"Mother... Father... Violet... Natasha...", said Anneliese under her breath as the snake's head grew closer and closer. Finally it rammed into her body, sending her flying as she landed on her back.
"I can't fail you. Not again. My mother, my father, and now my friends. Please, not again. I can't fail them, please, I beg of you. I can't fail them.", she said repeatedly as a geyser of steam rushed across her body, badly burning her.
"I can't...", she said weakly standing up, trying to fight the geyser. "Not again. Not ever.", she said again as she used her staff as a support to stand up, still weary and burnt. "Either you obey me, or you don't, but I won't watch my friends get slaughtered by a fucking monster. I don't need hand-me-downs to save my friends, I've got myself.", she said as she pointed her hand at the snake. "I'm not nothing without you, you're merely a route to express my power, you're merely a way to show the world my true strength. Deep down, I'm still the daughter of an elemental, I'm still my mother's little girl, I'm still Anneliese Of The Elemental Blood!", she said getting up on her feet.
"Enough of your stupid steam, monster, it's my turn!", she yelled as a stream of magic beams left her hand, cutting through the geyser they caught the snake in it's neck.
"Fuck you! Fuck you and your stupid steam shit! Nobody messes with my friends! My staff isn't my strength, my friends are!", she yelled as she shot another stream, sending the snake aback.
The snake was pissed, it rammed itself towards the mage with all it's strength, solidifying it's whole body. Anneliese chanted a protection spell as she surrounded herself with a spherical shield.
"nnn... No! You shall not break through! No!", she yelled repeatedly. "You're not going to hurt me or my friends ever again!", she screamed as the shield broke open with a force so strong, it sent the snake feet behind. Anneliese then aimed her hand again at the snake as she chanted multiple spells and curses, not letting the thing even erect itself.
"Fuck you, bitch! Eat this!", she said repeatedly as a swarm of magic left her hand and struck the snake. The snake was being tossed around like a ball, sent flying again and again by Anneliese's true power. A mythic, however, isn't just named so, it's a legend for a reason. Mythics are often arrogant, and being humiliated is the easiest way to anger a mythic, a trait they've acquired from the Dragons. The snake finally erected itself as it hissed again at Anneliese. Now maddened by bloodlust, it rushed it's body towards her's as it rammed into her. Anneliese chanted another shield around herself, the snake kept pushing.
"nnn... no!", she said as the shield begun cracking. Eventually it gave out, the snake's head smashed into her's and sent her flying. The snake then slithered at great speeds along the bridge as it tracked her down, intercepting her before she hit the ground, only to smash her into the air again. Anneliese landed far away on her stomach as blood dripped down her forehead.
"Not... Giving... Up!", she said weakly standing up supported by her staff.
The snake once again shot a geyser of hot steam at her, this would be her end as she couldn't possibly take on another collision with boiling water head on. Just then, however, the staff finally responded. Call it luck, or call it destiny, the staff finally charged itself to a bright white as a dense and round white bubble surrounded Anneliese, dismissing the whole geyser.
"Fucking finally! At last you actually obey me! Oh, thank God!", she said as she clapped her hands as the geyser finally ran out. A long journey's quest was finally in her pocket, a staff that had limited her magic from being as strong as the forefathers finally obeyed her words, finally it recognised her as a true mage and finally it decided to be one with her soul and mind.
"Now, to get back to you,", she continued as her eyes narrowed, "you've hurt me and my friends for long enough, blocked our path to a noble quest, and nearly killed those who took me in as family. So, this is going to hurt, and I'm going to enjoy it.", she ended as the wand glowed a bright white and she begun levitating into the air.
The snake was puzzled and a little frightened to see the once easy to pick on Anna, turn into a levitating mage with the powers of all elements at her fingertips. The snake, out of fear, rushed into her head first trying to get the first strike.
"Enough! You're dead, cunt!", she yelled as she charged at the snake, flying as the air obeyed her command and propelled her forward. She intercepted the snake as she smashed its head with her Arcane Staff in a strong blow that held such immense power it sent the snake back into the waters of Oceanus in the west.
"You call your waters home don't you? Well, then let's see how you stop me from steaming it!", she yelled as she dived into the waters with her Staff in her hand. For any other mage, even any other being, taking a Hydrofang one-on-one in water was absolute madness, but an elemental angered by loss and bloodlusted for revenge is more fearsome than any snake. When Anneliese jumped in it, the only thing she saw was a thin outline that marked the body of the snake, it was very well hidden.
