Min Rhee was disturbed by the scouting reports, but no more than usual. When the sect sent out disciples, something always caught their eyes.

It was unsettling.

This time, everything seemed in order and for once the sect leader was sweating. In the cold dim light of the Coldsteel school, the sect leader breathed in the cold aura, cycling his qi. His core shunted the cold as it absorbed the ice, filling him with warmth. Around him, a bubble of warmth built up, generated by the absence of the cold he was drawing in.

A dream he had the night before foretold a reckoning. One that has the potential to break the sect apart.

No large offense had been given to any major clan or school in recent memory, besides normal practice bouts. He remembered days as a hot-headed youth when that hadn’t been true and, yes many cultivators held a grudge but… still, nothing in a routine scout report?

Beside him, Elder Kang waited patiently to hear the news. The fourth elder in line, Elder Kang was a young man who spent his time tending the Coldsteel Library as well building their information network. Reports came through him and often had his fingerprints and analysis attached.

“Tell me, Elder Kang,” Elder Min said, “In your experience, does it often happen that nothing of note is reported?”

Elder Kang bowed deeply. His warm robes were surrounded by a yak fur coat.

“There is a certain amount of snowfall, Elder Min,” Kang said, “It’s a bit more than we’d expected.”

“And can the Coldsteel school not handle such an amount? Or do I observe a sect full of fools?”

Silence answered him. Elder Min stood up to survey the area. From the stone tower, he could see the large outer walls of the sect. Reinforced stone and wood throughout were punctuated by icy veins that leaked a cold aura.

“Elder Min, if you’re suggesting that my scouts are not properly doing their work, I will reeducate them myself,” He rose from his bow, “By your leave, I will begin their punishment and work them until they recognize the errors of their ways.”

Reaching out with his spiritual sense, Elder Min felt beyond the walls. The cold cut the senses of cultivators that didn’t practice the cold arts. Reaching as far as he could, he felt a presence. He bowed under the force emanating from it.

The snow on the ground shook around them.

"Elder Kang, it has been a pleasure serving the sect with you."

Min Rhee stood up and walked to the ancient cold steel bell. Fifty paces and each step felt heavier as the pressure came down.

With a heavy heart, he rang the large, room-sized bell three times, signaling a general muster.

From behind him, Cultivators scrambled to form up in the courtyard, jostling each other to take their assigned places.

Min Rhee did not lust to send men to their deaths, but he was impressed at the speed at which the Cultivators arrived. A full thirty men and women, the best of their generation, stood shoulder to shoulder awaiting his command. Each looked pained to be in the presence of what must be an ascendant divine beast. Few beasts could exert their will so fully.

The pressure intensified as the beast moved closer. Now an outline of a large beast could be seen, as a snowstorm whipped in.

The five sect elders formed up behind him, awaiting instructions. For once in his life, Elder Min was at a loss for words.

He was surprised to see Elder Kang with the rest. Hadn't he indicated for Elder Kang to take the junior disciples through his words?

Elder Kang bowed as Elder Min approached.

"Take the junior disciples and anyone not fit to fight. Move them through the southern tunnel. They should already be forming by now."

Elder Kang did not move, instead bowing lower as expected of one of his rank. It's what you do.

"Protect our sect. Stand with the junior disciples and initiates and take them to the vault off the southern supply tunnel. The scripts there will keep them safe if something happens."

"Glory to the coldsteel school!" Elder Kang said, crossing his arms "I hear and obey."

Min Rhee sighed as his most enthusiastic Elder departed. His most enthusiastic and weakest Elder. He still had his part to play.

Then he turned to face the large beast as it began to blot out the sun.

He raised one arm and began the attack.

And the sun went out.

The wind whipped around the snowstorm in Denver as Jessica Kim finally got back to her apartment complex. The weather report had indicated that it would continue for at least another day, and she was getting sick of it.

The three-story brick building was warm on the inside and that was all that counted. Jessica warmed her hands by rubbing them and blowing on them. The damn things had decided to revolt and were having none of it.

She got to her third-floor apartment, then went directly over to the sink to warm her hands further. The warmth crept up her arms and rejuvenated her.

The meetups were great in Denver and she had so many quality friends, yet these last couple of days had begun to feel like groundhogs day. This one instead, the tale is about withstanding the cold again and again. A tale of stoic patience told one afternoon after another in which she cursed the boss that wouldn't let her work from home.

Those stories from her father’s family about how they used to rough it out back in the old country, which didn't appeal to Jessica. If she worked hard crunching numbers especially with tax season coming up, then she deserved a little indulgence now and then. She popped one of the chocolates from her mixed bowl of fifty percent regular, fifty percent edible weed chocolates. The taste for both was the same and she made her prediction on the whiteboard above the counter.

