AUTHOR'S POV
As they reach the mouth of the cave, the lights of Caluso started to fade. It nipped Stellan's chest and found himself tugging on a growing familiar loneliness, drilling a hole on his heart. Mindfully, the screeches became clearer, and louder. The paladins started to sense the evil lurking beyond the sleets of ice. Moments later, a pair of dark healers come into sight.
"Go get Helena, we'll keep things tighter here", Alesso told Stellan.
"What if she's no longer there?", Stellan hesitation flourished when the lights over Caluso have completely died down.
"You haven't checked yet. Now go, before we turn barbeque out here", Vesta rested her labrys over her shoulder as she exhale sharply.
Like mindless ghouls as they are, the dark healers floated in the air, dancing in the of chaos in the wind. With weakness unknown to the paladins, they flew across the snow-covered field shrieking awfully, numbing to the ears. Unsure of how to fight exactly, Alesso and Vesta faced the dark healers despite knowing that with one hit, they'd turn to rocks. However, they knew they need to do what they have to do. Distracting the dark healers, Alesso and Vesta started the dance with the enemy. Stellan regretfully made his way inside the cave. While he does, a black bird was seen soaring above Caluso.
LATER
Syria dropped flat on her back with an arrow in her chest. With her eyes left open, she laid unmoved on the cold ice. Stellan who's standing top of the spiral staircase, reaches his hand to Helena. "Let's go!", he said as the ice walls rumble, as if the great vestry of Caluso is breaking down. He didn't took his eyes off the woman whom he never thought he's find again.
Helena broke down in tears seeing Stellan. She was about to reach his hand when she remembered something important. Helena chose to jump down first on Syria's body and took the traveler's stone and scepter from her hands.
The walls continued to grumble, and even the thicker floor ice started to break. Strong as it was, Syria's powers may have destroyed the ancient foundations of the vestry… that its glacial ice collapsed. Losing time, Helena went back on her feet and leaped on the remaining stairs going up.
On the final jump to Stellan, the ice walls started to crumble down as the ice floor quake and break. Holding her breath, Helena leaped towards Stellan dropping the traveler's stone. "Got you!", Stellan said as she held on Helena tightly. Helena was about to use her magic and lift the stone, but Stellan stopped her. "Let's go! This place is going down!", the paladin knight held Helena's hand as they made their way out.
Back in the upper chambers, Stellan let Helena sit for a while as he rest Helena's scepter against the ice wall. "Are you alright?", Stellan tugged Helena's hair behind her ear. He stared at her grey eyes with flecks of green, wiping the dried blood on her face.
"I got my crest working. I should heal quicker now", Helena sighed as she close her eyes.
"You've lost a lot of blood", Stellan checked her wounds. Some have already closed up.
"This is nothing.", Helena smiled at the worried paladin. "How did you know I was here?", she asked.
"It's a good thing squirrels don't cover their tracks", Stellan said. "Hey, you can soul travel now", he said as he held her hands.
"I thought you needed me here", Helena looked into Stellan's eyes, looking sullen.
"You can always come back to me", Stellan gave her a small smile.
"I got something for you", Helena said as she took something from her purse. Stellan squinted his eyes Helena, wondering what she'd give him. "You have some dark healers to kill", Helena said as she hand him her dragon hilt.
Galen heard faint shrieks and screeches from the mountains. He clenched his teeth, feeling wronged for having the traveler's stone being taken from him. The King started to walk back and forth. Time seemed to be frustratingly slow as he wait by the foot of the mountain.
Aether who's sharpening his daggers watched Galen get restless as he pace in front of him. No matter how he numerously tried to calm the King, he ends up being yelled at. Even the other ten royal knights can do nothing to ease off the King's anxiety.
In the sudden absence of the shrills and squeals, Galen heard disturbing sounds of somewhat choking as if in in suffocation. Aether gave the King a look, sharing the same thought in mind. As they both search around, they found two royal knights under thick heavy cloaks were on their knees struggling to breath. Looking closely, their eyes have turned completely black, and their skin as dark as coal.
"Damn it", Galen gritted his teeth as he watch his knights turn to dark healers. He wondered why he ever agreed to give the traveler's stone to Celeste.
"My King! Hurry, please leave", Aether hurriedly called while he ordered another knight to fetch the King's stallion.
Galen wouldn't want to leave without Helena, however, he knew that the snow mountain have dark healers lurking around too. And without the traveler's stone, he won't be able to walk among his enemies protected. "Damn that witch", he cursed in the wind.
"My King", Aether plead. "Time is slipping. You better hurry", the commander of the warriors glanced at the two knights who's about to complete their transition. He knew that without the sorceress, they won't be able to either defeat or tame these what they call darklings. They will be like rabbits in the lair of snakes.
"Don't leave without my Celestial", Galen bitterly uttered as he took four escorts with him. Swiftly, he led his men out to the boreal forest with a heavy heart, and tormented mind.
"Yes, your Highness", Aether said, with three of the royal knights on steady pace through the depths of the snow to Caluso. Moments after, the inevitable arrived. Two dark healers were born.