Chapter 8

Moving through the snow that reaches high, Elyssara along with her companions stepped graciously.

As if barely being held back by the climate, their wolf-like features seemed to serve them well putting them ahead of the group and often leading them to dispatch most of the Plague Walkers they encountered, before arriving at the banks of the frozen lake.

Looking around, the group noticed a cave quite close by, interesting Gil enough as he wandered from the party and pulled out his knife.

Reaching the lake near the opening, he began hacking at the ice until he eventually breached it.

Asking one of the guards to hand over a fishing line, he pulled out a strange-looking stone and rubbed it along the hook, causing it to glow.

Presenting the sparkling rod to Winter, he asked him to go fishing, explaining that the moment the lure is lowered, they should all prepare themselves for company.

Confused by his words, though not looking to stay in the cold any longer than necessary, they do so while Winter lowered the line.

Before long, the chilling winds of the thin mountainous air were biting into his hands as he waited.

Wondering what the stranger had planned, Elyssara stepped up to him as she questioned why they were still waiting.

When suddenly, the ice began to buckle and crack out of nowhere as more and more Plague Walkers appeared from the snowy embrace and marched towards them.

To avoid getting pulled in, Winter tugged and fought with the line while trying to reel it in.

Until his line was caught on something, requiring a bit more force to drag out of the depths, he finally pried it loose from its bounds.

Pulling back, a shiny object landed beside them, drawing interest from one of the guards as they battled while the waters suddenly grew colder.

As a swelling mass was growing larger and larger at the centre of the lake, the surface was finally breached by a pale-draped Serpent, glistening with frigid water raining around it and towering above.

The creature let out an unnerving hiss that took to freezing the surroundings in a single chilling blast.

"That thing might as well be a dragon, why is something like that here?" surprised at the sight, Winter took it as a bad joke for the creature looked strong enough to kill with relative ease, its show of power with little more than its breath was something to behold.

The group's attention was now split between the approaching forces and the creature that couldn't be ignored...

While they scattered from the banks, the Serpent would only recognize what was taken.

Running in towards the direction of the guard who went after what Winter had fished out, he soon realized the creature's gaze upon him....before it began to give chase, slithering with terrifying agility across the frozen basin

"Why is it coming this way...."

"It's after the scale. Get away from there" Elyssara called out the both of them after noticing the similar shine of the creature

With a hiss of its freezing breath flowing out like a frigid mist, Winter tried to leap for the guard, only for the chilling blast to knock him away from her, staining the targeted area in a hazy cloud and leaving a mass of ice.

"I don't understand why Gil thought we had a chance it there was something like this lying around, I swear if we survive this, I'm going to-".

Taking the blast as best he could while he flew to the wayside.

Winter would force himself to his feet as he rushed for the banks while the creature cornered the bearer of its scale.

Lunging forward to the guard, and sending a flurry of snow against them, knocking them off their feet, only for them to scurry to their feet with enough time to throw themselves towards the lake, narrowly avoiding the thrashing maw of the beast.

Trying to get at the thief it sought, it continued to ignore Winter who tried to help her by drawing his sword against it though while still having his doubts.

"If those scales are as hard as they look, then I'll have to go for a different spot"

Sprinting past the veil of snow that the beast kicked up, Elyssara ran past its jagged fangs and knocked the guard out of the way, as the Serpent passed over them.

Now gliding about on the frozen lake, the creature came to stop near him, giving him a chance if only a slight one

He aimed for the softest spot, only managing to slash against it as the tough flesh repelled any penetrations, though, with enough tries, he caught its attention as it readied its Frost Breath, he called to Elyssara to toss him the scale and for her to run back to the group.

Blessing Activated: Uryans Trace

He heard a sound chime in his head as he grasped the scale.

Doing so got her to a safe distance while he tried to hide behind the creature's massive body, though even this wasn't enough to avoid the serpent's attack as it cast its chilling breath over itself, showering him in frost.

Hoping to try a last-ditch effort, Winter clutched the scale against the blast...finding the cold had washed over him, but he was still alive.

Whatever that scale was made of meant he was still alive, though he wouldn't be able to take more of those hits.

When it slithered its head about, he started to rush around it with it thrashing against the ice, the strikes of the Vanishing Sword style were enough to disorientate the creature as it tried to follow the phantasmal blur.

Each time it drew near, Winter struck at the same opening.

Cleaving away the flesh little by little until the moment the scale fractured from the cold, he took a chance and plunged the sword deep into the wound of the serpent, bracing the cold of its attack.

With the spray of blood showering my freezing body, the growing ice was steaming away with the serpent falling at the lake, cracking the ice with its gaping mouth.

Elyssara returned with her, checking on her companion's safety, while the last of the plague walkers aimlessly wandered before being put down

"Well done Winter, I must say I didn't expect to see a World Walker in battle when I woke up this morning, but I can say I was pleasantly surprised," Gil appeared and congratulated them while he helped Winter up from the snow.

"Is it done?" Winter asked.

"Yes, you kept to your word. I was right to call you a friend"

Back at the village, Gil sat the group down as he explained what would follow"

"What! you knew?"

"My blessing is Foresight and it allows me to see events to come, it's how I knew when we'd meet, where to find the source of the Plague Walkers and how to draw it out.

It's also how I know that you're blessing that was able to stop the Pale Serpent and what might help those villagers," he said as he pointed to Winter.

"I don't know what my blessing is, I haven't since I got here"

"You're right, that was until we were in battle. Seems like all you needed was a close brush with death to get you going.

Your blessing allows you to learn the skills and talents of others through mere touch, you are granted perfect replication. It's how you were able to resist the Ash Serpent's frost breath"

"Ash Serpent, you even knew the beast's name? I have to say that's one overpowered blessing"

"Says the Dragonslayer" the two of them chuckled before Elyssara interrupted.

"Gil, you said you he could help our people, so...we've already felled the Serpent but who knows how long until more the Plague Walkers appear, or worse, or own people falling to their ranks?"

Nodding with a gleeful expression, Gil patted Winter on the shoulder.

"Winter, you might not have noticed but if you take a look at your status plate, you can see it. Using the Frost status effect that comes with the Frost breath-ability, you might be able to remove the status ailment afflicting them"

"Are you sure?" The guards and she moved closer with hope.

"...I won't know until I try, they deserve that much at least" Standing up and moving towards the door as he asked them to bring him to their sick.

Without missing a beat, she grabbed them both and lead them to the clinic.

His Status Plate is as follows:

Blessings:

Uryan's Trace

????

Vitality: 12(+10)

Agility: 12(+15)

Strength: 12(+15)

Intelligence: 17(+10)

Intuition: 17(+15)

Luck: 5(+5)

Defence: 6(+10)

Skill Cast: (30 seconds)

Skills Available:

Frost Breath, Frost Effect

Class: Sword-Wielder. Title: Ashen Serpent-Killer

"...well at least I have a skill now, though it's kind of strange that there's still an unknown icon on my status plate"

Winter mumbled while he proceeded through each bed, with a chilling touch the bed-ridden locals coughed until their breathing eased, and they were able to rest. With a nod from Gil, he continued to the next.

After tending to a patient, he would have to wait for the skill to cool down, taking almost three days before he managed to get through every patient, as each day ended with him spending several hours recovering.