THE CRIMSON SNOW

There was a blizzard picking up again, as two men walked through a tunnel lit only by the torch that one of them held.

"You know, sometimes I think that captain of ours just wants you dead," the guy holding the torch spoke out... "What was he thinking, sending you back here?" He continued.

"Come now mate, that cap aint like that," Grandeur smiled, "Not only did he send me back here, but sent me to deal with that freak Zasha when she just lost half her knights."

"Holy shit!" The second man answered surprised.

"And not only that, but there might also be assassins from the Dark Continent as well," Grandeur finished with a sarcastic smile.

"Are you serious?" The question was asked in a quiet yet grim tone.

"It is Allen after all, what else would you expect? No wonder the kid got killed"

"But I thought the captain was known for valuing his men."

"Oh, they might be alive but ask them how many times they have seen death," Grandeur explained the mystery behind the rumors, "In any case, the plan is simple"

"Yes, yes I know, keep a teleportation port prepared here and leave in two days if you do not return or leave immediately, if compromised."

"Exactly, well, off I go"

"Good luck Grandeur."

As Grandeur made his way through the scape, the blizzard picked up to the point where everything was just white.

Navigating, he began to plan out his strategy. Had he not known the secret channels in these lands getting here would have been impossible. Although, even with access to teleportation he was unable to teleport any closer, owing to the various curses spells and shields that protected the entire region.

"All those years guarding this place and now this," the thought crossed his mind, remembering the several years when he had guarded this fortress, back then the wolf was still expanding. Everywhere ahead of the fort had been strong kingdoms that would invade almost every season.

The fortress, partly ruined, stood alone on a mountain, surrounded by walls. Its only entrance was through two draw bridges one of which was destroyed. It was even in its condition still very well guarded, white wolf detachments had arrived, patrols ran everywhere, alongside clearing of wreckage and reconstruction. The fort was of vital importance as such all work was being carried out swiftly.

Zasha and her forces had relocated to the surviving parts of the fort, while the detachments from the white wolf had set up temporary structures, tents and such to house the guard and the work force. Entry seemed almost impossible.

Grandeur assessed the situation, somewhere deep in the heart of this there might be a sword or armor that he was seeking.

"What the hell was Allen even thinking?"

The thought that an assassin had caused all this was still more troubling as he himself was associated with one. If Zasha were to learn of his presence, she would come for his head personally.

A single means of access, several layers of magical protection, his odds seemed slim at best and to top it off using stronger magic would mean immediate discovery. Although after the blast no one had been able to use magic at all. Those that did try would quickly exhaust and collapse.

"What is the goddamned point of having magic if one can't use it?"

Plotting still, Grandeur saw his chance. A convey carrying materials was heading towards the fort, and to his fortune. The blizzard was picking up again, pretending to be a white wolf soldier or a contractor should be easy.

...

Zasha had finished performing the funeral rights for the last of her men.

The crimson blade drawn, she stood, supporting herself upon the hilt as the blade rested on the earth.

Iliea stood beside her, looking at the ground before them. The graves of brothers, her fellow knights, remained hauntingly silent. Had Allister been with them he would have known exactly what to say, but he was now forever quiet. Nothing of his remained and the realization grew heavier by the second, the graves weren't empty.

Each grave held some artefact of the person it belonged to and in case of Allister it was his jeweled dagger, one he was quite found off but didn't take with him.

As the Blizzard bellowed Zasha raised her voice.

"By my blood, I swear my brothers, I SHALL AVENGE OUR COMRADES. THEY WILL FIND THE HEAVENS TOO SMALL, THE EARTH TOO THIN, THE SEAS TOO SHALLOW, THEY WILL CURSE THE DAY THEY WERE BORN, THEY WILL NOT ESCAPE MY WRATH!" She proclaimed with fury, her words reminding the presence of the infamous hunts.

The assassins and the wolf had formed a sort of an unspoken truce over the years. In the past the wolves would send scores of men just to catch and kill a single Assassin, and the assassins would sabotage the wolves, kill their leaders and cause dissent in the people in general, but ever since there was a change in the leadership in the Assassins of the region. When Allen's generation took control, the two factions quieted down, consolidating their own domains.

