[Story] Echoing Howls, Thundering Hooves

[DecoLamb 959]

Caoimeh stood atop the castle balcony, a worried gleam misting her eye. Something was off... Holm, an island of snow and ice, of frosted breath and frozen sea, was not as it should be. There was an almost tepid climate these past few weeks, something unheard of even in the summer season. This was the month of the deep cold, there was no logical reason for the ice and snow to wither in the manner it was.

A deep panting filled the queen's ears, drawing her eyes downward. She smiled as she saw a small pack of the local wolves playing in the snow, tails wagging and pink tounges flopping about as they bounced and rolled in the wispy grasses around them, paws tearing up the melting snow. Not many would think they were wild, given how gentle and affectionate the pack usually was. They were often seen playing fetch with the island's children, happy and carefree in the peaceful life Holm offered them.

Off in the distance, the lowing of reindeer carried across the castle grounds. These animals had become a staple of Holm, their meat and milk sustaining the small nation, their hides offering warmth against the cold. They, and the wolves, were truly the guardians of the frozen island, the lifeblood within it.

Caoimeh turned, shouldering her snow bear pelt caplet as she headed down the stairwell, the hard bone that made the heels of her boots clicking against the redwood floor. She glanced to her throne as she passed it, a backing of iron covered with intricate carving and detail. It made her smile, most though her seat meant less than her husband, his being made of gems and gold, though it was deeply untrue. The pair were equal, all in Holm were. The youngest farmer was of no higher standing than the queen herself. Iron was strong and hard, used to craft armor to protect its wearer, while gold was used to make fine weapons of legendary quality to drive back any danger. She was the shield, he was the sword. Together they would defend the nation for all their lives, and maybe beyond that.

The queen walked slowly to the inn, looking up worriedly at the darkening clouds as they swirled above. Whatever was upsetting the balance.. was about to become far worse...

[DecoLamb 959]

Lafean panted softly in her exhaustion, smiling down at the tiny infant in her arms. It had been a painful ordeal, but it had been more than worth it for the child she had mothered. Her sweat soaked hair clung to her face as she looked to Caoimeh beside her, lifting her arms slightly to show the newborn, "Look mother.. I did it.."

Caoimeh smiled softly, reaching out to brush back her surrogate daughter's hair gently, cupping the young elf's face, "Yes.. you did such a good job darling. She's beautiful..."

A sudden rumble ended the maternal warmth growing within the inn, a deep crackling ripping through the gentle silence. Caoimeh turned with a jolt, teeth grit and brow furrowed as she glared out the window, fists clenched as she stared into the darkness outside. A storm, sudden and fierce, and come down upon the island, a bone chilling cold swallowing the island whole.

Loud thumping came from below as citizens poured into the inn, as well as guests that had just walked off the ship, ushered quickly in by the worried sailors. So sudden was the storm, that there wasn't barely time to close the windows before the snow poured in, spilling across the floor in its deathly cold.

Lafean's partner Isabelle rushed downstairs, ushering in the last of the people before slamming the heavy doors shut, sealing out the cold. Dark ice crept over the windows and the iron door, howling winds shaking the panes violently. A young woman within the inn gave a low whimper as she looked to the glass, crying out in fear as she turned against her friend.

A deep howling began to rise from outside, the cries of the local wolves, though this time their voices were distorted, and it seemed as though there were far far more than the pack normally consisted of.

The cries would ring through the night, an odd tense feeling within the inn swelling bit by bit. Words slowly became harsher, eyes sparking with growing animosity. The shadows seemed to darken, dancing against the flickering of the fire. A quiet chuckle rang out, unheard by those within the inn as the dark ice seeped ever further, slowly covering the tavern in a determined crawl.

=======

A horrid scream ripped through the night, the windowpane crashing inward as a bone-chilling blast of iced wind burst forward, causing those within to cry out in a mix of surprise and fear. Botar stood quickly, yanking up one of the fur coverings off a nearby couch and covering the broken glass. He bade the group to move away from the door, but his voice was swept away by the wind, a deeper roar drowning him out.

