Chapter 18: Dragon's fire. Part four.
After three days walking, Longwei finally was able to took off his shoes and let his feet breath. Sitting next to a fire, leaning to the wall, he could feel the warmth which was coming from several small stones with dragon's fire inside. The warmth in this cave was very pleasant. Maybe because this was the only place where warriors could rest for a while and warm themselves.
Longwei, looking around took a bite of an apple, it was so hard out of cold that he almost broke his teeth.
"So you are Dewei's personal helper?" Suddenly someone asked.
Longwei looked around but saw no one.
"I am here. Yes, just behind this fire. Right in front of you." said the young man with very kind face. The large scar was on his right cheek, it was fresh and deep enough to cause a severe bleeding.
Longwei looked at him with curiosity and then said, "It is not like that. I am just, well, I help him only this time."
The young man made an expression as if his whole body was hurting, slowly lying down, he sighed and then said, "You must be from the First clan army? Am I right?"
"Yes."
"I knew it."
"How?"
"Soldiers of the First clan are different than the others."
"In what way they are different?"
"They are kinder, and very handsome." the young man said and broke into laughter. "No, I am serious. The soldiers of this clan is very handsome." He looked at Longwei, noticing a slight blush in his face, he asked, "What is your name?"
"Longwei. And yours?"
"This is not a proper place for getting acquainted."
"Then why did you ask my name?"
"I wanted to know it. But I am not gonna tell my name. I don't want this place to be the only place where we met. If I am lucky enough, I will go back home and then we will meet again. And then I will tell you my name. Let this be a motivation for me."
Longwei did not know what to say. Seeing such a young man, almost the same age like he is, he felt sorry for him. Seeing him in such a state, in pain and hopelessness, he wanted to say something to cheer him up, but all words were meaningless in this place.
"And you are very silent. Are you always like that?"
"Yes. I am used to be silent. Words are meaningless, except when they are in books."
"You are quite right. Words are nothing. But do you know when they are meaningful and make sense? When you are in love, and when you are about to die."
Longwei sat a little closer to the fire to see his face clearer. "When you are in love and when you are about to die?"
"Yes. But these both situation are very similar."
The young man turned to his side and now was looking at Longwei. His big brown eyes were shining and his face was very calm. Very calm, in spite of his wounds.
Longwei feeling like this man might die today felt a sudden anxiety. Somehow, he wanted to help him, to see him again.
So he said, "We will meet again. I know that. We will definitely meet again."
"You think so? Because I am not sure. Soon, I have to go back to the battlefield. They won't allow me to be here for a night. So you think that I will be alright after this night?"
"Yes. I am sure of it."
The young man smiled happily. Longwei even noticed one tear slid down his cheek.
The next moment Longwei heard Dewei's loud voice calling him.
"I must go now. See you soon."
Leaving the young warrior behind, he took his boots and headed towards Dewei's voice.
"I think today we won't be able to go back. There is a crazy blizzard outside. And it is very dangerous to climb to the mountain in such weather. So we better stay here for a night." said Dewei sitting next to Lei who was attentively reading something.
Longwei just nodded his head.
"What happened? You look sad."
"Nothing."
"Brother, look at him, he looks very sad. I think that he might even cry." Dewei said pushing Lei aside but he did not show any interest.
"I just feel such a hopelessness here. I look at these warriors and I am scared."
Dewei stood up and slightly embraced him. "Don't be scared. No one is gonna harm you."
"I didn't think about myself. I am just scared for the future of these warriors. Will they be able to go back home, will they be able to eat, laugh again. Or will they stay here, in the hands of frozen field and beasts." Longwei trying hard not to cry looked away.
"Even if they will survive then what? They will go back to their clans and train for the next battle. They will come here again and then go back again. All they have to do is to train and fight. This is a paradox. And I don't think that any worries or your tears can stop this." Lei said while his eyes were still reading a small book.
"So you really think that it will have no end?" Longwei angrily asked.
"Yes."
"You have no hope in your heart Lei. I am not surprised that you have become so cold. You are not alive, you have given your soul into the hands of this battlefield." Longwei threw an angry glance at him. Clutching his fists, he made a steps towards him but Dewei stopped him.
"I think it is time to sleep. We will get up early tomorrow. So let's go."
Without even noticing Longwei fell asleep but in the middle of the night woke up in a terror. He looked around. It was dark. All candles went out. A complete darkness and cold air filled the cave.
Shivering, he stood up and noiselessly went towards the bags.
Dewei was deeply asleep, snoring loudly he was sleeping like he did not sleep for ages.
Trying to find a candle Longwei dropped a few iron plates but luckily enough there was no one around.
Finally taking the candle out, he looked for matches but couldn't find any.
Suddenly hearing a strange sounds from outside the cave he dropped the candle down. Dewei murmuring something turned back and the snore filled the cave again.
The weak cries which was coming from outside attracted Longwei's attention.
Because these cries were similar to baby's cries. Slowly approaching the entrance of the cave he felt a freezing wind but kept walking.
