It has been a week since the last challenge. Soon after descending the Mountain after his successful race with Havardr, he entered a tundra. There he had met the Penguin Key Holder, and been challenged to yet another powerless race. His stamina had returned, of course, as had his ability to access his tattoos. The Penguin Key was a mystery, he wasn't actually sure he was able to get it. 

Perhaps he should turn around and find the King, to ask what the issue had been. And if another dreadful race was in order. 

But something more dreadful, and annoying, awaited him along this Tundra. His Father. 

And to get to him, as the old man wasn't exactly forthcoming with the reality shifting teleportation to the Spirit Animal world, or to bring himself here, he had to enter through one of the Gates. 

And the closest was guarded by an old hag he hated almost as much as his father. Pikatok, the woman who fancied herself the Beast Queen. How his father put up with having her guard one of the few Gates was beyond him, but he hated every time he had to cross her. Thankfully, it was rare.

The woman, Pikatok, had beaten him so many times when he was younger, she had practically driven him to find other gates. Yet, here he was, Kusanagi at his side, RyuKyu bounding, but fading, by his side. He hated her too. To meet her, and hopefully get into the Gate without the time honored tradition of beating her to do it. 

The wind danced around him in its cold, mocking way, and he remembered why he had went to the Volcanic Plains, and worked his way around to the cold. Fate. And he hated the cold. 

Off in the distance, he could see the woman and the wind brought along her scent. It was morning, had to be, because she was just sitting herself down at that chair, that was big enough to seat two others. The far end of the chair was the one he often sat on when banished away to the woman. 

He approached, letting his hat shield his eyes away from the worst of the storm. 

[b]"Pikatok, [i]he[/i] wants to see me. Allow me to pass and be out of this damned wintery horse's ass you call a home."[/b]

He turned his gaze up towards the woman, and set a pleading smile on his face. Hopefully she had changed over the years.