Eirwen opened his mouth to suck in a lungful of air, but instead of oxygen, a strange, powdery substance flooded his mouth. He coughed violently, his chest heaving, before forcing his eyes open.
Everything was dark, cold, and moist.
Slowly suffocating, he felt the sensation of thousands and thousands of needles piercing his skin. It wasn't literal, but the cold was so agonizing that it exactly like that.
His blood turned sluggish, but his Flaw kept it pumping through his body, making this torture even worse as he constantly switched between feeling warm and feeling cold.
'I thought I grow fucking stronger in coldness!' he cursed. But yes, despite his anger he could feel it. No matter how bad the pain was, Eirwen still felt his Flaw working much faster and using up less Essence than usual.
Eirwen felt the coldness slowly fade away -his body getting used to it- and being replaced by a feeling of being crushed.
Apparently he was buried under a mountain of snow! And to top that off he was also naked!
Concentrating and willing his intend to the Spell he summoned [Kissed by the Sun] -a Memory given to him by Merlin and Gale- and noticed how the armor appeared on his body.
First, a thin layer of black cloth wrapped tightly around his body, almost like a wetsuit. Then, silver metallic plates manifested, covering him from the high-collar around his neck down to the Sabatons on his feet. And lastly, a red cape appeared on his right shoulder, and another cloth of the same color wrapped securely around his waist.
Once the armor hugged his body tightly, he used the [Dragon Breath] Enchantment of his armour.
Flames shot out from the little holes and lines scattered around the plates, searching for escape out of whatever space they were trapped in with a hellish growl.
Soaring wildly all around him they did the work perfectly.
The snow around him melted into water, and he was greeted by bright light above him -even though there was no sun in the azure sky, only milky white clouds. And something about these clouds struck him as deeply unsettling, although he couldn't quite understand what exactly.
Eirwen stood up and immediately assessed his surroundings, shaking his head to get rid of any snow stuck to his wet, golden hair.
There was nothing but snowy mountain peaks all around him. Whichever way he looked, all he saw were mountains covered in hills of snow.
Currently he was on one himself too, even though the area around him was more or less flat. From his point of view Eirwen could clearly see that he was on some kind of elevation.
Whoooosh
The cold and sharp winds whistled past him, forcing the red cloth hanging from his shoulder and waist to thrash around wildly. Looking away from the breathtaking scenery, Eirwen remembered something important.
"The signal," Eirwen practically whispered, his mind still partially occupied with what was before his eyes.
The signal in question was something the four of them agreed to do once they entered the Dream Realm.
Of course, nobody except Eirwen knew they would all end up in one place. The three of them simply hoped not to end up alone. 'Maybe I should've told at least Andromeda about this,' he thought before shaking his head and concentrating on the task at hand.
Eirwen shot his hand into the sky, his palm open to reveal seven tiny holes. Within them, fire simmered, waiting to be unleashed like hounds eager for a chase.
Pushing his Essence into the Enchantment, he released a bright, fiery column -a sudden burst of flames that shot up into the sky, crackling and blazing with intense, orange colour.
He knew it was a stupid and reckless move, sure to draw unwanted attention. However, he wasn't concerned about that right now. If needed, he could simply retreat or fight the enemy alone.
Still, his priority was to locate his comrades as quickly as possible. No matter how strong he was, one couldn't survive alone in the Dream Realm for too long.
Standing in the snowy landscape he was convinced he was alone. But then, a strange feeling of being observed washed over him. He pivoted on his heels, summoning [Hydra's choice] into his right hand. The silver longsword sparked into existence, and he gripped it firmly.
And his instincts weren't wrong.
Three creatures emerged from the snowy surroundings. Their pristine white, humanoid bodies made them nearly invisible in the snow. But their grey talons, wings, and piercing red eyes revealed them prematurely.
The first Nightmare Creature resembled a colossal bird -easily towering over 9 feet in height- with a hooked beak and six wings.
Two of its wings replaced its arms, another pair under its armpits with a final set on its back. Each large wing was adorned with gray spikes that replaced its feathers on haphazard spots.
