❆❆❆❆Chapter Fourteen❆❆❆❆

An Unforgettable Companion

[Snow]

The dire wolf took them to the top of the rocky gorge. Snow was dropped off next to the pen at the small group of trees. She took a seat on a flat rock with her back against one of the trees.

“Thank you.”

The wolf paced off. Snow shut her eyes, nodding off and relishing in the memory of her defeating that big golem. Her dream ended with the voice of a woman.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Snow was startled awake, A woman with a dark complexion, wearing furs and a hood, had spoken. A big butcher cleaver was holstered on her back.

Snow couldn’t believe her eyes, a living person in this frozen wasteland.

“A person?! Thank the deities, you got to help me!” Snow pleaded.

The woman said nothing. Only silently walked past to the pup pen and dropped some meat in it. The small white-furred pups came out and tried nibbling at it.

“Hello?! Who are you? What is this place?” Snow had so many questions.

The woman glanced at the direction of the tornado site and then back at Snow, shaking her head in disbelief.

“What… what is it?!” Snow questioned the silent woman.

“You were the one who destroyed my seal defense. I find that real hard to believe.” her eyes scanned Snow head to toe. “But, you did cross the wind barrier. Clearly.” The woman pulled out an icy blade from underneath her furs. It was the frostblade.

“My sword!” Snow reacted to seeing her weapon.

The woman tossed the frostblade at the ground, the weapon hit the ground before spinning to Snow’s side.

“So, it was you.”

Being reunited with the blade made Snow feel happy. It formed its own sheath as Snow fixed it against her waist. “Defense seal? Are you talking about that golem? Why would someone not destroy it, that tornado was destroying the land! Not to mention I didn't really have a choice…” Snow explained herself.

“Just when I finally catch up on my work, Deamonia’s kid has to come and ruin it. Gods dammit, this is so much more work now.” she mumbled under her breath before walking off.

“W-wait! How do you know who I am? And I still need help! Please, I just want to go home!” Snow yelled.

The woman kept walking away.

“I don’t even know how to get out of here!” Snow begged.

The woman continued ignoring her. Snow’s pleads turned to that of anger.

“Hey idiot! Don’t walk away from me! I need help!” Snow grabbed a handful of snow, squeezing it tightly before throwing it at the woman.

The snowball hit the woman in the back of the head causing her to stop.

She disappeared.

Suddenly, A huge butcher blade slammed into the side of the tree right next to Snow's face. The lady standing over her had rageful look on her face. Her hood was off revealing white braids and sliver eyes.

“You better watch yourself, brat, I have no issue killing children. Even if you're Dea’s kid.” This lady was clearly not having a good day.

Seeing the woman’s eyes and hair color. Snow grew surprised, “You’re a frost blood!”

The woman said nothing.

“Just help me get out of here. You have to know a way I can get back home if you're able to make seals like that!”

The woman pulled her butcher blade out from the bark and sheathed it, followed by a deep exhale.

“Fine. I’ll tell you where the exit is.”

Finally, an exit out of this hell. Snow's eyes widened in excitement, at the thought of leaving.

“There is no exit to this place, only rifts that occasionally break out, there's one rift that's just appeared east of here in the plateaus. A rift that conveniently opened up as a result of you breaking my seal defence. Once you can walk you need to leave as soon as possible, within the day.”

“I can walk just fine?” Snow rose up to a dizzy spell before falling back on the rock. “Guess not."

“Tired? I’ve seen your little bloody arena around my golem. You’ve lost alot, way too much actually, you should consider yourself lucky you didnt turn. Losing blood is very dangerous for a frostblood.”

Snow hunched over. “I’m fine, I just need a couple of minutes.”

“Nightfall will come in approximately five hours, best get a move on soon. Take a rest for twenty minutes and then head east, to the plateaus. The rift will be obvious, just jump inside of it.” The woman walked to the outer side of the gorge like she was about to jump off.

“Well…Thank you lady, can you atleast tell me your name?”

“No. Goodbye.” The woman slid down the steep incline out of sight.

Keeping track of time was a guess but Snow would say she rested for probably half an hour. She got up very slowly, she didn’t know why she still felt like dirt. That woman with the huge butcher sword wasn't kidding about the blood thing. All her cuts had closed up, and she felt exhausted. Snow looked over the inner edge of the gorge, at all the steps before smiling with a whistle. Good thing the direwolf listened. It began running up to her. Looks like her furry friend would help her out again. Snow motioned her hand down and the wolf obediently laid on the ground, allowing her to get on. They descended the gorge and headed west, toward the plateaus.

