The Innocent Recluse - Ch. 7

Chapter 7: Wherein A Comeback Everybody Expected Occurs In A Way Nobody Expected

-L-

He grimaced.

-W-

Yes, yes... I was hoping you could contribute something slightly more substantial than Ivarn's facial expressions.

Ivarn went for a punch, but Winter played a quick tune, and the demon was knocked back by a burst of magic.

"That power... HE gave it to you, didn't he?"

"None other.  And a few other things, too."

-L-

What do you suggest then?  Comment on the weather?

-W-

I don't know, but just because the only major character you've been playing up until now is currently sealed in a jar beneath who knows how much dirt and stone doesn't mean there's nothing of value you can contribute, does it?

Winter put her flute to her lips and played again.  Ivarn made a move to stop her, but was too slow.

Everything began to vibrate.  The earth shook violently.  Both Winter and Ivarn struggled to stand their ground.

An earthquake.  Winter had summoned an earthquake.

-L-

The earth trembled and quivered and quaked, as if in paralyzing fear.

Careful, _Winter...

-W-

CRACK.

Winter and Ivarn both turned to look as the hilltop Winter's castle once stood upon was broken up by the vibrations.  Something fell out and rolled down the hillside as things quaked; Winter rushed down and intercepted it.

As she anticipated, it was a single jar.  One of her jars.

But no... this jar was empty.  She found the lid not far away.  So where was the one that was still occupied?

-L-

Then her flute was torn from her grip, and Ivarn had both hands around her throat, grip horribly tight.

He felt cold.

And now...he would try to rip our her soul.

-W-

NO!

Winter no longer had her flute, so she began to hum a melody.  She had no idea whether this would save her soul, but she had to try.

-L-

Ivarn gripped tighter, trying to cut off her air supply.

The SPELL _Winter... sealed your soul...HE CAN'T...

-W-

Winter finally ran out of air and had to stop.  She went limp.

...I hope... it works...

-L-

She was gagging for air...she was about to pass out...

Ivarn threw her to the ground with a yell of fury.

-W-

Winter quickly reclaimed her flute and her air supply.

"How...?"

"Take a wild guess."

"Ugh... fine.  I guess I'll have to separate your soul from your body the old-fashioned way."

Ivarn charged up energy in his hands.  Winter took the hint and ran.

-L-

RUN, Win_ter... R_UN!

-W-

Winter was already running.  She scrambled up the hillside, narrowly dodging a blast of magic from Ivarn.

Oh, this is hopeless!  If only I could find Len...

-L-

_Wi_nt_er...

His voice was growing more desperate.

-W-

"Hold still!"

Winter screamed as another blast of magic missed her and took out part of the hillside.

A faint, barely noticeable glow came from somewhere beneath the resulting crater.

-L-

_{w...i...n...t...e...r...}

WINTER!

The glow pulsed, emitting a faint hum.

-W-

!!!

Winter spotted the glow.  She went for it, scraping away some of the dirt and stone.  The glow became clearer the more she dug, but before she could get far...

"I would stop digging if I were you."

...from right behind her.

-L-

Don't risk _yourself for me, Win_ter.

-W-

You put yourself on the line for me.  Why shouldn't I do the same?

Without even turning around, Winter nailed Ivarn with her heel, sending him tumbling down the hill.  Then she resumed digging, and quickly exposed the source of the light.

-L-

The jar, white-hot and humming quietly, unchanged, untarnished.

As she reached for it however, a blast of desperate magic struck her in the side, sending her flying away and dislodging the jar, which toppled up and then rolled down over the stones, bouncing with a steady chink, chink, then disappearing into the long grass, the glow dimming.

Ivarn lunged for the jar, remembering at the very last second what it did to him; he grabbed, then threw it blindly, crying out as it blistered his palm and burnt off a layer or demonic skin, leaving it raw.

The jar sailed obnoxiously through the air, heading down to the flatter land, and Ivarn began to chant desperately as Winter began to sprint.

A spell to rip open a river; where hopefully that damned jar would be lost PERMANENTLY.

-W-

Oh please, oh please...

Winter began playing her flute rapidly as she ran after the jar.  This was a complex melody, so she had to play it quickly and carefully.

She finished it just in time.  A sudden, strong blanket of wind caught the jar and slowed its descent, permitting Winter plenty of time to catch up with it.

-L-

The jar rolled in the air, and Ivarn went for it as well, and as Winter blew more notes, Ivarn brandished his hand and evoked his own magic.

The jar tumbled and Winter just caught it, as it exploded.

-W-

Winter blacked out for a second when the jar burst in her hands.

...A slightly older Winter sat on a fancy throne, wearing her typical black cloak and red scarf, as well as an obviously royal tiara.  But something about the image was different this time.

As the lesser demon approached, probably to deliver his news report and annoy Winter by calling her by her full name again, she suddenly jumped from the throne.

"Can it!  I'm not sitting on that damn throne for an instant longer!  I don't know why I ever wanted to be the Supreme Demon Lord in the first place!"

Winter whipped off her crown and shoved it into the demon's hands.  "Take this damn crown and give it to someone who wants it, because I'm through wearing it!  I never want to see that throne or that crown again!"

After that, she stormed out of the room as the demon watched blankly.

...Winter's sight cleared.  What had just happened?

-L-

Ivarn looked equally stunned.

So did Len actually, though he was quite a bit more disoriented than the other two.

Because he was solid.  His fur was vivid, spots glossy, eyes gleaming, even if a little glazed over at the moment.

He breathed.  His heart beat.

He was...alive.

-W-

No... way...

After a moment, Winter took a step forwards and took Len's hand.

He's warm.

Ivarn did nothing.

-L-

"This is weird," he commented, squeezing Winter's fingers briefly before standing; and promptly falling over again.

"Oh yeah.  Gravity actually works on me now."

-W-

Winter helped Len back to his feet.  Ivarn seemed to be in the middle of some serious thought.

"Are you feeling all right... Len?"