Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Rancher
Note: This Fanfiction is based on the game, Monster Rancher 2, not the Anime, Monster Rancher.
The cold winds howled fiercely, spreading their wailing cries throughout the Papas Mountains. A white tiger stood there, his large cream- colored mane swaying. His sleek white fur waved in a frenzied torrent of white ripples. He stared out over the rocky cliff. His haunting red- yellow eyes scanned his frozen surroundings. He closed his eyes for a moment and sniffed the air. He was almost invisible in the blinding blizzard. He suddenly smelled her disgustingly foul stench. She was headed south, towards the village of Galoe. He leapt from ledge and cliff, pursuing his enemy.
Lily the Lepus was one of the only monsters in Galoe. And of course she was the only pixie in Galoe. She absentmindedly stroked her long brown ears and raked her clawed hands through her long, auburn hair. Lily stared at the small children at the other end of the playing grounds. She slowly fluttered over there. She was playing tag with three small children.
A small brown leaf fell on Lily from the Galoe tree. A brisk autumn breeze rustled the tree and more crimson leaves fell onto the green field. Slowly, the breeze subsided. The children however, jerked their heads up as their mother called them inside. The long warm Galoe summer had slowly changed to the frigid mountain autumn. The brightly colored wildflowers had changed to dark green drab plants. The apples in Galoe Valley had ripened and now only the pines and spruces proudly showed their greenish hues. The Papas Mountains changed from their mild brown granite to the white of snow recently fallen. Small thin clouds that used to slowly drift by in the blue summer sky now rushed through the world above. Dark gray clouds slowly trekked over the cold mountain range. Summer had ended and now the autumn had come.
Lily opened her broad wings and glided to the general store. Being a monster, Lily had no home. She would sometimes take care of the children, while at other times, she would help at the general store. She also stayed at the general store every night. Once again, Lily entered the cozy wooden store. The sweet aroma of pine swirled around her as she entered. To her left were many items used in the training of monsters. There were harnesses, toys, treats, carts, and a horrible item, a whip. However, Lily knew that a whip had to be used against wild monsters and some that were very disobedient. She saw the counter where Mr. Hawns, the shopkeeper was, was talking to a customer. Behind the kindly old gentleman were rows upon rows of shelves. Many held herbs, spices, and medicines. There were also preserves, and boxes full of crackers and biscuits. There were small kegs of a variety of juices and ales. On top of his desk were small glass jars containing many kinds of candies. There were small lollipops and peppermint sticks. There were small leaves coated with sugars and syrups. Small caramels and chocolate bars were lined up neatly on the front of the desk. In the back right were crates full of a variety of meats. There were some tropical fruits and vegetables imported from Torble. There were dried fruits and many apples from this year's harvest. There were some swords and shields in the back, along with some bows and pikes. In the back of the general store was a small green chair and to the right of it was a small oak door. Behind it was Mr. Hawns' room. Off to the right on the right wall was Lily's room.
Lily's room was also made of the sweet-smelling pine that made up the general store. Lily had a small feathery bed with a feather pillow. Almost everything in Lily's room was bought by Lily's hard-earned money. She had a small nightstand with small little stuffed figures. There was a small hare, a blue tiger, and a white tiger. She also owned a porcelain gali. She had a small hand-carved chair and a writing desk with a small bookshelf beside it. She owned two novels and a biography of a great monster breeder. She had a window with quaint little lacy curtains. A fluffy red carpet covered the floor.
Lily flopped down on her bed. She stared out of her window at the crimson trees swaying in the breeze. The dark gray clouds slowly came nearer, descending from the Papas Mountains. Lily felt a chill go through her, not because of the weather, but because of something else. Lily didn't know what, but she didn't like it. The winds began picking up. The storm had arrived.
It would bring a blizzard to the many valleys of the Papas Mountains. As the storm headed south it would subside to cold rain in the Torble area. But for now, the storm was in Galoe and it hit hard. The winds picked up and snow started falling. The brief autumn had passed and the cold mountain winter had started. There was no autumn, only summer, a small time in between, and then winter.
