FSE

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"How much longer, Chester?" asks the familiar voice of the deer, calm and quiet as the white flakes that slowly drift from the heavens.

"Shouldn't be too much further, Ser. I've checked the map several times to ensure we're on the right path and it looks like we're almost to the valley."

"Good," he grunts, a white puff of air passing his lips as he trots ahead, the quiet rustle of his armor accompanying his every step.

I sigh softly, silently readjusting my robes before reaching to my side, gently placing my hand on the hilt of my sword.

Still there... good...

The quiet clop of the horses hooves against the frozen ground accompany us as we make our way along the seemingly unwalked path, the occasional whisper of bird's song breaking the quiet that'd formed between Arthur and I.

I take a deep breath of the crisp winter air, the faint sting of the cold biting at my lungs as I look ahead, a small clearing forming in the woods we'd been wandering through.

"Up ahead, Ser," I remark, pointing toward the clearing.

With quiet steps, we approach the opening in the thick cluster of trees, taking a moment to scan the valley below with our naked eyes.In the distance, perched in the blanket of white, I make out a small town; not a single soul seems to roam the area. Dim lights resonate from the confines of the smaller houses and the faint smell of smoke touches the air. Clearly, the village still had life in it, though it seemed rather hesitant to show its colors, as if it were afraid from to be ravaged by an unseen horror.

"Denneria's just up ahead," I state as my gaze shifts to the deer, his own watchful stare still fixed on the small town.

"Something's not right, here. Can you feel it, Chester?"

I nod.

"Whatever it is, it's making my skin crawl," I chuckle, feeling the tingling touch of goose bumps lap over my arms and neck before shooting down my spine and into my feet.

"Ever fought a shifter before?"

My ears prick as he speaks those words, a quiet but abrupt grunt escaping me.

"He's a shifter?"

The deer nods.

"Indeed he is."

"What sort?"

"One of the bigger, more feral ones. He'll probably be disguised as a child or something of the like. Even though he's bigger and dumber than the rest, he's not stupid, so stay on your toes. Got it?"

"Understood, Ser."

After drawing a long, audible breath, Arthur breathes a heavy sigh, deftly mounting his horse and motioning for me to do the same.

"It'll be okay, Leyla," I whisper to my mount, gently stroking her mane before hopping into my saddle.

We both give a gentle shake of our reigns, setting in motion our cautious descent to the town of Denneria.

A large shifter... The old tomes said they're very aggressive and highly unpredictable... This'll be my first real fight against one... I just hope I can meet Arthur's expectations... Well, that, and that I don't get killed.

The white veil that drapes the landscape quietly folds beneath the weight of the equines' hooves, their steady steps carrying us closer and closer to morosely painted village.

The thick scent of smoke wafts through the air, the distinct smell of burnt flesh not present in the smoke that slowly rises from the town.

"No one's burning any bodies, at least," I chuckle, trying to erase the images of the last village we saw, ransacked and burned to the ground.

"Glad you caught that, too. Was thinkin' I'd be the only one who would," he replies, his stoic tone making the growing feeling of unease no more bearable than it was before.

The light peering forth from the windows seems to glow brighter as we approach, faint silhouettes appearing at the panes to stare at the vagabond pair stepping cautiously into their village.

"See anyone?"

I can hear the deer's armor rustle as he shakes his head.

"Not a soul."

A teetering breath fills my lungs, my paranoia slowly tightening its grip on my conscious thought.

"Where could they all be?"

I look from side to side, still trying to seek out any sign of a living presence beyond the almost abstract marks of residence.

"Hiding," he mutters, his calm green eyes looking toward me.

"Then... is the shifter already-"

"Shhh..."

The deer hushes me, his finger resting against his lips.

Something was off. I could feel the unease crawl along my spine and into my bones, my whole frame beginning to quiver as a quiet panting begins to surface in my attention.

I glance toward the deer, a look of confusion plastered onto my face.

He simply nods, gesturing toward the alley only a few paces away.

Hesitantly, I look toward the small space between the buildings, a slender, canine figure standing in the shadow. His crystalline eyes glow faintly as his body shakes, his muzzle hanging open as if he were trying to scream; it only takes a moment for me to see why.

"Ser there's a-"

"I know."

Slowly, the deer draws his blade, his keen gaze fixed on the hulking beast situated behind the wolf, his tattered clothes barely keeping him from the cold.

The low glow of the beast's red eyes shines through the dimming vale of nightfall, the fiery sheen almost paralyzing me.

"I'm going to draw him out. You get the wolf and take him somewhere safe. Once you've got him taken care of, come back and help me out; I can't handle him by myself."

"But Ser-"

"That's an order, Chester."

I simply nod, feeling the heat of my element beginning to blossom in my palms as I exhale nervously.

Arthur dismounts his horse, whispering a short foreign phrase to him before letting his steed gallop into the distance, leaving him on his feet and armed for battle.

"I'm gonna need your help, first. You'll need to light him up for me so you can grab the wolf before he gets him. Go for the eyes, alright?"

A nervous nod followed by a soft statement of confirmation signaling my readiness.

Slowly, I remove my gloves, placing my middle finger against my thumb as I stare at the cascading shifter, his hot breath creating wispy puffs of white in the cold air.

The deer looks to me one last time before he crouches into his battle ready stance, signaling his own readiness for what was to come.

I don't dare hesitate, snapping my fingers with the loud sound of igniting embers, the beast's sight immediately being robbed from him as he releases an ear-splitting howl of pain.

Arthur takes the chance and darts toward shifter, deftly leaping atop the roof of the house closest to them and descending upon the demon like a predator.

I act on the impulse of fear, giving Leyla a strong tug of the reigns and watching as I draw close to the practically nude young wolf.

