NOVEL NEXT Chapter 181: Yuna's Adventure, Politics?
Since Tempest had first set down on Exandria and Silviana had become blind, Yuna had strove to find a cure for her sister's ailment. In the hopes of finding this cure, she set off into the wild wastelands of Issylra. Journeying with her three primordial allies her feet set off towards the distant mountains and various magical places that she could sense.
At first this venture proved to be more annoying than it had first looked to be. Snow pilfered the quickness from the limbs and the icy frigid winds numbed any detailed sensations that were not enhanced by magic. A day was spent as such, the four burgeoning adventurers setting down in a small alcove of sparsely protected rock and stone. Nature was shielded away from them and camp could be set with a modicum of security. And so, they went to bed, sleeping all close together for the warmth as the winds became howling gales of frosty death. Croaks and groans would coagulate into the awakening of Yuna a few times, but they quickly passed as the pitch blackness of night was lightly highlighted by the sleet.
The next day the four packed their encampment and started once more on their trek. Yuna lead the charge for most of the day, choosing directions in a seemingly random fashion. Guided by her gut more than anything the four soon became mildly lost within a vast stretching plane of white snow plains. Rain poured from high above only to frost over into sleet and then hail, the coolness from the tops of distant mountains scouring these plains into a flattened state. Violet, or as Yuna called her, Nyx, summoned a shield to aegis them all against the hostile weather, their legs half buried in the blisteringly cold snow. Each step came encumbered, the only thing carrying them forwards being their constitutions and inherent resistance to the natural elements as Demons and Demon Lord.
This slog continued for most of the next day, the distant mountains looming ever closer as they traversed the plains. A few times the four had run into minute clumps of undead, zombies, skeletons, ghouls... The inhabitants of these planes were unsleeping and undying, being of the most voracious hunger and wrongness. Flesh on these undead was all but eaten away by either the freezing winds or from battles long fought throughout time. Easily the four destroyed each undead that appeared, their skeletal bones now shattered over these once peaceful lands. Before night replaced day they all camped once again, shaping the snow with the aid of a magical shield and some elemental magic to carve out a space where a fire could be maintained. Warmth remained with them this night, but still they slept against one another.
On the third day of this quest they finally reached the base of the mountains. White and grey crags and cliff faces marched ever upwards as small hints of snow slipped off of edges or slid from various slopes. Ice made the entire cap of these mountains as an ominous blue light thrummed from deep in the ice, barely noticeable to most, but to a trained eye such as Testarossa's it was trivial. Having been pointed upwards Yuna started to rapidly and quickly climb the exterior of this treacherous mountainside. Usually one would require hand holds or to find a secure part of the mountain to scale its side... Not Yuna though... She simply straightened her hand so that all of her fingers were next to one another in a knife-like gesture and propelled it forwards with the strength rivalling some of the most powerful creatures in this new world.
Stone compressed to an impressive degree as she easily made climbing steps for her and her allies. Each step upwards was started with this manoeuvre, only taking a second or two to fully be used. Naturally this only helped with areas that had exposed stone but that was not an issue either as her three companions heated the snow in front, turning the solid to liquid as Yuna progressed onwards at a steady pace. The journey was fraught with perils though and this could be seen as they crested the side of a face of the mountain they were scaling. Standing in front of them, as they all stood on this small stable plateau, was a ravenous and depraved figure that looked a mix of a Wendigo and a Yeti. Icicles framed the creature's wild tangle of a beard as its ice blue eyes locked onto the three with supernatural curiosity. The head of said creature twitched side to side, its humanoid limbs following this motion in spurts. As if horror had become real life, this creature's head twisted in a 180 degree angle, its mouth now where the eyes were just moments before... Three eyes opening on the bare icy blue skin of the creature's chest.
*"SKRRRAWWWWW"*
A guttural screech filled every iota of the oxygen molecules on this plateau. The force of the sonic attack was so violent that even the potent Primordial Demons recoiled from this being, said creature taking advantage of this and rushing up to the side of Nyx as she barely registered its presence. Not only was this creature's head and bodily movements horrifying, the way it moved was unsettling and distracting... The back of the creature arched upwards, looking close to snapping as it used hand and the top of its feet to slink through the snow.
"Yuna!" Hearing the scream of her companions Yuna hefted her sword and threw it end over end at the creature, the tip of the sword bouncing off of leathered, ice-blasted, skin. The force of the throw knocked it off of its balance, slamming it against the soft snow as a series of clicking and screeching noises reverberated up the mountain.
*"C-CICK-SCREEE-CIC"*
Before the battle could continue a rumble across the mountainside made shivers run through all of them, the creature included. As this reverberation finished, a powerful shifting of snow began, the monstrously contorted creature scrambling away and down from the current flat landing that they all stood upon. Holding her hand out Yuna collected her sword with magic, drawing it to her hand and sheathing it onto her back once again.
"Thanks Yuna! That was a really cool and weird creature huh!? I'd like to fight it again!" Carrera was puffing her chest out as she looked at Yuna with her peripheral vision, a slight blush rushing through her face before Yuna turned. Panic induced a quick movement from the blushing woman as she arched her head up towards the peak of the mountain, which at this point was only several miles up.
