Scarlet picked up a spear left by fallen knights and stabbed the incapacitated Beotodus. However, due to the tough scales of the beast coupled with Scarlet's lack of strength, only the tips of the spear could penetrate into its flesh. "You are one tough bastard!"
Scarlet's hands shone brighter and emitted a powerful surge of magic into the spear that lit on fire. The fiery spear dug deeper and exploded as it disintegrated into the Beotodus body. Scarlet herself was thrown off from the recoil, but quickly regained her stance. Thankfully, a large portion of the surroundings snow had melted due to her spell and she could maintain her balance much better.
Several knights who were still combat capable regained their stances and defensive line; having the majority of the smaller monsters scurrying away gave them the opportunity to regroup.
"Fire! Bequeath your rage onto my arms! Ignea Sagitta!" Scarlet channeled more magical energy into her right arm that ignited into wild fire. The heat radiated out from her entire body distorted the air and as she aimed her magic staff towards the Beotodus, the fiery dance flowed into the staff.
The Beotodus got back on its feet and faced off against Scarlet who was readying her spell. Lunging forward, the beast revealed its sharp fangs; however, Scarlet was ready and shot out her magic that landed into the mouth of the monster. The impact stopped Beotodus on its track and made it wriggled in pain.
Running forward, Scarlet picked up another spear and thrust it multiple times into the beast. In retaliation, the monster swung its whole body to swat away its attacker, but Scarlet avoided the attack and pressed on. She continued with her thrusts and swings while maneuvering around the beast until it exhausted itself; taking the chance, Scarlet stabbed the spear down and used it as a leverage to jump up onto the back of Beotodus.
Once Scarlet landed on the back of the beast, she quickly took out her dagger with her left hand and stabbed onto its back. Beotodus jumped and thrashed around in order to throw Scarlet off from its back, but the latter was persistent as she held on to the dagger. "Fire! Fill the raging soul of my sun! Novus Stella!"
A powerful burst of magic swirled around Scarlet and exploded into brilliant flame that incinerated her immediate surrounding. The outburst far out-weighted what Scarlet could originally do as the snow melted and vaporised in seconds, creating a scorched crater.
In the center of the crater, Scarlet stood up and dropped down from the beast she was riding on. Fumbling forward, she went down on her knees and turned back to inspect the monster. The beast was still alive albeit weakened with no energy to move its battered body. It looked at Scarlet who was crawling towards it and made eye contact; it was terrified, but had made peace with a being who had bested it. Scarlet took out another longer dagger and plunged it deep into its head via the soft part underneath its eye, reaping its life.
Using her magic wand as support, Scarlet walked out of the crater that she had created and headed towards the little girl who was hugged by her father. Due to the heat emitted from Scarlet's spells, the little girl was freed from the icy snow that shackled her in place and she was crying while hugging her father.
When Scarlet approached the little girl, she knelt down and checked on the condition of the father who had valiantly protected his daughter. She looked at the little girl who was staring back with tears and shook her head with a sadden expression; the father had unfortunately left.
Several knights who managed to regain order quickly resumed the evacuation and the captain of the calvary rode towards Scarlet. He dismounted and checked on the condition of the father, but came to the same conclusion as Scarlet. "He's gone. But there's no time ta mourn. We need ta move fast. Come lit' girl, I'll let ya ride with me."
After he respectfully closed the father's eyes, the captain carried the little girl and placed her on his mount. He next motioned towards Scarlet, wanting her to hop on his horse as well. Scarlet however, refused with a smile. "No, I am thankful, but my friends need me. Could you spare me some mana potion and a dagger in return?"
"Yer brave. I'd wish more adventurer ta be like ya." Pulling out 2 bottles of mana potions and a health potion from his rucksack, he urged Scarlet to drink them all. Afterwards, he untied his belt that hung 2 daggers with their scabbards and gifted it to Scarlet. "The feats that ya show are remarkable. I pray ta Lord Flare that fate 'll let us meet again. May his blessing be upon ya."
The captain mounted his horse, checked on the little girl and gave Scarlet a final look before nodding. The little girl too, stared at Scarlet. Despite losing her father, she wiped her tears and gave Scarlet a meaningful smile as if thanking her. With a light kick, the horse started to run and the captain joined at the end line of the evacuees.