The cries did not seem to cease. On the contrary they even became louder.
And now they were like someone's was crying. A man.
"Who is it?" Longwei quietly asked.
Standing right in front of the entrance he collected all his bravery and with a quick movement went out of the cave.
"Who is there? Are you hurt?"
The blizzard was lonely walking to and fro making everything around unclear.
Standing not so far from the Battlefield he still couldn't hear any sounds of swords or screams. All he heard was the strange cries which were coming from somewhere.
Imagining that someone's severely injured, and the first who came to his mind was Lei, imagining him lying on the cold ground, he rushed forward.
"Lei! Is that you? Where are you? Lei!"
Stopping in the middle of steppe he heard the cries again. It was like they were chasing him. A few minutes ago when he was standing next to the cave the cries were there but now being far away from it, the cries were sounding so close to him.
Feeling scared, he anxiously looked around, trying not to give way to panic he went ahead.
No matter where he went the cries were chasing him. And now these cries resembled a several voices of men who were suffering a great pain. The sounds of pain, of hopelessness made Longwei's heart tremble. It was getting harder to breath. Until, he felt something in his foot.
Namely, someone's hand.
Unable to speak, he just froze in one place.
The horror completely took control over him. Only the painful freezing wind, which was piercing his skin like millions of needles, kept him conscious.
"Please help me." Suddenly someone voice was heard from the ground.
Grabbing his leg, someone with all his power was holding it.
Waking up from the terrified state Longwei looked down. The hand covered in blood was clutching his leg.
He bent forward to see who it was and after a blizzard calmed down a bit he could see that young man's face with whom he was talking by the fire.
Kneeling down he took his hand. "Hey! Listen to me, try not to lose your consciousness. Hey! Stay with me. I'll help you."
The young warrior tried to smile but the pain did not let him. Breathing heavily he clutched Longwei's vest.
"Hey! Talk to me. Say something. Stay with me."
"Longwei. I am glad that I have met you." he whispered and closed his eyes.
Longwei shaking him with all his might shouted, "No! You can't die here! Wake up! You have to tell me your name! Hey!"
Embracing him, he tried to warm him up. "You will be alive. You will go back to the mountain. I promise."
The blood which was coming from the wound covered Longwei's hands.
Taking off his vest, he covered him and tried to lift him up.
"Listen to me, no matter who you are, just listen to me. Focus on my voice and you'll be fine."
Looking to the side where the cave was, he said, "We are almost there. Wait a minute."
Slowly opening his eyes, the young warrior clutched his sleeve. His eyes were directed somewhere. Looking terrified as if he saw the death itself he hardly said, "Longwei."
"You are finally back. You scared me."
"Longwei." Looking somewhere behind, his eyes showed all colors of horror.
Longwei, feeling that someone's behind of him looked at the warrior. Strangely enough, now he did not feel scared at all. Perfectly knowing who was behind of him, he even could smile.
Knowing that behind of him is a beast who killed his father, he whispered, "I promise you won't die tonight."
Slowly putting his down to the ground, he turned back.
The tall figure was standing not so far from him. Two red eyes were glimmering in the blizzard. Two long hands, long legs and something which looked like wolf's ears reminded the appearance of some kind of werewolf. But in reality, it was far from the werewolf.
Looking right into it's eyes, into it's small red eyes which were full of warriors' lives, which were full of hunger he clutched his fists so hard that his palms started to bleed.
Slowly approaching the beast, he could hear the young warrior's voice. Ignoring him he kept walking ahead.
"So finally we met." He said aloud. From a delicate young man he suddenly turned into a brave warrior whose heart is full of rage. "So it is you who killed my father. It is you who destroyed everything and keep destroying. So it is you after all. Why are you standing? Why don't you attack me? Come on!" Shouting loudly he quickened his steps and now when he was about to get closer, he felt a sudden pain in his back.
With pain he also heard Lei's scream.
And the next what he saw were two very long hands wrapping him from around and a wide horrific mouth with two big fangs.
Feeling how powerful the beast is, he tried to fight back but all was in vain.
Raising it's hand with a simple palm with five long fingers the beast pierced his skin with long sharp claws.
Longwei feeling severe pain was about to lose his consciousness but suddenly right in front of his eyes he could see his father.
Smiling weakly, he was covering his wound, his pale face was showing some kind of pride.
Collecting all his powers he felt a strange energy inside. Feeling like something was burning in him, he freed his one hand and with his sharp thin finger he pierced the beast's eye.
Making a loud scream the beast raised it's hand and was about to destroy him but Longwei managed to push him aside and then attacking him first, he jumped on it's neck like a mad cat and now with his both hands was piercing it's eyes.
Screaming, the beast tried to throw him away. Clutching his neck, the beast was about to choke him but suddenly it fell down.
Holding on to it's head Longwei fell down with it and it felt like he was falling from the tall tree.
Falling down with a loud noise, the beast's body made a crack on the ground and the next what Longwei felt was a freezing water which hit all his senses.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone