Recklessness

As we trudge further on, the snow falling upon us slowly turns into a veritable blizzard. During this time, we are assailed by only lycans and haunted snows. At first, we deal with them as they come easily enough, we know how to after all. However, the trouble starts when multiple haunted snows begin attacking us at the same time.

Finding the core within a single haunted snow takes multiple swings to reveal it, during which time it or the other haunted snows can counterattack. Wyll and Leila are unfortunately neither strong nor quick enough to open gaps between the haunted snows without risking serious injury, so the task falls on me Perri and me. But we too can only take on two haunted snows maximum without any risk of injury, any more and we find ourselves being struck in unexpected ways. Haunted snows are unpredictable.

We're both still skilled enough to avoid any serious injury, but Leila's healing is certainly getting a lot more use in this level. And that's not even mentioning the blizzard; it seems to strengthen the haunted snows, making them quicker and more powerful, and more annoyingly, it makes it hard to perceive their attacks. In this intensifying flurry, it's hard to tell the difference between the enemy and the weather.

Still, despite all of this, we manage to press forward. It's slow-going, but we haven't been forced to retreat yet. However… I'm beginning to remember this level. In the game, we were recommended to buy a few items to traverse this area.

I don't think any of them were absolutely vital, but not having them made the whole level ten times harder. I think about turning back for today, but then my battle with Sten Hayes appears in my mind again, and I call for us to continue.

I have to keep going, I have to reach further than Rex. I have to get stronger than him, or all my resolve will be for nothing. I'll lose just like Thomas in the game, and one of the only things that I ever truly held dear to me will go back to having all been for nothing.

I know losing won't be a big deal. Thomas may have cared about his royal status and all, but I don't. Even so, I want to prove to myself that I can do this, I want to prove that I can do something. I have to defeat Rex, I just have to.

The biting cold saps us of our strength, and the enemies constantly showing up even more so. Soon enough, all of us are breathing heavily, and it takes enormous effort just to put one foot in front of the other.

The heavy sound of shifting snow reaches our ears again, denoting the appearance of haunted snows once more. Perri readies her axe, but she seems shaky on her feet. I'm no better either. I feel light-headed, like I'm about to collapse any second now.

I see shapes through the blinding blizzard… five, maybe six haunted snows take form in front of us. These are not things I want to fight, they're just pests in the way.

I make a low noise of frustration and ready my blade. I can't be bothered to deal with these things as we have been anymore.

"Abyssflame Slash."

I send a wave of black flames roaring in front of me, and they crash against the haunted snows. They catch fire, transforming into massive blazes of black flames, and the sheer heat from them melts the blizzard in front of us, allowing us to witness their towering structureless forms in all their glory.

The snowy bodies are melted quickly, and the black flames spread to the snow on the ground, leaving only the cores, the unprotected frozen hearts. It seems they can't float without snow all around them, because they all pathetically fall onto the fiery ground, and are consumed instantly.

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15 EXP

15 EXP

15 EXP

15 EXP

15 EXP

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The flames disappear quickly, and the blizzard returns with its full fury. I collapse onto my knees, the sudden drain of my already depleted stamina leaving me with no energy to stand.

As I breathe deeply to calm the squeezing pain in my overtaxed heart, Leila rushes over and puts a hand on my shoulder, casting, "Reinvigorate!" The pain lessens, but it doesn't completely disappear, I still feel so light-headed…

"Thomas, are you alright?" Perri asks worriedly.

Before I can answer, Wyll says, "We have to turn back. We've come as far as we can."

Rex and Sten's faces show up in my mind again, "No—"

"Yes!" Wyll shouts over me, "Pushing further would just be reckless! We have to turn back now!"

I stare at Wyll, we all do. I'm sure Perri and Leila are even more surprised by his sudden assertiveness than even I am. But that's right… this guy will one day become a good king, won't he? He's correct, of course, I've let my panic get to me. We need certain items to traverse this level, if we meet a mid-boss in this state, I don't know if we'd be able to win.

"Okay," I say with a sigh, "Let's turn back. We've come far enough for today."

Wyll smiles, and he and Perri help me to my feet before we turn in the opposite direction and begin walking.

Finding our way back isn't easy, lycans and haunted snows still ambush us, and we decide to have Leila take a gamble by casting Reinvigorate on all of us. She's left with no stamina to heal, and needs Wyll's help to continue walking, but at least Perri and I have the energy to continue fighting.

We didn't leave any markers, so it takes us a while, but we can sort of guess we're going the right way when the blizzard lessens and the haunted snows come at us in smaller numbers. I'm glad Wyll talked some sense into me before it was too late, we might have been seriously lost if we'd pushed on further.

After a long time we finally reach the entrance to level three again, and when we reenter the clearing that is the safe zone, we all collapse on the ground to catch our breaths. Once we've recovered some of our energy, we touch the orb at its centre and gratefully welcome the warmth of Ward Academy.