exposed front and back with his hands, and quickly exits the room.\n\n[i]Hi there, I’m Cole. I’m a twelve year old husky and…[/i] “Cole, Sam, breakfast is ready!” calls the wife from the kitchen. [i]Oops, no time for that now.[/i] Cole hops to his feet and goes over to a small trunk at the end of his bed and pulls out a red hoodie and quickly slips it on before rushing down stairs to the kitchen.\n\nIn the kitchen the table is set and a plate piled with toast sits in the middle along with two bottles, one with milk and the other with juice. “Morning Mrs. Green.” Cole says cheerfully addressing the deer approaching the table with a large pot of porridge. “Good morning Cole. Did you sleep well?” Cole simply nods and turns his head as Mr. Green enters the kitchen carrying a few jars of jam. “Thanks for stocking the shed with wood this morning Cole.” says Mr. Green. “No problem. It’s the least I could do, especially since you guys let me stay here for free and even feed me.” “Nonsense,” begins Mrs. Green, “Though a lot of people don’t know, we are all too familiar with all the good you do around here Cole.” Mrs. Green fills the last bowl and Mr. Green places the jars in the table and takes his seat. \n\nMrs. Green puts the pot down and also takes her seat, but pauses for a moment. “Now where did Samuel runoff to? He should’ve come back down before Cole did.” she says aloud to no one in particular. Cole’s ears perk up and he gets a smirk on his face. “Oh, after he woke me he said he had to get something from his room. I could run up and go get him if you’d like.” Cole offers. “Oh that’s sweet of you Cole, if it’s not too much…” Mrs. Green begins, but is interrupted by loud footsteps as Sam comes rushing into the kitchen nearly out of breath. “No, no need to send him up I’m here.” “Darn.” Cole says under his breath, but his eyes glance downwards and his smirk returns as he takes his seat at the table. Mr. Green clears his throat and subtly says, “Uh, Sam, would you mind closing the barn door before you eat.?” Sam looks at his dad in confusion for a moment before it hits him, and his face turns red. He quickly zips up his pants and joins his family for breakfast.\n\n[i]Now where was I…? Oh right, I’m Cole, a twelve year old husky. I was assigned to this area in order to assist travelers through the caverns to the east. I’m the youngest member of the NPC order. My likes are snow, hot cocoa, butts, and the fresh used undies of anyone I deem worthy. This is my first real assignment since I master cryomancy, before now I was tasked with hiding healing items around wooded areas, but now I’m in charge of something really big.[/i]\n\nThe family finishes their breakfast and all prepare to begin their day. Mrs. Green takes out three bags from the refrigerator as Mr. Green, Sam, and Cole exit back into the rest of the house. Mr. Green heads into his den, while Sam climbs back up the stairs followed closely behind by Cole. “Do you have to follow that close to me?” Sam asks blushing. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Sam.” Cole says, his face an inch away from the deer's rear. Sam quickly hops onto the second floor and sprints into his room closing the door behind him before Cole can pursue. With a light chuckle Cole walks down the hall towards the door to the attic. Run all you want Sam, you’ll have to stop eventually.\n\nCole enters his attic room and goes over to his trunk and opens it. The trunk's contents are a collection of red hoodies and blue briefs. Cole moves the garments aside to reveal an area much too spacious for the trunk, within it are shelves filled with various items. “Oh before I forget.” Cole pushes several shelves aside until he comes across a lock box, he pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the box. He moves over to his bed and removes three sealed plastic bags from under his mattress, each one contains a pair of underwear. Cole quickly puts them in the lock box and locks it, stashing the key back in his pocket. “There, now a certain little deerling won’t be able to take my most recent treasures.” Cole grabs a satchel next to the box and begins to fill it with an assortment of items. Once done, he places it over his shoulder and heads back downstairs.\n\t\nAs Cole enters the kitchen Sam is seen dashing past his dad out the backdoor to the kitchen. “Sam sure seems anxious today.” Mr. Green says. He kisses his wife and exits through the back door. Cole grabs the bag with his name on it, placing it in his satchel. “Thanks a lot Mrs. Green, I’ll be back by supper.” Cole says as he opens the door. “Cole, aren’t you forgetting something?” says Mrs. Green. He stops and ponders for a moment, then shrugs. Mrs. Green nods towards the table, there's a pair of cargo shorts sitting on top. “Heheh, right, bottoms.” Cole grabs the shorts and slips them on and heads back to the door. “Best of luck on your mission Cole.” Mrs. Green says as she exits into the living room. “Thanks.” Cole calls out as he exits.