A cold heart.

I didn't find it as intriguing as Silver seemed to be making it out. In any case, our current predicament took higher priority. Since we were immobilized, Silver was free to do whatever she wanted. Yet, she dare not come close to any of us.

On the other hand, Sight seemed to have found a solution to break free of the ice. I was just staring at him helplessly, half dizzy still, as he calmly untied his laces, and slipped out of his boots.

Silver too watched him uninterestedly. As soon as Sight set foot on the ice, his feet got frozen too. And he was stuck again. To top it off, the freeze seemed to be spreading higher and higher into his body.

"Ah...", Sight realized all too soon what he'd done.

"Why would you do that?!", I thought he may have had a plan, or at least a barrier to step on. But he stepped right onto the ice.

"This ice really doesn't melt, good man", Silver repeated herself, seeing as he was getting frozen.

All eyes were locked on Sight, awaiting his next course of action. Sight looked sternly at his legs that were slowly getting frozen. After staring at it for about 15 minutes, he then lifted his head to look at me.

"What now, boy?"

It was depressing just looking at him. And to think he expected help from me who was still half stupid from the blow to the head.

Silver must have realized then that she criminally overestimated Sight's wisdom. I couldn't see Grey since he was behind me but he was about as stuck as the rest of us.

So when it felt like everything had come to a standstill, Silver took the initiative.

"I must admit this isn't how I intended to take things. But it can't be helped", she said before digging her sword deeper into the ground.

Another bright flash passed into the frozen ground. The ground shook, we thought it might break, but it didn't. Then icy puppets started rising from the ice. At first they looked like zombies but then Silver reformed them into my copies.

"That's cool", Sight said, chuckling.

"Sight...", I interrupted him.

"Did you see what I did there, boy? Did you get it?", he asked, proud of his pun and excited to hear my feedback.

I just sighed. The puppets soon began moving. It was one thing that Silver wasn't attacking us herself, but now we had her icy soldiers to worry about. I had my trump card but I didn't want to use it yet. It felt like Silver wasn't letting her true power show. I needed to conserve while I could, so I made no move.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Don't worry, boy", Sight said, before deploying a barrier around me.

So he had come to his senses. But I hated being protected like this, it reminded me of back then.

Sight lifted his hand in front of him and in an instant, everything that was in view seemed to be broken. I blinked twice to confirm if I was seeing things right. Pieces of everything floated about in a dark space around me.

His barriers weren't just a perfect defense. In fact, what I'd been thinking of as barriers weren't barriers at all.

I felt dizzy looking at all the pieces flying around. There was a certain heaviness in the air, something that really weighed down on my senses. I felt sleepy, or rather, I just wanted to close my eyes.

Soon, as if putting the pieces back together, the world came back to view as before. All the icy puppets were just blocks on the ground but Silver stood watching.

"So I see", she grinned, "You are a problem, old man."

Sight kept a straight face on.

"But you wouldn't be able to touch me this way", Silver replied.

My senses had returned to me in full. If I could set myself free, I could fight her.

"Arthur!", Grey called Silver's attention to himself.

Silver turned to him, glaring.

"It won't be over no matter how long you go on", he said.

"And so what? Did you think I wouldn't know that much? Or do you want to make that same offer that you did last time? Right before killing me."

Grey stared back, a stern expression rose on his face.

"Yeah. I'll offer again. Let me help you."

"Why Grey? Why do you think I want to get rid of this curse? Why would I want to? Why? When I have the chance to take back my kingdom...when I can exact revenge on all who ridiculed me. Tell me then, why would I want this curse to be taken away?", Silver moved about her sword, walking towards Grey.

"This isn't your anger, Arthur. It's Excalibur. You don't really believe in any of that", Grey declared.

Silver laughed aloud, "What do you think you know? You haven't understood anything. You'll never know our anger. Say Grey, what is wrong if those who have suffered wish that same suffering upon others? Do they not have a right to be understood?"

"Sympathy, Arthur...and kindness. And you, as a king...that wish and that anger are nothing that you have a right to. But if you think those who have suffered have any right to start an endless cycle of hate and suffering, then you've just been deceiving yourself. And none of that is Silva", Grey replied, clearly and certainly.

Silver chuckled, then let out an exhausted sigh.

"You will not die here, Grey. I suppose I'd like to kill you if I could. Call it an instinct, but I'm sure I won't be the one to kill you. Your two friends here are a different story though. So try to stay out of this, dear Grey."

Silver didn't wait for any response, she flung her sword again and dug into the ice. Another array of zombies arose and transformed into Sight. But this time her puppets came continuously. There was no end to their numbers. Still, I assumed it would be easy work for Sight. Silver had disappeared behind her army of icy puppets.

"Here is our answer, boy", Sight said to me.

I nodded. Regardless of Silver's reasons, now was the time to attack. Sight was taking care of the puppets and he trusted me to get Silver.

I caught a glimpse of Silver near the grave under the tree. She was far away but not out of my reach. I just needed to focus a little.

It would prove to be futile once again. None of us had quite understood the situation. We focused on Silver when what we needed to look at was Excalibur.