Fantasy Of Ashes and Snow

[Juju]

Solirus​

Four moons had passed since Brinne had last seen the archdruid. Spring had risen up from beneath the snows and melted away into summer, and yet still the grove’s master had not returned. The beasts had grown restless, and so had she. An unspoken knowledge had burrowed its way between them, an innate understanding shared by all living things.

Change. The call of the unknown. And she was the only one left to answer it.

Brinne looked up to the sky, watching the sun’s zenith begin its slow descent. It was closer to night than morning now, and when the moon rose it would mark yet another half-turn since her master’s disappearance. Two weeks had already gone by, and still she felt no closer to her destination.

With a heavy sigh, Brinne looked back down to the compass in hand, the sun catching on it in splintering rays even with the dappled light. Engraved into its golden sides were the spindly sigils, their message unknown to her save for one word; FRIEND. Since setting off from the grove, this singular word had been as much of a guiding hope as the fidgeting needle that pointed her towards her unknown destination.

According to the local squirrels, there was a small town nearby. Apparently, there was also an abundance of acorns in one of the village squares. Brinne was absolutely certain that acorns were not the ‘friend’ she was looking for, but she thanked the squirrels nonetheless. If she kept up this pace, she would make it there in less than an hour.

It would have taken less than half that time if Brinne was able to maintain her deer form, but after a few attempts she gave up and opted to trot down the earthen path on sheep hooves. Surely her master would understand that urgency came before training? Besides, it had been a boon for traversing down the mountains that flanked the grove. No deer could do that!

Soon enough, Brinne could smell the scent of burning wood and animal droppings, the telltale signs of a settlement. Before it came into view, she returned to her human form and walked the rest of the way. She could see its wooden gates come into view, framed by trees and the sloped wooden roofs of the village huts. A weathered sign read Northshire.

Brinne walked into the town entrance, following the sound of a distant conversation. She glanced down at her compass once again, the needle pointing her directly forward. No sooner had she taken more than a few steps into town than the needle sharply rotated out of town. Odd, she thought. It certainly hadn’t done that in the last two towns she visited.

Could it be?

Completely concentrated on the compass, Brinne walked back along the edge of town, in the direction of a small and rather unused pathway. With her head down and eyes glued to the twitching needle, she didn’t notice what was directly in front of her until it was too late.

With a smack, she walked right into a villager. It startled her so much that she let out a yelp and fell down. Her staff clattered to the ground, though her fingers remained firmly clenched on the golden compass. Whatever she did, she couldn’t afford to damage that old thing.

Rubbing her reddening face, Brinne looked up at the villager she just ran into, “Oh goodness, forgive me! That was entirely my fault! I wasn’t looking where I was going. Oh, are you hurt? I didn’t poke you with my horns did I?”

 

[Solirus]

Juju​

Brinne's lack of focus led her to collide with the villager, stumbling back and falling flat on his ass, the villager cried out, "Oh crud!" The sound of a falling wooden basket followed, along with the man's bounty of fruits and vegetables scattering all over the ground. His attention slowly went towards Brinne, his expression of shock switching to that of amusement. "Hah, that's the second time I fall on me booty this day." The man joking spoke, laughing and even snorting at the end.

The villager was a large man with a dirty face but shining smile, "I'm fine, but before you keep on apologizing, why don't you help me clean up this mess, wouldn't want any worms crawling into these fruits." The man picked himself back up alongside his wooden basket. "Say you're not from round here, are you. If you're looking for the village it's right there... hard to miss, but it's also hard not spot all of me from a distance, you must be as blind as a bat!" The villager once again laughed to himself, crouching down to pick up the fruits, scrubbing them, and placing them back into the basket.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

Brinne flinched at the sound of fallen crates, her face scrunched into a wince. Gingerly, she picked herself up, dusting away the dirt that had gotten on her cloak. She picked up her staff, resting it in the crook of her arm as she placed the golden compass back into her pocket. As the man laughed, Brinne managed a sheepish chuckle of her own. She was glad he had been a good sport about it all, though she still felt terrible for the mess.

"Y-yeah, master said I can get a bit carried away... Ah, right! Sorry, sorry! Don't worry, let me help!" She sputtered, quickly shuffling over to grab some of the fallen fruits. One of them had been badly bruised by the fall, but it was nothing Brinne couldn't fix. With a pulse of green energy, the fruit was restored to its plump and fragrant self. She smiled down at the restored fruit, nodding in approval at her own handiwork. Finally, her training was having some practical use!

The man's immediate observation of her outsider status made her look back at him in a bit of shock, "Oh, is it that obvious? Well, I'm on an adventure, you see. I'm searching for my master and the only lead I've got is this compass, but I'm not sure if this is the right town. It's really complicated. I'm Brinne, by the way! It's nice to meet you!"

As she loaded more of the fallen fruit into the crate, she glanced over the man's shoulder, towards where the overgrown path led out of town. She glanced back to the man, an inquisitive look on her face, "I noticed a path that way. Is there another hamlet nearby? The trail leads that way, but I'd rather not set off today if the next settlement is too far."

