Camelia Chapter 5

Chapter 5 Dragon's Edge Mountains

Night comes again and the children are gathered around the rocking chair once more. The young woman yawns tiredly gently moving back and forth.

"So what happened next?" Says the hotheaded girl swaying her legs, as she lies on the floor.

"I am not sure. Where were we?" Inquires the silver haired woman.

The child with golden hair replies "Camelia and Angel beat the worg."

"Ahh yes. So they haven't gone into the Dragon's Edge Mountains and…" Starts the woman before all of the children interrupt, "Don't ruin it!"

"Very well." Cheerfully smiles the lady. She begins to read.



Camelia awakens to the sun peeking up over the jagged horizon to the west. She stands discovering that Angel has returned to being the spear lying on the muddy ground at her feet.

"Good morning Angel." Smiles Camelia.

He gripes irately once she picks him up, "I hate the sun."

Her smile spans her face when she says, "I like the sun it is so warm."

He replies, "We should be going."

"Where to?" Asks Camelia sucking on her thumb.

He grumps out, "West over the mountains."

"Why?" She asks.

Angel answers, "Because there is a portal to Paradise in the Veil of Sorrow."

Her eyes light up and she becomes energetic jumping up and down, "Really, really we are going to Paradise?"

He responds, "Yes I need to return there to be recharged. Otherwise I will suck you dry. I can feed on things that we kill but that would mean that we have to kill regularly. Say twice a day."

She looks him over not understanding before eagerly nodding. She hurriedly begins to grab up her belongings. Camelia sneezes in the cold air having gathered everything and is ready to go.

"Don't forget the skin above you. It will be cold up in the mountains and that will keep you warm." Says Angel seeing that she was going to forget it.

She pulls it down by hoping several times attempting to grab it before managing to snag a side. The massive thing comes down atop her pushing her to the ground under its weight. She crawls out from below it. She looks it over before peering around.

"It is too big." Says Camelia poking it.

He says, "Of course it is. It needs to keep you warm. There will be snow up there."

She tries again picking it up and wrapping it around herself several times. She discovers that it fits snuggly if not just a little too big for her. It constricts her movements making her use one hand to keep it in place while the other carries her belongings and Angel.

Seeing this Angel says, "Let me fix that. Relax your arms."

He controls the arms and slices a hole in the top just below her neck. Then her hands string a golden chain through it from the bag. Making it so the now cloak like hide is snuggly wrapped around her and she has use of both hands.

She smiles seeing the shiny chain right in front of her face, "Angel always knows best."

"Of course I do. I am two thousand years old. So I have been around the block a few times." Beams back Angel.

Camelia grins. She happily hums walking along the desolate trail leading up into the frosty, toothed mountains. The trees begin to diminish leaving wide-open plains of blue grass sweeping. It is  as far as the eye can see along the sides of the path. The peaks grow ever closer looming high into the clouded sky.
Lightning slits the heavens, while they travel onward toward the darkened wall of rock. Moving steadily along the air grows colder but the hide of the worg is warm repelling the chilled wind that blows.

She moves bundled up by this point with just her eyes peeking out of the protective clothing. Snow has begun to fall while they ascend the winding path without so much as another soul anywhere to be seen.

"I am happy you made me this Angel. I am nice and warm." Smiles Camelia.
He merely says, "I know. Now keep going. The sooner we get out of the mountains, the sooner we can properly rest."

She beams trudging up through the white snow that is all around nearly concealing the path. Nothing but the howls of the wind is heard over the icy steeps that they traverse. Before them lies a canyon where the wails of winter echo and the blackened walls of rock are frozen with shingles of sallow.

Ahead something glimmers bright through the white. Camelia spies the sparkle beginning to sprint headlong into the trench to recover what ever it is.

"What are you doing? We must be careful around here. Only Luna knows what dwells within these icy peaks!" Barks out the blade sapping her strength; which forces her to slow her advance.

She smiles clambering her way over the snow until she can see the object clearly. A blood spattered helmet lies frozen in place the snow whirling around it. The strong eye stinging wind blows through the crevice. Camelia is undoughtedly however moving closer with her hand before her eyes keeping the snow out.

"Bad idea! Don't touch it. I said don't touch it!" Angrily says Angel.

