Contents
1. First Contact
2. Exrite and the Pear Tree
3. Frosty and Uru's Simple Differences
4. A Glance of Gaia
First Contact
A flash of light suddenly illuminated the narrow window slits. The night arrived with a deadly storm. The wind furiously howled and battered the thick stone walls of the fortress.
Enthile had captured their latest and greatest specimen since Frost – the King’s son. These were the fabled Frostbitten that they had hunted for nearly over a year.
Their efforts have finally bared fruit, and it seemed like their God had blessed them. It wasn’t just one Frostbitten – but two. And siblings, no less.
Within the most confined part of the fortress, the Frostbitten siblings were kept in a dark prison cell like animals. Khaos was restrained by a dozen on-hand mages who trapped him within a barrier and restrained him with magical rope.
Because of the strength of the Frostbitten, the required spell needed to be of at least the [Seventh Tier]. Their magical circle comprised of almost the entirety of the room, flooding it in grimly silver light.
Frosty on the other hand, was left alone for the most part. The bars and walls were lined with carbodix – one of the metals with the highest magical resistance. Of course, there was a [Barrier] formed in case she tried to cast magic through the bars.
They didn’t underestimate the strength of the Frostbitten.
It was like that for days on end.
Khaos and Frosty feared what was going to happen to them as the screams from the ceiling above instilled nothing but fear.
The guards would often comment on it whenever they had the chance.
“New weapon being tested on the poor suckers, ey?”
“That’s the fourteenth today.”
“Sounds rough up there. Must be fun being a researcher. You’ve seen how amazing healing potions are now because of them?”
“This barbed sword was the newest one they offered. Real good for making those Demi-bastards scream.”
It was disgusting. But Khaos and Frosy were mildly confused, because they spoke as if there were multiple prisoners.
Yet they only heard once voice from above.
It was odd and thinking about it only furthered their confusion.
They remained within the cell for many nights. The passage of time was non-existent for them, for they never saw the sun.
Another sudden storm brewed one fateful night. The food that had been given to them was left on the ground untouched. No matter how hard the guards tried to get them to eat, they were ignored.
With what little they ate and drank, they now clung onto what was left of their life.
Frosty shivered in the cold, while Khaos remained close to her for comfort. In the predatory eyes of the guards, they couldn’t afford to fall asleep.
“… what’s going to happen to us?” Frosty muttered underneath her breath.
The screams of agony they’ve heard throughout their imprisonment made it obvious, but Khaos didn’t want to say it. Ever since their arrival, they haven’t had any proper rest or sufficient food.
As Frostbitten, they could go on for days without it; but not any further than this.
They doubted they’d survive through this. Khaos would often try to pry himself from his bounds but to no avail. His strength couldn’t fight against the power of [Seventh Tier] magic.
The screams were horrifying, but it suddenly stopped just for this one night. A vigorous thud echoed from above as dust fell from the ceiling.
“… are we next?” Frosty stared up and watched a soul disappear.
A strange eeriness surrounded them. Those words frightened herself more than it did to Khaos as he grit his teeth. He searched through every avenue to escape from the prison.
But there was nothing.
“Dammit. Is there really no way out?”
He became restless. With the death of the prisoner above, it was only a matter of time before it was their turn.
However – Frosty continued to stare up into the ceiling.
And then, bewilderment suddenly filled her eyes.
“… that wasn’t them?”
“What?”
“The soul went back to the others and they all just… disappeared one by one.”
“Hey, what are you saying –?”
The room tremored once again. A few guards were forced to investigate the strange rumbling, leaving only the mages and a few heavily armed guards behind.
Khaos didn’t know what she meant, but then soon realised exactly what her words entailed.
The prisoner must’ve escaped.
But he wasn’t holding his breath. While he begged that it was the case, it was far too unrealistic for him to believe.
But Frosty’s baffled face said otherwise.
The fortress continued to quake as more and more souls disappeared. How the prisoner was able to defeat them so quickly was a mystery. It must’ve had something to do with the rumbling.
The guards grew restless as clamour filled the dim room. The grinding metal against metal echoed thoroughly as the mages struggled to maintain their focus and their footing.
