"You're Mira huh," asked Adriel as he examined Mira's face. He turned to Lykos, "So I assume you did this huh?"
Lykos nodded.
Adriel looked into her eyes. Mira began to shake. She couldn't understand why, but something about him felt so familiar. He could feel another worldly presence emanating off of him.
"W- where is Renus?" asked Mira. She was worried. Renus was like a brother to her; maybe even more. She shook at the thought of losing him.
Adriel smirked, his eyes becoming cold and apathetic, "He's inside me."
Mira's eyes began to swell with tears. She couldn't hold in the burst of emotions from the news. She deeply cared for him and now he was gone. She wept.
Adriel stared at her, his eyes dead. He felt no emotion. No hatred. No pity. Nothing. To him Renus had deserved his fate.
"Tell me about Ash Ranyls. He was Renus's brother. All I know is that he's strong." said Adriel.
"How do you know his full name?" asked Mira, choked up and perplexed.
"That's none of your concern Mira. You went to school with them when you were younger. You were practically in love with Renus and he had the same feelings. Although, none of you seemed to express it outwardly. I know a lot about you Mira. Just nothing of substance." said Adriel as he stared into her eyes.
Mira shook in fright. Her hands became sweaty and she looked away from his piercing glance, "Ash was one of the strongest in the Alium military. He left after a few years to become a mercenary. We followed him. He's strong and he is the one who created the ice that covers the village. He has consonance. He isn't someone to be messed with." said Mira, her voice strained.
Adriel nodded and stood up as he began to walk. The frigid air no longer bothered him. The ice around him felt oddly comforting. The sun was at its peak. The ice glistened in light. Despite the hot sun, the village around them was cold enough to make the arctic jealous.
Adriel looked at Zahira and smiled, "Glad you're all ok."
Zahira nodded, "Yeah same here, but I wish you came a little sooner." she looked at him worried. This put Adriel off. He was confused what would lead to such concern. They had only known each other for a few weeks by now.
"Ah well I'm here now." said Adriel, chuckling awkwardly.
The rest of the group came up to them. They were a few feet from Mira. They all were unsure what to do and needed to devise a plan. There wasn't much they could think about except just going head first. They had to act fast. They had no idea if Ash would kill the hostages in the dungeon if Mira and Renus took too long to come back to him.
"What should we do?" asked Lykos.
"Honestly I'm not sure. If what Mira says is true about consonance then we'll probably not make it back alive." said Iaceo.
"This is messed up. You think the bargaining chip will work?" asked Zahira.
"Probably not. Ash isn't a fan of bullshit." said Adriel.
"If we don't have many options then I say we just go in. We can't take Yarell to guide us through the castle; it's too dangerous for a kid. We need someone to stay back and look after him, but our chances of winning will lower." said Dania.
"Just leave him here. It seems we cleared out really anyone who could cause him harm. Just leave him in the house and tell him to stay put till we come back." said Iaceo.
"That's not a bad idea. I'm fine with that. Hopefully we can get him back with his family." said Zahira, worried for Yarell.
Zahira went to go speak with Yarell. The rest of them went to grab Mira. Adriel and Lykos picked her up forcefully as they began to walk. They were a few miles away from the castle, seeing its peak in the distance of the village. Mira's head hung low as they escorted her. Her feet dragged on the floor, sliding on the ice. Tension was high. She noticed how rigid everyone was and she couldn't blame him. They were walking straight in Ash "The ice angel", one of the strongest mercenaries in Alium. She also felt a strange sensation from Adriel. A hint of understanding maybe? No she would be ridiculous to think that. Yet he knew so much. He acted cruel, but deep down she could feel his guilt for his actions.
He's a strange man, thought Mira, but something about him is different. He feels so familiar to me. So warm. Like Renus.
They continued their walk. Dania was worried as she broke down in tears. They all stopped for a moment to look at her. Lykos wolf ears drooped. The stress was getting to them all. Death. Murder. Pain. They could only handle so much.
"This is nothing but a death march," said Adriel as he looked at Lykos, "Let her cry. Our emotions are the last thing we knights have that still make us people. Let's be honest, we are no better than the people who did this."
Lykos nodded. Zahira began to comfort Dania, but Lykos could feel her fear as well. Her hands were shaking. Her voice was cracking and hoarse. Lykos looked away, his heart beginning to beat. It dawned on him. He may never live out his dream with Dania during this.
What luck, said Lykos, This is really our first mission? Fuck me.
Lykos eyes softened. His mouth quivered slightly as they continued to walk. The streets were empty. There were no longer bodies. Just ice. Ice everywhere. The castle was just up ahead. Its gates had been frozen over, open. Jagged pieces of cold stuck out of its walls. They stepped through the gates. The ice cracking under their feet. The temperature dropped lower than it already was. They saw the body of knights, guards, and servants splayed onto the floor. The ice was stained red. They were impaled by Ice, the cold keeping their body fresh; the process of decay slowed.
They walked down the long hall. It was a small one way path to what they assumed was the throne room. Ice frosted the stained glass windows. Blue light illuminated their path. The chandeliers hung on the ceiling where frozen; icicles hung from the bottom.
They stopped at the frozen door. Mira lifted her head, "That's it. He will be through there. I don't know how he will react to seeing me like this. To be honest despite all you did to me, I wish you luck. You're just trying to help people after all." Mira said, her tone defeated.
The doors opened. The massive throne room was revealed. Pillars lined the walls. Light shined through the frozen glass windows. A red carpet was rolled in front of them that led all the way down to the throne. The throne was tall reaching the concave peaks of the roof. Chandeliers hung from the Ceiling. Suits of armor were lined against the walls of the massive chamber. In front of them he stood upon the throne.
His masks released cold air as he breathed. Ash looked down upon them. His icy blue eyes pierced through their souls. He radiated a chilling aura of power that brought all of them to their knees. The mere pressure of his presence was overwhelming. Ash ran his finger through his hair as he noticed Mira. His eyes remained cold.
With effort they all managed to stand to their feet. Ice began to form on their faces from the sheer cold. Their bodies screamed from the icey burns they received. Ash was no ordinary man. The ice holder was before them. His intense presence makes them want to faint. They couldn't believe someone like him could walk among them. A mortal man who has tapped into the power of gods.
They slowly approached him. With each step the intense frigid air grew. They were unsure what to do. Their sweat froze instantly. They're mouths felt dry and their lungs cried out in pain from the biting air.
Ash cracked his head side to side. He remained seated as his hand went to his holster. The wind continued to blow the knights backwards as they tried to push through. More cold air came rushing out of the nozzles on his mask. He couldn't help but feel amused by his victims' perseverance. A massive hand of ice emerged from the ceiling of the chamber. It slowly descended and grabbed Mira from their grasps. It brought her to his side. The hand then dissipated into small flakes of ice.
The knights continued to struggle. Before the air suddenly stopped. They managed to catch their footing, all of them visibly shaken by Ash. Ash stood from his throne. Each step he took produced small crystals of ice beneath his foot. He approached them slowly.
"You made it far. I must give you your tribute for such acts. Every other knight has faltered to my brother's hands," Ash said his voice deep and mumbled due to the mask as his voice reverberated off the grand walls, "But now your fate has been sealed. Bear witness to me. Your frozen nightmare has just begun."