 

[Solirus]

Juju​

"Should've figured you'd be an adventurer, Teron's the name, pleasure to meet ya." Teron responded, picking up the last of the fruits, mumbling to himself as he counted them, not even realizing fruit had been healed. "If you're looking for your master, Northshire's the last place anyone'd check, dunno why that compass sent ya all the way here." Teron's expression however seemed to change at the mention of the pathway, he remained jovial, but there was a certain serious and superstitious feeling to him.

"If we had a hamlet up there, this road'd look far better. Up there is the supposed spirit of Northshire, a deserter who once lived in an abandoned shed, eventually became a sort of spirit of these lands. Protecting them like his own home, he stalks around that area, but always returns to the abandoned shack. Spirit's like a flesh eater or something if I recall, even seen the bloody thing wandering around when I go to forage these fruits. Looked me dead in the eye it did, and it simply moved along. So it means no harm, some will say that it eats human flesh and has eaten people, but that's just bollocks in my experience. I like having the spirit around, keeps the lands nice and rich for foraging, and it's also nice having some sort of protector round these parts. However, I wouldn't recommend disturbing the bugger, I've heard old time stories of the spirit tossing around some villagers like light rocks for getting too close, so unless it's mellowed out over the years I wouldn't disturb it. If you do, well let's just hope you're a great runner, yeah?" Teron rambled on, finally stopping and clearing his throat, "Anyways, thanks for the help, I'll be off then if you have nothing else to ask. Ma would hate it if I arrived late, but I do love a good chat, y'know?"

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

"Likewise, Teron!" Brinne responded with a smile. She shrugged at his comment about the locale and cast her gaze to the side, a little embarrassed, "Yeah well, it's full of mysteries, isn't it? Eheh..."

Now that Teron mentioned it, what if the compass was broken and had sent her on a wild goose chase? No, there was no way. This compass was definitely important! Even if it had been covered in dust, hidden behind some books... and covered in cobwebs. If anything, that was a sign of secret treasure! Like the kind she always heard about in stories. She had to keep faith; her master was missing, and she was the only one with a lead. Besides, it was too late for doubts now.

Brinne peered down the path less taken, as if she could spot the so-called deserter and his shed. Her ears perked up at the mention of spirit, something that would definitely be an elusive friend of her master. Then Teron had to mention 'flesh-eating' and she found herself recoiling back, her staff clutched to her chest.

"Eh?!" she sputtered, eyes widened at the thought of facing an aggressive spirit.

So it was a protector spirit, and yet it 'tossed' villagers that got too close. By the sounds of it, this spirit could be defending something? Was this something related to her master in some way? Brinne was in fact a good runner, but it was still a terrifying prospect to face off against a spirit. At least it didn't seem to be bloodthristy. Right? Oh gods, she hoped so. She took a breath to calm herself, just like her master taught her, and tried to see past the fear. She had to remember that just like this spirit, her master had been branded with many horrible rumours as well.

"Uh, no, that should be all. Thank you, Teron, you've been plenty help already. I wouldn't want to keep your mother waiting." Brinne gave the man an appreciative half bow, placing her hand over her chest and dipping her head. "Someday, when I'm as strong as my master, I'll come back and bless your harvest! Until then, I wish you and your family good fortune!"

Giving him a hasty wave, Brinne trudged past him and made her way down the overgrown path. It was hardly a deer trail, but it was enough for Brinne to follow into the woods. She examined the grass as she walked, and found that it had been imprinted with the shape of footprints. They certainly looked humanoid, and fresh. It struck her as odd. Most spirits, at least the ones she had been taught about, didn't leave behind physical footprints.

"Hmm?" She pondered, placing a finger and thumb thoughtfully under her chin, "A spirit with footprints?"

Continuing onward through the twisting trail eventually lead her to a clearing, one filled with a meadow of wildflowers and an old cabin nestled near the treeline. No fire rose from its chimney, and from what she could see through the windows it was dark inside. Despite the fresh footprints, it didn't look like anybody lived there. At least, at first glance. By the way the wildflowers parted into a dirt trail, it was clear someone had trodden the soil enough to prevent new growth.

Brinne tread carefully through the tiny little pathway, glancing from side to side in an effort to catch a glimpse of the Northshire Spirit. She held her staff close to her and glanced down at her compass a few times just to double-check. The needle pointed ever forward. Brinne took a deep breath, then let it out. It was finally time to get to the bottom of all this.

She approached the door and paused for a moment to summon up her courage before raising her staff and knocking on the door, calling out, "Hail, Spirit of Northshire! My name is Brinne Cloverhill. I've come to speak to you!"

Was that good enough? Did it sound 'honourable'? She cleared her throat and added, "I've travelled a great distance in search of you and your wisdom! I believe you can help me find my master!"

 

[Solirus]

Juju
​

There was a brief moment of silence when Brinne knocked on the door. There appeared to be a slight hesitation, but finally the spirit responded. From within the shack, it sounded almost like the walls were struck aggressively. "LEAVE!" A booming voice from within the shack declared, the striking sound grew even louder than before, scaring away the birds who rested atop nearby trees. Such actions seemed like a warning, a chance of mercy. But the actions also felt like mere intimidation to scare off a mischievous child or a wild beast.

​

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

As brave of a front as Brinne was putting forward, she couldn't help herself from being just as startled as the birds. She flinched at the loud bang, and out of habit shifted into the form of a sheep. She let out an alarmed bleet, her hooves scrambling for purchase after the sudden change.

