With effort, it had torn itself away from the tainted river, the ceaseless thrum of its curiosity the only thing keeping it from pitching itself into the searing stream. It had found two, surely it would find more. It just had to follow the pull.

Maybe it would find the source, and finally learn the reason why.

The wind was cutting and the air frigid as it loped across the vast, snowy expanse. The pull was getting stronger; a different one than the river, one that stole the breath from its lungs and left it lightheaded and giddy with anticipation. There was a creature of some sort in the middle distance, maybe two, their dark and vibrant colors in stark contrast to the flat blanket of snow.

There was also... something else. Its head snapped in its direction immediately, catching only the faintest flicker of blue light in the distance. It vanished almost sooner than it could be seen. Almost.

It stood, and watched, staring intently in the direction it had disappeared.