Nowaru

-- Strike while the iron is hot! Come on, before it cools! Swing -- strike! Go! Aim less, hit more! -- Romsan encouraged her.
Her tiny hands could not properly hit the blade blank. She struck, missed, struck, wounded herself... Every failed blow -- and the darkness thickens. She can now barely see Romsan; everything around is shrouded... This is not just night, not just a shadow: every particle of this viscous gloom is someone's stolen life that can no longer be saved.
But then the hammer blows become more accurate, stronger... Her hands are no longer so small and short; in the most amazing way, they have become strong and long. This unexpected transformation gave rise to a whole storm of feelings -- how to manage such huge hands? So long that Erephir cannot see anything beyond her elbows... If they continue to get longer -- she will have to send messengers just to give them orders. However, in some surprising way, it manages without this: the darkness recedes. It seems her efforts have finally borne fruit, but she only redoubled her endeavors.
When everything was ready, Erephir turned back to see Romsan's approval -- but he was not there. While she worked, the darkness had eventually consumed him. And yet she did all she could, and will no longer hesitate for a second. Perhaps many more people will perish, but she will do everything possible to save, to help as many of them as possible.
-- Strike while the iron is hot!

-- Get up! You need to rise, and quickly!
The Nozenroth jumped out of bed immediately; two seconds later it dawned on her that she was in a nightgown, which made Erephir blush deeply.
-- Now calm down, I am a doctor. What haven't I seen... Better get dressed quickly and let's go. The darkness is advancing... the doctor said with some fear. -- I'll treat you somehow on the way; we have no time.
-- Do not be afraid, -- Erephir smiled. -- I will heal myself now. You run, and I -- in the other direction.
-- What? Why?! -- the healer wondered. And, seeing only a calm gaze in response to his words, he added: -- This is pure suicide.
-- Perhaps. But if I help even one person with this, it will be worth it. I am needed there... All my life, no, maybe not all my life, but for three years for sure... In short, I have long dreamed of becoming a hero. And now I have a chance.
-- Listen... You must be joking... Forget all this, girl! Come with me, I'll look after you. My son is growing up, just your age. You would like him; he's stately, handsome. All the girls in our village are crazy about him. And this... Just come to your senses!
-- If my life is bought at the cost of others' lives, I will never forgive myself... Thank you for your help! I hope everything will be well with you!
-- Crazy, -- was all the doctor managed to say before the girl rushed out of the house and headed straight toward the darkness.
"Romsan once saved me, sacrificing his life. I cannot repay him, but perhaps I can pass that debt forward..."

