Kazius and Alice had been training under Damon quite rigorously, but progress was slow despite a week of work. Again and again, they would be blown out of the mountain. Still, each time they would get a little farther. Alice did not give up, princess or not, she was more diligent than even some knights Kazius knew. She appeared serious about what she had told Kazius. Something he did not understand, he could protect himself and his friends just fine. Whenever he did tell her this though, she seemed to either dismiss it or get upset.

It appeared something about such conversations had lit a fire in the Human Princess. As they climbed up, the princess did not lose her footing even once after the second day. She would press on with a determined look. In fact, she passed Kazius in their climbs by the third day, being so far ahead that it was hard to see her. It was something that shocked Kazius… It felt like each day she was getting farther and farther away.

Despite difficulties though, the intense wind was becoming almost normal. The two could look around and move more freely, not even finding as much need to shield their faces. Something Damon seemed to be quite proud of, complementing the improvement. After all, he himself could stand in the mountain as if it was normal.

Kazius would shake from his thoughts, focusing his energy on pressing forward. He did not want to get left behind… Still… How high did they get today? It was near sunset… Damon would likely have them stop soon… He supposed he would find out how far he got once they hopped down… It was frustrating…

Kazius was trying to focus, but the longer he tried, the more his thoughts swirled in his head. Every day they climbed the mountain, it felt like the top was calling for him. Like a voice singing a beautiful soft melody that was hidden in the violent wind. Yet it was so far away. Was the mountain taunting him or was he going crazy? Perhaps it was his desire to catch up to Alice… Regardless, he felt helpless and weak.

As Kazius walked, he found himself coming to a full stop.

“Kazius? Do you want to stop?” Damon would ask, looking concerned.

Kazius would shake his head in response. Something felt off to him. He could hear it, his heart beating in his own ear louder and louder as he looked up at the out-of-sight peak. It seemed to almost taunt him. At this rate, it would take him a year to get up there.

Before he could do anything, a particularly strong gust of wind would blow him off his feet. It happened so fast. Before Damon had a chance to grab him though, Kazius would just… Stop, his expression in a daze.

Upon close inspections, one could see quite the oddity… Sure Kazius had shadow powers of some sort… But… That of course meant he controlled shadows as weapons… Use them to hide… But… Nothing like this… His shadow had come out of the ground and grabbed the dazed Kazius.

It was an odd-looking thing. Despite being a shadow, it had an odd ominous purple glow around the edges. It had a wide smile that glowed the same purple, purple lights that squinted with glee as its eyes. The shadow would grab at him, getting a firm hold on him.

‘Unacceptable…Just who is this wind… Daring to stop you… How insolent’

Kazius could have sworn he heard in his head. The voice was his own, yet also not. The language it spoke was a distorted mix of the Common tongue and something else. His heartbeat by now had grown into a drum-like rhythm. His expression remained blank, his red eyes glowing dimly. The chill from the wind faded into a nonexistent feeling to him. Neither his hair nor his clothes would move at the gusts anymore.

Damon would call out to Kazius, concerned, but to Kazius it all sounded muffled. Like faint ringing. What sounded clearer now was the song that came from the top of the mountain. There really was a woman singing a beautiful song.

With his feet brought to the ground again, his shadow would return to being a normal shadow. Alice too was alarmed, running over, but Kazius did not acknowledge either of them. Ignoring everything around him, he would begin to walk up the mountain as if nothing.

Damon of course was doing just fine in the mountain and could follow him, but Alice was another story. She still struggled, and would still follow the male, getting quite behind due to Alice’s struggle.

As Kazius went up the mountain, the peak would soon come into view. The scene was beautiful, the sunset visible from the top as well as the other mountains out in the distance. The rivers in the valley reflected all the orange hues. As Kazius would regain awareness, he would soon realize where he was. Shocked, he grew confused, attempting to register what just happened.

‘But how…?’

