Snow Swan Song

A groaning breeze, whimpering and whining that colorless the unseen gradation of whiteness... only white that seemed to mind the over-toned temperature above this thin-of-oxygen land, because only layers upon layers of iced soil that bore the definition of such the opposite word. It was so plump those shrouded snow petals were, falling from the above hazy grey skies bereft of such a definitive directive, but a desultory direction of that breeze - that subtly groaning breeze, for years had been piled up their masterpieces with the perpetual snowflakes, as well without perpetual intervene.

It was all simply a paragon of creation... the always-existing evidence concerning a nature that was capable of betting the bet for which many breathing-living humans had yearned. Purely perceived it as a symbol of sinless purity, barren of others hues but white without dirty spot was the sole motive... a motive to be reborn as a brand new human, a distinctive paradigm of a walking corrupt creature on the strength of memoir in behalf of moral equity and more often than not... a feeling of love, touting it left and right with - beyond than oftentimes - a pair of crimson body.

Bereft of color this land was, as many accounts had agreed with. The everlasting snowflakes, falling upon the eternal winter - a mountain range of Eterna Nieve. On its vast and white mount, barren of life... hardly a tree was seen, even a dead one was none in sight, but a sight of a poor one because of this frozen mist had seemingly stopped in time - no ticking but a wheezing sound of a subtle breeze, freezing the rhythm of the second hand, and probably would do so for a stark silhouette who seemed to be leaned her bare, pale back against the chilling floor while facing the hazy skies and oddly still with eyes closed. With some persistent trials and patient endeavor that had been conducted countless, the piercing frost eventually managed to reach beyond her pale skin, infiltrating the smooth pores and stimulating a sense receptor of temperature to send non-specialized codes for the brain to be processed... telling that pair of closed eyes to be unclosed.

Such a primitive task that was happened in many less than a mere second, as many primordial life already had one similar. A basic response for the body to answer the harsh environment and to stimulate an accurate reaction, or at least... on this rare occasion... such a response was to notify the body that there was still some warm air coming in and out from the lungs.

And so luck was apparently still bestowed upon her... that woman whose bright blonde hue of hair was scattered messily across this bereft-of-color land, granting such a white land with its color eventually - hence had expired such a tittle was - likewise from her eyes that would soon open up her dry eyelid, leisurely revealing yet another color to be presented by a blue hue of skies.

Blur it was... the very first notion her eyes grasped, through her irises resembling a clear shade of a bright summer skies yet its shine, seemingly giving quite a sentimental sentiment - warmth of spring. Simply denying it was, contradicting with the authentic color as the present skies was notably appeared... gloomier, only gray and barely bright upon her eyes catching a better sight after a while of adapting,

Yet she had lost count... counting on how many had these frozen tints of snowflakes fallen upon her exhausted facial expression, despite in fact it was showed very little, for it was showed only from her gaze; from those azure gaze of hers that seemed to have lost its glimmer of chasing its dream she was struggled for to make it a reality. Hence wouldn't try to make an attempt to move her tired body, and bothering even not to twitch a single muscle of hers... as not only did she regained her consciousness, she was too, maintained her memories concerning how she ended up in such a place and such a situation in the first place.

"Am I... still alive?"

A frail, fragile voice; as it was intended to be heard for herself... the very first wonderment to be asked towards herself as she recalled an event of amazement when a crescent moon had drowned herself within its white light, thus expecting herself to be dead became a conventional reality check. Yet the inexistent feeling of freezing only was doubling her doubt, in spite of her body was partially buried beneath this frosted white soil, moreover without a swaying fabric to avert the chill touching her dry pale skin... she felt the opposite reaction instead, and turning aside her head a little therefore only to nourish her premise as she noticed another thing was missing besides this numb nuance,

"Having no energy left to move, not even to lift a finger. And seems like... I've regained my old body back, huh? My old fragile, weak body. No more those hellish wings nor power, I am me once more. But strangely, I can't feel the coldness of this snow - that is, if what my eyes see is indeed snow,"

A brief chortle was then heard, acting merely as a role of intermediary between this startling reality and that craved fantasy... alleviating her mind and heart alike,

"Yes... you're still pretty much alive, if you were wondering."

Abruptly came the another voice withen her proximity, a gentle yet cold-sounded voice she was familiar with... softly spoken words that intervened her rough assumption of her existence. Despite already knew whose voice that was... turning her head slightly to her side as a reaction still she should perform nonetheless, feebly staring at the source of this silvery voice only to find a pair of yellow eyes had stared back at her from behind the thick fallen blizzard,

"The spell I used was never meant to end a person's life, but to eradicate the negative energy, as well Ioj't Energy, inside one's body through its colorless light. The same light that was piercing through your body. And thanks to it, you regain your old form... a human,"

The same voice continued her elucidation, gradually becoming clear her distinctive contour was, and revealing that carmine at the ends of her white hair trying to blend in with the color of the frosted neighborhood yet seemingly struggled to hide the obtrude one stygian horn on her left temple beneath that layer of white hair. Every steps had been taken and precisely calculated above this frozen surface... navigating her bare feet very lightly to prevent her own mass engulfing her own feet deep into the ice. Slowly yet steadily, those light steps managed to deliver herself closer to this blonde woman, and after another few short ones, eventually standing right beside her that one-horned figure was now.

