Birth of the Ice Phoenix

Xing Lei did his best to ignore the pain creeping up the tip of his tail, he tried moving it out of the way but the aura surrounding Alustriea just seemed to be growing. Even Osilliaice was glancing back in concern, frost creeping across the floor in a growing sheet around the elf. Loss looked at the kobold in her hands, seemingly unbothered by the spear driven between her breasts, the fact she was pinned against the wall did not really affect her mood, she was smiling mockingly into Xing Lei's glare.

Xing Lei snarled, pressing the spear forward, the wall cracking behind the Goddess' back. Still she did not appear in pain, rather she caressed his throat with soft squeezes of her fingers, her eyes blazing in amusement. "Ahhh little kobold, touched by divine to impede divine. Think you special? Think you outside our touch? Foolish creature. You are minor, a pawn on a big board. You charge forward heedless of where your Master plans to sacrifice you. Ultimately hoping to reach the end and leave the board."

Her eyes narrowed, a sneer crossing Loss's full lips, "Mockery this is. hehehehe. Think you a player? You are a doomed pawn of a losing player. Think you prevented my move? Think you won now? Foolish foolish child. My touch there was, before you began."

Xing Lei's yellow eyes widened glancing back as the aura around Alustriea exploded, the mocking laughter of Loss faded on howling frigid winds as her body slipped away on the mist, her voice a taunting whisper, "Pawn to your end of board, choose a bishop we have."

Xing Lei was thrown against the wall his spear leaving his fingers as an icy wind slammed against his body like a battering ram, a similar crash erupted the right, the visual of Osilliaice tossed through a wall being the last Xing Lei would see of her before Alustriea casually stood up. Snow and ice swirled around her, the ice slashing her robe revealing tantalizing glimpses of pale flesh as the elf turned, gone was her wheat colored mane, gone were those vibrant emerald eyes.

The elf now sported a head of icy white hair that cascaded down her back, her formerly emerald eyes were a frigid blue glowing with a soft radiance. Her lips parted and the screech of a bird rang out shattering the building around them, Xing Lei, covered in frost was thrown out into the street, his breath coming in misty clouds as the air temperature plummeted, the spiritual pressure slammed down atop him like a ice capped mountain. Pushing against it he found himself staring into those cold unfeeling eyes, Alustriea stood over him, a pair of blue wings of wonderous feathers spreading out behind her back.

Shouts echoed from the streets as adventurers and mercenaries poured from the homes and taverns. Alustriea looked silently at the growing forces and screeched. That familiar birds cry ringing out under the soft glow of the moon. The street, the buildings, the people... all in a flash were struck by an explosion of cold that swirled around the elf like a vicious tornado. Bodies thrown against walls, war cries as arrows and spells whistle in.

Xing Lei roared in denial as he was thrown back again, his clawed feet tearing at the cobbled road way trying to force his way back. His eyes locked on his winged wife who was, even now, standing above the adventurers that answered the call to arms. Icicles lashed out tearing into the crowd, spears of ice pinned people to surfaces as the unleashed ice phoenix screeched and attacked everything around her. Every time a strike actually staggered Alustriea, Xing Lei felt the blow on his own body as he fought to reach her side, if he could just touch her, he was sure he could fix this...

The street was coated in bloodied ice, frozen rivers of blood, frosted over bodies littered the street as Alustriea advanced into the throng. Battle cries warred with death cries, neither side asked or gave mercy. Xing Lei snarled as he focused his qi slamming against the wild, primal qi that Alustriea was somehow emitting. Above the howling wind, above the cries of battle and death the kobold heard the goddess' laughter. Loss grinned from an alley way at the kobold and casually stalked out into the street like the whirlwind of frigid death was of no trifle to her.

With a saucy saunter Loss sidled up to Alustriea and giggled, "Fun is it sister? Awakened now you are, feeling better? No longer beholden to the world, no longer beholden to mortals. Free as the beautiful bird you are."

Alustriea turned, as if the spell battle was no more dangerous than a passing breeze. Missiles and thrown weapons froze in the air around the elf before shattering. Frozen chunks of wood and mineral swirled around her then exploded outward, vicious shrapnel that cut through the warriors of the city. Looking upon loss her blue eyes narrowed, a graceful hand lifting, a casual flick of the wrist saw a spike of ice erupting from the frost on the ground to impale the Goddess.

Loss shuddered a bit giggling as her body broke like mist, reforming by the ice spike. Stroking the ice she smiled, "Mmm sister is naughty, attacking her big sis! Still, such a lovely greeting! Everything a sister should be, will be. Come sister, it is time to go, our ride is here."

Casually she swung her onyx hand towards the darkened distance, high on the cliff overlooking the town the city lords mansion exploded. The grand mansion erupted in debris as a large dragon tore through its constructed egg. The white scales glittered under the moonlight as its narrow head lifted to the sky and roared. Dark clouds swept over Tol-Vatal, the clear moonlight was choked out of the sky as the roiling clouds swept in. Despite the nearby jungle, despite the typical heat of the southern climate those clouds began spilling a torrent of snow drowning the city in a dense blizzard as the white dragon took wing over the city, each horrendous cry stirring up the blizzard.

Loss clapped eagerly as Alustriea reached out, letting the snow gather in her hand and tilting her head. The Goddess giggled all the more skipping around the icy elf as if her spiritual pressure was no more impeding than a summer breeze. Roaring out, Xing Lei rushed forward, he needed to stop this but Alustriea looked his way and screeched, her pale lips spreading wide and a brilliant beam shot out bowling the kobold over, frost sweeping over his scaled body.

Pushing up off the ground he spit out a mouthful of blood, watching the the white dragon slammed down on the damaged buildings, that monstrous head lowering to look at Loss and Alustriea.

