User blog:DaWalkinWaffle/King of Steel: Part XXV

8 ~ r

"Why hasn't the Firedrake disappeared?" Eze asked. Winter looked up from Revan and frowned. The Firedrake's corpse should have disappeared by now. He sheathed Revan and wandered over. Chaos kicked it experimentally.

"Well, you do sometimes get spoils of battle." Chaos said. He went over to the dragon's head and looked into its mouth. He poked the teeth.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Winter asked. Chaos assumed a hurt expression.

"You question me? After what I've done for you?" He poked the teeth again. Winter rolled his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Winter asked.

"When a corpse is left like this, some...stimulation will-ah! There we go!" The Firedrake's body seemed to fold onto itself and began to glow. Winter held up his hand to shade the light. When it went away, a dark blue cape remained. Chaos grabbed it and held it out. Winter looked at it more closely. He could tell it was made of the dragon's scales. The cord that allowed him to wear it was lined with it's teeth.

"This was from a Firedrake?" Winter asked skeptically as he grabbed it and put it on. Chaos shook his head cheerfully.

"I was just giving you more confidence. That was a Dragon Graven. The cape should have some...other properties. Now where did Rowgen and Lario go off to?" Winter frowned at this new piece of information. He opened his mouth to speak but Hadaron interrupted him.

"I wouldn't worry about too much. I have only dealt with him for a few hours and, well, you know." Hadaron said and gestured at Chaos vaguely.

"I guess so. I think I'll take his opinion like a grain of salt. So, you and Zellha are going to go roaming?" Winter asked.

"Probably." Zellha said and turned away. Winter saw that even though they weren't hateful, Hadaron and Zellha still wished they weren't Rejected. Winter frowned then came to a decision.

"I will accept your services, if you offer them." he said suddenly. Hadaron and Zellha looked at him with surprise.

"Y-you will?" Zellha whispered. Winter nodded.

"Then I pledge my services to you. Winter." Zellha said. Winter turned to Hadaron.

"I do as well."

"Excellent! Now let's eat! Lario and Rowgen got us some food!" Chaos said cheerfully. Hadaron turned to Winter and pointed at Chaos.

"Is he with you often?" he asked.

"You could say that." Winter said, keeping a straight face. Hadaron sighed.

"More's the pity." This time, Winter couldn't help but grin.

"Indeed. He may surprise you though." Hadaron grunted.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

"We can climb down here and cut passing through Mt. Craylia straight to the Blood Forest." Winter said, pointing out the path on their map. Will and Rowgen studied the selected course critically.

"We could. Or more accurately, you could. That winding path is too narrow for a large group. It will just be you and Chaos." Will said.

"If the route is sturdy. It's a gamble, but if it pays off, you'll make the best of the day and maybe tomorrow." Rowgen said.

"I'll do it then." Winter said and rolled up the map.

"Now?" Will asked.

"Yes. No sense in waiting." Winter said. He nodded to his units and de-summoned them. He turned to Chaos. "You ready?"

"I'm always ready." Chaos said. Winter and Chaos started down the steep path.

"We have to be careful." Winter said.

"You don't say. Besides, even if you or I fall, we'll both probably survive." Chaos said. Winter didn't like the way he said probably and couldn't find a suitable reply so he didn't respond. After an hour of nerve-racking walking, they made it to the bottom of Volcano Eldent.

"So this is the Blood Forest."

"Yes. Now-"

"Winter! Where have you been?" Winter turned to see Tilith standing nearby.

"Up the volcano." Winter said.

"Hmmm. Anyways, congratulations! You beat Abaddon!" Tilith said cheerfully.

"I think he would know that." Chaos said dryly. Tilith turned towards him.

"Stop being so mean. Winter beat Abaddon!"

"You have made that abundantly clear." Chaos said.

"Hmph! You should stay with nicer people Winter. He could be a bad influence."

"I'll keep it in mind Tilith." Winter said.

"Well good luck on your way to Maxwell!" Tilith said. As she turned away to leave, Chaos stopped her. Their eyes met and Chaos's flashed dark. Tilith's eyes widened. She nodded to Chaos and left.

"What was that?" Winter asked. Chaos looked at him.

"What?"

"Why'd you stop her? And why did your eyes god dark-ish?" Winter pushed on. Chaos shrugged.

"I like to be.....remembered. So to speak. Now let's go, shall we?" Chaos said.

"Sure." Winter said.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Winter studied his two options. He could find a way to cross the near endless chasm from the edge of the Blood Forest to the Secluded Sanctuary or he could scale Mt. Wistoria. The latter was safer but more time consuming. The former was the opposite.

"What do you think Chaos?" Winter asked.

"Cross the chasm." he replied immediately.

"How?"

"Practice."

"How? And what?" Winter asked him.

"We'll see how long you can sustain a creation of your energy." Chaos said. Winter then got his meaning.

"I can't do that! I could barely keep a small orb under control!" he exclaimed.

"You might have if you hadn't lobbed it at my face," Chaos said. "just do it." Winter scowled.

"Fine." He closed his eyes and concentrated. A bridge. Spanning the gap. But he couldn't quite get it.

"Relax. No need to try so hard. Remember, the energy is your friend."

So Winter relaxed. He didn't know how long he sat there. But when he opened his eyes, it was dark out. He looked at the chasm and started in shock.

"Did I make that?" he asked incredulously.

Spanning the entire chasm, was a long, silver bridge.