"Erynew..." the blonde woman saluted, addressing the name of that one-horned figure with nothing but simply a moving dry lips and a simple smile, "What a welcome surprise. Well, well... surely I was wrong about you... by a lot. Thinking of that technique of yours capable of bringing back my old fragile form, and completely wrecked the Wolframs that was said capable of cutting through the thick indestructible skin of Cloud Dragon. You have bested me. So this is the true power of a real demon... or a devil as you prefer to call yourself as. So then, why ain't you kill me right away? After all that I've said, it's supposed to be a cake walk... so why? Is it because... of a pity feeling?"

"A pity feeling? Hardly. In fact I lack of pity for those murderers and alike. That what I'm gonna say, but it'll only make me like a hypocrite," without a second thought, and devoid of hesitant, the one-horned figure refuted, for she had something different inside her mind that was clearly exposed through her expressionless face and the inscrutable meaning of her stare, "How 'bout I simply hope you'd satisfy my curiosity regarding a thing or two."

A brief chuckle was then heard from the blonde woman, never expecting such a comeback yet at the same time had been anticipating it, "I should've guessed that earlier coming from such a yourself. Considering you left me some energy to speak, sure you have so much queries to ask after many things that happened. Very well, since I can't do much but to speak anyways, and you're pretty much capable of cutting my life anytime you want, I think the deal it's fair enough."

Starting off with the very first inquiry that one-horned figure desired the most to be answered. Her yellow stare, lack-of-blink eyes were never disappointing when it came to glare out of solemnity, pouring such a pensive utterance, straight to the point, "Why did you cause quite a disturbance in Kasala Village? I found nothing unusually striking things in there except a fertile soil that was made barren by your sorcery? I don't think that'd be worth your time. What is your purpose?"

"Why, I thought you already knew it yourself." a sickly grin was the first answer that blonde woman provided, meeting her pair of blue eyes with her yellow's,

"I did. I just don't like it ended up as a mere speculation of mine," a brief comeback was launched, waiting patiently for the definitive veracity of the story Erynew was, "This all has something to do with Autocrats Five Ways, isn't it?"

"You heard that from Redo, did ya?" a quiet sigh was then heard, filling the chilled air surrounded the blonde woman upon blowing the air from her lungs that was turned into the iced mist once touching this frozen environs, "That foolish bastard, lowly coward serf... glad I killed him and the rest of his men. They really were good for nothing, even for succeeding such a simple task. But please, don't misjudge me, Erynew... I did that for keeping the information safe, also because of our initial plan was changed."

"The initial plan?" getting intrigued slowly yet surely Erynew was, grasping something new that was near entirely different from her early premise,

"Harvesting Atc'el Energy by inducing fear to one's mental, mind, and soul," at long last, the detail was about to be elucidated. A particular reason to enough justify the deed that had been committed through unconventional ways by an inconvenient group, "And choosing Kasala Village as my playground was a convenient decision. It's remote, far from the main route between countries and its residents were all happy all the time, at least from the way I perceived it at the time... thus it'll increase the chance to succeed the experimental product. To be noted however, I intended to inflict fear without unnecessary murderer as I was strongly against it, since the dead ones are proven to serve no purpose - simply useless to me. Therefore utilizing the terrifying threat with a hideous example for those who are defying us, became an efficacious stratagem."

"A hideous example, you say? Without unnecessary murderer? Isn't that somewhat sounded hypocrite from the way you utter it? For you have killed the daughter of the village chief, and possible more by your men," remarked the one-horned girl, partly raising her voice of disillusionment as she noticed the conflicting reality. Yet another brief chortle was then heard not long after. Stating from her yellow stare, it wasn't a sense of guilty nor apathetic that took a form on the pale face of that blonde woman, it was oddly a sense of consolation as her pair of blue had told,

"What's with that hasty conclusion, Erynew?" grinning the blonde woman, about to disclose the discernment, "We were playing a theatre at that moment, but something out of script was surely inevitable - just like her sacrifice. We indeed inflicted fear and it was no illusion. However, without anyone noticed, I secretly became a part of Kasala residents and meant to be that hideous example. You probably have heard the story about a maiden whom the chief's daughter protected, haven't you?"

Ran out of an idea Erynew was, concerning the words choice on the inquiry being quizzed upon herself as the gaps of quietude becoming more apparent, so was the whispering dust of snow... the whistling frost, and she simply fell amongst them, recollecting fabrics of memories around the bitter sugar warrior - close to that poignant sentiment that was being savored its flavor throughout the characters involved in it... those who were still given a chance to inspire the air, despite meant to either disregard or discern such a feeling.

"I... I see..." grasping the twist in reality, made her spoke nothing but a simple reply - purely startled and solely troubled, receiving so much truth beyond her forecast.

