Arthur's Point of View

Northern Forests

It somehow escaped me that Typhon didn’t need shelter. Even though he was young, he was still a Dragon. The cold affected him little, if not at all, and with his sharp sense of smell, he was able to avoid some of the bears in the area. These weren’t normal bears either. Much like the wolves and manticores of this world, the bears were far larger than anything I had ever seen. One was even the size of a small bus.

There were other fantastical creatures present. Some of which I was unfamiliar with. It seemed these trees hid many different types of animals, from overly large jackrabbits to strange ice lizards and snakes. At one point, Typhon even crossed some manner of snow yeti. It blended in with the surroundings, making it difficult to spot in the winter. He quickly ran away, which I couldn’t blame him. Anything able to survive in these woods with giant bears had to be formidable. Given its impressive size, I’d say it was more than a match for anything in these parts.

My return to Helmsforth was underwhelming. Greigh found a crew, as I had asked, along with transportation. The captain informed me they would need almost two weeks to prepare and gather all the supplies they might need. So, I had been here watching over Typhon for the last week or so. His actions had continually surprised me for someone I expected to be so sheltered.

Given that it had been a week, and despite my constant watch over Ty, my energy had returned. In hindsight, I should’ve handled things better with the Priestesses. With such low energy affecting my judgment, it continues to irk me that tensions were high, and I overreacted. Of course, it didn’t come from nowhere. I truly was getting sick of the two of them and their high and might attitudes.

All my pondering came to an end when a few magic signatures appeared on the horizon. They were coming in our direction, which immediately made me wary. Although, once they got close enough, I realized they weren’t a threat. Probably just some Zugal flying around the area. However, it was an angry roar that echoed through the trees and across the snow that got my attention to look back down.

Typhon's Point of View

Northern Forests

Before me stood a massive creature covered in fur. It was white like the surrounding snow, with the exception of its gnarled face and palms. If not for the trees, it would be even more difficult to see even with its impressive size. Towering over me by at least three times my own height, my first instinct was to run.

Turning to run, I immediately halted my actions as another of the beasts had snuck up behind me. “Oh…”

Jumping to the side as he swiped at me with its impressive claws, I was able to dodge into the snow. Rolling onto my feet, the creaking and cracking of wood gained my attention. The first creature had snapped one of the trees in two and hefted it into the air. It then turned to me with a snarl before bringing the makeshift weapon down on me.

Hopping to the side, I dodged the attack before turning and fleeing. However, the snow in front of me came to life as another one appeared to have been lying in wait. Jumping on top of it as it sprung out at me, I kicked off of it and began sporadically running through the trees. I’d quickly change directions as I heard the thundering of trees snapping in two with their roars right behind me.

These creatures were somewhat intelligent. They were definitely cunning enough to set a trap. Creating an ambush is not something I would’ve expected. Avoiding them up until now was the correct decision, but it seems more and more likely that they tracked me down and waited for the perfect moment to strike. The five of them chased me for what seemed like hours. I was starting to get tired from how fast they were. Their strides were longer than mine, after all, and trees didn’t really hinder them.

I ended up stumbling when the thumping of the broken trees started to rain down around me. One ended up clipping my leg, which ended with me on all fours. Looking back, I saw two more had joined the chase while three were throwing broken trees, rocks, and large clumps of snow at me. In the snow, on my knees, I took a deep breath as the beasts approached. Following Arthur’s instructions, I built up as much magic as possible in my core.

My own roar echoed through the area as flames spat from my mouth. However, the larger torrent of flames that spewed from my lips surprised me, but this was no time to be surprised. Showing no restraint since my task was to survive, I did my best to burn anything and everything. The two that were approaching, nearby trees, and even some of the surrounding snow to create a smokescreen so I could escape. The pained and fearful roars of the creatures put me at ease when they thundered off as their cries became more and more distant.

With the area around me burning, thanks to Dragon fire, I lay in the melted snow, exhausted. My vision began to fade as I heard the flapping of wings. Hazily, my attention turned to the sound and saw four forms landing near me.

“Arthur?” I whispered before passing out.