CHAPTER 5

Tension gripped the air as it grew colder. The light in the sanctuary seemed to dim. The party would not have to investigate further, for the problem had come to them. As the reports had stated… howling could be heard in Crystalrun Sanctuary. Though it was not howling of the wind… but the howling of a winter storm came to life. Snowy haze began to surround the sanctuary, an escape nowhere in sight. The party all stood, grouping up back to back. Shadows began to race behind the snowy veil, shadows of wolves. They were being hunted.

“Luffy… recall,” whispered Lunatya, clutching her necklace inlaid with a familiar pactstone. In a flash of light, Luffy’s form vanished, retreating into the stone. Lunatya drew her wand. “...Everyone ready?”

“I’m… I’m scared,” whispered Lissette, her voice trembling. She clenched her fist, flame enveloping it. “But… I’ll do my best…!”

“We’re right here with you!” Juli called out, her voice rising above the storm. She lifted her katana, purple crystalline petals beginning to flow around her.

“Keep together and we’ll make it through!” Zephyrard called out next. He took a deep breath, feeling the flow of air. When he exhaled, the party was enveloped in wind, not like the cold of the storm, but gentle and warming like the spring.

“Stay close, fend the enemy off, and find an opening!” called Lunatya, raising her wand into the air. Glittering starlight began to rain down upon them, filling them with vigor. “Ardent Hope, shine on!”

With that cry for battle let out, the enemies before them met their challenge. The howls of the blizzard intensified, as two eyes glared at them from beyond the mist. The wolves circling them hastened, racing like windswept snow. Then their assault began. Bursting from beyond the veil the wolves launched themselves at the party, each one like a downpour of cutting sleet.

Zephyrard and Juli took up positions on opposite sides, warding off the attacks with their blades. But as they brought down their swords upon the enemy… their forms would erupt into shadowy mist. They were not fighting creatures of flesh and blood.

“They’re spirits!” cried Lunatya, taking shots at the wolves with her conjured bow of ice. “They must have been stirred into unrest with all the chaos on the continent!”

“If they’re spirits, then we just need to seal them away again!” said Zephyrard, raising a gauntleted fist and conjuring a shield of wind. The wolves rained down on his shield like waves of hail and in return he retaliated with swift, precise strikes. Yet still the assault continued, wolves rushing forward. “Can you do it Luna?”

“What do you need us to do?” cried Juli, crystal petals swirling around her blade. Every step she took, every swing of her blade, like that of a powerful dance, with the elegance of a blossom in the breeze. But even as the phantasmal wolves were banished by her blade… the tides never stopped. “We can’t hold out forever!”

Amidst the blizzard swirling around them, Lunatya looked at their surroundings for anything that could help them. The world seemed dark, covered in a haze of sleet and snow. But then, like a silver star shining in the dark, she saw a sparkle in the corner of her eye. They were still in Crystalrun Sanctuary, next to the sacred Lake Stella. They were on holy ground, infused with the Water Paragon’s power that had once sealed the wolves away.

“...I’ve got an idea! We’re on holy ground, I’ll borrow the Paragon’s power!” Lunatya announced, her voice ringing out with hope. “Cover me and give me some time!”

Though as the party began to rally, a plan solidified, the storm grew in strength. Two eyes rose above the rest beyond the veil, glowing with power that emanated like mist. An ear piercing howl was let out, the world trembled, the sky blotted out into darkness. The wind and snow was biting and cold, the party gathered around the faintest of light, lost in the storm. Then like the fall of night, despair rained down—a storm of icicles, conjured by disaster incarnate, began to come crashing upon them. An unending barrage, exploding as they collided with the ground, approaching the party in a blur.

Lissette shrieked in horror as she watched the power of Calamity before her. Who could stand before the might of a living blizzard? She crouched down and cowered, never had she felt so small before. Such raw, untamed destructive power… she thought she was going to die. But the screeching sound of icicles flying through the air shifted. She opened her eyes and there was no blood. Her friends were still all around her.

“Swift and sweeping winds, deliver us from this evil!” chanted Zephyrard, his voice rising in crescendo as he moved to the front of the party. A vortex of wind surrounded the party, glimmering with sunlight. The icicles crashed upon it, exploding into mist. “Dawnbreeze!”

“Hold steady! We can make it through!” Juli called at the rear, holding her sword at the ready. She placed a hand on Lissette’s shoulder. “It’s okay, we’re here!”

Then… there was Lunatya at the party’s center. She had her eyes closed, hands in prayer as she clutched her wand. Her face was at peace, as if nothing was happening around her. Even the others… despite what was going on, despite any fears… they moved with confidence. The party all trusted each other to do what they couldn’t… they had absolute faith in one another. Despite being in the middle of a nightmare come to reality… being in the middle of a natural disaster given form… the members of Ardent Hope made their stand.