There was a low, humming whine. Lily knew that noise as the Henger that protected Galoe. Lily flew out of the store into the blinding white snowstorm. Fierce, biting winds froze her to the bone. Typically, pixies are tropical monsters, but Lily was no stranger to the mountain weather. She flew to the plaza, where the noise was coming from. When she arrived, she saw the Henger pushing against something. It was a Daina, or a pixie dragon cross. She was easily holding the Henger back, using only one hand against the gigantic robot.
Lily charged in. She had only a minimal amount of techniques, but she had ray, kiss, pat, kick, and slap. Lily used her slap attack. She swung her hand at the Daina. All the evil pixie did was flinch. Then she turned and yelled, "Mega Ray!"
A huge bright beam burned through the air, followed by several, lesser beams. Lily dodged the main beam, but two of the other beams hit her. She collapsed on the ground. The Daina was laughing as Lily's vision blurred, and she passed out.
The white tiger leapt from ledge to ledge. Soon he saw the village of Galoe. A small Lepus was there. There were some men with weapons and a Henger. There was also a Kato blowing some fire at the Daina. The tiger knew it. The Daina had gone this way. Quickly, the tiger jumped downward into the village. He tackled the Daina, jumped back, let out a frosty blizzard from his mouth. Then he let lightning fly from his horns and he didn't let up.
The Daina was taken by surprise from the tiger's surprise attack. She blasted a feeble flame, which the tiger easily dodged. The Daina began shocking the nearby air. Bolts flew everywhere in a series of explosions. Men fell down, as did the Henger, who received the heaviest of the blows. The white tiger however, easily leapt back and forth, dodging the attack. Then he launched an ice bomb. It collided with the Daina, who flew up and through the frozen cold.
The tiger ran after her. His long, loping strides kept up with her easily. The wind kept pushing the Daina back. She kept on flying and she flew over a ravine. The white tiger stared down the rocky depths. He saw the frozen river surrounded by jagged shards of granite. The tiger took a step back and leapt. He saw the edge of the ravine coming nearer, when lightning hit him from the Daina. The tiger plummeted into the frozen ravine.
Lily slowly came to. She felt dizzy and her chest hurt. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Light entered her eyes in a painful flash. Her head throbbed like it had been used as a blacksmith's anvil. One of her ears was crumpled and singed. The Daina's attack had really taken it out of her. The Lepus sat up, despite the pain. She looked around. She was outside in a horrible blizzard. Men were everywhere, dead or unconscious; Lily did not know. Houses were on fire and in the middle of it was the Daina, laughing. Lily felt anger build up inside her. She yelled, "Inferno!" and blasted a massive fireball. It struck the Daina. Lily had never used such a powerful attack. She didn't even know it was an attack. But it was, and it had hit the Daina.
The Daina had turned slowly around. She sneered, "So if you want to fight, I'll make you wish you hadn't attacked me." She then let a bolt of lightning fly from her hand. It sizzled through the air, making a wicked design that melted and boiled all the snow that touched it.
It struck Lily head on, taking all of Lily's energy. The Daina blasted again, and again. Then she let a small thunderbolt come out of her hands. It solidified. The Daina threw it at Lily. But it was cut in half! The Henger used a laser sword and cut it in half. The Daina turned to face the robot.
"Die," she said with fury. A huge bolt struck the Henger. It convulsed in erratic jerks. The green sensor on its head began to dim. The metal coat on it was smoking. The brown armor on its machinery slowly faded from a smoky gray to a dark black. Sparks flew from its joints, sending steam up from the frosty snow around it. The Henger made a whirring noise and metal began falling off, exposing smoking machinery beneath. The circuits composing its complex system began popping and exploding sending off black puffs of smoke.
The Daina let out a cold, contented sigh. "It always feels good destroying my opponents," she laughed.
Tears openly flowed down Lily's cheeks. The Galoe village she had loved so dearly was now smoking in a fiery ruin. The Henger that had befriended her and defended the town with all its heart was destroyed. Families Lily knew, dead. People she had met, gone. Every building Lily helped build, decimated. She stood up, breathing heavily, her shoulders slumped. Slowly a fire built in Lily's hand, the heat radiating from her. She screamed, "Die, Daina! Feel the flame of revenge!"
The Daina dodged the beam of flame and blasted a large thunderbolt at Lily. Lily fell in a heap, her attack thwarted. The Daina laughed and flew off saying, "So much satisfaction killing anyone who stands up to me."
