The winds howled.

They sang to her of a tale longer than she cared to listen to; they blew snow in her face. Torn across her skin and made her of all people shiver for a moment. The outfit that she wore barely seemed to help at first until she realized that it wasn’t that cold anymore. That she didn’t feel the snow hitting her body and the aches and pains of her form were minimal compared to before.

Her breath eased out and she could feel the pain of each step; each breath seemed to rattle in her chest and she’d let out a soft cough. She didn’t know how long she had to do this and she wasn’t sure if she’d even be successful. Her arm lay limply at one side, holding her spear in a fashion more akin to a walking stick than a lance or spear. She’d ease herself up the side of the mountain. Taking great care not to stumble or trip.

A fall from this height no matter who you were if you landed wrong could be fatal. She wasn’t about to have that happen either. She heard some low growling that wasn’t from her and cast about; she could feel the many eyes of beasts about her and slowly did she ready herself. She could see their eyes through the snow; glowing in a faint blue and the purple of their tails stood out.

She was familiar with this type of beast. What it meant. She was on the trail of the one that she was seeking and it wasn’t going to be long now she felt. But she had to get past their guards. Had to get past the ones that would hold her back from what she was trying to do. The first of many beasts leapt at her and she’d slam her spear into their side. Launching the first off of the cliff facing. She heard its scream as it fell from what amounted to the sky.

The other beasts pushed out of the snow cover, looking identical in fashion to the beast she had just sent to it’s death. Her face didn’t change it’s expression. She could feel it. She could feel it so clearly like it was right in front of her. The hope that she would be okay after all of this. She felt her breath rattle in her chest again; she’d cough and find that it was a mix of blood and mana.

Not too much longer now.

Adjusting her stance the demi-human slammed her spear into the chimera again and again and again… Until she felt her fingers go numb, until she had made the side of the mountain slick with blood. If she was still a werewolf this scent would have been intoxicating but as a dragonslayer she could feel the magical nature of these beasts seeping into the land from just its senses alone.

The beasts felt like they weighed more than they did, she felt their intense nature still like they were still about. Even though she knew she killed every single one of them. It was strange that so close to what she felt was death that she felt like she couldn’t lose.

A dangerous notion that played a role in her lifestyle choices. A dangerous notion that she would be fine at the end of all this. Her expression changed and she’d exhale with a shudder. There was little that she could do in this regard right? There was little that she would even consider anymore. She felt the blood roll up from her throat and she’d have to heave it off of the side.

Her body was rapidly destabilizing and she was quickly running out of time. With a grumble and a groan she’d head up the side of the mountain. The dizzying heights and sense that she was losing more of herself did nothing to help her. She felt her body hike and then she’d stop. Her eyes widened and her ears flicked forward. A lone chimera stood in front of her. Much taller than its kin and it simply looked at her as though it wasn’t sure that it needed to do anything.

But it wasn’t moving out of her way and Lucretia let out a small growl. The beast returned it with a chorus of its own. The snakes that made up its hair snapping into the air with frustration. Lucretia drew her arm back, she felt the burn as she did. She could feel her arm growing heavy and with a single motion it leapt from her hand. The beast was fast, sure no doubt. But it wasn’t faster than Lucretia's reaction speed it seemed.

Its head jerked back and it fell into the snow, blood rapidly pooling underneath it as it’s killer hobbled over. Hand on her side, Lucretia reached down and yanked the spear out of the beast's skull with a small sigh. She wasn’t sure if she had much more in her with the way this weather was acting.

She almost felt sick somehow; further still as this mana seeped into the ground and wafted towards her. Like a moth to a flame, lucretia let it take hold. She felt better; felt like she could keep walking and that’s when it hit her. These beasts were made of arcane energy and the mana that was released upon their deaths. She’d bite the inside of her cheek before moving on.

That was a dangerous thought and a dangerous way of doing things even if she felt better from the mana that had fused into her. Her breath was a bit more steady but she could feel the cold taking it’s toll on her.

She could feel the crest of the mountain up ahead of her and she wasn’t about to simply just let that be the last thing she saw. Grumbling, she'd grasp tightly on the sheet rock in front of her. Yanking herself up with the help of her spear point to the ‘crest’ of the mountain. Her eyes widened a bit and above the clear cover of the world lay the one building she had been searching for.

Biting her lip the woman couldn’t help but wonder how long many others might have been searching for it. How many might have fallen from heights unimaginable only to find themselves broken and battered at the base of the mountain far far below…

She shuddered at the idea of the chimera doing the same to her. That they would find it easier now than ever before. She could feel her arms growing heavier still and it was taking everything from her not to just lay down in the snow and close her eyes. This was the worst she had ever felt and she figured by the end of all of this that she would likely… feel in such a way better.

It was funny really how she kept on having to psyche herself up on this journey; a small edge of a grin grew on her face and her stumble evened out. She’d stare up at the building. It was still a long ways off from where she was and that on its own told her volumes. Volumes that her journey was probably still not over…

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