Pain of Growth

The group was able to rest and recuperate for about four hours. When they were rested and ready, they walked to the command tent. Along the way, Sophie noticed a bruise on Hayden's neck. 

"Oh, you've got something there. Here." She gave him a tap on the shoulder. 

"GAH!" Hayden lurched forward a bit. 

Sophie looked shocked. "Wow, that took a lot of my magic! Did you get attacked by a bear while we were asleep?"

He cleared his throat. "Something like that..."

Ariana walked ahead of the others.

They soon were in the command tent, and Ariana was shocked. 

Waiting for them was Alvin, though he was no longer a boy. He'd grown considerably. His hair had become long like his father's, but he had a more genuine demeanor. "Alvin?"

He smiled widely at her. "Miss Ariana!" He stepped over to her and hugged her. She returned the hug, and they looked at each other. "It's good to see you, but what are you doing here?" 

Ariana sighed. "It's... a long story." Everyone sat at the table and settled in for a bit of a story. She informed him of the emissary coming to Loomholm and a brief bit of her journey to Great Hearth. 

"So... you're going to the Demon Lord's castle... because you believe he's your son?"

She nodded. "I did... though the closer we get, the less sure I am... the only way to know for certain is to meet him. If he isn't my Alex... then there's nothing left but to stop him, whatever way we can."

Alvin looked at the table, where a map of the snowfields was rolled out and covered in pins. "And if he is?"

Ariana bit her lip anxiously. "My original plan was to take Alex back to Loomholm with me... and we could live there... but now... I don't think it's possible. From everything I've heard, he's not treating the people of Indrock very well... The passengers of the ferry we took here all said they were coming back here against his wishes."

Alvin looked like he was bracing himself for something mentally. "Ariana... I can understand your position. I'm a father now, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for my daughter... but I can't just let you go to the demon lord's castle like this. Our scouting mission to the castle was just recently finished. His soldiers are marching on the blockade as we speak."

"Why are you blocking the road to the castle, anyway?"

"It was a strategic maneuver Lord Father devised to cut off the Demon Lord's resources and reinforcements, but the initial scouting mission didn't tell us that the force coming our way was possible. The number of men here is... insufficient. We can't afford to defend, but we can't retreat, either."

Ariana was quiet for a good minute. "And what about your daughter?"

Alvin returned that silence. 

"Will you be able to return to her?"

Alvin did not respond.

"What will that jerk of a father do about this?!"

Alvin did not respond. 

"ALVIN!"

He pounded the table.

Ariana stood up. 

She wanted to go out there, to do something for Alvin. But if she did, she'd be dragging everyone into another disaster. 

The damn parasite was at it again, she tried to convince herself. It would be for the best if she didn't interfere...

But if Alvin died...

and his daughter was left alone...

But if Ellie died, or Sophie, or Hayden... 

Every scenario she thought of, it would be her fault that someone died... that someone's life was destroyed. 

As she stood paralyzed, Sophie approached Alvin. "We're going to help you!"

Ariana's focus darted to her. 

Alvin perked up. "No, I can't allow that."

Sophie slapped her hands on the table. "You don't really have a say in this. I wasn't asking for permission!" She turned to Ariana, confident as she could be. Ariana was still battling with herself. She looked to Hayden and Ellie. Ellie sniffled a bit, but Hayden gave a resolute nod.

Ariana pushed all other thoughts from her mind, focusing on the task presented to her. "Alvin... you're going home to your daughter. If your father has a problem with that... tell him he can deal with me."

Alvin breathed out through his nose. "Outworlders... they just can't take no for an answer..." He stood back up. "Fine. We fight together." 

Ariana breathed a sigh of relief. 

Alvin was quick to his work. He swiftly assembled a platoon from what forces he could and had them armed, armored, and mounted. He also had some armor given to Ariana, Sophie, and Ellie. With that accomplished, they rode out across the snowfield. 

Ariana would spare nothing to protect Alvin and her friends. Hayden rode alongside Alvin. "You know, your highness, we're sitting ducks out here if they got ranged support. We ain't got any cover." 

Alvin was focused. "I know... if we could get the element of surprise, that would be preferable, but unless we came into the battle riding a snowstorm, I doubt we'd have much luck."

Snowstorm. 

Ariana gasped. "Snowstorm!" 

Alvin groaned. "Oh boy..."

Hayden laughed heartily.

Ariana squeezed her thighs firmly against the horse she rode and threw her hands up. A wave of snow rose in front of them. She swirled her arms overhead, and snow whipped up around them. It was barely a breeze. 

She needed to do more. 

Spare nothing. 

She surged with an ominous blue light. "CHURNING!" At her command, the surrounding area became absurdly more than a mere flurry, a full-on blizzard accelerated to razorwind speeds around the platoon. She felt the blizzard eating away at her magic steadily. It was odd; the last time she used this spell, it had drained her completely in an instant, and she was ready to deal with the consequences of that, but this time, it was a slow burn. Something about her magic had changed when she stepped into this land. 

All the better. 

As they charged onward, guided by Alvin's compass with the storm obscuring all else, the storm's radius kept expanding around them until Ariana's magic was practically wielding a hurricane. When she ran out of magic, it stopped burning away at her and seemingly had enough force behind it to move on its own. Instead of fainting, though, she felt her magic slowly coming back to her.

Alvin shouted over the storm. "We're closing in on the interception point! Everyone, get ready!"

Hayden raised a fist. "Roger that!"

Ariana felt her magic come back to her fully again within five minutes. "I'm ready for more, Alvin!"

Alvin rode next to Ariana. "Saints... even after that? Whatever, we're making the most of this. If you think you have the magic for it, I want you to look..." His free hand pointed slightly to her right. "That direction and send the storm there!"

Ariana nodded. and readied her magic, glowing ominously again. Her spell was released with a throwing motion. "CHURNING!" The storm ripped itself from their orbit and slammed meteorically against the landscape ahead of them, turning into an explosive avalanche. 

There were a few screams ahead of them, followed by an absurd wave of fire erupting with volcanic force to meet her avalanche. All of that force was stopped dead in its tracks, and a great fog remained between the opposing forces.