The Torble area was in chaos. A large storm, none like the citizens had ever seen, was heading straight toward Torble. Lightning flashed in jerky arcs and jagged forks, lighting up the evening sky over the beaches. Large black masses of clouds scoured the heavens above sending pouring sheets of rain down, then stopping and moving to another area. Rain would go to sleet to snow and then melt suddenly, as the clouds cleared, leaving the setting sun to melt it. Down in the tropical reaches of Torble, it was snowing; while in the northern provinces of Galoe, and New Kawrea were receiving rain. Floods would occur and then recede in a matter of minutes. The Torble area was a mess.
The Daina laughed. Lightning struck in a frenzy around her. Snow howled around her, while thunder boomed overhead. "Feel my power, and tremble!" the Daina screamed in delight.
She swooped around, modeling the weather to her own whims, striking houses with lightning and dousing the fires with rain. She tossed houses around with wind and annihilated them with freezing ice. Flames flew from her palms, wreaking havoc on all things flammable. She flew around lightning, dodged blizzards, and evaded rain. She watched the bustling provinces of Torble, New Kawrea, Galoe, Sestrom, and Torblean Fields, all become chaotic mudpits. "I'm having so much fun!" she laughed.
Lily cautiously opened one eye. The Daina was gone. Lily could not take another beating like that. Her whole body throbbed from ears to claws. Her body felt battered and beaten. One ear hung crooked and one arm was seared and oozing blood slowly onto the fresh white snow changing it into a bright crimson. Lily rolled herself over, too weak to get up. She saw dark clouds slithering away to the south towards the Torble and Sestrom provinces. Soon only white drifts lay in the sky. The snow around Lily was not too thick, being melted by the houses that burned due to the Daina's treachery. Lily began inching herself toward the Galoe Tree. It seemed like an eternity, Lily pushing herself with the little energy she had left. She stopped at the base of the tree. Slowly, she pushed herself up until she was resting on the trunk of the tree. She was exhausted and fell asleep immediately.
The wind howled fiercely in the ravine. Snow was sent up in shimmering icy sparkles. It swirled around outcropping rocks and stunted trees. The blowing snow formed a dazzling mini-blizzard that rushed along the ravine and out into the open. Snow fell in large heaps off small ledges breaking apart at the bottom. The flakes spiraled up in a dazzling myriad of crystals and began the journey out of the ravine. The dark clouds that once dropped snow overhead were heading towards Torble, probably to become rain and wet down the beaches as a cold drizzle. A bush shook, discharging some more shining adventurers.
The white tiger slowly got up from the bush. Snow stuck to him in freezing cold clumps, but he did not even notice. He stared at the crystals dancing upon the jagged boulders along the edge of the rock. He searched the air for the Daina's foul stench. He found wisps of it, but the wind had torn it up and strewn it all over the south part of Galoe. It would be impossible to track the traitor. She was too arrogant for her own good. If she thought she could get rid of one such as him so easily, she was mistaken. He immediately set off for Torblean Fields. He followed the ravine south, to the fertile fields of Sestrom.
He wound around the rocks, following an old, faded trail. He saw a bridge pass overhead. It was apparently Golem work, with large boulders supporting the bridge. A small stream trickled merrily beside him, but the tiger ignored it. His white horns sparked with electricity. He had been stupid to follow her! If he had waited in Galoe, she would have come back and he would have had her. His mane bristled in irritation, and a growl rumbled in his throat. He thought about what attacks he could have used. Maybe if he had used the recently discovered Mystic Ice, he could have frozen her solid. But she could have thawed it with a flame. He could have used the Bolt or Shock and zapped her. Maybe a nice solid Tackle, or maybe a Combination would have put her down.