Scarlet, having recovered her strength from the potions, looked back at the abandoned city and began running only to hear a loud booming horn coming from the city. She stopped on her track, wondering what that sound was indicating; she saw some knights running out and closing the large Southern gate. "What are you doing?!"
"Ta city's gonna collapse!" One of the knight replied Scarlet while pushing the metal door. "We've got ta mons in ta city and we're gonna bur' em' in rubbles!"
Scarlet was surprised, but knowing that both Aria and Marion were still inside, she rushed in through the small opening before the gate fully close.
"Missy! Wait a-!"
"Ahh... I am a fool." Under her breath, Scarlet cursed herself for putting her life in danger. "I guess I got too emotional from that fight."
***
"Ta second horn's been blown! Ta city's gonna collapse in 5 mins!" One of the knight shouted at the top of his lung, warning everybody in his vicinity. "Those tha dun wanna die, get out naw!"
Despite the warning, most knights had resolved themselves and continued to fight against the Tigrex and Barioth. Many of their comrades had fallen and they decided to join them in the afterlife.
"Aria! You heard them!? The city is going to fall soon!"
"Loud and clear!" Aria was completely exhausted and battered, but continued to distract the Tigrex. "You can go first! I can still muster enough magic to cast my wind spell!"
"What kind of nonsense is that?!" Marion rushed towards Aria and picked her up by the waist, much to her dismay. "We are getting out of here alive!"
Aria tried to argue, but the sheer exhaustion made her too weak and allowed herself to be carried on Marion's back. Marion however, was also in terrible shape and was struggling to run towards the Northern gate. Her legs gave out just when she could see the opening made by the beast earlier and stumbled down into a roll; Aria herself was also rolling along the path before coming to a painful stop as she crashed against a wooden wall.
As time flow, death inched closer for them. Struggling, they both crawled towards the exit with their sheer will, determined to escape. However, death was faster, closing the gap between them.
When the hands of death were about to catch them, Scarlet rushed in while carrying both Aria and Marion by their collar. "Fire! Focus your power into my speed! Ignis Procursus!"
Scarlet's feet were surrounded by flame and exploded with each steps she took, propelling her forward at an incredible speed.
As the waiting time lapsed, the center of Roantar city collapsed, revealing a deep hole at rapidly spread outwards as it consumed everything on its path. Structures toppled over, bringing down everything that was caught in their descend.
The sinking ground was chasing after Scarlet faster than she could run, but with a final burst of magic, she jumped out of the opening and landed on the soft snow just before the wall collapsed. Narrowly escaping death while carrying both Aria and Marion, she laid down on the ground exhausted. The 3 girls stared at the blue sky in silence as dust rose from the once bustling city, marking the end of Roantar.
"So... what is... next...?" Aria muttered out without expecting any reply.
"First... we need... to get our energy back..." Marion sat back up. "Next, we should probably... cut across the North and... headed to the next closest settlement..."
Both Aria and Scarlet sat up after hearing the plan. "That would mean... we are heading back to... the capital of Ponterim County, Nessoria."
"Exactly... but now, we have Aria with us." Marion beamed at Scarlet who stood up and patted herself to rid of the snow. Both Marion and Aria got back on their feet after a while and the 3 of them headed towards the forest up North.
They spotted several survivors resting against the trees. Some got up and walked deeper into the Green Needle forest while some decided to rest a little longer. The sudden collapse of the city sent the small monsters away, creating a relatively safe zone around the perimeter of the city area. The quiet that resounded in the air contrasted the chaotic cacophony of battles happening just a few minutes ago.
The silence was, however, disturbed by a sudden echo of roar as both Tigrex and Barioth burst out of the rubbles and dragged themselves out from their would be graves.
"Persistent!" Marion, Aria, Scarlet and several others readied their weapons, but as soon as both of the monsters flapped their wings and flew away. They let out a sigh of relief and stashed away their weapons.
"The Tigrex is heading South while that Barioth flew East." Aria turned back North and continued walking. "At least for now, we are safe."
"What about the Tigrex that headed South? It will wreak havoc in the Lutem Viscounty." Marion jogged towards Aria's side. "The evacuees are still on their way as well."
"That beast is probably going to find a place to sleep. It has eaten enough and sustained a lot of injuries." Aria continued with her walk. "As long as nothing provoke it, it is not going to confront any creatures any time soon, including humans."