***

The wooden fortifications collapsed from the blow of a huge club. The transformed one who destroyed them seemed like a berserker who had lost his mind, but his purposeful gaze quickly refuted such a suggestion.
-- Forward, boys!
All sorts of people and non-people, wild beasts -- all rushed into the gap at once and began killing everything in their path. The defenders of the settlement were vanishing before one's eyes... A huge fellow, who had been their leader, stood nearby and laughed, waiting for his turn to loot: he would get the best anyway by right of the strong.
Suddenly a reddish shadow flashed by and two hardened bandits exploded on the spot, not even having time to understand what happened. On the battlefield, as if from nowhere, appeared a young red-haired girl in heavy armor; her long hair fluttered under gusts of strong wind, the constant companion of the Dark Lands. Immediately a hail of arrows poured down on her, someone even fired a musket, but wounds, if they appeared at all despite the armor, healed quickly.
The leader raised his hand, stopping his thugs.
-- Enough, stop! Well, look who I see, it's the Red Fury herself! And where did you come from; ten seconds ago there was no trace of you, hm... I've long dreamed of breaking your thin spine, girl, for all my boys that you laid low! Now, pray! -- just as he prepared to attack, Erephir flew in with superhuman speed and simply sliced him in half. Two huge parts of the massive carcass flew aside and received a powerful charge of fire and lightning, as if the corpse weren't enough... Terrified by such a sight, the robbers tried to flee but were stopped by a strange fiery fox blocking the exit from the settlement.
-- Before I allow you to leave, you must lay down your weapons.
-- But... without weapons in the Dark Lands... that is suicide!
-- You are right... -- Miss Darwening said sadly... -- Well, then go.
-- You aren't going to kill us? -- the bandits asked fearfully and distrustfully, to which the girl only shook her head.
-- Keep in mind, if you reform your gang, choose a new leader to replace Ugrot the Terrible... You know that I will appear soon and you will not be glad of my appearance!
The hasty flight of the raiders caused exuberant joy among those who remained in the settlement.
-- You are saving us for the second time... How do you appear so quickly at the moment of danger?
-- I have nothing to do with it, honest word! It's all Candle.
-- Candle?
-- My fox, -- she approached the animal and petted this strange oversized burning fox, not fearing to be burned. -- Candle always senses people's fear. And where there is fear -- that's where my help is needed and we run there immediately.
-- Senses fear? Such animals...
-- Oh yes, I also thought she was a monster at first when I first met her. And she really used fear to attack and... -- Erephir swallowed. -- But then I defeated her and felt pity, so I didn't kill her. It turned out that a fearsome beast can be a loyal friend and a gentle, harmless pet; it just needs a little attention and care. And we now use Candle's ability to sense fear for good.
-- Ahem, how could we thank you for the rescue?
-- Live! -- the Nozenroth shrugged. -- And someday help other people, as I helped you. Oh yes! -- Erephir took a bag made of strange, non-burning material off Candle and pulled out several swords and bows. -- This is my gift to you! Next time it will be easier for you to hold the defense!

***

Anyone would have spent a whole day, or even more, to climb this mountain, but not these two, racing up the slope like meteors. Erephir never traveled on foot; she simply had no time for it. In rare moments of fatigue, she only allowed herself to jump onto Candle and continue her endless movement own horseback. Candle's hot flame did not touch her alone: learned styles of Kalevrit paladins helped very much in this. And Candle herself tried to dampen the flame when her mistress was close.
They habitually jumped over a wide gorge, passed a cave where a bloodthirsty flying serpent once sat (but the beast feasted for a short time), and stopped at a ledge. The fox lay down nearby and curled up in a ball to keep watch: there was no road further for her. The Nozenroth threw a hook and with its help climbed up the horizontal slope like an experienced climber. She climbed up -- and first thing she dropped a large piece of meat down to her pet, and only then looked around.
Of course, everything was in order: who could find this place, and having found it, get inside? However, the mountain represented a real treasure: there was no gold or gems here, but there was something an order of magnitude more important than all the money in the world.
At the top of the mountain, where Erephir now was, there was an old, abandoned, but extremely sturdy forge. Here the girl set up her little nest -- in every sense, for she had no time to make it beautiful or arrange the interior. However, it was clean here, there was always drinking water, water for washing... And why not? Hygiene first; one cannot be a hero while unwashed.
In addition to the forge at the top of the mountain, ore deposits and a smelter were found below. And either thanks to some anomaly or for some other unknown reason, large inclusions of moon rock were surprisingly found in some iron ore veins. The surprises of fate can be amazing... Becoming stronger and smarter, the red-haired girl learned how to work with this rock and wore gear made of moonstone. True, at first even simple extraction of ore seemed an insurmountable task; she was lucky that mixed with moonstone a strange magical material was found, which exploded from a strike with an electric current and thus created cracks in the moonstone.
The Nozenroth sighed and now, after another race, allowed herself to lie down on hard wooden bedding for the first time in two days. She needed to sleep at least a little: after the death of Ugrot, the Terror of the Dark Lands, as survivors often called him, Erephir had one more, much more difficult task. Yes, she helped a huge number of settlements, saving everyone from certain death, from terrible monsters and ruthless robbers. But now she felt that people had a chance, and most importantly -- hope. Ugrot's gang will not recover soon and many probably will no longer want to return to the slippery path even out of fear; the surviving inhabitants of the Dark Lands are gradually becoming stronger... The time has come to take a risk and try to strike not at the symptoms, but at the cause of the disease. But first, one must prepare well.
After a short sleep, the red-haired girl stood up, drank "Kinetr" saved from those times, asked Grevan for help and felt that she was now ready to bend moon rock with her bare hands if necessary. Armor and weapons, belt and helmet -- everything she creates today will not just be a work of art -- all of it will be unique. It's even a bit a pity that there will be no one nearby who could properly appreciate all this... But such is the path of a loner.
Pouring a little of that magical flammable powder into the furnace, "Earth's Wrath," as Erephir called it, lighting a flame hotter than the sun, taking a moonstone hammer and proceeding to painstaking work. Perhaps this will be the last thing she forges; she felt it, but did not grieve: a light, calm, aristocratic smile did not leave her face; with it she walked through the Dark Lands and helped people, with it she worked now, with it she wiped sweat from her freckled forehead and with satisfaction, and with joy examined the beautiful result of her labors.