Lily's body ached from the exertion of hauling herself to a tree, and from the irregular shape of the tree. She groaned out loud, her singed ear twitching in pain. Her left wing, damaged from the fall, fell at an irregular angle, dangling uselessly at her side. Her claws feebly scraped bark, trying to smooth out the tree. She looked at her claws. They were black and covered in ashes. She was leaning against a dead tree, charred by the evil Daina and her foul flames. Lily noticed the moon hanging silvery, covered by a thin veil of clouds and mist. The stars did not twinkle brightly in the cold, dark night. Lily shivered. The tree offered little protection from weather or from wild monsters. Lily heard that a full-grown Baku had been taken down by a pack of 3 Datons, only three wild monsters. She also knew that Galoan nights had harsh temperature drops, sometimes reaching temperatures colder than Papas did! Storms would appear suddenly and strand travelers heading to Colart, Torles, or Papasopolis.
The night here could freeze her during the night. She would not feel it, or know about it until she had reached the Great Disc Stone, where all monsters go after death. Of course Lily felt like she was cheating herself. After all this hard work and persistence, then giving up and dying even when she had energy left. No, Lily could not do that. She painfully struggled to get up. Her arms felt like they were made out of lead, her head wanting to fall back against the tree and sleep. Lily shook her head. She would not give in. She searched vainly for any dwelling, anything better than a tree. The entire Galoe village, destroyed. Lily's arm sent up a shockwave of pain, nearly making Lily fall over. She had to find shelter before her body fell apart. She could barely stand, but she began trudging toward a small building not burnt. It was out of the village, but it was not even charred. Lily drug her battered body, each step forced, toward the small hut. It was abandoned by a family two and a half years ago, when they left for the warmer tropics of Torble. There was some dishes and furniture, both Sestrom make, not very good. There was a small straw pallet in the corner, with a tattered rag of a blanket. Lily gratefully curled up on the pallet laying her head down on a grass pillow. She wrapped the blanket about her. Lily lay awake far into the night, thinking about what had happened. She could barely bear the thought that her village had been decimated, loved ones deceased, and everything she had worked for was gone. Lily cursed the Daina with every curse she knew and began relishing thoughts of defeating the Daina. Although the thoughts were improbable, they satisfied her.
The wind began to slowly pick up in intensity as it awoke Lily from her slumber. The wind found a hole or holes in the house and slowly forced out all the warmth. Lily stirred and pushed her injured body in an upright position. Tree rattled menacingly as the wind whipped their limbs around in a frenzy. Lily painfully stood and took some old firewood outside and threw it in the stove. It wouldn't last all night, but it would create more warmth. After starting the fire with a small Flame, Lily curled up and dozed as the harsh winter winds terrorized the Galoe region.
Lily awoke with a start. The house creaked and groaned, as it held up against the wind. Snows buffeted the outside and were drifting up. The wind shrieked through the trees as it whipped the snow in a blizzard-like frenzy. A loud crash echoed among the trees. Lily fully came upright. She felt sweat break out on her face. With a crunching noise, the roof collapsed in the next room. Slowly snow began blowing into Lily's room. She knew she had to leave, but her body ached and throbbed. Slowly she pulled herself up. But that was all she could take. She wanted to scream, to let it all go, she could just use on flame, and it would all be over, but she knew she couldn't. She agonizingly pulled herself up. The straw pricked her elbows as she got up. That alone took away her breath. Panting, she pushed up, pulling with her wings and exerting her legs to their full potential. Finally, her body's weight relented and she came up. Lily's singed wing sent waves of pain down Lily's back. She slowly trudged toward the door, stumbling twice.
A cold wave of icy wind blasted Lily full in the face. Her wings ballooned out against her will, sending pain up the injured wing. She staggered backward and the wind picked her up, into the air. She went soaring backward, being buffeted against the trees as she soared up. It all ended when she soared up above the trees. Then it was totally different there. Crisscrossing winds swung her around violently, as if she were a toy. Vainly, she tried to fold her wings, but they flapped around in the violent winds. Lily knew that her wings could not stand up to the winds for long. If this lasted longer, she would soon be lacking wings. So Lily spread her wings and chose a direction. She could not tell the direction for the snow around her, but she struggled that way, trying to ignore the pain in her wings. She struggled in that direction. Snow whipped around her in a blizzarding frenzy. Normally, Lily would be in the General Store, snug by the fireplace. She would have watched the snow dance through the village streets, but she was out here braving the weather. She didn't know if it was day or night. She didn't care. Lily struggled against the gale, until she could not go further. She let go, closed her eyes. She felt the wind take over, tossing her again, but her energy gone, spirit broken, she let go.