Her heart hammered in her fuzzy chest, fluttering as frantically as the wings of a trapped bird. Well, at least the rumours had been a little correct. The spirit did seem to be quite volatile, though animals often made bluffs in hopes of scaring off threats. Had it not been for the strange Footprints she might have been quite afraid of the spirit, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. After the shock left her body, that revelation made her feel a little less unsure.

In a puff of magic, Brinne was a girl again. She brushed off her cloak and then stared at the door, a determined look set on her face. There was absolutely no way she was leaving after having travelled all this way. No spirit or man or whatever would stop that!

Cheeks puffed out in defiance, she raised her staff and knocked again, “I'm sorry but I cannot do that! I tracked you all the way here, and I'll do it again until I have answers! I… I'm not leaving until I've at least had a word.”

She peeked down at the compass in hand. The word “Friend” stared back up at her, glinting in the afternoon sun. “I have reason to believe you're a friend of my master.”

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

Silence fell once again onto the shack as the assault stopped. Brinne's words seemed to have had some effect on the spirit. The pause was once again broken by sounds of heavy footsteps from within. The slow but rhythmic steps moved from the main entrance to the window on the side of the shack. The thing was filthy and dirty, it was a miracle it was still in one piece and with the sun striking directly at it, it was impossible to make out what was inside. However, even from its poor state, Brinne could spot two small golden dots horizontal to each other. She was being watched by unblinking eyes, as the rest of the spirit's form was obscured by the window. Further confirming was when the footsteps were heard again approaching the door and the golden dots retreated from the window.

"What is your master's name?" The spirit questioned, its voice coming from behind the door. Though it was hardly as overwhelming as before, it was far close than before.

​

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

Brinne shifted her eyes to follow the heavy footstep, which slowly lead to a nearby window. There, two pinpricks of light emerged from within the shadows. It reminded her of the way wolf eyes glinted in the firelight. She shuddered at the resemblance.

So creepy! she thought, unable to take her eyes away from the predatory irises staring directly at her.

Then they vanished, the footfalls leading directly behind the door. The voice sounded again, this time closer and a little less defensive. Progress? At least she hadn't been 'tossed' as Teron put it. Maybe the spirit wasn't so bad afterall. If it was even a spirit in the first place. She was quite suspicious of that claim.

"Lady Nereis," she said, eyes firmly place on the door. "The Archdruid."

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

Once more there was an awkward pause, though the spirit was most definitely behind the solid wooden door, she could still felt watched, observed, and even judged. Finally, Brinne heard the clicking sound from the door, slowly opening up with an awful creak, truly showing the age of the thing. With the sun behind her, slowly making its way to the horizon, light clearly illuminated the so-called spirit. Before her stood a tall humanoid figure, covered head to toe in armor and cloth, ripped and tattered throughout the years. The armor, though much darker gray than what was usually seen in knights, remained intact and sturdy, showing the skill of its craftsman. The figure's eye now only faintly glowed compared to before, hardly being able to see the golden light. Yet obscured by the darkness of the shack, Brinne could spot the figure had two massive sets of ashen gray wings, that seemed to be merely hanging off the body.

"What is your name?" the figure now questioned Brinne looking down on her, his voice now seemingly normal and the golden glow of the eyes flickering between faint and bright.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

When the door opened, Brinne had to crane her neck back to look up at the man. Teron wasn't joking about the scary-knight part of the rumour, but this guy was a lot taller than she imagined. Teron also didn't mention the wings. They draped from the Spirit(?) like an old tattered cloak, which is what she thought them to be until she noticed the feathers.

"Whoa..." she muttered, taken aback by the imposing figure that now loomed before.

Honestly, now that she looked at him, the so-called Spirit of Northshire seemed nothing more than one of those winged people Nereis mentioned before, not some ghostly apparition. His eyes were unusual though, but that could be some sort of magic. Actually, it could just be an enchantment on the helmet itself.

Realizing she was staring a little too long, Brinne cleared her throat and stood up straight, "My name is Brinne Cloverhill, apprentice of Lady Nereis. It's a pleasure to meet you Sir... spirit? Northshire Spirit? Um. Sir Northshire Spirit!"

Leaning her staff against her, she offered him a hand to shake. Meanwhile, her other held the old compass, its needle shifting to point at the armoured man with every movement Brinne made.

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

The man before Brinne continued to stare down at her, moving his gaze as she offered a handshake. He, however, grabbed quickly grabbed Brinne's wrist, almost pulling her off the ground. His grip was firm, but it was not painful. The man inspected her hand closely and carefully before finally letting go of her. "I'm not a spirit of this land, I'm someone who wishes to be alone."

"The only people who'd know of Nereis are the fey or those close to her. And those close to her may very well be pretending fey. But you don't have an ounce of fey on you." The man let out a tired sigh, "You should leave, I won't be of help to you." The man said, slowly closing the door as it creaked once more.

Brinne could catch a glimpse of the inside of the shack, though dark, she could see the exposed dirt floor and next to it a batch of leaves with tattered cloth in the shape of a mat. This person was living it utter squalor, scavenging anything he could from the outside and merely surviving the next day in isolation. There was a village nearby, but it was unusual that the man seemed to avoid it for so long that he became folklore. If he truly wished to be alone, why then did he choose such poor conditions to live in?

