Frozen Quest Arc : Freezing
"The night is slow," sighs the inn keeper as he scours his few sheepish customers. The tavern was boorishly silent not a single person made a sound and every man in the room kept to themselves drinking quietly in their own isolated spaces. The keeper yawns and slumps on a chair in a hunched over posture. " I would make love to a dog to get away from this..." The door opens and a hooded figure enters the establishment, each step the stranger takes has a metallic echo, the keeper squints and soon recognizes the stranger, the rifle on the enigma's back is a dead giveaway. The figure stops by the inn keeper and drops five gold coins onto the wooden table.
"One burning whiskey!" yells the keeper.
"Coming pa!" answers back a soft voice in the back. The cloaked person takes a seat opposite the keeper.
" Gerad, you dog loving freak. Do you have it?" the cloaked stranger says.
"Here it is." the inn keeper retorts as he hands over a dry rolled up paper while a young lady with straight black hair , and a white apron cautiously arrives at the table with a silver chalice in a plate, the liquid in the chalice has a soothing blue flame that crackles softly. She bows as she places the tray on the table.
"I wish you great fortune in your quest." She says in acknowledgement as she backs away her cheeks flushing bright red. The knight pulls back her hood revealing long red hair and sharp piercing green eyes, she takes the cup and pours the burning red and blue essence into a silver flask, and stirs the bubbling waters steaming waters with her finger.
"After this mission I will be promoted to S rank, and if I survive I will be practically leaving here." She says as she empties the chalice into her flask.
"I guess I should get to work making your special burning whiskey then, I'm not top worried about your survival some say you're even stronger then Black Thorn." The knight gives a wild grin as she rises from the table and walks to the door. Before she steps out, the corner of her eye rests on the inn keeper.
"Keep the drinks ready for when I get back."
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Gavin and Alex sit by a nicely contained flame, watching its illusive dance in silence under the black and grey night's sky. Gavin looks at his squire for a mere moment before hastily dropping his gaze back to the flames, since the events of Maria and her cult of rebirth they hadn't had moment to talk as master as student properly...perhaps for both of them the conversation would prove too uncomfortable but Gavin felt now was time.
"You often talk about Maria in your sleep, and it concerns me" Alex's distant eyes flicker at the mention of her name as he fights back the feelings of pain that swell in his chest.
"I'm fine." Says Alex.
"A lot happened to you in Red Wood White Stone." Gavin brushes his blonde hair back revealing his stern and cold gaze "I admittedly haven't had many students, but..." Before Gavin can finish his sentence Icy frost starts to form on the forest trees and ground as snow aggressively descends onto them extinguishing the flames. Gavin springs to action drawing his blade as black thorn vines sprout from his sword, but as they form ice rapidly freezes them withering the vines almost instantly "Get behind me Alex!". Alex draws his blade but the moment he tries to concentrate his magic into the sword, Maria's face flashes in his mind. His sword cracks as the green flames that had engulfed the sword disperse just as quickly. Before they can make sense of the bizarre situation they find themselves in, they are swallowed whole by an unforgiving blizzard. All Alex can see is a white screen obscuring his vision and all he can he hear is the roaring of the savage wind. To make matters worse the armour he wore is made of iron; he feels an excruciating prickling sensation as his legs become numb. Alex falls to his knees and screams out for Gavin but it is pointless there's no way Gavin can hear his screams over the roaring wind. Alex gazes into the distance hoping to see his teacher but instead he sees blue eyes radiating in the white screen. His vision goes black and the last thing he hears before falling into darkness is a deafening howl and roaring wind.
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Alex slowly opens his eyes and looks up at a tattered roof as sizzling sounds from a boiling pot become more audible. Alex immediately jolts forward as the image of the blue eyes flash in his mind. He instinctively reaches for his sword but grabs nothing but a wooden floor.
"Relax young knight." A stern mature voice calls out to him. A wrinkled tall old woman with a long sile hair, wearing a woollen coat enters the shabby hut. "You are safe here. I have your sword."
"What happened to the black armoured knight I was with and the blue eyed monster." Questions the confused squire. The old woman doesn't immediately answer him but instead walks towards the bubbling pot of stew at the centre of the room. She stirs the brown, thick liquid and pours some of it into a wooded bowl.
"I have not seen this black knight, a red-head brought you to my hut in the dead of night." The old woman approaches Alex and stretches out her hand which held the bowl of soup. Alex nods and accepts the soup.
"What about the monster?"
"The Monster..." The woman takes out a long pipe from the coat, lights it and begins to smoke it smugly; she lets out a cloud of smoke and continues. "People have gone missing around these parts, normally we would chalk it up to wild monsters since this is the middle of a forest after all but this is different, I'm not sure what this is."
"I see. There's a village not too far from here?" questions the squire
"Yes, it's a short walk from here. But in your condition you won't make it, your body has been scarred by frost, it will take a few days for your full strength to return."
"But if I don't go Gavin will die."
