Then we struck.
Caen was first as he leapt out from behind the tree, his axe plowing into a man’s head before the group even had time to react. The sick crackling of bones and metal meeting metal echoed through the valley as he fell. Then I heard the deafening explosion of gunpowder. Blood poured onto the snow as the corpse of another man hit the ground, his face shattered by the impact of Caen’s shot. Black clouds covered the right flank as he continued his rampage.
“By the Pact!” the mage yelled as Aria raised her hand. I could imagine the tension in the air, but nothing happened. The two mages just stood there, as sweat poured down both of their brows.
“Do you really think Mother would approve of what you’re doing to Arlond? Do you even know?” Aria’s spite was clear. It was the first time that I had heard her yell with spite. It wasn’t a human voice, but rather the crackled voice of an angry banshee, about to take vengeance on some unfortunate souls.
The other mage was gritting his teeth, but I could see the skin on his hand…drying off. Flaking and withering. His entire arm was shrinking away before my eyes. Was this the price that Aria had spoken of? Yet when she used her magic, nothing happened to her.
There was no time to be lost in my thoughts. I let the arrow go as it skewered itself into the mage’s gut. I winced as a pained scream echoed through the valley. Aria’s eyes went wide as fog began to emerge. Did she lose control of her magic?
I had no time to notch another arrow though. I had heard the faded shouts. They weren’t about to let me take potshots and the entire lower area of the valley was turning into a fog bank. I dove, feeling one of my planted arrows punch me in the stomach, leaving me breathless.
Both bolts had failed to find their mark, though I had a face covered in snow. Not where I wanted to be, but better than getting riddled with holes. I took a moment to catch my breath, grabbed a nearby arrow, and surveyed my next target.
On the rare occasions that my father and I fought bandits, causing one or two deaths early on made the rest scatter. While these men panicked, they didn’t scatter. As the black smoke cleared, the captain and two other inquisitors had surrounded Caen. I saw another rush at Aria, poleaxe in hand while the mist dissipated. She was running now, up my hill while I aimed the shot.
Another crackle of gunfire. One of Caen’s assailants hit the snow as he skillfully parried the captain’s blade. Black smoke covered the scene again. Still two versus one.
The inquisitor going for Aria had to die. There was no time to aim carefully, so I let the shot fly. Another pained scream. The arrow had lodged itself in his shoulder, breaking his arm in the process.
Aria stopped running, and had taken the offensive, dagger in hand. The other mage was still desperately trying to use his magic, sweat dripping down his forehead. He was turning into a withered husk by the minute.
There was one last crackle of gunfire. I turned to Aria, but she hadn’t fired her shot yet. Then both of us turned to watch the iron blade of the inquisitors smash across Caen’s shoulders and he crumpled onto the ground. My jaws were open as the captain emerged from the black cloud, tossed the spent pistol into the snow, and let out one last smash with the blade.
I stood there, shocked, but the battlefield did not wait for me. A finger followed by the glint of a crossbow pointed at my direction. With no cover of mist I tried to rush for cover, but a soft thump had already found its mark. Searing pain. My left hand went limp as my bow dropped into the snow. I gripped my arm in agony as I dashed for cover. Off hand, tendon. More pain. I was sweating.
My head felt light, but there was the thumping of boots in my direction. My thoughts were a million a minute. I had medical supplies, but not with them still on the field. It was all going so wrong. The bolt had gone most of the way through, but not all the way. I could feel it poking at me as I slowly slid down the tree. Tears began to form as I grabbed my axe in my good hand. I was going to see this through, even though it felt like my arm was getting sawed off.
Then I heard a shriek. It was Aria’s voice, but then it got deeper. The snowbank itself trembled as I willed myself to peek past the tree I was using as cover. My jaws dropped. My eyes were wide open, in disbelief. Was…that Aria?
In front of me was a creature of myth. Armored in dazzling silver and white scales, a single one being as large as man. She stood as tall as the highest church, her long neck stretching beyond the tallest spire. Her tail could sweep men aside with a single passing flick. She stepped forward, and the ground shook in disbelief. The shocked mage was crushed before knowing what happened. There was rage in her eyes; bigger than a man’s head and many times more intimidating.
