Three Deaths are Enough (1)

Aster

I began stirring from my deep slumber my heavy eye lids opening to see I was laying on the snowy hill tops looking down on the fortress as well as the setting sun. My eyes widened now that the realization had hit, I was outside half naked. Was this part of training somehow to resist the cold weather of the tundra? No that wouldn't make sense we're already naturally resistant to cold weather. Did Lumi try playing a trick on me? No it couldn't have been that either.

I exhaled leaving a trace of condensation behind me as I walked towards my home and mulled over why I happened to be outside and not in my chambers. I reached the fortress grounds and crossed the bridge, I decided to switch my thoughts on something else, my dreams. They were surely weird seeing those two boys, I never saw them ever in my life yet they both seemed wary of me as if I'd do them harm.

Li-En came racing up to me as soon as

she spotted me and gave me a big wolf kiss. I played with her for a bit then walked to my chambers for a bath and to get into proper clothing, by the time I freshened up for my journey the sun had properly gone down. My father snuck into my room with a wooden box the elderly man smiled at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes

"This is the dagger of Orthelius, the savior of the Village of Mare. Legends say his dagger was forged with the paralyzing toxin of the monster they slaughtered."

I looked on in awe as he unsheathed the dagger, the hilt of the weapon was covered with white leather and the blade itself was a gold with a purple spiral going around it from the hilt to the tip of the blade.

"Are you sure mother won't be mad?"

"No not at all!"

I knew he was lying but I couldn't help but love him for trying to help me get this relic and win over mother's approval by gaining this power. I just hope she won't be too hard on him for trying to help his only daughter.

"Well this is goodbye until I get back the Ivory Flare!"

I gave my father my brightest smile but his face only held sadness I was about to question him but his facial expression changed so quickly it left me puzzled. Was he only sad because I'm leaving? I shook my head he's probably just really worried about me and going off alone. I threw on my white cloak and began my journey outside of the castle. Li-En followed closely behind me but I was worried the trek might be a bit too much for her to handle.

"Li I don't want you to get hurt on my way to get something that wouldn't do you good in the long run"

I stooped and squished the she-wolf's head between my hands and kissed her forehead. Li whined at me and nudged her forehead against mine and I knew she wouldn't go back to the fortress without me.

"Okay girl it's here and now no backing out"

The wolf barked in acknowledgement. I smiled to myself knowing I have at least one friend by my side. I pulled the hood over my head and began my journey through the never ending white land. I took it upon myself to research as much as possible of the journey to find Celeste's Wind Rider but it was almost impossible to find the searchings of how to gain the Ivory Flare itself. It took me almost half a year of digging through the alcoves to find a yellow scroll with a fully smudged paragraph, the only writing that was legible was 'Only the purest'. All I have to go on is that the location of the default relic, Celeste's Wind Rider, could also be the location of the Ivory Flare. The cave of new beginnings.

I sighed to myself, I'm not even sure it would be there if I went but I will be getting a relic and therefore rights to rule Celestial's Tundra. While I was still wondering about the details of getting the rare relic and ruling the kingdom in the future wind had began circulating around Li-En and I but it was already too late. The wind whipped around us so aggressively making us go airborne, rising at a steady pace. This must be those playful, yet dangerous wind whippers. They have very long tails which helps them make the wind pick up around their victims then stop making them fall to the ground and possibly instantly die or break all of their bones and having only little time before they die. After those little bastards find their victim they loot them and leave them alone. Their weakness is that they could only throw someone up in the air with teams of four if one of them isn't there or complies then their effort would fail. These creatures are also physically weak. Thank you bestiary!

I held on to Li-En tightly and as soon as the wind stopped I began chanting the words to a spell, I puffed my cheeks and put my free hand in front of me and blew into the air. An icy slide formed as I blew our way to a safe descent. Li-En and I decided to make quick work of the short creatures, the wolf snatched up one of the wind whippers threw it into the air right above me I unsheathed the blade of Orthelius and grazed the critter enough that it wouldn't be badly wounded but just paralyzed by the dagger's toxins. I quickly incapacitated the rest using the same technique I did on the first one.

Other creatures came our way but they stood no chance against Li-En and I. We made stew with our enemies until we came up against this particular foe.

Li-En and I entered an abandoned village with the most confidence I knew we both felt unstoppable, but a very ominous feeling emanated from the village, it didn't feel safe to pass, in fact it felt as if I were trespassing. I shook my head from the silly feeling and steeled my nerves. I was getting through this village one way or another.

Less than ten steps into the dilapidated estate I heard the rush of wind behind me and then a solid hit me square in my back sending me bouncing through the snow into the middle of the village.

"What th-"

I couldn't even finish my sentence when another hit with the same force this time in my stomach area sent me flying into tavern breaking down the wooden front entrance. The wood had to have rotted if it broke that easily. This time I decided to take a stand and get up unsheathing the blade of Orthelius, but nothing stood in front if me. I cautiously crept outside having the dagger stay close and my grip on it to be extra tight, I could've already felt my fingers starting to lose circulation. My eyes scanned the surroundings and what I saw next made me bite my lip in frustration and anger. Li-En was trying her best to keep up with the flying thing but it was too much eventually the thing sent her soaring into a wall. The sound of bones cracking broke my heart but the icing on the cake was the bricks that fell on her.