Note: This Fanfiction is based on the game, Monster Rancher 2, not the Anime, Monster Rancher.
The cold winds howled fiercely, spreading their wailing cries throughout the Papas Mountains. A white tiger stood there, his large cream- colored mane swaying. His sleek white fur waved in a frenzied torrent of white ripples. He stared out over the rocky cliff. His haunting red- yellow eyes scanned his frozen surroundings. He closed his eyes for a moment and sniffed the air. He was almost invisible in the blinding blizzard. He suddenly smelled her disgustingly foul stench. She was headed south, towards the village of Galoe. He leapt from ledge and cliff, pursuing his enemy.
Lily the Lepus was one of the only monsters in Galoe. And of course she was the only pixie in Galoe. She absentmindedly stroked her long brown ears and raked her clawed hands through her long, auburn hair. Lily stared at the small children at the other end of the playing grounds. She slowly fluttered over there. She was playing tag with three small children.
A small brown leaf fell on Lily from the Galoe tree. A brisk autumn breeze rustled the tree and more crimson leaves fell onto the green field. Slowly, the breeze subsided. The children however, jerked their heads up as their mother called them inside. The long warm Galoe summer had slowly changed to the frigid mountain autumn. The brightly colored wildflowers had changed to dark green drab plants. The apples in Galoe Valley had ripened and now only the pines and spruces proudly showed their greenish hues. The Papas Mountains changed from their mild brown granite to the white of snow recently fallen. Small thin clouds that used to slowly drift by in the blue summer sky now rushed through the world above. Dark gray clouds slowly trekked over the cold mountain range. Summer had ended and now the autumn had come.
Lily opened her broad wings and glided to the general store. Being a monster, Lily had no home. She would sometimes take care of the children, while at other times, she would help at the general store. She also stayed at the general store every night. Once again, Lily entered the cozy wooden store. The sweet aroma of pine swirled around her as she entered. To her left were many items used in the training of monsters. There were harnesses, toys, treats, carts, and a horrible item, a whip. However, Lily knew that a whip had to be used against wild monsters and some that were very disobedient. She saw the counter where Mr. Hawns, the shopkeeper was, was talking to a customer. Behind the kindly old gentleman were rows upon rows of shelves. Many held herbs, spices, and medicines. There were also preserves, and boxes full of crackers and biscuits. There were small kegs of a variety of juices and ales. On top of his desk were small glass jars containing many kinds of candies. There were small lollipops and peppermint sticks. There were small leaves coated with sugars and syrups. Small caramels and chocolate bars were lined up neatly on the front of the desk. In the back right were crates full of a variety of meats. There were some tropical fruits and vegetables imported from Torble. There were dried fruits and many apples from this year's harvest. There were some swords and shields in the back, along with some bows and pikes. In the back of the general store was a small green chair and to the right of it was a small oak door. Behind it was Mr. Hawns' room. Off to the right on the right wall was Lily's room.
Lily's room was also made of the sweet-smelling pine that made up the general store. Lily had a small feathery bed with a feather pillow. Almost everything in Lily's room was bought by Lily's hard-earned money. She had a small nightstand with small little stuffed figures. There was a small hare, a blue tiger, and a white tiger. She also owned a porcelain gali. She had a small hand-carved chair and a writing desk with a small bookshelf beside it. She owned two novels and a biography of a great monster breeder. She had a window with quaint little lacy curtains. A fluffy red carpet covered the floor.
Lily flopped down on her bed. She stared out of her window at the crimson trees swaying in the breeze. The dark gray clouds slowly came nearer, descending from the Papas Mountains. Lily felt a chill go through her, not because of the weather, but because of something else. Lily didn't know what, but she didn't like it. The winds began picking up. The storm had arrived.
It would bring a blizzard to the many valleys of the Papas Mountains. As the storm headed south it would subside to cold rain in the Torble area. But for now, the storm was in Galoe and it hit hard. The winds picked up and snow started falling. The brief autumn had passed and the cold mountain winter had started. There was no autumn, only summer, a small time in between, and then winter.
