The Death Bridge

The next morning, Raven and Brongr left the ruins and continued south; a faint light glowing in the east.

Sheathed and dangling by the big man's side was the Sword of Light. Raven glanced at the sword and then at Brongr. "Thank you", she softly said.

The green eyes met hers. "For whit?"

"For coming after me. For trying to protect me and for carrying the sword. You didn't have to."

Brongr lowered his gaze and walked in silence. After a few moments, he spoke. "Do ye remember 'at healer lass I told ye abit?"

"The one that tried to save your family?"

Brongr nodded. "Aye. Raven, that was yer mother."

Raven stopped dead in her tracks. "My mother?"

Brongr placed a hand on her shoulder. "I had nae idea until Axil figured it out."

Raven stood dazed. "I should've known. They told me they left the city just before I was born. My mother was a healer, my father a scholar…I should've connected the dots."

"I made a promise tae yer mother, lass, an' I intend tae keep it as long as there's still a breath in my body."

Raven stared up into the emerald eyes. Calmness shrouded her mind and took the fear and anxiousness that had been gnawing at her, away. She lifted her hand to Brongr's face and gently cupped his face, a tender smile tugging at her lips. She stood on her toes and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Then you had better live a long life, kind bandit."

***

The sun's rays crashed through the thick canopy and danced through the ruins. The man stood near the remains of the archway. His eyes followed the woman's movements as she paced around.

"What are we waiting for, my lady? You have the Lohiörneth," the man said and gestured towards the weak Axil.

"Patience, Fenrir, patience. I cannot extract the magic in his scales without that sword."

The man frowned. "But if the Ljòsauki comes, she'll use the sword to destroy us."

The woman chuckled. "Destroy who? Me or the beast? You or the creature?"

"How about all of them?" Axil said.

The woman turned to him and smiled. "My dear, you shouldn't speak such bold words. You will soon be nothing but ashes. Like the guard. And the old man. Like the girl." .

Axil frowned.

"Ah, does this sound familiar to you? Of course, it does. You see, Nira was just like my sister."

Axil's eyes widened. "You are…Gehèfna."

Gehèfna smiled. "Oh, you figured it out, good. Now, as I was saying…Nira was just like my sister. A child of the light. She came to this forest and found me. I saw an opportunity. So I offered her power on the condition that she do a little something for me."

"The plague…"

"Yes! But then she had to go and get herself captured by the old man. When she escaped, she sought me out again. But by then, the curse that binds me here had already started to crumble. I took her life force and sent mine into her body. It was the only way for me to leave the forest and reach Aulran. I needed his power."

"Why?"

"So that I can take the sword and break the curse. I found the sword but I couldn't reach it. Someone had placed it inside a ċhėst. I found a scroll near the ċhėst that contained a warning. The sword will destroy whoever wields it if they cannot find the proper strength to wield it with."

Axil struggled against the magic that bound him. "And you took the scroll so that Raven wouldn't know," he growled.

"Of course she did," Raven's voice cut through the air as she and Brongr came into view.

Gehèfna swirled around.

"So it was you, all along, wasn't it? I've always thought that Beastie was the one sending out minions. But I guess he was just a minion himself…"

Gehèfna laughed. "Beastie? Oh, you mean the beast." She walked closer. "He is no minion. And he isn't a he." Dark mist surrounded her as her form twisted into another and her eyes glowed red.

When the mist faded away, Raven saw the beast standing before her. She gasped. "Y-you are…"

"Now you know, Ljòsauki. But allow me to introduce you to Fenrir. My husband."

The man came closer. A strand of his blonde hair draped over his forehead; one eye pitch black and the other, deep blue. His gaze met Raven's as she watched his appearance fade into that of the creature.

"The curse of the forest made us so," Gehèfna answered Raven's questioning glance. "An ancient curse. If darkness should rise from within the forest, its magic would turn on the forest itself and all its inhabitants, trapping them inside their own home. But the curse lasted so long already that it is slowly growing weaker. But today, I will break the curse's limitations. I will be free to roam Bregaldia and so would the rest of the forest's creatures."

Raven slowly walked closer. "But how did Fenrir…survive? He was dead!"

"Yes. But with the power I received, I brought him back. He's by my side, as I promised."

Raven glanced at Fenrir. "But he isn't the same, is he? He is just another minion. He doesn't have emotions. "

"Neither do I!"

"I find that hard to believe, Gehèfna. If you didn't, you wouldn't have brought him back."

Gehèfna shook her head and roared. "Enough! Give me the sword, Ljòsauki."

"Set Axil free first!"

Gehèfna chuckled. "Do you think me a fool, Ljòsauki? I know what you plan to do. No, the sword. Now! Or else…"

Raven balled her hands into fists. She glanced at Brongr beside her and nodded. The big man walked closer and slowly handed the sword to Fenrir. Gehèfna shifted back and walked closer, grabbing the sword in her hands. The sword glowed and a dark mist leaked from the sword.

"Now, Brongr," Raven yelled and lunged at Gehèfna. They tumbled to the ground as Brongr's sword sank into Fenrir's ċhėst. He screeched loudly and hurled the big man away. With Gehèfna's concentration broken, Axil felt the magic that bound him, weaken, and he struggled to break free.

"Brongr, the scale! Get the red scale!"

Brongr glanced at Axil and followed his gaze to the necklace around Fenrir's neck, the red scale glinting brightly. Brongr scrambled to his feet and charged at the creature while the latter struggled to pull the sword from his ċhėst.

Raven grabbed Gehèfna's wrist and twisted it. The latter cried out and dropped the sword. She growled at Raven and summoned her magic, hurling Raven away. She reached for the sword but an arrow pierced her hand. Her head snapped to Raven before the arrow in her hand burnt to a crisp as dark flames erupted from her hands and travelled up her arms.

Raven loosed another arrow, but it stopped inches from Gehèfna's ċhėst. "Oh smoke…guess I really do bring out the worst in her," she thought as she watched the arrow turn to ashes. Her eyes met the dark ones.

"Is that all you've got?"

Raven's gaze rested on the sword for a few seconds. She clutched the bow tightly in her hand and glared at Gehèfna.

Brongr's hand closed around the scale just as the creature hurled him away. The big man made hard contact with the ground.

Axil struggled against the magic. "Brongr! Destroy it. Destroy the scale!"

Brongr glanced at the scale in his hands and then at the approaching Fenrir. He gathered his strength and scrambled to his feet. He swirled around and rushed towards Axil, the creature hot on his heels.

Raven reached for another arrow…only to find the quiver empty. Gehèfna grinned. Raven tossed her bow away.

"Now that you are done playing, let's fight."

Raven watched as a ball of dark flames materialized in Gehèfna's hands. The latter hurled the ball of flames at Raven who swiftly dodged it. "Is that all you've got?", she asked.

Gehèfna growled. She hurled another ball of flames, and another, and another. Raven managed to evade them all. She summoned her magic and a golden beam struck Gehèfna in the ċhėst, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Axil felt the magic that bound him, falter. He struggled again and finally broke free. He glared at the creature as it held Brongr by his neck, suspended into the air. The latter saw the white-haired man and kicked Fenrir hard in the ċhėst. The creature's grip weakened and Brongr took the opportunity to toss the scale to Axil.

Axil caught the scale and stared at it for a moment. He gently glided his thumb over the scale before summoning his magic and allowing it to consume the scale entirely.. He felt his strength return and he glanced up, his gaze meeting the emerald ones. He balled his hands into fists and spread his wings…