Chapter 18

They stayed at their current camp outside the other end of the woods for the rest of the day. The snow-capped mountains created a peaceful backdrop. Tomorrow they would be at the capital of the white city. The Crow father finally caught up with them at their camp sometime before sunset. He got off of his old black stallion and walked over to Death who was packing some warm clothes for Fury and food in his knapsack. He mounted Despair and the hawk settled on his shoulder. Death was ready to ride up the mountains and change. All he was waiting for now was Strife to fill the water of his canteen.

"You're still going to kill War." The Crow father guessed.

"Why won't you listen to me? In two days time, you and Fury will be able to face War as nephilim and the spell will be broken!" The Crow father said.

"In two days time, I will be in the capital-the throne room-and I will kill War. One way or another, it will end. Now leave me be." Death dismissed, like he was brushing the Crow father off. Strife came up and attached the canteen to the saddle bag.

"Maybe you should listen to the old man Death. It's worth a chance to try."

"You too, hmm?" He suspected Strife told the Crow father to follow them.

"Then you stay with the Crow father while I go to the capital."

"No, I'm coming with you. How else can you get past the gates?" Strife asked.

"I will find a way without your help." And with that, Death left them riding away to the mountain ahead of them.

Death rode up the rocky snowy mountain. He found a spot where the area was still surrounded by trees but not as much snow. He dismounted, tied Despair to a tree and set his hawk on a low branch. He started a fire and walked away. As day descended into night the transformation began and ended. It pitied and angered him that he and Fury have been reduced to this-living half-lives because of a man's obsession with Fury. No more Death told himself. No more. War was going to be dead in two days from now. Death had given up all hope of him and Fury ever being together again and he was going to make War pay for it. In spite of it all, the curse never stopped his love for her. If anything the curse made it stronger. The Crow father was wrong. There was no way he and Fury could face War in their normal forms together. He was going to kill War and he was going to do it for her-for them.

When Fury returned to her natural form she was nude and cold. It would have been colder if Death hadn't made the fire for her so she didn't freeze. She quickly rushed over to the bag and put on some of the clothes left for her-long leggings, a sweater, shirt, boots, and lastly Death's black cloak. It kept her warm and made her feel as close to Death (pun not intended!) as she possibly could be. By each passing day, she was regretfully forgetting his touch, but never his love. It was in the warmth of the cloak that brought back tender memories. She chuckled a bit as she realized it was oversized cloak for her.

Her growling stomach told her that she should eat. She found food in the pack and heated it up over the fire and heard a branch crack. Her head snapped in the direction of the sound. She relaxed as she saw Strife.

"Oh, hello Strife." She smiled and returned her attention to the warming dinner. Right after Death left, Strife told the Crow father of a plan he thought of earlier that day. The Crow father believed it could work but they will have to convince Fury for it to work.

"This may be our last night together, Fury." Fury looked at him, her eyebrows wrinkling.

"Why?"

"We have a plan Fury, to break the spell."

"You and Death?" Fury asked hopefully. Strife shook his head and the Crow father appeared beside Strife. Fury froze seeing the sight of the old man. She was never fond of him after learning it was he who had betrayed her and her love in the first place but if it could help release them from the curse, she was willing to try. After Fury ate her dinner they crossed to the other side of the mountain where the land was covered with snow. They made a camp again and afterwards, Strife and the Crow father began to dig a large hole into the cold ground. Strife was using Death's scythe and the Crow father was using a pot to shovel the dirt out. There was still light from the sky. Another hour or so and the sky would be completely dark.

"Keep digging!" The Crow father told him. He shoved Strife out of the way to dump some dirt out of the hole.

"Crow father! The hole isn't big enough for both of us."

"Hopefully, it will be big enough for the tiger." The Crow father grumbled. Fury was watching them from higher ground and smiled at them. They were silly, amusingly. She stood up and walked around. She looked back at the hole when she heard the Crow father cry out.