Tears ran hot down Lissette’s cheeks. She was terrified. She was a mere novice, never encountering such danger like this. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking. But having the others standing there with her… it gave her the strength to stand too. So she did, even as her knees trembled, even as she struggled to stand steady with the world exploding around her. She rose to her feet and stood with her party… with her friends… with her family. She wanted to protect her family, just as they were protecting her.

The rapid explosions of icicles bursting against Zephyrard’s magic continued. Sweat dripped down his face, his fist raised into the air clenched, the veins in his arms bulging. His hand shook and quivered, struggling to maintain the vortex of wind protecting them. But then… there was silence. As the storm of icicles stopped, Zephyrard let out a breath and lowered his fist, the vortex dispelled.

“...It’s strong…” said Zephyrard, catching his breath. He clenched his sword and steeled his heart. This conflict was far from over. “...Here it comes.”

The beast approached with caution, emerging from the veil of sleet and snow, eyes locked on the party. A white wolf that towered over the party, its shadow alone enough to engulf them. Its white fur was frosty, its form ethereal and misty. Its eyes… its eyes—they glowed with power, effluent with raw, untamed magic. The spirit of Fenren had risen. The great wolf was not alone either. Its pack began to close in on the party… circling them with no way out. Each one, though smaller in size, contained the wrath of the blizzard.

“Juli, you’re up!” called Zephyrard, disengaging from the front.

“I’ve got it!” Juli called back. They slapped their hands together as they crossed paths. “You cover the rear!”

The clap of their hands signaled the next phase of the battle. The wolves launched their attack in tandem, rushing forward as one, crashing down like an avalanche. The party did not falter.

“The gale sweeps the plains, swift and free!” chanted Zephyrard, lowering his stance. Then he launched forward, wind trailing behind him. “Windstep Slash!”

Zephyrard disappeared from sight. A flash of steel, crossing over each wolf. When he next appeared, wind surged from behind him. The wolves all exploded into mist, their shadowy forms fading away. Yet still the blizzard remained, forms shifting beyond the veil.

Juli at the front grounded herself, her feet firm on the earth. Then like a droplet falling onto tranquil water, she felt it. Here came the great wolf. She smiled. She was ready.

“Though petals fall, our hearts, eternal!” Juli chanted, raising her blade in a slow crescent motion. “Petal Dance!”

As anticipated, Fenren launched itself at Juli. The swipe of its claws, the bite of its jaw. Each and every movement was met by her blade. Every stroke, like that of a brush on canvas, lingering in the air. The fall of cherry blossoms made eternal, trailing with her every movement, like that of a dance. What felt forever, with clang of steel and ringing of crystalline magic, happened in an instant. Juli and Fenren were locked in the dance of combat.

The beast let out a staggering howl before leaping at Juli in a pounce. Claws covered in rending rime, fangs bared like that of glacial ice. Fenren’s full might came crashing down upon her. Her blade made contact. Yet she struggled as wind and snow pressed down upon her before exploding outward. The wolf locked its jaw on Juli’s sword. Its weight was crushing as she dug her feet into the ground. Icy rime began to spread from its terrible maw where it bit the blade.

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“Lissette, now!” cried Juli, straining under the weight of the wolf.

“Bless this blade to burn a path to the morrow… so that we may rise from the ashes, born anew…!” Lissette chanted, closing her eyes and clutching her staff. She breathed deep, feeling a rising warmth within her. Then with a swing of her staff towards Juli, a glimmer of light. “Phoenixflame Infusion!”

This single ember fell upon Juli’s blade, covered in rime. It was small and meek… yet grew in power. A vermillion hue, like that of the sun, began to spread across the blade. A rising heat… a rising hope. Juli’s sword erupted into brilliant fire, the wolf sent reeling back. Intense heat emanated from the blade, heat haze filling the surroundings.

Fenren howled in pain as it recoiled away. Hackles raised, it growled at Juli. It circled the party, wary of the intense flame. But that did not stop it. Rushing forward, then dodging to the side, approaching with evasive maneuvers—it drew Juli in to strike. Juli swung, but was left open. Fenren retaliated with bursts of ice, launching them like a volley of arrows. Juli raised her hand in return, gathering the petals that danced around her into a swirling barrier.

While Juli faced the spirit of Fenren, Zephyrard continued to hold back its pack mates. The wind swirled around his sword, every swing precise and clear cut. He moved across the battlefield with alacrity, though for every enemy he felled, another would return in its place. It was an unending tide of enemies, even with Lissette providing fire support from safety. Despite this, all was going according to plan. Lunatya was kept safe in the center of the party, now deep in concentration.