"If you go as you are, you'll both die. But then again why should I care, all I did was nurse you back to health" The elder responds gloomily. Alex and the host lock eyes for a brief moment before Alex drops his gaze to the bowl on his lap. "She's right I can hardly feel my legs; I just pray Gavin can hold on till I can find him." He reasons.
"Alright," Alex jerks back his head and tips the bowl over his mouth gulping down the hot soup, he feels the soup rest in his belly "Thank you for your hospitality Ma'am"
"What ever kid." she replies. Alex lays down on the wooden floor and closes his eyes. In the darkness of his mind he sees Maria's eyes gazing at him from the depths of the darkness.
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The next morning Alex is awoken by the banging sound of wood being split just outside the hut. The lad's eyes creep open, he sluggishly rises to his feet, but finds himself unable to move his legs. He removes the wool blanket covering his legs and what he sees shocks him, the colour in his legs has been drained with blue symbols stretching through out his leg. "Perhaps if I use foundation on them I can counter the curse" He thinks but immediately he remembers how his blade cracked when he used foundation. "Should I risk it?" He debates with himself as he stares blankly at his legs. The door swings open and the old lady walks in with a neatly tied bunch of chopped wood on her shoulder, a smoking pipe in her mouth and an axe in her hand. She drops a pile of wood onto the floor and places her axe in the corner. "I take it you didn't pass your village's selection exam."
"Yeah, How could you tell?" retorts Alex as he massages his cold legs.
"Even the weakest monster has some type of regenerative powers, the fact you haven't healed yet means you haven't inherited Beast Ego."
"Its a long story. I would rather not get into it."
"Well squire if you're going to be staying under my roof you'll have to pay in kind." The old lady removes her coat revealing ripped biceps under brown sleeveless tunic. "The kind of payment I'm interested in are stories, and your story sounds like a good one, so I'll make a pot of tea and you'll tell me everything from your village's selection test to now."
"I guess I don't have a choice then" says Alex as he scratches his head with a feint smile.
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The white steam from the hot black liquid escapes their cups, filling the cabin with moist warm cloud as the old lady sat on a rocking chair opposite Alex in silence.
"That's quite a story," She says as she stirs the liquid in her cup with her finger. Alex remains silent and takes a sip from his cup.
"This witch, she's the Maria you called out in your sleep ey?" Alex eyes shoot open for a moment before slipping back into his sluggish half open state.
"I said her name while I was sleeping, can't say I'm surprised I think about her all the time. You must think I'm insane for being in love with her despite all the things she did."
"No, I don't. I had a husband in my youth, we lived together in this shack from the day our marriage began till the day he died of the plague, we started a family and for a while we were happy. But he, for a lack of better words was a piece of shit, he would often get drunk and beat me then leave us alone for days to have affairs in the next village... he probably got the plague from one of the skanks he was sleeping with, all this abuse drove our children away." Despite what she said Alex notices the peace in her eyes and feels a little envious. "But I never stopped loving him, even in death I visit his grave everyday. Now I'm not saying loving a piece of shit is good, far from it, I'm saying love does not follow logic or reason...maybe in time the feelings you have will die but even if they don't it doesn't mean you're insane." She looks at the teenager and gives a radiant smile. "It means you are human. Just get stronger so you don't make the same mistakes tomorrow." Alex smiles back as a single tear rolls down his face.
"I will get stronger."
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Alex is paralyzed as he stands in a lake that ripples many colours, he looks ahead immersed in the colours is the naked bare back of a woman with long braids reaching her waste.
"I guess this is goodbye Alex" she says as she moves further away from him sinking deeper into the mysterious waters, he wants to reach out and call her name but he doesn't, instead he turns his back on her and walks in the opposite direction. Alex opens his eyes and staring blankly at the roof, the lad places his hand onto his legs and a green flame gently races across his legs. Within a few seconds he feels a sharp pain and to his relief the blue symbols on his legs have begun to fade. Gnashing his teeth, he rises to his feet, his balance is off but he can move.
He slowly makes his way to the door, upon opening it he is greeted by a gust of cold wind. The fresh air washed over him putting him in a state of calmness.
"Good morning, squire seems like you're finally moving," says the old lady who sits cross legged next to the door with a smoking pipe and his sword in her hand.
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Within a tunnel of ice, a large humanoid creature, with blue skin, twisted goat horns and glowing blue eyes drags the unconscious body of Gavin Blackthorn, his face is snow white and written all over with glowing blue symbols. The creature drags him deeper into its winter borrow till they reach a deep inner cave that was illuminating with blue symbols on the walls. The creature holsters the knight on to its shoulders and scales the side of the cave, upon reaching the roof it carefully places the knight in a cocoon that immediately closes. It drops to the ground making a loud tremor from its weight hitting the floor, and tilts its thick blue head back as it admires the multiple cocoons hanging from the ceiling. It gives a savage grin revealing its massive canines as saliva drips down its chin onto its white fur.