An intrepid traveler knows quite well the prospects of danger, yet it also remains factual that their dauntless nature has them well-prepared for any conceivable outcome. If, by the luck of the devil, any such traveler were to encounter something beyond conceiving, it was up to the unassuming choice of either their own individual power, or of all things—luck.
Currently, an intimately-known frosty woman by the name of Alice found herself within an inconceivable predicament. Debatably, if an abominable demon overlord or heavenly behemoth king were her actual adversaries, she’d have better notions as to what to do.
“H-huh?!” Alice exclaimed, nearly in a gasp.
Today, there were no solutions to her particular problem; after all, it was an inconceivable one! Seen only once an aeon, the amount of chill and natural levelheadedness of the frosty woman had failed to prevent her from achieving incorporeal meltdown.
“Well, it’s not just my name,” an untroubled deep voice spoke. “There’s a lot of other things I can’t seem to remember.”
Flabbergasted! Within less than twenty-four hours, the frosty woman named Alice had been victim to numerous occasions of unintended flabbergasts! In her whole life, the record for the amount of flabbers being gasted within a single day amounted to merely two! For such an exceptional record to be overthrown so contemptuously in less than twenty-four hours—and by one woman, no less—was truly preposterous!
“W-wait, please,” Alice said, attempting to calm herself down, “what are you trying to say? Who are you? What happened to you? Where did you come from?”
Alice’s effulgent pair of shocked yellow eyes beamed towards the woman still, with the same silky sleeves unparted from their owner’s frosty lips.
“Oi, slow down with the questions,” the woman replied nonchalantly. “...Well, it’ll come back to me anyways. For now—call me whatever you want.”
There it was—the familiar stroke of casualness bursting forth from the woman.
“No, that’s far too ridiculous!” Alice said, moving closer. “Could it be amnesia? How much do you remember? What happened to you before yesterday?”
A slightly irritated, but mostly amazed expression formed on the woman’s countenance as Alice failed to withdraw from her barrage of questions. “Oi, speed it down, would you? Besides, those are questions I should be asking myself.”
It would seem that at some point, Alice had closed their distance to far less than an unrequited meter. “R-right... that was rather unbeseeming of me,” she said, slightly taken aback by her own inquisitiveness. Clearly, today was full of surprises. “I was just…”
“No need to feel so dispirited, either,” the woman said coolly. “You took care of me, after all.”
“W-who said I was dispirited?” Alice replied, attempting to revert back to her even-tempered ways. “...Was just… unaware of my own impertinence, that’s all.”
“Hehhh? It’s sort of strange seeing you flustered yet still keep the same manner of speech,” she remarked, smirking.
“Well, but... that’s… not…”
“...”
“...”
“...”
There was only silence now. Not even the afternoon had come to pass, yet an unexpected turn of events had unfolded, of which the end result was one woman’s bewilderment.
“...The fishes... are beginning to smell.”
With that, the silence was there no longer. The noises of nature restored itself to human ears, with the birds themselves chirping away from the background.
Vibrant sanguine eyes lighted up, and stared down at the basket. “Ah, that’s right.”
The basketful of the smelly creatures were already met with their fate, evidently shown by their lack of movement: something the crimson-eyed woman was somehow able to do. Firewood was gathered within good time, and it didn’t take long until a vigorous flame bursted forth into existence. There, within the clearing of an unremarkable forest, the two women sat beside the roaring flame, delighting themselves in some half-adequate fish.
“Heh? I’m amazed you’re still going,” the woman said, staring at the remarkable scene opposite to her across the fire. Witnessing the frosty woman’s continued feast, she decided to make note of her surprisingly voracious appetite. “Even though I was the one who caught this much in the first place because I was hungry…”
Of course, there wasn’t anything to be unduly surprised about. Alice, as anyone would eventually come to know, wasn’t an orthodox being, shown manifestly through her unique characteristics related to frost. Besides her naturally disparate exterior, she also possessed the inner workings of an accelerated hummingbird; that is to say—her metabolism was several times higher than that of the average human. Naturally, such an idiosyncratic trait had incited an ardently burning passion for good eats within the frosty woman’s inner being; although, she mostly had to remain content with cheaper food. Fortunately, her natural frostiness prevented any shortcomings of hygiene issues related to excessive sweating, and low blood sugar miraculously wasn’t an issue. Still, nothing could prevent others from feeling an unexpected chill when being around her.
