After their fight, the world seemed brighter to Phoebe. The flora seemed to bloom bright, the grass to glow more. There was a sort of anticipation in the air.
Part of it was she wanted to ask Gruna all about the blue fire sitting in front of her throat. She could feel the warmth from it, feel her fingers tingling every time she thought about it.
However… Gruna hadn’t even mentioned the thing, which probably meant it was somehow normal in this world, and considering the subject of their last argument, she was not interested in restarting that particular conversation.
As much as Phoebe did have to admit she missed her home… Missed warm coffees and not sleeping on the side of a road… This place was altogether extraordinary. Every single aspect of the world seemed amazing.
They hadn’t frozen at night, because if it noticed you sleeping, the grass would curl in tighter around you. Humming just to keep you warm, like some kind of automatic blanket.
She had asked the orc about that one, but they didn’t know. Had just been that way for a couple thousand years. Phoebe had also tried asking about the portals, like the one that had kidnapped her.
Gruna had been decidedly less forthcoming on that one. Her face had darkened into a deep scowl, and she had spoken very slowly, saying only that she didn’t know.
The topic was off limits.
They exited the end of the forest that seemed to have more flowers than mushrooms, and followed a stream that Phoebe swore was actually running uphill. The green fields vanished, and they found themselves trudging ankle deep in snow.
Phoebe shivered, rubbing her arms, and glancing sideways at Gruna who seemed to be wholly unaffected by the sudden climate change. She was wearing actual metal armour, how was she not freezing her balls off? Phoebe tried to bury the resentment, before she started another fight.
The world she found herself in seemed to be completely soaking in magic. Her fiery necklace, people dropping through portals being a common enough thing it barely required mentioning, freaking zombies, and even gods. A little bit of freak weather probably wasn’t actually worth so much as a comment.
Her teeth chattering and her blue fingers were hard to ignore, especially as she dreamed of switching on a heater, but Phoebe tried to stare through the softly falling white crystals for a mountain cabin. A little place that they could light a fire.
At least her face was being kept warm by her collar. Well, not exactly warm. More than frozen, like the rest of her was. She could feel her nose, which was a lot more than she could say for her toes or heels. High heels were not the right shoes for snow and ice.
It was then that Phoebe realised that Gruna had never walked ahead of her. Not once. She’d been shuffling around across mud, snow, and dirt, in heels and never had the orc outdistanced her. The woman might walk around with a scowl, huffing at everything, but she was a holy knight.
There was some side to her that was considerate of everyone. Some side that wanted to save the whole world, not just pursue some righteous vengeance. There was probably some of that, considering the tears over her family. Probably a lot of that.
All the same, Gruna was far more caring than she was willing to let on. Maybe that was what the trees respected most. They heard the kindness in the voice that sang to them, and responded to that.
Phoebe smiled as she remembered Gruna’s joke about being called a queen. it absolutely would not shock her even a little if it turned out that Gruna was one. It wasn’t just the way she spoke, either.
The woman walked with poise that Phoebe couldn’t. As if the armour wasn’t there, and she was gliding down a reception hall with handmaidens in tow, about to grace some ballroom party with her regal presence.
Yet, equally, Phoebe could also still see the orc thrashing a dead body until it stopped moving. Still see it every time she closed her eyes. Gruna had not be delicate then - but she had been just as accomplished.
If Phoebe was watching a cop show and saw Gruna walk on set, she knew that they’d be labelling her a Navy SEAL or SASR. Someone who could paste any wannabe bad guy to the nearest wall without breaking a sweat.
A holy knight was probably something that could even take on a -
“Dragon!” Gruna roared, shoving Phoebe to the ground with one hand as the other drew her axe.
Hitting the snow actually hurt more than when Gruna had hit her with the back of her gauntlet. Maybe she’d been holding back that time. Not something that Phoebe had considered.
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Staring upwards at the creature arcing around to come back at them - she’d never considered that it might exist, either. Gold and silver scales glistening in the sun, and the closer it got the more she realised she had no idea just how big the thing actually was.
The beast could probably snatch up a B-double in it’s bottom claws without so much as pausing stride. It also seemed fairly intent on grabbing both of them, one in each of those massive talons.
Phoebe kind of wished she had a shotgun, or even a bow. Anything to attack from a distance. Something she could use to protect herself against a force of nature that seemed to actually be changing the direction of the wind, snow and clouds above them, as it closed in.
“By Go’ruuk, I swear you will not have my charge!” Gruna yelled loudly, holding up her axe as if it would do more than bounce off the thing’s scales.
Phoebe screamed as fire suddenly engulfed them with a roar that shook the ground out from under her feet. She hit the ground as the snow evaporated in the blink of an eye, and Gruna was simply… Gone.
She couldn’t hear them snarling or shouting anymore. Phoebe’s heart pounded away in her ears, as the dragon bore down on her and felt like her short trip into this world was ending.
Death by Smaug. Not an end to things she’d seen coming.