"Hide, or don't, I'm still going to fry that smug smile off your scaly face!", she yelled as she pointed her Staff at the snake.
The snake charged at speeds never seen before, it's power increased dramatically underwater, it lunged it's slithering body towards Anneliese in hopes to constrict her. Anneliese wasn't one to give up, though, she propelled herself with water jets at her boots right back as she slammed it's head once again with her glowing staff, sending it aback. The snake shook it's head and hissed as it shot hot water at Anneliese, trying to daze her. This was the time for Anneliese to practice her immense control on the elements.
"Bad move!", she yelled as she pointed her staff at the steam, stopping it midair. She then chanted a spell that made the mist obey the staff as it turned back and smashed the snake, leaving it dazed.
"Yes! Damn, this thing is awesome when it works!", she clapped as she again prepared to charge at the thing. She wasn't playing around anymore, while her attitude might seem jolly, that's just the way she gets things done. She once again charged at the snake with her wand propelling her as she smashed it's ice fangs clean cut, shattering them underwater. The snake hissed and cried hopelessly, for nothing it did could stop her. It finally raged as it begun losing it's mind. Loses aren't taken well by the mythic brain, it yelled and yelled as it became furious at the mage for all she'd done. In desperate attempts to try and gain some advantage, the snake lost its mind as it decided to use full advantage of it's slithering body underwater. Circling the mage at speeds far beyond the eye could see, it confused Anneliese while it tried gaining distance. It's plan was to get closer and closer every circle and finally latch onto Anneliese.
"Where are you?", she said under her breath as she tried to differentiate disturbances underwater from the actual body of the snake. The snake swam so silent, it became impossible to locate. She fired many glowing beams, but all seemed to miss. The snake had begun circling, her without her noticing, it came closer and closer as she kept firing empty shots. She could hear hissing, but the source was unclear. Out of frustration, she let out a spell that shot a wave of spherical water in all directions, but the snake kept circling.
"Ugh! Come out!!", she yelled as she fired more empty shots. Finally, a stream of hot water struck her back as it burnt her. She cried in agony, but before she could yell the snake managed to constrict her in it's strong body.
"No! No!", she yelled repeatedly as the grasp grew stronger and stronger. This was the Hydrofang's true power, the ability to hunt while being unnoticed, a camouflage so great it humbled the best. It came closer and closer as cracking sounds were heard, followed by squeals of a pained Anneliese. The body of the Hydrofang now begun to solidify as the pressure on Anneliese's torso increased.
"Ahh!", she cried many times as the snake slowly became crystal ice. Anneliese had to think of something, and she had to think of something quick otherwise she would be unconscious from the lack of air. She swatted her hands back and forth trying to set herself free, but a snake the length of valleys wasn't going to be easy to get rid of. She thought and thought as the snake begun constricting harder, the snake's body became ice as she let out a cry. Words didn't escape her mouth, only her breath left bubbles underwater that rushed to the surface. Gazing at them she stared in awe as they floated to the surface and became one with the water.
"One with the water... That's it!", she thought to herself as she gathered every last drop of courage and strength she could find to chant a spell aided by the wand. Suddenly a large current came rushing towards the two, it turned itself into a whirlpool that consumed the two inside, swirling them towards the centre. The snake hissed and cried and the waters smashed into it strongly. Anneliese wasn't safe either, she too was getting tossed around by the vortex, but she still kept it intact. Eventually the snake took way too many blows for it's ice scales to handle, it was forced to let go of the mage as it hissed it's pain away. Anneliese was free now, but was still having to push against strong currents with two broken ribs.
"Let's see what we're made of, Arcane Staff!", she yelled as she finally gathered consciousness.
Pointing the staff into the heart of the whirlpool she let out a strong beam of magma that neutralized the power of the whirlpool and sent steam all across the oceans. The Hydrofang tried to find out where the mage was hidden in this steam, but it too had no idea what to do. Distances as far as the eye could see were covered in vapour.
"It's time, my dear Staff, let's channel everything we've got inside of us. It'll take everything I know, everything I've learnt and everything I've been through to teach this son of a bitch what true power is. You're messing with the wrong people, and I'm going to more than just show it to you.", she said as she gripped her staff.
"Staff Of Arcane, let's kick some ass!", she yelled pointing it at the ground. A strong and solid rock erected itself from the beds of the sea, far far below as it rose tearing through the currents, catching the snake right in it's torso and sending it flying outside the water.
