The Cardinal Directive: Mission Log #27

The Closing Window

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>>ERROR: Due to prior CATASTROPHIC SYSTEM FAILURE, this file has suffered some amount of CORRUPTION
>> System still in process of restoration 
>> Play anyway?
>> ...
>> Confirmed. Now playing Mission Log #27

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A crash of thunder dominates the audio as it immediately resolves to the image of the group upon the lochsled.

“Image” is a gracious term — in the throws of the sandstorm, barely anything is visible anymore. The skies are dark, and any attempt to shine a flashlight has been met with failure. They can barely see even the dragons in front of them as they’re pulled along.

Aret continues to give the command for them to press on, though they’ve begun tossing their heads in irritation as more and more sand gets into their eyes, noses, and ears.

Lightning crashes in the distance though, getting closer with every minute. Its bright flashes are the only light powerful enough to break the vision of the storm, though they reveal little. Shapes, movement, but nothing solid.

The teens have been shoved down into the sled with their pets, holding on tightly to the hope that they aren’t too far from North Marden, or that they won’t miss it entirely.

The ranger and Aret meanwhile remain standing, bracing themselves against the wind. Every few moments, Aret cups her gloved hands and leans in to check the navigational gauges, but the prognosis is getting worse by the minute.

They were heading in the right direction, she was sure of it.

Their only enemies now though were darkness and time, two things none of them could fight forever.