"Up!" I shout, offering my paw as I hear the pained screams of the beast grow more distant, Arthur likely having lead it away from the alley.

The canine does as I command, hopping on the back of my horse and clinging to me like a child.

"Where can I take you so you'll be safe?" I ask, feverishly looking from left to right while still poised to incinerate anything that gets near us.

"Th-The Inn," he stammers, pointing toward one of the larger buildings near the edge of town.

With a swift motion and hasty snap, I redirect my mount to the inn, guiding us with precision and ease toward our destination.

The drone of my heartbeat keeps pace with the rapid dance of hooves against the frozen ground, a booming crash from behind us cutting between the even rhythms and drawing our attention.

"What in the...?"

I glance back, the flurry of sparks and dashes of crimson dancing on cold winds of winter.

A muffled swear escapes my lips as I close in on the inn, slowing down as the unfamiliar residence grows near.

"Hop off. I'll be back to take care of you in a minute," I command.

The wolf does as I ask of him, hastily dismounting and scampering under the small overhang of the inn's roof. I dismount my horse, carefully guiding her toward the canine.

"Take care of her for me. If I don't come back, keep her. Her name's Leyla. Got it?"

He hastily nods, glancing over to the horse before speaking an odd, foreign phrase I'd never heard before. Whatever it was, it seems to calm her.

I swiftly remove my robes, wrapping them around him before looking into his eyes.

"Keep warm for me. You're my responsibility now, so stay here, alright?" I instruct.

Again, the canine nods.

"Good. May fate's maidens protect you," I whisper, turning to face my foe.

"Chester!" calls the familiar voice, the stress evident in his pitch.

"I'm coming! Stay clear of his legs!" I command as I sprint toward them, my heart pulsing like a piston as my leather under-armor shakes with each step I take.

Breath after breath of stinging cold fills my lungs, Arthur somehow still dancing nimbly about his hulking opponent. I watch him move like the wind, making elegant cuts in this thick hide as my steps carry me closer and closer.

"Careful!" I shout as I snap my finger with an audible sizzle, the beast's right leg almost immediately giving out as I do, a cone of bone shards and blood bursting from his knee and onto the snow. An agonizing roar cuts into the air as I snap my fingers again, not hesitating to bring it death.

A gush of red smattered by white spurts from his left knee, causing him to stumble forward and rock uneasily, giving Arthur the perfect opening.

"Get the neck, Chester! I can get him from below!" he commands as I begin to circle the two, Arthur hastily cleaving his sword into the burnt flesh of the beast's knees.

An earsplitting shriek pierces the air as I snap my fingers, materializing a fiery blast against the back of its neck. My unholy fire seers at its skin, causing the thick hide to bubble and peel away, revealing the vulnerable, segmented plate of bone beneath. I clap my hands together to give a final, weakening blast of my magic, ready to end the beast before I make it suffer any further.

Fire spills from the air in a vibrant plume of red, painting his dark skin a scorching crimson and peeling away his thick hide. The distinct scent of charred flesh slinks through the air, nearly causing me to lose my focus.

Keep it together, Chester! You can't get weak in the knees now!

With a single, swift cut, the cries of agony end, the abruptness of the silence constricting me as I watch the rain of scarlet shoot from the elegantly made wound.

Speaking not a word, Arthur steps forth from behind the collapsing body, the corpse falling to the ground with an audible thud.

"Where's the wolf?" he asks, soft pants escaping into the air as he looks toward me.

I swiftly put back on my glove, pointing toward the inn before sheathing my sword.

The deer nods, whistling a three note tune to call his mount back to his side.

In almost complete silence, we make our way back to the wolf. As we approach him, I can already see the shock in his eyes, the unease about him evident in every facet of his body's speech.

"Are you alright, little one?" asks Arthur, his calm gaze fixed on the clearly distressed young canine.

He simply nods, his eyes shifting to look toward me.

"Y-You... how did you... w-with the fire?"

My eyes widen as he asks me such a question, somewhat embarrassed by his forwardness.

"What? My magic?"

He nods.

"Y-Yes."

"What of it?"

He shuffles diffidently, glancing at Arthur before looking back at me.

"How... did you learn?" he mutters.

I can't help but smile a bit, his innocent tone allowing me a moment of repose.

"Practice. Why do you ask?"

"N-No reason..." the wolf murmurs, his reply's soft end cut short by a joyous exclamation.

"The beast's dead! We're finally safe!"

As if someone had just spoken the magic words, countless people begin to peek out from their houses, some of the inn patrons even stepping forth to look at us in awe, as if unable to wrap their heads around the fact we'd killed the shifter.

"Were you two responsible for this?" asks a bearded, older fellow, his voice flowing like thick smoke from a chimney.

"We are. Is there a problem?" replies Arthur, his keen gaze fixed on the human.

The old man lets out a bellowing laugh, his whole frame shifting as he does.

"Problem? Hah! Far from it! You've done this town a favor, son. Tonight, you two will sleep in our finest beds and be given only the finest whores. Tonight is a night for celebration!"

Arthur and I glance at one another, the deer giving a nonchalant shrug as he agrees to take the elder's offer.

Without a moment of hesitation, he guides the deer inside, motioning for me to follow.

I glance back to the wolf, still clinging to my robes.

I can't leave him all by himself, especially after he almost got eaten by a shifter.

"I'm not gonna leave you out here all by yourself, so I hope you're okay with sharing a room with me."

His eyes seem to light as I say that, the forwardness of my statement seeming to take him by surprise.

"Th-Thank you, Ser," he stammers.

"Please, call me Chester. And what's your name?"

The ashen furred wolf sighs hesitantly before replying.

"Medias," he whispers, as if afraid to speak his own name.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Medias. Now, shouldn't we be getting inside? It's a bit chilly out here, don't you think?"