Chapter 15
Morning came all too soon and Adrianna woke up to the grey quiet dawn. She crept out of the building and began to walk through town. The streets were deserted as all still slumbered. She walked by the fountain, taking the path leading through the remaining houses. She came to the spot of a house, long burned down. Its only remains were that of a crumbled wall of stone and wood. Alas, it was the remains of her home, where she had grown up. Now it was gone and with it her parents. Adrianna knelt down by the ruins, her knees scraping the ground. She looked up to the sky. The grey clouds blew softly overhead, and the breeze bristled through the long dead tree branches, blowing dead leaves across the ground. This had once been her childhood, the place where she had been free for many years, but then came the promise of marriage and that world changed ever so quickly. She left for the East, not knowing where she would end up. She became that warrior that she had sought all her life. She remembered Alyssia, the little girl given a quest to watch her so that she may be able to release the savoir of the world, the Messiah of Love. Could Adrianna bring forth such a powerful person? What would the Messiah look like, and how kind would she/he be? So many questions and no answers, as it had been all her life. Yet these questions would remain unanswered, but for how long?
A movement behind her caught her eye, and she swirled around, stepping to her feet and pulling out her dagger. The figure froze and just stood there. It was Daniel and he looked incredibly pale and tired, as if he had not slept well. He sank to his knees at the sight of her, his blue eyes opened wide as he gazed at her, as if looking at a ghost. Then she saw something that she had never thought she would have ever seen from Daniel of all people. She saw tears in his eyes. She remembered then who it had been who had almost killed her. It had been an accident and she knew that he was killing himself inside over what he had done. She placed a hand over where the wound had been. She looked at her hand, saw no blood and walked over and knelt in front of him.
"Daniel, I know what you did and I know it was an accident, and I forgive you my friend. Please you mustn't do this to yourself. I live" she said as she raised her hand. He looked her as she said friend. She realized then that that was what she wanted, Daniel to be her friend like Jayalm and Lothar. Perhaps this is what he had wanted too as he suddenly hugged her, putting his arms around her. She put her arms around him as she smiled. Finally since the beginning, she actually was friends with Daniel. She need not worry that he would attack her, and he not worry about her. Her near death is what brought him to this realization. He was glad she lived.
Walking through the dead corpses of the Snow witches that guarded the Rainbow Elixir, Adrianna looked at the creepy walls of hell. She knew that this wasn't the heart of Hell. This was only a "Gate Way". She was not quite sure how she knew it was a gateway; maybe it was how the bones protruded the area and the blood and possibly the lack of heat in the place. Adrianna leaned down and picked up the golden elixir. She turned to her friends and gasped as she found about five Blood Knights behind them. She shoved the elixir into her bag and shot at one knight to let her friends know there was danger about. They noticed and turning began to attack. Daniel, Lothar, and Jayalm attacked. Adrianna was about to fight too, when a Snow Witch grabbed her from behind. She pulled her away. Adrianna dropped her bow and called the first thing that came to her mind.
"Derek!" she yelled as the demon pulled her through the hall. Adrianna pulled at the witch's hand that had wrapped around her neck. Adrianna dug her nails into the witch's skin and stepped on her foot. The witch let Adrianna go in a howl of pain and rage. Adrianna turned and kicked the witch in the stomach, pushing it away. The witch scratched Adrianna on the arm as it leaped at her. The witch shot a blue star of fire at Adrianna. It hit her in the knees. She fell, but got up quick, her legs stinging from the impact. The witch shot another ball at her head and it bounced off the edge of a sword that intercepted it. Adrianna looked up to see Derek. He looked at her and nodded, then Adrianna bounded forward throwing a punch in the witch's face, which knocked her off balance. Derek plunged his sword into the witch's stomach. The witch doubled over and fell to the ground. Derek turned to Adrianna,
"Are you alright?" he asked, handing Adrianna her bow, which yet again he had picked up on his way to save her.
