Polar Travel Changes Preview (Patreon)

For now, Artorius would walk, heading in some direction. Better than staying put anyways. Thankfully, the trek wasn’t too difficult for him. With his large physique, moving through the high snow was easy, and the cold did not bother him much to begin with.

Still, being outside in blizzard conditions was something that would still hurt after a while. It was best if he just kept mov-

And he tripped, falling face first into the snow. Not a great sign for this trek admittedly.

He grumbled, rubbing his face. What did he just hit? It felt softer than a rock at least.

Looking back, he could just make out a large, leathery brown sack nearly disappearing underneath the blowing snowfall. He pulled out the large bag with ease and took a quick look at it. There seemed to be a name stitched into it, but despite his best attempts, all he could make out was “Property of…”.

Wonder who was lugging this thing all the way out here? Artorius frowned. Why would they drop it? Maybe they… no, let’s not get grim here.

The large man sighed. This bag belonged to someone, and he wasn’t the kind of person to just leave it behind in the cold. Okay, find shelter somewhere and maybe figure out who this belongs to so I can return it.

Artorius took a deep breath and, gripping it tightly, swung the sack over his shoulders. He felt warm, cozy in that brief moment, but it faded in the cold storm. He began his trudge again, moving in some random direction other than behind.

Curiously though, as he held the bag’s top tight in his mitts, his hands felt warm. White fur began cropping up over the backs of them, slowly spreading out up his digits and onto his palms. Not all of them though as some skin turned black as coal and swelled, plumping up into big pads. Capping it all off, his fingernails moved to the tips of his fingers, forming stubby little claws.

Artorius didn’t notice, his mind drifting in thought as his body went into autopilot. Who dropped this? Was it important? Hmm… maybe I could figure something out if I looked inside… nah. Too cold and wet. Best not to damage anything.

He huffed, his steps turning heavier. Moving was becoming more difficult suddenly. How bad was this blizzard and how deep was this snow? Even with his size and strength, moving was starting to become a challenge.

He needed more grip and power… and he got it. His boots split open across the sides and front. From out of them stomped two very large, wide paws. They were thick and beefy with their own black pads and claws. He felt briefly cold once they came out, but a thick coating of white fur soon fixed that issue.

With that, movement became easier. His ursine feet stomped through the deep snow, smashing and clawing through piles with ease. His legs, and even his arms, gained some extra bulk and weight to them, helping with his pace and movement.

Artorius didn’t quite understand it, but he didn’t notice why with the cold blasting constantly upon him. He was just happy for the easier movement and better stride.