Aveyond: Rhen's Quest

Chapter 23: Veldt

"What!? Aren't you satisfied with the last duel?" snorted Lars when Rhen asked for a rematch. After they have escorted the druid, Rhen and Lars met up with Dameon and Elini and now they were on a voyage on the vast ocean. Te'ijal and Galahad were nowhere to be found and Rhen believed that they will meet them again. She sighed in relief as there could proceed their quest without a superstitious paladin and a creature of the night.

"Why? Are you a coward?" Rhen flapped her arms and acted like a chicken.

"Pfft! I'm not afraid of you!" he spatted and readied his cracked orb staff. "Bring it on!"

Dameon called for ready and they were in stance.

"Fight!"

Without hesitation, Lars started his move and cursed her with the Chicken Hex Spell. Unfortunately, Rhen had it coming. The Sword of Silence somehow helped her to immune against certain abnormalities.

"It won't work this time," Rhen cooed, Lars grunted. "My turn."

She charged towards and disappeared before Lars before he could perform a counter spell. Out of his knowing, she appeared behind and low-kicked him.

Lars, who got baffled from the previous attack, got to his feet and attempted to drive her away with his Wind Whip Spell, but she was too agile that he couldn't aim her properly.

"Trinity Fury!" Grand holy crosses emerged from the tip of her sword and raging towards Lars. But he managed to perform a counter spell.

"Gate Exura!" a dark vortex appeared in front of him just in time the holy crosses came. Like a black hole, it sucked the crosses and disappeared afterwards.

"Firefly Ballad!" Rhen charged towards him with the sword blazing in aqua flame. With the help of the cracked orb, Lars managed to absorbed some of her damage by shielding him with his staff. After she delivered the final blow, Lars countered with his Thundershock Spell. He expected her to get paralysed, but she didn't.

"Ha! You're done!" Rhen leaped and jump attacked, but Lars blocked her with his staff. As their weapons met, Rhen twisted her sword and parried his staff away. She pointed the tip of her sword onto his chin and stuck out her tongue.

"Well done, northerner," praised Elini. "You have escalated quickly."

"Nice," Dameon patted Rhen's shoulders, which made her blushed. Lars scowled at Rhen when Dameon was tending his wound. She chuckled and stood beside Elini, who was looking (and day-dreaming, Rhen guessed) at the vast ocean.

"Is something wrong?" asked Rhen.

"No, it's just... It's so familiar," she summoned a wyvern and it scouted around the surroundings. As the creature perched on Elini's arm, her eyes widened followed with a smile. Rhen gave her a puzzled look.

"No wonder," Elini murmured to herself. She noticed Rhen's expression and said, "We're about to land on the Southern Isle, where my home is located."

"Oh!" exclaimed Rhen. "I can't wait to see your homeland."

"You'll see," Elini chuckled.

~~~

The very first thing would Lars do when they reached Veldt was to find a place to sleep. Rhen had an idea of punching his head but didn't when Elini offered them to sleep at her house.

Her house, just like the other houses in Veldt, was cylindrically tall, purple roof with beige wall. According to Elini, the nobles lived in a purple roof houses while the peasants lived under the yellow roof.

As they stepped into the house, a man was watching the other two playing chess. Three of them looked up and smiled broadly when they saw Elini.

"Husband, it's good to see you again," Elini smiled.