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Snow rode for some time. Until she made it to the base of the plato, where there was an actual town.

“A town?”

A more accurate depiction would've been to call it a ghost town. Snow continued down the road through this small settlement. There was not a single soul present. Seemed like these people really liked the angels, each house was headed by an angelic statue or ornament. The very last building was a small church, as Snow rode by she could see someone standing in the window looking at her. It was a young girl who looked just like her.

“Woah, hold up, Mr. wolfie!” She tried to stop the wolf but it wasn’t listening. Snow lighty pulled both of its ears and it responded to that. Coming to a halt. She dismounted the direwolf and went to check out the church. She knocked on the door and it opened by itself.

“Hello?!” Snow entered. The church was empty with nothing abnormal about it. The area behind the window was dusty, as was everything else. If anyone was standing there, they definitely would have displaced the dust or left footprints. She must have been seeing things. Snow went to leave and the double doors slammed in her face.

“What the!? Hello!” She tried pulling the door and it wouldn't budge. The direwolf started barking outside. “Let me out!”

Snow went up to one of the windows to get a view outside and she didn't see anyone.

“Snow.” Someone spoke her name, Snow spun around drawing the frostblade. The sword wasn’t reacting. Which she found strange.

The figure was standing on the altar, now in the darkness from the doors shutting.

“Who are you!” Snow yelled at the darkness.

“You can't save everyone, no matter how hard you try. Damnation is the foundation of salvation. One can not exist without the other. Attempt to save all and you yourself will be made to pay the price. Still, that price is too high for one person. It is an impossibility. You will be forced to wade through hell, over and over again, to find the answers you seek. It is a task not fit for the greatest hero, but the greatest fool. Save yourself. The sins of this realm are not yours.”

“I will do whatever the hell I want! Now, reveal yourself!”

There was a long pause.

“I was going to kill you. But, I’ve changed my mind. Do what you want.”

The doors creaked opened. Snow spun around at the noise, then, back at the altar, which was now in the light. No one was there.

Snow left the church. Was that her imagination? With all the strange absurdities of the past two days, combined with her exhaustion, it had to be her imagination. This town was abandoned, there was no sign of anyone. It was best not to stick around any longer. She needed to leave.

The direwolf seemed to be excited at her presence.

Snow looked up at the plateau, she was going to have to climb it. She looked at the wolf who gave a hearty bark.

“Well. I guess this is goodbye. Thanks for everything.” She hugged the wolf running her hand through its rough fur.

The direwolf was ferocious but incredibly gentle at the same time.

“Alright.. GO!” Snow pointed back where she came from and yelled at the wolf to leave. The wolf surprisingly listened and started running back.

“Now to get out of here.” Snow started scaling the plateau wall, the wall wasn’t exactly vertical. It was more like a very steep slope. She used her sword as a grip and stabbed it into the steep incline every few steps.

The sky flickered at the top of the plateau. There was definitely a rift up there, that frostblooded woman was right. The plateau shook and there was a partial landslide, dirt and rock slid past her left and right. She needed to get up there before this plateau was no longer climbable.

“Not making this any easier are you.'' She held her arm up as a guard for some of the debris.

Snow reached the top. The rift looked like a portal. The portal gave an image of the kingdom of Regalia. Snow couldnt believe it. This really was the way out. She could even smell it.

What tales she could tell from her experience here! This nightmare was finally over! Hopefully Lamille and her family were ok. The thought of a bed, and bath excited her. She never thought simple things like that could be coveted so badly. Snow was about to enter when a massive explosion echoed behind her in the distance.

She turned and saw the area where she destroyed the golem; There was a battle going on. The giant had reappeared and was fighting a person, probably that woman. The giant swung and the tiny figure exploded into trees. The woman clearly needed help. Snow looked back at the rift, back at her home.

If she left there was no way this rift would still be open.

(“Save yourself. The sins of this realm are not yours.”)

The message that figure gave resonated in her mind.