"Devour! Devour! We will devour them all! We will swallow all evils whole!"

A young woman screamed in fright, backing away as she turned to her friend, gripping his arm tightly as her eyes darted about fearfully. The tall male wrapped his arm around the smaller female, glaring beneath his mask into the darkness.

"Botar..." whispered a gentle voice through the wind, wisps of icy fog seeping down from the stairs and creeping along the floor, "Botar.. come home.. I'm waiting for you.."

"Dany?" mumbled the aging dwarven doctor as he turned, face pale in shock. A quiet laugh echoed out, the pale fog gently twisting around the short male. A mix of female voices began to call out, the voices of those the elder dwarf had lost along his lifetime, the affectionate whispers slowly drawing him up the crumbling stairwell to the upper floor.

"Come home Botar.. I'm waiting for you..." whispered the mist as it rose, a vague female form standing before the broken apart window frame, arms outstretched as she smiled gently. Botar began to rush forward, a hand outstretched as he gave a heartbroken cry. His friends, the baroness and young princess of Vallark, clung to him tightly, trying their best to force him back. They pushed best they could, though the stubborn wall of dwarf before them proved difficult to make yield.

The fogged form gave a shrill cry of rage as she rose, hands lifting as they became claws of black ice. As the creature clawed outward in rage, the masked man rushed forward, tentacles of black energy slamming against the dark ice, sending sparks of cold scattering across the floor. The women of Vallark dragged Botar away quickly as Salamandra stood against the banshee, his eyes steely beneath his mask. The icy beast rose, gripping her head as she let out a ghostly wail of rage and pain, dissipating quickly as the clouds began to break, sunlight pouring forth in strong beams from the dark clouds as the sky began to pinken with the coming of dawn.

The group would smile as they walked slowly out of the inn into the fresh wintery world, oblivious to the gathering shadows flowing past their feet, rushing towards the fountain in the center of town...

[DecoLamb 959]

A hideous wail ripped through the air as a massive form of black ice rose from the fountain, jagged teeth gnashing as it's malformed head swung about, looking to the crowd standing before the gates. It's jaws opened, giving another ragged wail as it swung a massive clawed hand, slamming it to the stone as shards of black ice began to rush forward across the brick.

The small group drew their weapons quickly, standing tall against the creature even though they were few. Pale wisps began to rise from the snow, the heavy panting of wolves filling their ears, the rushing patter of large paws on the snow as unseen lupines brushed past. Salamandra glared up at the distorted creature, a hand lifting in challenge as his black tendrils writhed and squirmed threateningly towards the blackened ice.

"It was supposed to be mine! I will have it no matter the cost!" screeched the creature, swiping at the shade mage with a distorted wail. Spikes of the ebony ice rushed forward, seeking to pierce the yielding flesh of any mortal it could reach. However its adversaries were too swift, and dodged away from the ferocious spears of frost, causing the creature to scream in purest rage.

A great howling joined its cries, ghostly wolves lifting from the snow, snapping angrily with crystal fangs. The mortals turned, realizing they were surrounded, and struck out at the phantom beasts, causing them to cry out and whimper in pain. They stared at Salamandra with clear blue eyes, a look of dismay and confusion as the pack paused for a short moment, then returned to their task.

Spears of ice slammed up into a wolf's chest, causing it to squeal in agony before its body melted away into nothingness. Still others pushed on, snapping and snarling at the dark behemoth, seeking to drive it back. Salamandra twisted, striking out with enchanted shadows and cutting a long swath of death through the massive pack, another young man letting lose a flurry of arrows as others stabbed at the phantom wolves.

With pained wails they turned away, vanishing into the misted snows from whence they came, their cries of woe quickly drowned out by the maniacal laughter of the dark frozen monster as it raised its horrendous limbs in a motion of victory.

====

The mortals began to pull back, looks of horror on their faces as they shrank away. Black ice pushing forward with even greater speed, frozen spikes bursting upwards as the bizarre monster laughed shrilly. Salamandra tossed his hand up, dark tendrils twisting together to form a thick shield against the massive blast of cold that slammed forward.