There was a low, humming whine. Lily knew that noise as the Henger that protected Galoe. Lily flew out of the store into the blinding white snowstorm. Fierce, biting winds froze her to the bone. Typically, pixies are tropical monsters, but Lily was no stranger to the mountain weather. She flew to the plaza, where the noise was coming from. When she arrived, she saw the Henger pushing against something. It was a Daina, or a pixie dragon cross. She was easily holding the Henger back, using only one hand against the gigantic robot.
Lily charged in. She had only a minimal amount of techniques, but she had ray, kiss, pat, kick, and slap. Lily used her slap attack. She swung her hand at the Daina. All the evil pixie did was flinch. Then she turned and yelled, "Mega Ray!"
A huge bright beam burned through the air, followed by several, lesser beams. Lily dodged the main beam, but two of the other beams hit her. She collapsed on the ground. The Daina was laughing as Lily's vision blurred, and she passed out.
The white tiger leapt from ledge to ledge. Soon he saw the village of Galoe. A small Lepus was there. There were some men with weapons and a Henger. There was also a Kato blowing some fire at the Daina. The tiger knew it. The Daina had gone this way. Quickly, the tiger jumped downward into the village. He tackled the Daina, jumped back, let out a frosty blizzard from his mouth. Then he let lightning fly from his horns and he didn't let up.
The Daina was taken by surprise from the tiger's surprise attack. She blasted a feeble flame, which the tiger easily dodged. The Daina began shocking the nearby air. Bolts flew everywhere in a series of explosions. Men fell down, as did the Henger, who received the heaviest of the blows. The white tiger however, easily leapt back and forth, dodging the attack. Then he launched an ice bomb. It collided with the Daina, who flew up and through the frozen cold.
The tiger ran after her. His long, loping strides kept up with her easily. The wind kept pushing the Daina back. She kept on flying and she flew over a ravine. The white tiger stared down the rocky depths. He saw the frozen river surrounded by jagged shards of granite. The tiger took a step back and leapt. He saw the edge of the ravine coming nearer, when lightning hit him from the Daina. The tiger plummeted into the frozen ravine.
Lily slowly came to. She felt dizzy and her chest hurt. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Light entered her eyes in a painful flash. Her head throbbed like it had been used as a blacksmith's anvil. One of her ears was crumpled and singed. The Daina's attack had really taken it out of her. The Lepus sat up, despite the pain. She looked around. She was outside in a horrible blizzard. Men were everywhere, dead or unconscious; Lily did not know. Houses were on fire and in the middle of it was the Daina, laughing. Lily felt anger build up inside her. She yelled, "Inferno!" and blasted a massive fireball. It struck the Daina. Lily had never used such a powerful attack. She didn't even know it was an attack. But it was, and it had hit the Daina.
The Daina had turned slowly around. She sneered, "So if you want to fight, I'll make you wish you hadn't attacked me." She then let a bolt of lightning fly from her hand. It sizzled through the air, making a wicked design that melted and boiled all the snow that touched it.
It struck Lily head on, taking all of Lily's energy. The Daina blasted again, and again. Then she let a small thunderbolt come out of her hands. It solidified. The Daina threw it at Lily. But it was cut in half! The Henger used a laser sword and cut it in half. The Daina turned to face the robot.
"Die," she said with fury. A huge bolt struck the Henger. It convulsed in erratic jerks. The green sensor on its head began to dim. The metal coat on it was smoking. The brown armor on its machinery slowly faded from a smoky gray to a dark black. Sparks flew from its joints, sending steam up from the frosty snow around it. The Henger made a whirring noise and metal began falling off, exposing smoking machinery beneath. The circuits composing its complex system began popping and exploding sending off black puffs of smoke.
The Daina let out a cold, contented sigh. "It always feels good destroying my opponents," she laughed.
Tears openly flowed down Lily's cheeks. The Galoe village she had loved so dearly was now smoking in a fiery ruin. The Henger that had befriended her and defended the town with all its heart was destroyed. Families Lily knew, dead. People she had met, gone. Every building Lily helped build, decimated. She stood up, breathing heavily, her shoulders slumped. Slowly a fire built in Lily's hand, the heat radiating from her. She screamed, "Die, Daina! Feel the flame of revenge!"
The Daina dodged the beam of flame and blasted a large thunderbolt at Lily. Lily fell in a heap, her attack thwarted. The Daina laughed and flew off saying, "So much satisfaction killing anyone who stands up to me."
