Chapter 18: Scorching Cold
[Hellion Arc]
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Somewhere, in a place where light rarely touches the ground, the sound of two people panting in exhaustion was heard. But even through the exhaustion that they felt, they were still remarkably alert. It wasn't that they couldn't rest, they could just not afford to. Like literally, they can't.
This place, was a part of the Hollow Mountains, a place where Usamatas dwell.
Kiede, swept some stray hairs from her braid and tucked them behind her ear. Ugh. This place was definitely giving her the creeps. She glanced at the man that had orange hair with blue highlights, making sure that she definitely wasn't alone.
"What's the matter, hime?" Chiaki asked, worry written in his face.
Kiede shook her head and sighed. "It's nothing. This place just gives me the creeps. It's like at any time, something's gonna jump at us."
Chiaki nodded his agreement. It would seem he wasn't alone in thinking this which made him much more apprehensive.
The both of them continued to climb the steep hill towards the top of the mountain until they almost got to the very top. But as Chiaki stepped his right foot on flat ground, a feeling crept his whole body and made goosebumps rise up on his skin.
"Hime, look out!" Chiaki yelled as he immediately carried Kiede and jumped out of the eerily familiar black flames that were directed at them.
As soon as those black flames hit the edge, a huge explosion erupted as debris flew off the edge. Good thing he sensed it right away, else it would've had a major consequence and they might've gotten hurt.
Chiaki let Kiede land on the ground and both immediately activated their powers. Kiede's usually silver eyes glowed a chilling shade of blue and a rose symbol of the same color appeared on her right cheek while wings made of ice grew out from her back.
Chiaki's usual fiery eyes where instead mixed with blue that made it seem like fire and ice were dancing together and a blue rose emblem was also marked on his cheek but instead of the right, his was on his left, a sign of loyalty and chivalry. His face was also replaced with a serious one, devoid of the usual easygoing grin.
Kiede readied her spear that was made of pure Immortal Ice, an unusual ice that can't be melted just by anyone. While Chiaki readied both his short, double edged sword, slightly taller in length than a normal dagger. But what was unusual about it was there was a chain of Immortal Ice connecting both of the swords.
Immortal Ice was one of the rarest of rare and one of the most powerful materials in the entire Cosmos. It was said that it was only found in the realm of time, Reloxz. One might say, it seemed easy but in actuality, it was really difficult. You had to face the snakes of the Past, the enmity wisps of the present and the Uncertain Sands of the Future if you wish to attain even the smallest bit but first, you have to alive in that realm. Much less find the Immortal Ice. But more that, you must have the ability to hold the ice itself. But still it wasn't impossible to achieve, just really and definitely hard.
As soon as the smoke and dust dissipated, a figure of a hooded woman was visible. On her face held an eerie grin which made your skin crawl and goosebumps to rise all over your body.
The woman laughed coldly while covering her mouth in an elegant manner. "Fufufu... ah... I really wasn't expecting this... hahaha... Immortal Ice, ey? Interesting. It would seem you passed your own trials... really INTERESTING!"
Kiede stood on her fighting stance and raised her spear in front of her while muttering under her breath. "Rose Reaper."
She very well knows what she meant by passing her own trials. Being the next heir of the Blue Rose Kingdom, she had to face the trials of that realm and get her very own Immortal ice to create her very own weapon.
Chiaki glanced at Rose Reaper, his face was calm despite the circumstances. He was slightly surprised. Was it just him or did Rose Reaper's aura change? It was somewhat... different.
He frowned and stood on guard for any attacks while standing beside Kiede holding her own stance. Rose Reaper didn't disappoint both of them for she immediately flew up into the air, just barely covering the full moon above. Despite the wind, her hood wasn't knocked off like it had some mysterious spell cast into it to not reveal the wearer's identity. She raised her hand and smirked. Black fireballs instantly filled her hand and threw it off Kiede's and Chiaki's direction.
Both of them dodged out of the way and went on full offensive on Rose Reaper. Despite Saya's warnings yesterday, they had to unfortunately fight Rose Reaper. Besides, this Mountain's cliff was quite steep. If they were to go back down, it would be extremely dangerous as there seemed to be a pulling force in this place which didn't allow them to fly high. And if they injured themselves at this crucial moment, they might get killed.
"Chiaki!" Kiede yelled at her knight in indication of something. Chiaki nodded and immediately advanced towards Rose Reaper, both his short swords flying towards her direction and immediately circling her with his chains.
