Ashes of the Fallen

We continued on though, with our destination the singular focus. Whether we encountered a strange beast in the night or made it there safely, was neither here nor there. The likelihood of some such occurrence happening was high, but it wasn't on our minds. The noises got to us, the darkness worsened it, but we weren't worried about the creature that would come.

It was the atmosphere.

The scene, was bothering us.

Another hour passed, as a late night fog started to roll in.

It was cold, damp, discomforting.

The girls were clutching at my arms, chests pressed into me not only for warmth but for a sense of security… I welcomed it, as it reassured me as well. Their actions were unnecessary though, for they were my equals in combat.

Yet, despite our prowess… a sudden attack, of bared fangs and glowing eyes, jaws opened and ready to snap, claws extended and raised, all appearing in an instant from behind the curtain… put a little fear into our hearts, and minds.

Then a crack in the clouds appeared, slim, yet enough.

Moonlight shone down like a beacon, breaking up the veil that had completely surrounded us as the fog that could only be felt, could now be seen. Visibility remained poor, as our vision turned from the absence of color to an odd rendition of the culmination of all colors. The white fog that permeated our entirety, had us completely encompassed.

The fog seeped and oozed throughout the forest as far as our eyes could see. Though, as far as we could see, was no more than the hand extended out in front of the face. A lack of visibility, replaced with visibility lacking distinction.

We were in no better place now, than we were before.

And as we walked, the noises shifted again.

No longer were there strange howls, shrieks, and cries… now, we could hear squeaking. An odd, squeaking, as if they were communicable sounds. A language, perhaps. That's what it sounded like, and soon, that awkward indiscernible language had filled the air.

All around us, squeaking and hissing.

High-pitched noises of an odd sort; disturbing, was what it was. Bolstered by the silence of the night, the voices carried further than they should. The noises grew louder as we continued to walk, step by step.

Inching forward with weapons drawn, we were expecting something.

The voices had encircled us, at some point unbeknownst to us.

Yeah, we were surrounded.

By the time we realized it, it was far too late.

The fog was still dense, and despite the clouds parting a bit, the increased moonlight hardly helped as the light simply refracted in the fog to a useless degree. All we could do, was listen intently to the sounds of the footsteps that circled about.

"If things get bad," I whispered as calmly as I could, while taking a step forward. "Abandon me and retreat, alright? No questions, just do it, if it gets to that point."

Selene had her bow drawn but it wouldn't be of much use, while Katherine had her hands up and at the ready, waiting for a chance to cast her holy magic. As for me, I was equipped with my halberd, having left my axe and shield at home.

Against an unknown enemy, I would have preferred a shield.

And then my ears perked up at a sound, distinctly different from the rest.

The sharp but quiet, audible resonance of ice, mushing and grinding together… the sounds of a [Frost Bolt] being formed. Countless hours in a dungeon next to a man casting the very same thing had alerted me to what was happening past the thick fog. Beyond what we could see, were creatures casting frost bolts… not one, not two, not three, four, five, or six… at least a dozen frost bolts, coming from every direction.

"Follow me, quickly!" I yelled as I broke into a run and charged straight ahead.

There was only a second before their casts would complete, and as my voice left my body and reached my companions' ears, the first wave of frost bolts hit.

"Get down!"

Swinging my halberd in a wide arc, I met two frost bolts head on with the axe-head as an ice-cold frosty mist sprayed over me, only to get hit from behind as one had found its mark. My back, covered in frost, had stiffened due to the cold as my mobility had been slightly reduced. Taking a quick glance behind me, the girls had both been hit as well, twice for Katherine and once for Selene.

Continuing with my advance, I charged through the dense white fog with halberd held high above and behind me, ready to swing down at a moment's notice. How the creatures could figure out our location in the midst of this fog, was beyond me, but if they were casters, we needed to get into melee.

Not more than two seconds had passed as I came across the first of the creatures and let my halberd down with an exhale as my shoulders and chest went to work. Cutting deep into the hairy rodent's collarbone and straight through to its stomach, I pulled the halberd back as the three foot tall mutated rat collapsed to the floor, partially split in two.

"What the fuck is this thing," I muttered as something caught the corner of my eye.