"I was too, y'know, never expected it actually. The part that was out of the script." the blond woman continued with her past narrative, as her grin slowly turned into a smile, simple yet seemed genuine, "What a stupid girl, if only she had less courage within herself and more concerned to her well being, perhaps she would not meet such a tragic end, like becoming a vessel for Atc'el Energy."

No sign of remarks yet from the one-horned girl, at least that was being read within her yellow eyes, even after the blonde woman said quite phrases... seemingly waited for the upcoming explanation to be revealed, that one-horned girl was. Hence the blonde woman willingly carried on,

"Guess that'll answer all of your curiosity, no? Because the rest of the story, I believe you already knew."

"Is this Atc'el Energy that was used to change your physical appearance and drastically increase your power? This is new to me, because that's not how such energy works. Do the others members of Autocrats Five Ways have access to this kind of power? For what purposes? I'm sure of it that you all have quite similar sinister agendas out there... tell me!" another curiosity apparently still rotated around that one-horned girl, as she raised her intonation, seeming to become more troubled with this reality thus spontaneously asking many queries at once.

"Onizacija; offering your soul to the Demon for greater power. That's what he said, the one who gave me such power." without a second thought providing the explanation, at least to a degree that was grasped by the blonde woman, "And yes, there are four others individuals who possess the same kind of power as I do... I mean, as I did,"

The blonde woman was then took a temporary rest, in the interest of perceiving the expression shown within that pair of yellow eyes that seemingly became wider upon listening to her shocking news,

"Sadly, I know nothing more than that... I was just a woman who was obsessed with power regardless the sources." resuming her explanation that seemed about to meet a dead end, "Even If I might know something, I wouldn't reveal any discreet information for I already vowed not to, and you couldn't compel me to do otherwise. But what I can say to you, there's no need to worry now, because my... colleagues... are not the vengeful type. They will consider this project of mine as a failure and won't make any attempt to fix it either way. Thus, they will likely to leave it as it is, never laying a finger on Kasala Village ever again."

"Yeah, I hope so," returning to her typically silvery tone, the one-horned girl found that it was worth nothing to stimulate more information from the blonde woman as she thought it was more than sufficient to initiate her journey into a much more deeper hellhole,

"Say, Erynew... before you take me to my resting place, if you may allowed me to ask you a question this time, hoping you would also satisfy my curiosity."

Countless as they both had counted, the only two silhouettes visible through this thick layer of whiteness as the snowflakes had been keeping them company this whole moment... hence countless as they both had counted, beyond that possible amount that was capable of being calculated in quantity. Falling with no consent, but a reason to color this vast mountain with its white at every possible angle, as far as one's eyes capable of glimpsing upon standing atop of it. Piling up and piling up, the more the white fall from the grey skies, the more layers would be erected. Some even had found quite a snug spot sharing the similar color like itself on this white hair of the one-horned girl, partly covered the same color hue and eventually rolled down onto her pale shoulders.

"Yes, you may."

Leisurely returned to her initial position the blonde woman was then, staring once again that pair of blue to the gray skies where this frozen white dust came from... the same dust that still buried half of her stark body, and found its way to roam on her face, thus capable of refreshing back her contented expression on that facial structure after getting washed dry by this flowing cold.

"Why did you protect those village residents?"

And amongst countless of fallen snow, one question had arisen, hoping to melt the curiosity of the blonde woman... at least before her farewell swansong, she craved to grasp the motive that driven such an entity to perform such the opposite nature of her kin. A devil who protected humans out of something nonsense, thus longing to comprehend the nonsense, yet soon enough she would receive the similar nonsense return...

...after a moment of silence prevailed,

"Maybe... maybe because I'm just a stupid girl who happens to have more courage and less concern to my own well being."

Widen her pair of blue for a moment, hearing such a nonsense answer yet oddly felt familiar at the same time upon marking the remarks till a smile of relief was finally being exposed as she recognized something within the yellow stare of that one-horned devil, something that made her titter became unbearable, "Ah that's it... the side of yours I truly hate," a subtle sigh between words, still keeping an eye for the gray skies and watching the more snow fell on her fragile, weak body, "I really envy them, you know... I really do. Living in a quiet remote place, far from the war drama between two sides that were only lust for power and having someone to watch their backs - well, I think there are two in fact. Because of that, I really wanted to destroy them, to cease their hope into the abyss... yet my struggle seemed futile before you, Erynew. You have proven to be a tough guardian despite your born nature... which honestly... made me even more interested in you."

Showing disregard, didn't mean she was unconcerned with her honest feeling... it was just something that Erynew could not provide an accurate words to respond, for it was simply and somehow beyond her capability. Erynew took more a few steps ahead, dragging once again the bare feet of hers above this layer of white without spot, she eventually found herself right before the blonde woman who was still lying down on this cold floor. Lowering her posture as she knelt down so that her right hand capable of reaching the blonde woman's face, and with her open palm, the incantation should be murmured,

"Are you ready? Then, I shall begin."