Ep 20. Shadows and Light

The clash reverberated through the icy expanse, shaking the frozen ground beneath Aaminata's feet. She crouched behind a jagged outcrop, her heart pounding as her gray eyes followed the spectacle before her. The combatants moved with a speed that defied logic, their forms blurring against the stark white backdrop of snow and frost.

The first wielded a massive axe, its frost-rimed edges glinting dangerously as it carved through the air. With each swing, shards of ice erupted from the ground, jagged and lethal. The ice-wielder's movements were aggressive and relentless, combining brutal melee strikes with ranged attacks of razor-sharp frost. Their every step seemed to chill the air, the axe humming with deadly intent.

Their opponent, by contrast, wielded radiant constructs of light, forming shields, spears, and barriers with an almost playful ease. The light-wielder deflected and countered each icy assault with unerring precision, their calm demeanor a stark contrast to the ice-wielder's ferocity. Aaminata couldn't tell if it was confidence or restraint, but their movements carried an effortless grace that seemed to mock the chaos around them.

The ice-wielder lunged, swinging the axe in a wide arc. Frost trailed behind the blade, forming a wave of icy spikes that surged toward the light-wielder. They responded with a shimmering wall of light, the barrier absorbing the attack before shattering into a volley of radiant shards. The ice-wielder dodged swiftly, bringing the axe down in a thunderous strike that sent frost rippling through the ground.

Aaminata's breath hitched as the light-wielder sidestepped, conjuring a spear that pierced through the frost, shattering it in midair. The ice-wielder countered with a sweeping strike, the axe glowing faintly as it carved through a radiant shield, the collision sending a cascade of light and frost into the air.

The battle was a blur of movement and power, the ice-wielder's brutal efficiency matched only by the light-wielder's calculated precision. Each swing of the axe was met with a radiant construct, the two combatants pushing each other to the limits of their abilities. Aaminata's eyes narrowed as she studied their techniques, the sheer scale of their power leaving little doubt in her mind.

"They can't be ordinary relics," she thought, her mind racing to make sense of the scene. "This… this has to be S-Tier. But two of them, here? By chance?"

S-Tier relics were legendary for their power, but also for their rarity. It was said that no more than a handful existed in the entire world, and each one could only bond with a single wielder at a time. Entire kingdoms had waged wars over the mere rumor of their existence. To see two wielders with such overwhelming abilities in one place was almost impossible to fathom.

Aaminata forced herself to refocus, the cold seeping into her bones as she crouched lower behind her cover. As awe-inspiring as the fight was, the practical side of her mind screamed for caution. "I can't afford to be spotted," she thought, the icy wind biting at her exposed skin. "If they drag me into this, I won't stand a chance."

Her breath came in shallow bursts as she slowly retreated, careful not to make a sound. The path to the beacon lay in the opposite direction of the fight, and every instinct told her to move while the combatants were distracted. She took one last glance at the battle, her eyes catching the moment the ice-wielder spun the axe in a deadly arc, the blade trailing frost that glowed with an eerie light.

The light-wielder remained poised, their golden constructs shifting rapidly to deflect and counter every move. Aaminata couldn't help but feel that the light-wielder's restraint was deliberate, a calculated decision to gauge their opponent rather than defeat them outright.

Turning her back on the fight, Aaminata pushed forward, the beacon's glow drawing her closer with each step. The icy terrain leveled out ahead, the jagged cliffs giving way to a frost-covered clearing framed by a strange forest of crystalline, ice-coated trees. The cold bit at her skin, but she pressed on, her breath visible in the frigid air.

As she crested a small rise, her footsteps slowed. Two figures stood at the edge of the clearing, their silhouettes outlined by the faint light pulsing from the distant center of the island. One, tall and composed, gripped a staff that glimmered faintly in the light. The other, slightly shorter, had a pair of goggles perched on his forehead, his hands flickering with flame that cast ghostly shadows on the snow.

She stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding as she observed them. Their movements were cautious, their postures tense. They weren't Merchas or Yuesai soldiers, but that didn't mean they weren't dangerous.

"Still no Merchas," the younger one muttered, the faint glow of his flames illuminating his face. "That's either a good sign or a terrible one."

"Let's hope it's the first," the taller one replied, his grip tightening on his staff as his gaze swept the tree line.

Crack.

Aaminata winced as the sound of a branch snapping underfoot betrayed her position. Both figures turned sharply toward her, their bodies taut with readiness. The taller one spun his staff, the motion fluid and practiced, while the flames in the younger one's hands flared brighter, illuminating the clearing in an eerie light.

"Who's there?" the taller one called out, his voice steady and commanding.

Aaminata inhaled deeply, straightening her posture. She stepped out from the shadows, her movements deliberate and controlled. She knew the insignia on her finely crafted coat—marking her as royalty from EaYu—might provoke questions or hostility, but she also knew her presence demanded respect.

"I could ask you the same," she replied, her voice calm yet firm, meeting their gazes unflinchingly.

The taller one studied her, his grip on his staff unwavering. "Who are you?"

Aaminata held her ground, her piercing gray eyes meeting his. "Aaminata bint Fula. Princess of West Yuesai." she said evenly, the weight of her title carried in her tone.

For a moment, the cold, the danger, and the uncertainty seemed to fade, replaced by the gravity of their meeting. The paths that had led them here were shrouded in mystery, but it was clear that their journey forward would be anything but ordinary.