"What the hell is that!" I screamed as Bella and Teresa stepped in front of me.
"It sounds like a frost troll, I haven't dealt with one of those in so long," The old woman on my back said with a nostalgic smile on her face.
The troll began moving towards us as Bella and Teresa separated. Bella moved to the right and Teresa moved to the left.
"Wait," Bella said to Teresa. She pointed her staff at Teresa's sword and said "Engulf," just before the blade of Teresa's sword caught fire.
The troll roared again and started to run directly at Bella.
"Palisade of flame," Bella yelled.
A wall of fire appeared in front of Bella just in time for the troll to slam into it. It backed away with its bulky hands over its face. Bella stood behind the burning partition and stared at the troll cautiously. Teresa kept her distance as well and waited to act. The troll opened his mouth in what looked like a roar, but this time a thick, white mist flowed from his mouth. The wall of flames froze and then shattered. The troll advanced a step and then Teresa slashed it across its back. It flailed in her direction as it spun around to face her. She dodged the swipe and stood ready to attack again.
Before Teresa could attack again the troll spit a cone shaped shard of ice at her. She swung her sword to deflect it, but a piece of it broke off and lodged itself in her right shoulder.
"I guess I won't have to worry about cleaning this wound," Teresa said as watery blood ran down her armor.
I knew she was hiding how badly injured her arm was, I could see her sword quivering slightly. The troll started to move toward her, and a ball of fire hit it in the back. It roared its displeasure as it turned to face Bella. The troll spit an ice shard at Bella as well. She managed to dodge it and throw a fireball back. The troll knocked it away effortlessly. Teresa held her sword in her left hand as her right arm fell to her side.
"Oh my god Teresa," I yelled. I wanted to run over and help her but that would just get me, and the old woman killed.
"It's fine love, I lose more blood than this breaking tankards at the tavern," she said and smiled.
I wanted to believe her but the heavy breathing and swinging arm told a different story.
"Go fight for your love sweetie, I'll be fine," The old woman said.
I'm no good in a fight, I'll just get in the way," I said, even though I wanted to drop her and run at the troll swinging wildly.
"Trust me, sitting back watching your love die, is something you will never live down," she said.
I sat her down and picked up a tree branch that lay near us.
"Okay, I'm gonna try and help, you stay here," I said.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I said you should go and help. I never said I would be staying here helplessly," she said just before her body began changing.
Her white pupils turned the remarkable shade of green I had seen once before. My heart skipped a beat when the gold flashed around them.
"You have the same eyes Laura had," I said, mesmerized.
"I am Laura," she said as flames overtook her.
She changed from a little old lady to a flaming bird before my eyes.
"Are you gonna stand here drooling over me, or are we gonna help kill this troll," she said as she hovered in the air above me.
Her entire body, except her distinct eyes, was made of red, orange, and yellow flames. As she flew a trail of white smoke followed her. I grabbed my makeshift club and followed her into battle. I ran up behind it and smashed the tree branch into its back. The troll didn't even appear to feel it. I threw a punch at it. It felt like I punched a stone wall that had a soft fur coat on it. Pain radiated through my fist as the troll slowly turned to face me.
"Umm, hi" I said before it roared in my face.
Its breath smelled like rotting meat and old blood. It raised Its club-like arms over its head with its fists closed.
So, this is how I die, I thought just before a stream of flames hit it in the face. I dove backward away from it while the flaming bird blew flames in its eyes.
"She could turn into a phoenix this whole time," Bella seethed.
The phoenix flew over Bella and hovered above her.
"No, I honestly haven't felt any power in my body in a very long time. It's probably since I'm so close to home that my power is returning," Laura said.
"Your power? Did I miss something?" Bella asked while the troll batted at the flames that had scorched its face.
"Oh yeah, that's Laura Delmoore," I said pointing to the phoenix.
The frost troll stomped its feet and sharp spikes of ice shot out of the ground toward us. I dove out of the way and crawled toward Teresa, who was slumped on her side. Blood pooled around her as she lay motionless in the crimson snow.
"No, no, no, you said this was nothing," I said as I pressed on the wound with all the strength I could.
"Ar.....artery....c... cut," she managed to say as she weakly gestured with her left hand.
"Move your hand away," a gentle voice said from behind me.
I looked and saw phoenix Laura hovering just above me.
I moved my hand slowly and she slowly breathed a plume of yellow flame on the wound. The artery, muscles, and skin healed in seconds. Teresa sat up immediately and flexed her newly fixed arm.
"Thank you for the help, even though you got us into this," she said and slowly got to her feet.
Bella had raised another wall of flames as the troll advanced on her.
"Take Bella and make your way to the Manor, it's just beyond the exit of the cave, I'll keep the troll busy," Laura said and flew off.
She flew so fast around the troll that a spiral of flames encircled it and trapped it within.
"Wow she's got style," Teresa said as she scooped up Bella and we headed for the cave entrance.
"Do we think she'll be okay?" I asked and stopped moving.
"I think she is the most capable right now, Teresa is about to pass out, you're a wimp, and I'm fresh out of MP," Bella said and pulled me by the arm into the cave.
"You don't have any potions?" I asked.
"No, I was so distracted that I forgot to buy anything I might need," Bella said.
We made our way through the cave, which was full of skeletal remains. When we emerged from it, we were standing on a path that led to a gigantic house. There was a smaller wooden building, with pillars and a sloped roof sitting next to it.
"Well at least some of what she said was true I said," as we walked up to the shrine and sat on its steps.