“It’s enfeebling otherwise, since I’m not your ordinary human,” Alice said, picking out another cooked fish. “...There’s also the fact that I’m planning ahead by eating an extra amount; that way, I’ll need to eat less once I enter the next city.”
Having seen her unrestricted table manners, the woman somehow wasn’t convinced about the last part. If anything, the part about “planning ahead” felt like an excuse for her ravenous appetite, though she wouldn’t say it aloud. Alice had currently devoured six meals, leaving behind the woman who only made it to her third course. If this was only her average feast, what manner of beasts would she consume once imbued with hunger?
“Anyways, continue on,” Alice said, finishing one of her piscine breakfast. “What other things are you capable of?”
Upon meeting bright yellow eyes, vibrant sanguine ones complied with the request. “Well, I don’t really know what sort of weapons I’m skilled with. If I had them in my hands... I think it’ll come to me naturally. ”
“Hmm?” Alice hummed interestedly. “If I recall, you can also use magic. What elemental flair is it?”
“Oh, that,” she said. ”Well, I’m only proficient with one type.”
One type, then. There wasn’t anything wrong with being adept at only one category of magic. With the way the world works, no one is ever entirely the same—therefore, anyone can be proficient within one category of magic, or any other number of categories. Either way, no one remains truly limited by their natural magic affinity. Someone with extremely high appetence for fire magic, for example, would almost always be less adept at the other categories of magic; therefore, they’d train their whole lives in the ways of fire. Contrastingly, someone with good overall appetence for earth and light magic could choose between learning some of both, or simply choosing one over the other, increasing their capabilities and effectiveness for that one category by magnitudes (the latter being overwhelmingly prevalent). Essentially, those with initially higher appetence or affinity for multiple types of magic have more choices as to which type they’d like to master, while those born with one affinity had to stick with that specific one.
“Other than that, lightning’s my elemental flair.”
“Ah, so that’s why there were some scorch marks on the fish,” Alice remarked. “You must’ve electrocuted them through the water.”
“That’s right,” she said. Then, her lips curved upwards. “Good thing I wasn’t a fire user.”
Being only proficient in ice magic, Alice had to give up any thoughts of capturing the fishy creatures with it, relying instead on tools and her own experience. If the nameless woman had been affiliated with fire magic, there’d most certainly have been one or two extra servings of fish saved from Alice’s stomach acids. It would seem that both parties have had experience with tasting fish caught by the ways of fire magic.
“Yes, I agree,” said Alice, nodding because she was too busy finishing her meal. “But that means you know what fish caught from a searing river tastes like. Did you happen to travel with the company of others?”
“Ah, that’s right,” she said, seeming to have remembered something. “I remember now—when I tried crappy fish, that is.”
“Remembering already?” Alice said, eyes brightening up. “How did it proceed?”
“Well, I think it was at the base of some mountain, but I remember running into an old man in the middle of the woods.”
“Old man? How peculiar…”
“Yeah—an old man, I think. He was weird, but he offered me some fish, saying they were ‘fresh from the source’ and that it’d help me cross the mountain.”
“That’s… obviously fishy. Did you two engage in conversation?”
“No, I don’t think so—he was weird, and a conversation would’ve been even weirder.” The woman was now finished with her fishy breakfast, deciding afterwards to lean back, laying down flat on her back with both hands behind her head. “The fish didn’t look so bad, and he told me he personally caught and cooked them. Once I tried them, I learned that he actually caught and cooked them at the same time using fire magic.”
“So he was roaming the woods in search of taste-testers for his deplorable food?...”
“Beats me. Guess you could say that,” she said, recalling something else. “Strangely—he was surprised when I tried them. Or maybe it was after I tried them?...”
“Hmm… strange, but interesting,” Alice said, now also finished with her breakfast. “Oh—I forgot to ask,” she began, “What would you prefer I call you?”
The crimson-eyed woman barely flinched, staring towards the sky while equipped with an all-too-familiar carefree look, slightly satisfied after having filled her stomach. “Beats me,” she said in her casual voice. “I’m not too good with names, so…”
Unfortunately, both parties were uncreative in the ways of bequeathing names. If it were up to Alice, she was hoping she could rely on the woman to conjure an imaginary name into existence for the time-being—clearly something she could rely on no more.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Hey,” Alice began, “may I suggest something of you?”