The Torble area was in chaos. A large storm, none like the citizens had ever seen, was heading straight toward Torble. Lightning flashed in jerky arcs and jagged forks, lighting up the evening sky over the beaches. Large black masses of clouds scoured the heavens above sending pouring sheets of rain down, then stopping and moving to another area. Rain would go to sleet to snow and then melt suddenly, as the clouds cleared, leaving the setting sun to melt it. Down in the tropical reaches of Torble, it was snowing; while in the northern provinces of Galoe, and New Kawrea were receiving rain. Floods would occur and then recede in a matter of minutes. The Torble area was a mess.
The Daina laughed. Lightning struck in a frenzy around her. Snow howled around her, while thunder boomed overhead. "Feel my power, and tremble!" the Daina screamed in delight.
She swooped around, modeling the weather to her own whims, striking houses with lightning and dousing the fires with rain. She tossed houses around with wind and annihilated them with freezing ice. Flames flew from her palms, wreaking havoc on all things flammable. She flew around lightning, dodged blizzards, and evaded rain. She watched the bustling provinces of Torble, New Kawrea, Galoe, Sestrom, and Torblean Fields, all become chaotic mudpits. "I'm having so much fun!" she laughed.
Lily cautiously opened one eye. The Daina was gone. Lily could not take another beating like that. Her whole body throbbed from ears to claws. Her body felt battered and beaten. One ear hung crooked and one arm was seared and oozing blood slowly onto the fresh white snow changing it into a bright crimson. Lily rolled herself over, too weak to get up. She saw dark clouds slithering away to the south towards the Torble and Sestrom provinces. Soon only white drifts lay in the sky. The snow around Lily was not too thick, being melted by the houses that burned due to the Daina's treachery. Lily began inching herself toward the Galoe Tree. It seemed like an eternity, Lily pushing herself with the little energy she had left. She stopped at the base of the tree. Slowly, she pushed herself up until she was resting on the trunk of the tree. She was exhausted and fell asleep immediately.
The wind howled fiercely in the ravine. Snow was sent up in shimmering icy sparkles. It swirled around outcropping rocks and stunted trees. The blowing snow formed a dazzling mini-blizzard that rushed along the ravine and out into the open. Snow fell in large heaps off small ledges breaking apart at the bottom. The flakes spiraled up in a dazzling myriad of crystals and began the journey out of the ravine. The dark clouds that once dropped snow overhead were heading towards Torble, probably to become rain and wet down the beaches as a cold drizzle. A bush shook, discharging some more shining adventurers.
The white tiger slowly got up from the bush. Snow stuck to him in freezing cold clumps, but he did not even notice. He stared at the crystals dancing upon the jagged boulders along the edge of the rock. He searched the air for the Daina's foul stench. He found wisps of it, but the wind had torn it up and strewn it all over the south part of Galoe. It would be impossible to track the traitor. She was too arrogant for her own good. If she thought she could get rid of one such as him so easily, she was mistaken. He immediately set off for Torblean Fields. He followed the ravine south, to the fertile fields of Sestrom.
He wound around the rocks, following an old, faded trail. He saw a bridge pass overhead. It was apparently Golem work, with large boulders supporting the bridge. A small stream trickled merrily beside him, but the tiger ignored it. His white horns sparked with electricity. He had been stupid to follow her! If he had waited in Galoe, she would have come back and he would have had her. His mane bristled in irritation, and a growl rumbled in his throat. He thought about what attacks he could have used. Maybe if he had used the recently discovered Mystic Ice, he could have frozen her solid. But she could have thawed it with a flame. He could have used the Bolt or Shock and zapped her. Maybe a nice solid Tackle, or maybe a Combination would have put her down.
Lily's body ached from the exertion of hauling herself to a tree, and from the irregular shape of the tree. She groaned out loud, her singed ear twitching in pain. Her left wing, damaged from the fall, fell at an irregular angle, dangling uselessly at her side. Her claws feebly scraped bark, trying to smooth out the tree. She looked at her claws. They were black and covered in ashes. She was leaning against a dead tree, charred by the evil Daina and her foul flames. Lily noticed the moon hanging silvery, covered by a thin veil of clouds and mist. The stars did not twinkle brightly in the cold, dark night. Lily shivered. The tree offered little protection from weather or from wild monsters. Lily heard that a full-grown Baku had been taken down by a pack of 3 Datons, only three wild monsters. She also knew that Galoan nights had harsh temperature drops, sometimes reaching temperatures colder than Papas did! Storms would appear suddenly and strand travelers heading to Colart, Torles, or Papasopolis.
