It had been two days since Ava had taken up the role of tutor, and the campsite had transformed into a makeshift school of the arcane. Arteus had proven a quick study, his mind absorbing the complexities of magic with a hunger that could surprise even a seasoned mage. They had made significant progress, each moment of understanding coming with a step closer through the frozen wasteland towards the distant boon of Qliax.

But as he sat cross-legged in the snow, surrounded by the artifacts of a world on the brink of ruin, Arteus couldn't shake the question that had been niggling at the back of his mind. "Where did you learn all of this?" he finally asked, his voice carrying the weight of his curiosity and the warmth of the fire that crackled beside them.

Ava paused, her eyes lingering on the pages of the ancient book before looking up to meet his gaze. "It kind of just came to me, when I was imprisoned," she said, her voice carrying a hint of the painful memories she had buried beneath layers of ice and snow.

"The book?" Arteus asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Oh, this?" Ava replied with a soft smile, her eyes still on the pages before her. "The knowledge. The book is just a... a vessel for it all. It's like a diary, really. I've written down everything I've learned, everything I've discovered about magic on my own after comparing it with all the tall tales i heard as a kid."

"You remember all the stuff you heard as a kid?" Arteus questioned, his voice filled with a mix of amazement and skepticism.

"You don't?" Ava's eyes searched his face, the fire casting a warm glow that softened the sharp angles of her features.

"Most people don't," Arteus said, shaking his head slightly. "But then again, most people don't find themselves in your kind of situations."

Ava chuckled, a sound that was music to his ears in the quiet morning. "You could say that," she said, her smile fading as she looked back at the book.

At that moment, two thoughts collided in Arteus' mind with the force of clashing glaciers. The first was the undeniable fact that Ava's grasp of the arcane was unlike anything he had ever encountered. Her knowledge seemed to span the very essence of the universe, as if she had been born with the wisdom of a thousand lifetimes. Was she a prodigy, a genius of unknown proportions, whose intellect was as vast and uncharted as the very chaos she spoke of? Or was she simply blessed with a memory that could capture and hold every whisper of arcane lore she had ever heard, weaving them into the intricate tapestry of her mind?

Either way, considering Ava was teaching magic so soon after learning it herself, it was clear that the former was true: she was most likely a prodigy. Her grasp of the arcane was not just a product of her sharp intellect or an uncanny memory; it was a deep-rooted connection to the very fabric of reality. It was as if the whispers of the chaos had chosen her as a conduit, a vessel through which the ancient secrets of the universe could flow into the mortal realm.

"C'mon, let's get back to it," Ava urged, her voice a beacon of excitement amidst the cold. "You're a natural, Art, but we need to refine your control over the elements." She gestured to the whipping winds that had begun to die down.

They packed up their makeshift classroom and set off again, their boots crunching softly through the freshly fallen snow. Ava had a way of moving that was almost imperceptible, as if she were a part of the very air around her. She led him through the frozen wasteland, her eyes scanning the horizon for signs of life or danger. As they walked, Arteus couldn't help but feel a strange kinship with the girl who had come to be his teacher and, perhaps, his closest ally in a world turned upside down by prophecy and chaos.

They approached a hill that rolled gently down to a clearing where a herd of fleur deer had gathered, their fur a mottled mix of white and purple that allowed them to blend almost perfectly with the alien snowfall. The creatures' breaths steamed in the cold air, creating a ghostly aura around them as they grazed upon the frost-kissed plants. The sight was so serene, so at odds with the horrors that had recently transpired, that for a moment Arteus could almost believe that the prophecy was a bad dream.

They moved with the grace of shadows, the crunch of their footsteps muffled by the thick fur lining their boots. Ava was quite the stealthy passenger, walking through the snow as if the very earth didn't wish to disturb her passage.

Arteus, on the other hand, was no pushover in the stealth department. He had spent his life hunting in the forests surrounding Barley, learning the art of moving silently through the underbrush from his mother. But next to Ava, he felt like a bull in a china shop. Her every step was a whisper of snow, leaving no trace behind. He watched her intently, mimicking her movements as best he could. Each time she placed her foot, the snow compressed and then sprang back, as if it were eager to erase the memory of her passing.

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They stalked the herd, their breaths coming in short, shallow puffs that hung in the air like tiny clouds of mist. The fleur deer looked up occasionally, their purple eyes gleaming in the moonlight, but they remained unalarmed. Their instincts were honed, yet they had no reason to fear the silent figures that approached.

"Alright," Ava murmured, her voice barely audible over the soft rustle of the wind. "When I say go, you use your earth magic to create a barricade around the fleur deer. Make it as strong as you can, okay?"