She grabs hold of it saying, "But it is so pretty, nice and shiny…"

Lifting it to Camelia's horror the owner is still occupying it. A head is within solid, as rock. The look of terror still etched across its visage. She hurls it away flopping back in the snow, shrieking in fright.

Her screams echo within the chasm and a roar is returned from ahead. A huge form appears from the shadow of the mountain having been invisible until it moved. Her eyes gape and she begins crab walking away never taking her eyes off of the monster.

"I told you. Now we have to run!" Shouts Angel giving her back the energy that he sapped and then some.

Camelia stands her limbs feel like they are on fire and she suddenly feels overwhelmingly energetic. She bolts sprinting in the snow. Her fear is gone. A wide gleeful smile fills her face.

Her giggling rises when she darts to the left, then the right dodging out of the way of the lumbering entity. It swings down and she skips to the side laughing. She is having the time of her life. Thinking this duel to the death to be nothing more than a game.

The shimmering surface of the hulking ice elemental lures her in. She moves steadily closer until she is running straight at it wanting to rub herself against such a bright shiny thing. The snow rises blowing heavily in the gulch before Camelia ducks down out of the way of a swing of its thick-fingered hand. Each finger is roughly the same size as she is.

Her fingers touch the side of the elemental and she shakes with excitement. Angel takes over her arms. She swings him into the body. Sending chips of glowing ice shattering away. Lodged within the side he begins to leech its strength making it scream with rage. It pounds the sides of its lair.

It begins to diminish in size. The ice melting away, while Angel sucks it dry. A humanoid emerges from the vapor slugging Camelia in the face. She drops to the snow sprawled. Angel lies on the ground having eaten, as much of the attacker as possible.

"Thank you mortal. It has been a while since I was free to feel the chilled wind. That bulk was getting to be too much." Smirks the Elemental making his fist into a point as he picks Camelia up by the collar of her armor.

He is about to thrust his arms through her when Angel tackles him. Recoiling the being takes a step back hurling the demon from himself. They stand sizing each other up.

"A demon and here I was wondering how the little human managed to break the protective shell." Smiles the errant Elemental.

Angel responds, "And here I was expecting a yeti but an Elemental is fine too. Your kind is so tasty."

"Demon I should have said pet. I can smell it on you. She is your master isn't she? Well let me just free you of that little annoyance and you will be on your way." Laughs the Elemental.

He returns, "I don't make the rules. Once bound to a wielder I must do everything within my power to make their wish come true."

"Very well. Have it your way and here I was going to spare you." Says the entity suddenly thrusting his arm forward.

Angel hurls himself to the side before shoving the spear out stabbing into his attacker. Unfazed the onslaught continues; with a gesture of his hand Angel's feet freeze solid making him unable to change his position. He keeps the enemy at bay by jabbing the spear at distance. This annoys his adversary.

"Are you just going to play hard to get all day? Fine I will deal with her first." Smirks the iceman.

He moves over picking Camelia up by the neck. Her form wriggles coughing and gagging while it tries to breath. Angel heaves the spear like a javelin striking the frozen humanoid in the back making him yell with anger. He clenches and Camelia drops to the ground twitching with convulsions. Her eyes are blank while foam bubbles out of her maw.

"No, No! What have you done? She may have been annoying but that is no reason kill her!" Rages Angel reverting back into the spear.

Finding his form free from the ice. He sails through the air slamming through the cocky elemental that turned to fight him. Tendrils slap the air. They dig into his flesh and Angel drinks his life force dry within seconds. The crinkled and withered blindingly white man falls away empty, a husk.

Angel shoves it aside scooping her from the snow where she lay unmoving, "Camelia! Camelia snap out of it! Come on woman. Wake up!"

He gets no response. Becoming angry he shakes her until she awakens to her nightmares screaming and clawing like a rabid animal against his form. His arms compress holding her to the ground. She thrashes wildly wailing in fear.

"Stay away monster! No, don't go Magnum don't go… They will kill you…" Shrieks Camelia out stretching her hand, as though someone was there.

Angel holds her tightly while tears freeze to her face, "What is wrong with you woman? There is no one there!"

Camelia continues her revolt against his grasp until he backhands her hard across the face. She recoils falling to the white ground. She quiets down. The visions fading when the cold takes its toll making her shiver, her breath misting. She looks up her eyes frozen open. She smiles hugging Angel back.

"Thank you for saving me Angel." She rubs her face against his armor.