The ground turned to watery waves for a moment, tossing Phoebe high, before letting her discover that it was as solid as ever on her way back down. Her ribs felt cracked, as she looked up blearily to discover a broad head of a beast filling her entire horizon.
Each red scale was at least the size of her fist, the teeth taller than she was. The eyes were fixed on her, blinking shut vertically, as the nostrils puffed gales of wind in her direction.
Phoebe forced herself shakily onto her feet, glaring at the creature. She spoke through gritted teeth, “If you’re gonna fucking eat me, then eat me you bitch!”
The dragon blinked, shocked and surprised.
She pointed an accusing finger, “What are you waiting for cunt? You never had your food talk back to you, before? I can’t hurt you, I’m too tiny. So fuck you, motherfucker! What the fucking hell are are you, you great gangly fuck-knuckle twat greasy-horned cuntbag? Fuck you!”
The beast turned it’s head sideways, look at her with more curiosity than shock at her tirade.
Phoebe’s chest heaved as she took another deep breath, before spilling forward, “You think you can just swoop down and eat me, you bloody scaly bastard? Well I can’t stab ya, but I can swear to make any sailor fuckin’ blush, you firing breathing wanker! Nothing but an overgrown iguana. A flying reptilian twat! Come on, come get your dinner, you bullshit in a scaly fursuit! Be a good little puppy and eat your dinner. So I can be shat out your ass with all the subtlety of a monk having a colonoscopy!”
The creature stretched it’s head up higher, looking down at her in perplexity. The corner of it’s mouth opened, and a deep rumbling emerged, “Is… Is this the creatures you attend now, Holy Apprentice Gruna?”
“W-what?” Phoebe stared.
Gruna stumbled through the flames, rolling one of her shoulders and slinging her axe back into place. “He always feels the need to make such an entrance. This was a test, my dear friend. As a dragon, he was drawn to your magic. Felt the need to inspect it.”
“Still dealing with the fact fucking dragons exist.” One of her eyes twitched. “But… Magic? Did you just say I have magic?”
“Ah.” Gruna realised she had misstepped.
“A creature from another world.” The dragon’s rumbling voice rattled the ground, knocking loose stones as Phoebe was suddenly overcome by vertigo.
She fell onto her butt with a heavy plop, staring at the two figures and simply not comprehending what was happening.
Gruna knelt beside her, and took one of her hands. Squeezing it affectionately and smiling at her. “This one, as disturbing as his presence may be, is a victim of the witch who took my tribe. I told you that my master fell by dragon, and this is he.”
“It was not intended.” The dragon sounded offended.
Phoebe winced, “Nope. Not getting it.”
“He was controlled, like a zombie, to put it crudely.” Gruna sighed, “He killed Holy Knight Ruark, who is buried in the city that we set as our destination. Yet, my master gave his life to free him, and so Drektanion is counted among my friends.”
She opened and shut her mouth, and stared up at the massive creature, “But… He tried to… Burn…”
“I neglected to tell you of the nature of your magic, when first it emerged.” Gruna nodded slowly, and tapped the collar around Phoebe’s neck, “This protects you from all manner of flames. Or rather, the magic that fuels it, does. The stone simply acts a wellspring, storing your power so that you might have further to draw if the need arises.”
Phoebe looked at the orc in confusion, “You really reckon I’ve got magic, don’t you? Magic doesn’t exist where I’m from! Most people are atheists. We don’t got no gods, no magic, no motherfucking dragons!”
“You may also have storms of a different nature in your world, but if our clouds drop rain upon you, are you not wet?”
She gave a tiny and disbelieving laugh, “I’ve got magic.”
“It is a thing of this world.” The dragon interjected.
Phoebe rubbed her eyes, “And… You were testing… That I was fireproof?”
“A worthy assumption, but no. These flames could not harm a fly. I expected you might wield the flames against me.”
She brightened a little, “I can control fire?”
“Control would be a term much too hopeful. You might be able to encourage it, cajole it. Give it thought to move in a newer direction.” Gruna cautioned.
Phoebe suddenly winced, “Oh shit. I’m a witch, aren’t I? Fuck.”
“Yes.” Gruna said sadly, and squeezed her hand, “I find no pain in this. I am honoured that you recall the loss of my people, and the righteous vengeance that drives me daily. Yet… It drives me less, since you I have found.”
She shook her head, “No. No! I don’t want this. I don’t wanna be a witch. Not if everyone in this fucking place has got hurt by one.”
“This is hope, not sorrow. To find another witch, such as yourself, is nothing short of fate.”
Gruna launched to her feet, punching the chest of the dragon with a shock that rippled the air itself, and did absolutely nothing to the huge beast. The orc pointed a finger upwards, “You will not! There is no destiny that is not chosen, you cannot force such a path beneath her feet. She will not be enslaved to such a thing.”
“Fate and destiny bind even the gods to purpose. The world has need, and so it reaches out and finds what might fill it. This is how you have come to this world, young witch. The world needs you.”
“I need a fuckin’ coffee.” Phoebe groaned.