THIS IS HER LOSS? THIS WAS WHAT YOU HAD ME WAIT FOR? I AM NOT IMPRESSED...

The dragons voice swept over those fighting, select few could still stand before the huge beast, fewer still continued forward. Most simply slumped down or fled, both however were torn by frozen debris splattering blood across the dark and snow choked streets. Those who still had their senses did what they could to regroup and survive as the dragon looked Alustriea over.

THIS IS TO BE MY TRUMP CARD?

Loss giggled and nodded, "It took awhile, I do apologize, but these things take time especially when the pawn catalyst drags his feet in doing his part of the plan." The Goddess vanished from beside Alustriea, reappearing by Xing Lei kicking the kobold in the chest throwing him through a wall of a nearby store front. Laughing all the while she stalked towards him, "Now his job is done, Queen takes pawn and grinds him to dust..."

As she was about to tear Xing Lei from the rubble a wall of shining ice erupted before her, its mirror surface revealing an angry looking Alustriea staring at the Goddess. Loss tilted her head, her neck bending unnaturally as she gave a lopsided look at the elf, "Whatever this is sister, pleases me not it does. Say not you still feel for this mortal?"

Alustriea looked at Loss, her pale lips moving. Rather than a bird like screech, a soft whisper rolled through the whipping snowy winds, "Mine."

Loss vanished as Alustriea did. Where once the Goddess stood the ice wall shattered, chunks of ice ripping through the surrounding store front as Alustriea's punch aimed at Loss shattered the wall with an ear splitting crack. Loss appeared beside the head of the white dragon, a frown on her lips, "Still wild sister is, training you must give her, trust you in this?"

The dragon gave the Goddess a withered stare.

FINE. COME PHOENIX, YOUR NEW LIFE WAITS.

Launching itself into the sky the white dragon beat its wings circling above. Alustriea looked between it and Loss before turning to walk away, rubble shifted as a clawed hand snapped out grabbing her ankle, a shaky voice whispered under the wind, "Don't... go..."

Alustriea glanced back and down, Xing Lei, bloodied and looking the worst he ever had snatched out. His fingers gripped her ankle, his eyes filled with determination as his qi rushed into her leg. Whatever Loss had done whatever the [Exquisite Ice Phoenix] technique had awakened, it was over. He would force out the demonic qi that had stolen his wife's mind. Whatever hold Loss had on her he would now shatter, he would show the vicious Goddess that he was never a pawn, he was always the player!

Still as his qi rushed forward his yellow eyes widened, focusing on defense he almost spit out another mouthful of blood as Alustriea kicked him in the face sending him crashing into the depths of the store. The elf stood there, looking at the crumbling store impassively before glancing skyward. Flexing a hand, ice swirled around her fingers condensing into a small figure which was tossed absently upon the rubble burying Xing Lei, "Goodbye."

Stepping from the store she leapt into the sky, snow and ice swirling around her lithe body forming into a frozen phoenix that flew after the white dragon that banked and flew towards the depths of the isle. Loss looked around the battlefield with a smile. Corpses littered the street, frozen bodies, wailing wounded adventurers, shattered buildings and a leaderless town. Breathing in, Loss shuddered enjoying the taste of chaos that gripped the city before her body dispersed whispering to the rubble, "Pawn evades Queen only to be struck down by the Bishop. Delightful."

.

.

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Pain. It was a feeling not unknown to Xing Lei, but it was one he had not really tasted like this in a long time. When conciousness returned, the kobold found himself in a makeshift hospital. Cots full of wounded people surrounded him, more than a few were not moving at all. Those final moments, the dark Goddess Loss, the white dragon, Alustriea blasting him away. That last one he couldn't figure out, he was in [Spirit Foundation], how did a cultivator in [Qi Fortification], and one trained as a mage at that, over power him?

Struggling up he groaned in pain before feeling a hand laid on his shoulder. Glancing behind he saw Osilliaice, her arm in a sling looking at him in concern, "Don't get up, I'll get one of the clerics, you took alot of wounds my mate."

"Alustriea?"

Osilliaice had a complex look on her face and shook her head, "When they dug me out of the rubble she was gone."

Xing Lei laid back wincing in pain, "The city?"

Osilliaice pulled over a chair where he could easily see her, "Damaged badly, a few hundred dead, hundreds wounded. The ice storm has been going for a week, if not for the sewers we'd be buried alive. Still, supplies are running low, most are talking about grabbing the next ship that comes to flee Tol-Vatal, but there's too many people here."

Xing Lei nodded closing his eyes, this was a bad situation. The fact he'd been unconcious for a week meant the time to meet with Destorianaxe's messenger was due, but worse was Alustriea. Just what had happened? Loss had obviously done something to corrupt his wife, but what had she done? Loss wasn't a cultivator, she could hardly expect that he'd have picked the technique he had. So how did things go this way?

Sighing he looked to his mate, frowning that her arm was in a sling. Osilliaice looked tenderly at him and squeezed his shoulder, "We'll find her my mate, we'll get her back."

Xing Lei didn't doubt the first half, soon they would join the war and if appearances were true, Alustriea had just been conscripted into the whitescale faction. Get her back though? He didn't even understand how he had lost her to Loss. He had thought Loss had twisted her qi gathering, it wouldn't be unheard of that an amateur directed their qi the wrong way and demonized but that usually required a catalyst of great despair, and while Alustriea had pains they were not at the level of selling her soul for demonic qi.

There was also the fact she had rejected his qi, he was a stage ahead of her, she should not be able to so casually reject him... yet she had and with an ease as if she was crushing an ant. This bugged him the most as he laid back resting. He simply didn't know what to do to get his wife back.