Esker POV
"Hey wake up!"
Someone's calling me? And I'm being shaken. Why?... And why is it so dark, like a black out?...
My eyes shot open. "Bright!", I grumbled covering my eyes & struggling to sit up. As my eyes adjusted to the gush of light, I saw a fat man staring at me. And I found myself lying on a bench. What the heck? I got up, totally confused, clueless of what was going on.
"Hey you, you've slept enough. Get out of my shop.", the fat man croaked. "This is what happens when you drink all night..."
What's he babbling about? Better get out of here... I walked out of the tavern, trying to remember why I was in there in the first place. On getting out something caught my sight, a bunch of village folk gathered around something. What's happening there?
Pushing them aside, I reached the centre. I shuddered, stepped back, there was a white horse lying dead with all of its legs broken, twisted at crazy angles. Jet?! How? Who? Wait, I remember. I tied up Jet to a post and went inside... that tavern. And then that waitress... That waitress! What was her name? Matilda! She kissed me out of nowhere and... I dozed off. Damn shit! But are these two events even linkable?
"Hey are you all right?"
"Look, he's steaming."
"Yeah. What's wrong with him?"
"Better stay away from him."
People around me were whispering among themselves & giving me strange glares. I realized I was steaming. I had turned myself too cold, the air was around me was rapidly being condensed into fog. All because of my spoiled up mood. But humans freaking out at fog & steam are the least of my worries. Right now, I need to find that girl!
I ran inside the tavern. The fat guy saw me and frowned, "What do you nee-" He couldn't finish as I grabbed his face and threw him over a nearby bench. He let out a painful moan with a painful expression. "Where is she?", I asked, cold.
"Who?", he groaned.
"Don't joke me human! Where is your waitress? Where is Matilda!"
"Aahhh! Too cold too cold", he cried, struggled to push my hand off his face. "I don't know off who you're talking about. I don't know this Matilda!"
I glanced into his eyes, full of fear and astonishment. Damn, this fatass knows nothing...
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This is a pain, to walk. I need a horse. If I've to walk to the capital of Lethiel... it will take me a whole another week. I definitely need some form of transport. Now that I think, was Jet killed to stop me from reaching the capital? But it was odd, I still have the letter from the king. But then why was Jet killed? And how in hell did I fell asleep? My body isn't biological, it's formed of snow dust with a necrokinesis orb as my core. So I don't need to sleep or eat. That means... I must have been spelled. But when? I didn't drink anything so it must've been... when Matilda kissed me. But why, it doesn't adds up, she didn't took the letter from the king but killed Jet? Matilda... I have to find her. She tricked me, made fun of me and spelled me into sleep with a kiss. Who was she? Was I played by a bar waitress? Never! Now that I think, she was too beautiful for a bar waitress. And her crimson eyes, I don't think people of the mountain have anything to do with eyes like that. But how to find her, I'm not any sensory mage like Aracius so I can't track her down.
My mind was full of thoughts of that girl, Matilda. How to find her, where to find her, what are her intentions,... This girl, she got me totally hooked. Actually I wanted to know more about her, her smile, her annoying smile and her crimson eyes that seemed to hold secrets deep down. And then that kiss...
" Are you thinking about me?", she said, only inches away from my face.
I would've jumped back but I was too stunned for that. Is she really standing right in front of me? With that same annoying smile in her face. Is this a dream? I don't know and I was dumb struck. "Matilda...", was all that I could say.
She blushed looking down, focusing on her hands, "Oh you remembered my name, Esker."
She remembers my name... but what's with that reaction? "Matilda you-"
She cut me off with a palm held in front of my face. Then shifted sideways revealing a hammer, as it clubed itself on my chest.
I was flown back and crashed into a vineyard. Damn, what was that? My head hurts.
"Oh you're still alive!", she giggled. "Kill him Bolthor."
*CRASH!!*
I turned around to see a huge human standing inside a crater, dressed in a blue hoodie. And over that, he had an armour on with lion markings on it. He was tall, muscular & flowing with energy. Did Matilda just ordered this giant of a human to kill me? Why?!!
"Hey, don't interfere. This is between-", I couldn't finish. As I had to cross my arms to block myself from an incoming hammer.
Wow! That blow was heavy. It pushed me back a few steps. I looked up to take a better look at the man's face. It was the face of a human male in his forties, covered in white beard & moustache. Then my eyes shifted to the hammer in his hand, it was like glowing iron in the shape of a lion's head. Must be some kind of a magical weapon.
"Hey, Bolthor or whatever, I just warned you not to interfere. It's between me & Matilda.", I grumbled then lashed forward. "But you didn't listened!", jumped up to his face, grabbed it and wrapped him up within ice.
"Matilda what's this all about?!", I interrogated.
"You've become quite wonted to using my name.", she smirked then sighed. "And I don't think I would like to talk to you. After our previous encounter, I just realized you're... nothing. Bolthor kill him!"
Nothing, huh. "Then what about Jet?"
"Jet?", she raised an eyebrow.
"Don't joke me.", I scowled and placed a stern look on her. I have been played and pranked. What is this girl I'm standing in front of ?
"Oh that horse, it was me!", a hammer came from my left and shattered my head to bits.
So it was you...
My head regenerated and recollected out of snow dust the next moment. "How dare you kill my transport. Because of you I've been walking from the morning. Do you know how much I hate it? I bet you don't!!!", I punched him square on the face making him back down.
