“Freeze something, anything to make a handhold!” I yelled as I felt dirt and small rocks scrape my entire left arm. Cold went through my right arm instead. “Don’t freeze me, you idiot!” It was a miracle that I’d managed to slow our descent for so long.

“I’m trying!” Inder sobbed as she finally managed to touch the dirt cliffside with her hands and form a makeshift handhold. Our downward trajectory finally stopped as pain shot through my left fingers.

“Make…more…” My grip had already lost two fingers before Inder made another handhold for my right arm and leg. Now we had a little stepping stone around three inches long, and Inder took deep breaths.

She had to gather herself before creating the next few stepping stones. 

“The cliffside slopes pretty gently if we just keep moving right,” I said. I noticed that she was reluctant to use the stepping stones she’d created. “Uh, you could let go of me now?” I blushed, realizing that this was far more contact than I’d ever had with Diana.

“My ankle’s sprained badly,” Inder said. “I’m not that heavy, am I?” As she pressed against my back, I almost lost my grip while encountering a soft feeling. Diana was skinny enough to pass as a boy, while Inder was as well-endowed as any cartoon character.

“Once we get to stable ground, you can do some makeshift medicine, right?” I continued to use the makeshift handholds and footholds I was given until we reached the gentle slope. Once we sat down to rest, however, Inder was a bit too busy crying from the shock. And unfortunately for her, I really wasn’t good in these situations. “Hey, things can’t be that bad. With your magic, can’t you shoot icicles and such if you practice hard enough?”

Inder shook her head. “It’s really limited, I…I only had the dexterity to create an ice shield at most, since the crystals just automatically form.” It was quite a sight to see her tears washing the dirt on her face. “But we’re in the worst possible outcome now, especially since we’re in the mutagenic fog. If you had been paired with Latis or Diana, we would definitely be able to survive.”

“Well, since those two pack a great punch in combat, I’m sure that they’ll survive and find us. As long as we conserve energy, find water, and build some sort of shelter…” My stomach rumbled to interrupt me and served as a reminder that I hadn’t been able to finish that boar leg I’d been digging into. “And I’m glad I have you, right? Things usually go pretty badly when I have to fend for myself.” I kind of expected Inder to go into some long backstory at this point.

“My fate has been sealed, no matter what universe I would be born into,” Inder said. “As a child, I had always visited the hall of mirrors as a descendant of the Ice God. Most of it appears to be maintenance, like we’re just janitors polishing the mirrors. But when we enter the hall, we see many different possibilities. Witches were supposed to originally save the world, but save always had different definitions. Humans were fond of inventing misery, and so…I’m pathetic, just playing the part, aren’t I?”

I recalled the scenes I’d stumbled across with Simon in the quicksilver aether, where I had grown up to be a normal man, a fat comic book nerd, and a lonely, struggling artist and writer. “You can go on, even if…even if I can’t understand.” If I was an utter klutz at saving damsels in distress, I wanted to at least be a good listener.

Inder shook her head. “As I said, whether it’s comedy or tragedy, children of the Ice God have to play a part in one universe to the next, no matter how bad or incomplete the story is. That’s…part of the secret of the universe, of the multiverse, rather. We’re all stories within stories, continuing to pass between reality and fiction.”

“So our purpose is as foreign as a body’s well-being is to the individual cells that live inside?” I asked.

“That’s not a bad analogy.” Inder smiled. “My mother was a scientist, actually, and she worked hard every day to explain the mysteries of the universe. I always wished that I could follow in her footsteps, but when I was taken through the hall of mirrors, I could only admit that scientists made for rather boring storytelling. On the other hand, Latis’ mother was just a cold-blooded assassin, and he’s content with acting out his role as a knuckleheaded warrior.”

“Well, I hope that you’re only crazy or joking,” I said. “I really don’t want to imagine being the creation of some struggling writer living with his parents trying to find a profitable manuscript.”

“In many cultures, gods, and fate play their roles accordingly,” Inder suggested. “Maybe you can’t become a god, a physical property of the universe. But if you could wrestle away their influence on this mortal plane, you could provide a more peaceful world.”

“There’s going to be chaos and misery regardless of scientific advancement or magical influences,” I said. “Even if you think you’re only cut out for a tragic death, Inder…I enjoyed the company you provided me till now. You’re probably the only normal thing that an adventurer wants when he sets out on his journey.” I turned away a bit and tried hard not to also develop feelings for Inder as puberty hung over my shoulder. “In any case, if you’re good enough to walk, we should look for food and shelter. I’m not sure if we can find a way to signal to Diana and Latis, let alone find a way out of this thick fog.”