What Cyer-Cyril did was for all intents and purposes a fresh deceleration of war, he single handedly had destroyed one of the most key forts in the wolf's domain, and not only that, but he had also managed to dispose of most of Zasha's prized knights, each of whom was a well-known and regarded warrior.

As the crimson blade spoke, her words carried impact as of the horn of battle was blown. The audience to her proclamation chanted in union, declaring their fidelity to the cause.

Piling block on block, a shiver ran up Grandeur's spine. He could hear very well what was said, a part of him was glad he would be nowhere near Allen after this mission for quite some time. That man was in a heap of trouble.

The ceremony continued, family members cried, Zasha looking as grim as a reaper stood by her sword gazing at the graves, while Iliea took to comforting the grieved. The storm brewing here would be a great one.

Grandeur moved on to a spot where he could view the proceedings directly. As his hands worked mechanically, inscribing a magical seal on the blocks he had piled, his eyes caught a glint.

The reason the labor was required was to seal every small section of the fort with magic, this construction allowed for a webbing of shielding spells, allowing for much more intricate strength. Although the spells were not taking effect immediately, the inscription would become active as soon as magic could be used again.

Grandeur reached out towards the object only to find a dragon scale. It was an ancient one, knowing about dragons as much as he did, Grandeur easily ascertained that it was one of the strongest scales on the dragon's hide, from over its heart, for a scale of such strength to be broken into such a small piece, for a dragon to be here in the first place. His mind began racing. just what had gone down here.

Iliea caught sight of Grandeur, speaking to a soldier beside her, she continued meeting with the families, the soldier then walked up to Grandeur directly.

He turned around.

"Lady Iliea wants for you to have a meeting with her in the later hours of the evening, please stop by her office."

Nodding in response, Grandeur gulped, he had history with Iliea.

...

Evening.

Grandeur knocked lightly on a wooden door, a makeshift office for Iliea, no response came, breathing a sigh of relief he began to walk away, when around the corner walked up the woman who wanted to meet him.

Her brunette hair open, in slight curls, like a Lion's mane. Iliea shook her head, as Grandeur snapped out of the small trance, he was in.

"I must say, the last person I expected to be here was you, Near," Iliea spoke with a solemn smile.

To be called by that name again, a smile crept on Grandeur's lips slightly before he realized again where he was and what was going on.

"You know, making ends meet, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of you, Lia, but I didn't expect you would call me over like this."

"I see an old friend after what felt like a thousand years and I ignore him, how cold do you think I am."

Lia smiled as she started walking, gesturing for him to walk with her, she didn't enter her office rather walked off ahead.

"Oh please," Grandeur answered,

Allen had been a Captain under a master of the white wolf, as such he had encountered Zasha several times, Grandeur had been his second in command, and he had had his fair share of encounters with Iliea as well who happened to be Zasha's. The two were fast friends at one point but owing to what Allen had done they were forced to part.

The white wolf was to, by orders, arrest or kill every member of Allen's forces they would come across, but they had become impossible to find. Every now and then, when one was found, they would come across an old friend or someone who would pretend they never saw them, it was in the most unlikely places at the strangest of times. One thing that was ascertained was that Allen himself was in little or no contact with most of them, and that only he had joined the ranks of the assassins. None of his other notable men had gone in with him, for all intents and purposes it was thought that his force had dissolved.

They had walked quite a distance away from the construction site, near to where Zasha's personal room was, all her effect would be in there. It was near a somewhat isolated tower, which gazed over the walls into the Icy abyss.

"I saw you pick something up," Iliea spoke as she looked down at the Icy canyon.

"Ah, you did," Grandeur spoke an eyebrow raised.

"What was it?"

"Hmmm, A Dragon scale, mind telling me what one was doing here?" Holding out the thing, Grandeur looked her in the eye.

Her eyes as ever had this cold-blooded look to them, ruthless it was natural of her, and yet in the distance Grandeur could see a shimmer of hope that was never there before.

"You can recognize a dragon scale that small?" Iliea ignored his question.

"I have lived beyond the empire for quite some time. Having been in contact with dragons on a daily basis, I can easily tell a lot of things about them now. That said, are you going to ignore my question?" Grandeur asked politely.

"It was not a simple assassin who caused all this to unfold," Lia spoke, "A small army from the north had attacked the fort, with them an ancient dragon, who was slain by my blade," Iliea answered her hand on her sword, "What were you up to that far away? and what brought you here now?" it was now her turn to question.

