The Ice Princess

A girl walked on a wide path surrounded by trees and bushes, she was blanketed in a light blue haori and sported an ice blue sword that rested on her waist on an angle. Her blond hair and blue eyes glowed in the soft sunlight that cloaked over the vividly green forest. The girl had travelled from the mountains to complete Final Selection, an enduring test that one had to pass to become an offical member of the Demon Slayer Corps. She was determined to pass the greuling test. She was a user of a rather unorthodox and much rarer to find breathing style, only practised by a certain group of people. Ice breathing. The breathing style had been passed down generation to generation in her family, her family had consisted of quite a couple people who had chosen to become a demon slayer, although even the relatives who didn't choose to be demon slayers knew the breathing style to some extent. The girl's face lit up as she remembered all her fond memories of her relatives, her whole family was scattered across the country, yet they would visit the mountain occasionally. She would love all the times her young cousins would run to her calling her name.

"Eira! Please teach us the ice breathing style!", their little voices echoed in her head. She couldn't help but laugh out-loud. She wondered when she would be able to see them again.

Eira sighed as she walked in the blissful spring sunlight, the warmth on her skin was a feeling she was unfamiliar with. The warm weather down on the ground was nothing like her hometown, a small village on the peaks of a mountain. She often got lost in the bright and warm beauty that was so different from what she was used to, the bright green grass that stretched for as long as the human eye could see, the dense and colourful flower fields that shone in the sunlight. What she especially loved was the different weathers that she got to experience, the heavy rain, the bright and hot sunny days, and grey and monochrome days. On the mountain she resided in, it practically snowed no matter the time of year, summer, winter, spring or autumn, the snow never halted. The difference between summer and winter on the mountain was a minuscule 1 degree of temperature, sometimes it wouldn't even change. Regardless, Eira loved her hometown, everything about it. The residents, the wildlife, the culture and especially the beautiful view of the green fields that stretched far and wide that she could see from the edge of her village. She often got up at sunrise so she could see the small moments where the mountains were fog and mist free, she would stare out at the ground below the mountain in awe. Eira was so lost in thought about her hometown that she didn't even realise she was just standing in the middle of the path, still as a deer in headlights. She was broken out of her memories by a stick falling on her head, she rubbed her head, scrunched her nose and continued to walk on the brown barren path. She found it so hard to believe that she was so close to becoming an offical Demon Slayer Corps member, a job she had trained so hard for these past 4 years.

Originally, she had wanted to become a poet, she found a fondness in the art of poetry, it was calming and relaxing. The way words flowed, the way vivid images and stories could be told through poems capivated Eira. She had wrote a couple of poems herself, she often wrote about the beauty of the mountains, their cold loneliness yet being home to so many people. Another topic she'd write about was of the fields outside home, what she imagined inhabited the green lands of the ground below. Eira's childhood was full of creativity and bubbly happiness. It all changed on a fateful day, when she was just 12, Eira's mother was brutally mutilated by a malicious demon right infront of her. In her own house, the place that she was supposed to feel safe, the wooden walls she could grown up on, her mother was killed by the world's most evil creation. The memory was vivid and would often haunt her at night. The whole event of her mother dying a bloody death before her own eyes had carved a brutal trauma into Eira's mind. The memory would reiterate itself into her nightmares that Eira would have at least once a month.

The cries of agony as her mother was grabbed by a brutal demon that bore claws so sharp they could tear through wood and stone, it had intruded the humble home by ripping apart their front door. Eira's mother was the first to encounter the demon, a blood-curdling shriek echoed throughout the house as the demon leaped onto her, its sharp claws tore through her flesh. The blood flooded out from her mother's body as the demon feasted like a wild animal.

