Chapter 225: Loraven (2)
[ 29 Years Ago ]
Sprinting across a large frozen lake, one known for monsters breaking through the ice and clutching at their prey from below, Loraven laughed, fearless of them and the winter trolls chasing her. What was the first day of winter without a little action from the wild beasts? Feeling the crisp wind against her face, the flurry of snow kissing her flushed cheeks, she slid on her thigh across the ice, narrowly avoiding one of the three trolls who tried to snatch her.
The trio were tall and not fat like those in the south, their rock-hard skin and muscles beneath wiry white fur. Their hands and feet were large and wide, arms falling down to their feet, making them slouch and sometimes run on all fours instead of two. Their ugly faces had small protruding tusks from their bottom lips, surrounded by what looked like a white beard, whereas the rest of its face was stone, like the skin beneath their fur.
Small spikes dotted above their eyes and head like a small crown. Three slitted black eyes adorned its face, but those used to fighting off the creatures knew of the two extra eyes on their chest. Hidden behind the fur but was a weakness most used against them.
Loraven lithely jumped up and sprinted further along the lake, only to stop at the first sound of ice splintering. She turned around, hazel eyes wide as she clicked her tongue at the stupidity of these creatures. Stupidity or desperation. The trolls also stepped onto the lake, stopping as they seemed to assess the situation and how far their prey was to them.
The she-elf was only halfway, but her plan was to get to the other side where she could hide in the trees. She knew now, with their crushing weight, it would be a race against the monsters they just awoke below their feet and nature to sink her beneath the icy surface. She backed away slowly as the trolls dispersed from each other and started running towards her in that slow way of theirs.
Loraven watched the icy floor beginning to crack more, getting closer to her boots but something beneath the surface made her inhale sharply. A large blue tentacle swam past her and dove out of the water, with four others grabbing the troll that roared as it was dragged underneath the lake, leaving sloshing water and broken ice in its wake.
More of those tentacles came, but they raced past Loraven. She was the smaller prey, after all, and there was more meat on the trolls. The creature backed away. One towards the edge of the lake and the other still charging for Loraven, jumping and dodging tentacles, a few smacked away by its large hand.
Loraven smirked and continued sprinting, glancing at the icy lake and the tentacle now following her. Maybe the monster thought she would be easier. Her smirk broadened into a stunning smile as her hands reached for her swords on the right side of her waist. The ice beneath her feet started to rumble, breaking and uplifting.
"*Come on then! You ugly underwater worm!*" Loraven laughed as the ground erupted, and she was thrown into the air, the tentacle wrapping around her waist. She stabbed it with a sword, and the other swiped down, cutting the tentacle clean off. Dropping down, another two tentacles came for her, catching her and yanking her under.
The icy water hit her body, freezing her for a moment as her mind went blank. But the tightening of the tentacles on her legs slowly wrapping around her waist and torso snapped her out of it. Loraven cut through them swiftly, but she knew more would come.
The elf could not see much in the icy depths, but she remained there, body tense, ready to be attacked. The moment she let her guard down or turned her back to swim to the surface, it would be all over. Even as her lips turned numb, she smirked, eyes challenging the creature to come to her.