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

"H-hey!" Brinne squeaked, caught off guard when the man grabbed her wrist instead of shaking her hand. Talk about rude! And why was he looking at her hand like that? It was beginning to make her nervous.

She pulled her hand back, picked up her staff and gave the armoured man an odd look, "Wait, so you do know her then?"

It was hard to believe that Nereis would be friends with someone so brutish! A baffled frown crossed her face, which heightened into a gasp when he began to shut the door on her. After everything she had said! With an urgent flick of her wrists, Brinne jammed the end of her staff in the door frame, catching the door before it could close her out.

"I'm not a fey or a pretender! I told you, I'm an apprentice, and I would very much appreciate it if you could just listen!" she exclaimed, her mind scrambling for words that could convince the hermit. What should she say? Where should she start? Should she just blurt out everything at once? She thrust the compass towards the man, causing its needle to spin erratically. "Look! This compass was among my master's prized belongings. It took some time, but it definitely reads "FRIEND" and it pointed to you. Like you said, she doesn't have many friends in this plane, so you have to be important!"

She let out a frustrated groan, "Come on, please? I don't know who else to go to. Can I at least have your name?"

Behind him, she could see the pitiful living conditions of his little hut. It was an absolute mess, as if it were some leper's quarters. Even the beasts she conversed with had a neater den than this! She felt a pang of sympathy at the sight of it. Was the man well? She wondered if perhaps he had an illness, which was the cause of his seclusion. She did have some medicinal herbs on her. If she helped him out, maybe he would trust her a bit more?

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

Why was this kid so annoying, he could already tell she was no fey creature, he merely wanted his loneliness. Maybe he should do something about her, toss her around and take that compass away, throw it so no one else could bother him again. He hesitated at the thoughts, was this really what his life was reduced to? Before he could brood any further, he heard the pleas of Brinne, pleading to at least have his name. Why did she ask it in such a way? Was she truly a fey, no she couldn't have been he'd made sure, so the only plausible reason, was from mere clumsiness…?

The man started laughing, and soon he was cackling. It wasn't even a joke or remotely funny, it was just silly and stupid. This feeling hurt, how long had it been since he laughed, how miserable was he? His laughter almost morphed to sadness, but he forced himself to repress it, holding his breath before letting out a heavy sigh. "You can't have my name." he stated, his voice calming down, "but you may know it."

"Suriel, that is my name" He let go of the door, leaving it to swing open.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

Brinne practically deflated when the man began to laugh, which quickly turned into full out cackling. Was it something she said? Yep, definitely that. She shrunk into herself, her face a deep shade of pink and her skin warm with embarrassment. She didn't connect it at first, at least until he made an emphasis on knowing his name instead of having it. Then it all clicked.

Oh, of course! How could she be so careless! She had just tried to assure him that she wasn't a fae and yet here she was asking for a soul-binding name?! Actually, come to think of it, she just said her entire name to this stranger, who could have easily been a fae considering his supposed friendship with Nereis. Blood rushed to her face, turning it from pink to red. If only she could transform into a mouse and go hide in a hole.

As painful as it was to stand here, something good did come out of it. A name, just as she had foolishly asked.

"Suriel... Suriel..." Brinne pondered aloud, placing a hand on her face in an effort to hide her embarrassment, "It sounds familiar. I swear I've heard it before..."

She glanced back at Suriel, eyes drifting to the open doorway, "Can I come in? Wait! Ack, no! Now I sound like a vampire!"

Dragging her hand down her face, she let out a pitiful whimper, "Oh, but it's afternoon, there's no way a vampire could be out. Okay, just forget I mentioned that. I just... there's a lot going on, and I need to ask you a couple questions! I can even make you some tea while we chat! It's just... it's extremely important to talk with you right now, ok? I think you might be the key to finding out where Nereis went!"

"I... I can make it worth your time! I spotted some wilted flowers in your garden, but I can heal them up for you!" As she said this she leaned dramatically to the side, peeking behind Suriel and giving an enterprising smile, "Oooooor...I could help you clean up your cabin!"

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

Suriel watched Brinne stumble around with her words, was this the reason Nereis took her as an apprentice to keep herself entertained. He pondered trying to remember her, she always had a special kind of humor with either someone or herself at the butt of the joke, but she had a good eye for talent and a kind heart. Without delving any further into memories, Suriel started moving out of the shack, the sun hitting his face forcing him to squint. "The inside is no better than the outside, its only use is keeping the sun and wind out." Suriel scrubbed a section of the shack with his hand, coating it with dust and dirt.

"Don't bother trying to fix the place up, it's beyond helping." Suriel shook his hand, removing the dust from it. What was he even doing? He couldn't be of help to this kid, he'd lost contact with Nereis so long ago, he was surprised she even kept that blasted compass with her. The compass... Nerei's words were muddled in his mind, there was something about it, something important, something he had forgotten and lost.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

Before Suriel could change his mind, Brinne scurried inside the dismal shack. It was even worse than it looked from the outside, covered in dust and neglect. If someone told her this place had been abandoned, she would have believed it without a doubt. The poor shack was absolutely horrendous, but she was polite enough not to bring it up. Besides, there was a chance that this guy was too sick to do this himself. If that was the case, than she definitely needed to make sure this place was better-off after she left.

