Chapter II - Distress In The Fog

Travelling in snow was not so difficult for Carter, at least not till it came up to his knees, when the wind became a furious gale as nightfall, he was unable to see the path ahead. Fearing he'd walk into a sheer cliffside or into a crevice filled with jagged rocks, there was no certainty to his path ahead; fear of the unknown was starting to become a thrill for him, with each step his heart thumped excitedly. Sure he could die, but what is the point of life if there was no joy or excitement. Realizing that life affirming thought at its zenith ended suddenly when he took a step forward and fell down a rough slope.

Hard ice, sharp stones, and large rocks, bruised and cut his body, thankfully the chilling snow cushioned his descent so no bones were broken. The icy cold however made him unwilling to rise from his frozen bed when he finally stopped falling, surrounded by snow Carter felt sleepy and light headed from his fall. Blood covered his right eye and he just wanted to sleep, just for a little while. Darkness came over his mind and he would've submitted to the fatal rest in the snow if not for a voice.

In a language he couldn't understand, but Carter felt its meaning, there was sadness, loneliness, emotions he could sympathize with, his spider arms lifted his body out of the snow. Upon rising up he saw daylight, the sun had risen for a new day, the wind died down, and the air was warmer. Putting himself under his human feet he hid his spider arms around his torso and firmly placed his cloak around himself to hide his inhuman appendages. Focusing on the singing voice Carter carefully made his way down the mountain, following his ears for whoever was singing.

Hours of climbing and Carter still didn't reach the singer, but the voice was closer, after coming to the last stretch he hurried down the wide slope of the mountain and ended up surrounded by a thick fog. Sun rose high overhead and he could see above the fog what lay ahead of him and what lay behind. Black mountains spreading out into the distance was ahead,

'The Charred Mountains,' he thought to himself.

Looking back he saw pale white mountains and realized he made it to the gap, looking southward he saw darkness, complete and utterly despite the sun being out, brighter than Carter ever seen before. Something was unnatural there and he knew that was where he had to go, but the singing sounded near, walking through the fog he hoped to find its origin within the obscuring veil. Finally he found the source, it was from a maiden dressed in a dirty blue gown, it was once a very prestigious garment but had become torn and covered in filth. Pale skin far paler than his own was covered with unsightly bruises around her face and cuts at her feet, she was being mistreated.

'Who could harm such a beautiful creature?' Carter thought.

Heavy iron chains shackled her right ankle to a large boulder, blood on the cuff showed

signs of past attempts of escape. Given in to her gloom the pale maiden continue to sing a sad song, her crimson eyes staring out into the fog, her long snow white hair coming down her slender shoulders and hugging her slim waist. Stepping forward Carter kicked a stone and brought the red eyes of the maiden upon him, he stopped and held his breath as his heart beat loudly in his chest.

"Who are you?" she asked unafraid but confused.

Feeling words trapped in his throat Carter was unable to answer and just mumbled incoherent babble.

"Did Kanína send you?" she asked, "if he did kindly tell him to come himself if he wishes to beat me further or has he grown tired of it already?"

Speaking in defiant sarcasm the pale maiden had no care if her captor killed her, she had grown weary of living her depressing existence.

"No one is going to hurt you," Carter said.

Anger rose in him he had never felt before, the idea of anyone harming the woman he saw before him made his muscles tense, he clenched his fists in anger.

"I won't let him" he declared "no one will ever hurt you again."

Sudden urges came over Carter to touch her pale skin, he stopped when the maiden moved away from his touch, not out of fear but rather of disgust. Seeing in her eyes that she looked over his body, it was no doubt was covered in filth and dried blood from his fall, he let a miserable grunt.

"I'm sorry," Carter said "I just never seen someone as beautiful as you before."

Giving him a nod of understanding and a brief forgiving smile.

"Forgive me such gentle honesty is rare from where I came from," she said.

Saying that made her sad, as a sullen expression came across her face and her eyes shimmered with sadness. Pain came to his chest as Carter saw the deep sadness in her eyes.

"I will free you" Carter said to her "then you can return home."

Attempts to cheer her up only made her lips quiver in grief.

"There is no more home," she said her voice soft and shaking "Kanína and his warband burned it to the ground-" she paused as hatred formed in her eyes. "He killed everyone in my family, people I knew since I was born, all dead."

Keeping her sorrow to herself, the maiden tried to be resilient but having Carter's genuine sympathy broke down her resolve. Never before had Carter understood sorrow, suffering of others was nothing he'd ever cared of before he saw that woman's tears.

"Please tell me your name," Carter pled "I have to know."

Recovering from her grief enough to stop her tears the maiden looked Carter with her moist red eyes.

"My name is Schnee of the family Trauer, the princess-" she paused "formerly princess of Speer castle where my father ruled over the Charred Mountains."

Carter remembered tales from his youth of royalty of lands beyond the Pale Mountains, about a noble family who ruled over mountains to the east.

"I believe I've heard of your family, when I was a child." Carter said.

A smile came to her face as she saw such naivety in the man, almost childlike.

"Amusing, I asked your name first when we first met," Schnee said "and you have yet to answer."

Shying away from her in embarrassment Carter tried to recompose himself before answering her question.

