[Well, that’s not good.]

Erin screamed, and the sound was snatched away by the sudden rushing of wind. Not discouraged by this, she screamed again and again, as the cracks of light that fractured the void around her looked on pitilessly.

As if the darkness through which she fell had been a black balloon that suddenly burst, it disintegrated. The splintered forks widened rapidly until all that remained were ribbons of blackness that rose and vanished too a moment later.

Blinded by the sudden blast of light she closed her eyes as she dropped. Pulling her arms into her chest and tucking her chin down she covered her face with her hands. The air that ripped past her was thin and cold, as if icy hands clawed at every inch of her body they could reach.

[If you’re going to survive this,] the Liaison said, [you will have to open your eyes.] Erin couldn’t help but bark a laugh that was immediately torn away by the wind. What sort of crap is that? She already knew there was no surviving a fall like this. She had been plummeting downward for more than a minute at least.

[Magic.] Her Liaison supplied laconically in answer to her doubts, but in her panic Erin refused to be thrown a lifeline. I only have Fireball! She shrieked in her head, certain that her guide could hear the thought.

[You are not the only one with magic, but time is a factor and you must be an agent of your own survival.]

Erin didn’t have the spare breath to sigh in that moment, but a part of her really wanted to. Instead she struggled against every instinct she had and pulled her hands away from her face, uncovering her eyes.

She gasped as the bright light resolved itself into something her brain could make sense of. Beneath her was a sprawling forest covered in snow that stretched into the distance before climbing part way up monstrous snow-capped mountains. She was falling into a valley that gave the impression of a giant maw ready to snap closed on her in the air.

Some part of her couldn’t help but admire the view. It was her first look at a world with magic and it was both terrifying and beautiful. Another (likely insane) part was acknowledging the black humor of her situation. Being reincarnated only to be squashed like a bug by the process. She could just see some afterlife flight control worker in her mind's eye, watching her little dot fall to its doom saying ‘Houston, we have a negative on that trajectory.’

[It is amazing what goes through people's minds when they think they’re going to die. You’d think it would be something productive.]

She had no words to spare for her Liaison’s pithy commentary on thoughts that Erin herself was barely aware of. As if some invisible force were acting upon her she spread her arms and legs in an attempt to create as much drag as possible, which also served to arrest her tumbling somewhat.

[That’s better. Now you’re going to want to try to land on your feet. Anything else will likely injure you, if not kill you outright.]

The tops of the trees were approaching rapidly now, as if the ground were the hand of some impossibly massive titan rushing toward her. She could still feel the invisible force acting on her body, causing her stomach to lurch uncomfortably as the rate of her fall slowed measurably, second by second.

[On my signal, you’re going to want to tumble forward and brace your legs.]

She’d come even with the tree tops by the time she processed this, and barely a second after that she heard,

[Now!]

Acting on instincts she didn’t realize she had, Erin pulled her arms back into her chest at the same moment she dipped into a suicidal front flip, hoping against hope she'd land on her feet. The last moments of her fall were a blur of indecipherable color, and with absolute certainty that she was going to die she tensed her legs’ muscles.

She jolted so hard from the impact every bone in her body felt on the verge of breaking. An intense wave of discomfort passed through her as she absorbed the shock, and she sank past her knees into a tall mound of snow. Then it was over. She was alive and no longer falling.

She collapsed, her whole body shaking as she did everything in her power not to burst into tears. A confusing mix of emotions rolled over her as she lay there, but foremost among them she was just glad to be alive; and not only because she’d survived the terrifying fall from the afterlife. She had died and the experience had been just as horrible as she’d feared, but now she was back.

More or less. It wasn’t home. It wasn’t even the same universe as far as she knew, but that didn’t matter. Only being alive mattered and she was.

[At least for the moment. No one ever survived very long just laying in the snow though.]

“Shut up.” Erin snapped at her Liaison. Was it so much to ask to get a moment of peace after… everything.

[This is bad.]

“Is it?” Erin snapped again, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Here I was thinking everything was peachy keen.”

[This isn’t where you’re supposed to be.]

She said, ignoring Erin’s belligerent attitude while Erin forced herself to sit up and look around, a scowl twisting her lips and creasing her brow.

“You mean you didn’t mean to drop us in a forest in the middle of nowhere?” Truthfully, Erin hadn’t given much thought to where she was going to end up after the reincarnation thing happened. Being alive again had been her primary concern.

“It’s not ideal, but at least I didn’t get dropped over an active volcano, or the ocean.” Erin visibly shuddered at the thought of being plunged into those heaving gray waves with no land in sight. Once again she found that her panic settled more quickly than it would have before she died. Once her breathing was back under control, she pushed herself to her feet and took a look around.

It was a scene from a storybook. The stillness of winter after a fresh snowfall hung heavy over the forest. Heaving her legs free of the snow bank, she made her way to the nearest tree, pressing her hand against the trunk. Only then did she realize she was wearing a glove made of a thick protective leather. She looked down at herself to find she was head to toe in relentless practical leather and furs, and she experienced a sense of vertigo. When did- but her thoughts were interrupted.