She turned around where she stood, taking in the sight with a look of muted disbelief. All that he had for furniture was a desk, a bucket of foraged food and his sad little bed of leaves. Strangely, she also noticed a lack of any fire pit for cooking. Maybe he did his cooking outdoors? So much for the idea of tea.

"It's well... it's definitely a fixer-upper, that's for sure!" Brinne said cheerfully, peering down to inspect a dust-entombed desk. Wait, was that a sword? She stood back up, a fully confident smile on her face as she rebutted the man's defeated words, "But that's complete nonsense! Nothing is beyond helping!"

She walked over to a nearby window and with great effort forced it open. The rust on the hinges didn't let it open all the way, but it was enough to get the job done. Stepping back a few paces, she raised her staff and chanted a few druidic incantations. The stuffy air within the cabin began to stir, until finally condensing into a gust that wafted all the dust up towards the window. Unfortunately, there was so much dust that some of it hit against the wall and exploded over both Brinne and Suriel.

She sneezed and coughed, furiously trying to wipe the dust off her now fully peppered cloak, "Ah, well that didn't go as planned..."

Only now did she realize she just caused dust to fall all over Suriel. With his black wings and armour, it almost looked like snow. She let out a gasp, "Oh no! Ah, this is terrible. Sorry, sorry! Ok, let me help you with that! I can do it again! J-just give me a moment. I think I used too much wind last time."

Once more, Brinne summoned up the wind, trying to dust off Suriel now.

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

Brinne's sudden movement to break into the shack surprised him. Why was she so persistent, why did she care so much? Couldn't she simply leave the broken alone? The kids' clumsiness turned from amusing to annoying as her gust spell caused dust to fall all over him. Was this all some sort of over orchestrated and meticulously planned prank from Nereis, after all this time? Suriel grew restless and as Brinne prepared to cast her next gust spell, Suriel's wings flapped powerfully, creating themselves a gust that cleared all the dust from his body and the interior.

"STOP! Just stop" Suriel voice boomed with annoyance. Nereis probably didn't care about him anymore, this apprentice here had only learned about him from a blasted note she left with the word friend on it. She didn't even bother to share his existence to her apprentice... Why did he care so much? Why did he care if someone didn't care for him any longer? This kid cared enough to stay even when he pushed her away, she cared enough about her master to put herself in potential danger. For all the crap he vaguely remembered about Nereis, he always remembered her kindness, if she knew and could, the Nereis he knew would never allow a kid to go off and endanger themselves for her sake.

Nereis was in trouble, meanwhile here he was in his dirty shack, consumed by his self-pity. Someone he cared about was in trouble. Hells if it mattered that she didn't care for him anymore, he couldn't care for himself either, but dammit he still cared for her.

"DAMMIT!" Suriel kicked the side of the shack in anger. "Fine, I'll help you find Nereis. Just please stop trying to help me." Suriel exclaimed.

Taking a deep breath, Suriel walked outside looking up at the sky, it was getting darker and darker. His mind was still muddled and nervous, he just exclaimed he'd help her, but he didn't know where to start. "I may not be of much-" Suriel's voice was interrupted by the frantic tolling of Nortshire's bells. He'd recognized this specific pattern before, "Bandits, lots of them" he said under his breath. Northshire was in the middle of nowhere and was a safe place, it was isolated to be missed by most bandits, but it was isolated enough to be a safe target to attack. The last bandit attacked occurred around 50 years ago, the guards would be far too inexperienced to deal with a coordinated attack. He couldn't simply let the town get overrun.

"You stay here, I'll go deal with it" Suriel ordered, not wanting the clumsy apprentice to get herself killed. Walking into the shack, Suriel swiftly and grabbed his longsword whilst his wings hid behind his back and with the loose cloth, he wrapped it around the wings to conceal them. Ready to go, Suriel made his way to Northsire.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

Brinne held a hand up to shield her face from the buffeting winds, but it was Suriel's voice that caused her to flinch. She cowered away from him, clutching her staff closely to her chest like some lifeline. Nervously, she peeked at him, only to fearfully close her eyes again when he kicked the shack. Her hands trembled and sweat was beading on her brow. She didn't know what to say, so she kept her fearful quiet.

Great, just great. The one time Nereis needed her, really needed her, was the time when she failed yet again. An overwhelming sense of dread and hopelessness overcame her, a cold feeling that gripped her gut and made her want to vomit. Did she come all this way just to fail her master? Already her mind was racing with worst-case scenarios, and the memory of her master's abandoned grove. She even failed to clean the hut.

What Suriel said next was unbelievable. He would help her? Oh gods, he agreed!

"Y-you!? Really? Oh, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that!" She sputtered, her eyes growing teary with emotions.

There was a wide, relieved smile on her face as Suriel tried his best to stifle her astronomical expectations. This, of course, dropped the moment she heard the bells toll. She tiled her head, looking at Suriel for some sort of explanation, which quickly brought back the fearful look on her face. Bandits? Her hometown had a run-in with them before, and although her family lived on the edge of the settlement and had been spared, dealing with the aftermath was more than enough for her to stomach.

