SHAME

Mongolia was a cold country, or at least that's what Sponge thought. She found herself leading Cecil, one hand on her reins while Vvh was mounted behind her. "I-I should have bought a jacket or something," Sponge shivered, her body trembling as Vvh regarded her silently, her mask pointed in her direction.

"You should have, but even then, you can't buy one after what you've done," Vvh replied, her tone sharp enough to make Sponge wince.

"It was a mistake…" Sponge whimpered, tempted to bury her face in her hands in embarrassment. She knew it was a mistake to get drunk and fall asleep in a bar. Now all of their gold was gone, and they had to find a way to earn some more—perhaps through side jobs or mining.

Sponge sneaked a look at Vvh, aware that she was annoyed—borderline furious—when Sponge had returned, still half-drunk and crying over the theft. Vvh had fallen silent, refusing to speak to Sponge for days, though she continued to train her. The small comments that usually peppered their interactions were absent, leaving Sponge alone in her thoughts and one-sided conversations.

"I'm sorry again…" Sponge murmured, her head lowered in shame. Even now, her cheeks burned with embarrassment as Vvh remained stoic and quiet behind her.

"I do not care for your celebrations; what I care about is that your actions clearly affected those around you," Vvh replied. Sponge nodded, accepting the truth in her words as she ducked her head further.

She felt as if she could bury herself in the ground from how embarrassed and ashamed she was. "I'm sorry—" she muttered, but Vvh cut her off.

"A simple 'sorry' will not suffice. What you need is to change. You act like a child—perhaps a child could do better than you." Her tone carried a weight that hinted at something deeper, but Sponge was too flustered to notice.

Sponge flinched, her head lowering further, a tinge of hurt coursing through her veins as she struggled to respond. Vvh was right—the sting of her words ignited a deeper shame within, and with how hot and red her face felt, she could have melted the snow beneath her boots.

Vvh's honesty cut deep, and Sponge knew that honesty often hurt.

She realized she should have had a witty comeback, but right now, she felt utterly speechless. The weight in her stomach felt like lead, and the chill in her hands wasn't just from the snow; it might have been nerves, too.

The cold only intensified as the snow began to fall more heavily.

Fortunately, they spotted a town—if it weren't for the bright lanterns, they might have missed it altogether, but the lights pierced through the swirling snow.

"We can't get an inn… we don't exactly have the money for it," Sponge said, eyeing the inn where people were entering. She turned to Vvh, who had finally dismounted from Cecil, gently tugging at the reins. "I've heard there's a nearby mine. We can stay there temporarily… while you focus on earning back what you lost," Vvh suggested, walking past Sponge.

Sponge sighed and followed her, nodding in agreement.

Vvh was right; the mine was a few kilometers away from the town—at least three kilometers. During the trek, Cecil almost snagged on some roots, forcing Sponge to cut them away, which consumed an extra two minutes of their time.

By the time they arrived at the mine, they had guided Cecil inside, gathered some wood, and started a fire.

The cave was large, at least in Sponge's opinion. It looked sturdy, with torches mounted on the walls that she could light using the fire they had going. So, she took one torch off the wall, set it ablaze, and carefully lit the others—a slow and tedious process.

Once she finished, she returned to Vvh and sat on the ground, the fire crackling in front of them. A gust of wind swept through, causing the flames to flicker before they regained strength. Sponge shivered, while Vvh remained silent and unyielding.

"Are you not cold?" Sponge asked, concern creeping into her voice. Vvh's pants were almost the same as hers—loose and uninsulating—and that thought made Sponge tremble when another chill swept through the cave.

"You'll have to get used to it. Most countries and lands are filled with snow," Vvh replied, grabbing a stick from the side and poking the fire, leaning back as the flames flared up.

"We—We um never had snow in my home. It's pretty hot there; the only cold you get is from the winds at night…" Sponge murmured, sneaking a glance at Vvh, hoping to spark her interest.

But Vvh remained unresponsive.

Sponge tried her best not to let her disappointment show, but she was sure it was evident on her face.

"You start mining for ores tomorrow," Vvh stated matter-of-factly.

Sponge wanted to retort with something clever—something that usually irritated Vvh—but instead, she just nodded, her energy already drained.

"Okay," she replied, feeling defeated.

—

March 1 of XXXX, The lands of Mongolia

We found ourselves in a cave, and tomorrow I'll be scouring for magic ores. But why wait? I wasn't too tired from the trek—just cold. It's better to move around than stay still; otherwise, you're more susceptible to freezing. (Honestly, Vvh's presence just irks me—she refuses to talk, and small talk never works).

This mine, or let's just call it a cave, has more tunnels and holes than I expected. Thankfully, the lights here are still burning—I think they used some kind of spell to keep them lit, as the cave looks abandoned. I wonder what caused them to leave this place behind.

I can sense so many magical and natural ores in every tunnel. 

Signing off,

S.

—

Sponge carefully plucked the ore from the wall, pinching it between her fingers as she examined it. Nodding to herself, she dropped it into her pouch, where the weight of her growing collection became noticeable.

She tugged at the pouch on her waist, listening to the ores clink softly against one another. A breath escaped her lips, forming white puffs in the frigid air. Even deep within the mine, the cold still clung to her.

Shivering, Sponge rubbed her arms, her breath coming heavier until she coughed, choking on the stale air. Looking up, her flashlight caught the musty atmosphere, and she curled her lips in disgust. The cave had clearly been abandoned for quite some time; the air tasted foul, reminiscent of murk, sewer, and something she couldn't quite identify. The stench was overpowering, affecting both her senses and her focus.

By the time she emerged at the entrance, she was sneezing and rubbing her nose, which had turned as red as Rudolph's, she could probably play as Santa's reindeer now. 

Outside, she spotted Vvh, standing alone in the snow with her arms crossed.

Sponge noted that Vvh seemed deep in thought. She hesitated, unsure if she should step out and join her. Part of her wanted to, but she knew that Vvh needed her space from time to time.