"Idiots. Get under the shield." The calm and collected voice of Nyx snapped the both of them out of their excitement enough to see the deluge of snow bearing down towards their plateau. Noticing the roiling and enlarging rumbles thundering in their direction Yuna, Testarossa and Carrera rushed under Nyx's shield just in the nick of time. Copious kilograms of snow proliferated around the group as they were slowly buried by an enormous avalanche. All of them were stuck together and slowly asphyxiating in the all-encompassing white snow they were submerged in. Testarossa clawed at the snow maniacally as pure flame wreathed her form. Carrera punched into the snow with the force of an entire building collapsing inwards. Meanwhile Nyx simply teleported up to the surface, yanking Yuna along with her.
"My sisters, are stupid." The semi-emotionless voice of Nyx slipped out, as she turned to gaze at the snow-drenched form of Yuna. Snow had infiltrated her hair in many places leaving spots of dishevelled frost amongst her other-wise beautiful red and blue hair. Carrera and Testarossa also climbed their way out as they huffed slightly from exertion.
"Let-let's not do that again..."
"Agreed!"
Both of them were completely saturated with wetness as their body heat melted the fragile snow that had slipped into their warm winter clothing. Furs were wet and the modicum of decorum that they once had was all but ruined as normal cloth became near see-through with the dampness. Testarossa; Rossa for short, simply shook herself off as she pulled her coat over the wet section of her clothes. Carrera was different though and proceeded to wring out her clothing as much as possible.
"We are close to the top... Maybe we'll find something for Silviana to heal from?" Yuna unconsciously spoke her thoughts as her gaze matched evenly with the top of the mountain, the blue crystal-like ice fading in and out of prominence amidst the drifting sleet and whipping winds of snow.
"Don't worry sweetie, we'll find her something."
"Yeah! What Rossa said! There will be somethin to help her out!"
"Though I detest agreeing with these inefficient women, I will begrudgingly accept their words. Silviana-sama's condition will be fixed, either by us, or by her... She had shown extreme capability and efficiency before."
Yuna scratched the back of her head as she smiled awkwardly. Her thoughts weren't intended to be shared but the milk was spilt now... Ignoring that particular mistake, she nodded at all of them and nodded, taking a step forwards as her Primordial Demons all communally walked behind her.
"I hope I find a cool ass sword!"
"No doubt you will... knowing your luck."
...
Somewhere on the Continent of Wildemount...
A white haired elven man of prominent jawline sat upon a high-backed chair of pure black and gold. His greyish eyes stared languidly at the various figures sitting across from him. His lips pursed tightly in thought as his strongly angular jawline tensed with tension. gaunt although he may look at first glance, he was far from the shadow that he outwardly presented, for power undulated from his very existence, his posture all but showing the intent and proclivity to power that he held doggedly upon.
Regal elven ears swept just past the back of his skull, the white-silver hair of his coiling down to his midback before pooling outwards to meet the exterior of his shoulders. Light robes of Elven eloquence and fashion adorned his lithe body, dark purples and bright silvers lining several segments of his clothing. A ruby gem was embossed into the middle of his chest-piece that was strapped onto his robes firmly. Magic oozed from this as if puss from a freshly infected pimple... His hands sat restfully on the rests of the chair, a single index finger tapping away at the wooden material, as if to translate his concentration.
"The King must know of these events!" A rough voice coarsely yelled into the grander chamber.
The chamber itself was a simple stone room with eight chairs arrayed around a round table of sorts. All seats were filled, with several non-important members of this meeting sitting in the background, keeping track of details that the members did not. A single chandelier framed the speaking figure's face as they were standing and pointing at another member who had veins pulsing up the side of his bald head.
"Nonsense...! The King can not be hassled with every small trifle and every ghost story you desire to bring into discourse!" The bald figure rebutted with a hefty amount of sarcasm and disdain tainting his voice. The white haired elven man ceased his tapping as the distant pang of activity once again licked at the edges of his perception, the same infernal scratching that had lead to so many sleepless nights... His mind was not on this chamber, not on this discussion... No, he wondered about the source of this discomfort, the source of this chagrin that sought to bubble forth into his heart and mind, like a gnat or parasite.
"Martinet, you must have an answer for us... What are your thoughts?" A sigh escaped the elven Martinet as he eyed both pitiful old human men with utter revulsion, not that he showed that particular emotion on his face. Diplomacy was required in politics and a man of his station cannot be seen as crass or uneducated, nor rash.
"I believe you have both posited your sides of this argument and that it shall be put to a vote within this council. Mid-week next week we shall discuss this again and come to a proper decision, with time and thought given to each side's perspectives." The bald man scoffed and rested back into his chair, the silken robes slipping lower onto his shoulders whilst his opponent huffily dropped onto his chair and glared at the Martinet and his direct opponent...
"Martinet, do you have anything you wish to bring to the table at this time?"
"No. I am currently in the midst of various projects and wish to return them as quickly as possible." His tone was icy cold, the scratching gnawing at him once more before it subsided once more.
"Then, shall we adjourn the meeting for this week...?"
"Yes."
"Aye."
"Please do so..."
"I do not care."
"Fine, whatever!"
"Mhm!"
"Sureeee....see yhas then!"
A loud sound crashed through this particular meeting as the elven man, unknowingly, stared in the direction of a certain nation that had newly come to this world... A nation that would soon leave its' mark heavily upon the tapestry of fate and time in this universe.
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