Just remembering it gave her cause for hesitation, one that was only broken when Suriel addressed her directly. He told her to stay at the hut while he went out to help the people.

"Huh? No way! I can't just stay here when people need help! I'm coming too!" she objected, sprinting out after Suriel and only slowing down to shut the door to the hut.

For a man in full armour, he was surprisingly fast. Just to catch up with him, Brinne had to swap into and out of her sheep form. She ran a little bit behind him, clutching her staff. It gave her a good view of his wings, all bound and hidden behind cloth. Come to think of it, if he had wings then why wasn't he using them to fly? It was a little suspicious.

"Wait, wouldn't it be quicker to fly there? U-uh, or is there something wrong with your wings?" she called out as she ran. "Oh, I get it. Is it moulting season?"

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

Teron ran in terror from the bandits, it was all wrong, this was Northshire, middle of nowhere, a peaceful village for peaceful people. Why'd he have to be on the wrong side of town? Teron kept running, the main force of the bandits had attacked from the forest, while smaller forces distracted and divided the town guard. Teron always tossed out jokes about the town guard, lazy sods they were and the moment they'd be attacked they'd all might as well be dead. He felt stupid and terrible saying that now. The bandits tore through the side of a village like a pack of beasts, slaughtering any who stood in the way, with some already looting the homes of the recently deceased.

Teron was never a runner and when he stumbled he was no longer running, hitting the ground and scraping his face, unable to shield himself in time with his hands. He could only turn around and see the sick and twisted grin of the bandit as he raised his blade to strike at Teron. Closing his eyes, he gave out what he believed to be his last prayer, a prayer of sadness and regret.

The sound of clashing steel forced his eyes open again in shock, the blade of the bandit mere inches away blocked by a ragged longsword. He couldn't believe his eyes, none other than the Spirit of Northshire can come down to defend him, no, to defend Northshire. The bandit's sudden moment of bewilderment spelled his end as a single punch to the head quickly snapped the man's neck from the sheer impact, dropping dead the next second. Teron scrambled to his feet, a feeling of hope and awe swelling within him. "The Spirit of Northshire has come to save us, we're gonna live!" Teron cried out as he kept moving to safety.

​

Though his technique had become rusty, his strength was as reliable as ever, stopping the bandit's blade and ending his life with a single punch to the head. That was still too close for comfort, and that was merely the beginning. He'd hoped that Brinne would've stayed behind, but she was persistent and stubborn, so as long as she remained safe, her assistance would prove helpful.

Suriel's reaction kicked in, dodging an arrow from one of the bandits. His rather dramatic entrance managed to get the bandit's attention.

Two archers, three swords, and one mounted. Suriel analyzed his current situation, it wasn't even the full force of the attacking bandits. He'd need to take down the leader to cause them to retreat and never come back, but to get to the leader he'd need to break through. The swords kept their distance while the archers readied their bows and the mounted bandit charged Suriel directly, raising their spear ready to impale him.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

Brinne's heart stopped when she noticed a familiar figure at the end of a bandit's blade. There was no way she could get there in time, but thankfully she didn't need to. Suriel arrived to the rescue long before she could even ready a spell. Brinne watched in awe as the winged man leapt into the fray without hesitation, taking down the bandit with a single punch. The strength behind it looked inhuman, though come to think of it, he wasn't was he? She didn't really know much about winged-folk, and for all she knew this was just normal for them.

Once again, she was very glad that she hadn't been tossed out of the hut.

Brinne caught up with Suriel right as Teron got himself up and shouted praises for the Northshire Spirit. She couldn't help herself but match his triumph, raising her staff, "That's right, Suriel's here to save the day! Now get to safety! We'll handle these bandits!"

This, of course, was easier said than done. Although she felt a lot safer after witnessing Suriel's impressive might, they were still vastly outnumbered. It didn't take a martial expert to know that the situation was pretty tricky, if not deadly. The bandits wasted no time in preparing another attack, with one charging on horseback while two archers readied their bow. Fear gripped Brinne as she stared wide-eyed at the threats. Unlike Suriel, she was not a veteran by a long shot. In fact, she hadn't been in real combat before.

"Suriel! Watch out!" she cried, noticing the bandit's charge closing in for Suriel.

As if time had slowed, she could see the bowstrings pull back and the dirt fly up from the horse's hooves. She didn't know what to do, but she had to do something, and quick. Instead of reason, she let instinct take over. She slammed her staff into the ground, and just as her master taught her, she imagined the stiffest winter winds she could think of. The winds of the mountain pass came to mind, the unrelenting gusts that bit at her bones and had once turned her fingers black. The kind of cold that burned.

Just like she had done at the cabin, the winds responded to Brinne's call. Only this time it was neither gentle nor warm, but a biting gale. Snow swirled in the summer sunset, blasting against the horse and knocking the arrows astray in mid-flight. Buffeted by wind and snow, the horse stumbled in its canter and the rider nearly fell from his saddle. The charge was slowed, but still in motion.

Thinking quickly, Brinne transformed into the form of a white wolf. Just like her, it had a pair of curved horns, which she seemed unable to hide despite a change of form. The wolf snarled and snapped, barking at the oncoming horse. Just as she hoped, the beast gave a terrified whinny at the predator and balked. Its rider did their best to urge the terrified beast forward, only to be bucked off by their steed.