"Just pray that no one is foolish enough to do so." Scarlet let out a sigh as she too continued her walk.
"Well, I think we should inform the Lord when we arrive at Nessoria. Also, we should pray for those who have fought valiantly in Roantar." Marion clasped her hands on her chest together and both Aria and Scarlet followed suit. "May Lord Flare bless you for your virtues. May he usher you to your worthy place in the heaven and be the guide for us through the night."
***
A little girl prayed while facing the night sky. She sat quietly in front of the camp fire where the evacuees were temporarily staying after their escape from their home city. A man approached her and sat down next to her before placing a bowl of warm watery stew beside her. "Ya should eat it while still warm. We gonna move 'gain tamorrow and yer need energy ta move, so ya gotta eat."
The little girl slowly turned her head down and grabbed the bowl. Slurping its content, she felt the warmth slowly spreading throughout her body and she quickly devoured its content. Feeling satisfied, the man tried to stand up and leave, but the little girl tugged at his sleeve, urging him to stay. The man let out a small sigh and remained by her side until she finished her meal.
As the girl gulped down her final drop of food, she placed the empty bowl in front and faced the flickering fire. The man was about to leave after taking the empty bowl until he was stop by the girl's determined voice. "Cap'ain, teach me how ta fight."
He was surprised and remained motionless while looking at the little girl. After a moment of silence, he placed his hand on top of the little girl's head and smiled. "Ya have ta work hard if yer wanna learn und' cap'ain Morte. What's yer name?"
"Luna. I'm 7."
"Nice ta meet ya, Luna." Morte deepened his smile, relishing the feeling of having a daughter he never had.
***
"So, the mark appeared on your hands as well, huh." Aria took a bite off a grilled fish. "And suddenly, you felt a surge of energy and power that increases your attack potency, allowing you to defeat that Beotodus."
"I never felt something like that before, but for some reason, it also feels familiar. Marion, did you feel that as well when the marks appeared on your hands?"
"Well, I am unsure about the familiarity, but I do feel a sudden surge of energy flowing throughout my body. Maybe it is because my thoughts were too focus on defeating that giant beast that I do not think about the movement of my body." Marion picked up another skewer of grilled fish. "Still, I think it is a good thing that we got the blessings during the most critical of moments. Now then, isn't it about time for you to spill everything, Aria?"
All eyes were focused on Aria, but she continued with her meal in silence. The deafening silence stretched long into the night with the sound of fire crackling slowly dwindling into obscurity. With a sigh, Aria broke the silence while simultaneously feeding the campfire with twigs. "Many months ago, maybe around 8, I began having this sort of dreams that, for some reason, filled me with many bizarre information when I woke up. It felt like a nightmare where my own consciousness was being held in the palm of some unknown being. My marks appeared when I visited the church; standing in front of a statue of Lord Flare, I knelt and prayed, only to have these symbols carved onto my hands."
"That means, Lord Flare had chosen you as a conduit. We do not have those sort of dreams and as such, we do not know about these new monsters." Marion placed more twigs into the fire and leaned against the rocky wall of a cave. "You have been given both power and knowledge; it means that you have the duty to protect this world from those beasts. By the way, do you know where those monsters come from? Why do they appear all of a sudden in this world? Do they come from hell?"
"One at a time. First, I did not ask for this power, but I am grateful, for it allows me to protect others. Second, these monsters come from a different world that has its own ecosystem and they are just part of the natural order of that world. They are no different from the monsters that are roaming around in our world. Third, I am unclear on the details about why they appear, but apparently, there is some kind of a rupture in the space of our world. Just imagine it as a hole torn out of a wall that separate ours and theirs."
"Other world..." Scarlet fell into a deep ponder. "I wonder if one day we will fall into that hole as well and ended up in an unknown land."
"I am not sure about that, but it would be a terrifying thing to think about." Aria laid down on her makeshift mattress made out of leaves and Popo fur that they hunted before settling in for the night. "I hope that will never happen."
"The night is still young, so can you tell us everything you know? I do not want to be caught by surprise if we ever encounter any more of these invading beasts." Marion laid down as well.
"It will be a long night."
"Heh, we have crossed the tall mountainous region that isolated Roantar. From now on, the journey would not be that harsh."
