After a few minutes of traversing through the snow the wanderer decided to set Erwin down on the ground. “Y̴̢͍͕̲̝̰̹̞̽̕ȯ̴̖̽̆͛̈́u̸̢̻͇͈̤̠̗̦̎̉r̴̭̦̙͍͈͌̒̃͋̈́̉̋ ̶̡̨̧̠̯̦̟͎̾̀̈̉b̵̨̮̠͎͓̭̋̍e̸̛̝̮͌̍͗ͅc̶̭͉̠͖͍̈͊o̷̺̿̑͆̊m̶̦͝i̶͖͚̼̎́̉n̷̦̗̹͙̞̓͜g̷͍̝͉̰̘̈͊́͜ ̴̛̬͌́a̶̫͉̘̲̘̻̫͑̄̈́͊̕͜n̵͚̘̰͎͍̑̌͘ ̵̢̺̫̤͑̀̈́̔a̶̝̲͇̻͋́̎͝b̷̧̬̰̬̟̠̜͐̉͛s̶̢͓͍̠̭̟̊͐o̵̡̩͉̮͈̫̒̒l̴̡̗̬̤̣̼͍͇͒͒͋͂͑͝u̷͓̤͇͐̾͒̏̽͝t̶̳͉̅̇̑̃̾̆e̶̡͕͂̌͆̒́̕ ̶͕́p̷̢͇̪͍̼͈͋̑̍̊͌͆̎ͅͅą̸̛͉̤̱̩̘̙̀̽ḯ̶̫̫̩͖͙̄ͅn̷̢̥̬̍̒͒́̓͘ ̶̥̗͎͙̀͒̈́̎̂ͅt̷̞̠̪͎̘̗̖͇̃͑̈́̌̉͗̂o̷̖͔͂̍̆͆̈ ̴̢̗̭̦̣͚̆̆̒͑̽̋̈́͠c̸̛͔̊̉̈́̃̍ȧ̴̻̙͖̹̣̗̖̮̈͋̈́͠ṙ̴̢̳̠͕̪͇ȓ̴̨̪̮͉̻̖̦̱͆̉̉͂y̴̛̞̟̙̫̞͚̓͆͑̕͜͜ ̸̝́̊̈́o̵͕̫̫͓͒͑̇̌́̓̚͠n̵̡̝̦̦̭͚̥̈́̈̌͛́̅̿͝ ̴̧̣̈͆̓̕m̷̧͚̰̗̩̣̌͜͜ŷ̵̨̨͕̗͇̹̳͓́̇ ̶͎̬̞͉̆͛̑͗̀s̸̨̢̛̟̗̜̥̈́͗̾̀̕ḩ̸̣̟̘̎͌͠õ̷̯̀̀͆̈́͑̇u̶̥͆͂̽̽̈͂l̷͎͚͚̼͕̏̄̅̏͒̕͜ͅͅd̸͔͉̩̰̙͔͖̀͗̓̿͜e̴͇̹̳͎̪̔̐̆̌́̈͜r̷̭̠̲̯̉̏͂̎̈́̈́̔̚ ̴̰͇̩̖̖͆̆̓͝s̶͔̳̒͆o̶͙̫̦͙̐ͅͅͅ ̵̼̘̄w̴̢̡͓͔͖͖̝̄a̷͔̮̎̽̔̀̚l̷̙͈̎̿͊͆̄̀͑͠k̶̤̂̍̒̆͌͠ ̵̧̼̬͈͌͠ḟ̸̘̌͠ỏ̸̗̮̫͍̹̀͋̓ŕ̵̫̫̒͑͆̌̉̆ ̶̢͉͓̝̱̖͝ỹ̶̛͙͖͎̩̺̗͒̉͝o̶̧̧̮͈͚̜͂̓ų̷̡̯̬̘̥̜̲̓̉͑̎͋͝r̶̗̞̾̅̀̌͆͊s̶͚̖͓͕̄ẹ̸͚̗͍̌͜͠l̴̨̞̟̦͍̣̓̽̏͛̐̓̅̐f̶̫̦͔̈́͑̈́͊̆͂͝,̵̖̹͒͜g̵̥̝̫̩͈̣̯̕͝͝͝ǫ̷̡̞̺͉̍̐́̈́̉̊͌t̴̹̞̊ͅ ̷͉̍̎͋͊̂̄͠͠ì̸͍̯̼̹̂͠t̵̗̫̪́́ ̵̲̼̃́̚h̶̟͛ư̷̦̦̥̟͐̒̒͆̚m̷̨͚̺̝̄̍̈́ͅà̴̈́̓̑̒̅͘͜͝n̶̡̛̮̥̮͚͕̯̖̓͆͠?̸̛̟̫͇̩̰͎̥̍͗́͐̄̂͠” The wanderer looked down at the human as he said this.
