Vestiges Of A Frozen Vengeance

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POV: Katia

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The blurred grey sky offered me no light or solace. The frozen ground slowed my heart beat and tore and cracked my skin as I finally crumpled after crawling my way through my sins and transgressions.

It hurts.

My eyes hurt.

They were frosting over as I lay facing up in the snow. In my bloodstained hands I hold the broken pieces of my sanity. The freezing winds warmed my cheeks as I was blanketed in snow and delirium.

The burning feeling in my hands is gone.

Yet by my heart and soul I will never forget what you did.

To the stone mountains.

To the sandy shores.

The ocean depths and the forest shadows.

The deepest pit.

The highest heavens.

I will hunt you down.

And when I find you. Their souls will be returned to me.

…

My eyes fluttered open as the earth beneath me rumbled. The sky bled orange in the final vestiges of the sun disappeared over the horizon. I was on someone's lap.

I stared up into a pair of kind amber eyes, a beautiful pale face, reflecting the orange glow. Blonde hair with green tips fell down around her.

Dryis.

The reason I have to keep it together.

The reason I keep myself in check.

I have to be strong. I have to be smart. I have to be her guardian. I have to freeze these thoughts of vengeance and let them float away into my sea of memories.

"Are you alright?" {Dryis}

I rose up and looked around, my eyes landing on Astaros lifting back up our makeshift arena. To the victor goes the spoils and the collateral duty I guess.

"I'm alright." {Katia}

I rubbed the back of my head as I remembered my defeat. Am I growing weak?

No.

He is that much more powerful.

*THOOM!!*

Crags of dirt and stone crumbled as the earth trembled. It all slowly began to flatten out as Astaros orchestrated its reconstruction.

It would be a while before the grass and shrubs came back but that was a simple problem.

Most of the spots devastated by large scale magic in recent days had regrown with increased fervor. Rich and pure mana fed the forest and Astaros's many battles had been making the entire forest fertile.

The place where he fought the drake had become a naturally regenerating mana point. Mages were now using it as a rest spot when they were regenerating mana on the way back from missions.

He changed the environment with every battle.

*KRAAKLOOM!!*

The crags of earth and stone crumbled and fell away to dust as he reshaped the earth and stone back to the untouch plains that once were. I needed to reach that level.

The earth stopped shaking and Astaros sat down, breathing heavily as Fillia came and flicked him in the side of the head.

"That's what you get for going and destroying the entire clearing idiot. I realize you wanted to show the disparity between us but what you did was not only stupid it was destructive as well." {Fillia}

"The victor's methods are time and power well spent. Don't be unreasonable." {Astaros}

A well thought out response but…

"You blew up the clearing you clown, don't go trying to make it sound like I'm the fool here." {Fillia}

I am not up for their bickering at the moment. No matter who is right or wrong in this scenario.

"I'm going to retire for today. I'll see you all later." {Katia}

"Eh you're leaving?" {Dryis}

I nodded.

"Alright then take care. Nikky should still be at the mansion." {Dryis}

I looked over at Fillia thinking about saying bye before I took my leave.

"Go and riot about it, you aren't going to win with me." {Astaros}

"The regrets I have about coming to love someone like you number in the thousands." {Fillia}

"My apologies for being so charming." {Astaros}

She shuddered.

"Don't be formal, it's weird." {Fillia}

"Unlike everything from before that felt like a genuine insult." {Astaros}

"It's your imagination." {Fillia}

On second thought perhaps I shouldn't push myself to be involved with such ridiculous bickering. I must focus on improving myself.

...

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POV: Astaros

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I watched the retreating figure of Katia, a new feeling of determination swelling inside her as she went home. Her mind and thoughts always seemed to be a distracted jumbled mess when compared with her poker face and simple actions.

Although those might be symptoms, something I have yet to identify.

"So?" {Fillia}

She sat down cross legged, obviously done with whatever bickering she had been intent on before.

'Did you figure out anything about Katia from that fight?' {Fillia}

I shook my head in disappointment.

I had learned very little besides the fact that Katia knows how to leverage her current power and is already a master combatant. The only reason she lost on the technique level is because she was fighting someone who had seen it all.

In a battle between her and Kali it would be a 50/50 battle.

'Thats a shame. I was hoping you might have learned something, so we could finally get her to open up.' {Dryis}

I glanced behind me as Dryis came and sat down beside me on my right. Her eyes however were hopeful.

'Perhaps one day she will open up to us on her own, though I doubt that without serious action she ever will.' {Astaros}

A slight sorrow pierced Dryis's heart as I said this, though my mind was clear that she would have to be confronted, I couldn't do it with these two in tow.

'Perhaps another chance like Rakui will present itself. Or..' {Astaros}

I could make one?

A situation where Katia would get to fight a necromancer. I could find a necromancer right?

Perhaps a favor from that person could help...

"Master Astaros." {Oadry}

The maid approached, a slimy, slobber covered letter in hand.

"The wolves have relayed a message from a holy knight of Ira."

Now that's interesting.

"They actually gave a letter to one of those grey furballs?" {Fillia}

I frowned at the insult to my subordinates. While they admittedly weren't very flexible when it came to most tasks it wasn't hard to see that they were adequate when it came to the objectives and requests I have them handle.

"Must you insult everyone? My subordinates deserve nothing but praise for their dedication and hard work." {Astaros}

Val systin stuck his head out of my shadow, obvious expectance plastered on his face.

"Where did you come from and in the first place I was talking about you active and hardworking brothers. Not you, you personification of sloth." {Astaros}

Fillia took the letter from Oadry as Dryis peeked over my shoulder curiously.

"Yes, yes I realize that the grey wolves do a good job but you're seriously gonna defend the slobber cover letter with literal holes punched through it?" {Fillia]

'Well you didn't need to blame them for biological differences.' {Astaros}

She showed the hole punched letter which she shook several times before opening to all three of us, reading it aloud.

It was an invitation to the town.

And it was addressed to me alone.