Call of Fate

Other Side

Cynthe's vision was limited as the snowstorm picked up pace. She could barely make out the stone path beneath her as she made her way down across the mountain. Soon the stone path ahead was completely covered in a layer of snow. Wary to stay close the the mountainside in case she would happen to lose her footing and fall, she trudged through the cold. The wind howled in her ears, blowing snow into her eyes. There were cobble walls outlining the path, but they were low and in some areas had crumbled apart. Her vision was too limited to be able to see them properly right now. Although it would take a bit longer to walk along and across the mountain bridge-ways, with this lack of sight, she wasn't about to risk saving a couple of minutes for a now dangerous shortcut along the walls.

The outside of her skin felt the cold but casting a simple magic spell made her feel warm within. The cold didn't bother her. However the snow getting into her eyes did. She continued following the side of the mountain for what felt like ages. How much further could it possibly be? She was by now tired and wanted to reach home as soon as possible. Pondering why it felt like it took so much longer time to walk back than she had previously remembered, she felt her body suddenly lurch forwards. Without warning she fell towards empty nothingness.

The ground beneath had disappeared, leaving her step suspended in mid air. She was falling. Screaming. Cynthe flailed as she fell down. Down, down, down. She wasn't going to survive this. She was going to die. On the way down she frantically tried to recall a spell that could protect her. Use a spell! Anything! Panicking, she summoned a spell from deep within. A strange and unique spell. A spell that nobody before her had ever cast. That was because the spell was TOTALLY AND UTTERLY USELESS! Gray mist spewed out from her body doing the impressive task of absolutely nothing. Great. This was it.

She couldn't breath. Cynthe had plunged face first into soft, deep snow. Whelp, she was at live at least. Filling her lungs with air as she struggled to get up from the heavy and chilling snow, she lost her balance and started tumbling downwards. A few bruises later, having rolled uncomfortably far down the mountain, she finally succeeded in steadying herself back up on her feet again. Down here she was shielded from the wind and the snowing. She looked around. The first rays of dawn had broken past the peaks. The clouds were lifted. Everywhere was covered with fresh snow, reflecting the morning light crawling beyond the horizon and that of the setting moon. Snowy and rocky mountain ranges stretched beyond as far as the eye could see. Not a single plant in sight. Nor any buildings. How on earth did she manage to wonder of so far off?

The annoying smoke-like mist that she had emitted during her fall was still lingering around and she could see it slowly making it's way across the mountain. It was in the general direction of the way back and there was nothing better she could do by staying here, so she decided to follow it. As she plowed through the snow, Cynthe emitted a pulsating spell against the snow. If there were any hidden crevices beneath, the snow would be stirred and fall down, warning her not to go near. In theory at least. She nervously prayed to the gods that it actually would work.

The gray mist of hers decided to go through a lump of snow resting at the base of the cliff and disappeared behind. Great. Why did she even follow that stupid mist in the first place. She really had to get going. She took a few steps onward when her pulsating spell managed to stir that lump of snow piled up over at the cliff base. Some snow fell down and an empty space behind appeared. Intrigued, she wondered closer and as she removed the snow, an entrance to a dark cave unveiled itself. 

No way she was going inside. Nuh uh! Maybe there was something like a bear hibernating in there. As she turned around and about about to leave, someone asked her to close the door. It was getting cold. Understandably so. It felt exceptionally cold outside. Wait. Wait a... WHO SAID THAT? Cynthe started to feel dizzy. Everything had been so weird today. Tonight. Realization hit her as some logic finally revealed itself. She was still dreaming... Everything about the church, walking what should of been the unmistakable path home and yet ending up in the middle of nowhere. Everything made sense, why she was having this uneasy, weird feeling. She was hallucinating and hearing things because she was in this crazy dream!

Confidence returned with the knowledge she was sleeping. She had heard of magical lucid dreams, where it all feels real. Maybe someone had pranked her and put some kind of dream drug in her food. She heard a sneeze coming from inside the cave. If she found out who it was inside the cave, her dream was surely bound to come to an end. Feeling emboldened by the  knowledge of the task at hand, she cleared away the rest of the snow and entered inside. Conjuring white light from the palm of her hand, the shadows dispersed from the cave. On cue, her lurking  gray mist dissipated too.

Whilst taking a few steps inside, her eyes started to widen more and more as they adjusted to what she saw inside. Stunned with astonishment, Cynthe looked around the enclosure to see open crates filled with gold and jewelry, chests of all sizes placed around the floor with who knows what inside and armor stands with intricately crafted armor standing proud. Weapon mounts attached to the walls held gleaming swords and daggers. Valuables such as necklaces had been carelessly scattered across the floor, along with blades sheathed in their scabbards, a few pieces of clothing and other miscellaneous items littering about.

Dazed in awe, she lost her footing as she trampled over something laid across the ground. Something with the figure of... A MAN? Flailing to regain her balance after tripping over him, she knocked over a vase. Upon impact, the porcelain smashed into thousands of pieces, in the process tipping over a spear lent up against the wall. Horrified, Cynthe saw the spear falling. Time slowed down for a fleeting moment. Then it all came crashing down.

A flash of red drew itself across the cheek of the sleeping person as metal made brief contact with skin before clattering onto the stone floor. Well, the had been sleeping person. That somebody emitted a yelp of surprise, within a heartbeat springing up on his feet. The cape being used as a blanket had fallen to the floor in the process. A cape lined with fur. And daggers. Very pointy daggers revealed themselves lurking within the inside. One of those daggers had already somehow made its way to his hand. Cynthe felt a warning surging from deep within. This man was dangerous.