To its right was a creature resembling a giant Siberian tiger with long, feathered wings on its neck. Its eyes were concealed beneath white fur as its sharp claws dug into the snow.
The most unsettling of the trio was a tall, humanoid figure with arms extending all the way to its ankles. It had two little, feathered wings protruding out of each wrist.
What was truly disturbing about it though, was the multitude of human-like eyes scattered across its bald head, which also looked like an unholy mix between a human skull and that of a bird.
'Fight them,' Leviathan ordered in his mind -his calm and firm voice replacing the usual choir- and Eirwen listened, acknowledging the command.
"Why is it the ugly ones meeting me the second I come here?" Eirwen cursed with a smirk as he rested his longsword on his shoulder leisurely. The two golden orbs in his face widened as he readied himself despite his relaxed stance.
Standing menacingly they stared at Eirwen, their furry and feathery skin beating against the sharp winds.
Suddenly, the white, shiny snow around him turned denser -akin to wet dirt or sand- and wrapped around his ankles, trapping him in place.
Eirwen's eyes widened further as he sprang into action
Activating Dragon's Breath he released the flames, creating a deafening explosion beneath his legs in process. He felt the bones in his legs shatter from the immense strain, but they regenerated quickly enough to grant him mobility.
Leaping to the side, he narrowly avoided a violent attack from the tiger-like creature which had pounced at him right as the snow began moving around his ankles.
It missed Eirwen and crashed into a snowy hill behind him with a crash, sending clouds of the white powder skyward.
However, dodging the opening attack wasn't enough to escape harm, since there was a second one coming right after. And that one he was not able to dodge, so he took it head on with the hopes of counterattacking.
Too bad he didn't expect what was about to come next.
The humanoid monster -devastatingly swift and strong- propelled itself forward, its fist puncturing his chest with titanic force and sending him hurtling backward.
The strike created a grotesque hole in his chest, right where his lungs and a fragment of his heart used to be. Now replaced by nothingness. At least because of the adrenaline, he didn't feel much of the pain that would come with having a hole the size of a football in your chest.
Ragdolling through the snow he hit a large dark boulder with such force that his body shattered it into pieces before coming to stop. [Hydra's choice] already escaped his grasp and was now somewhere underneath the thick white powder.
Gasping for breath he sat up in the snow, which already started to close in around him again before he could even rise to his feet.
The wound was already halfway closed though. The regeneration took a ton of energy, and so did the Dragon's Breath, which he was constantly activating at moderate levels to burn the moving snow. Heatwaves radiated from the tiny holes all around his armour, melting the white powder into water.
"My Essence…" Eirwen groaned, feeling the mystical energy source leave his Cores.
Thankfully, the coldness surrounding him was also getting absorbed into his body, strengthening him decently.
Yet he was still slightly out of breath. And really fucking angry too.
Eirwen sat up, his golden eyes burning with fury and anger. He could feel it start burning into his very Soul again.
Ignoring the waves of snow that tried to engulf him he powered up Dragon's breath, immersing himself in a soaring blaze that scorched everything around him.
He had only one goal at mind, to fully eliminate this treacherous snow.
With a furious gaze he pushed even more of his Essence into the Enchantment, causing an explosive outburst of fire. Flames surged from every hole, crack and gap in his armour, creating a hell-storm around him.
Within moments, the snow around him vanished, replaced by boiling water that hissed and steamed in the air.
Eirwen stood up, his silver armor now painted with a red tint, while a few tips of his golden locks still smoldered. The wound in his chest had already sealed shut, but a gaping hole remained in his armor, exposing his porcelain white skin underneath.
Spitting his saliva mixed with blood to the side, Eirwen pushed himself up onto his feet, the armor rustling as he moved. He shifted into a defensive posture, [Hydra's Choice] whistling through the air and back into his hand.
His eyes scanned the area, waiting for the next attack and an opportunity to slaughter his enemies.
And he didn't have to wait for too long.
The white tiger lunged from the side with a guttural roar, its wings propelling it forward with blinding speed. The creature blurred forward, its movements almost impossible to follow as it closed the distance. Its jaws opened wide, eager to snap off Eirwen's head.