They couldn’t afford to lose even a single person in the spell, less the magical bounds would wear off. In about an hour, they would be replaced by the next set of mages to maintain the barrier and bounds.
Amid the chaos, Frosty keenly watched the soul suddenly run into a large cluster of souls directly above the mages.
It was the guards who went to investigate earlier.
All hope seemed lost for the lone soul. Frosty prepared herself for the inevitable taste that would spread across her tastebuds as she made a pained grimace.
The small hope that she clung onto suddenly disappeared as she averted her eyes and accepted their inevitable fate.
However –
An ear-splitting explosion caused everyone in the room to wince before everything went dark. The ceiling was thrown onto the mages below, pulverising them and their magic circle as debris flung to every corner of the room.
The carbodix cell protected Frosty and Khaos as many of the mages perished, while the other guards were left compromised and concussed by the explosion.
The residue crackles and toxic haze masked the figure who had dropped into the prison. Thunder struck, and the thin windows illuminated the silhouette of a man who held a small dagger in their hand.
A guard who had their legs trapped underneath suddenly gurgled as their throat was pierced by the oddly jagged weapon. He took on more of the guards in the darkness, jabbing and slicing their flesh through the chinks of their armour.
In the dark, Khaos imagined that it was the phantom of the deceased prisoner – a soul seeking retribution.
Two more guards fell before light suddenly flooded the room, revealing the phantom in all its horrific glory.
A man with gaping hole in his chest stood with a cracked rib in his hand.
At first glance, one would assume that this was an Undead.
“Mon-monster!” A mage cried as the figure threw his arms to protect his eyes from the blinding light.
A mistake that was. Because in that split second, a piercing pain travelled through his back and exited his chest. He groaned and stagged away, the long weapon still embedded into him.
“So the researchers up there were playing with an Undead, aye!? Someone, report this to the King! We’ll deal with this fresh Undead and the Frostbitten!”
As ordered, a few guards ran out of the room.
But they didn’t make it far.
Khaos broke through the bars and allowed Frosty to burst out of the room. With a single cleave, the men fell to her ethereal scythe before a gust of air blew through the room.
“… what…?”
He was utterly stupefied, and so were the remaining guards. Even if they weren’t among the most powerful warriors in the Kingdom – they should’ve at least been able to see the Frostbitten pass by them.
But none could comprehend her frightening speed.
And then –
A crushing sound emerged. It was of bones and flesh. Khaos easily snapped a mage’s spine in two before he flung them aside and took hold of another. The head in his iron grip was pulverised in a festival of gore.
“… h-h-ho-how is that possible?”
“Form a line! Form a LINE! Cover each other’s backs! They’re only two Frostbitten and a measly Undead!”
Without the mages holding him back, or the carbodix restraining Frosty – there wasn’t anything the guards could do against them. They huddled and covered each other’s ground as Frosty spat to the side in disgust.
But before she or Khaos could finish the men off, the impaled figure charged into their lines despite his compromised state. Blinded by bloodlust, he was impaled by two more spears.
But he never stopped moving forward.
“Kill-KILL IT!”
Before one could draw their sword – the broken rib found its mark into his neck, just as a sword pierced through his heart. What was supposed to kill the presumed Undead seemingly had little effect.
“FROSTBITTEN! IF YOU’RE GOING TO ESCAPE, THEN HELP ME GET RID OF THEM! FREEDOM AWAITS US JUST OUTSIDE OF THESE DOORS!”
He growled hoarsely. The blood that collected at his throat made it near impossible for him to speak coherently.
But they heard him loud and clear, particularly Khaos who couldn’t believe his eyes.
With vigour like that, he couldn’t believe that he was an Undead.
That was undoubtably a human.
And to not falter despite those debilitating wounds – Khaos was suddenly struck with awe.
Because that strength rivalled his own.
The gory man tried to slash at the other guard’s face but was met with yet another sword. Except this one cleaved his left arm off and left him drooling in agony. His pale complexion was perpetual, for his blood was infinitely replenishing itself.
He was like a fountain of blood, and the guards feared him more than the Frostbitten for a split second.
But that split second was all they had left.
In one fell swoop, Frosty massacred the remaining guards with a single strike. The river of blood soaked into the drapes of their fallen bodies.