“To refuse … my song so openly… You must be a stubborn one… Or perhaps quite strong….” Kazius could hear a feminine voice behind him. Confused, Kazius would turn around. It was the one that he had heard singing. He wasn’t crazy…

“Who-”

“I suppose that is why I can’t decide whether I should feel insulted or impressed by you, Dark One… Though considering how I owe you, it is hard to be angry… I have never seen my champion have so much fun.” A woman would state. She was quite the beauty. She had long green curly hair that would reach her rear, her hair swaying in the wind that seemed to come from her herself. Her eyes were a golden color, her clothes a white robe adorned with gold with green gems.

She sat on a rock; her legs crossed as she seemed to be drinking some wine from a glass.

‘Just who is this lady? Champion? Is she talking about Damon?’

“I am Vind, the Queen of the Wind. This mountain is my home… As you can see, I am where the wind comes from. It is my song. This is my domain… I will admit, I am surprised you can see me… Not even my champion has managed that. You even speak my tongue, how curious… Though considering things, I suppose it is expected… If I recall, he too would put his nose in everyone’s business. ” She would state.

Kazius perked up at this, surprised.

‘The Queen of Wind? Maybe she knows what happened to me…’

“I don’t know how I could have offended you… I don’t even know what I did. What I am doing… What I am… What do you even mean by Champion? Who is the nosy person you are talking about as well?” Kazius questioned, feeling lost.

“I see… How curious… You know nothing… How fun.” Vind spoke, her words and whims being as unpredictable as the wind itself. She barely acknowledged what he said. Their conversation was very one-sided.

‘She seems to be more aloof than Azanor… Great… Am I even going to get answers?’

“My Champion used to come here crying… Hiding here, despite my wind… He was such a scrawny and miserable little thing back then… Even my favor did not stop his weeping… But now he seems happier… I suppose I could tell you something good, as thanks… Even if I am irked with you… Your actions and blood are oh so insolent… No one has dared reject my beautiful song before… Dark One. Seek out the Temple in Mount Ulf… The secret entrance should be hidden on a wall of stone behind some foliage… Beware of the guardian… The key is not needed if you have the shadows… Now… If you will excuse me… I will return to enjoying my song and drink. Go, son of Seselis. I hope to never speak to you again. Take good care of my champion.” She would dismiss with a wave, blowing wind at his face.

“Seselis? Wai-“

Before Kazius could protest or ask more questions, the wind would blow harder than ever for a second, blinding him temporarily, a gust purposefully hitting his eyes before he would find himself at the peak… An odd stone statue standing where Vind once stood. The stone statue was worn with time, the vague features of a woman being visible, but too worn to be distinguishable. Honestly, the statue looked closer to a stone snowman. Lumps of rock with some detail.

Kazius frowned, she definitely was vaguer than Azanor… Her dismissiveness also greatly irritated him.

“Kazius!” He would then hear, Damon and Alice approaching.

“What the heck was that? Are you okay?” Alice asked, panting from effort. After all, going to the top had not been easy for her.

“I am fine… I should be asking you that too… You seem exhausted… As for that… I have no clue.” Kazius stated. He looked concerned, helping her support her weight.

Damon sighed, looking relieved, “That was crazy… Your shadow had a face! And then it just grabbed you! You have no idea how worried I was… Still, I am proud you made it up here, both of you… I am just glad you didn’t get hurt coming up here on your own… Don’t worry us like that.” He scolded, usually being quite carefree, but he did worry about his friends.

“Sorry… To both of you.” Kazius stated sheepishly, “I didn’t mean to worry you both.” He admitted with a small smile.

“It is okay. I know it wasn’t something in your control… At least from what you said… You aren’t the rash type either.” Alice sighed out, catching her breath.

She would then look at the statue, “What is that anyway?”

“Oh! That! Buahaha! It is a statue of the legend of our town!” Damon exclaimed proudly, “They say our tribe got our powers from the Queen of Wind Spirits herself, Vind. Others think she is a Goddess of Wind rather than a spirit. The first Chief made the statue of her long ago. Most in my tribe think it is an old bedtime story, but I always thought it is true.”

‘Great… First the Oracle and now a Wind Goddess… Was it too late for me to become an atheist? Maybe that would get powerful beings to stop messing with me.’ Kazius would joke to himself. Of course, it didn’t work that way, but it was an amusing thought nonetheless.

‘Still… Son of Seselis? Is that what she called me?’