This one tasted like regular, so she placed a tic on the regular column. Quickly she calculated, trying to guess which one it would be. So far she was batting a bit better than average getting it right eleven out of twenty times.

Jessica removed her hat as she puttered around the apartment trying to make sure that if the mess wasn't contained, at least it looked friendly. Turning to the balcony window she paused.

The snow stopped?

Jessica hustled over to the window, sliding it open as she pursed her lips. It was still daytime, then was it? She half expected there to be no sun with all of the overcast weather.

She stepped out to brush some of the snow on the balcony. One of the greatest and worst things about her apartment was the balcony. She kept a broom on the side to keep it clean, but the Colorado sun usually made sure that it was snow-free by mid-day. Days of constant snow and clouds had stopped that.

She brushed the top of the railing first. Snow dropped below in a clump. Jessica cleaned for a long minute. Regrettably, she'd left her hat inside. Her balcony clean, Jessica looked up for the first time as the ground shook.

The snowstorm has returned with a vengeance. It engulfed the entire area and Jessica now couldn't tell which way led back into her apartment.

She cast about looking for something, anything to hold onto, even the railing would do.

Then the sun went out.

Jessica lost her sense of up and down and she couldn't find her doorway. Surely three steps weren't too far to go? The balcony had never been this wide before.

Jessica walked farther. The damn balcony railing perhaps? Snow and wind buffeted her.

She should have kept the damn hat on but no she was only going to be outside for a minute. Who could imagine getting stuck in the dark on one's balcony? It's every woman's worst nightmare, or at least it was Jessica's.

Something hit her on the back of her head and she passed out.

Waking up, Jessica felt different than she had earlier. For one thing, she wasn't cold, and she felt fur over her shoulders. A thick coat? She'd never owned one of those.

She screamed. A wave of intense pressure felt like gravity pressing her down. Two pairs of rough arms on either shoulder pulled her up against the force, nearly knocking her back unconscious. Their hands were cool metal against her skin. Her skin felt not like her at all. Damn this Colorado food! She must have picked the edible this time.

Using her arms, she tried to stand but found the pressure to be too much.

She opened her eyes. She was in a dark cave, being dragged by two strong...people.

"Hey! Excuse me, what's going on here?" She said, her voice faltering.

"Elder Kang said that we all need to get into the vault and to the southern supply tunnels! Sorry elder sister, but this one saw that the attack had incapacitated you," A squeaky voice said.

It sounded like a teenager who had just had his voice crack. As if in answer, the tunnel rumbled.

Those must have been some good edibles, Jessica thought as she rose to put one arm around the lean boy in martial robes and a fur overcoat. His boots alone looked both gaudy and functional.

Looking down, she realized that she was wearing the same getup as him.

Those must have been some potent brownies. Jessica swore to never get lunch at the dispensary commissary again. Even if they had the best chalupas. Even if the man buns there beat out all the other dispensaries.

I'll ride out this bad trip, she thought, but I am going to have words with that damn manager.

They did have that special cheese though and perhaps she could ask for some of that as compensation? The one with the edibles already in it.

Jessica stopped her train of thinking as the other person holding her up nodded to the door ahead.

"Through that door, we should be safe from the divine beast's qi," he said, "This one has heard that it's been reinforced against that."

As the door came into view, Jessica was shocked, it’s golden exterior a tasteless throwback to an age of princes and palaces.

"Of course, I would trip and imagine myself in some fantasy land," she grumbled.

The pressure decreased immensely as they crossed the threshold of the door. Jessica felt like she could breathe again. Small candles in the wall lit up the area and cast large shadows around the large wooden boxes stacked everywhere.

"I'm sorry, but who are the both of you?" She said.

If I am here, I may as well play along, she thought.

"This one," the squeaky voice said, "is junior disciple Jung."

Jessica craned her head to the other one. Both were bald but wore a heavy winter hat, the wonderful kind that has ear flaps. Every girl she knew had a fashion version of that hat, and most wore it ironically.

"What about you?" She said to the lean bald teenager on her left.

"Initiate An-Yong," the other said.

"Well, where are we now, as I have no memory of this at all?" She said.

The only difference she could see was that An-Yong had a white belt around his waist instead of the red belt on Jung. Maybe they used a martial belt system? A junior disciple had to be more senior than an initiate, right?

"Jung is more senior, correct?" She said.

The two looked at each other confused. Jessica realized that she should see what she was wearing.

Looking down, she wore the same robes and pelt. Mercifully she had a hat. Not her own of course but the scratchy thing would do. It was warm.

Then she looked down and cursed.

She wore a black belt.