Day 22.5: The queens offer

It was noon. Dennis was with the queen at her castle, having a walk around the various hallways until they reached the throne room.

"Dennis, you did an excellent job fighting the harbingers. Last night, I heard a loud scream."

The queen said.

"That was me…"

Dennis said while being ashamed to admit it. He then looked down with his eyes closed, but the queen only laughed and helps him go up a set of stairs.

Arriving to the throne, they went past it and went into another room. When they entered the room, it was more like an office. It had a dark brown desk, the walls where white while having a marble texture with a round window on the back.

"Come, take a seat!"

The queen said as she used her magic to make a chair appear out of thin air. It landed on the opposite sides from the desk and Dennis sat on the one nearest to the door since he was a guest.

"Alright, Dennis. I have a few things I want you to do for me."

"Such as?"

"There's a monster roaming the woods I heard that is dangerous, but you seem to know the place all too well to take care of it."

"And what's in it for me?"

"You can have any weapon from the vault when you get back."

The queen's offer peaked Dennis interest and agree to hunt down the monster. He made sure he had all the equipment's such medicine and other stuff before he left the castle.

Dennis then headed back to the train station where he found his friend Nix wearing a long dark purple dress. It surprised him to see her wearing this but as they crossed paths. He saw Nix focused on something that she didn't say hi to him.

"Nix!"

Dennis shouted. Making her snap to her senses, and for her to realize that Dennis was here.

"Wait, what?! Dennis!?! What are you doing out here? You should rest for god's sake."

Nix said, been concerned for Dennis current health.

"Thank you for your concerns, Nix, but the queen wants me to take care of something around the forest."

As Dennis mentioned about the queen. Nix ended up blushing and hurried over to the castle without a word. It left Dennis in confusion and soon left the capital.

Later on, during the day. Dennis was in the forest, searching for his target. Not knowing what it was, he only could deduct that it had a black halo. The only thing he could do was go for a walk in the middle of the day.

"If I was a primary target… Where should I be hiding…"

He asked himself as he pondered where to start his search until he heard a howl coming right behind him. When Dennis turns around, he sees a pack a wolfs running past him, six in total.

At this moment, he knew that something was coming his way. But wasn't sure of what it was until in the distance he saw a small grey pup running as a giant deformed wolf was chasing it. It was missing its left eye while it had its right eye out with a dislocated jaw.

"Or just chase down a full pack while at it…"

Dennis said as he was getting ready cast magic. He channeled his emotions and concentrated to create a fireball that was twice the size of his hands.

"Go fetch!!"

Dennis then threw the fireball up to the sky and it went past the deformed wolf and it chased the fireball. While at it, Dennis noticed the pup was gone. He soon heard whimpering right behind him and saw that it was the pup crying while still in fear.

"Aw… It's okay buddy… I will not hurt you…"

Dennis then tried to pet the wolf pup, but he felt something was wrong. It was all too quiet in the woods that made him wonder how far he threw that fireball.

Suddenly his instincts kicked in he grabbed the pup and started running towards the direction of the pack. From the distance he heard and explosion with a deranged howl that was even louder than his own screaming.

"I should have guessed that this monster was acting strange… Someone messed around with it, but who could have done something like this?"

Dennis said in his mind as he looked back. Making sure if the monster had caught up and out of nowhere. He saw the deformed wolf glowing in red, catching up to him. Without even thinking, Dennis used ice magic to freeze the ground behind him that turned into a wall. The deformed wolf soon crashes into it, but the ice wall broke down. It allowed the wolf to continue its chase.

"Darn it… I guess I have no other choice…"

Dennis went down with his last resort that was fighting. He froze the ground ahead of him and sent the pup sliding to focus on his fight. Around that moment, the deformed wolf was about to apprehend Dennis with its mouth, but he waited for this moment.

He froze his shoes to make friction with the ice and immediately cast a fireball behind him. Creating a minor explosion that pushed him forward to cover distance.

