The Dark King (Completed)

Snow Lily

Killing ice wolves. Fighting yeti in large groups. A lot of predators in this cold regions. Hungry for his flesh.

Luc kept on killing the monsters. Refused to go back without the flower. His body is numb. He is reaching his limit.

He collapses on the cold snow once again.

"Can't sleep yet, kiddo," warns Gaia.

"Easy for you to say. I'm the one who did all the harsh work."

Luc forces himself to get up again. It's so easy to give up here. The coldest region in the world. To give up and die.

Only a true survivor could keep on fighting.

(Charlie, I'm coming back to you!)

One step closer to the flower. Another step taken. One more step.

The single snow Lily blows in the wind as is waving to him, mocking him. The wind is rising. Soon he would freeze to death.

His body sinks deeper into the snows when he takes another step. Got buried to his hip again. Luc tries hard to keep moving. Something beneath him cracked and he falls down into a hole below him.

Deeper and deeper down.

He falls on top of crystals in ancient snow cavern.

Luc hits the crystals in his rage. He's so close. Now he's back in square one. He looks above him. It's too steep to climb up there from here.

"Charlie..." whispers him.

Few tears drop from his cheeks. Fall on the tiny guardian beneath him.

Gaia asks, "Why are you crying?"

"I failed her..."

"No, you don't. Ta'da! I always wanted to do this."

Gaia has taken the flower before their downfall.

"Thank you..."

The guardian warns, "We must go back quickly. This flower would wither in 24 hours."

Luc picks up the tiny guardian. They are in underground ice cavern. It's like a huge maze down here.

Luc asks, "Where is the exit?"

"How should I know?"

"Useless guardian."

"You know I could hear you, human."

Gaia closes his eyes. Using his ancient instincts to guide him.

He finally says, "Three tunnels ahead of us. The left one is a dead end. The center would bring us faster to the surface. The right one is kind of detour. Longer route."

Luc says, "Of course we shall take the center. Our time is running out."

Gaia warns, "There's something in that tunnel. Not a demon. I don't know what it is..."

"Friend or foe?"

"Unclear..."

"Better stay alert."

Luc puts Gaia back into his right pocket. He puts the magic flower in his left pocket.

He draws his blade. Prepare for the worst. That's his sole motto.

One step into the tunnel. His instincts tells him there's a powerful being in here.

Broken swords scattered on the ground. The whole place looks like a graveyard for swords. Only few swords left intact in the middle of the cavern.