\n\t\n[i]The Wendigo Caverns, once a rite of passage for the ancient inhabitants of this area, now a short cut through the mountains for adventurers. The caverns are maze like with many dead ends and steep falls, not to mention the frigid temperatures and other inhospitable conditions. In the past young men, women, and candidates for chiefdom had to traverse the caverns to prove adulthood or earn their ranks as leaders. As time passed they realized how dumb it was to do such a thing and the tradition ended, and the caverns were forgotten. Well until the Great War started and armies tried using the caverns as a short cut, needless to say many troops were lost. It wasn’t until a vital battle that squads were able to make it through and change the tides, and so a festival is held in honor of that moment, with a big speech held at the entrance. That’s only one day a year though, the rest of the year it’s a normal cavern, but the outcome of that battle has caused many to try and use the cavern as a short cut through the mountains, and let’s just say time hasn’t made this place any easier. That’s where I come in, each day I place useful items inside the caverns as well as make sure markers are placed to help those who get lost. Then I wait by the western entrance, giving warnings and hints to those who want to go through . . . but they’re few and far between, so a lot of the time I sit on the path alone waiting . . . and waiting. . .[/i]\n\n\t [i] It’s so cold . . . w-where am I . . . I’m lost . . . I’m . . . so hungry . . . why did they leave me . . . my . . . I . . . I can barely stay awake . . . so tired . . .[/i] “Hey! . .” a voice can just barely be heard in the distance. [i]Huh . . . Is, is someone there?[/i] A figure becomes visible in the distance. [i]Ah . . . someone came out here . . . in the blizzard . . . If . . . if I can get their attention . . . maybe . . . but, I’m too tired . . . too weak . . . that’s, that’s why they left me out here . . . they left me here to die. . . because I was weak . . .[/i] “Hey” the voice says again slightly louder this time. [i]Huh . . . do, do they know I’m here?[/i] The figure is growing, coming closer. [i]They, they do . . . but the blizzard is getting worst . . . If they stray too far . . . they’ll end up dying too . . . because of me . . . Go back . . . leave me . . . I’m not worth saving . . .[/i] “Don’t be foolish Cole. You’ve done so much since then. You’re no longer that runt I found in a blizzard.”\n\n\tCole jumps, shaking himself awake and startles the two travelers standing in front of him. “Wow! Heh, looks like he’s finally come back from the dead Cassy.” jokes the male bear. Cole is sitting on a large rock beside the road a few yards away from the entrance, he’s panting heavily with one hand on his chest. The female raccoon approaches him and gently places a hand on his shoulder and ask, “Are you okay? You seemed like you were in a trance.” Cole quickly calms himself and regains his composure, “Yes, yes, sorry. I sit out here so long I tend to space out.” He responds. Cole raises his head and takes a good look at the two. “Oh, are you two here to take the route through the cavern?” he asks. The raccoon takes a step back, “Yes, I’m Cassy, and my companion here is Edgar.” She says motioning to the large black bear beside her. “We’re a part of a research group preparing for a big history festival, so we came here to get some info on the cavern that helped win a war.” Edgar says. “While in town we were told that there was a husky that pretty much serves as a caretaker for the place. Going through it and stuff.” Cole nods, “Yes that would be me, I’m Cole. Though rare, people still do use the caverns as a short cut through the mountains. My job is to make sure no one dies trying to do so.”