All that remained was them and the human-pincushion.
And he didn’t waste any time, for he knew that this would be their only chance. With haste, he freed himself of the metal weaponry and threw them aside like it was just a mere splinter.
The fact that he was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.
But they didn’t know the truth at the time.
“… you- what are you after?” Frosty couldn’t help but to utter, untrusting of the man who presumably saved them.
“Sis! This isn’t the time!”
The man drilled his gaze into Frosty’s and grit his teeth.
“What do I want…? What else is there to want from this nightmare!? I just want to get out of here! Isn’t that what you want as well!?”
“But to come here for us specifically – you must’ve had some sort of ulterior motive!” Frosty was on edge, priming herself to attack the man while Khaos stood by his side in support.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“He saved us! Isn’t that all that matters!?”
“Yeah. I saved you because we’re the only ones in this hellhole! Like it or not, we’re going to need each other’s help to get out of here! I’m not as strong as you two to fight my way out alone. But I know the way out of here!”
“You liar! You killed all those men up there by yourself!”
“SIS –!”
“With explosives! You’re telling me you knew that I killed them but didn’t notice the rumbling!? You can hate me, despise me all you want – but it doesn’t change the fact that we need to get the fuck out of here before more guards arrive!”
Frosty bit her lip as she stared at the broken man with furrowed brows.
“… so all you want is our cooperation, is it?”
“Just to get out of this place. That’s all I want.”
“Fine then. We’ll follow you, but if you even think about betraying us – I’ll kill you before you can even blink.”
Frosty reluctantly agreed and lowered her weapon.
A weight was released from Khaos’ chest as he sighed in relief, wiping off the dust and sweat from his forehead.
The man didn’t need to say anything more, so he promptly led them out with haste.
Running through the stone labyrinth, Khaos wondered if that was truly the man’s only motive.
But not in the same way Frosty imagined.
“… hey, was that really your only reason of saving us? I’m sure you have more than enough explosives on you to get out of here alone.”
The man maintained a stern face as he clutched onto his throbbing stump.
“It was. And these explosives aren’t good enough with what little magic I can use. If anything, I’m the one who’s most at risk.”
Khaos also didn’t know if he could believe him, but he felt like the man was kinder than he seemed. In addition to how he tolerated his mortal wounds – he could only imagine the man’s mental strive.
And the miraculous regeneration he seemed to exhibit.
It was inspiring. Because Khaos knew that if he was in a similar situation, he would’ve faltered long ago.
“Haha! So you’re like a walking bomb!”
“In a way, yeah. Just don’t use fire magic around me.”
“Hear that sis?”
“Shut up. I’m not an idiot like you – and stop with the pointless chatter. We’re trying to get out of here, remember!”
Their first encounter was bumpy, especially with Frosty. But Khaos seemed to find a hint of likeability with the blood-soaked man.
As they descended a flight of stairs, Khaos realised that he hadn’t gotten the admirable man’s name yet.
“You know, I never caught your name. I know it’s weird since we’ll probably never see each other again, but I want to remember the man who saved us from this place.”
The man was about to answer when he suddenly choked on his words. It wasn’t until a while before he mustered the vigour to utter his name.
“Frost. Yours?”
“Khaos, and this is Frosty.”
“Huh? I didn’t give you permission to say that.”
“Relax sis. Our names won’t mean anything when we’re out of here.”
In their trials of escaping the prison that was Frost’s home, they never expected just how intertwined their fates would ultimately become. From the massive surge of patrols to the news of their escape, they would have to band together for a while if they wanted to survive.
And with the fateful encounter with the Spirit, Exrite set a goal for himself that Khaos believed would benefit them as well in the long run.
To meet with the Children of Balance – the Gods who were believed to have created the Maidens – they would arrive closer to their goal of reaching the Maiden of Wisdom.
Exrite and the Pear Tree
Funky. The world seemed so colourful all of a sudden. It swirled and swirled around Exrite as he toppled over branches and rocks. He wasn’t aware of his surroundings, nor was he coordinated in any way.
The disoriented Exrite heard a voice lull him into the surrounding forest. What was supposed to be the curtains of the night was nothing but a pale slate.