"Easy for you to say, Marion. We are now down on our supply and there is still another 2 to 3 days trek through this bitter cold." Scarlet let out a sigh and laid down as well. "Besides, we do not know when and where those beasts that are still alive will show up; you know, the blind electric skin, the giant bipedal reindeer and that white beast with icy breath."
"Hahaha, you have a funny, but accurate way to describe them." Aria chuckled with a light hearted atmosphere. "Khezu, Banboro and Barioth. It would do you well to memorise them. The Khezu probably moved to other caves to probably rest or avoid the chaos. The same can be said with Banboro, but I am not sure about Barioth; it probably flew further North to escape or find a new territory to hunt."
"But there are only desolate land further North; you have been there right, Scarlet?"
"Yes, when I was very young. There are no vegetation, only frozen lakes and rivers."
"Well, this is why I say: it will be a long night..."
***
After treading through the cold plain, Aria spotted a small settlement in a distance with wooden fences erected around the area. "Is that a village?"
"Indeed. That is a small farming and fishing village called Edrom." Marion excitedly hasten her pace. "This means we are just around 1 day away from a major city."
"That is great and all, but we are going to stay the night in this village. I am tired of camping out in this freezing weather." Scarlet grumbled as she followed behind Marion. "Besides, we probably need to warn these villagers about the several new dangerous monsters that may be lurking around here."
"We would need to properly take care of our equipment. I just hope the village has some kind of workshop with the necessary tools."
"The Northern territories are known for their metallurgy since they need strong tools to work around this icy landscape. You need not be worried." Marion assured Aria's concern. "Many adventurers used this village as a resting point, so they are well catered to people like us."
Several stragglers who managed to escape Roantar had reached the settlement before Aria and her team. The villagers who had heard of the news were in shock and terrified that the beasts may attacked their home. The atmosphere was gloomy and in the crowded central plaza of the village, an old man who seems to be the village head slammed his staff on the wooden platform. The crowd instantly focused their attention onto the man. "Dun fear! We'll send request ta our Lord n hav im aid us. Our village, despite no'ta bustlin city, is close ta the capital of this County. If we fall, they'll be threatened n be a shame fer em ta let a nearby settlement fall. Adventurers, we beseeched ya ta stay in this village n help us defend it. We'll provide adequate services at cheaper rate for ya'll who decided ta help us."
The crowds looked at each other, unsure about the proposal, but eventually, they decided to nod in agreement since they do not have any other idea.
Aria, Marion and Scarlet who arrived just in time to listen to the old man's speech, pondered about staying in this village for a while to monitor the situation. As the sun was setting, the crowd dispersed and the bustling activities resumed, albeit with a tinge of fear sprinkling the air. The trio went ahead to find a place to stay for the night, but due to the sheer influx of adventurers and knights who escaped from Roantar, they were directed to a barn where they kept their horses. They were a little disappointed, but were understanding enough and relieved that they would not be spending the night out in the open.
"So, should we stay here for a while?" Marion sat down on the soft hay covered in cloths after finishing her stew. "To be honest, I am worried about this village since it is close to the Thumb Sea where we assumed that Zamtrios would be residing."
"The Capital is also close to that sea. In fact, I think it actually closer." Scarlet was sharpening her daggers. "I believe that going to the capital of Ponterim County is a better move to make. They have more resources for us to stock up and refresh ourselves. Besides, I am in need to get a soak and wash away all this grime accumulating on me."
"I agree with Scarlet. Despite having the tools, this village lacks the structures for me to repair my equipment, or rather, I cannot upgrade my equipment. I cannot craft another new one with those Blangos materials."
"Heh, so we are all in agreement. Get a good rest and we will set off once the sun rises in the morning." Marion laid down and went to sleep.
"Well, I suppose we should get ourselves some good rest. Good night, Scarlet."
"Good night." Scarlet saw Aria drove off into slumber just as fast as Marion and laid down to get some rest. "Sigh, I wish I can have their sleeping ability as well."
The chilly wind blew atop the village, but as the sun rose, the warmth swept away the cold and the villagers woke up for their duties.
"Having this potato stew first thing in the morning does bring a smile to my face." Marion finished her meal and returned the wooden bowl to the vendor. "Now, even if those monsters appear, I am sure we can beat them."
"Please do not jinx it." Aria complained before finishing her own meal. "If powerful monsters above 3 stars appear, we would be in deep trouble."
"You'll get use to her optimism." Scarlet made a tired face.