***

Erephir allowed herself to save some strength this time and raced on Candle, heading toward Covellie -- or rather, to what remained of it.
-- What do you think, Candle? That guy from the village in the north, Nomesid, is he any good? I really liked his mustache; he looks so noble with them, just like a knight from Nozenroth! I think he liked me, he looked at me that way... -- the girl blushed deeply, and then laughed. -- He's older than me, but holds a sword like a girl! I could defeat him with a hairclip. But that's okay, right? I'll help him, show him a couple of tricks, train him... I already gave him a high-quality moonstone sword. It's alright, he'll become a good warrior, almost as good as me! And we will be two wandering knights, walking and helping people in distress, together.
The fox yapped and the girl laughed again.
-- Don't be afraid, what are you worried about? Where would I go without you, I'll never leave you! -- and then she became serious. -- If I succeed today, Nomesid, I hope, will not have to become a great warrior... And if not, he will learn this craft without my help, -- she sighed sadly. -- Oh, if only everything works out for us...
They arrived: here it is, the Academy of Sorcery, from whose practically completely destroyed building a pillar of dark energy rises upward. Perhaps the instructions given by the crazy sorcerer were correct and stopping this monstrous anomaly is indeed possible... However, that mage was not crazy enough to come here himself and check his guesses. Or perhaps, not brave enough? "I have enough of both!" -- Erephir thought to herself.
She and Candle entered the building and dealt with several monsters and phantoms: here their concentration and aggressiveness were especially high. The steps leading into the Academy's dungeon were destroyed: in their place gaped a black hole into the unknown. The Nozenroth hugged her pet, leaving the fox here on the surface, and with the help of a cat skillfully descended below.
Not getting lost in the branching dungeon of the Academy was a separate task, but Erephir managed. She wondered why she no longer encountered monsters and phantoms on her path? But suddenly, in a vast hall, she saw one very fierce-looking monster, whose silhouette resembled a human, but hunched, with strange growths and a fiery aura around itself. The beast stood next to an obelisk and was doing something with it. "Ah, so that's the case; I bet he's the one who killed and ate everyone here!"
-- If you are sentient, monster, then say so and surrender! I will not harm you because I did not come for that! But if you cannot be reasoned with, then now I will take care of you!
The monster lazily turned back and looked at the Nozenroth as if she were a louse, and then, without granting her any reaction, continued doing what he was doing.
-- Just step aside! -- Erephir made another attempt. -- I need to cleanse the Dark Lands of the curse; for this I must gain access to the Obel...
To the last word, the beast reacted instantly. A good reaction allowed the girl to notice how it intended to strike, so she rushed toward it. Two flashes: one flew into a long corridor and practically destroyed it, another formed where Erephir struck: the monster was protected by a fiery shield and a barrier of magical energy. From the blow both flew in different directions, while Erephir discovered with surprise that she was quite badly hurt by this especially hot fire. If not for the armor and Kalevrit technique, only a handful of ash would have remained of her. The same could not be said about the beast: a thin stream of magical energy rushed toward it from the Obelisk and the monster calmly stood up.
During this time Erephir's wounds healed slightly and she ran away, but received a powerful fire charge in her back...