Bolthor's nose had gone twisted yet he had a smirk on his face. "You sure are strong for a lean built. But I'm stronger!", he lifted his hammer high up in the air and landed a heavy swing on me.
The hammer crashed against my left elbow & shattered the left side of me. Ouch, that hurts. Actually doesn't. But you've pissed me off Bolthor, now take this. I made out a ice hammer in my right hand & clubed his face with it. Bolthor stumbled and backed away with the left side of his face turned blue.
"Being shattered, this feeling... it's after a very long time that I'm feeling this good.", I sighed at my freshly recollected left side. "Now come fatass who takes pride in killing a horse. Your retribution shall be severe."
Bolthor frowns & rubbs his twisted nose while Matilda chuckled, "Bolthor looks like time for your retribution has come. I would really like to see how this one ends."
"Retribution huh! What a joke!", Bolthor frowned even harder then the corner of his lips curled up into a smile. "Roar out! Let the earth stumble and the oceans scream. It's time to fall to the ground. Strike, hammer of Dilan!"
What was that? The hammer was emitting a amber halo. Looks like a power up. I would like to see what it can do. I moved my arm in a arc to create a semi-circular wall of ice. This wall has no air trapped inside it, so no weak spots. Wonder whats gonna happen.
Bolthor came running and crashed his hammer on the wall with a swing. The wall shattered apart like glass. Ok, maybe I underestimated him. After all he has that hammer of Dilan or whatever. But still... he shouldn't push his luck too far.
With a simple gesture of fingers, Bolthor was hammered up into the air with a ice pillar from below before he could reach me. He was caught off guard, struggling like a rodent in mid-air. Just what you can expect from a fatass human.
Bolthor's time in air was up and he was coming down fast, faster. If I let him fall it would be a magnificent fall but... No! Let's send him flying again! With another gesture of fingers another ice pillar ran out of the ground and smashed Bolthor flying once again.
But somehow, before the piller was able to hit him that fatass was able to catapulted his hammer towards me. The hammer came down rocketing as nothing more than a glowing blur. But a mere hammer isn't gonna faze me. The air condensed & compressed itself round the hammer as a giant ice crystal, completely stealing away it's inertia. Now this hammer won't bother me anymore.
Bolthor fell on the ground with a crash! Funny and I would've enjoyed his agonized face a little longer but, it's getting boring, time to freeze things up.
"At first you looked like a big shot but now it seems you're only a fatass. And our little duel? I would say it was somewhat enjoyable but... it ends here.", I sighed. A pair of giant ice hands crawled out of the ground and crushed Bolthor in their grip. He struggled hard to break free but couldn't.
"Resistance is futile. Be gone. Be crushed!", I stated as I lifted an arm up in the air and brought it down hurriedly. "Rex Lapide Grandinis!"
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"Nothing happened! Looks like you're out of magic!", Bolthor barked. "It's the end of the line for you!"
*SHHhhhh...*
"Hear that sound? Look up to meet your demise.", I smug smiled.
As Bolthor looked up, his eyes widened till they couldn't widen anymore. Cuz what he saw was a meteorite of ice falling his way!
"Y-you're mad! That thing will devastate everything along with you."
"You bet I am. Just wanted to show you how things go when I go serious. And about me being devastated, I'll just recollect myself.", I smiled at the display of helplessness in Bolthor's eyes.
The meteor poked the ground, sending ripples through it. The earth exploded into tremors & quakes, spewing plumes of searing hot rock high into the sky. Hurled chunks of molten & solid rock on to different directions. Everything vanished into dust for several miles.
"Cool...", I commented at the crater as my body was recollecting itself around the necrokinesis orb. A crater several miles in diameter is supposed to be more than cool but I was at a loss of words at the scene of destruction. Hmm... Bolthor, I should forget that name as it won't be used anymore. And his hammer? No, heck! I forgot about it. It must've been totally obliterated in the impact. Such a sorry ending for a magical weapon. I should head towards the capital now.
As I turned around to leave realization hit me, "Matilda...?" Where is she? What happened to her? I felt a little gloomy as I realized she must have died in the impact. I had questions for her. I wanted to talk to her more...
"Esker you missed me?"
My eyes widened. This voice, there's no mistaking it. It's Matilda! I turned around in a swift. She was there, with that usual grin on her face.
"Matilda?! H-how are you...", she stopped me by pulling her index finger up to her lips, like one does to shut little kids up.
She came closer and placed her hands on my chest, "Manere Etiam."
What was that, I pulled back. But it was already too late. Red markings ran across my body starting from the place she touched. And I can't move?! Damn, what the hell is this?
"I hope you missed me too.", I heard a laughing voice from behind. I couldn't move so I couldn't see the face but this voice... Bolthor. What's he doing here? He was supposed to be crushed under the meteor. I looked at Matilda, hoping to get an answer. Now that it's confirmed that she can use magic, it has to be her who saved Bolthor. But all she did was stay perfectly quiet with a smile on.
" You almost killed me. Time for your return gift.", Bolthor continued as he walked round to face me.
He had his hammer back in his hands. Bolthor raised it, it was glowing it's same amber glow, "Leo Impulsum!".
"........"
Ok ok I know I'm late😔 But I was lost in the way of life... So anyways another chapter is up, plz comment and let me know what you think. And if you liked it plz vote.
Oh! I almost forgot. We've reached almost 300 views. And it's all because of you guys.
~Bye. I won't be this late again.