[You don’t understand. There were supposed to be people to meet you. The reincarnation point on Jetriser is well established.]

Still investigating her new clothing, Erin didn’t immediately respond. Despite the chilled air on her face, she was warm enough under the leather and fur. Satisfied for the moment that she wasn’t going to die of exposure over the next few hours she returned her attention to her Liaison.

“Guess we’ve had a change of plans.” She said with a shrug, trying to crush down a sense of unease. “Any suggestions on what to do next?”

[We do not typically offer advice] Though her tone of consummate professionalism was tinged with uncertainty.

“I’m getting the impression that being reincarnated typically doesn’t dunk you in a snowbank with no civilization in sight, so maybe it’s time to admit this adventure has gone off the rails.”

[This is not a game.] Her Liaison said, her tone frigid, but Erin only shrugged.

“Of course I know it’s not a game. What I’m saying is that whatever non-interference policy you’re clinging to is crap. The powers that be or whatever dropped us in the middle of nowhere. I don’t know the details but it seems to me that no one but you is following the rules at this point.” Erin felt a flash of annoyance from her Liaison, but when she replied her tone was calm.

[It was a simple mistake I’m sure. The System would not intentionally throw us off course.]

“Oh good,” Erin said sarcastically, “so I guess that means we can expect a lift from the almighty any second now to get us back on track?” A brief silence followed before her Liaison admitted defeat.

[No, now that you have been reincarnated your fate is your own. Our circumstances are what they are.]

“Right, so maybe, you can see your way to helping out a bit.” As Erin leaned against the tree, the cold of the snow beneath her feet steadily creeping into the leather boots on her feet, her guide remained silent for several long moments before changing the subject.

[You are exposed here. You should try to find some shelter.]

Well that’s not exactly the sort of help I meant but… Erin couldn’t help but agree as she turned her head to stare off into the deathly still forest. Her earlier sense of unease redoubled as her skin prickled with the sensation of being watched.

“One direction is as good as another I guess.” Erin muttered as she looked around. Deep in a forest, surrounded by trees that created innumerable blind spots and with no significant landmarks to speak of. She shrugged, picked a direction and plunged through the snow.

If the branches grew any lower, I’d climb a tree for a better view. She thought to herself as she eyed the flat, smooth bark that stretched up the first dozen yards or so, she shook her head. No way am I getting up there.

“How long till it gets dark ya think?”

[3 hours and 11 minutes.]

Momentarily taken aback, Erin paused in the middle of smashing her way through a snowdrift.

“Well that’s a neat trick, what else can you do?” Ignoring both the jibe and the question equally, she answered.

[You should find somewhere to rest and from there I suggest formulating a survival strategy.]

Erin scoffed aloud at that. She knew nothing about this world. Not where she was, or where they should go. Hell, I don’t even know what kind of trees those are. She thought as her eyes lingered on the smooth, pale bark that was unlike anything she’d ever seen on Earth. I don’t have the first clue how to survive here.

“Sure thing. We’ll find a spot to camp and come up with something.” Putting on the brave act more for herself than for the mind reader who’d rented an office space in her head. She didn’t know what to do, but just doing nothing was not an option.

Erin wasn’t sure how long she walked for or if she was even managing to move in a straight line.

“Which way is north?” She asked as she plowed her way through calf-deep powder.

[True north is almost directly to your left.]

Erin raised an eyebrow in surprise, which of course no one was around to see, but she trusted her Liaison could read her face as well as her mind.

“So you can tell me the direction and the time. Do you have a map function?”

[I do not.]

Erin sighed and then shrugged. Being able to tell which direction she was heading at any time would probably be useful later. Right now though, it didn’t tell her much.

A few minutes later she happened across the first break in the terrain. In the distance she spotted a small hill, covered in snow. With no better options, she altered her course and made for the lump of earth.

As she got closer she was able to make out a hole in the snow and earth at the hill’s base. The entrance to some kind of cave or den. The patch of inky darkness was all the more eerie for the unbroken white that covered everything else. Anxiety clawed its way up into her stomach, and she had to ball her gloved hands into fists to keep them steady.

[Taking possession of this den would drastically improve your odds of survival.]

“And if there’s something already living there? That’s a big hole in the ground.” Erin wasn’t positive, but she imagined the wildlife on a fantasy world with magic would be a bit more exotic than Earth’s.

[Given your spell selections, I would recommend fire, but if you want to throw snowballs I won’t judge.]

Oh ha ha, Erin thought without humor, suddenly she’s got jokes. She stood there in snow almost too deep for her boots, and felt her stomach do somersaults as her imagination told her all sorts of horror stories about what could be waiting for her down there.

“Fire it is.” She agreed, trying to sound more confident than she felt. The young woman had an awareness of the spell. The shifting, glowing runes she’d absorbed were still there; moving within her body, and calling them to the surface was almost as easy as breathing. Although she couldn’t see them through the thick layer of protective clothing, she could feel them dancing over her skin as she prepared to cast her first spell.

