205 Something for Stellan

AUTHOR'S POV

"Save yourself, we can't protect you", Stellan pushed Atrius as he slid down the mountainside slope, safely landing on a ledge. Then, he lead the saumen up to the mountain. Knowing that Caluso is a perilous battlefield unfit for non-magic wielding men, Stellan chose to send Atrius back down for his own good.

Despite wanting to fight alongside the paladins with a possible reward of seeing Helena in the end, Atrius chose to return to the camp. Devastated, he knew that great knights only fight battles they can win.

As Stellan and Vesta make their way up, the paladin archer strike more arrows on the saumen's thick skin. Hopping from one ledge to another, the archer skillfully take cover for his comrades as they escape the wrath of the furious snow monster.

The creature continued to rummage the mountain slope as it swing a mile. Its growls filled the cold air up in Caluso, making it more chilling. The paladin archer's arrows that hit the saumen were like a tickle on it's skin, barely feeling anything from it. While Alesso aims for the creature's soft spot, the paladin archer noticed something. Saumens have naturally yellow eyes that allows them to see clearly, especially night. This one has red, blazing like fire.

Furious, the saumen grabbed some snow covered barren rocks as big as its hands and threw them towards the paladins. Stellan slashed all the flying rocks that go ahead of him, dividing them into two. Vesta was almost hit, but she managed to jump on the other mountain slope, hanging and swinging by her labrys. As she landed on a ledge, she swung her labrys sending out a strong electrifying current towards the saumen that stunned it for a while. "That's how you do it, Alesso!", she smirked.

While the saumen was down, the paladins impetously made their way up. When the lights over Caluso was lit, Stellan knew what it exactly meant. His heart suddenly raced. "On your feet!", Stellan yelled. Nearing the ridge, the growls of the saumen were heard once again, bolder and angrier.

Enraged, the saumen once again returned to his violent chase. Catching up on the runaway paladins in a couple of leaps, the snow monster savagely roared smashing everything that come its way. All at the same time, the paladins spread out as they position to fight against the furious beast.

With Vesta on the stairs, Alesso on a high ledge, and Stellan at the closer proximity, the three paladins wield their weapons powered with their auras as they take down the saumen. Stellan dodged every strike the creature made, as he make combinations of his raging aura blows and sword attacks. He was able to grab on the saumen's fur and climb his way up to its head thrust his sword on its shoulder. The saumen wailed as if the paladin hit a soft spot. Shaking the paladin off violently, the saumen lose Stellan who was thrown a few feet away on the snow.

Alesso, who had a clear shot of the saumen, sent more flying arrows aiming on the same spot on its shoulder where it felt a sensitivity. The saumen growled even louder. Then, Vesta wielded her labrys, hitting the snow creature everywhere she can reach before kicking the saumen off the cliff.

The paladins hurtled up to the top. Stellan looked up the gleaming sky of beautiful hues, and hoped Helena haven't soul traveled yet. When they reached the top, the saumen was came attacking once again. "Why don't it just stop?", Vesta scoffed in displeasure as she prepare her labrys.

"It's under a rage spell. It won't stop attacking until a greater fear triggers it", Alesso lifted up his bow arrow, ready to strike as soon as the saumen shows itself on the ridge.

"Let me introduce myself to it then", Stellan blurted out, with his sword blazing in so much aura.

"It already knows you, and you just made it angrier", Vesta pouted her lips, rolling her eyes.

The saumen jumped in the ridge and

Just when the paladins were about to attack, the saumen suddenly purred softly with softened red eyes. It backed away slowly, cowering in fear as it descend the mountains.

"I told ya", Stellan sheathed his sword back seeing the creature leave at last. Afterwards, a loud shrieking sound echoed through the snow mountains.

"You were saying?", Vesta lifted her brows at Stellan who was thinking he scared the saumen away. The unearthly screeches continued to roll with the howls of the glacial winds.

"It would be more acceptable if it's you. You scare us", Alesso grinned as he loop his bow over his shoulder. Vesta responded with a death stare.

Stellan couldn't forget that haunting sound which nearly caused the death of him. Now that he is faced with the same terror against the invincible wraithlike demons, he could only worry for his friends. "If you're done fighting now, I'd understand. I'm glad that I get to fight with the two of you. And I'm damn proud of our…", Stellan was cut with a tiny rock thrown at his face.

"Ahh sorry, should I have made it bigger?", Alesso creased his brows at the paladin knight. In every battle they fought, none of them three ever walked out on each other till death.

"Race to the caves, you fools!!", Vesta sprinted to away leaving the other two paladins.

Alesso was caught off guard when Vesta initiated a race, yet he was quicker on his feet than Stellan to move at full speed. "Stellan's gonna left behind this time!!", he said, leaving Stellan with a tearful smile.

Like children trudging on the deep snow, the paladins plowed their way challenging each other in a race. Alesso, being the lightweight that he is, strolled without breaking a sweat. With a mocking smile, the paladin archer dashed past Vesta, who's dragging her labrys gasping for air. As easy as pie, Stellan surpassed the weary paladin crusader who paused, catching her breath. "Losers cook dinner", Stellan said. It was practically their punishment for the paladin to arrive last in any of their races.