Chapter 39 Till My Last Breath
Climbing toward the summit felt like challenging the gods themselves. The blizzard winds howled like enraged dragons, clawing at our clothes and threatening to tear us off the narrow mountain path. Ice stung our cheeks, snow whipped wildly around us, and every breath felt like swallowing frozen glass.
Then
"Lok… Vah… Koor!"
Astrid's voice boomed through the storm, her Clear Skies shout splitting the blizzard like a blade of blue light. The violent wind vanished in an instant, the air calming just long enough for the two of us to stumble forward. But already we could hear the storm preparing its revenge.
Alex hunched his shoulders against the cold, but Astrid reached out, grabbed him by the collar, and yanked him toward her chest.
"Alex, come closer or you'll get blown off this mountain!" she said, her voice low but teasing, her arms sliding around his shoulders as if she'd been waiting for an excuse.
He knew she was messing with him her grin gave her away so he wriggled out of her embrace like a flustered cat escaping a hug.
"H-Hey, I know I need to stay close, but not that close! We can't hike if we're… glued together."
Astrid giggled, her breath visible in the thin air.
"Aaawww, but I want to be glued to you."
Alex sighed dramatically and shuffled a little closer enough to satisfy her but not enough to become her personal backpack.
"Okay… this is close enough."
Astrid smiled at the tiny distance he tried so hard to maintain. "Mmhm, fine… but you can get closer if you want. Or do you want me to carry you? You know your body is smaller than mine." She flexed her arm slightly, on purpose.
Alex's face ignited like a Fireball spell.
"Hmph I'd rather stay far away "
WHOOSH.
The wind returned with a vengeance, nearly knocking him off balance. Without hesitation he dove straight back into Astrid's side, clinging to her arm like his life depended on it.
Astrid burst into soft laughter, brushing snow off his hair.
"Fufu~ you said you'd stay away, but look at you now."
Alex's ears burned red as the rest of him tried to maintain dignity.
"Khg… d-damn it…"
Astrid's playful smile softened. She cupped his cheek, thumb brushing against his cold skin.
"Alright, alright… my strong man. I'll stop teasing. You're always precious to me, okay?"
They resumed the climb, Astrid shouting Clear Skies whenever the blizzard threatened to swallow the path again. Snowflakes sparkled around them, and the mountain wind carried distant echoes that made the world feel ancient and intimidating.
Then the fog thinned, revealing several ice wraiths gliding across the path.
Alex immediately puffed out his chest.
"Oh? Monsters, huh? Stand back."
With a smirk, he raised his hand
FWOOOM FWOOOM FWOOOM
Firebolts shot out one after another, rapid and endless thanks to his enchanted ring.
He flicked his hair dramatically and looked at Astrid.
"Don't worry, my princess. Your prince will protect you."
Astrid pressed a hand to her cheek, pretending to swoon.
"Oh my~ you saved me from those weak little monsters. Even though I could've one-shot them with my pinky. But thank you, my prince."
Alex felt another critical hit to his pride.
"Hey they're weak because I I mean ngh whatever…"
Astrid leaned closer, resting her hand lightly on his arm.
"Aaawww, come on, my handsome knight. Don't sulk~"
They walked a bit more before two huge bears emerged from behind the rocks, roaring loud enough to vibrate the air.
Alex didn't hesitate
ZAP ZAAAAAP!
Two Lightning Bolts later, the bears were frozen in place, twitching.
"Hah!! See that!? I'm strong!!" he declared triumphantly.
Astrid clapped both hands exaggeratedly
Clap clap clap clap
"Yaaay~ my tiny prince defeated the big scary bears! We almost died~ Thank goodness you were here!"
Alex puffed out his cheeks.
"Yeah, yeah… you could kill them with one slap, I know…"
Astrid bumped her shoulder gently against his.
"No, really… I would've struggled."
But Alex stared at her toned arms under her leather-and-fur jacket, her athletic build, her heavy weaponry, the way her muscles moved even when she breathed.
He narrowed his eyes and muttered under his breath:
"Ugh… why do I even try to impress her when she's basically a… sexy… terrifying… monster…"
Astrid tilted her head.
"What was that?"
"NOTHING."
But Astrid's grin said she heard everything.
Then after a while they suddenly found themselves surrounded by many snow wolves, bears, and ice wraiths.
Astrid froze mid-step, her eyes darting left and right as growls echoed from all directions.
"Oh oh… it looks like we're surrounded," she said, tightening her grip on her shield as the wind tugged at her hair.
Alex stepped up beside her, pushing down his rising fear.
"Astrid, you shouldn't use any other shouts. Just focus on Clear Skies and leave the rest to me, okay?"