Rose Reaper seemed to sense his intention for she jumped out of the way. The instant she jumped out, Kiede's figure jumped out from her back and an elaborately crafted spear flew towards her with speed as fast as lightning.
Rose Reaper immediately dodged, her grin still intact. It was like their attacks didn't faze her even a tiny bit as she ignited those explosive black fireballs once more and aimed at the two of them.
"Now, now. Why so tense?" Rose Reaper stood not so far from them, her hand resting on her hip, still wearing that annoying grin.
Kiede frowned. How could they not be? She was their freaking enemy. It was only natural they would be tense. But there really was something different about this Rose Reaper. It was like her aura suddenly changed or something like that.
Chiaki raised both of his chained short swords and seeing this, Kiede also raised up her spear which already returned to her palm.
Rose Reaper just giggled. "Ahhh... you dominion angels are definitely interesting. Much more interesting than those puny humans from Khorah."
Kiede frowned but didn't say anything but still kept her guard up. All this woman thought about was having entertainment. It was like the world was made for her to go and entertain herself. Murders and stuff didn't concern her but on the contrary, it made her excited as hell.
"Do you want to hear something from the future? A riddle perhaps? Fufufu..." Rose Reaper asked covering her mouth with her hand in a coquettish manner.
Those words of hers just made Kiede and Chiaki be even more on their guard, but also curious.
Rose Reaper just grinned and didn't mind the stares she was getting from the both of them.
"The Sun, the Moon, the Stars
All unite, everything starts
As the decayed rose plans her revenge,
Will all be dead
and vengeance achieved?...
HAHAHA!!!" after her laugh, she disappeared without a trace without any single trace left. Also strangely, the edge of the mountain where it had holes before suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Was that all just an illusion?
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Meanwhile, in a certain forest, Urika was confused as to why she was suddenly transported back to the Green Rose Palace. But as she continued to think, her head, too, slowly got muddled until she couldn't remember what she was thinking about.
She glanced at her hands and found that they were small. Her beautiful and refined appearance also changed that of an eight year old girl.
She went inside the palace like her instincts told her to. It was like something was beckoning her body to do so. Like a hidden force.
She passed by the familiar hallways with emerald décor and plants elegantly embedded within them as she ran towards the throne room where her parents rarely stayed since they usually were in the Main Palace in between the ten sub-kingdoms. But today was an exception. Today was the day after her eighth birthday and today was also when her parents decided to appoint her a knight.
She arrived at the gigantic double doors of the throne room and the two emerald and silver armored guards immediately bowed in respect and let her in.
Her eight year old self was still naïve and innocent. Finding everything strange yet beautiful but today, she felt rather... different.
As she entered the huge throne room, a beautiful woman with luxurious green hair like hers and a handsome and strict looking man with dark evergreen eyes stood just below the throne with a young teenage boy with them.
She curtsied just as her mother taught her to and greeted both the King and Queen of the Green Rose Kingdom, her mother and father.
The queen immediately went towards her daughter and hugged her tightly. Then she looked at her daughter's eyes. "Did you miss mother?" she asked with a doting smile.
Urika smiled happily and nodded. "Mn! Missed mama."
The queen laughed. The King also went towards Urika and his wife's direction. "Then how about papa, then?" he asked in a jokingly pitiful way.
Urika laughed at her father. Despite her father's seemingly strict ways and appearance, he was also really gentle and a loving husband, father and a definitely great king.
"Mn! I also missed papa!" Urika enthusiastically replied.
"Urika, you know what today is right?" the queen carefully asked her daughter.
Urika nodded. Today was the day she will meet her prospective knight.
That was only then that she once again noticed the boy standing there while looking at the ground with a blank face. She thought to herself, he was really handsome and his long hair set in a ponytail really suited him.
Urika went towards his direction, finding herself to be curious in this handsome but blank faced youth. Her parents just stood and watched, not stopping her actions.
As she got nearer, something caught her nose. It was the scent of pinewood and mint. It really smelled heavenly for her. What was this scent? And why was she smelling it?
The boy seemed to notice Urika was heading towards him. He didn't mind her and just continued to stare at the floor but it wasn't until that she got near that he could smell something amazing. It smelled of flowers and the scent that was found in forests, clean and refreshing.
He looked up and their gazes locked into each other. Both their green eyes glowed unconsciously and immediately the king and queen watching them stood with wide eyes.
They couldn't believe it! They really weren't expecting this to happen. Now, more than ever, they realized that they really had amazing foresights to recognize him.
Their daughter's soulmate...