"You have slain another dragon! so that was what I could sense off of you and yet, there is something amiss" Grandeur was speaking more to himself. "I was actually trying to start over anew there, and what brings me here is honestly an old favor I owed." Grandeur met Lia's eyes as he answered.

"Which is?" Iliea spoke with an eyebrow raised, "We may be on friendly terms Near, but if you hope to bring harm to, or anything of the sort to anyone here, I will end you"

"On the contrary I have no intentions of harming anyone, I am merely here to look for an artifact that might have been procured by Zasha."

Iliea's hand clenched on her sword.

"I was told assassins from the Dark Continent might try to steal it as well," Grandeur added eyeing Iliea's grip.

"You are not working with the assassin's then?" Iliea asked looking him in the eyes as well.

"I intend to fight them if need be" Grandeur spoke, "I know it is too much to ask but ..."

"What?" Iliea loosened her grip looking beyond once more.

"Did you always have a dragon's heartbeat?"

"What?" Iliea looked at him again, surprised... "Where did that come from?"

"Oh, no no, it's not that your heart beats differently, it's this aura that dragons have, that lets, that allows for them to be sensed by other dragons, and one such as me who has learnt how."

"Is it that dragon slayer's aura that the ancient dragon spoke off?" Iliea spoke slightly alarmed.

"I wouldn't bet on that, I cannot have sensed it if it were that, I don't know that trick yet."

"Are you saying I am exuding an aura of a dragon?" Iliea spoke biting her lip.

"Yes, it was very faint, but the more I focus on it the more certain I am," Grandeur answered looking at her, "What's going on with you Lia, you seem distracted as is?"

Iliea shook her head, and then recounted her conversation with the white dragon.

"Ah... so there might be a scenario where you are Za'ab' s daughter, and in that case, you have slain your own father."

"What I slew was a monster!"

"Yes yes, no doubt, but family Lia, wouldn't you like to know more."

Iliea bit her lip.

"I think you should resolve this. Lia this could mean so much."

"I could never leave Zasha in these circumstances,"

"At least talk to her."

"Hmm."

Grandeur looked at the scale in his hand.

"Give me a couple of days, I will do something about that aura of yours."

Iliea looked at him.

"You are troubled Lia, allow me to help, however I can."

"You should leave here, Near. If Zasha was to find you, if anyone was to learn of your presence, I would not be able to protect you."

"I must find what I am looking for, it must not fall into the Assassin's hands," Grandeur answered, looking up at the tower where Zasha's room was.

"You have two days. After that an escort from Master Philip is due to arrive, you mustn't be here then."

"Understood."

"Any harm, to any single person here, and I will end you myself."

"Obviously.''

"Take care of yourself."

"Yes"

Iliea smiled a half smile, her heart still confused as she nodded towards Grandeur and walked away.

With a sigh of relief, Grandeur shook his own head as Iliea left, fortune was toying with him.

...

Two days later.

Iliea had neither heard nor seen Grandeur since then. The fortress guard had been tripled, in anticipation of assassin's

The escort was due to arrive in the evening.

...

Zasha hadn't slept for quite some time, she gazed at Iliea, paranoia getting the best of her in this state.

"What are you sayin?" Her voice was heavy and hardened, a tone that Iliea herself hadn't faced before.

"I am saying I need some time off after this." Iliea spoke clearly.

"After what?" Zasha spat at her.

"This, whole thing" Iliea continued, an unrelenting nature to her voice.

"You are goin to leave me?" Zasha's voice broke ever so slightly, her emotions running rampart.

"I need some time for myself Zasha", Iliea's voice gentler in response.

"I need you now, more than ever." The crimson blade pleaded.

"You need rest," Iliea continued, gentler still.

"I need you", another plea.

"You need a break as well," The dragon slayer's tone adamant.

"You think I can take one, you think Allister would be at peace if I didn' hunt down the assassins?" Zasha stern again.

"You speak of revenge. Allister would have wanted what is best for you, and you need some time off Zasha, go to Caelum, and rest," Not letting up Iliea replied in an equally stern tone.

Zasha glared at Iliea.