The soft clang of steel sinking into the snow as men gave up their will to fight, silenced by her mere presence. I felt it too. Fear, deep and primal. Just moments ago, I had occupied a world that believed the dragon were a myth. Beings of story. Now I didn’t know what to think. Claws, longer than great swords, descended on the cowed inquisitors as I ducked away from the slaughter. They had accepted their judgement. Pools of red filled the snow as bodies were tossed about, some of their hands still desperately praying to a god that no longer heard their cries. The sounds of combat were replaced by the sounds of slaughter. Only the red color of blood and the sounds of men dying.
Then a shake; a man had landed by my side. His eyes were closed, his helmet doing little to hide the tears still in his eyes. His entire torso had been eviscerated. Staring at him triggered a primal urge in me.
I shook my head, trying to separate the pain of combat from my thoughts. I knew Aria. I understood Aria, who she was, what made her laugh, and what made her cry. I didn’t understand this…thing. I was now confronted with the fact that I didn’t understand her either. I wanted to curl up in a ball, to run.
With a stomp, the slaughter had turned to silence. Mangled bodies and shattered corpses lay in the snowbank. The great beast was digging now, massive heaps of the earth being tossed about with frantic desperation. I watched as it carefully grabbed Caen’s mangled body and lowered him into the ground. A spark of hope shot through me. Maybe she was still in there.
As the last mound of earth was placed over Caen, the great white beast turned towards me. I gulped and froze, faced with a creature whose claws stained the snow red wherever it went. If that was Cestra, then she liked me? Right? That’s what Aria had said?
“Aria…Aria?” I begged, I pleaded that she was still in there. It eyed me ever closer, as its massive head approached. My heart dropped. Aria? She still had to be in there, right? My breath quickened. My hand was still on my axe. Did…Did this thing even feel pain? Did this creature…could it even be killed?
Then it stopped. Its giant eyes swiveled downwards. My heart stayed still as it looked into my eyes again, before disappearing into soft mist. The same freezing mist that I had seen Aria command time and time again.
I breathed a sigh of relief, pressing my one good hand against my chest. Yet, the damage it had done was very real. I stared at the corpse of half a man right beside me, his eyes still opened in terror despite being very, very dead.
“H-Hey…”
I looked up to see Aria’s eyes filled with sick worry. Her clothes were covered with chunks of snow. Her hands were dyed red, still dripping with blood. Half of me saw the very same girl that I had grown to love and spoil…and the other half saw a divine…thing. Something whose understanding reached beyond my own. A god made flesh.
“Are…you back?” I dropped the axe. The fight was over. Yet I saw the worry on her face turn to a frown. Her eyes avoided mine.
“That wasn’t Cestra. That was me, Charlotte, that was me too.”
I could hear the soft pitter-patter of blood dripping from her hands onto the white snow. I clenched my wounded arm even harder as a pang of burning pain seeped deeper into me.
“I’m…” I began, as I saw the tears forming in her eyes.
I wasn’t thinking about the pain or what had happened before, but moved faster than I ever had before. As she looked up, I wrapped my one good arm around her, giving her the warm embrace that she never truly had. It hurt like hell, but it was something I wanted. I was something she needed.
“I understand.” I softly stroked her hair as she sobbed into my cloak. Her still-bloodstained hands wrapped around me as the sounds of sobbing filled the battlefield.
“I just…it’s all my fault. Caen! You! I just want to do the right thing, but whenever I try…” Her quiet sobs mixed with her painful scream, while I tried my best to comfort her.
“It never works! It never, never works! I just want it to be over!”
I felt her head shaking underneath my cloak as I continued to gently stroke her hair. “I just want to stop losing people! Stop all of this! I just want it to end!” She let out muffled screams of pain as I continued to comfort her.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. We’ll make it work..” I tried to reassure her before she let me go. I let out a gasp of relief as her tearstained eyes looked up at mine. Her eyes looked apologetic, disappointed in herself. Spent. Her hands gripped her dress nervously as she looked away to survey the destruction.
“Charlotte…it’s okay if you go.” She turned away from me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “I’ll patch you up. I can even drop you off at Miiv, but I understand if you want to go.” She didn’t make eye contact with me as I stood there, furious.
We just had this talk a little over a week ago.
“I know you like…” She sighed. “I know you like the me before this. Before you realized what I am.” She began to turn around, but I stepped forward, my one good arm extended.
