Frostmist appeared to be only a speck on Valahelm from the high cliffs of the Mystic Mountains. Ivy turned her head towards the warming campfire. Thoughts dwelled on her captured son and her husband that was no longer a part of this world. Yule fed the two horses with a handful of grain until he observed the hardened woman remaining silent. His vision then faced the north to behold the pass to Ice Forge. "There are still many days of traveling ahead." He informed. Ivy blinked returning her attention to the fire. "Yule, did I betray my son?" Yule bowed his head with a sigh. "He is alive, I assure you. Oaknar has always been fond of Valder. He has been beside him in almost every step of life." "Your words bring me so much peace, Yule. In fact, they always have. What about my husband do you believe his soul reached the gates of Aragoth?" Yule crouched at the edge of the fire. "A mighty warrior such as him, there is no doubt, but the thought of him accepting death is still a mystery to me." "Do you mean to say that he brought this upon himself?" Ivy inquired. "In Airus, Lir had slain many monsters for the kingdom and raised a rebellion to overthrow it. You yourself know; he has defeated Castor once before. I would say Lir offered his life to Oaknar so our god may defend Valahelm." "Not even Oaknar can save all of us." She said, bowing her head. "It has always come down to faith, milady. You yourself are a sign of it. Never forget it was I who found you drifting through the Forgotten Sea. You brought all of Airus to a standstill and reminded most of peace. I just wish I could have been the one to raise you." Ivy gripped Yule's hand tightly. "It was still you that taught me the greatest lessons in life, and I wished the same many times, but you were always the closest thing I've ever had to a father." Thoughts of happiness did not last long. "I cannot believe the curse of Airus still haunts us. I blame myself for it at times; maybe if I would have never departed with Lir, the kingdom would have never collapsed." Yule laughed. "Don't ever blame yourself. The kings were weak and inherited their power from their fathers. It was always on the verge of collapse, but none could fathom it would be from the hands of Zoth." "And do you still believe it was I who kept them free from corruption?" "You are truly something special Ivy." Their friendly conversation was cut short as a screech followed the howling winds. The sound forced the campers to straighten. The horses reared with cries of distress and bolted through the jagged mountain pass. Ivy freed her sword capturing a silhouette of a crow between the light of the moons. It flew without fear until going into a nosedive. A spark flickered from its beak and a wall of flames split the thick mountain mist. Yule raised his arms and sheets of snow elevated from the rocky slopes, extinguishing the fire. Ivy remained frozen by the presentation and the crow cycled preparing for another attack. Yule extracted her from the situation with a tug of her fur cloak. "We must find the horses!" Yule directed. Another burst of fire surged from the crows bent beak, but its intended targets shielded themselves behind the coverage of a broad boulder. "I guess there will be no sleep tonight." Ivy stated. Her eyes scanned the area and she came to the realization that there weren't many options. They had no ranged weapons to remove the crow from the sky. Glancing at her feet, she saw the tracks of the horse, leading down the mountain side. "Let's get off this mountain!" Ivy stated. "After you." Yule agreed. With Ivy's movement she kicked a hand sized rock with the tip of her boot. She plucked the stone under her nose and hurdled it at the feathered foe. It struck the crow in the underbelly stunning it for a short time. The crow staggered to catch its breath and Ivy seized her opportunity to escape. Yule followed in her pursuit along the yielding and narrow trail dotted with loose snow. Passing beside a cavity, the fleeing footsteps halted. Something had overheard their conflict. Steam flared from the nostrils of a hulking shadow. Thoughts of the bird had slipped their minds as they faced a new threat. The shadow seemed to grow bigger with every step. "Remain calm." Yule stated. The light of the moons captured the snow colored mane of a white wolf. It calmly sniffed the air to identify the humans. They stared into the yellow eyes of this legendary creature and a smile overtook the priest's face. Yule lowered to one knee and Ivy was quick to do the same. "Oaknar be praised." Yule said. This wolf acted like a trained dog and its size was twice of the average wolf they had encountered before. It so happened to be the same creature depicted in the ancient sagas of Oaknar. It was the god's closest companion. Why it roamed the world of Torn, the Valan dared not to question. The wolf was a blessing in disguise, and they accepted this sign. The wolf stepped closer forcing his guests to move aside. With humble respect they kept to their knees until its form stalked passed. Yule secured Ivy's arm and they continued on the path. The wolf turned sharply entering the clearing of charred rock. Its yellow eyes locked onto the crow as it fully recovered. Wings flared and the bird commanded the sky once more. The crow still had no fear, knowing that its master had bestowed it with supernatural power; however, it was not the only creature with such powers. A burst of coiling flames escaped its blackened beak. By some sort of magic a cyclone of mist appeared to redirect the blaze, leaving a clear ring around the wolf. The feathered foe had realized this wolf was not from nature such as itself. Distressed, its wings fluttered faster with efforts to escape. The wolf arched with hairs rising down its spine. Finally, let loose an ear-piercing bark. The force behind the sound was enough to make the mountain tremble and sent ripples through the air to disrupt the crow's flight path. Oaknar's wolf sprung to the cliff side to witness the bird fall like a stone and with an easy victory it sprawled to the snow. A blinding mist barreled from the Mystic Mountains caused by the wolf's thunderous vocals. Ivy lost the tracks she followed, and Yule struggled to make out the path ahead. "That damn bird shouldn't burden us any longer." Yule stated. "I hope that wolf has a full stomach." Ivy agreed. When the mist had finally resided, a large shape captured their eyes. Riding on the spine of a massive mammoth was a Valgard scout. Pulling the harness to his chest he forced the mammoth to hinder. "Is everything okay?" The Valgard asked with concern. Ivy was relieved. "We are much better now! But we could use your help. Frostmist is in grave danger and the threat will soon reach the northern settlements. Will you escort us to King Dag?" The Valgard leaned over the frame of the mammoth. "At once." He accepted.
ВЫ ЧИТАЕТЕ
Legends of Torn: Sword in the Rift
ФэнтезиFrom the remnants of a destroyed nation an ancient evil arises, by the hands of the powerful conjurer Castor. Zoth, the god of corruption is pleased by his awakening and offers his summoner the gift of immortality. But before such a gift can be best...