Erwin at this point had gotten quite used to the screeching that the wanderer emitted when he talked; this may have been due to his skill which nullified the pain he received from sound ‘attacks’ and also just him getting used to the slight pain in general.
“Yeah yeah I get it wanderer i’ll walk by myself now” Erwin was still slightly embarrassed that the wanderer had carried him on his shoulder ‘I can take care of myself why did he do that’ Erwin thought this while being slightly frustrated with the wanderer from his previous action.
Erwin and the wanderer trudged through the slightly deep snow in front of them,for the wanderer it was fairly easy however for Erwin it was slightly difficult for him since he was so short.
After about 35 minutes had passed the sun had just started to set and yet they had not found a single person in this icy hell scape. “Hey wanderer can you see anyone from up there?” Erwin asked in a sarcastic yet curious tone,the two of them were trying to pass the time by talking and sometimes bantering with each other.
"̷N̶o̶ ̵I̴ ̴c̸a̵n̸'̴t̵ ̸s̷e̸e̶ ̷a̶n̵y̷o̸n̸e̵ ̷f̶r̸o̷m̵ ̸u̶p̸ ̴h̴e̴r̶e̷ ̶a̵l̶l̷ ̵I̷ ̷s̸e̶e̴ ̵i̷s̵ ̵s̶n̸o̴w̴ ̷a̸n̸d̷ ̶m̸o̶r̷e̶ ̸s̵n̷o̴w̵ ̴a̶n̴d̵ ̶a̸ ̵t̸r̵e̴e̶.̶.̵.̶C̴a̶n̷ ̷y̴o̴u̷ ̸s̵e̵e̷ ̶a̵n̷y̵t̷h̶i̷n̸g̷ ̸f̸r̷o̸m̶ ̸d̸o̸w̴n̴ ̷t̸h̴e̴r̵e̵ ̸h̵u̶m̴a̶n̶?̴"̴ it was a bit hard for Erwin to hear the wanderer not only because of the slight screeching sound but also because of the cold gust of wind that was blowing against both of them but in the end Erwin did figure out what the wanderer had said.
“No I can't do anything at all from down here except for snow...maybe we should go investigate the tree, maybe there's someone over there wanderer!” Erwin had to shout what he was saying at this point just so the wanderer could hear what he was saying.
