I ran as fast as I could, though I had to slow down every once in a while in order to not slip. Unlike the last time I ran, when the path had been muddy and grassy, this path was covered entirely in snow. There were times when I had to stop and make sure that I hadn't wandered off since the trail was so hard to see. 

The cold wind nipped at my cheeks and caused tears to well in my eyes. My face and the snow were the only aspects that indicated that it was cold. Running had warmed up my muscles and my lungs were burning. Even when my body begged for me to walk, I kept sprinting. The faster I ran, the faster I got finished. 

Dead trees began appearing in the snow. Twigs that couldn't bear the wind fell and hit my face. They didn't hurt. They were just annoying. 

An object flew down and landed next to me. I slowed to look at it. An icicle the size of my hand was piercing the floor. Another fell after it. When I looked up, I found that several were now raining from the trees, some aiming for my head. 

I picked up my pace. I had to look up to ensure that none of them landed on me. They whizzed past me like arrows. After one hit the ground, another followed. 

Though some scraped by and almost hit me, I came out from the trees unscathed. I released a long breath, which lingered in the air. The first obstacle was done. It had been dangerous, but it was done.

I couldn't say that it was easy. That was just asking for something to happen. But it was bearable. If things continued to stay at that level of difficulty, then I had a chance of making it further than I had anticipated. 

The ground grew slipperier than before, and I landed on my butt. I groaned and got back up. Pain shot through my tailbone. 

The terrain had grown from snowy to icy. I hugged myself tightly, the cold only now reaching the rest of my body. They should have given me a jacket. Sebastian would have made sure that I got one. 

I ignored the thoughts and focused back on the obstacle. The ice didn't stretch too far. I could see where the ice reencountered with snow. All I needed to do was walk over.

What was the catch?

I placed my foot on the ice. It felt unstable under my weight. I stepped back. If the ice cracked, then I would fall in and be freezing. It would take forever for my clothes to dry. 

Found it. 

I sucked in a breath. Maybe if I ran quickly, then I could make it over before it fell. It was my only plan. It was my only chance. 

With that, I sprinted across. I could feel the thin ice crack with each step. The lines on the ground grew until they conjoined, making a fragile web behind me. It raced against me, hardly at my heels. Unlike me, it never seemed to tire. It just grew and stretched as long as I kept going. I feared that it would get ahead of me. 

I had nearly reached the end when my foot stepped through the ice. It gave the ice in front of me enough time to break away. My legs sank into the water. I clutched tightly onto the path. My fingers sank into the dark earth. 

My body from the waist down felt numb. I tried to even my breathing and to clear my head, but the water had chilled every bone in my body. It felt like my legs had been frozen. 

After a minute, I had finally managed to calm down. I slid half of my body onto the ground. My arms shook frantically. They felt like they would snap if the wind blew on them too hard. I kicked my back legs to help me slide up. I finally managed to slip my entire body onto safe ground. 

I rested my cheek on the frozen ground. Tears streamed down my cheeks. It's cold. So cold. 

My pants stuck tight to my legs, making them feel worse than they already did. I wouldn't be able to go on without them being dry. 

I knew it. I shouldn't have jinxed myself. The first obstacle had been easy, but now I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the third one. 

From the corner of my eye, I saw something flicker. I looked over at the side. There were a few scattered trees, each of them with fire burning on their branches. 

I looked at them with gut-wrenching joy. Heat. 

It took a minute to get back up, and it took too much strength to run. I finally managed to reach the trees, though. I stuck my hand out towards the flame. It warmed my red hands. Then I tore a branch off and hovered it over my legs. 

The Game Master didn't do this himself. This act of kindness had to have been done by someone else. I didn't know who was able to convince him to give me such a gift, but they had helped me be spared for another day. 

"Thank you," I whispered through trembling lips. I continued to warm up my frozen body and stayed there for the rest of the day. 

The first obstacles are up! The climate for this obstacle is snowy, and it doesn't look like Kat's taking it to well. What other cold obstacles are you expecting to see? How do you think she will take it?

If you enjoyed this chapter, make sure to vote, to comment, and to share this story with a friend. Vote for this chapter with some ice cream (yum!). Stay amazing. 

This song is called Cold Cold Cold by Cage the Elephant. Enjoy!