"I am Carter," he said "from the Pale Mountains."

After answering he felt a bit of shame as he had no family name to show his proud lineage, he considered telling her his destiny, but he was afraid of revealing his spider legs. Seeing them at first scared him, such a lovely maiden might faint in fear. In the corner of his eyes he saw a large rock, picking it up he believed he could use it to break the chains of her bonding.

"Hold still Schnee" Carter said, holding up the rock "I'll break the chains with this."

Knowing the thick iron chains would not be broken so easily the pale lady smiled, seeing the eager look in his eyes and his enthusiastic smile made her believe in his efforts, she choose to ignore her skepticism. Echos of a rock hitting the iron chains rang out in the foggy vale.

"That won't do any good," said a low voice from the fog.

Both Schnee and Carter looked in the direction of the voice and saw a large figure in the fog, taller than most men. Walking closer to them they both heard the clanging of armor, the man wore on his large frame.

"Who's there?" Carter demanded.

Standing up the pale man could tell by the shilloute of the man's figure he meant them ill intentions. Coming closer the face of the man could be seen poking out of the fog, but his body was still obscured by the fog. The face was hidden by his masked helmet, two large glowing white eyes shone out of the eye holes. Carter briefly frozen in shock, never had he seen such a helmet before, it was made of bronze metal, crafted in the shape of a bunny that covered his entire head except for his lower jaw. Two eye holes were made into the helmet that his glowing eyes glared at Carter through, on top of the helmet were two long rabbit ears that curved forwards.

"It is Kanína," Schnee warned "he is a warlord sent to destroy all who offend his master, and make them suffer."

"He won't make you suffer anymore," Carter declared taking a aggressive stance to face his adversary.

Eyes narrowed behind the mask, the imposing figure stepped further towards them, the fog became thicker with each step he took towards them.

"A traveller smitten by a succubus," mocked Kanína "don't be fooled by her she isn't as pure as she may have made you believe."

Ignorant to the warlords meaning Carter glared at him with a hate filled eyes, he saw what he did to Schnee and it disgusted him that anyone could harm such a gorgeous creature. Bracing himself Carter was preparing to rush Kanína, charging forward he didn't hear the warnings of the pale woman. Putting his hand to his waist Kanína pulled out from his belt a axe, its blade was twice the size of Carter's head. A swift swing would've cleaved Carter's head in two, fortunately he saw the dark shape swing towards him, ducking his head he avoided the otherwise fatal blow.

Moving towards Kanína, the pale man tackled the armored man's waist, the large man didn't budge instead he lifted up Carter with one powerful arm and flung him aside against the ground. Lifting his axe high above the wicked man sought an end to the fight with one strike, just as Carter laid at his feet dazed.

"No!" cried the pale princess.

Without thinking she brought her pale hands to her mouth and bit as hard as she could, warm blood streaked down her pale hand. Cupping the blood droplets in her hand Schnee whispered a incantation that created a white flame in her hand. Throwing it at Kanína did nothing but distract the towering man, stopping his lethal strike at mid-swing. Giving Carter enough time to regain his senses and roll aside just as the axe slammed into the ground.

Black spider appendages stretched out from Carter's cloak by instinct, with their sharp pointed tips he jabbed one deep into Kanína's side. A howl of pain came from the menacing warrior who swung his axe at the leg to stop it from digging further into his side. Sparks came from the axes blade as it struck the dark limb, great strength behind the blow caused the axes blade to shatter. Blood flowed down the spidery leg as Kanína pulled himself off the leg, and hastily retreated backwards coughing in pain with each step back he took.

"Foul bastard!" Kanína cried. "You'll die by my hand, I promise you, you and that unholy whore."

Carter angered further by his insults towards Schnee charged into the fog after Kanína, searching the fog with his spider legs slashing about the pale man wished for one fatal strike to land. Coughing from his enemy became more and more distant, there was no way to track his nemesis in the fog, then the early afternoon came the fog started to fade. Vanishing slow at first, but before long though it faded almost instantly. The fog and Kanína were gone, leaving Carter his cloak in shreds on the ground and his spider torso exposed.

Realizing his secret was revealed Carter turned to face Schnee who stood up, her ankle still bound by the chain looking at him with a unfamiliar expression. It was a expression of surprise and reverence as she said something the moment it came into her mind.

"Avatar," she said.

Carter eyes were wide in surprise, was his destiny known to this gorgeous princess who he sought to gain affection from, a allure pulled him to her, making him powerless to resist her embrace. Walking towards her he held her still bleeding hand and kissed her open wound, taking a piece of his torn cloak he wrapped it around her hand to stop the bleeding.

"Avatar," she said again, the words becoming sweeter each time she said it, putting Carter further under her spell.

"Schnee," Carter said his eyes dazed and looking far off "what are you doing to me?"

A smile came to her face as she leaned in close and kissed him, a deep passionate kiss that made Carter feel things he never felt before, he returned her passion with ferocious lust as his spider legs pulled her into a tight embrace. Freeing her from the chains with a quick stab of one of his spider legs he held her close as she guided him to his first carnal experience. When they finished after hours of passionate lovemaking, night came and Carter fell asleep in her embrace from pure exhaustion.