\n\n\tThe two look at each other then back at Cole before Cassy speaks, “My, that’s a big job for someone your age.” “Not really,” Cole begins, “Like I said it’s pretty rare for someone to use the caverns, and I take great measures to make sure they get through with no real issues. I’ve only had to go in and help once, and even then it wasn’t a big issue.” Edgar laughs and slaps Cole on the back causing him to slide off his rock. “Man Cole, you must be one tough kid to be able to do that job and pass it off like it’s nothing.” Cassy walks over to Cole and helps him to his feet. “Well Cole, seeing as you’re an expert on the cavern, would you mind assisting us as we gather what we need for the festival?” Cassy asks. Cole looks up at the sky to check where the sun was, by its position Cole can tell it will be sunset soon. “Uh, sure,” Cole begins, “but I only work till sunset, the caverns become even too dangerous for me after sun down.” Edgar chuckles, “Well we’re here for a week or so. We’ve got time.” Cassy nods and continues, “The physical caverns is only one part of our research, we also need information from the locals and the archives from the surrounding towns. We can do the caverns when there is more time.” Cassy pauses for moment before she smiles and speaks, “Hey Cole, since the chances of anyone else showing up are slim, how about you come with us while we gather information?” Edgar smiles and adds, “Yeah, come with us. If we run into anything about the layout of the caverns we can run it by you for historical accuracy.\n\t\n\tThey both stare at Cole while he ponders their offer. “So what do you say? Will you assist us?” Cassy asks. Cole nods with a smile, “Sure.” Cole stands and grabs his satchel from behind the rock. “You guys go wait at the fork in the road, I’ll come in a minute. I’ve got something I need to do before I leave the cavern for the day.” The two nod and wave as they head back down the path. Once they’re out of view Cole quickly runs over to the cavern’s entrance. Cole reaches into the pocket of his hoodie and pulls out an odd metal trinket on a chain. The object is made of a blue metal, Cole holds it out and points it at the entrance, his body surrounded by a blue glow as the object begins emitting runes. “Frozen Seal!” Cole calls out as he press a button on the object and it opens emitting bright light and a trail of runes that weave around the entrance. As runes cover the entrance a wall of thick blue ice forms over it sealing the cavern shut. Cole closes the object and pockets it. “There, now no one can enter the cavern.” Cole smiles and runs down the path to go join Edgar and Cassy.    \n",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Plumes of smoke rise from the chimney of a cabin that lays on the outskirts of a large snow covered town. Bustling and movement is heard from within as a family of deer prepare for the day. The back door opens and the father walks in, brushing the snow from his hat and coat. &ldquo;Back again so soon dear?&rdquo; his wife asks from the kitchen, &ldquo;Yeah, someone beat me to the shed and already filled it with firewood,&rdquo; he responds. The wife giggles to herself as she stirs a pot of porridge on the stove. She looks towards the living room and calls out, &ldquo;Samuel, come and set the table for breakfast.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&quot;Okay mom.&quot; A voice responds and moment later a young deer enters the kitchen. He walks over to a cupboard and takes out a set of bowls, plates, and utensils. &ldquo;Actually Sam,&rdquo; the father begins, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll handle the table, do me a favor and go wake our tenant.&rdquo; &ldquo;Okay dad.&rdquo; Sam places the plates and bowls on the table and exits into the living room.<br /><br />He climbs the stairs to the second floor and heads to a small door at the far end of the hall. Sam knocks on the door three times and says, &ldquo;Uh, Cole are you awake?&rdquo; No response.<br />He knocks again and calls out, &ldquo;Cole?&rdquo; Again no response is heard. Sam looks around before slowly opening the door and climbing a small narrow set of stairs that leads to a nicely sized attic room. On the far side of the room next to a large window sits a bed with a slowly moving bump under its blanket. Sam slowly approaches the bed and glances down at the lump before removing the blanket. There laying on the bed was a young husky with grey fur and a snow white tail, all he wears is a pair of blue briefs as he sleeps soundly despite his cover being removed.<br />Sam clears his throat, &ldquo;Cole. It&rsquo;s time to wake up.&rdquo; The husky continues snoozing, unperturbed by the deer&rsquo;s words. Sam places his hands on the Husky&rsquo;s shoulders and gently shakes him, but still no response. &ldquo;Come on Cole, breakfast is almost ready,&rdquo; the deer pleads. The husky simply turns on his side and continues sleeping. Sam blushes slightly and looks around the room. &ldquo;Come on Cole, please?&rdquo; the deer pleads. His begging goes ignored. Sam&rsquo;s face grows bright red, &ldquo;Please Cole, just wake up normally.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;But still no response. &ldquo;Fine!