"Now you'll see what true power is, you waste of a creation!", she yelled as she propelled herself outside Oceanus manipulating air at her boots. Coming out of the water she levitated midair as she pointed the staff into the skies above the bridge chanting an angry spell. A strong bolt of lightning tore it's way through the skies as it rained down on the Hydrofang, electrocuting it horribly. The snake screamed, hissed and cried as it's scales melted and begun to shed. Anneliese wasn't done just yet though, anyone who messed with her friends was bound to pay for doing so. She charged at the snake as it begun descending into the waters as she pointed her wand at it. The light around her begun to be attracted to the orb as it glew brighter and brighter and eventually heated up.
"Fear The Light Of Arionis!", she yelled as the beam released itself from her wand, striking the snake as it met the surface of the waters of Oceanus. The beam was so strong it shed off and melted all the ice scales that made it's horrible body. The snake hissed and squealed as it's body begun melting into water, it eventually gave out it's final breath as it's once slithering body became a harmless puddle of water, mixing with the waters from whence it was made.
The fight may have been successful, but it was a great toll on the body of a newly formed elemental. The air jets gave out and Anneliese passed out as she crashed into the waters with a splash. She floated there in the seas with her eyes closed as the wand gave a dim glow, it's power had never been used properly in a long time. Anneliese finally gained consciousness as she swam herself to the bridge's edge and weakly pulled herself on the bridge's surface, completely drenched in the salty waters of Oceanus.
"Natasha! Violet!", she said as she weakly ran towards the two. They were still badly bruised, beaten, bleeding and out of air. They were alive, but barely.
"Oh my dear friends! Thank you for everything you've done to protect me.", she said as she extracted a little dirt from the bridge's surface, applying it on their heads. "Mother nature, take good care of these two, they're earned it.", she said as she firmly placed enchanted wet sand on their foreheads to help quicken the healing process. Their bruises begun to fade a little and movement was to be seen, they started taking deeper breaths and fluttering their eyes. It would be long before they could even walk, but Anneliese wouldn't leave their side for a second. She stayed there, firmly pressing the dirt and chanting spells with the little life she had left trying to get the two back and running the way they used to.
"Please wake up. I miss you two.", she said softly crying as she clenched the dirt tighter. An hour or so went by, yet she stayed strong beside the two and wouldn't leave their bedside even for a moment. Finally her efforts gave merit, Natasha showed some movement as she weakly opened her eyes.
"nnn... What happened?", she said as she gripped her forehead.
"Well, you two were fighting that thing, it knocked you both out, I fought it underwater, I won.", Anneliese said smiling.
"You what?! Wait what?! What?!", Natasha said erecting herself out of shock.
"Long story, love, let's first wait for Violet to rise.", she said patting her head.
Eventually Violet too woke up, weakly as she gripped her bruises.
"Uhh what happened?", she said weakly opening her eyes.
"You may want to wait to hear this tale, my pretty Violet, for its going to knock your socks off!", Anneliese said smiling as violet stood up weakly. She then begun to state the entire tale of her battle with the Hydrofang, the entire tale of her connection to the Staff and the entire tale of her glorious victory.
"Holy shit, Ann! You can do that?!", asked Natasha.
"Just as surprised as you are, but yes.", she said gripping her staff.
"Thank you so much for saving us.", said Violet gripping her arm.
"Thank you, without you two I'd never have the courage to talk to my staff. It's you guys that give me my strength, thank you.", Anneliese said replied smiling.
The three then hugged as they waited for Natasha and Violet to heal back to their full healths. They sat together, lying next to each other as they gazed into the waves on the sides of the bridge.
"It's a beautiful place.", said Anneliese gazing at the current.
"Well, a shame we do have to leave.", responded Violet as she got up on her feet.
"That, we do.", said Natasha standing up as well.
"Another half hours' journey and we shall be through the bridge and into The Narrow Arc!", Anneliese responded.
The three then got back on their feet as they held hands and made haste towards the end of the bridge. They walked as Anneliese continued tales of her and the Hydrofang, tales she didn't know would be sung forever on the dirt of Arionis. The three were nearly treading upon the end of the Aquamara Bridge as they begun to see the opening of the Arc. From here a new journey was destined to begin, paths to be crossed and fates rewritten, destiny was upon them as they tread off the dirt of the bridge and set foot on the stony ground of The Narrow Arc.