They fell to the ground while their steed ran off, leaving them temporarily open to attack.

Brinne swapped back from wolf to girl.

"Get them Suriel! I can handle the archers!" Brinne called out, still in shock that her spell had worked. So long as she commanded the wind, she could counter their arrows!

 

[Solirus]

Juju ​

Though it was clear Brinne was an apprentice, Nereis had taught her well. He acknowledged Brinne's comment by advancing to the fallen bandit, impaling his sword downwards through the man's chest. The first sword wasted no time charging Suriel whilst. But when he tried raising his blade to defend himself, he found he could not pull it off the ground. He'd successfully embedded his blade on the ground, allowing the bandit to strike his shoulder.

The bandit's blade clinked off Suriel's armor, even after so long the craftsmanship still held up excellently.

Letting go of his blade, Suriel raised from his lower position and struck the bandit's liver. The sound of shattered ribs could be heard, and the direct impact the liver suffered caused enough pain to knock the bandit out cold.

Two swords left.

The two bandits hesitated to approach, looking at each other before they both charged at Suriel looking to take advantage of their range. Suriel retaliated by charging back at them, his sudden burst of speed catching them unaware. Placing both hands on their faces, Suriel lifted them up before slamming them into the ground, leaving blood splattered on the impact.

That leaves now the archers

Suriel grabbed both blades of the deceased bandits staring down at the archers who were ready to fire again, barely able to maintain composure.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

It was a good thing that the archers hesitated, because Brinne found herself frozen yet again. The scent of blood was heavy in the air, so thick that she could taste the copper on her tongue. Her stomach turned at the sensation, and she found herself a bit dizzy.

This was hardly a battle, it was a slaughter. The poor bandits looked like dolls to be broken in Suriel's hands. Was poor the right word to describe them? They had just tried to kill someone she befriended without mercy, and yet here she was feeling bad for them? They clearly deserved it, and yet she couldn't help herself from feeling overwhelming horror at it all. The sound of broken bones and screams filled her ears, bringing up some unwelcome memories.

Though it had been Suriel to deal the final blow, she had played a part in their deaths. She understood that it was all to save the town, but that didn't make the shock of it all any easier. Why were they so fragile?

Face pale, she glanced at the archers readying their arrows. She felt sluggish, but she managed to keep her shaky hands on her staff. A green glow emitted from it, calling forth roots from the soil. They lashed up, wrapping around the two archers and pulling their limbs down.

"P-put your weapons down!" Brinne shouted at them, her voice strained with fear.

Whether by choice or from the tangling roots that gripped them, bows and arrows clattered to the ground.

 

[Solirus]

Juju​

With the archers incapacitated, Suriel moved up to them, hitting them both with the back of the blades, knocking them out. That was the last of the small group, however, their screams and shouts had finally gotten the attention of the main force. Dozens more bandits appeared from the ruined and looted area of the town. It'd be tricky to face so many like this, noting particularly how Brinne was not accustomed to the scent of blood.

The Bandits all seemed to be ready to strike, but an incoherent shout within the crowd halted them all, like loyal hounds. "Well well well, look what we've got 'ere"

​

A freakishly tall man made his way through the crowd, pushing aside the mounts with ease. He was a good two heads taller than Suriel and had a shape closer resembling a savage orc than a human. "You've killed my men today. Don't matter, the weak deserve to die and the strong have a right to kill, isn't that right lads?!" The bandit leader exclaimed, with the bandits responding with a cheer. "That's why we take what we want. Coin, Glory, and Lives. And for what you did today, I shall take all three of them. I shall have my lads stand down so I can pummel you myself personally and make you an example to the rest of the weak." The bandits cheered again.

Suriel's eyes glared with contempt, but this was the best possible outcome, if he could sever the head of the raid, it would be all easier to clean up.

Suriel walked up to the center of the open square, looking back at Brinne so she wouldn't interfere. The bandit leader chucked to himself, a shit eating grin painting his face and raising both fists. Suriel was the first to commence the duel, lunging forward and striking with both blades. The bandit leader was able to block the lunge with his metallic bracers, and pushing Suriel back.

From the exchange alone, it was clear that the leader was stronger than Suriel. Wasting no time the leader closed the gap throwing punch after punch forcing Suriel to back pedal and dodge to the best of his abilities. It was clear that Suriel was the more agile of the two, but any blow could put him in a world of trouble even with his armor on. Patiently, Suriel waited for the leader to become impatient. Finally, his patience would bear fruit when the leader threw out a wild and impatient and wild punch.

It was the perfect opportunity for a counterstrike, but those hopes were swatted as the leader twisted his body and swung his arm, shattering Suriel's blade into pieces. The leader was far smarter and more cunning than Suriel had expected. This was the same man the outmaneuvered the town and just now, the man that just outmaneuvered Suriel as he wound up a right hook to impact Suriel's head.

Suriel's head hurt like the hells and his mind became fuzzy, he started falling only to be caught by the cloth by the leader, pulled up again only to be pummeled directly into the ground. "You were a fool to challenge me yourself" The leader grabbed Suriel by the neck, slowly raising him up as he started chocking the life out of him.