"But do we really need that many deer?" Arteus whispered, his eyes scanning the serene scene before them. The fleur deer grazed peacefully, their fur blending into the snow like ghosts of the forest.

"No, but its good practice," Ava whispered back, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "And we can always use more supplies."

With a nod, Arteus focused his mind once more on the threads of chaos that surrounded him. He reached out to the green earth, feeling the power thrumming beneath the snow's deceptive embrace. The ground beneath him began to tremble slightly, the snow shifting in anticipation.

Ava held up a hand, her eyes locked on the deer, her breaths coming in slow, measured puffs of mist. The deer, sensing something was amiss, paused their grazing, their delicate heads tilting upward, ears twitching. Her eyes flicked to Arteus, and with a slight nod, she gave the signal.

"Now," Ava whispered, her voice carrying the urgency of a warrior's battle cry.

And with that single word, Arteus let the chaos within him erupt. His arm shot out, his fingers splayed like the roots of an ancient tree reaching into the frozen ground. The earth responded to his call, shuddering and groaning as it bent to his will. The snow around them swelled and surged, forming a wall that grew taller and wider, a barricade to contain the fleur deer.

But as the last stone of the barricade settled into place, a giant arctic wolf, with fur as white as the snow it blended in, slammed into the newly formed earthworks with the force of a runaway carriage. The impact sent a spray of ice and snow into the air.

"What the--" Arteus exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock as he watched the giant arctic wolf breach their barricade. Without a second thought, he leaped to his feet, his boots digging into the snow as he sprinted down the hill.

"Arteus, wait!" Ava called out from behind him, her voice a mix of concern and excitement. But he was already in motion, the snow flying out behind him as he charged towards the creature. The wolf had knocked over several fleur deer, their antlered heads bobbing up and down as they struggled to right themselves.

Ava's warning cry fell on deaf ears as she turned to see a cloud of snow billowing in the distance, obscuring the horizon. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she tried to discern the source of the disturbance. The cloud grew larger, the wind picking up and carrying the scent of ice and fur with it. It was as if the very air itself was alive with malicious intent, and she knew in her bones that whatever approached wasn't just popping by to say hello.

With a grimace, Ava slammed the ancient tome shut and tucked it into the satchel at her side. The knowledge within was vital, but survival came first. Without another word, she leaped off the rocky outcrop, her feet finding purchase on the slick slope below. The snow sped past her as she slid after Arteus, the wind tearing at her cloak and stinging her cheeks.

"Sh-shit!" Arteus's cursed slipped out as he watched the barricade collapse like a house of cards. He had put all of his newfound power into it, yet it had been so easily shattered by the relentless wolf.

He spun around, his eyes wild with a mix of fear and embarrassment. "Ava, I'm sorry i didn't make it strong eno--" But his words were cut short as he collided with her, her smaller frame knocking the wind out of him.

"What was that for?" He gasped, his voice muffled against the fur of her cloak.

"Forget the deer," Ava said urgently, her eyes locked on the horizon. "Look!"

Arteus followed her gaze and his heart sank as he saw the cloud of snow approaching, much larger than before.

"...what's..." Arteus mumbled out as trees and snow parted like grass before the stampede. The cloud grew larger, a swarm of white that swallowed everything in its path.

And then, with a deafening boom, the trees right in front of them were torn from their ancient roots, sent flying like toothpicks in the face of a tornado. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, knocking both Ava and Arteus off their feet. The snow around them was thrown into the air like a frozen waterfall, enveloping them in a blizzard of white.

"Arteus!" Ava's voice was a distant echo amidst the chaos, but it cut through the fog of his disorientation like a knife. He groaned, his body aching from the fall, but the urgency in her tone spurred him into action. Groggily, he pushed himself up, his eyes blurring with snow and the dizziness of his concussion.

"Ava?" He called out, squinting through the whiteout.

Just as he had regained his footing though, Ava came barreling through the snowstorm towards him, her eyes wild with terror. She grabbed his arm, her grip like a vice, and shouted, "Arachnid!"

"Ara..." Arteus mumbled out, his voice lost to the swirling maelstrom of snow and ice that surrounded them. His vision swam as he tried to focus, the world around him a disorienting blur. The snow stung his eyes and clung to his fur, weighing him down like a shroud of cold despair. And then, through the curtain of white, the unmistakable silhouette of a spider, twice the size of any creature he had ever seen, loomed into view. Its eight legs, as thick as tree trunks, pounded the ground with a rhythm that sent tremors through the earth, cracking the ice beneath them.

"Oh... thats... a big spider."

-To Be Continued-