Near the 1st District, a flame rages through the terrain, contrasting the frigid pillars of ice.
In the middle of it all, the 1st Commander, Alvard stands, his breath heavy and beads of sweat trickling down his body. The clothing on the upper half of his body burnt to a crisp making the scars that decorate his exterior evident.
His skin glows with a scarlet hue and an immense amount of heat is constantly being released from his position.
Taking refuge between some fragments of ice, the [Howling Tundra], Tillian Stralf, poses on all fours like a beast ready to pounce.
Alvard digs his feet into the ground with a loud stomp and looks straight at Tillian. He has a wide grin and his hand is wrapped around his fist.
He cracks his neck, takes a deep breath, and exclaims,
"Burn! Burn! Burn! From the crimson inferno, set it all ablaze! My body's a weapon and you're the victim! Time to burn this place down! Give 'em hell, [Personal Skill: Red-Hot Sacrifice]!"
His body begins burning even hotter, changing into a distinct red color. His feet are set ablaze as a flame surrounds both of them. More of the ice begins melting, turning into water then evaporating immediately. A bright, ruby aura surrounds him, resembling a raging inferno. The sheer heat exuding from his skin distorts the view.
The two stare each other down, their fierce gazes locked and their stances, ready to attack.
Tillian takes the first move, pushing off with her hind legs and holding her claws out to swipe at Alvard.
While he was unable to see her quick movement previously, this time, Alvard sharpens his glare and watches her approach him near the ground.
Reaching his hand down, he grabs Tillian's wrist as she shouts,
"Hot!"
With her free hand, she claws at Alvard's arm creating a deep wound.
This makes Alvard let go as Tillian leaps back to safety.
Alvard lets out a noise of pain while the wound somehow cauterizes immediately and the skin is scorched back together.
Tillian glances at her wrist and notices a red burn mark around the area she was grabbed.
Alvard taunts,
"How'd that feel, monster!?"
Tillian clenches her jaw and wraps a hand around her injury.
Slowly walking towards it, Alvard picks up his scimitar and flips it in the air. As it lands back in his hand, the leather hilt catches on fire and begins to burn.
Quickly, Alvard drops it back onto the ground shouting,
"Crap! I'm gonna have to get that fixed later..."
He forms both his hands into a fist and brings them in front of him, adding,
"Guess I'll settle this with these. You better watch yourself, monster!"
Forcing his body forward, a trail of orange follows him like an asteroid entering the atmosphere.
Tillian watches him speed towards him and mutters,
"He's... fast..!"
She barely manages to dodge as Alvard digs his feet into the ground and uses the momentum to strengthen his forward jab.
Tillian places one paw and the hot terrain as she howls,
"Ice-Cold Avalanche!"
From the ground, a wave of ice grows outward, curving over Alvard before collapsing and burying him under a mound of snow and frost.
Despite Alvard being immobilized under the pile, Tillian keeps her guard up, observing from her position.
Suddenly, steam leaks from cracks in the heap, melting the ice along with it.
Alvard launches himself out of from the mound straight at Tillian.
Anticipating him, she bares her claws, uttering,
"Winter Laceration!"
The tips of her claws begin to grow an icy extension that slash at Alvard's back.
Making contact, the ice melts and deep gashes cut into his skin, one for each claw.
Those open wounds quickly close up like before, making a distinct sizzling noise.
Without pause, Alvard swings his fist back, digging into Tillian's stomach and she is blown back into the pile of frost.
Alvard turns his entire body towards Tillian and rushes forward, swinging his fists without hesitation.
Tillian puts her arms in front of her to absorb the blow as Alvard barrages her with a flurry of punches.
With Alvard swiftly approaching, Tillian thinks,
"He has me trapped here and I won't be fast enough to escape. The only thing I can do is defend and find an opening as soon as I can."
As the first blow makes contact, Tillian is pushed back and the sound of cracking rings around them. Alvard lays out the second, third, fourth, and fifth strikes, not wasting a single moment.
Tillian continues to be plunged further behind as Alvard taunts,
"How does this feel!? Take this! And this! And this!"
Forced back and back with no way to escape, she stares down the gathering of heat and light as it gets brighter and hotter.
Focused on the only thing in her view, she thinks,
"Wh-What is this..? Where have I seen it before..?"
...
A memory flashes through her mind. In a remote mountain landscape, the rocky face is layered with a thick coating of snow and the wind blows past with a howl.
Two figures trudge through the blizzard, one larger and one smaller. The smaller one speaks up,
"Papa! How much longer! I'm getting tired and it's way too cold!"
A much younger Tillian walks with her arms curled around her body and a white cloak covers her to keep her warm.
The larger one replies,
"We're almost there Tillian, just a little more."
An adult male, wearing the same cloak with similar hair, eyes and canine features, walks beside her and assures her with his soothing tone.
They continue trekking up the frigid terrain while the snowstorm weathers them down.
With a loud shriek, Tillian loses her footing and slips, landing on her bottom.
His parental side showing itself, Tillian's father quickly comes to her rescue, asking her,
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
Catching her breath, she replies,
"I-I'm okay."
Tillian's father reaches his hand out as Tillian takes a hold of it.
He lifts her into the air and puts Tillian on his back.
At first, Tillian is startled, but she quickly clings onto her father's back. She leans her head on his and manages to fall asleep.
She is awoken by the voice of her father saying,
"Looks like we made it in time."
She blinks her eyes and adjusts to the brightness.
Positioning her head into view, she is greeted by the bright, open sky, empty of any clouds or snow.
Hues of yellow, orange, and pink streak above her, mixing and melding into an array of color.
The rising sun coming from the ground filling her eyes with a brightness she's never experienced before and the intense gaze she wears shows it.
She can feel the heat radiate onto her body, warming her from the inside out, and she takes her hood off to absorb more of its rays.
...
Her memory of the experience begins to shift back to the present and she thinks,
"Ah... That's what it was... It would've been nice to go there... one... more... time..."
As the thoughts fade, so does her consciousness and with a final blow, Alvard breaks through the pile of ice.
Tillian falls to the ground and Alvard stands above her, drenched in sweat, body temperature rising, and his skin with a vibrant glow.
The flames on his body suddenly go out, revealing dark burns on his legs from the knee down.
The lower half of his body collapses and he falls onto his knees.
During this, the outskirts of the 2nd District seem to be ramping up as the cries of two warriors echo through the air, and their thundering sprint shake the ground.