This place was hell, and she was one step away from leaving it. Her home, her bed, her family, that’s all she could think about. They must have been missing her and as much as she hated to say, she missed them too. So why was this such a hard decision, that woman told her to leave. If she didn’t leave now who knows when the next rift would open if any. If she stayed there was a good chance that she would never return.

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“Ah! I wanna go home.” Snow whined before turning around, “But I can’t let that woman fight that giant on her own.

Snow put her fingers in her mouth and whistled as loud as she could. Then, she descended the slope, sliding down. It was pretty fun. When she got back to the bottom. The wolf was already seen coming back.

She mounted the direwolf and rode towards the battle.

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When Snow reached the site, the newly exposed green grass and summerlike image had already been coated in winter again. The giant was laid out on the ground and the frostblooded woman was channeling a spell. The golem that was destroyed slowly began reassembling itself.

The woman eyed her, “What are you doing? Once I finish this spell, the rift will close. So hurry and get the hell out of here!”

“EEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!” the scream was followed by the giant getting back up.

The woman sucked her teeth and mumbled under her breath “Dammit, If i stop now the damage will be irreversible.”

“Don't worry, I'll help.” Snow hastily replied as she rode up on the direwolf.

Seeing no other choice the woman sighed “Fine. Just don't get yourself killed. Distract it with Mina until I finish the spell.”

“Mina?”

“The direwolf, her name is Mina. Now hurry!”

“You got it. Mina, let's go!” The wolf barked in response.

Snow rode off on Mina to intercept the giant.

The giant looked even more revolting than the last time she saw it. A few patches of its flesh had dropped off its body. Snow stopped just before the giant's path, Mina barked at it to get its attention.

“Hey ugly! Down here!” The giant had been tunneling its sights on that woman until it noticed Snow.

“EEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAA!” It's roar was deafening. Even Mina whimpered for a moment.

“Go girl!” Snow padded Mina’s back and they rode in the other direction.

The giant gave chase.

“Alright, just like last time. This should be easy. Just got to dodge the spears…”

Snow glanced back when the giant’s eyes turned blue.

“Its eyes are blue?” The giant drove its heel into the ground and Snow felt her stomach drop, she frantically looked everywhere but didnt know what was happening. Not taking a chance, Snow reached for Mina’s right ear and they turned to the right. A ginormous ice pillar shot up just in front of them. They barely swerved around it.

(“It’s just like Gravis’ emerge ability?!”) Snow was aghast.

The giant stomped again. Snow clasped her legs tightly around Mina and lightly took both her ears, focusing intently on the ground. She pulled left and right and Mina responded quickly. Pillar after pillar shot up from the ground in front of them as they swerved left and right to avoid them.

“How can it control ice like this and how can I feel it?” Snow thoughts came aloud as the never ending pillars shot up from the ground. The pillars started emerging in twos, closer and closer until they were riding through an ice passageway.

“Almost there girl!” A wall was coming up from the end of the passage that was going to block them in.

Snow had an idea but she wasn’t sure if it would work. She pulled out her frostblade and grinded it on the wall as they rode towards the dead end, The sword started growing like expected until the blade grew into a spear. At the dead end, they stopped. Snow turned mina around and aimed the spear at the towering giant. The giant was now rushing at them.

“Here is some ice for you!” Snow flung the spear as hard as she could.

The spear flew in a perfect arc before piercing the giant in the ankle. The giant tripped and slew through the ice pillars right past them, opening the passage.

Snow held her hand out.

The spear ripped itself out of the giant and flew back to her hand.

“This sword is awesome!” Snow gave her appreciation to the weapon.

The giant was down on the ground.

“Time to finish it off! Go Mina!” They started riding right at the downed giant.

The giant’s head was in clear view, it was the perfect shot. Snow aimed the spear, she would finish this thing off here and now. The sword-turned spear was coated in the giant’s blood, the blood was being absorbed by the weapon, forming a new shape; the spear grew longer and had flower-like designs. Snow could feel the power of the weapon. For some reason the weapon was even stronger. When Snow went to aim, it felt more natural than breathing.

This sword and her were destined to be together, destined to be one. The sword was excited for the kill, and so was she. They were in range now. Even while moving this was a perfect shot. Snow leaned back, took aim, and threw it.

Or at least she tried too.

Snow felt her spine tingle, as her body paralyzed. All her senses felt like they got turned off and suddenly Mina crashed into the ground throwing her off.