“Hmm? Sure, go ahead,” she responded, closing her eyes relaxedly. It was almost like she was sleeping, her back straight and face pointed towards the sky.
“You don’t have to feel inclined to accept because of what I did for you, but…”
More and more did Alice begin to get accustomed to the woman’s carefree ways. Somehow, she always manages to make light of any situation; it was an obvious fact that Alice found herself entranced by. Combined with her mysterious background, the frosty woman’s curiosity expanded beyond her usual borders, wanting to hear more about the woman’s story; although, there came the fact that she most likely had amnesia. Of course, the woman’s amnesia itself was also an extremely interesting topic. She wondered if she was actually asleep right now, unable to hear her next words.
“...how about you travel with me until we get your memories back?”
Frosty demeanor, as well as coolheadedness and an everyday-composed countenance—all of these things were recovered by the frosty woman. She was able to think like she usually did, no longer having her flabbers being gasted. She was now back to her direct, practical ways.
“Sure,” she responded, still relaxed amidst her sleeping form.
Simply with that one word, the morning was now bathed in momentary silence. It was as if the very word itself carried weight, causing all in the world to freeze, along with the birds, river, insects, and animals. The only thing set in motion was the breeze of the wind against Alice’s face.
“Are you... sure?” she managed to say, her bright yellow eyes having expanded once more in surprise.
“What would make me unsure?”
“Well, you’re…” she quickly lost her thought, “Then… I’m, I’m planning to go to the city soon!”
“Ah, sure. We could probably find something there.”
“I’m a traveler, so we won’t be staying long! We’ll be running into plenty of danger!”
“It’s fine—since you’re a traveler, it’d be even more convenient for us to find clues across the continent.”
“Y-you’re…” At that point, something had clicked within Alice. “Actually, we’re leaving now! You’ve not misheard me—we’re packing and setting off to the city henceforth!” Giving off one last puff of air, she set everything aside and began doing just that. Truthfully, she couldn’t attempt to sound mad—her voice still held itself with its natural softness, and not to mention she was practically pouting.
“E-eh? Sure, but how come all of sudden you—”
“We’re going to the city, then we’re going to figure out what do from there!”
Her new record was now incomparable to all previous records. The past twenty-four hours had never been more comically bizarre! Nothing, Alice thought, could ever come close to her leakage of emotions today; no, she wouldn’t allow it! She remembered something now. The woman said she was free to call her whatever she desired for the time-being. Names were something Alice was never good with, but today—she found one.
Indeed, there were many questions to ask, and many more things to figure out. The truth of the matter now was solely based on the fact that everything happened by chance; an exemplary stroke of serendipity, if one might say. From here and forever onwards, there’d be no telling what might happen, or what the future had in store. For one frosty woman and one crimson-eyed woman, an endless link of potentials were to take form.
Bustling. As far as the eyes could see, and as far as the ears could hear—there was bustling. Of course, such an exquisite bustle was to be expected when one was within the city plaza. Today, however, the proportions of bustling and jumbling of business was to increase.
“Eighty! So far, eighty contestants have failed to bring down today’s top contender! Is there anyone strong enough to put an end to Oaks’s rampage?!”
The plaza was large—as expected of such an enticing city. Everywhere you’d go, there’d always be the presence of vendors and stalls, as well as street performers playing their fine instruments to entertain the ongoing populace. While there was an exceptionally large amount of showcasing and hustling of wares, there was also an exceptionally-gathered crowd of people encompassing an unassuming game—arm-wrestling.
“Heh? Something interesting seems to be going on over there. What do you think, Sedes?” an excited voice asked.
Amidst the background of the large crowd, two men dressed in bright white plate armor stopped to observe the unfolding scene.
“It doesn’t really matter; not what we’re here for. Whatever you do is of no concern to me,” the other man said, with far less interest than the other. “Although—he does seem to be getting a little cocky.”
“I’ll be taking that as an expression of approval, then,” he said, grinning.
There was an exceptional record amongst the arm-wrestling community today, with the top contender boasting eighty consecutive wins, thus the uproar. The last time anything of this scale occurred was at least several months ago, so the crowd was fired up for new entertainment.