&rdquo; Sam blurts out. The young deer proceeds to drop his trousers and hesitates for a moment before pulling off his underwear. &ldquo;I really wish I didn&rsquo;t have to do this to wake you.&rdquo; He complains. Sam carefully moves his underwear towards the husky&rsquo;s nose, when suddenly a cold aura engulfs him. The next thing he knows, Sam is on his back with someone on top of him.<br /><br />In a brief moment the husky sprung up from his bed and pounced the young deer pinning him to the ground. The husky giggles happily, &ldquo;The perfect way to be woken up in the morning.&rdquo; He sits atop the defenseless deer with the undies in between his teeth and his tail wagging about happily. &ldquo;Coooole.&rdquo; the young deer whines. The husky quickly springs upon and moves back to his bed while Sam sits up and covers himself. &ldquo;Why is it that every time I have to wake you up you don&rsquo;t even respond until I take my underwear off?&rdquo; Sam complains. &ldquo;Huh?&rdquo; Cole responds as he seals the plastic bag containing the deer&rsquo;s undies and puts it under his mattress with several others.&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;Sorry Sam, were you saying something?&rdquo;<br />Cole politely asks, his tail still wagging. &ldquo;Uh,&rdquo; he begins, &ldquo;never mind. Breakfast will be ready soon, so head down once you&rsquo;re dressed.&rdquo; Sam stands, covering his exposed front and back with his hands, and quickly exits the room.<br /><br /><em>Hi there, I&rsquo;m Cole. I&rsquo;m a twelve year old husky and&hellip;</em> &ldquo;Cole, Sam, breakfast is ready!&rdquo; calls the wife from the kitchen. <em>Oops, no time for that now.</em> Cole hops to his feet and goes over to a small trunk at the end of his bed and pulls out a red hoodie and quickly slips it on before rushing down stairs to the kitchen.<br /><br />In the kitchen the table is set and a plate piled with toast sits in the middle along with two bottles, one with milk and the other with juice. &ldquo;Morning Mrs. Green.&rdquo; Cole says cheerfully addressing the deer approaching the table with a large pot of porridge. &ldquo;Good morning Cole. Did you sleep well?&rdquo; Cole simply nods and turns his head as Mr. Green enters the kitchen carrying a few jars of jam. &ldquo;Thanks for stocking the shed with wood this morning Cole.&rdquo; says Mr. Green. &ldquo;No problem. It&rsquo;s the least I could do, especially since you guys let me stay here for free and even feed me.&rdquo; &ldquo;Nonsense,&rdquo; begins Mrs. Green, &ldquo;Though a lot of people don&rsquo;t know, we are all too familiar with all the good you do around here Cole.&rdquo; Mrs. Green fills the last bowl and Mr. Green places the jars in the table and takes his seat. <br /><br />Mrs. Green puts the pot down and also takes her seat, but pauses for a moment. &ldquo;Now where did Samuel runoff to? He should&rsquo;ve come back down before Cole did.&rdquo; she says aloud to no one in particular. Cole&rsquo;s ears perk up and he gets a smirk on his face. &ldquo;Oh, after he woke me he said he had to get something from his room. I could run up and go get him if you&rsquo;d like.&rdquo; Cole offers. &ldquo;Oh that&rsquo;s sweet of you Cole, if it&rsquo;s not too much&hellip;&rdquo; Mrs. Green begins, but is interrupted by loud footsteps as Sam comes rushing into the kitchen nearly out of breath. &ldquo;No, no need to send him up I&rsquo;m here.&rdquo; &ldquo;Darn.&rdquo; Cole says under his breath, but his eyes glance downwards and his smirk returns as he takes his seat at the table. Mr. Green clears his throat and subtly says, &ldquo;Uh, Sam, would you mind closing the barn door before you eat.?&rdquo; Sam looks at his dad in confusion for a moment before it hits him, and his face turns red. He quickly zips up his pants and joins his family for breakfast.<br /><br /><em>Now where was I&hellip;? Oh right, I&rsquo;m Cole, a twelve year old husky. I was assigned to this area in order to assist travelers through the caverns to the east. I&rsquo;m the youngest member of the NPC order. My likes are snow, hot cocoa, butts, and the fresh used undies of anyone I deem worthy. This is my first real assignment since I master cryomancy, before now I was tasked with hiding healing items around wooded areas, but now I&rsquo;m in charge of something really big.</em><br /><br />The family finishes their breakfast and all prepare to begin their day. Mrs. Green takes out three bags from the refrigerator as Mr. Green, Sam, and Cole exit back into the rest of the house. Mr. Green heads into his den, while Sam climbs back up the stairs followed closely behind by Cole. &ldquo;Do you have to follow that close to me?&rdquo; Sam asks blushing. