Wishes and Lost Hope
Chapter Four
Snowflakes
The sun was setting. That meant that the arctic forest would soon be a lot colder. Larc did not have to worry about the cold as much as Athena did. The woman envied not having the thick fur that the wolf-man did.
They had traveled half the day through the cold white wilderness. Athena probably would have stopped for the night when the sun went below the horizon, had a glimmer of pale light not caught her attention. Curious, she strained to see what the flicker was beyond the line of snow-covered trees.
"Do you see that?" she asked her companion, starting towards the green that seemed to seep forward slowly.
"I don't see anything," Larc replied, "I can smell something though." He readied his axe and took a stance behind her. Whatever it was seemed to have a calming influence, which he did not trust.
"It's like," Athena thought for a minute, and continued advancing slowly, "It's the air has a light of its own."
The green glow in the moved with the wind, and Athena was soon following it without hesitation. Larc kept pace without trouble, all the while realizing that the smell was growing stronger. He could not see the light Athena saw, and she said nothing about the scent.
"Goddess be blessed," Athena gasped, stopping suddenly, "Do you see it now?"
A cliff, perhaps fifty feet high and that had been cloven in two by some earthquake or event, nestled a tree that stood taller than the cliff. Around the tree, and seemingly flowing from it, the green mist moved about in thick clumps.
"I don't see what you do," Larc replied, hefting his axe over one shoulder. The smell was stronger than ever, "What is that, though?" he pointed to a cave-like opening in the tree.
"Only one way to find out," Athena said cheerily. She rushed towards the hole and peered within, "Oh wow."
Larc approached and glanced up into the tree's interior. His eyes adjusted quickly to the green light that emanated from within and he laughed softly. A mana crystal was suspended inside the tree's trunk.
"It's beautiful," Athena said simply. Larc stepped back and examined the tree.
"Hmph," he grumbled, "I never knew."
"Never knew what?" Athena asked, joining the dragoon and looking up. The large tree was covered in snow and icicles, all of which reflected the green mist's light. She blinked in surprise, "Those aren't icicles are they?"
"No, they're fruit," Larc snorted, "I searched for them once, thinking to end my curse."
"What do they do?" the woman stepped towards the tree and reached towards its lowest branches.
"They have powerful properties," the wolf-man replied, "When mixed with certain herbs or spells."
"What kind of properties?" Athena asked, her fingertips only brushing the bottom of the branch. She cursed a mentally and looked over her shoulder.
"It depends," Larc considered, "I searched for them to restore life. Though there are many other uses."
"Restore life, eh?" Athena's focus cleared, "What would that entail?"
"Blood," the dragoon tried to remember. The old book had been falling apart by the time he had gotten to it, "The ghost, and holy water. I'm not sure if there was anything else."
"Blood?" Athena asked, "Hey, give me a lift here please?"
"Blood of the person you're trying to revive," Larc said, crouching so that the smaller human could climb onto his shoulders easily. He stood and the woman grabbed her branch. She pulled herself up and, as an afterthought, dropped her backpack to the ground below.
"Does it have to be fresh?" Athena called down, reaching for the next branch.
"By the Goddess, no," Larc laughed, "You think I'd be looking for a way to revive myself years later if it required fresh blood? No, any blood will do. Dried, or fresh or whatnot, as long as it's from the right person."
"Hey, you never know," Athena said, reaching for one of the icicle like fruit. Once in hand, she stared at it in disbelief. There was a small glowing sphere inside the transparent skin. 'Like the sun in an icicle,' Total wonder overtook her, and she lost herself within her thoughts until Larc called to her.
"Hey, are you alright up there?" the shout broke her trance, and she grinned.
"Never better," she called back, collecting a few more of the fruit and dropping them to the snow below, "Look out."
Three of the fruit survived the fall, and Athena climbed down with a smile. She wondered if there was any way that the dead could hear her. If they could, they might have heard the quiet, but determined, "I'm coming," that she swore as she jumped from the lowest branch and landed in the snow below.
"Larc, dearest?" Athena asked as she carefully bundled the fruit in a spare shirt, "Is there any way you could get me into the underworld?"
The dragoon snorted, "I could kill you here, or do you mean something else?"
"I mean alive if possible," the mercenary replied, "Or at the very least, not dead."
"There are ways," Larc said, "as you know."
Athena pulled her backpack over her shoulders and smiled, "Let's go find a way then, I've got debts there."
"You're insane, I'll have you know," Larc stated, looking around cautiously, "But let's go. I don't like the smell of this place."
Athena nodded. She tucked the bundle close to her body and the two were soon swiftly on their way. Neither noticed the large white form that shifted in its sleep as they passed it by.
oOo
"I don't care," Sierra growled slowly, "what your personal preferences to me as your traveling partner are. I am not leaving you alone until you answer my questions."
"We shouldn't have stopped," Elazul considered, ignoring the dragoon, "we would have found them by now."
"Yeah, but at least their tracks are clear now," Daena said, looking over the snowlands. Two sets of tracks were deeply set into the snow. It was not hard to guess which were Athena's.
"Why wasn't she more cautious?" the Jumi asked, annoyed at the thought.
"It's not as dangerous as it used to be," Daena shrugged, "Or maybe she's in a hurry. It's better for us anyway."
"Let's go," Elazul ordered, starting forward. He stopped and looked back when he realized neither of the women-creatures was following.
"You could say 'please'," Daena suggested.
"Please," the young knight sighed after a minute, "Can we please go?"
"Certainly," the feline replied, falling in behind him.
"Please, hmm?" Sierra wondered, "So if I were to ask, 'please tell me what you were doing in my forest?' you would answer?"
"Sure," Daena said, smiling at the dragoon.
"Please tell me what you were doing in my forest."
"We were traveling with a friend," Elazul supplied, following the path of disturbed snow, "But she took off without us. You found us, we were looking for her."
"I see," Sierra had little trust for the pair of wanderers, "Athena. What are you looking for–"
"Hey, do you hear that?" Daena suddenly asked.
"Hear –?" Sierra began, but stopped. She could smell a faint scent that was strangely familiar.
"I dunno," Daena replied, "but it's like… music, very pretty. And very faint."
"What are you talking about?" Elazul wondered. To him, the air seemed strangely heavy.
"Whatever it is, it's coming from the same way they went," Daena observed, "Let's go."
Daena led the way, and the travelers found themselves at the large tree that Athena and Larc had discovered the night before. Daena claimed that the music had grown louder, but neither of her companions seemed able to hear it. Sierra kept the scent to herself, but would have agreed that it was stronger. Elazul might have said that the air had grown more oppressive had he thought about it.
"That," Daena stated, "Is a big tree."
"Yes, it's very impressive," Elazul said impatiently, watching his companions move to examine the tree, "Do we really have time for this?"
Daena turned, and her expression immediately changed. She reached for her weapons. Sierra looked over her shoulder and did the same. Elazul's paled at his companions' reactions, and his hand went to his sword's hilt.
"It's big, furry, and has big claws," Elazul asked nervously, "And it's standing right behind me isn't it?"
"Three out of four ain't bad," Daena replied shakily.
"Okay," the Jumi sighed, "Just making sure,"