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Snow stumbled to her feet and found herself in a dark pit full of tar. Thousands of indistinguishable people were trying to crawl on one another to reach the top where a faint golden light shone.

"What is this?" she looked around, apprehensive and confused. Wherever she was a horrific and unsightly place. Something grabbed at her ankles, pulling her down. Her vision was fading in and out; her body felt heavier. Every few seconds, the giant and the battlefield reappeared in her view, and each time it did, its eyes carried the constant, unyielding threat of pain and suffering.

The giant picked itself up and roared, raising both its fists into the air before slamming the ground. A wave of crystalline ice, taller than trees, was summoned and roared towards Snow and Mina. Every time Snow tried to move, she found herself paralyzed on top of seeing this nightmarish vision.

“What the hell!? Why can't I move, what is this?!” Snow tried struggling, but she couldn't break this spell. The wave was going to hit her and Mina.

A figure flew right over her, straight at the wave of ice. It was the frostblooded woman. The woman slashed her butcher blade straight down the center of the wave, creating an opening as the wave split in two and rushed past the left and right.

“You ok?” The woman turned to her.

Snow still couldn't move.

“I can't move!”

The woman looked at the giant.

“I need to disable it,” The woman said as she ran toward the giant.

The giant took a swipe at her. The woman leaped over the swing and ran up the giant’s body until reaching its back. She took her long butcher blade and slammed it down onto the bones protruding from its back, prying some of them off. The giant screamed as it tried to grab her, but she was too fast. The woman jumped high into the air to avoid the grab. While she was airborn, the giant’s eyes flashed blue again as thin spires of ice shot up from the ground, aimed to skewer the woman. The woman twisted and spun mid air shredding the ice as she fell.

The woman ended her fall with a slash across the giant’s face, landing with a roll next to Snow.

“Mina, fetch!” Mina, now up, grabbed the spear-form frostblade and ran up to them. “Down!” Mina got down.

The woman threw Snow on Mina before getting on herself.

“Tut tut!”

They rode off, the echoes of the crying giant getting further and further behind them. Along with the newly formed roaring tornado.

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The lady took them to the top of the wolf mountain where they first met and set the still paralyzed Snow on the flat rock.

“Am I going to be alright?” Snow asked.

The woman’s eyes were blue, perhaps she activated the frostblood to be able to challenge the giant? The woman snapped a finger, and Snow gained control of her legs again. The lady’s eyes then reverted back to silver.

“Thank you” Snow gratefully said.

Mina calmly walked up to the wolf pen and sat inside of it, the wolf pups came out the hole and laid against her.

“Oh, so those are her pups?”

“Yeah.” The woman picked up the frostblade, it was still in its spear form and handed it to Snow this time. “Impressive work, How long have you been using Icebreaker?”

“Icebreaker? What's that?”

“That sword, it was made by your mother. It’s called icebreaker.”

“Icebreaker.. I just started using it yesterday…” The spear slowly transformed back into its sword form. “It just does it automatically, like it has a mind of its own.”

“Unfortunate.” The woman shook her head.

“What do you mean 'unfortunate’! This sword is great, it's powerful!”

The woman turned her head back to Snow, “That was stupid of you. You should have left when you had the chance, now you'll probably be trapped here.”

“What!? Are you talking about me coming back and saving you?”

“Saving? I believe it was the other way around.”

“If I didn’t come back you wouldn’t be able to put up the seal in the first place.”

“Are you talking about the seal defense that you destroyed?"

"... I guess, but cut me some slack here! How was I supposed to know that was important?!”

“All I am saying is that, that was stupid of you not to take the opportunity and leave. That rift is closed and I don’t intend on sabotaging another seal to get you out. So you’ll be staying with me for a long time.”

Snow smirked.

“Sounds fun, can we…”

“Stop. First of all, rules. This is not a game. You will be putting in the work. I am not your caretaker, nor your mother, no crying and no slacking off.”

The woman looked like she hated the fact that she had to watch her but Snow felt under those tough words a sense of gratitude.

“Well, sorry. I just didn’t want to leave you alone like that. Would you mind telling me your name?”

“My name is Aela.” The woman finally gave her name.

“Nice to meet you, Aela. As you know, my name is Snow.” Snow formally greeted Aela.

“Whatever kid. Maybe if you're lucky, a way out would magically open without you screwing me over.”