She held her hand aloft and saw the air above her open palm distort and shimmer, as if from a wave of heat escaping into the cold air. The fire in her was an eager hound, ready to be let off the leash and throw itself upon her enemies. With an effort of will a fist sized ball of flame bloomed to life with a gentle woosh of consumed oxygen.

Her heart thundered in her chest as elation, terror and awe warred inside her. She had cast a spell. She could see the fire with her own eyes, plucked from thin air by her will alone. Then her gaze drifted past the little miracle in her hand to the side of the hill and the dark hole that waited for her.

Instinct guiding her, she rotated her arm and turned her wrist, presenting the fireball as the weapon it was intended to be. With only the barest hesitation, she released the spell and with a fwip of cloven air, the spell launched itself from her hand in a streak of orange. Vanishing down the hole, followed by a brief flash and then an animalistic screech.

The woman stood dumbstruck as she heard something big thrashing about in the hole, and then the scraping of claws as something came sliding out of the exit.

A long pointed snout with narrow intelligent eyes set above a maw of countless, razor teeth emerged from the darkness; and it froze as its gaze fell on Erin.

A low menacing hiss emanated from within its throat, and Erin was certain that it identified her as the source of its trouble. She could see smoke rolling off its side as the acrid smell of burnt hair filled her nose. It bore some resemblance to the ferrets her younger brother kept as pets, only many times larger and crossbred with some sort of demon.

It pulled itself the rest of the way from its hole and began to approach, eyes fixed on her. Erin’s imagination on what might be waiting for her in the darkness had fallen woefully short of the reality, and her knees shook with terror as it approached.

[Now would be a good time to cast another Fireball.]

Erin jolted, brought back to herself, returned from the land of deer and headlights. She willed another fireball to appear in her palm with perhaps only a little more effort than last time, it sputtered into life.

The creature hesitated, its eyes lingering on the fire dancing between them. Once more it issued that menacing hiss.

[Aim for the face.]

Her tone was calm, as if she were an experienced monster hunter just casually showing her student the ropes.

“Right.” Erin agreed as she leaned her head closer to her shoulder, trying to line up her shot. As if it sensed her intentions the creature began to approach once more. She discharged the spell, confident she could hit it with the few yards that remained between them.

In an unbelievable display of reflexes, the demon-ferret jerked its face out of the path of the attack, taking the hit on its shoulder. The spell burst apart, spraying flame all across its chest and underbelly.

[Again.]

Her tone was so relaxed she almost sounded bored, and Erin was certain that the unconcern was an act for her own benefit. Still, she did as instructed and willed another Fireball into her palm. This time, she could feel the effort of the casting as if she were jogging or working out. The subtle strain of her muscles as she went from being rested into mildly winded.

Blind with rage, the creature didn’t hesitate this time. It dashed forward, its long sinewy body flowing over the ground like some sort of living liquid. She struggled to track its rapid approach with her spell until the thing was nearly on top of her. It leapt at her face, claws and teeth at the ready, and she screamed as she fired the spell and fell backwards.

The ball of flame had less than a foot to travel when it collided with the monster. Smashing directly into its open maw, the spell burst apart almost in slow motion and Erin saw her spell do its merciless work. Flames burst from its nostrils as its eyes turned white and melted away. It sailed over her as she fell back and rolled, hitting the ground. Trying to keep her eyes on the thing as she got her feet under her.

As the creature fell, it sprang once more to its feet spinning around and around, as if searching for her, with a mouth full of blackened, half-melted teeth. She was certain it must already be dead. Its brain cooked before it even landed, and its body was running on the last vestiges of muscle memory.

Even as Erin watched, it tripped and fell. Legs twitching, its mouth open in the ghost of its final attempt to kill her.

[Adolescent Nor Wolverine Slain: Would you like to loot it?]

Erin didn’t respond immediately. Still laying in the snow, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest she could feel it throughout her body.

Before she had time to calm herself and collect her thoughts, there came an odd thump. A tremor passed the ground, so strong she could feel it even through a thick layer of powdered snow.

“Wha-”

[Quickly, in the hole.]

Her Liaison cut her off, and she felt something she could only describe as a mental poke, urging her to listen.

“But-”

Thump

The tremor came again, stronger this time, so Erin decided she’d act now and ask questions later. The young woman pushed herself unsteadily to her feet and turned, making her way toward the recently vacated hole in the ground.

Thump

It came again, just as she wriggled herself into the dark little den and out of sight. Once inside, she righted herself so that she was in a sitting position, with her back pressed to the wall just to the side of the entrance. Now she could hear the snapping of branches and the creaking protests of trees as something big pushed them out of its way. Then the sound stopped, and she could hear nothing for a few moments.

Slowly a new sound drifted into her awareness, breathing, felt more as a vibration than a proper noise. Her mind didn’t even want to try to picture the size of a thing that could breathe like that. A scraping sound reached her ears and then a wet crunch, followed by several seconds of something she eventually identified as chewing.

[Adolescent Nor Wolverine has been stolen. Loot lost.]