“It seems Oaks will continue being the reigning champion today! It certainly doesn’t seem like he’s going to stop anytime soon! As an experienced veteran of the Adventurer’s Association, he’s been taking his days off since his last mission, coming here today to show us what true strength is!”
The two men stared ahead at the unfolding scene of cheers and lined-up contenders. They didn’t pay attention to any one thing in particular, instead observing the scene as it was whole.
“Oi, did you hear that, Sedes?” the man asked interestedly.
“Yes, I did,” he replied.
“What do you think? He was here to show people ‘true strength’, apparently.”
“Like I said, it’s of no concern to me,” he replied, turning around. “As long as I’m here, you’re not allowed to make any trouble. That’s why,” he walked away from the crowd, “I’ll be going on ahead. I’ll wait for you.”
“Ah, thanks, Sedes! I’ll owe you one!”
There was another round of cheers and more uproar as the eighty-first victim came crashing down from the extremely hard block of material where the contestants’ arms met. The contender who went up against Oaks was an Adventurer of three years, but even that didn’t prevent his weakness from getting to him as the crowd cheered on for the opposing man.
The arm-wrestling platform was simply an ordinary raised platform—solid and filled with smooth concrete. Fixed on the center of the platform was an extremely tough block of what resembled white quartz, serving as the main arena for the wrestling to take place.
“Oiii! Here! I’d like to go up against him, please!” a cheery voice yelled.
Silence suffused amongst the crowd like wildfire as an armored young man made his way through the crowd to meet the adjudicator. Before he knew it, the adjudicator’s palm was opened up, and something was placed upon it.
“Here. It should be more than enough admission money for a match of this scale. In exchange, I request that the loser pay back the amount tenfold.”
If Oaks was the size of an eagle, then the newly-arrived man was only an ordinary pigeon, even though both men were extremely fit. What stirred up within the crowd now was newfound excitement as an unexpected turn of events took place. There was no telling whether any newcomer was weak or strong, but what the crowd did know was that the current champion, Oaks, wasn’t anything to be looked down upon.
The adjudicator of the arm-wrestling campaign did a doubletake. “Um, sir, we don’t have any rules against bets, but the opponent has to accept the offer. Also, you need to wait in line like the re—”
“Let him off. I’ll accept his offer,” Oaks interrupted, his voice booming.
What an auspicious day! Who knew that an intimidatingly daunting person such as Oaks could be such an outstandingly tolerant guy! One man couldn’t help but express himself.
“Ohhh, straight to point! I like you!” the young man said, cheery as ever. “My name’s Altus, nice to meet you.”
And so, Altus walked towards the platform, with the excited crowd clamoring away at whatever it is they were thinking of the match to come. Oaks was clad in an unremarkable leather vest, and didn’t seem to be particularly noteworthy besides his size. If one saw, they’d think his sharp eyes to be rather hard to approach.
“Hmph, welcome, Altus,” the large man spoke, his voice intimidating. “You’re an interesting fellow to have done what you did.”
“You think so?” he asked rhetorically.
“ I’m not one to underestimate those who declare challenges publicly with such confidence; people who miscalculate others are fools. Interestingly, you don’t seem like a fool to me. So what could you be?” Oaks said.
The two contestants were now faced opposite to each other, their right arms flexed on top of the hard platform. Perhaps also serving as an extra form of greeting, their hands enclosed into hardened grips, preparing for the event to come.
“What could I be? If anything, I think I’m going to be one to break either your record—or your arm,” Altus said, challenging Oaks with an upbeat grin. “Heck, why not both!”
With simply those few lines, he left an aftershock which only served to further incite the crowd, inviting all forms of cheers and awed expressions. The adjudicator himself had initially been unconvinced by Altus, but soon came to also be in awe and satisfaction; after all, the young man was garnering lots of attention to the show.
“...It seems I’ve mistaken,” Oaks said, his face becoming stern and his eyes growing ever so sharper. “It seems you’re just a fool, afterall.”
The two men formed eye contact. One pair of eyes were demeaning, sharp, and seemed to look towards their destination with scorn and derision. On the other hand, another pair of eyes were unflinching, robust, and seemed to be in anticipation for the match’s commencement; they were confident.
“We’ll just have to wait and see.”