Land of Snow (5)

[Royal]

"Did you hear! The SnowLeopards are going to destroy the Ice bull!"

"Duh hasn't everyone heard? You'd have to be inept at technology to not know."

My ears perked up. Of course I had already heard about the giant bull beast that has spawned as part of the world's so called punishment, but the SnowLeps going after it was new. I was expecting the government to try to force a few guilds into fighting it at the last moment.

I felt a tug in my heart wanting to go watch, I would be able to see Blank again, but that would be a bad idea. The world finally thought I was dead and I was living in peace, well if you could call it that.

I fidgeted slightly with a hat I was wearing to cover up my hair. A pair of fake brown glasses and face mask completed my look. I tossed the food I was buying in front of the seller.

"That will be five bottles of water!"

I placed them up on the trading platform. Bottles of water as well as a few other items had become the new currency. As much as the government tried to still use money, it was obvious it was just paper and couldn't fill any bellies. Today I was engaging with the general population out of laziness.

I could fly to a nearby area in a dead zone and get as much food, water, or other items as I wanted, but flying came with the risk of being discovered, no one else had light blue wings. I would stick out too much for a dead person. I had already seen Blank fly a few times from the ground level because of how his wings stood out. No way I could risk that.

I grabbed my food and left the area before pulling out some Clorox wipes, clean packages are far more edible. Then I popped a few chips into my mouth trying not to think about Blank and the rest of the SnowLeps.

I lasted about five minutes before my brain got the better of me. I couldn't just not watch. Besides the beast would only stay within its zone, well for now anyway. I could easily go watch from a distance, in fact there was no way I'd be the only spectator.

I nodded to myself, yes watching was rational, the chances of someone finding out I was me were low, and bonus I'd get to see Blank. Yes, this was simply the only option.

I spun on one foot and headed in the direction of the battle area. I paused to swallow a floating potion before drifting in the air like a few other players headed to the same area. Even better if I followed this chatty group I'd just look like I was with them.

Before too long I drifted down to join a growing crowd. I still really hate crowds. I moved to the edge to avoid the brainless mass and their pile of germs.

A bit in the distance I saw the Snowleps going at it with the ice bull. Blank was easy to spot with his wings and increased speed. He really was just so great to watch, I could watch him all day. A slight smile crossed my face as I took in his handsome features.

The simple way he ducked and weaved around attacks while firing off his own colorful array of fire, simply stellar. If only I could get a closer seat to watch from. My eyesight was great don't get me wrong, but I was simply too far away to watch the full arrangement of his rippling muscles.

Blank spiraled upward before diving back down landing a fireball on the ice bull. Like a work of art, his battle the dancing stage.

Cough cough, no I wasn't drooling or salivating at the thought of his lips just now...….

Anyway back to his majestic performance. The guild continued to slowly chop away at the ice bull's HP. Clearly Blank was the best though, he had both elegance and power. Overtime the bull drifted toward the gathering of watchers. We were still well out of the boss's zone but my view of the muscles became that much more clear.

Did I say muscles? How silly, I meant the battle. Yes that. I'm totally not obsessed with Blank's biceps or anything.

Watching the battle up close was great, a piece of me wanted to be fighting next to him while another piece was terrified. After all I was a wanted criminal for a crime I never committed and Blank probably still thought of me as a murder.

Before I could stop myself I felt a few tears run down my face.

"Are you alright?" asked a random person near me.

"Oh yes, just some dust in my eyes." I quickly moved away from them before they could get a closer look at me.

That's when I noticed I had moved more forward so I was one of the closest to the border between the dead zone and the boss zone. I should move back more I should.....

A certain pair of black wings with red tips flew near me.

So beautiful...…

Nope I should definitely stay as close to the front as I can I should... gulp ...… so pretty.

"Oooh Shiny!" a yell caught mine and everyone else's attention.

I glanced over to see a small child with wings fly into the boss area before picking up something from the ground. A player, he must have be like 9 years old.

The ice bulls attention shifted to the kid as it snorted out a wave of frost toward him.

"Move it!" Blank shoved the kid away from the spot and back over the zone line before jumping back several feet.

That was when the kid's hat fell off revealing ...….. dark blue hair? His hair looked like my in game character before the merge of game and reality. He could have been a younger avatar me if his eyes weren't brown.

Blank seemed to freeze on the spot for a moment and that was when a spell from the Ice bull hit him.

Time froze, the spell was ice chains which lasted 10 seconds holding a target in place.

A look of fear crossed Blank's face and my own as the ice bull shot out its signature attack, the frostwave, which directly hit Blank. With its double attack power on a fire user his skin started turning dark purple and black as if covered in frostbite. This kind of attack could go right through you giving you frostbite from the inside out.

"BLANK!" I yelped jumping forward over the zone line and not even caring as I spread out my wings zipping to him.

I caught him and immediately pulled a necklace from around my neck pressing it against him.

"Please work" I whispered frantically.

The damage on him instantly vanished and the necklace shattered into dust. His eyes met mine and I felt relief flood my body as he blinked up at me.

"Blue?" he whispered seeming confused.

The bull snorted clearly angry about not having its prey. I saw it charge up another frostwave attack.

I grabbed Blank and tried to fly away but hissed realizing the ice chain was still in effect. He couldn't get hit with another attack! Not after all this, darn it why wouldn't these chains break!

I saw the bull's mouth glow blue and made up my mind. If I couldn't move Blank I'd just have to block the hit, a hit that was way above my level...….. gulp.

I tossed up and ice wall shield and put all the effort and magic power I could into it. I was not going to let a stupid walking steak take my Blank from me!

It released its spell and I held the shield in place with all my might. A few cracks started to form on it as the attack continued. Then the center shattered.

Huh? Its spell finally stopped? I glanced at the bull which snorted again in annoyance.

We had lived? We were fine? I ... am cold? As an ice type I shouldn't get cold I should...

I looked down the shield had broken ... my stomach was blackish purple? I had a large frostbite area across my abdomen and my shirt had shattered off from the cold...….huh looks like I couldn't beat a higher level attack, why was I thinking I could?

Cold... I blinked a few times trying to focus. Focusing on anything was becoming more and more hard.

I?

Suddenly a pair of hands were wrapped around me and I felt Blank shoot into the sky carrying me out of range of the ice bull's next attacks.

"Royal!"

"Royal!"

"ROYAL!!!"

Huh Blank's too loud, I want to sleep now.

He seemed to be gripping me hard. Yeesh can't he see I'm tired?

My eye lids slowly flickered shut welcoming in the darkness that could escape that weird cold feeling.