Grand Creation - Final

[??? POV]

When was the last time my eyes had opened. Was it when the wolves had found their prey, frost covered crowns warming my face with a push towards the light. 

The death of brethren, their death throes yelling so loud against my ear. Or was it the disturbance of their requests.

Only so much could be said about my eternal companion. A darkened flicker that opened my eyes to the truth of my being. 

Yet either way, my eyes had now opened. To the interlopers, to their disruptive footsteps that echoed against the chamber. Sending forth tales of skill. Of awareness and movement.

I stood from my seat, propping my hand parallel to the ground, a commanding gaze as they approached. Caution wrought upon their eyes.

Yet they dared to do such. Edge through caution to disturb this king's rest.

Towards the reached out hand frost poured forth, creating from it a weapon not of steel and wood as others might find. But of pure ice. Hardened, sharpened, and twisted in the anvil of my power.

Yet even so I was forced to gaze upwards, as that was what they were. Giants twice my height, with looks of caution among them.

But even then, with their statures towering over my own I found no threat with them. Merely an annoyance. For my own ilk could not blow these towers down. As they had done to the wolves, as I would do now.

I scoffed, turning my gaze away from their faces. Set in hardened lines and pointed at me. Weapons bared and fangs shown. It was practically a joke.

On one I could feel the ice I ruled over washing through her body. An easy prey, and the other. While he had flames set in his heart. They were cold and barely stoked at all.

Fresh if I was to say anything about them.

I took a step forward, watching as the both of them nodded to the other. Finding comfort in the others' gaze.

Only when I next blinked I was upon the floor, my head rolling towards the side. A scoff echoing through the room.

Yet as they celebrated their hasty victory so too did I creep over them. Frost from throughout all of the caves coalescing into a single spear.

Thrown.

It froze the air, the very particles consuming the room. Only then did the two dodge to the side. Warrily looking at me.

I smiled, my body coming back together, this time stronger, faster, with a greater reaction speed. I had underestimated them. Thinking them as greenhorns, who could barely hold a sword.

Yet by the swift movements, the way that they held the elements tightly around them. It was clear that this would require a more… delicate touch.

Ice frosted over his crown, towards the bodies of the interlopers, twirling around in a sort of gaseous way, where no matter the direction, no matter the defense. It would not hold.

Frost etched upon their exposed skin, turning what was once pale skin into cold blue specks. Only for it to shatter, turning the room into a horrid shape. I stepped back, once more slinking into the darkness and shaping my body back to its natural shape.

"Is-?" The boy asked, his eyes darting through the room, through the darkness in the cave. 

"No, keep your guard." 

He nodded and turned his blade towards this and that direction. Flames flaring through his body. Invisible to the naked eye, but to my own, it was as clear as day.

Mana flooded from my veins, turning towards more and more frost, making a spear that I then threw.

It was only afterwards that I found my mistake. The blade stabbing through my heart and taking my breath with it.

Even then I still smirked. For this was but one part of me.

…

…

…

"Is that it?" I asked, furling my brows and trying to see through the darkness. I heard a hum next to me as a well of power flooded through the cave. 

A glow that consumed the room that we were in, revealing the full scope of the place.

I crouched back, turning my back to the stone and took in the full view of the room. Of Emilia and her cautious back. 

To the seemingly innocuous throne that stood at the back of the cave, with no exits nor entrances near it.

"Emilia?" I asked, letting my caution flow through my voice and into her. She hummed back, turning her back to the threat and towards me.

Holding her hand out, she threw me that same smirk.

And with it I felt my nerves melt, as did my glare. I couldn't hold it against her anymore.

Yet still, I channeled my mana towards the sword I held, feeling the flame of the blade frost the surroundings.

"Don't worry…" She drawled, "We cleared it."

I smiled at her, holding her hand in mine as I hugged her closer to my body. 

"We did?!" 

"Yeah." she breathed, separating us from our hug. Only then did I notice the item left behind. A crystal that glowed an electric blue.

"That felt too easy." I furrowed my brows as I took the crystal and fused it with my sword. It didn't do much to it, only enhancing the frosted flame that it already had.

But it did bring it up to a level that I was proud to look at. Where the tiniest speck of mana burned brightly with flames that did not burn. Flames that brought the cold embrace of nothing rather than a burning inferno.

And so I stepped through the portal, hand in hand with Emilia, expecting to find the night dark, the days having gone by.

That was my knee jerk reaction. Only rational brought me from those thoughts, knowing that dungeons varied in time. From one to one as the midterm had been, or as this one had been. Where a day equaled a mere two hours. 

Only eight had passed, a total of four days spent within the dungeon. No wonder some came out haunted. Even a mere four days. 

It could change a man.