It was apparently due to a leaf from the snow-white ‘Palekat’ plant. The appearance of the leaf was dangerously close to ‘Saltroot’, which was a plant comprised almost entirely of salt.
He didn’t know that Saltroot was mostly native to the Enthoric region, so he snipped the leaves and dumped them into a large iron kettle. Exrite never knew how to properly cook, so he ended up throwing a bunch of meat and other strange plants into the mix.
For all he knew – Palekat might not have been the only toxic plant he ingested that evening.
But that realisation didn’t come to him until after the incident.
The voice was like a Siren’s; drawing him in deeper and deeper into the forest. Soon, the campsite was covered with thick trees and shrubbery. Returning would be an impossible feat at this point.
Finally, he reached a small clearing and traced the voice to rather normal-looking pear tree. And when he curiously wandered into its shadow, a voice suddenly spoke to him.
“HI.”
Exrite spun around in all directions. With his impaired state of mind and the spiralling background, he nearly toppled over. Even with his body’s impossibly fast recovery, it didn’t look like the effects would be wearing off anytime soon.
A normal person would’ve died the moment the foul soup touched their tongue.
“… huh? Ack… my head’s spinning.”
When he tried leaning onto the tree, the voice suddenly shrieked.
“IS THAT HOW YOU GREET OTHERS?”
It didn’t shock him. Rather, it only further confused him. For a second, he thought that the voice came from inside of the tree.
“Is someone in there?” He knocked, pulling his ear close to the bark.
“YES, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME?”
Exrite woozily stared at the broken bark with a nonchalant face.
What do you even do in this situation?
The tree was too thin for anything to be trapped in there. The only logical thought that came to mind was that it was the tree itself speaking.
He was astounded by it. In the unknown region of Katho, he didn’t know any better. Not to mention his heavy mental impairment.
Exrite kept the tree company for a while, often speaking in a low voice as the pear tree would reply and ask to be freed with a monotone voice.
“But you’re a tree, aren’t you? If I pull you out of your home, you’ll die.”
“I’D RATHER THAT THAN TO STAY HERE FOREVER.”
He momentarily paused and stared up at the gentle canopy.
“Yeah. No one wants to be trapped in the same place for that long.”
“THEN YOU UNDERSTAND MY PAIN. I HAVE NO REASON TO EXIST OTHER THAN TO PROVIDE FOOD TO THE ANIMALS OF THE FOREST.”
“But that’s still your purpose, right?”
“WHAT A SAD PURPOSE IT IS.”
Exrite touched the bark with the flat of his palm. A soft expression overcame him as he seemingly stared into the eyes of the tree.
“Can you tell me why it’s sad?”
“BECAUSE IT’S THE ONLY THING I CAN DO ALONE. I AM ONLY A TREE.”
“… only a tree, huh…”
Despite the monotone voice, Exrite felt the saddening drive behind it. For a second, he delved into self-reflection.
A human can only do what humans can. The same goes for a tree… yeah… that really is sad.
As bizarre as it seemed, he empathised with the existential tree.
Exrite couldn’t do much for it, no matter how much it would ask him for help. The only thing he could do however –
Was to pluck a pear straight from a branch and take a bite from it.
He smiled.
“You know, these are pretty delicious pears for a tree that hates growing them.”
“I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PRODUCE THEM. IT IS MY ONLY PURPOSE.”
“But it tastes like you put your heart into them. I’ve never had a pear this good before.”
“THAT IS YOUR OPINION. BUT I AM GLAD.”
“No, I’m sure all the animals love them as well.”
“WILL YOU ASK? YOU’RE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH ME, SO MAYBE YOU CAN TALK TO THE ANIMALS OF THIS FOREST.”
“With what magic? Haha, I don’t even know why I can hear your voice in the first place.”
As he finished the pear, another seemed to fall into his palms.
In the silence that followed, the tree asked Exrite another question.
“SO YOU WON’T FREE ME?”
“… sorry. I can’t bring myself to do it. You might not know it, but there’s a nest built on you.”
He pointed up.
“AH? IS THAT SO? IS THAT WHY YOU WON’T FREE ME?”
“No. You’re missing the point. You just don’t realise just how important you are to the animals in this forest. All the smaller animals don’t eat anything besides foraged food, so they’re dependent on you. If you go, then what happens to them?”