The Nozenroth lay behind some debris and could not believe she was still alive. It seemed the opponent decided she was dead and did not check, but Erephir herself had a mana shield in reserve, which she used, timely pulling "Second Life" from behind her back. It softened the blow quite well, although not completely... Wounds healed quickly and the red-haired suicide drank a potion of speed, feeling blood rush to her legs. Well, since the usual "hit-and-run" tactic did not succeed, it was time to move to a new level!
Jumping out from under the rubble, she, like lightning, rushed toward the monster that had lost its vigilance and struck it right while running, without stopping for a fraction of a second. The speed was so great that the fiery explosion, resembling a meteorite hitting a volcano's crater, only managed to slightly scald her back. The beast immediately sent a fireball toward Erephir, but she was no longer where it aimed: the Nozenroth had run back, managing to carry out another lightning attack on the way.
This repeated several times. Erephir ruthlessly realized the advantages available to her: her speed and the obvious stiffness of the beast, which either feared harming the Obelisk or did not want total destruction of the dungeon... Although the walls were still shaking from constant explosions, columns broke, stone melted in places where fire magic left its mark. Erephir only had time to breathe fresh air some distance away and immediately rush back into the fiery nightmare. The earth shuddered far beyond the Academy building, and Candle, left unattended, ran wildly in circles, yapping, trying to penetrate the dungeon, but the collapsed vault and too large a size prevented her from doing so.
And yet it didn't work... At some point the fire monster managed to teleport and caught the Nozenroth off guard, concentrating a huge amount of fire at one point, literally slamming Erephir into the floor. Stones and blood, as if fired from a gun, flew in all directions. The beast knew that thanks to the Obelisk, it was practically invulnerable and what happened was only a matter of time. It stepped back to the Obelisk and continued its business. But... Looking back after some time, it absolutely unexpectedly found a bloody Erephir, who, leaning on her sword, was standing up.
-- Alive?!?!?! -- it roared and, now no longer holding back at all, began to release all its energy, all its strength. But the girl was already rushing with sword in hand, not toward her opponent, but toward the Obelisk. During a series of attacks she managed to strike it several times, but found the same magical barrier there as the monster had... But still it was not impenetrable; either the device did not allow making it so, or the beast took all the energy for itself, but now Erephir felt that she could break through if she tried very hard... A blade flashed, on which a bundle of "Earth's Wrath" had been prudently attached...
It is difficult to say what happened next. The number of flashes, explosions, and lightning strikes became simply monstrous. At some point the monster realized with horror that it had put all its energy into fire, but new energy from the Obelisk was not rushing in for some reason. And she needed it more than ever: at this moment a large part of the ceiling, unable to hold on to the destroyed walls and columns, fell on him with a crash...

***

Erephir Linel Darwening, known in the Dark Lands as Red Fury, died very young, having lived a life as sadly short as it was surprisingly full. Her disappearance was not noticed immediately, for she was a loner. But very soon the people of the Dark Lands realized that the wandering Nozenroth knight no longer came to their aid, even when they were in dire need of her. Although survivors learned to protect themselves better than before, many of them had very good weapons that Erephir gave them in her time, and the darkness, it seemed (maybe just seemed), is gradually receding now... And yet the fame of Red Fury did not end there; the truth grew into legends... Many said she died performing a particularly heroic feat, while others claimed that Fury grew cowardly and left the Lands, abandoning them all to fate... But when people from one of the settlements, risking their lives, made their way into Covellie, their doubts vanished: near the former Academy of Sorcery, which seemed more battered than necessary, curled up in a ball, lay a large fiery fox. Candle was still waiting for her mistress's return...

A strange anomalous fox: in every respect. Large as a horse, burning like a torch. Hunted people, livestock, other animals of the Dark Lands, but was defeated and tamed by Erephir. Then she became almost completely domestic, although after her mistress's death she began to grow wild again little by little.