Chapter Text
Freezing winds and damp clothes are not the best combinations for a snowstorm; Phil learned the hard way. Travelling across the world for a legend that no one lived to see seemed insane to anyone he crossed paths with, but their words to persuade him fell deaf into the cold snow. The journey became tiring months ago, and the lined cloak he wore had started to turn stiff, limiting arm movement and slowing his pace. Everything was a white blur, buildings and towns mixing with the harsh weather, creating almost a screen over the blonde's eyes. Water seeped into his boots from melting snow, a bodily shiver forcing him to the ground, a pained cry sounding into the air.
Tears froze as they fell, sticking to his face and burning his cheeks more than the wind had already. The feeling in his limbs became numb, and the only thing Phil could feel was the burning sensation of fire under his skin, despite no sign of warmth in miles. His arms refused to respond, but he forced them to listen, pushing himself off the ground with an unbalanced stance. Snow gathered underneath his clothes, and each step forward caused the melting flakes to soak them. Seeing was a challenge, his vision slowly blurring, and his eyes struggling to stay open.
One glance up from his dead stare at the ground, bright lights of a village stood out in the storm, visible through the blowing snow. A sliver of hope snuck into his heart, and Phil broke into a desperate sprint. Sharp knife-like pains stabbed into his lungs with each intake of the frigid air, overexertion weighing heavily over him. The blonde refused to stop running; the village was a few minutes away, and there would most likely be somewhere for him to rest. Minutes felt like hours, his feet tripping over a rock and sending him face-first into the snow.
Everything felt cold and warm all at once, a throbbing pain settling into his head, letting his body sink into the ground. A faint yell sounded out in the distance, but the static noise growing drowned out the sound. The wind whistled in his ears, his hands barely moving to cover the frozen skin. Phil snapped his eyes open, not remembering when he closed them. He faintly felt something brush against his shoulders, and it took all his strength to roll himself over.
A blurry figure stood above him, but he couldn't make out more than their shape, eyes drooping from fatigue. The pressure on his shoulders grew, somehow separating him from the snow and pulling him to his feet. An arm slung under his legs, lifting him off his shaky limbs, carrying the blonde to an unknown destination. Phil wheezed on a sharp intake of air, shivering in the stranger's hold. Low mumbles sounded from above him, unheard words of reassurance slipping away into the blizzard.
Waves of heat suddenly overwhelmed the young man as if he had walked straight into a fire. The harsh wind that bothered him seemed to disappear, along with the falling snow. He struggled out of the stranger's hold, falling to the floor and immediately attempting to remove his cloak. Water dripped down his neck, and the single droplet attracted his attention as he swiped at it. Taking off his soaked shirt and curling in on himself, a hand settled on his head, the sharp pain making him flinch.
The stranger spoke, a female's voice whispering to him. "Sorry, but it's warmer near the fire." A blanket fell over his shoulders, and Phil gently got pushed towards the fireplace, though he remained far enough from it to prevent shock. "I need you to remove the rest of your clothes so that I can hang them. My dad's old clothes are in the other room, so I'll get those for you."
Waiting until she left, the blonde undressed and curled into the blanket, violently shivering. It felt like hours passed before the stranger returned with dry clothes, Phil struggling to put them on with his shaking arms, eventually getting them on. He felt a tingling sensation on the back of his neck, making out a warm towel pressed against it. Smiling at the soft contact, he watched as the woman moved to sit closer to the fire, shifting to face him.
Phil finally got a direct look at the stranger that rescued him, his mind crumbling into small pieces, mouth slightly parting in awe. Dark hair hung down to her waist, and her eyes almost seemed black, piercing into him; the colour matched the pair of feathered wings rising from behind her. The wings fluffed out as she sipped from a mug, Phil entranced by them. He had seen winged hybrids before, but none of them ever compared to how well kept and stunning her's were. Looking back at her face, he noticed an observing gaze adorning it.
"Are you feeling better now?" She gave a soft smile, speaking with a hushed tone. "Honestly, I didn't know if you were going to make it. I carried you from the edge of our village to my house, and you weren't exactly in the best of shape. You had to have been out there for a while to get such severe hypothermia. Your skin was freezing when I got to you, and it still is."
He mumbled out, looking at the dark-haired woman. "You carried me here?"
"I did. No one else was on watch duty since it's snowing, so you're lucky I was there. I'm Kristin, by the way. Figure you should at least know the name of the person that helped you"
Finally beginning to warm up, all the previous fatigue crashed into him, Phil yawned. "Strong woman Kristin. Thank you for helping me." He moved to lay on his back, hearing a chuckle from where the other sat. "My name's Phil," he said as he began to drift off, "it's nice to meet you."