The sky above shifted, turning to an endless ocean of stars. Every star that glimmered in the night sky above, a wish, a hope—shining in the dark. Lunatya held a hand to her heart, her Vision clear, her feelings strong. Lifting her wand she was blessed with a halo of moonlight. Then extending from her wand, she conjured a bow of frost. She pulled back a single arrow, silver moonlight given form. Streams of holy water surged from Lake Stella, gathering to her arrow, adorning it like ribbons. She leveled her gaze at Fenren, her mind steady in absolute focus. She paused… waiting for the moment—then with a simple pluck, she unleashed her magic. The arrow became a beam of light, trailing with sacred water, a coursing river sparkling with radiance.

The beast could feel it. The power of an ancient enemy. It locked its eyes on the incoming arrow as it was about to strike true. With uncanny agility it faded away into the mist, gone like a specter. The arrow missed its mark. Yet it pierced the veil of snow that swirled around the party, bursting into glimmering starlight that banished the darkness. Then… silence. The party lost sight of Fenren. For a time… the attacks stopped.

“Where… did it go?” said Juli, her eyes darting around, looking for any movement.

“Did… did they retreat…?” Lissette said, moving in closer to the others.

“It’s still here,” said Lunatya, her next arrow already at the ready.

“Stay sharp, it can come from anywhere,” Zephyrard said, standing close to Lunatya.

The silence was eerie. The anticipation was crushing. They could feel the beat of their hearts in their throats. But then… the next bout of combat erupted. Fenren came pouncing down from high in the air—straight towards Lunatya.

“There it is!” cried Zephyrard, immediately stepping in front of Lunatya. “Watch your back Luna!”

“We’ve got you covered!” Juli called, rushing to the defense.

The wolf came baring down upon Zephyrard and Juli, snow sent flying as their swords collided with its claws, its fangs. Though it was locked in battle with those two, the wolf… the wolf stared at Lunatya. Recognizing her as its greatest enemy.

“It’s after me!” called Lunatya, stepping out to the side to get a clear shot. Fenren’s eyes followed her. She launched her arrow. But again, it evaded, shifting away in a misty blur. “It must be the Paragon’s magic!”

The wolf was next seen leaping on the air itself, rising higher and higher into the air. Its howl rang out across the land as it shrouded itself in an intense shroud of ice and snow. Lissette raised her staff, crackling with flame, and launched a firebolt. Zephyrard launched a blade of wind with a swift cut of his sword. Lunatya shot her arrow, its power exploding against the surface of the vortex, fading away in glittering sparkles. The storm snuffed out everything. The light began to flicker and fade as the party was enveloped in shadow.

Zephyrard stepped in front of Lunatya, preparing for this next attack. But what he felt next… was warmth. Lunatya stepped close behind him and threw her arms over his shoulders, holding him.

“If it’s after me… then we’ll use that to our advantage,” Lunatya whispered into his ear. “Ready, Zeph?”

Zephyrard looked over his shoulder and met with Lunatya’s gaze. She tilted her head and smiled at him, confident and relaxed—as if it was just another day walking in the park together. Zephyrard closed his eyes for a moment and breathed. Then he nodded. “Ready, Luna.”

Zephyrard lowered himself and took hold of Lunatya’s legs as she hopped onto his back. She raised her arms, bow at the ready. Together, they looked up. Up at the terrifying foe before them. They grinned with defiance.

“Juli, Lissette. Get back,” said Lunatya, her voice gentle and calm yet stern and assertive. “We’ve got this.”

Juli and Lissette stepped back as commanded. They looked on at their friends, magic swirling around them. A light in the dark, steady despite the raging storm. The wolf howled, the world trembling in its wake. The winds were screaming as it was bent to Fenren’s will. The storm surged, the snow sent flying like daggers. Then… Fenren locked its eyes on Lunatya once again. An aura of magic overflowing. It dashed through the air, becoming the storm itself. It was a blur, a comet, it came crashing down towards Lunatya and Zephyrard. What Juli and Lissette saw next… was an explosion of snow. They were knocked back from the sheer impact of the wolf’s attack.

“Luna! Zeph!” shrieked Lissette, trembling on the ground as she looked for them.

“...There!” cried Juli, gasping. She pointed into the sky. “They’re okay!”

Out from the cloud of snow ascended Lunatya and Zephyrard. As if weightless, Zephyrard hovered upside down in the air with a crescent kick, Lunatya still on his back. Sun and moon in embrace, dancing in the sky, their light shining together. An eclipse, a halo of moonlight. The world turned still and quiet as Lunatya looked down. The flash of her bow, glimmering in moonlight. She pulled back on her arrow.

“It’s over,” whispered Lunatya.