A bone chilling cold swirled around the group, the sky darkening to an inky black as the snow and sleet began to slam down in a heavy torrent, tiny shards of ice ripping at the soft skin of the mortals below.

"I will destroy it all! I will tear this land apart in my fury!"

The group shrank back, finally realizing that they had not driven back evil in attacking the wolves, but good. The phantoms had been trying to assist! What was there to do now? All hope seemed lost... Salamandra grit his teeth as he slammed his foot forward, hand tossed upward as mana twisted around him in dark tendrils, bursting forward as they tried to peirce the frozen monstrosity.

The tendrils beat upon the ice, tossing up a spray of off-color powder and bits of dark ice, but leaving no real mark behind. The creature cackled shrilly, a bone-rattling chatter as its teeth clicked together, a look of malicious glee in its translucent eyes. Salamandra glared at the creature, blue eyes sparming angrily behind his mask as his hand raised again to mount another attack.

As his hand lifted, a swirl of cool wind brushed past, carrying the sound of hoofbeats. Slowly the wind began to pick up, as did the volume and ferocity of the pounding of cloven hooves against hard packed snow. A deep lowing, loud snorts and groans, filled the air, vauge shapes starting to slowly form upon the tossed up powder within the swirling current of frosted air.

Salamandra looked back towards the gate, a curiosity within him of such depth he ignored the raging monster before him. All at once, the wind twisted and burst forward, taking the form of a massive reindeer herd, at least a thousand strong. Their gleaming black antlers and hooves, a sharp contrast against snow-white fur, blue eyes narrowed in anger as they surged forward. The cervids slammed through the group, phantom bodies passing harmlessly through the mortals as they funneled towards Salamandra and the beast.

They rushed headlong through the mage, heads lowering as they crashed their horns against the icey beheamoth, causing it to roar in agony. Endlessly they streamed through, hard hooves breaking apart the ice as they passed over it, forcing it to recede. The creatures arm lifted, trying to sheild its horrendous face as the herd swarmed over it, crushing it effortlessly as their bodies dissapated in shimmering golden light. Leaving behind utter silence, the mortals looking to each other in confused wonderment.

"Thank you, little mage..." called a soft whisper, "I have been trapped for so long... thanks to all of you fighting together, I was finally able to gather enough strength to break free..."

Salamandra looked back, jolting slightly as eyes of sapphire met his own icey blue. A massive caribou stood before him, nose barely inches from Salamandra's face. It gave a shake of its head, antlers of gold shimmering in the rising sunlight as it looked to the nearly collapsed in. Salamandra followed the phantom's gaze as horrid wails broke out, black whisps twisting about the old tavern in a screaming rage. The reindeer gave a stomp of its heavy golden hoof, a deep rumbling coming from the earth as the inn collapsed upon itself, crushing the dark mists and ending their ragged cries.

Salamandra felt a slight pressure against his back as the caribou dipped its head, soft nose pressing to the small of his back before it too, vanished, fading away in a wisp of sparkled light.

[Salamandra 1136]

[[People's MC names I remember who were there:

Botar

LilTim3000

Zamaru42

XBLxSNAZZLEZ

Auvereath

Meguzara

Cethis

Vardak

]]

[DecoLamb 959]

[[Finally done! Augh man.. only took two days to finish with my lazy self. Give me credit, most of it was done on an android phone..]]

[Cethis Vincrute 13]

((Great Job Deco.))

[emberhard 82]

((Oi, sally, I was there, I just hung back, went ninja ember and watched from a high-point...))

[Zamaru42 53]

Awesome Job!

I didin't help at all going mad from the voices.. XD

[Heero 4092]

[RP, EVERYWHERE! The joy Santa-Deco is spreading throughout the world of Asulon~]

[Botar 39]

( I love it.. but I feel to truly get a full account of every last detail everyone is going to have to make a post like this.. so.. time for me to dust off the old typing and grammer skills..)