The night here could freeze her during the night. She would not feel it, or know about it until she had reached the Great Disc Stone, where all monsters go after death. Of course Lily felt like she was cheating herself. After all this hard work and persistence, then giving up and dying even when she had energy left. No, Lily could not do that. She painfully struggled to get up. Her arms felt like they were made out of lead, her head wanting to fall back against the tree and sleep. Lily shook her head. She would not give in. She searched vainly for any dwelling, anything better than a tree. The entire Galoe village, destroyed. Lily's arm sent up a shockwave of pain, nearly making Lily fall over. She had to find shelter before her body fell apart. She could barely stand, but she began trudging toward a small building not burnt. It was out of the village, but it was not even charred. Lily drug her battered body, each step forced, toward the small hut. It was abandoned by a family two and a half years ago, when they left for the warmer tropics of Torble. There was some dishes and furniture, both Sestrom make, not very good. There was a small straw pallet in the corner, with a tattered rag of a blanket. Lily gratefully curled up on the pallet laying her head down on a grass pillow. She wrapped the blanket about her. Lily lay awake far into the night, thinking about what had happened. She could barely bear the thought that her village had been decimated, loved ones deceased, and everything she had worked for was gone. Lily cursed the Daina with every curse she knew and began relishing thoughts of defeating the Daina. Although the thoughts were improbable, they satisfied her.
The wind began to slowly pick up in intensity as it awoke Lily from her slumber. The wind found a hole or holes in the house and slowly forced out all the warmth. Lily stirred and pushed her injured body in an upright position. Tree rattled menacingly as the wind whipped their limbs around in a frenzy. Lily painfully stood and took some old firewood outside and threw it in the stove. It wouldn't last all night, but it would create more warmth. After starting the fire with a small Flame, Lily curled up and dozed as the harsh winter winds terrorized the Galoe region.
Lily awoke with a start. The house creaked and groaned, as it held up against the wind. Snows buffeted the outside and were drifting up. The wind shrieked through the trees as it whipped the snow in a blizzard-like frenzy. A loud crash echoed among the trees. Lily fully came upright. She felt sweat break out on her face. With a crunching noise, the roof collapsed in the next room. Slowly snow began blowing into Lily's room. She knew she had to leave, but her body ached and throbbed. Slowly she pulled herself up. But that was all she could take. She wanted to scream, to let it all go, she could just use on flame, and it would all be over, but she knew she couldn't. She agonizingly pulled herself up. The straw pricked her elbows as she got up. That alone took away her breath. Panting, she pushed up, pulling with her wings and exerting her legs to their full potential. Finally, her body's weight relented and she came up. Lily's singed wing sent waves of pain down Lily's back. She slowly trudged toward the door, stumbling twice.
A cold wave of icy wind blasted Lily full in the face. Her wings ballooned out against her will, sending pain up the injured wing. She staggered backward and the wind picked her up, into the air. She went soaring backward, being buffeted against the trees as she soared up. It all ended when she soared up above the trees. Then it was totally different there. Crisscrossing winds swung her around violently, as if she were a toy. Vainly, she tried to fold her wings, but they flapped around in the violent winds. Lily knew that her wings could not stand up to the winds for long. If this lasted longer, she would soon be lacking wings. So Lily spread her wings and chose a direction. She could not tell the direction for the snow around her, but she struggled that way, trying to ignore the pain in her wings. She struggled in that direction. Snow whipped around her in a blizzarding frenzy. Normally, Lily would be in the General Store, snug by the fireplace. She would have watched the snow dance through the village streets, but she was out here braving the weather. She didn't know if it was day or night. She didn't care. Lily struggled against the gale, until she could not go further. She let go, closed her eyes. She felt the wind take over, tossing her again, but her energy gone, spirit broken, she let go.