A Dance of Blizzard and Lightning

Blessed with fearsome eyes that can control space, destined to be Divine Beasts. Creatures of tremendous might they might be, they would sometimes fall to a human's tenacity. A race whose potential rivals their greed. A race they need to eradicate so her sister can live wild and free.

By the lakeside of their home, Jiawei watched over her sister as Jiafeng played with the ice swan over the lake's edge.

"Jiafeng, the time we have discussed is at hand. Sister will be leaving soon."

The little Qilin rushed to embrace her older sister. Jiafeng's arms hugging her sister tight, begging for Jiawei to stay.

"But I don't want you to go!" The look of hurt on the little Qilin's face gave way to tears.

"Sister has a duty she must fulfill." Jiawei brushed her little sister's hair. Hoping her little sister would understand.

"Is that duty more important than me!?"

"Nothing is more important than you, my little Jiawei."

"Then why would you leave me!?"

Apparently, the weight of Jiawei's duty was far too complex for her little sister to understand. All the little Qilin wanted was for her older sister to watch her play like they always did. A child's innocence unable to bear the eventual separation from sister.

"I am doing this for you. Once all this is over, you will come to understand. The humans that I told you to never trust, they shall disappear across the land. No longer will you be forced to hide by this lake."

What Jiawei had liken to a cage, Jiafeng who grew up in the lakeside house treated it as a home, where Jiawei would be content to forever stay in if it meant she could live with her sister. And possibly that human that can make ice. She was nice to Jiawei, far from the humans that kidnapped her once.

"Will that ice lady disappear too? I like her, sister Jiawei."

"I like her too, but she... she's going to perish alongside her race." So declared Jiawei.

The older Qilin knelt on one knee, leveling with her little sister. Jiawei wiped the tears flowing from Jiafeng's eyes, Jiawei's fortitude manifested in a smile even as if she was being gutted inside.

"Once older sister is no longer around, you must be strong. Given time, you might become even stronger than me...."

Now, it was Jiawei's time to embrace her sister, tight enough that Jiawei was afraid she might've suffocated, until the little arms that held Jiawei earlier returned the embrace.

"...I will miss you, my little Jiawei."

+++

Under the familiar moonlight and rustling of leaves, Jiawei stood alone in the forest. Her lonely visage awaited the arrival of another. One whose ice qi was closing in.

Zhen jumped off from her ice sword, walking towards the Qilin.

"Daji relayed your message to me. At least work up to the courage to admit you were wrong."

Her back against Zhen, Jiawei turned around to draw her wodao, slicing Zhen with glee. As expected, her initial attack parried by Zhen's own ice blade, Jiawei continued on the offensive. Jiawei's blade swaying on every direction possible just to get a clean hit on Zhen. The Ice Empress' ice blade producing this metallic clang each deflection.

A lethal clash, a passionate dance. Their blades sparked as they exchanged slash for slash.

Jiawei's smile infected Zhen, and yet the latter could sense the former's melancholy hidden behind her elated sword swipes.

Trying to sneak in a kick into Zhen's stomach, but even that was parried by Zhen, serving to propel Jiawei backwards.

A moment of reprieve reigned between the two as they faced each other.

"If something is the matter then I would gladly lend my ear to your worries." Zhen offered.

Jiawei shook her head. For a moment, an urge to betray the entire beastial race flashed into her mind, expelled by her sense of duty - by her resolve to make a safe realm for the beasts and her sister.

"Why don't we simply enjoy this evening while we can?"

After all, this may well be their final spar.

Brandishing Jiawei's blade sideways, lightning coursed through its steel. Both hands now on its grip, Jiawei dashed towards Zhen faster than one could blink.

The power from Jiawei lightning infused rising slash caught Zhen off guard, her right hand now imbalanced.

Jiawei's blade coming back down, the unwiped grin on Zhen's demeanor meant she's is not out of tricks just yet.

In Zhen's left hand manifested another jian dao, manifesting just in time to guard against Jiawei's incoming attack.

Thier dance resumed, more deadly than the last. As a blizzard accompanied by a streaks of lightning swirled around them. Their very clash bending the weather around them, such was the strength of the two cultivators that stood above the peak.

A vicious combination of left and right swings, Zhen now went on the offensive as Jiawei blocked her attacks.

Jiawei might look happy on the outside but Zhen could still sense it, something was wrong. But alas, she was swayed by Jiawei's jovial demeanor, for it wasn't an act. The Qilin truly wanted to enjoy her fading moments in this mortal coil not with sadness, but with boundless joy.

Thus, their blades continued their deadly clash, the scales of who was in the offensive tipped every now and then.

The forest echoed with sound of their turbulent clash.

They continued until exhaustion of both endurance and qi afflicted them.

The two slid apart, face to face as both tried to even their haggard breathing.

This storm of blizzard and lightning subsided. The weather calmed but the passion they each held has yet to calm.

A passion that evoked them to drop their blades, and run into each other's arms. Their hearts simply called for the other, an invitation both gladly answered.

Their soft lips touched in a manner that bordered the line tender and brusque.

Even as Jiawei wanted their kiss to last a lifetime, she was on borrowed time. Jiawei pulled back, gazing deep into Zhen's eyes.

"What you did with Daji that night, I...I want to experience it."