Feel Good Inc.

It was cold, but it was beautiful. With the change of seasons, Nagendra came to realize that he had never explored the South in the winter. Granted, the southernmost parts of it were still warm, but some places had snow. At first, he was never a big fan of being cold. But he always reminded himself that it (the winter and all related phenomena) was something to be grateful for, and to admire. And so after getting over his initial chill, admire it he did.

He stalked north of Imperium, to a place he didn’t think he’d ever been at all before. At least, under the snow, he was pretty certain he hadn’t; his mental map of Alacritia was becoming more and more accurate each day. Here, the land was flat and rugged. He could see the flat horizon far away, and just above it the unobscured grey sky. He paused where he was, ankle-deep in snow, and gazed forward. It was, aside from the dismal sky, picturesque. The snow looked so soft and pure, spread out in a fine blanket. He hated to ruin it.

Before he could decide which direction to explore in, a gentle call skated through the air, sounding from nearby. The man’s tall ears perked and he’d glance to the side, intrigued. It was a welcoming cry, not of any particular challenge or demand. It was something… somewhat unusual. And Nagendra was a very, very curious wolf. With an interested smile, he would proceed in the direction it had come from.

He would have missed the wolf, had it not been for the markings on its face and legs. Amongst the white of the landscape, the first thing he noticed was what appeared to be a float brown something. He was… startled. And then he noticed that it was attached to a body. Oh! There was the owner of the voice. An amused grin spread easily across his face, flashing the tips of his teeth with warm cheer. ”You have the ambush all set up,” he said as he approached. ”But your face gives it away,” he commented with a smirk, stopping a comfortable distance away.