"Yeah I'm fine," she said. Suddenly three Snow witches appeared and advanced on them. Two blood knights appeared in behind the witches. Derek turned, grabbed Adrianna's hand and ran in the other direction, Adrianna running with him. There were too many demons to fight with only two warriors. They ran around the corner. Adrianna aimed. The witch walked around the corner. Adrianna fired two arrows and hit the witch in the heart. Blood came to her mouth and trickled down the corner. Adrianna shuddered at her death, remembering her own near death. The witch fell to the ground. Derek peered around the corner. He turned quickly and started to run. Adrianna followed. She turned quickly sent two arrows flying into another witch who turned the corner. One hit the witch in the gut and the other landed in her chest. She kept going. Adrianna fired another arrow, which landed in the witch's chest. The witch fell as the two blood knights came around the corner. Adrianna turned and ran as fast as she could. She quickly caught up to Derek. He stopped and turned and saw the two knights advance towards them. He stood his ground. Adrianna aimed her lightning arrow at one knight and fired. It hit him and electrocuted him, but he kept coming. Derek charged the wounded knight. He sent lightning through the knight. Adrianna fired at the other knight. She kept firing at him until he fell. Derek finally finished off the other knight. Breathing heavily he walked back to Adrianna who let her bow fall from battle form.
"That was not nice," he said.
"Tell me about it" Adrianna said shaking her head. Derek looked somewhere behind her. Suddenly her knees gave out on her as a Snow Witch kicked her. Adrianna landed hard on the floor on her butt, the pain soaring up her back. She winced. Derek brought the sword up and around and swung his sword and sliced the witch open at the waist. The witch clutched her waist, retreated and fell to the ground a few feet away, a puddle of blue growing around her body. Derek gave a hand to Adrianna as she got up. As she got up she tripped on a rock on the floor and stumbled. Derek stopped her fall and held her in his arms. He was surprised at first and then his look changed. She slipped to full height in his arms. She whispered her thanks, beginning to blush. He continued to hold her. Why would he not let go? She felt safe but something felt different. Was it love? Derek's head moved closer to hers. It was then that she realized what was about to happen.
"Oh my God, he's going to kiss me!" Adrianna thought hysterically. His face neared her face. She looked into his eyes to read what he was thinking. There was something there maybe love but she couldn't be sure because just then a sword came between them separating them. Derek stepped back and turned his sword, hitting the blood knight that was between them in the chest. It didn't penetrate the armour. Adrianna shot an arrow into the knight's eye. He staggered back. Derek hit him again and he exploded into white smoke. His armour fell to the ground. Adrianna turned to Derek,
"We should find the others. They need us," she said blushing as she looked at him. He nodded,
"Do you have the elixir?" he asked. Adrianna nodded and they both headed back to the others. Now was not the time for Derek to go all mushy on her. Adrianna turned and caught sight of something.
"Derek. Wait I see something". Without waiting for a response, Adrianna ran across the room to what she had seen. It was a stand about waist high and made of bone. It was a rack of some sort and on top was a single staff. The staff was a deep crimson red, with small stone sized skulls on the shaft. On top of the staff was a brown wrinkled claw with a red orb in it. The claws tightly gripped the orb. Adrianna picked it up. She sensed a shrouded evil around her. She walked back to Derek who had followed her.
"Look what I found", she said looking down at the staff.
"Hmm what is it and what purpose does it serve?" he asked.
"I don't know. Maybe Cain can help us. Come on lets get back to the others and give Lachdannan his elixir". With that the two warriors ran off in the direction of their friends.
"Hey guys, we were worried about you" Daniel said walking calling over to Adrianna and Derek as they walked up.
"Sorry, we were attacked by a bunch of Snow Witches and knights". Adrianna said apologetically. "I take it you finished off these guys eh?" she continued.
"Yep. Do you have the elixir?" Daniel asked and looked at the staff strangely. Lothar shifted his weight uneasily. Perhaps he too felt the evil within this staff. She nodded to Daniel and then the group went back up to Lachdannan.