"And you? leavin me alone, where do ya inten' to go off to?" She attacked her

"I." Iliea gathered her thoughts

"What? I didn't hear you, O mighty dragon slayer." Not giving her time Zasha pressed on.

"That was highly uncalled for," In response Iliea shook her head.

"You don' get to lecture me over what is uncalled for, sneakin around with spies" Her rage building.

"You knew?" a slight disbelief.

"Of course, I knew" She was almost screaming.

"He was just," Iliea tried to answer.

"A spy. You have not betrayed me have you Lia?" Zasha's voice still stronger.

"I would never."

"Sure didn't look that way," Zasha had a harshness to her.

"You do not trust me?" This time Iliea's voice was breaking.

"I do. I don't know what to do anymore," Zasha looked at Iliea's distress filled eyes.

"Zasha, I." Iliea approached her,

"DON'T TOUCH ME"

Iliea immediately retracted her hand. As a fury ensued from Zasha.

"You are being consumed by your mother's blood."

"How dare you speak of her in front of me?" Zasha glared at her

"I only just." Iliea looked her in the eye.

"Enough, Go, wherever it is you want to, do whatever you want," Zasha spoke looking away.

"I."

"Isn't that what you wanted, Lia? just promise me one thing," Zasha spoke with bitterness.

"Yes?"

"You would never betray me right? Even If the whole world is against me."

"Never, Zasha, I would fight the entire realm for you."

Zasha gave a false laugh,

"I will take a rest after this, come back to me as soon as you find what it is you are looking for," Her voice calm and strict.

"I will," Iliea answered looking in the eyes of her best friend, who was still there, her clouded heart challenged Iliea's own, and yet these were the only words that Iliea could utter in response.

...

The bitterness between the two women was still, enveloping the air, and yet their bond held them together.

A small explosion was heard in the distance.

"They are here." Iliea's tone changed completely. Urgent and alert.

"The assassins you mentioned, the ones supposed to be from the Dark Continent?"

"Yes"

As if on cue, another faint explosion barely audible was heard.

"Are they trying to use the cover of the blizzard?" Zasha questioned

"That or it is a diversion," The answer was calculated.

"I will go check it out. If I am lucky, it won't be a diversion, you handle things here. Otherwise," Zasha spoke briskly. Equipping her armor and sword.

"As you wish, be careful Zasha," Iliea answered tightening the grip on her own black blade as well.

Zasha with a nod, sped out with haste, she was dying to get her hand on some assassins, and this was her chance.

....

A million thoughts were rushing through her mind, about Iliea, about her knights, about everything that was going on. Her mother, off all things one thing was certain, Zasha needed answers as to what game was being played and by whom. She would have to pay a visit to Caelum.

No sensory magic was working, dealing with assassins under such circumstances was highly unadvisable. Zasha did not wish to lose a single more man than what she already had. Charging faster towards the disturbance, Zasha barked the orders for the wolves to escort the masons to safety. What if these assassins caused another one of those explosions? This close to the fort.

Revising her order, she commanded that all people in the area were to evacuate towards the dungeons. Crossing a tent near the entrance Zasha immediately stopped, with a slash of her sword she cut the sheets aside, revealing a white hooded figure that was almost blending into the snow, jumping back by several yards.

A smile drew on her lips, as she turned to face him. She wasn't going to toy with him, he had to die before he could do anything troubling, and the assassin realizing that escape had become a difficult option faced the Crimson blade as well. Drawing what seemed like a small crossbow without the bow, It was a gun. A machine that would fire metallic projectiles at unbelievably fast speed. Something Zasha had seen before, technology from the dark continent, there was a specific detection spell that would alert of any such tool that was brought from the place but fortunately for the assassin, the region they were in was devoid of magic. Or perhaps the assassin was well aware of this.

Wasting no time, the assassin shot, hoping to get the job done as quickly as possible.

Zasha anticipating the move dogged, a mere fraction before the assassin had pulled the trigger.

"BY THE BLOOD THAT RUNS THROUGH ME, I AM ZASHA."

Zasha yelled out, the moment she did, her fiery red hair began to glow. A crimson shade. Her eyes as well, the assassin realizing that something was amiss, unleashed a volley of rounds, the bullets being shot in quick succession whizzing past the now insanely fast Zasha, who while dodging the shots approached the assassin. Blade drawn.

