SWNOVELS Chapter 15: Arinella
Arinella and Darfairick made their way through the desert, exhausted, tired. It got really cold here at night and too warm during the day. The Ashkinurkhat desert, where they were, was in the current season under the scorching rays of the Silenta.
Suddenly a giant butterfly appeared in front of them, its body resembling an earthly cobra, only with wings, its hood swelled. Yadonagrishes, that is how these creatures were called in Ermir.
“Kras Vos Dracal!“Arinella said and three magic orbs flew towards yadonagrish.
The creature was about the size of an earthly man or slightly larger. Yadonagrish easily dodged and sprayed green liquid into Arinella, but the arqilunian managed to jump back, the liquid fell on the sand and began to corrode it.
Darfairick ran after the yadonagrish with his axe, trying to hit the nimble flying creature, he also, like the elf-woman, skillfully dodged poisonous spits, and the yadonagrish provoked him, flying close to the ground on purpose.
Arinella cast spells, but yadonagrish avoided the magic orbs or fireballs... Suddenly, the flying creature managed to hit the tonnebeard. He fell to his knees, his eyes glazed, his armor and his body dissolve through and through. For a second, his glassy gaze drew attention to the torn off part of the long braid of his beard, which lay next to him, he lifted it up and immediately fell down dead.
“No!” shouted Arinella. Having accelerated to the limit, she jumped up, casting spells. The magical orbs had no time to reach their target, as she was already launching new ones. Finally, she hit into yadonagrish. The creature cut the air like a falling stone and crashed into the sand. Arinella knew that the magical orbs rarely killed the enemy, so she went to yadonagrish, and, drawing out her long dagger, cut off the creature’s head, angrily looking at the lifeless eyes of yadonagrish. After that, she ran to Darfairick.
As she turned the tonnebeard’s body over, she realized that he was dead. Tears rolled down her eyes. She screamed and roared for a while, unable to calm herself.
“Farewell, my friend, and goodbye. Frach Ald Thon Drask!” Arinella held her hands out, and a fire spell ignited the tonnebeard’s body, and the remaining ash grains of sand were raised by the wind, they whirled and flew. “Goodbye!”
Endless sand... Arinella moved slowly, her dry lips beginning to crack. A few days ago, she had already spent her last strength on the spell of water and scones. The Ashkinurkhat desert was not as gigantic as Arinella thought it was. But she seemed to be floundering, drowning in the endless golden sea. Sorrow consumed her. Darfairick had been with her for so long that she couldn’t imagine any adventures without him. Jokes of the tonnebeard, mixed with his sullenness, fascinated he... And all for what? His death was for the sake of helping a friend who is looking for the remnants of ephemeral love, who is looking for a snunorf who may no longer be alive. “Edelmer, Edelmer, where are you?”