Although momentarily lost in thought, Terakiel couldn't help but realize that it had gotten very cold. It was colder now than when he awoke. He found himself shivering uncontrollably as the momentary warmth drained from his flesh. He surveyed his surroundings one more time until his eyes came to rest once more on the monument before him. To his surprise, the silvery structure was glowing. It was unmistakable. Its featureless surface was emitting a ghostly blue light.
Gingerly, Terakiel reached out to touch the surface again but jerked it back when it came in contact. The monument was now scorching hot, but the heat did not radiate outwards even an inch. One moment he could feel the frigidly cold air on his fingertips and then it was as if he'd plunged his hand directly into a fire. He cast a glance at his fingers to make sure they hadn't been burned away, but there was no immediate evidence of the structure having had any effect on him. He could no longer feel the heat; the sensation dissipated as soon as he pulled back.
The cold was almost unbearable now as the shivering man hugged himself tightly in a vain attempt to get blood circulating through his veins. Was this it? Was this how he as going to die? Would he freeze to death before this mysterious artifact with no knowledge behind the purpose of his fate? He acknowledged that he deserved punishment for his actions but he was bitterly regretful that he might never understand what was really happening.
Terakiel's curiosity to witness what might be unfolding was overwhelming, but he wasn't ready to freeze to death. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to tear his eyes away from the monument and pushed himself through the strand of trees at the edge of the clearing, but the sheer cold had not let up. The water droplets clinging to his arms had crystallized into solid ice. They felt like hundreds of tiny knives pricking at his exposed flesh. As he muscled his way through trees now encrusted with icicles, he realized the temperature was not rising. If anything, it was getting worse. Was the whole of Lakara now a punishing wintry wasteland?
His breaths clearly visible before him, he stopped to consider his options. He could keep running and tax his body even more, or he could return to the moment. The pain of touching the monument had been excruciating, but it was very hot and seemed to cause no lasting damage. Terakiel figured that it might be the only way he could survive. Reluctantly, fear quickening his pulse, he turned around and rushed back toward the clearing.
Before he could travel five steps, he skidded into a patch of ice and fell unceremoniously to the ground. Stifling a groan of pain, he forced himself to his feet again, assuming a slower but steady pace. Carefully, he navigated his way through the trees, keeping a careful lookout for patches of ice lurking in the previously dew-soaked grasses. Before long he had made it back to the clearing, which was as excruciatingly cold as ever.
Involuntarily shivering, Terakiel stumbled toward the monument, now glowing so intensely it was difficult to look at head on. Before he could talk himself out of what he was about to do, he thrust out his hands and placed them directly on the structure. The ensuing pain was indescribable. It flowed through him like an invading army, violently assaulting his senses. White-hot tendrils of fire snaked through his body as the monument, illuminated in brilliant blue light, began to emit an urgent high whine. The shriek pierced Terakiel's eardrums but the pain crushing his body made it impossible to register.
For what seemed like an eternity his hands were merged with the monument. He couldn't have pulled them away if he tried. It felt as if he were being sucked into its featureless surface, the intense blue glow now overwhelming his field of vision. He was warm now, warmer than he'd ever been in his life. He couldn't feel the frigid chill in the air any longer. All that existed was the intense fiery heat emanating from the structure and flowing through his bodies.
He had one final thought before blackness overwhelmed him. Bodies?
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