Kristin grinned as he fell asleep, watching over him. "It's nice to meet you as well, Phil."
...
Healing was a slow process; Phil understood that it was a necessary part to continue his journey. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, the young blonde living in the village that saved his life. Once Kristin had deemed him semi-healthy, she invited him to train with the village guard, and he didn't pass the offer. He spent weeks regaining his health, steadily building up strength and a solid reputation. His swordsmanship far outclassed everyone, but it was good practice, and the villagers seemed to be fascinated anyways.
Whenever he had a spare moment, he would help around the village doing small tasks here and there. The elders spoke of him with a smile on their faces, so he always made an effort to talk with them whenever he got the chance. Simple chores that built up over time due to cold weather got completed; Phil shyly accepted the praise and rewards, despite trying to turn most of them down. In his eyes, he was repaying them for their hospitality. He made sure to do the same for Kristin tenfold.
Every morning since he regained fluid movement, the blonde man served breakfast and a cup of hot chocolate for each of them to enjoy. Those early moments when no one else was awake meant the most to him, and he couldn't quite figure out why. Calming conversations and quiet laughter brought joy to his face, warming his entire body. Time flew by, and before he knew it, nearly four months passed. He had fully healed weeks ago, but something kept him rooted from continuing; someone kept him from moving on.
Phil waited until their joint patrol one night, talking as they watched the stars, explaining everything. Where he came from, why he was out in that snowstorm, and his plan. He told of the legend known by most, yet it was Kristin's first time ever hearing of it. The story of a dragon, a different dimension with no way out other than to slay it. It sounded like a true adventure, but it also sounded like a death wish waiting to happen.
"Phil, you can't be serious." Kristin shuffled around to sit closer to him, wrapping a wing around his back. "That sounds too dangerous, even for you. If it's true that no one has ever come back, why would you willingly choose to go there?"
Leaning against her shoulder, Phil let out a tired huff. "Because my father left for the same journey. He raised me from a young age to be a fighter, to do good for my home. When he didn't come back after five years, I left to finish his and other people's dream."
"Is it your dream, though?"
"You know, I've always wondered that. I've travelled through so many towns and cities for the sole purpose of taking one step closer to this goal. However, I think that somewhere along the way, defeating this dragon became my dream." A shooting star lit up the sky, his eyes locking onto it. "The thought of achieving something many before me failed to do; it would be incredible."
Kristen closed her eyes at his words, leaning her head against his. "Then that's all that matters, isn't it. Do what makes you happy, and I'll stand behind you on every decision you make. It's definitely a risky idea, but I have faith in you."
The two stayed huddled together for a few hours, silently enjoying the peace of the night. Nothing relaxed Phil more than these calming interactions, both of them content in the moment. However, nothing could last forever, and they soon got up to walk back to Kristin's home. It pained the blonde to leave such a wonderful person behind, almost like a part of himself would be lost. Sure, it had been only around four months, but those meant more to him than anyone knew.
Arriving at the house, Phil reached for his bag, pulling out a small box and handing it to Kristin. "I want you to have this, you know, as a gift to remember me by while I'm gone."
She opened the box, awe slipping onto her face. "Is this an emerald necklace? It's so beautiful! Where did you find this?"
"The emerald is one of my findings on my journey, and I asked some of the villagers to help me make it into a necklace for you. I figured, this way, it would give you some hope in me." He kneeled down on one knee, holding her hands. "And, I hope that when I return, you'll let me give you a matching ring to go with it."
Tears welled in Kristin's eyes as she spoke. "Of course, I'll let you do that. I wouldn't want to have an incomplete set now, would I?" She picked him up off the ground, carrying him in her arms as her tears fell. "It wouldn't be fair if you deprived me of a ring to match this wonderful necklace."
Laughing into the night, they spent the late hours talking. The journey from the village was around five days by horse, so Kristin allowed him to use one of the elders. Morning came faster than either of them wanted, yet they continued with their routine. Once breakfast was over, Phil packed his bag, and they snuck over to the village stables. Securing his bag on the horse, he climbed onto it, steadying himself.
Before he left, Kristin secured a sword to the horse. "This was my dad's before he passed, and then it was mine. Now, it's going to be the sword you use to finish your dream."
"Thanks for saving me, Kristin."
"I'll be waiting for you, so don't forget to come back."
Phil took the reigns and guided the horse, mumbling to himself as he rode away. "I don't think I could even if I tried."