“"̸̞́I̷͔͌ ̵͎̭͒̀ä̶̡̬́̃g̵̻̳̐͋r̵̲͑̈́e̴̼̗̽̐é̷̺̭ ̸͓̀ẅ̸̧͕e̸̗̮͒ ̸̼̩̌s̴͚̑̑h̴̖̘̅́o̷̮̰̅̂u̶̟̣͆͒ĺ̸̺̏ḋ̵̛͕̘ ̸̮͑͜ğ̵̥̅o̸̰̊ ̵̡̎͂i̷̺̭͐͝n̵̹̓v̸̛͎ȅ̴̡s̶̫͈̊t̶̼́̅î̴̯͝g̴͈̻̔͌å̵̰̋t̵̼̖́e̸̻̅͊ͅ ̵̱̱̂̆t̸̳͝h̴̻̥͊é̴̟ ̷͙̈́̽t̷̠̀̃r̸̦̎͠e̸̗̊͐e̸̡̦͑̿ ̴͙͉́̍I̸͔͙͊ ̴͍̌̓m̵̝̹̊̑ẽ̷̝͝ă̸̲̬͊n̴̤͠͠ ̶̮͐͒w̶͓͂ȩ̸̔ ̴͌ͅd̴͚͔̅̋o̶̡͑͌n̵̘̫̐̈́'̷͇̘͝͝t̸̰͋ ̶̙͊͠h̷̛̖̺̽â̴̱v̸̼̓̅e̶̱͇̓̒ ̸̹̖̕ã̸̹̣n̵̖̱͆́ỷ̸̻͝t̵͎̩̅h̷̨̤͘ȋ̴̹n̸̝̈́g̷̤̍͘͜ ̸̮͠ȩ̵̖͒l̴̢̘̽͒s̷̜̒ẹ̵̀̆ ̶̰̣́t̷̯͑͐ő̵̞̰ ̸̲͠g̸̲̮͐̑ȏ̴̗̤ ̷̤͐o̴̹̕ṋ̵̡̇͑ ̴̮͍͂̍a̷̘̠͌͌n̸͓̥̋d̵̲̋̌ ̶̣̽p̶̡͠ḷ̸̈́̏ủ̷̢s̸͕̾̐ͅ ̶̪͌͆i̵̡̫͛ṭ̸̇͠s̶͙̑̕ ̷̨̔̃ẗ̵̗́̀ȟ̶̘͘e̴̖̚ ̶̧̠͒f̷̧̲̑̈́ȉ̵͓͍r̴͍͇͒ş̵͕̐̑t̵̢̒̐ ̴̼́͋t̷̢̘͋í̴̱̏ḿ̸͈͝e̵̲̮̅͒ ̸̱̗̕ẅ̸͖́͊e̷̥̫̒͝'̶̗̀ͅv̷̮̥͘ě̶͎ ̶̡̳́̊s̷̰͎̅e̵͔̓̐ę̸̣̓͊n̷̳̄ ̷̣͝a̸͉̎̅͜ ̶͙̓͜͠t̵̥̯̕r̷̨͆ȇ̸̳͘é̸̹͛ ̸̢̽̈́î̵͈͋ṇ̴̱̀̀ ̷͚́q̴̣̇̍ü̴̥̞̒i̵͖̗͒ẗ̴͜e̶̜͂̒ ̷͇̈́́a̷̧͒ ̴̜̇͊ẁ̸̫h̷̡̕í̸̝͝l̵͎͋ë̸̘͈̋!̶̗̯̀̅"̶̢̱͐̎” The wanderer agreed with Erwin and he also thought they should investigate the tree.
The pair continued to walk for a further few minutes before they finally got to the tree,the tree was fairly large standing at least 15 meters high and was completely covered in snow.
“I’ll go around the right you go around the left of the tree got it”. The wanderer nodded back after Erwin had finished his sentence then they both took different routes around the tree.
Erwin slowly walked around the right part of the tree,’Ignite’ with these words a fiery barrier once again wrapped around the boy's small body stopping the freezing breeze from hitting the boy's body. ‘Huh I don’t really see anything usual about this tree...maybe it's just an ordinary tree,no I could have sworn something was drawing me here on purpose.
Erwin had gotten about halfway around the tree at this yet he did not see the wanderer anywhere. ‘Is he still getting here?...no he should of gotten here quicker then me’
Erwin then decided to pick up his pace; he quickly walked through the snow, even burning some on the way from his fiery barrier. However he soon came to a stop as he saw the wanderer just in front of him.
“Oh hey wanderer why have you stopped moving?” Erwin asked this in a rather inquisitive manner he was rather confused as to why he had stopped moving.
“"̷̗́̉Ḯ̸͙̥͝.̸͓͕̌̚.̸̱̱́͆.̸̲̍C̷̣͇̍ȁ̶̻̬n̵̻͐̑'̸͉̩̐͘t̴̡̉.̸̠͉̀́.̴̡̧̃͐.̵̬͗́m̶̧̀o̷̲̲͋̅v̵̘͉̊e̵̪̔̓͜.̷͈̈́.̸͚̓ͅ.̵̱͌h̵̬̗͑̽ü̷̻̥m̴̤̀̎a̸̼̦̅ñ̶͓͎.̴̻͒.̸̧͌̊.̷̥̎͝ǵ̶̡e̸͚̖̓̒ṫ̴̢͖.̵͈̈́͗.̷͎̄̈́.̷̘͊a̴͕͂̍w̶̖̓̕a̵̟̥̍ẙ̶͎͊"̵̹̽̍” The wanderer had trouble moving his body now but he was just able to look at Erwin in the eyes and say those words to him.