“I will put in the work Aela, you have already seen what I can do.”

“Let me not see it again, yeah? Now follow.” Alea started descending the gorge.

“Where are we going?” Snow hurried to catch up with her.

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They had walked north for almost a mile and Aela hadn’t said a word or answered any questions.

“So… are you going to tell me where we are going?”

After they made a clearing Snow saw a small shack hidden under an incline. The weaving northern rivers could be heard nearby.

“My place.”

It was a small but cozy shack consisting of one room that was the combination of a kitchen, bedroom and dining room. There was a stove, bed, and dining room table all packed into this one wooden room. It was tight, but efficient. It was also messy, clothes, leathers, boxes and supplies littered the place.

Snow was sitting in a wooden chair while Aela was taking off all her gear

“Don’t make a mess.” Aela said.

Snow looked around, the shack looked pretty messy to begin with.

“Sure you should be telling me that?” she asked, her voice oozing with sarcasm. Aela ignored the sally.

“I’m going to start a broth, why don’t you be productive and gather some wood.”

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Snow was exploring the nearby forest next to Aela's shack while gathering some sticks. As Snow looked from tree to tree for something usable, she wondered, just how long Aela has been living here. Seemingly alone too. Snow stopped after passing a dozen trees, there was no branches she could easily cut.

“Like where am I supposed to find wood, I can't cut any of this stuff down,.”

Snow looked at Icebreaker.

“Can you turn into an axe? Icebreaker?”

Icebreaker gave no response.

“Welp, guess I'm collecting sticks.”

As Snow was walking back with an armful of sticks, she saw Aela pull out a decent sized piece of wood from under a tarp on the side of the house.

“Wait, if you already got wood then why did you send me to get these?”

“If I say go fetch wood I don’t care if I have two months stock in the back, you will fetch it. Anyway, give it here. I knew you'd grab small pieces, those are what I need.”

Aela slid those pieces under the stove, as extra kindling. She appeared to be cooking.

Snow was waiting at the table while Aela was going through some of the top cabinets for stuff to put in the pot, she looked like she was unsure on what to add.

“Do you need help?” Snow offered her assistance.

Aela just threw some spice in the pot without giving it any thought.

“Shud’ be enough.” Aela shrugged. It looked like way too much

“Aela, I think that’s too much.”

“So you’re a seal breaker and a cooking expert? You are really the jack of all trades kid. I know what I’m doing, relax.” She didn’t look like she had ever cooked before, but Snow decided to let her be anyways.

“So, Aela, are there any other frostblood or people here?”

“No, I work alone.”

“Is this place really as dangerous as they say? I understand it's freezing but…”

“Yes, this place needs to be contained, there are a great many seals set to stop this place from leaking into our world. I am responsible for guarding and maintaining said seals. There are no other people here. You're lucky you found me when you did. The night cycle here is deadly.”

“I've been here since yesterday.”

“You survived the night cycle on the first day you were here?”

“Yeah I found a cave to hide in.”

Aela scoffed.

“You are extraordinarily lucky.”

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The broth was finished. A bowl was dropped on the table in front of Snow.

“Eat.”

Snow ate a spoonful and it almost made her gag. It didn't taste good at all. She almost spit it back out.

“What is it?” Aela quickly questioned.

“This tastes unsavory. To put it lightly.” It had way too much seasoning and the meat was very tough

“Well… this isn’t the royal castle, ‘princess’. Welcome to the wilds. Next time, cook it yourself if you don’t like it.”

“But, I offered you my help…”

“Just eat the damn food. You will need the energy for when we start tomorrow.”

“Start what?”

“Your training.”

“Training?”

“You're joking right? Of course you need training. I'm not going to be doing all the hunting and gathering out here, I already told you there will be no slacking off.”

“But I killed your golem, do I really need training?”

“Can you hunt for food? Can you scale a mountain? Can you stay hidden against a stalker wave? Just because you got lucky against my golem doesn’t mean you don’t need any training. Ego is the worst thing you can possibly have here and the quickest way to die.”

“I don’t have an ego, I worked hard to win that fight!”

“Good. Now work hard tomorrow when we go to the owl’s nest,” she said unsympathetically.

“Owls nest?”

“It’s a tall spire, you can see all the seals from there. You will need to go there everyday to help me track the faulty ones.”