Freedom

The snow blew across the woman's face as she dragged her feet through the unrelenting blizzard. Her brown cloak flapped in the wind. They would be mad to follow her this far, but she glanced behind anyway. A normal person would have died hours ago in this blizzard, but she was far from normal. With gray eyes, she looked down at the black bracelet on her wrist. It was continuously becoming more of a burden the further she strayed from the kingdom of Obsidius.

Her hands were purple and becoming harder to move. A dangerous thought passed her mind. Maybe she wasn't as resilient as previously thought. Although she had survived a lot worse, she reassured herself. Instinctively she took off one of her glowing earrings and clutched it in hand, desperately trying to stop the wind from carrying it into the endless night. The orange liquid swirled around in the gem-like container as if it were a tear from the sun. The warmth from the liquid spread throughout her fingers giving life to every chilled bone. Once her hands returned to their original color she reattached the earring.

Taking a step forward the woman winced as the bracelet tightened once again. It's reaching the limit she thought. I can't go much further without it snapping my wrist in two.

Sitting down in the snow she pulled a knife from a sheath beneath her cloak and stuck the tip underneath the black orb on the bracelet. As the knife began to bend the orb flew into the snow. She scanned the white landscape, her right hand shaking with anticipation. Just as it seemed it was lost to the winter, the orb zipped out with an explosive force. Lurching forward she seized the orb holding it tight as it violently pulled her hand toward the bracelet. Rolling to the side she slammed into the snow. The woman held the orb against the ground, raised the knife above, and struck it with such power that it shattered. The black liquid inside slithered away as she leaped after it. With a twist of her hand, the liquid became encased in a jewel.

"Thank God that's over with," still breathing heavily she walked over and picked it up.

Taking a ring covered with strange circular symbols out of her cloak she placed the vibrating jewel of magic in its head. The bracelet dissolved to dust as the black jewel ceased pulsating and the woman let out a sigh.

"Free at last," she muttered to herself then continued deeper into the blizzard as every trace of her was lost.