Into The Storm

15

Rosalis awoke in the morning and dressed herself in her armour. She strapped her sword to herself. She went to push the door open when suddenly, Merek called out.

"Wait!"

She turned around and saw him walking up to her. Taking her hand, he put a small glass vial into her metal palm. She looked at it, seeing that it was filled with a yellowish-green liquid. She looked up at the herbalist. "What's inside this, pray tell?"

"You will know when you will need to use it." He simply replied. Seeing that he was going to give no further explanation, Rosalis took it and left him.

Rosalis made her way through the forest once more, returning to Wolfgrimm's castle. She sighed and then placed her armoured palm down onto a tree, resting it against it. She sighed. Suddenly, she saw something through the trees. A pale glowing blue figure walked up to her and then stopped in front of her. Rosalis stood up straight, taking her palm off the tree and stared at the spirit, her mouth open, her eyes wide. "F-father?" She asked in shock, stuttering slightly. The spirit of her father stood there and looked at her, his face solemn.

"You need to carry on." He told her. "I know that you have the strength within you to do so. You will be able to complete your quest. You are the only one who can save Frinnor and Wolfholde from Wolfgrimm. You are the only one who can save them all."

"I don't believe in prophecies."

"It is not a prophecy. It is that I know that you will be able to complete your quest. Remember, you are in charge of protecting a king. If you don't believe in yourself, then believe in me. Because I believe in you."

Rosalis smiled at him and her father smiled back.

"We will meet again. Just not today."

"Thank you, father."

Rosalis' father then began to fade and then he disappeared completely. Rosalis's smile dropped and she stared at the place where he had just stood. "Father?...Father!" She dropped to her knees and still stared at where he was. She slumped her head down and wept silently. She looked back up and then sighed heavily, stood up, ready to face Wolfgrimm.

Rosalis journeyed further on, still going towards her enemy, fuelled by the passion of completing her quest. Suddenly, a twig snapped underneath someone's foot. Rosalis immediately stopped in place and her hand went straight to her sword's grip, herself being prepared to unsheathe her blade at any given moment. Forthwind appeared through the trees and stared at her with those large, dead eyes. His robes were completely black and torn and seemed to be rotting away, pieces hanging off all over the place. The gold that was embellished into the fabric had flaked away, leaving only small traces of the pattern all over the place. His hands were grey and shrivelled up, the bones being visible through them. "Forthwind!" Rosalis called out. He did not answer. "Forthwind! It's me! Rosalis!"

The lich did not even open his mouth and suddenly, his dead hands burned with raging black flames, his power having doubled since the last time that they spoke. He suddenly let them loose and Rosalis rolled onto her back, dodging them. They flew above her face and she got up again. He sent a stream of black flame towards his enemy and Rosalis dodged it, getting behind a large oak tree. The fire collided with the tree trunk and was diverted around her. Rosalis stood completely still in place, sweating from the intense heat. Forthwind cut off the flow of flame and conjured up two streams of slack light in his hands. He let them drop to the ground, himself holding them like whips. Rosalis got out from behind her cover and he proceeded to slash them at her, attempting to take her life at whatever cost.

"Forthwind, listen to me!" She yelled. "I can help you! You and I are allies! We need to work together!"

Forthwind did not listen to her and instead slashed one of the whips at her. She dodged it as it flew over her head and made its way through a tree trunk, slicing it in half like it was mere butter. It crashed to the ground. Seeing as she had no choice, Rosalis retreated. She ran through the forest and once she was sure that she was far enough away from him, she doubled over, her hands on her knees and panted. Suddenly, she saw her own shadow move and extend further. She looked back and saw Forthwind behind her with beams of light shining out from his eyes and mouth. She got behind a tree. Forthwind searched for her and then spotted her shadow. He suddenly let out a piercing, unearthly scream, forcing Rosalis to clasp her ears shut with her hands. She stooped down, the scream being too much for her eardrums to handle. She got up, her hands still covering her ears and retreated. Forthwind proceeded to let loose arrows of fire one by one. Some of them ricocheted off of her armour uselessly whilst the others flew right by her. Soon enough, Rosalis was long gone and Forthwind screamed at her, his piercing cry echoing through the forest.

Rosalis made her way through the forest, trying to find a way on how she would be able to get out of her predicament and complete the quest that her king had tasked her with. Suddenly, Seraphina walked up to her and Rosalis drew her sword out. Suddenly, the witch let out a long and sharp whistle. Rosalis stood in place and her head dashed about all over the place, trying to see what it was that was going to jump out at her. There were running footsteps and suddenly, a beast charged at her. Seraphina laughed and ran off, disappearing, leaving Rosalis to her bloody fate. The beast looked at her snarling, baring its double rows of fangs. It was three times her size, covered in white thick fur and had large claws the size of cleavers. It had two large pointed horns that would gore anyone that went near them. It snorted and then suddenly charged at her. Rosalis stood in place and then rolled out of the way as it was mere metres away from her. As she got up onto one knee, she stuck her sword out, letting the beast run its side through the blade. It skidded to a halt, screeching. Rosalis stood up, turning around and saw the wound that she had inflicted. Blood stained its fur. The beast charged for her once more and skidded as it went in for the attack. Rosalis dodged its horns once more and the beast suddenly stopped, mere feet away from her. She went to stab at it when suddenly, one of the beast's horns made its way through a gap in one of her gauntlets. Rosalis cried out and stabbed the beast in the face. It squealed like a boar and reeled backwards, bleeding. Not giving it a chance to retaliate, Rosalis drew out her sword and plunged her blade through the top of its head. The beast collapsed to the ground and she drew her sword out. Blood quickly soaked into the ground. Rosalis sheathed her sword and seethed as she slowly and carefully took off her gauntlet. She looked down at her hand which had a large gash on it. Blood ran down the wound and dripped onto the ground from her fingers. Searching around for anything to use, Rosalis grabbed a handful of fresh leaves from a tree and placed them onto her scar, letting the blood act like glue. She released the leaves and they stayed there. Groaning, she slowly slipped her wounded hand back into the gauntlet and looked down at the dead beast. There being no other threat around her, she pressed onwards.