The trio were heading further Northeast towards Nessoria, the capital of Ponterim County. However, they were greeted by an army of knights presumably sent by the Lord. They have made their trek throughout the night to reach Edrom village, fighting against the chilly wind, a testament to their discipline and endurance. The leader of the knight seems to be having a heated conversation with a crowd of people and facing him was the village head.
Insults were thrown from the leader of the knight towards the crowd, who were predominantly made up of the knights and adventurers who escaped the carnage at Roantar. The other knights were lined up properly behind the leader, standing at attention with their spears firmly planted on the ground. The village chief himself was troubled and was trying to calm the leader.
"Yer cowards! Adventurers who're known as cowards is one thang, but yer knights r n embarrassment! Yer ran away instead of protecting yer city! Now yer wanna ran away ta the walled city ta hide!" The knight leader wore a thick padding of clothes with silver plates of armour on his torso, arms and legs. His spear was splendidly crafted with gold patterns and a long blade head suitable not just for thrusting, but also slashing. "Stead of running, why won't yer stay n fight! My squad's gonna train yer ass again!"
"Yer hafta be jokin! Yer never see ta carnage! Thos mons 're huge n there's lots of em sur'oundin ta city!"
"Yea! Yer talkin big when yer not even there ta see!"
The crowds grew rowdy and many rioted over the comments made by the knight leader. The latter, however, remained headstrong on his opinion. "Silence! We're ta one who should conquer nature! Not ta other way round! We're weak against nature, but we hav number ta match against em! If we run away, nature's gonna hav its way with us! We're gonna fight ta beasts tha nature throw at us!"
As the arguments continued, Aria, Scarlet and Marion were trying to figure out how to silently bypass the group of knights blocking the path. Marion was especially cautious and pulled up her hood to cover her head. Aria was notably puzzled at Marion's action of trying to obscure her face, but she remembered the first few conversation they had with each other.
"Hey Marion, are you familiar with that knight captain?"
"He used to be a knight under my father and displayed such prowess that my father wanted him to stay within his Knight Order. However, he had always dreamt of returning to his homeland and so, after several years of service, he returned here, Ponterim County. He used to interact with my brothers a lot and since I love to tag along with their training, he had seen me many times."
"If he sees you right now, being an adventurer, he might faint from shock."
"Him fainting is not the real issue here, Scarlet."
After a while, the village head, fed up with the situation, shouted at the top of his lungs to stop the arguments. The crowd went silent from the unexpected vigor from such an old man. "I used ta be cap'ain of ta knight calvary! Ya'll betta calm yer asses befo I busta head off ya body!"
After a small huff from his shout, he motioned the knight leader to move into the village and told the crowd to disperse. The sudden burst of power cemented his authority that even the knight leader had to acknowledge. He also motioned to the group of adventurers and knights to disperse, telling them to do whatever they want, but emphasised the need to stay united for the betterment of the people. He urged many to stay and join the knights in defending the area from the rumoured beasts. Some decided to stay, pondering about the benefit and risk of gaining glory, while the majority, traumatised by the event several weeks ago, left the village for the walled city.
"Tch, cowards." The knight leader muttered under his breath as he entered the village with his entire company of 100 knights. The sight of the well-organised army marching into the settlement sent shivers to the hearts of the people, but liberated their uneasiness with a sense of relief.
Aria, Scarlet and Marion slowly made their way to the northern exit of the village by blending in with the crowds. They ultimately managed to avoid the eyes of the knight leader and breathe a sigh of relief when they were greeted with rows of sparsely spaced trees and shrubs full of berries.
Several small frozen streams painted the terrain with small fishes swimming underneath the ice layer; some villagers bored holes through the ice to fish and to prevent the holes from closing, fresh branches with leaves still attached were poked into the openings. The bustling activities around the village heightened to gather resources to feed the newly arrived knights.
"Walking through this scenery, one cannot believe how scary nature can be."
"What are you talking about Aria? Why do you get philosophical all of a sudden?" Marion was puzzled.
"The statement that the knight commander said just now, about how we should be the one to conquer nature, for some reason felt a little too arrogant."
"I get what you mean. When I was travelling with my father, dangers could come at any given time; the force of nature is the one thing that many travelers, merchants and adventurers should be afraid of. Many died from cold, heat or any other natural disasters that can easily reap the lives of those who are unprepared. As a merchant, my father would learn the routes he would be taking and prepare for any possible disaster that we might encounter during the journeys."