"What are you doing boy?" He growled at Strife angrily.

"When you kneel for your prayers, how do you get up?" Strife asked smartly. He was tired of being stuck in the hole with the old man as much as the crow father was.

"You ungrateful boy! Push me up! Come on!" The Crow father rose higher. His hands reached the higher ground when the roar of a tiger was heard.

"It's him." The Crow father said.

"He's coming." Strife put his hands on the Crow father's shoulders to brace him as he jumped off the old man and got out of the hole. The Crow father slid back down the hole grumbling under his breath. Strife ran to Fury.

"Fury, we're just covering the trap."

"Alright, hurry." She told him and looked back to find Death. She heard the roar again and turned around. She saw the tiger running towards her. From their hiding places behind snow forts, Strife and the Crow father saw him coming.

"He's coming across the ice." Strife said. Fury watched him anxiously, it was a good plan Strife told her. If he would fall for it, then their nightmare would be over. The ice cracked under the tiger's heavy footsteps and the tiger fell in.

Fury screamed in horror and ran onto the ice towards him when the ice cracked under her own feet. She realized it and dropped to her stomach and crawled as fast and lightly as she could towards Death.

"Wait Fury!" Strife called out.

"Strife help me!" Fury cried out, her eyes trained on the tiger that was struggling to get out of the icy water.

"He can't get out!" She shouted. Strife grabbed Death's scythe and tied a rope to it as he crossed the ice. The Crow father warned Strife to crawl on the ice like Fury so that he wouldn't fall under. Strife crawled on his belly and tried to catch up with Fury who was closer to the tiger.

"I'm coming Death!" Fury called out to him.

"Wait Fury!" Fury didn't wait for Strife. She had to get to Death. When she finally reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I've got you." She said to the tiger. She tried to pull him out of the water but he was just too heavy for her alone.

"He's too heavy! I can't pull him out! Strife!"

"I'm coming!" Strife yelled back. He sat up on the ice and stuck the scythe into a patch of thick ice. He grabbed the rope and crawled to Fury and Death.

"Hurry up boy!" The Crow father yelled from behind him. The old man grabbed hold of the scythe to hold it in place.

"Strife help us! I can't lose him!" Fury yelled, tears falling down her cheeks as she struggled to keep the tiger from falling into the water.

"No! He's slipping!" She cried out and tried to pull him up. Strife tied some rope around Fury so incase if she fell they could pull her out. He dived into the water and swam underneath the tiger and tried push him up. He backed off and swam back up. He broke the surface gasping for air. He swam over to the tiger and pushed him up again.

"Hold him!" The tiger struggled and moved away from Fury and fought against Strife as if he were keeping him in the water. He slapped Strife with one of his massive paws, dazing him for a moment.

"Hold him off Fury!" The Crow father yelled.

"No Death! Stop!" Fury yelled. The tiger pushed himself onto Strife as if he was using the nephilim as a board of wood to crawl out of the water. Strife cringed when one of its claws scratched his chest and ripped his shirt. He continued to push, holding his breath under the water and used all his strength to push.

With a final kick and push from Strife, Fury was able to heave the tiger from the water. It crawled out and nearly collapsed on the ice, drained of energy. Fury pulled off her cloak and wrapped it and her arms around him.

"It's alright. I've got you." She hugged him close to her and started to cry. She almost lost him.

Strife struggled to climb out, his energy was gone from fighting the tiger. The Crow father pulled on the rope that was attached to Strife, helping bring him out of the water. Strife lay on the hard ice, breathing heavily and holding the wound in his chest.

Fury looked at everyone. The Crow father was tired and worn out from pulling Strife all the way back to the snow. Death was a tiger that was tired and exhausted, having almost died and poor Strife. He went into the cold waters to save him and almost died himself. Two lives would've been lost tonight because of the curse War put on Fury and Death. The plan Strife and the Crow father came up with must work.