An Icy new Arc
The Ice empire... Aisurando was a sight to behold. Just from the outer perimeter, its walls were a work of art, every one of them to stop any intruders from entering. Also, upon testing, these walls did not follow the normal science of ice. They did not melt from a suitable fire I had attempted. These walls had life, Something supplying them with their constant ability to be kept frozen.
"Satori, we might be at the land of ice, but the entrance is far from here. We must circle around to find it. Sorry but I don't know where it's exactly located; sorry for being useless." Aina felt like a burden on our journey here. However, she surprisingly became a major help her knowledge, her navigation even without vision, was remarkable how far had she journeyed across this world?
The Ice walls were endless! They did not end, It was a dead site, but it was no problem this same colour the same calm scenery while navigating towards the entrance of this empire. Ainu, who could not see, was smiling. Well, of course, she could not witness the spectacular blue walls of ice or the deep snow underneath our feet.
Her legs gave out.
"Come on ill carry you. Stopping here is nearly impossible, with no resting place in site" I picked her up on my back at that moment. I was fine. The farming really did pay off; all those days of growing, harvesting, feeding had formed many openings in my muscle tissue which gradually healed towards a much superior structure than the one before it; again and again. This constant pattern allowed me to gain stamina, even in this cold air with heavy oxygen.
"No, you don't need to, it's fine, I'm fine" As I was picking her up, she stated and whined to me about with no meaning to back up her statement. I proceeded to carry her without hesitation. We could not stop here, at least for her sake.
I myself felt one with the cold like it was my native ground.
She fell asleep after whining for nearly twenty minutes that she did not require to be carried. She was sleeping comfortably. True, it was not easy to carry her, in all honesty. However, I brought her along, and I have no choice but to keep my end of the deal. I will find her a place within this Icy land!
Twelve hours later...
I fainted...not the first time in this new world...
We both laid on the snow at our limits. Were we even close to the entrance? How big was this ice empire?
I woke up...
I was on a horse?
"what? How!Aina!" I woke up in fright. Again a new symptom I have been accustomed to in this world.
"Don't worry, she's fine, haha, she lays within my sister's horse just ahead of us" A man, he was warm, no he was hot, extremely hot. To clarify, not in looks. However, in physical temperature, I looked behind myself, and the path behind was ground! The snow had melted upon the path he took!
I fell back to sleep...
I wake up next to the presence of Aina...
A land, same boring old ice however this land was populated, it was much too big...The shocking part? It was only the border. In other words, the entrance of the Ice empire Aisurando!
If this was the very border of Aisrando, then what was itself like, how much did I... we underestimate its size. It was not simply the city of Rasu but multiple cities. No half the country was the Ice empire! I was naive to think walking would work.
There were many people outside the border, too many! It was chaos. Most were poor refugees who were camping behind the entrance? This was not what I imagined. I felt this world was so empty, but now I realize just how big and how much people lay as victims to it, this shift of power, this freedom from the government was...
I could no longer think when I saw the state of Aina. Her face was bright red. She was burning. I felt her forehead upon mine. It was severe. She was suffering. She was dying, is how I took it. The reason being we had not eaten for five days.
Luckily there was border control present at the gate. I ran, holding Aina's heat resonating little body towards them.
"Please help, Please help her. She's dying!" I was pitiful, and I sounded worse than any other refugee.
I was immediately kicked over with Ainu in my hands...
"Damn, kid, can't you see the sight before you? You are not the only one!" The guards were not wrong, not at all. But their next statement was nothing but wrong...
"We have prioritized the entrance for the ones who will attend the great tournament of Ice."
I pondered in agony. All these people outside here dying just for one reason, A tournament, a game? a sport? What else could be this important? Why?
It was hopeless. They did not falter. Aina was going to die.
No...
No...
No...
I wouldn't allow this. I won't allow it...
"I will enter the tournament...I will enter!" I said out of pure despair
All the guards laughed...
Even the refugees everywhere were shocked. They felt humiliated.
"Get out of here, kid, you dare to mock the great tournament of ice, the traditional act of the ice tribe, to decide the successor of the empire and the life partner who would serve the princess to their very end of life and death!"
No hope was present I would meet my end here...Aina ...I'm sorry...it felt cold again coldness was building up again until...
"Why not let him enter? Besides, no rule states that he cannot. If he does, it's his life that will be lost."
A mysterious hooded figure appeared...
"Shut up! We will not be disgraced by this pitiful boy" The guard proceeded to grab his weapon of ice. It was a blade of ice similarly crafted like the walls before us. It had the same feel.
"Somone as you does not deserve to be slaughtered with the blade from the princess's ice. As the only user of ice in the world, Our ruler, our very protection, in her name I shall dispose of you here!"
The guard swiftly makes his way to strike me at that moment; it's the end ...
In a sudden flash, the hooded figure breaks the very blade of ice, only saying one thing...
"I am also entering. Please be nice to a fellow challenger of mine."
The guard was fear-struck as the hooded man made his way inside. But this flash, this movement where had I seen it before? It was the most powerful aura I have ever felt if I saw this individual before, I would have known straight away.
Upon closer inspection, the hooded figure was staring at one thing, my very arm? And laughed...
"You guys should very well allow this one to enter...I vouch for this individual..." as he left towards the land inside.
"Take her inside", the same guard had spoken in his awe towards meeting the hooded man...
They took Aina from my arms...
"Hold on! what are you doi..." I was not in a good state myself. I wanted to relax...
"Don't worry, as a participant towards the ice tournament, we will be liable for the health of the little one. However, you will proceed inside...You will enter the tournament...you will die for the sake of this girl..."
In other words, he told me my fate was sealed upon entering this tournament. I was not eager to go against this statement because upon entrance. There were many others... walking by...all here, for one thing, the win.
The tournament would start in a month, at the capital of Aisurando named Kurisutaruasu.
Everyone, all lords and generals of the Ice empire, will be watching and some participating, including the King, Queen, and the great princess of ice who is the only one in the world, one who wields the power of ice? I had heard...
I looked at myself for one second and thought how?...is this possible after all one of the world's rules that no power was the same...is it false? or was that even my power?
Tournament Rules were simple, those who could get past the preliminary and defeat the opponent before them. Will proceed towards the main event in the capital.
There would be a full-out tournament in the great ice colosseum which will hold all the most important individuals in the great ice kingdom, crafted by the ice princess herself in the capital.
A total of one thousand participants...only one victor...who will proceed to become the wed of the princess herself.
This world angered me than ever before, I decided that at least Aina has managed to find survival, and after a month, I shall die for her sake...In this battle where my life is as good as gone.No, no escape from this reality within these cold walls. I thought they were warm, I thought they were warm at first, but that was just Ainu's warmth which is no longer...
All participants were awarded a place of lodging to rest and settle down before the tournament itself in a month's time, including me...
Number alive remaining: 100/100.
-do you believe?-
Hope to see you in the next chapter in this first official arc!
Thanks so much!... And with that said, the ice tournament arc has begun!