Astrid glanced at him, reading the seriousness in his eyes, and nodded.
Alex was right. If she used anything besides Clear Skies, her shout cooldown would be delayed and if the wind returned even for a moment, both of them would be torn apart by the raging blizzard.
But there was something strange something horribly wrong.
"Hey, did you notice something? Why aren't they getting torn apart by the wind?" Astrid asked, eyes narrowing.
Alex blinked, realizing the same eerie detail.
"Maybe Paarthurnax is testing us. He's a powerful shout user he could control something like this, right?"
Astrid exhaled a shaky breath.
"Yeah, but this isn't the time for theories. How do we get through this? And I'm not even wearing my Daedric armor…"
Her tone held a pinch of regret. She wore only her leather-and-fur travel gear, light and flexible but not designed for a sudden siege of predators.
Alex felt guilt twist inside him.
He thought, (In the game, climbing the summit is easy a few ice wraiths, a couple wolves, maybe one bear. They don't swarm. But this… this is completely different.)
He glanced behind him, then looked at Astrid with a heavy expression.
"I'm sorry, Astrid. I should've told you to wear your armor. But don't worry I'll take care of this."
Astrid paused, surprised by how firm and confident his voice was.
His posture straightened, his eyes sharp like steel.
For a brief moment, the fierce warrior woman taller, stronger, deadlier than most blushed at how unexpectedly attractive he looked when he was serious.
Alex conjured a Flame Atronach, the fiery spirit lighting the snowy battlefield with orange flickers. He raised his hand Firebolt already swirling around his palm and unleashed rapid-fire spells at the two bears first.
FWOOOM! FWOOOM! FWOOOM!
The bears roared but couldn't approach through the barrage of explosions, but the wolves seized the opportunity and charged toward Astrid.
"Astrid, behind you!" Alex shouted.
Astrid spun instantly, lifting her shield just in time.
CLANG!
A snow wolf slammed into it, but Astrid's stance held firm.
"Yup, I'm fine!" she yelled back, pushing the wolf away.
Alex tried to hit the agile wolf with flames, but it dodged with unnatural speed.
He clenched his teeth and kept firing until the wolf grew exhausted.
Meanwhile, Astrid fought an ice wraith, her sword swinging in wide arcs. Her breath came out in icy puffs as she parried each chilling strike.
They were truly outnumbered.
(Why did all these beasts and ice wraiths suddenly gather here?! Damn it…) Alex thought as he fired another barrage.
The Flame Atronach exploded, scattering fire across the snow, injuring several beasts but it wasn't enough. The circle of enemies tightened again.
Astrid cut down an ice wraith
but then a snow wolf lunged and sank its fangs into her leg.
"Agh !"
She fell to one knee, snow spraying everywhere.
The wind began to return, swirling violently.
Gritting her teeth, Astrid forced herself up and used her last Clear Skies.
"Lok… Vah… Koor!!!"
Blue light rippled across the mountain, calming the storm again but her shout cooldown now left her vulnerable.
She stumbled against a tree as several snow wolves circled her, growling low, preparing to pounce.
They leapt
but Alex's Firebolt incinerated the first wolf mid-air.
He sprinted forward his cloak torn, blood dripping from his arm, scratches across his face.
He had already finished off the wolves on his side, but he still pushed his battered body to its limit.
He jumped in front of Astrid, spreading his arms in a defensive stance, glaring at the beasts with fire in his eyes.
Astrid looked at his back small, wounded, trembling yet unmovingly firm.
Her heart clenched, admiration and love swelling inside her like never before.
A powerful woman like her… being protected by someone smaller than her… it made her feelings deepen dangerously.
Earlier, Alex had been focused on his own side of wolves.
When he heard Astrid shout Clear Skies again, he looked over and saw her cornered, completely open to attack.
He didn't think.
He didn't hesitate.
He redirected his entire focus toward her.
A wolf leapt at him, biting deep into his side but Alex didn't even flinch.
He refused to let Astrid die.
With the wolf still latched onto him, Alex jammed his glowing hand against its head and fired a point-blank Firebolt.
The explosion threw the corpse aside.
Then he rushed toward Astrid, leaping in front of her just as another wolf charged.
Astrid couldn't see his face
but the beasts sensed something ancient awakening.
They had touched the tail of a sleeping dragon.
Without realizing it, Alex's natural Nord ability activated Battle Cry.
"RRRRAAAAGGRRHHHRH!!!"
His roar wasn't human.
The sound shook the snow.
The wolves froze in terror, bodies trembling violently as their instincts screamed at them to flee but they couldn't move.
