Leyland Adventures Chapter Thirteen: Part Six

The princess's presence attracted the eyes of numerous citizens. The children froze in place at her unique appearance while the adults bowed at her godly power. These people, clothed in rags, stayed silent as she walked through the village. The buildings were hand-crafted from wood and painted with burgundy. Smells of pine wood waltzed through the air while graceful snowflakes descended from the heavens.

Soon enough, she found herself face to face with the chief of the village, Amubki. He wore a thick blue coat which fit perfectly with his rather wide body. His face, stern and built. The silver hair on top of his head proved to be a magnet for falling snowflakes.

"Dear Princess Aradressa, I am more than delighted you accepted our request. I've called you here in the hopes you would be able to strike down the Snow Beast, Bengale. We require the Everest Icicles that rest upon his back for experimental purposes. It is said those icicles never melt, I would like to utilize them to see if we can place their properties for a greater purpose. We're more known for our experience in the scientific field. We lack the brawn to fight the fearsome beast ourselves. That is why I ask that you slay the monster and gather the icicles. Please, will you take on the task?"

Their eyes locked as positive thoughts swirled inside her head. Not only was Bengale one of the guardians of the gemstone, but she could help Carrigo Village at the same time. Keeping a straight face, she accepted the quest, promising to return with the icicles. A broad smile stretched across his face while thanking her.

"Bengale typically lays atop Glacier Summit on Engail Mountain, the large mountain not too far from our village. Many people have attempted scaling that mountain, though the power of Bengale will permanently lock any fool who gets too close in ice. Bengale keeps those victims as his dinner. With your power, it shouldn't be an issue." He shot his finger towards a snowstorm encircling a grand mountain.

"I understand, this shouldn't be too troubling for me. I pray you all won't mentally raze yourselves over my safety."

"We'll try." He stated as he provided her with a basket.

With that, the princess set out to not only slay Bengale, but to claim the first shard.

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The closer she drew to the mountain, the more intense the winds seemed to blow. The temperature became impossible to bare; any ordinary fairy at this point would become a life-sized popsicle.

Her blade still dripped with the blood of those who dared prevent her from reaching the mountain. This overpowering scent drew in a trio of Chillchad Wolves. Their gray fur poked up like spikes as they began circling around her. Their razor-sharp teeth, ready to feast on flesh with a malicious smile. It was all a game to see who would make the first move. The wolves gradually closed in on her, yet this didn't even cause her to break a sweat. Unable to resist its prey, one wolf lunged for her waist.

She managed to catch him in the act, tossing him away to his partner. Enraged, another wolf threw itself at her and it sadly had a rude encounter with her blade. Seeking revenge, the others swiped at her with claws of fury. Aradressa grabbed hold of both their paws within a second and tightened her grip. The brutal howls of agony were enough to encourage the youngest of the trio to take action. He leaped forward with his mouth open, aiming for her face. Saving her energy for the main target, she simply dodged the attack while grasping its tail. Just like a baseball bat, the heroine smacked the two wolves with their own brethren before allowing them to forfeit the battle.

Before they retreated, she had received a dirty stare, letting her know they would return.

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At long last, the princess had reached Engail Mountain. She could hear the faint battle cry of Bengale. The riotous storm obscured her vision as all she could see were a flurry of snowflakes. The sound of heavy winds blowing was the only noise available to her at the moment. Soon, a collection of sizable shards of ice decorated the area. The further she walked, the more common these decorations became. Letting curiosity get the best of her, she activated her abilities to melt one of the shards. It was at that moment immediate regret flooded her mind as she was face to face with a frozen male corpse. Her heart nearly leaped from her chest though she swallowed it back down as she's seen much more horrid things. His mouth laid wide open as frozen tears found comfort resting in his eyes. She placed a single finger on his cheek, only feeling a shiver infecting her finger.

She continued her walk, however much more gruesome sights laid ahead. More wingless corpses trapped within an ice cold prison sat partially stuck within the snow. Some were missing limbs, others were decapitated. Though her kind nature wanted to mourn the unfortunate victims, the least she could do is slay the monster who caused it.

⊱⋅ ────── ⋆★⋆────── ⋅⊰

She finally reached Glacier Summit; the vast area where Bengale calls home. She stood there without making a sound. This is where her vision truly gave up as the storm is far too extreme. Bengale was currently having lunch, severing the head of a frozen fairy. She could hear the terrible crunching sounds, the beast softly growled with satisfaction. The forest of white fur spread across his back, collecting hundreds of snowflakes. The Everest Icicles poked from his fur, a few chipped. Even the shard laid on his back, neighboring a few icicles. She took one step on the snow and Bengale sensed her presence on the spot.

The fearsome, colossal yeti-like creature chucked his lunch to the side as a tumultuous roar launched from his mouth. With her shield hoisted, she directed her sword at him. Interpreting this as a direct challenge, the ravage animal charged at her like an enraged bull.

The princess held a stern face during the attempted attack, sidestepping to avoid it. Thanks to his enlarged figure, she was able to just faintly see him. Bengale forced his massive arms onto the ground to bring himself to a halt. He then charged again, swinging his arms with the attitude of a child who didn't get what they wanted. Aradressa danced around his swings and soon enough, she pushed him with brute force alone. Growing exasperated, he took a prolonged breath, sending a blizzard from within. To combat this, she fought the storm with her flames, creating a stalemate. They both knew if either one were to cease their attack, it wouldn't end well. Tilting her head to the side, she saw an opening. Just when Bengale thought he had her, a sudden, sharp pain caught him off guard. Her sword pierced through his leg. In response, he encased himself in a spacious orb of ice to recover.

She quickly armed herself with Amyris's weapon; the ice seemed too powerful to just simply melt away. Bengale sealed his wound with his power. Immediately after, he captured her blade and snapped it in two as if it were a stick. The glistening shards sunk into the deep snow; Bengale grabbed the two remains of the weapon before breaking down his shield.

The two clashed at each with aggression, swinging their blades as sparks flew. For a creature of such stature, Bengale could keep up quite well. He leaped back, disappearing into the storm. Pillars of ice erupted from the surface, distracting her long enough for Bengale to seize the opportunity. He threw the tip of the broken blade towards her, penetrating her stomach. She bellowed in distress, seeking shelter behind a pillar to remove it. Once she did, blood oozed from her wound and dropped to the snow. Despite the unease she felt, she couldn't focus on it. A trio of pillars appeared, encircling her with the intent of crushing her. Aradressa gathered her power and held the pillars back, slicing them down and shielding herself behind one.

Bengale returned to scour. His eyes circled the field; nothing was spotted besides frozen fairies and a small necklace that laid out on the snow. At a snail's pace, he approached the jewelry, picking it up. Just as he was occupied by the glimmering item, Aradressa revealed herself with her wound healed. In a split second, she launched the broken piece hard enough to pierce through his neck. Bengale roared in agony, dropping the other piece. Without a drop of regret, she concluded the battle by roughly dragging the second piece across his neck.

His massive body fell harshly to the ground as his head rolled off the summit, leaving behind a path of blood. Though her clothes were drenched in blood, she ignored this and acquired the items. Before she left, she had taken a prolonged glance at the frozen people left on the summit. A feeling of guilt weighed down on her, titling her head down.

"I'm sorry you all had to meet such a fate. The monster is gone now, I hope that this will be enough to satisfy you all."

With that, the heroine commenced the trip back to Carrigo Village, accompanied with a sense of unease.