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know what you&rsquo;re talking about Sam.&rdquo; Cole says, his face an inch away from the deer&#039;s rear. Sam quickly hops onto the second floor and sprints into his room closing the door behind him before Cole can pursue. With a light chuckle Cole walks down the hall towards the door to the attic. Run all you want Sam, you&rsquo;ll have to stop eventually.<br /><br />Cole enters his attic room and goes over to his trunk and opens it. The trunk&#039;s contents are a collection of red hoodies and blue briefs. Cole moves the garments aside to reveal an area much too spacious for the trunk, within it are shelves filled with various items. &ldquo;Oh before I forget.&rdquo; Cole pushes several shelves aside until he comes across a lock box, he pulls a key out of his pocket and unlocks the box. He moves over to his bed and removes three sealed plastic bags from under his mattress, each one contains a pair of underwear. Cole quickly puts them in the lock box and locks it, stashing the key back in his pocket. &ldquo;There, now a certain little deerling won&rsquo;t be able to take my most recent treasures.&rdquo; Cole grabs a satchel next to the box and begins to fill it with an assortment of items. Once done, he places it over his shoulder and heads back downstairs.<br />\t<br />As Cole enters the kitchen Sam is seen dashing past his dad out the backdoor to the kitchen. &ldquo;Sam sure seems anxious today.&rdquo; Mr. Green says. He kisses his wife and exits through the back door. Cole grabs the bag with his name on it, placing it in his satchel. &ldquo;Thanks a lot Mrs. Green, I&rsquo;ll be back by supper.&rdquo; Cole says as he opens the door. &ldquo;Cole, aren&rsquo;t you forgetting something?&rdquo; says Mrs. Green. He stops and ponders for a moment, then shrugs. Mrs. Green nods towards the table, there&#039;s a pair of cargo shorts sitting on top. &ldquo;Heheh, right, bottoms.&rdquo; Cole grabs the shorts and slips them on and heads back to the door. &ldquo;Best of luck on your mission Cole.&rdquo; Mrs. Green says as she exits into the living room. &ldquo;Thanks.&rdquo; Cole calls out as he exits.<br />\t<br /><em>The Wendigo Caverns, once a rite of passage for the ancient inhabitants of this area, now a short cut through the mountains for adventurers. The caverns are maze like with many dead ends and steep falls, not to mention the frigid temperatures and other inhospitable conditions. In the past young men, women, and candidates for chiefdom had to traverse the caverns to prove adulthood or earn their ranks as leaders. As time passed they realized how dumb it was to do such a thing and the tradition ended, and the caverns were forgotten. Well until the Great War started and armies tried using the caverns as a short cut, needless to say many troops were lost. It wasn&rsquo;t until a vital battle that squads were able to make it through and change the tides, and so a festival is held in honor of that moment, with a big speech held at the entrance. That&rsquo;s only one day a year though, the rest of the year it&rsquo;s a normal cavern, but the outcome of that battle has caused many to try and use the cavern as a short cut through the mountains, and let&rsquo;s just say time hasn&rsquo;t made this place any easier. That&rsquo;s where I come in, each day I place useful items inside the caverns as well as make sure markers are placed to help those who get lost. Then I wait by the western entrance, giving warnings and hints to those who want to go through . . . but they&rsquo;re few and far between, so a lot of the time I sit on the path alone waiting . . . and waiting. . .</em><br /><br />\t <em> It&rsquo;s so cold . . . w-where am I . . . I&rsquo;m lost . . . I&rsquo;m . . . so hungry . . . why did they leave me . . . my . . . I . . . I can barely stay awake . . . so tired . . .</em> &ldquo;Hey! . .&rdquo; a voice can just barely be heard in the distance. <em>Huh . . . Is, is someone there?</em> A figure becomes visible in the distance. <em>Ah . . . someone came out here . . . in the blizzard . . . If . . . if I can get their attention . . . maybe . . . but, I&rsquo;m too tired . . . too weak . . . that&rsquo;s, that&rsquo;s why they left me out here . . . they left me here to die. . . because I was weak . . .</em> &ldquo;Hey&rdquo; the voice says again slightly louder this time. <em>Huh . . . do, do they know I&rsquo;m here?</em> The figure is growing, coming closer. <em>They, they do . . . but the blizzard is getting worst . . . If they stray too far . . . they&rsquo;ll end up dying too . . . because of me . . . Go back . . . leave me . . . I&rsquo;m not worth saving . . .