"Alright then pall… Let's dance!!"

Dennis said as he created two ice lances. He held them with both his hands and waited for the deformed wolf to make the next move.

It got closer to Dennis and wanted to eat him, but it had its mouth sideways. As it was going to close its mouth. Dennis used his left lance and placed it sideways. When the deformed wolf closed its mouth. It pierced itself. Allowing Dennis to get an opening.

The deformed wolf howled in pain as it couldn't close its mouth properly. Dennis then took advantage and sent the other lance through it throat, but it absorbed it.

"Another magic absorber… Fine then. Hard way it is!"

Dennis said as he refocused his magic.

"Volt!!"

Dennis called out the magics name. Forming lightning all around his hands and charged as he got out of the mouth when the deformed wolf was about to close it.

When it closed its mouth. The deformed wolf was going charging at Dennis he was still sliding. Dennis then joined both hands together as he charged more power, but as the deranged wolf was getting closer. A howl was heard in the distance. It forced Dennis to turn around and saw that it was the pup trying to warn Dennis about an incoming wall.

"Guess I'm out of time… Time to finish this while I can!"

Dennis said. He then released his stored power and directed it at the deformed wolf. And as the blast hit, it created an impact of electricity run throughout its body. Forming an opening for decisive strike. Dennis pulled out the dagger from his pockets and held it with his right hand and created multiple ice lances he could control with his left hand.

They were getting close near the wall. The pup moved out of the way. That just leaves Dennis and the deformed wolf in the way, but Dennis waited for the last minute. Dennis made a jump allowing the deformed wolf to go under him and hit crash into the wall.

It created an opening for him to strike. He sent the ice lances first that pierced the wolfs skin and Dennis came in with a concentrated stab in the head. From out of nowhere he heard a glass shatter as he stabbed the wolfs head. Making it howl in pain and in anger. Soon it shakes Dennis of itself.

"You got to be kidding me! Can't it stay down?!"

Dennis said as he was in midair and recovered using wind magic. The deformed wolf then recovered and turned around to face Dennis, but this time, it had glowing yellow eyes while its body turned fully black. Suddenly a black halo appeared on its head. Revealing to Dennis that this was its primary target.

"No… That…. That can't be right… So, a monster can turn into elites whenever they want to…?"

Dennis said as he was in total fear. Not knowing what to do. He saw the pup was trying to help him by attacking the now changed deformed wolf by biting its tail, but the wolf simply threw it towards him with its tail. It landed on the ground, hurting it. And it made Dennis mad.

"I had enough of this…"

Without having been able to control his anger. Dennis extended his right hand where he held the dagger and as his eyes turned white as snow. His dagger's blade extended as it turned into ice. The area suddenly got cold. The trees froze as the temperature was dropping.

The deformed wolf that has become a shadow charged at Dennis as he grabbed the pup and charged back at it. In an instant. Dennis slashed the shadow wolf and was near the wall while the shadow wolf was where Dennis stood previously.

"Begone into a thousand frozen nights…"

Dennis said as the shadow wolf vanished. Allowing to go back to his senses, but it gave him a migraine.

"That should take care of it… and just in time for the painkiller."

Dennis said as he departed from the woods while taking his medicine. Eventually he made it back to the capital to claim his reward alongside the pup.

In the middle of the afternoon. The queen took Dennis to an underground vault in the castle and found a bunch of weapons and unused artifacts.

"You can only pick one thing from here, alright. Be careful of your choice."

The queen said to Dennis as he looked around. He went past from golden statues, rings and armor until he found a red stone built into a black sword's hilt. It had no blade, but it had round guard that made him wonder what happened to this sword. He took it with him since it was the only thing that caught his attention.

"I'm taking this with me."

Dennis said to the queen.

"Strange, but alright. Also, can you tell me about that wolf you have in your hand?"

As the queen asked. Dennis explained everything to her and soon left home before it become night fall.