“SURELY THERE ARE OTHER FRUIT TREES OUT THERE.”
“But there’s only one of you.”
A small gust flew by. The minute that passed felt like hours as Exrite held a gaze into the canopy above. The small chirps of young birds filled the tree with thought.
“… I STILL DO NOT UNDERSTAND. I AM A TREE, NOT A HUMAN. I DON’T UNDERSTAND THESE CONCEPTS.”
“I don’t expect you to. It’s a miracle that we’re even able to talk in the first place. I just wanted to let you know before you stick with your decision. Although, I don’t think I can do much for you. I’m not strong enough to do any uprooting.”
“THEN UNTIL YOU’RE CAPABLE OF FREEING ME, I MIGHT AS WELL CONTINUE. YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD HEAR MY VOICE. I DOUBT ANYONE ELSE WILL.”
It was decided.
But Exrite didn’t make any promises. At the time, his goal was exactly like the pear tree’s.
To find freedom in death by the Gods who promised to lift his ‘curse’.
He was a hypocrite, and he ridiculed himself for it with a painful smile.
On that night, he wounded up sleeping underneath the shade of the pear tree.
And in the morning – Frosty and Khaos stumbled upon the small clearing to find a sleeping Exrite who was surrounded by a cosy blanket of pears.
Needless to say, it was a bizarre sight.
Frosty and Uru’s Simple Differences
If Frosty said one thing, then Uru would undoubtably say another.
If the story of the game was heart-warming, Uru would turn it into a hellish nightmare.
If the game was about trying to find truths about others, Uru would inquire about their guilty pleasures.
To make matters worse, Uru seemed to be doing it on purpose.
Frustration after frustration, Frosty would get into numerous arguments with the cunning Demon without fail. Every game session involving the two would inevitably spiral into madness.
From the ‘make your own story’ game they first played on their return from the mountains to their time spent on the Commander’s airship – nothing had changed.
Exrite and Khaos would either laugh or feel sorry for Frosty in some situations. But there were times when Frosty was at fault.
Although that was rare, and mostly spawned whenever she misunderstood Uru’s intention – most commonly when it regarded Uru’s reasoning for touching Exrite.
The two sat in the vast black and white hall of the airship. Seated across one another with some fragrant tea in between them – they played another round of ‘make your own story’.
“He travelled across Scorched in order to find an oasis for his dying father.” Frosty hummed her part of the story, leaving it up to Uru to continue.
“But little did he know was that an oasis was nothing but a pipe dream, for the nine suns razed all traces of water.”
“... y-yet he kept on pushing forward, and miraculously found an oasis!”
“Sadly, the illusionary haze from afar made it seem like it was the case.”
A vein popped on Frosty’s forehead.
“It was a reverse illusion. The mirage wasn’t actually a mirage, reveling a giant lake of fresh water.”
“Two sentences? Don’t try to cheat out of this, Frostbitten.”
“Huh!? You can’t blame me for that! You keep steering the story in that direction on purpose!”
“To keep it realistic.”
“But it’s a story!”
“A story set in Six Point never has a happy ending. I thought you’d understand that by now.”
“I do. But this is a story. What part of it is supposed to be realistic?”
“Every part of it. False hope in these ‘happy’ stories is why humans and the other races are so foolish and naïve. The world never grants true miracles.”
How did it get to this, one would wonder.
Their philosophies and outlook of the world were reflected in how fiction was written. Uru’s stance of fate being inevitable contrasted Frosty’s beliefs of pushing forward for a chance of a miracle.
Experiences were intertwined with their beliefs, like the time Exrite saved them from Enthile, and Uru’s long life as a Demon. In the face of fate, she could only abide to it, because resisting would only induce suffering.
The news of how the naïve Otherworlders were killed in the forests near Farshard was a testament of how ‘happy’ stories polluted the minds of humans.
She heard from Amy and Haiyoto that being transported into a different world was a common theme in Earth. It was a poisonous tale in her eyes, for it incubated false expectations.
And as a result – countless of the Otherworlders perished overnight. The prospects of adventure and power for many was a tantalising promise. They thought that they could become like the characters in the stories they adored.