</em> &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be foolish Cole. You&rsquo;ve done so much since then. You&rsquo;re no longer that runt I found in a blizzard.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tCole jumps, shaking himself awake and startles the two travelers standing in front of him. &ldquo;Wow! Heh, looks like he&rsquo;s finally come back from the dead Cassy.&rdquo; jokes the male bear. Cole is sitting on a large rock beside the road a few yards away from the entrance, he&rsquo;s panting heavily with one hand on his chest. The female raccoon approaches him and gently places a hand on his shoulder and ask, &ldquo;Are you okay? You seemed like you were in a trance.&rdquo; Cole quickly calms himself and regains his composure, &ldquo;Yes, yes, sorry. I sit out here so long I tend to space out.&rdquo; He responds. Cole raises his head and takes a good look at the two. &ldquo;Oh, are you two here to take the route through the cavern?&rdquo; he asks. The raccoon takes a step back, &ldquo;Yes, I&rsquo;m Cassy, and my companion here is Edgar.&rdquo; She says motioning to the large black bear beside her. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re a part of a research group preparing for a big history festival, so we came here to get some info on the cavern that helped win a war.&rdquo; Edgar says. &ldquo;While in town we were told that there was a husky that pretty much serves as a caretaker for the place. Going through it and stuff.&rdquo; Cole nods, &ldquo;Yes that would be me, I&rsquo;m Cole. Though rare, people still do use the caverns as a short cut through the mountains. My job is to make sure no one dies trying to do so.&rdquo;<br /><br />\tThe two look at each other then back at Cole before Cassy speaks, &ldquo;My, that&rsquo;s a big job for someone your age.&rdquo; &ldquo;Not really,&rdquo; Cole begins, &ldquo;Like I said it&rsquo;s pretty rare for someone to use the caverns, and I take great measures to make sure they get through with no real issues. I&rsquo;ve only had to go in and help once, and even then it wasn&rsquo;t a big issue.&rdquo; Edgar laughs and slaps Cole on the back causing him to slide off his rock. &ldquo;Man Cole, you must be one tough kid to be able to do that job and pass it off like it&rsquo;s nothing.&rdquo; Cassy walks over to Cole and helps him to his feet. &ldquo;Well Cole, seeing as you&rsquo;re an expert on the cavern, would you mind assisting us as we gather what we need for the festival?&rdquo; Cassy asks. Cole looks up at the sky to check where the sun was, by its position Cole can tell it will be sunset soon. &ldquo;Uh, sure,&rdquo; Cole begins, &ldquo;but I only work till sunset, the caverns become even too dangerous for me after sun down.&rdquo; Edgar chuckles, &ldquo;Well we&rsquo;re here for a week or so. We&rsquo;ve got time.&rdquo; Cassy nods and continues, &ldquo;The physical caverns is only one part of our research, we also need information from the locals and the archives from the surrounding towns. We can do the caverns when there is more time.&rdquo; Cassy pauses for moment before she smiles and speaks, &ldquo;Hey Cole, since the chances of anyone else showing up are slim, how about you come with us while we gather information?&rdquo; Edgar smiles and adds, &ldquo;Yeah, come with us. If we run into anything about the layout of the caverns we can run it by you for historical accuracy.<br />\t<br />\tThey both stare at Cole while he ponders their offer. &ldquo;So what do you say? Will you assist us?&rdquo; Cassy asks. Cole nods with a smile, &ldquo;Sure.&rdquo; Cole stands and grabs his satchel from behind the rock. &ldquo;You guys go wait at the fork in the road, I&rsquo;ll come in a minute. I&rsquo;ve got something I need to do before I leave the cavern for the day.&rdquo; The two nod and wave as they head back down the path. Once they&rsquo;re out of view Cole quickly runs over to the cavern&rsquo;s entrance. Cole reaches into the pocket of his hoodie and pulls out an odd metal trinket on a chain. The object is made of a blue metal, Cole holds it out and points it at the entrance, his body surrounded by a blue glow as the object begins emitting runes. &ldquo;Frozen Seal!&rdquo; Cole calls out as he press a button on the object and it opens emitting bright light and a trail of runes that weave around the entrance. As runes cover the entrance a wall of thick blue ice forms over it sealing the cavern shut. Cole closes the object and pockets it. &ldquo;There, now no one can enter the cavern.&rdquo; Cole smiles and runs down the path to go join Edgar and Cassy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /></span>",
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