The assassin smiled as he pocketed his gun and withdrew a sword of his own. His mistake, challenging the crimson blade directly. The swords clashed, but like knife through butter Zasha's sword cleaved through, striking a deep wound to the assassin's torso.

The assassin realizing his enemy was a force to be reckoned with, changed tactics. Now equipped with a broken sword and dagger tipped in poison.

The two clashed.

...

Iliea remained in the tower, observing as the door was knocked.

Drawing her sword, she stepped back.

"It's me, Lia." Grandeur walked in, after a third knock. As soon as he did, Iliea's sword was against his neck, the tip almost cutting through. Raising his hands Grandeur stepped back cautiously as Iliea kept him pressed.

"I am sorry Near, I can't have you move freely while all this is going on. If you really are not related to the assassins, then that shouldn't be a problem.

"It's not here." Grandeur spoke to himself more than listening to Iliea.

"Also, I asked Zasha, and she said that she had retrieved nothing from the assassin, all that was, got disintegrated.

"Well." Grandeur closed his eyes for a moment.

Within the blink of an eye, he had drawn his crossbow and shot it towards Iliea's head. The arrow whizzed by. As Iliea's eyes narrowed. She could tell that the arrow wasn't aimed directly at her or was it that Near had missed. She looked behind her, the arrow with its head invisible was floating in the air.

Invisible, there was an assassin there, their cloak allowed them to throw off light rendering them invisible. Although, there was now an arrow sticking out of their forehead.

The next moment, Grandeur pushing Iliea with him jumped from atop the tower.

No magic meant no safe landing, Although Iliea quickly got hold of herself, straightened up, grabbing a hold of Grandeur, almost cradling him in her arms, she landed on her feet. Her body able to withstand the fall with ease. Another moment later, the room they had just been in exploded. In a strange manner the blast spread out first and then the debris as well as the shock waves themselves rushed back in. An implosion, everything that had been there gone, as if scooped out of reality.

The second assassin observing the explosion realized the mission had failed. He jumped high, attempting to escape. As he did Zasha let out a powerful scream. Everything froze, reality standing still, almost.

Her magic was being depleted rapidly but disregarding that She flew in the air, glyphs beneath her feet. That were changing color, from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Iliea and Grandeur sprinted towards Zasha, as they approached, they saw, Zasha come face to face with the assassin. Her blade burning bright, she cleaved through the assassin, in the simplest of cuts, the flames ignited and the assassin much like his accomplice blew up before setting of a similar blast to that in the tower, Zasha caught right in the middle, although instead of being destructive, the implosion was hindered, limited, it drained Zasha's magic at unprecedented rates, until finally she collapsed. The assassins body vanishing in the moment as a result.

Zasha fell on the snow, unconscious.

Iliea immediately by her side.

Grandeur looked at where the assassin had disappeared and then at Zasha, he had never seen the crimson blade this close.

"I kinda understand how this works," Grandeur spoke as Iliea checked the vitals of her friend and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What works?"

"These Void implosions. They basically form a dead space, a negative rift that sucks up the magic while the blast takes place, provided with enough magic one should be able to restrict, or perhaps even stop the process before it happens." He looked at Iliea, "The ancient dragon you spoke off, he realized that he was going to die regardless so he used his might to hinder the implosion, that was headed your way. I suppose." Grandeur offered an explanation as to why the white dragon had laid down his life.

Iliea looked up at him, still curious.

"I will leave now Lia, understand that I cannot stay," Grandeur spoke softly. To which Lia simply nodded.

"Oh, and before I go, here" Grandeur handed her a locket, that contained in a glass capsule the dragon scale.

"I tweaked this thing a bit, wear this and it will cancel out that aura for the most part. Dragons don't always exude their aura you know," Lia accepted silently as Grandeur made his way towards the exit.

"Are you okay with this?" Lia asked.

"Its fine, Lia I trust your judgment" Zasha replied through closed eyes.

...

...

Following the incident with the assassins and Grandeur, A party from under the command of Master Philip had visited Zasha, having collected samples from various locations they had begun with making a report, Master Philip himself was involved, upon investigation he was convinced that Kai at least was not dead, he was unsure about the fate of Zasha's knights. Although with no proof to back his claim the statement could not be accepted by the order as such it was not presented as a fact but rather as a personal report.