When had Suriel become such an amateur, when had he let himself fall for such tricks and treat his opponents so lightly. He had become so complacent, it was sickening. But now were not the times for those thoughts. His vision blurred but his mind finally woken up frantically went through the shattered pieces of his memories. The pain began to subside as the adrenaline took over and memories formed themselves anew, everything became so much clearer now, he knew what to do.

With one arm, Suriel struck the leader's arm, forcing it to fold, but it still did not break the man's grip. This however put Suriel close enough to the leader to strike him directly in the man's jaw, knocking him unconscious for a second and breaking his grip. Falling back down to the ground, Suriel wasted no time in striking the man with a flurry of blows. Strikes to the stomach, joints, the head, and even neck did not put the leader down as he shouted in anger retaliating against Suriel, but Suriel now felt incredible, he felt like he was truly fighting again. Dodging the strike, Suriel snuck behind the leader, placing him in a deadly headlock.

The leader tried to break free swinging around and trying to pull him off, but Suriel remained stuck behind the man, slowly draining him of air.

"Don't just stand there, get him off me!" the leader demanded from his bandits. It was inevitable that the leader would resort to breaking his own rules, however as soon as the bandits moved to save their leaders, arrows struck the approaching bandits.

Spoiler

​

The strategy to divide the enemy forces and attack their weak point relied on quick maneuvering and decisive strikes. But since the leader had stalled himself on a duel, the town guard managed to drive off the smaller forces and regroup to face the main force head on. Though weaker they outnumbered bandits and the weak united against the strong could topple even the mightiest of kingdoms.

"Bloody hells, Teron was right, Forward! Help the spirit and protect this town with your lives!" The guard captain commanded as the town guard charged to face the bandits head on.

 

[Juju]

Solirus​

Brinne breathed a sigh of relief when the last of the bandits were knocked unconscious, but the moment of peace was not to last. A mean-spirited sneer marked the arrival of a man who was clearly the one in charge of the raid, though Brinne could have easily considered him to be a giant. He was even taller than Suriel, and by the sounds of it a lot more bloodthirsty. Brinne grit her teeth at his comment about the weak, feeling a wave of anger at his monstrous outlook on life.

She took a step forward, but stopped when Suriel gave her a look that told her to stay put. As much as she wanted to bite this man's arm with wolf teeth until he cried, she was no duelest. Besides, with how many men he had flanking him, it was clear that if she tried anything to interrupt, it would mark the end of them both. Anxiously, Brinne stood to the side and watched the ordeal.

After seeing Suriel in action up to this point, she figured he had a pretty good chance. He managed to avoid the first few attacks, which gave her hope, but it wasn't long before luck started to turn sour. Blow after blow fell upon Suriel until finally he was being held by his throat and the life choked from him.

"Suriel!" She cried out, stepping forward. She couldn't just stand by and watch her master's friend die! What could she do, though? It didn't matter, just something... anything! Despite the rules of the duel, Brinne began to quietly chant up a spell.

That's whenever Suriel suddenly gained a second wind, striking back at the brute of a man and freeing himself. Brinne stopped her chanting and instead let out a cheer. Up until now, the bandits had been cheering for their leader, but now Brinne was by far the loudest. Some of them gave her glares, but seeing Suriel gain the upper hand had given her a burst of false confidence. That is, until the bandit leader gave the order for his minions to break the rules he had set.

"H-huh? Wait, that's not fair! Oh, you rat!" Brinne swore.

Once again, things were looking grim. Brinne quickly readied her staff and called upon the roots just at the same time the arrows fell. She looked up at them, hope flashing on her face as the town's guard came to their aid. Full of relief, Brinne focussed on the roots, tangling up three of the bandits who had rushed towards Suriel and the leader, holding them firmly in place. It was a great effort to maintain the roots, but Brinne kept her grip on her staff steady despite the strain on her mana.

She glanced at Suriel and shouted, "Let's show them not to mess with Northshire and its Spirit ever again!"

In the midst of her triumph, she was brought back to the reality of the situation when the bandits began to fight back against the sudden onslaught. Nearby, a town guard in shoddy armour struggled to maintain the defensive against a scimitar wielding bandit. The guard peddled back, scrambling for purchase, until finally the curved blade met its mark on the less armoured gap between chest and arm. Blood splashed outwards in an arc and steel clattered as the guard was forced to drop their sword. The bandit raised his blade to deliver a more lethal blow to the neck.

Terrified of what was to come, Brinne abandoned her root spell and rushed towards the two. The guard would only see a fluffy white wolf appear out of nowhere and leap for the upturned arm, forcing it down with its weight.

"What the?" the bandit swore out, caught in a moment of bewilderment at the sight of a horned wolf joining the battle.

With the bandit's blade arm locked firmly between canine teeth, it was all he could do to struggle against the wolf. In a tug and war, the two struggled for domination until the tides turned with a well aimed kick to the beast's belly. The wolf's fangs loosened just enough for the bandit to tear his arm free. As the creature recoiled, the bandit lashed out with his now free blade. It caught the wolf in the shoulder, narrowly missing its neck.

Red stained white fur as Brinne yelped and leapt back. The pain must have broken her concentration on the technique, for the wolf form dissolved into that of a cowering girl. She held her hand against her shoulder, blood streaming between her fingers in hot red streams. She stared wide-eyed at the bandit approaching her.