He stands looking around. Angel plucks the worg pelt from the frost bitten ground and wraps it around her snuggly. She bundles up peering out of it. Camelia grasps his hand tightly not letting go. She forcefully snuggles against him while they proceed forward through the blinding snow.

Angel says on the wind, "So who is Magnum?"

Camelia hits her head making a strange sound before she says, "That is a secret Angel."

"How do you expect me to rid you of your dreams. If you do not tell me what they are about?" Asks Angel rubbing her head.

She smirks, "Because you are my guardian angel."

"There is no reasoning with you is there?" Laughs Angel.

She responds, "Nope because Angel is my angel and he will do what I ask."

The wind groans around them while they proceed and the storm grows worse hurling hail down onto the rocky mountains. The bitter cold escalates making Camelia's teeth chatter without end and her pace slows. A sound begins to thunder over even the harsh wind. A rolling rumble that seems to come from all around.

Camelia shivers cranking her head from side to side attempting to hear the noise better. "Angel what is that?"

"Its getting louder what ever it is and that means it is getting closer." Says Angel gesturing to the side of the wall.

There is a large dark crack jutting from the rock face. She follows, as he peers into a crevice. The inside is dark but at the least it is dry. The fissure opens up into a moderately sized chamber about five by five. He shoves her in and ducks in when the sound has become a loud roar.

She looks around in the dark finding the rock uncomfortable to lie on causing her to sit against the wall. "Are we taking a break?"

"Yes. We are staying here for the night." Responds Angel peering out the entrance.

He stands blocking the doorway. He grapples onto the rock face securing himself in place.

"What are you doing Angel?"

"Something triggered an avalanche. I am trying to keep the snow out." Responds Angel over the now deafening roar of the sliding snow.

The snow is lightning when it strikes powerfully pushing against him before continuing on down the slope at breakneck speed. He releases and the snowfall has formed a wall closing them in. Camelia shakes feeling the chilled air filling the secluded chamber.

"Take your clothes off." Says Angel rummaging through the bag of goodies that she has been carrying with.

She doesn't argue stripping off the ice like armor letting it clang to the rocky floor. Before long she is bare leaving the chastity belt in place while she rubs her arms and legs briskly trying to stay warm. Angel pulls her old clothes out and clacks his blade sending sparks onto the wool making them catch ablaze.

Her eyes fill with the fire and she nearly hurls herself atop it for warmth. Only being stopped when she trips over the armor that she just discarded.

"Stop playing around bundle up in the pelt it will keep you warm." Says Angel placing the armor next to the fire letting it defrost.

She curls up in a ball and he wraps the warm clothing tightly around her quivering body. The smoke from the fire rises to the ceiling slipping through small cracks disappearing. She snuggles up close to the fire. Her eyes peer out at the warm flames.

Camelia smiles, "Angel it is nice and warm."

"I know now go to sleep. You will need all of your strength for the trek out of this place tomorrow." Says Angel stroking her head softly.

She drifts happily into sleeps embrace while sucking on his thumb. Removing it he tends to the fire making a single drop from the bottle at his side fall into it. The fire is alive moving and dancing in place. Angel scrapes some snow out of the wall and tosses it in turning the blaze blue. Camelia giggles in her sleep while he sits ominously poking the fire.



All through the night the cavern is warm. The water fire flickers licking the air. Angel lies beside Camelia having reverted back to the wicked spear. She awakens of her own accord feeling the light of the sun gleaming in through the thin layer of snow keeping them within the cave. She worms around the rocky floor tightly wrapped in the pelt. She searches for her armor.

She discovers it by the fire nice and warm. Camelia springs out of the coverings grabbing the armor.  She begins tediously strapping it back into place. Her smile emerges when she clicks the gauntlets back into position. She snuggles up against Angel.

"What do you want?" Asks Angel grumpily.

She smirks, "I could just stay here forever."

Her tummy on the other hand has different ideas, as it growls angrily making her look around for food.

She pouts, "Im hungry. Angel do you have any food?"

"No, I don't. You ate the last of it coming up here. You just have to deal with it until we can hunt lower on the mountain." Responds Angel.

She puffs up her cheeks warming herself by the blue fire. After a while of idle sitting she gathers up her things. The hunger getting the better of her. She pushes her way out onto the snow-laden path. Slowly Camelia trudges through the frigid environment finding nothing to divert her attention from the gnawing cold.