Alex switched to Lightning Bolt and charged straight at the nearest wolf, firing from less than a meter away, the smell of burnt fur filling the air.
Astrid watched in awe
a mage fighting like a berserker.
Alex punched an ice wraith, his fist wrapped in fire, blasting a Firebolt with every hit.
A snow wolf clamped onto his arm
an ice wraith bit into his shoulder
another wolf latched onto his waist
"Alex!!!" Astrid cried, tears streaming.
But Alex didn't fall.
He kept fighting, kept burning, kept shocking refusing to back down.
One by one, the wolves and wraiths crumbled under his relentless spell-powered fists.
Most of the beasts were dead; only a few remained, limping, terrified.
Alex cast Healing on himself, his hand glowing weakly.
His mana drained rapidly he had almost nothing left.
He regretted not buying Fast Healing, but it kept him on his feet barely.
Astrid tried to stand, but pain shot through her bitten leg.
She had fired arrows earlier, but she had run out.
Alex fired a point-blank Firebolt, the explosion lighting up the snow like a miniature sun.
But before he could even breathe, a snow wolf lunged from the side
CRUNCH!
Its fangs sank deep into his arm.
Pain shot through his body, but Alex didn't scream.
He didn't even back away.
Instead, with the wolf still latched onto him, he jammed his glowing hand against the beast's ribs and
FWOOOM!
launched another Firebolt straight into the creature's body.
The wolf fell limp, smoke rising from its fur.
He staggered back, breath trembling, and immediately cast Healing, golden light stitching his torn skin just enough to keep standing never fully healed, never fully safe.
Before the light faded, an ice wraith wrapped its frigid jaws around his shoulder.
SHRRKKKK!
Its icy fangs pierced him like needles.
Alex grabbed its translucent skull with both hands, eyes burning with stubborn rage, and blasted a Firebolt directly inside its head.
The wraith exploded into shards of frost.
Then he healed again
weak, shallow, desperate
but enough to survive another hit.
But the monsters smelled his blood now.
And that blood called to them like a feast bell.
A snow bear charged in, roaring. Its claws raked across Alex's chest, sending him sliding through the blood-stained snow.
But Alex dug his boots in, pushed himself back up, and
FWOOOM!
another point-blank Firebolt straight into the bear's jaw.
The beast roared and bit down on Alex's shoulder, its teeth crushing into armor and flesh.
Alex didn't step back.
He didn't try to escape.
He let the monsters tear into him
because every time they did, every wound they inflicted
placed them perfectly within point-blank distance.
And at point-blank distance, Alex was deadlier than any warrior alive.
He healed. Sometimes with health potion sometime with healing spell
He fired.
He healed.
He fired.
He healed.
He fired.
He healed.
He fired.
Again and again.
Bitten, Firebolt , Healing.
Bitten, Firebolt , Healing.
Bitten, Firebolt , Healing.
Bitten, Firebolt , Healing.
His body became bait.
His blood became the lure.
His will became the weapon.
Wolves clamped onto his legs.
Ice wraiths pierced through his arms.
A bear pinned him down with its weight.
And each time
Alex's hands lit up with fire, and the world erupted in blazing light.
His voice cracked, his breath ragged, but through the chaos he growled:
"I… won't… fall…
Not while she's behind me."
He rose again, trembling, half-healed, half-broken
But unyielding.
And the monsters, one by one, fell around him in burning heaps.
After a while Alex finished the last of the wolves, bears, and ice wraiths with sheer determination.
After what felt like an eternity, he stood alone in the middle of countless corpses.
The once-white snow around them was dyed red.
He panted heavily
huff… huff… huff…
then turned to Astrid, his face smeared with blood, but smiling.
"See? I'm strong… haha…"
He cast a little more healing barely enough then staggered toward her.
He fumbled at his belt and pulled out the last healing potion, pressing it into her shaking hand.
As Astrid's leg healed instantly, Alex let out a relieved sigh.
Then his body gave up.
He collapsed.
"Alex Alex! Wake up!" Astrid screamed, catching his head before it hit the ground.
She pressed her forehead to his, listening desperately
And then she heard it.
He was still breathing.
Relief hit her so hard she almost sobbed.
Tears fell onto his cheeks.
Remembering their earlier conversation about who was stronger, she laughed through her tears, brushing her fingers across his bloodstained face.
"Hahahaha… yes, of course, you're the strongest among all men, my love."
She held him close, trembling, refusing to let go.
Status
Main Level: 31 ->32 (after rest)
Perk Points: 2 ->3 (after rest)
Health: 200
Stamina: 160
Mana: 250
Destruction 56 ->64
Restoration 40 ->45
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