Uru despised the way humans thought. Adherence to reality was all one needed if they wanted to survive.
To believe otherwise was nonsense to the Demon.
But perhaps this was their way of enacting fantastic desires that they could never dream of achieving. After all, the humans and most humanoid races lived to defy fate.
It humoured her.
Their argument went on for some time before suddenly – they both turned their attention to a silent Exrite, who was treating herself to sweet pear slices.
“You… want my input on this?”
The two vigorously nodded.
“What do you think about imaginary stories!?”
“I know you’re wise enough to understand the futility of unrealistic stories.”
Exrite felt like if she said what was on her mind, the two would return to bickering. Or at least Uru would, since Exrite was wholeheartedly on board with Frosty’s declaration.
That’s not so say she didn’t understand Uru’s stance.
“Don’t get mad at me Uru, but I’m with Frosty. A story shouldn’t always adhere to reality. If I wanted to read a book about magic, then I’d pick up a magic book, not a story.”
Exrite honestly answered as Uru wore a mused face.
“Uru, I don’t expect you to understand us so easily. Humans like to write and imagine the impossible because it’s something we’re always chasing. For you, I guess it’s different because you see the future as something set in stone.”
“Precisely. Our tales hold nothing other than the truth, because there’s no point in trying to hide it. Ignorance is a bliss, and your race perfectly encapsulates that.”
Despite the jab, Uru managed to smile after a long sigh.
“Not that I dislike it.”
“… ignorance?” Frosty sharply growled. “That’s not ignorance. It’s hope. When you hear about someone’s struggles finally bear fruit – it becomes an inspiration. We’re probably idiots in your eyes for trying to defeat the Maidens – but we’re not going to give up. Not by a long shot.”
The voice of the woman hushed the room as Exrite found herself nodding in agreement.
Uru sighed after a brief silence and brushed her pale hair.
“And I suppose I’m a fool as well for aiding you in this endeavour. Not that I mind.”
A hand reached out for Exrite’s cheek as the girl busily chewed the peach slices.
“Until the day you show me that light of hope you so dearly believe in – I’ll be taking an extra ten favour points.”
“Wait – what?” Exrite made a dumb face.
“Just compensation for roping me into this mess.”
“Just one second. You’re the one who wanted to join us in the first place.” Exrite reminded her as Uru slid herself closer to the girl.
“Favour points? For what!?” Frosty inquired.
Finding herself in a position to provoke Frosty, Uru brushed a vined thumb across Exrite’s lips and raised the girl’s chin.
“I’m sure you can tell~” She spoke with a seductive voice.
It went without saying that a trivial argument broke out between them. As they roared in the grand hall of the airship, Exrite found herself wondering if this was their ‘unique’ way of getting along.
Nevertheless – she was happy that Frosty wasn’t scrutinising Uru for every little thing…
… ish.
A Glance of Gaia
Sitting alone, wandering alone and sleeping alone – they were some of the few things Gaia enjoyed in her time within the Domain of Time.
There were times when she wished she had some company, particularly whenever she had meals from a gear system that dispensed an assortment of edible food and drinks.
A tiny hut in the far reaches of the dreamscape was where she resided during most days, or what felt like ‘days’ in this place. The gears restarted all of a sudden, and she wondered if Exrite had the Heart of Time damaged when he died.
A part of her was worried, but she digressed and traversed the shallow sea indefinitely. Along the way, she would reminisce about the time she created the gears for this Domain, among other things.
Joy would fill her as equally as a sombre sadness would. Her countless of years spent in Six Point were fulfilling, yet also wasn’t. As a being who had been alive since the birth of time – she had many lingering regrets.
So many in fact, that the stars were an inadequate comparison.
That aside – it didn’t change the fact that she enjoyed her freedom in the Domain. Maintenance of the gears wasn’t necessary, but she’d be hard pressed to neglect them.
Save for a select few, that were driven deep into the shallow sea.
Like a free spirit, she roamed these barren lands with a blissful smile and sparkling eyes. She danced, skipped, ran and even skated across the calm surface without rupturing its stillness.
A ballet on the ice.
A land of gears. A world of mystery. A Maiden’s Domain.
A home for the original Maiden of Time.
The place where she could find respite.