"Exactly. The moment we exit the safety of human settlement, the wilderness will try to hunt you down. Even if we try to fight against it, pillaging whatever we can, nature will retaliate and chase us away."
"Ahaha... well, that sound a little too heavy... the mood becomes serious all of a sudden-"
A sudden burst of ice from a nearby stream alerted the inhabitants. A monster poked out its head from the opening and lunged out towards a nearby villager. Being too far away, Aria, Marion and Scarlet could not reach the victim on time and her hand was bitten clean off. Her scream pierced the atmosphere, alerting everyone in the vicinity. As if it was a signal, more monsters popped out of the stream and bared their fangs towards anyone nearby.
"Zamites! They are the juvenile version of that Zamtrios that we had fought!" Without hesitation, Aria leapt into action and slash at the Zamites who were trying to prey on the villagers. They came in various sizes with the smaller ones having no limb and the larger few having 2 forelimbs.
Marion, Scarlet, the knights and adventurers followed suit and began repelling the incoming monsters. Aria looked around and found no Zamites with 4 limbs, fueling her uneasiness. All of a sudden, the ground vibrated and from the North, she spotted a large beast charging around recklessly, but was surely heading towards the direction of the village. As the beast got closer, the rumbling grew more violent and Aria noticed the 2 magnificent horns carrying an uprooted tree. "Banbaro! Everyone, brace yourselves!"
Banbaro flung the tree that landed violently on the chaotic arena, crushing some Zamites that did not evade on time. The shock from the impact knocked some villagers down, making them easy target for the Zamites.
"Why is this beast so agitated?" Aria questioned, but then noticed several large Zamites with 4 limbs latching onto the beast. "Ahh... it is trying to fend off the parasites."
The knights who had just arrived earlier rushed out and meticulously cut down the Zamites while rescuing those who were vulnerable. The orders from the knight leader was precise and in no time, secured the area that was once rampant with the Zamites. Next, they turned their attention towards the approaching Banbaro.
"What did ya eat ta get tha big?" The knight captain let out a rhetorical question before readying his spears. "Ta first un second squads 're ta defend un aid ta villagers! Ta rest of ya, ran tha mons ta the ground!"
The charging Banbaro swiped its horns towards the knights who evaded and countered by stabbing it with their spears. The knight captain ordered his men to continue putting pressure on the beast with precise directions.
Aria, Marion and Scarlet were in awe with the coordinated attacks that whittled down the beast and joined in the fray to cut down the Zamites. Many others however, especially adventurers, chose to flee the battlefield and let the more experienced knights handled the beasts.
After sustaining some damage, the Banbaro let out a powerful roar and slammed its horn on the ground, scooping up a large boulder that it threw towards the knights. It then knocked down a large tree and lifted it up on its horns before charging around, using the tree as a battering ram. Several knights were caught up in its attacks and were incapacitated, leaving their formation in disarray.
"Get yer asses back on formation! Ta others' who're injured fel back ta tha vill'!" At his command, many knights re-group around the captain while those who were injured, scattered out of the arena. "Slid unda ta log when it coms!"
Aria, Scarlet and Marion were luckily further away from the Banbaro and as such, were spared from the ramming attacks. They were finishing off the Zamites that came out of the streams and once the last visible Zamites were taken down, they turned their attention to the rampaging Banbaro wrecking the natural scenery.
"Strange... why is that Banbaro still so agitated despite not having Zamites attacking it anymore? It should be running away back to the North where the greeneries are denser... Unless... something worse spooked it more than those Zamites..."
"What are you mumbling, Aria? That beast is still rampaging around and we need to take it down." Marion tucked in her hood deeper to cover her head and readied her sword.
"Umm... everyone, is it just me or is the chilly wind seems to be rapidly growing?" Scarlet felt a shiver despite having worked out a sweat from the fights. The others noticed as well and looked above where the sky slowly turned gray. The usual vibrant scenery darkened into an oppressive atmosphere where the deathly cold frolicked around the livings.
The Banboro itself, feeling the ominous air coming down, halted its attack and stared at the gray sky. In an instant, the wind burst into a powerful gust and eventually, a full blown storm. Snow and ice flew into a frenzy as Aria watched a being descending down from the sky.
"Kushala... Daora..."