Eira was paralysed with fear, she wasn't far behind her mother when the demon first entered the house, as soon as she got sight of the devilish creature she had hidden in a small closet. She covered her mouth, her back against clothes that had fallen from how desperately Eira had rushed into the closet. The small gaps in the closet revealed the entire scene, the floorboards stained with the blood that spilled from her mother's body, all Eira could do was cover her mouth tightly and hide the short gasps and crying, she didn't even know if her older brother was safe. She cried for 19 minutes, forced to witness the awful demon devouring every single piece of meat, it refused to leave anything behind, bone by bone it licked and gnawed off the meat, the creature only found it content once all was left was a singular red-tinted bone, it took its sweet time. After what felt like an eternity, Eira's father finally arrived, he stood at the door paralysed, the demon unaware of his presence. Her dad always carried his beloved sword with him, he wouldn't depart for work without it. He didn't even hesitate a single second before unleashing pure rage and fury upon the demon.

It was somewhat satisfactory to Eira when her father tortured the demon relentlessly. Ice breathing was famous for delivering "cold" slices, that somewhat paralysed the opponent with a bone chilling feeling. The demon cried for mercy as every single fiber of its body was tormented with the feeling of extreme agony.

"You beg for mercy now? Where was the mercy when you were devouring my wife?!" Her father's voice rightfully boomed at the demon. Eira still sat idle in the closet, her whole body shivered with pure fear, even though she had lived on a ice-ridden mountain, this was the coldest she had ever felt in her life, goosebumps burst on her skin and her spine never stopped sending chills throughout her whole body.

Eira was broken after her mother's death, she wished she could have done something. So she decided on a path of demon slaying to make sure no one close to her ever got hurt or killed ever again. She couldn't stand demons after that incident, their wicked laughs, their hunger for human flesh, she hated every inch of their spiteful souls. As for her father, after the incident he had left the house, he left only his precious light blue sword. Eira decided to use this sword to practice Ice Breathing, and even take it to Final Selection. Her mother's death and father's sudden abandonment led to Eira's older brother having to work and provide for the family by working in the family temple. It was all 4 years ago, but it wasn't any less painful. Remembering these painful yet central memories often made her zone out and get lost in time.

Eira hadn't even realised the green trees being overshadowed by the purple tint in front of her, she had arrived on the mountain that Final Selection took place. Characterised by its bloom of the purple Wisteria plant, a plant that served as a sort of demon-repellent. Eira was in awe from the beautiful elegance of the wisteria plants, the plants' distinct smell flooded her nose as she walked up stone stairs. Looking upwards she saw a large gateway, once she had reached the gateway she walked into a small area, other examinees scattered across the small area. Eira wore a proud smile as butterflies swarmed in her stomach, she was undeniably nervous, but she still had a feeling of immense hope as she saw all the other examinees.

Eira observed all of them, with a single trace of shame in her mind, she predicted who would survive and who wouldn't. Some examinees were socialising amongst themselves, others were silent and sat by themselves. Eira was drawn to a couple of examinees that stood out to her, a tall boy with a deep red haori with a crazed look in his eyes. Another person who caught her attention was a rather calm and pretty girl, around Eira's age, she wore a flower patterned haori with a blue flower in her hair. Regardless of others, Eira had one goal in her mind. Become a demon slayer and to never let anyone close to her die ever again. Eira's whole body felt several feelings at once, excitement, nervousness, fear, hope, they all meshed together. Eira took a deep breath, the smell of Wisteria flooded into her lungs. Her blue eyes glowed in the lighting that the lanterns provided.

"I'll make you proud. Mother who nurtured me. Father who taught me the basics. Older brother who took care of me and reinforced what father taught me. Cousins who gave me happiness. Uncles who made me laugh. Aunties who cared for me dearly. Grandparents who gave me wisdom. I will make all of you proud. Mountain Gods lend me your strength and power, the blizzard has only just begun." She whispered under her breath, she also snuck a quick prayer as she whispered. She clenched her jaw and tightly gripped her sword hilt. Final Selection was moments away from beginning. Eira was ready.