As Lunatya let loose her arrow, a beam of moonlight rained down from the sky, empowered by the sacred waters of Lake Stella. The world turned to white, the light blinding. The cool touch of mist on the skin, the air consecrated by holy water. The howls of wolf and blizzard ceased. The storm dissipated, the air cleared. Zephyrard and Lunatya descended from the sky, caressed by the wind, before their feet landed softly on the ground. The spirits of the fimbulvinter wolves had been defeated. Yet one still remained.

The spirit of the great wolf Fenren lay on the ground. Defeated. The light in its eyes, once overflowing with magic, grew dim. Its eyes were heavy, its gaze confused.

“There there…” whispered Lunatya in a soft tone. She approached the great wolf slowly, as if it were a small puppy about to run away, despite its immense size. She knelt down next to it, looking into its eyes. Then with a gentle wave of her wand, she whispered once more to it. “Be at peace… your battle has long been over…”

The great wolf looked up at Lunatya, its eyelids growing heavier. The confusion… the pain… black snow cast away by moonlight. It gazed up at the night sky conjured by Lunatya, the sky that we all live under, the sky it had never seen, living in constant blizzards. The nightmare was over. It was time to return to the earth. Looking up one last time, it gazed at the gentle moon watching over it. Then the great wolf closed its eyes, spirit put to rest, dispersing into stardust.

The party all gathered around Lunatya in silence as Crystalrun Sanctuary was purified, returning to its splendid, crystalline beauty. They all watched as Lunatya stood back up and turned to them. She closed her eyes for a moment, tilted her head to the side, and put on a tired smile.

“Quest complete…” said Lunatya, with an exhausted exhale. Yet still she smiled.

“...Quest complete!” cheered Zephyrard, Juli, and Lissette, all coming in closer and throwing a hand into the air.

“We… we did it!” Juli cheered. She put her arms around Zephyrard and Lissette, grinning at Lunatya. “Everyone did great!”

“That was amazing…!” said Lissette, shaking her fists with excitement as she looked at Zephyrard and Lunatya. “You’re both so incredible!”

“Haha… thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you two though. I’m glad we formed Ardent Hope with you,” replied Zephyrard with a bashful smile. He nodded slowly, taking in the atmosphere. To be surrounded by friends… family, like this… it warmed his heart. Then he looked over towards Lunatya and pulled her into the circle, everyone putting their arms around one another. “We’ve come such a long way… haven’t we?”

“Mhm… we have,” whispered Lunatya. Her body was tired… but her heart was warm, filled with joy and gratitude. She looked at the others all smiling, and couldn’t help but smile too. “I’m really glad too… so very glad.”

Though joy and togetherness wasn’t the only thing the party felt. Lunatya’s belly let out a rumble. Her cheeks went bright red. Everyone laughed and smiled together. Even Luffy came out, appearing on Lunatya’s shoulder, letting out a drawn meow.

“Hehe… it’s okay, I’m hungry too…” said Lissette, letting out a sigh and patting her belly.

“I think we all are, even Luffy!” Juli said giggling, watching as Luffy sniffed around.

“I can make dinner tonight, you look tired,” said Zephyrard, rubbing Lunatya’s back. He had a big smile on his face. “Luffy’s looking hungry and tired too… he must have been woken up by your belly… hehe…”

“Hmph…!” hummed Lunatya, puffing up her cheeks in a pout. They were even brighter than before. But then… she lifted up her arms towards Zephyrard longingly. “...Yes, please. Can… can you also…”

“Alright, alright… I can carry you home too,” Zephyrard replied laughing. He turned around and helped her up onto his back, Luffy still on Lunatya’s back. “There you go… you relax.”

“Haha! We better help Zeph make dinner tonight!” said Juli laughing as she patted Lissette on the back. “I think our Lady Lunatya is deserving of a feast tonight!”

“Mhm mhm! We’ll do our best to make you something yummy!” cheered Lissette, nodding with excitement. “You’re always making good food for us!”

“Mraooooo!” cried Luffy, wanting to join in on the cheer.

“You guys…” whimpered Lunatya, starting to cry. She squeezed Zephyrard in a hug as he carried her. “You’re all family to me and I love you all so much!”

Without a moment's hesitation, the party all replied in unison. “And we love you.”

Then with the sound of rumbling tummies, the party all laughed.

“Alright, let’s go home!” cheered Juli, laughing as she patted her belly.

“Mhm… I’m hungry…” nodded Lissette in agreement.

“Ready?” whispered Zephyrard, turning to look at Lunatya.

“My goodness, my goodness… how lucky am I…” Lunatya whispered back. She turned to look at the Grand Celestia Tree for a moment, before bowing her head in reverence. Then she turned to look at Zephyrard and kissed him on the cheek. “Yes… let’s go home. Together!”

And with fists raised in cheer, with spirits high, together they went. Back home, to Cafe Luna. To sit around the table, to eat with family, and to share all the memories together.