“W-what wrong wanderer?” Erwin asked this rather nervously after hearing what the wanderer had said however he got no response. This caused Erwin to get closer to him but as he did he stopped dead in his tracks.
“W-what h-happened to you wanderer…?” Erwin was in utter shock at what he saw,what looked like a root had pierced deep into the wanderer’s chest and it looked like it was just barely keeping him alive.
The wanderer had become nutrients for the tree kept barely alive so the tree could keep receiving them. A few thoughts quickly rushed through Erwin’s head ‘how did this happen to him?,what do I do?,Should I escape?’ all these thoughts quickly rushed through Erwin’s head and just as quickly he came up with a few answers.
‘I’m not sure how this happened,I should save the wanderer right this instant and I should not leave a comrade behind’. These answers quickly went through Erwin’s mind.
He pulled out his sword and attempted to cut the root that was using the wanderer as nutrients however it was much tougher than it looked. ‘Oww holy crap that is tough i’m going to have to use some magic as well it seems’. Just as Erwin thought this a mysterious entity came out of the tree.
It was a white Alraune she had a beautiful face which any woman would die to have and her bosoms were fairly large lastly her long beautiful white hair and overall slim figure would enchant anyone. The Alraune just stared at Erwin for a few seconds before starting to talk.
“Oh my what do we have here? A young human male huh. It seems like my lucky day, another prey has appeared.” The Alraune just stared at Erwin right in his eyes and licked her lips as if she was about to feast on some delicious prey.
Erwin just stood there in shock and horror ‘how could this thing trap the wanderer does she have some sort of magic which attracts people to her’.
An Alraune was a special type of monster which attracted men by letting out strong pheromones which drew them near to the Alraune and also lowered their guard by a considerable amount, however it had a much weaker effect on people who were under the age of 16/17.
Alarune’s were usually green and mainly lived in green luscious forests however this Alarune seemed to have adapted to the cold environment around it. Erwin finally regained his composure and then started to quickly formulate a plan in his mind.
‘I’ll have to use the remaining amount of mana to even have a chance of cutting through that solid root after that i’ll just have to run with the wanderer...this is going to be tough’.
Erwin started to concentrate on the mana in his body and started to redirect it towards the sword he was holding and more specifically the blade of the sword.
‘Ignite’ With that his sword suddenly was overflowed with mana and started to have a slight red glow to it,as soon as his sword had a slight red glow Erwin slashed the root diagonally and was able to succeed in cutting it this time.
“Arghhhhh” The Alarune screamed in pain since the tree had pretty much become a part of her body at this point. The wanderer collapsed into the snow and the root that had pierced him quickly disintegrated into the snow.
The wanderer was unconscious so he couldn't move,’Crap I can’t let him die here...i’ll have to carry him to the cabin’ Erwin proceeded to quickly wrap the wanderer's arm around his neck.
Erwin dashed off into the distance with the wanderer leaving behind the Alraune and her tree,The Alraune still screaming very wildly “I’LL KILL YOU YOU HEAR ME I’LL KILL YOU!!”
Erwin had been carrying the wanderer for 10 minutes now and was starting to struggle,the adrenaline rush he had received from slashing the Alarune’s root was finally wearing off and to make matters worse he was really low on mana.
“Huff.puff,huff,puff” Erwin was sweating even though the freezing snowy wind was hitting his body,he was close to losing consciousness as well. ‘I can’t just leave him behind I must keep moving…’ Erwin’s body had finally given in and he was now laying face first in the snow.
The wanderer’s bleeding was getting worse by the second yet Erwin could not do anything about it,maybe this is the end for both of us...We should have taken Melina with us, maybe we would have lived…
Erwin was trying hard to stay awake but he just couldn't, his eyes were getting very heavy and finally they closed,all that could be heard for miles was the whistling of the wind.
‘No...I can’t die here...I must live...Please someone help me’ Erwin tried to regain consciousness yet he just couldn’t.
