A Curse in the Ice

It is the fire that shrivels the river dry.

* * * * * * * *

“We don’t surrender to the Oblivious.”

Upon saying that, Ethan seemed to gain the strength to keep fighting. He twirled a kick, which Iago dodged, and then swung a punch, which Iago caught and held onto. Iago cared less about what Ethan wanted—he was not going to be the reason Rádia would suffer more than she had to.

You win this time, Szak.

Ethan instantly felt a rush of cold climb up his arm, spreading an extreme fatigue through every muscle growing numb.

“Sorry,” Iago said, patting Ethan’s weakened arm. “Bad match-up on your end. Szak’s not nearly the gentleman I am.”

Ethan did not look to be listening and kept trying to wriggle his arm out of Iago’s grip.

“You put up a good fight. Just surrender, and I’ll let go. The barrier will fall, and Rádia will go get healed.”

Ethan shook his head how he could. His muscles cramped up against the frigid temperatures, but with the rest of the energy his fatigued and cold body could muster, he pulled out a hidden blade with his free hand and threw it straight at Iago.

“Too close!” Iago dropped Ethan’s now frostbitten arm and pushed out another force field to fling the blade away from him. He didn’t control the amount of energy released in this reaction however, so not only did he deflect the dagger, but he also managed to hurl Ethan into the air and in the direction of Szak, who had just stood up and put away his sword.

“Watch out!”

Szak glanced up and stumbled backward just in time for Ethan to splash into the mud. He turned to Iago with a frustrated look. “Watch where you’re throwing people!”

“Sorry!” Iago laughed sheepishly. “It happened so fast! I couldn’t control it!”

Szak took in a quick glance at Ethan’s frostbitten arm, shriveled in shades of plum purple to black, and scoffed as the barrier fell. He walked by Rádia and pulled his dagger out, waiting for the remnants of sprite blood to burn off the fang before slipping it back to sleep. Rádia cried blood-curling screams of horrific pain as the two healers ran in to pull her and Ethan off the arena. The terrain morphed once more to invite the professor onstage.

“Eulylia!” Iago waved. “How did I do?”

Eulylia kept up a soft gaze. She had not the heart to tell him she did not particularly enjoy watching him toy around with another man’s body, constantly sending him flying like torn papers in the wind.

She had not the heart to tell him that, somewhere deep in her heart, she did fear how much energy Iago was capable of unleashing and regaining without growing weary.

Iago leaned in and whispered into her ear. “Have you fallen in love with me all over again?”

A soft laugh, and then a whisper. “For that to happen, there had to have been a first time.”

He pulled away and winked. “Of course there was.” He turned to meet Szak’s glance, and when he did, he gestured for him to reapproach Alea for earlier.

His gesture had managed to negate all intention Szak originally had of approaching her after the fight. He ignored Iago and sat down beside Ty.

Even so, Alea got up to sit closer to him, full of nervous energy as she tried again. For the both of them. “You were amazing to watch out there.”

Szak was at a loss for words. Alea inhaled and exhaled slow, gaze kept away from him. They stayed in perpetual silence as Professor Tumesys finished checking up on Ethan and Rádia.

“You flatter him,” Iago finally answered.

Alea turned to Iago. “I only speak honestly.”

“And honestly,” Szak answered without thought, “is that all you came to say?”

She paused in thought before answering, “yes.” Then she looked away humbly. “Yes, I suppose so.”

“I don’t need to be told I’m good at what I do.” Szak blinked and looked away. What the fuck? Where did that come from. But it was too late for him to take it back.

“Of course not,” Alea smiled, and lowered her head in a soft bow. “I apologize if I’ve offended you.” She turned to face forward for the lecture to start.

Szak pretended to not notice when Eulylia snapped a glare at him, but for the rest of the autumn hour, he could not pay any attention to Professor Tumesys’ class review of their skirmish. He was enraged—at himself?

No. Not at himself.

Why did Alea have to say something so damn pointless?

Szak couldn’t make sense of it. Why compliment him like this? He could help but feel that Alea was trying to kiss ass for some personal motive of hers. No one ever talked like that to him or his family—it would be too obvious that a favor request would follow.

“Drakon!”

Szak focused back to the dome. “Tumesys.”

Their professor brought up a welcoming gesture. “To conclude our review today, please impart on how, unlike other Drakonforged weapons, yours is able to create fire. A Drakonforged can only melt by the touch. Has the Twinkling Hearth found a new method?”

Szak shook his head. “It’s not the weapon. It’s the person who wields it.”

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Professor Tumesys nodded, pacing slowly back and forth, waiting. She had expected more explanation, but Szak did not say more. “Could you explain more on that?”

Szak blinked and straightened in his seat.

When did lecturing become my job?

“Every gemstone has talent and spirit in them,” he said, not knowing what exactly non-Drakonskars didn’t know already. “Under dragon fire, a gem will melt instead of cracking apart, so that the dragon fire can enter the new mold. It continues burning beneath the surface, which is why Drakonforged will melt or burn everything that touches its surface.” He lifted his sword kept in its sheath. “Every sheath that is paired with a Drakonforged sword must be made of dragon leather. Along with these properties, if the gem is sharp enough, then the Drakonforged will have the ability to start a fire if swung properly.”

“Interesting, indeed,” Professor Tumesys nodded. “Never, in all my years along the Edge, however, have I ever seen another of the Drakonskar start fires with their weapons. Enlighten us on that, Drakon.”

Szak pressed his lips together. The professor had evidently never seen his sister, his mother, nor his father. “If you can see or feel the path of the air around you, then you’ll know where to cut to bring forth fire.”

“Quite impressive,” their professor concluded, nodding her head. “The Law has certainly raised his son well.”

Szak tightened his grip on his knee. All credit truly belonged to his mother.

Tumesys brought her gaze up to the very top of the dome, where the sunlight shined through at a particular angle, and realized that today’s lecture had gone on for far too long. “That’s enough for today. Let’s get into pairs again. I’ll be coming around, same as usual.”

Combatants stood up and made their way to the open stage. Szak made eye contact with Ty and was about to stand up when Alea turned to him again. She stood up with her gold sword beside her. “Would you be willing to pair with me today?”

“No.” A scoff came out of its own accord. Szak swallowed as much of his stubbornness as he could. It was not a lot. Alea looked hurt at the rejection, and he opened his mouth to try to make amends. “I only spar with Ty. Not even Vlake or Viri, of my clan, would dare to approach me. Why do you come thinking you can request for my time?”

Szak stopped himself from saying any more.

What he wanted to say was that it was rare for anyone to want to pair up with him. What he wanted to know, was why Alea had an interest in him, above all others.

Alea brought her gaze down. “… I’m sorry.”

Szak did not need to look at her to know she was hurt. The crack in her voice said it all.

“I only wanted to follow my father’s suggestion to learn from the best. I’m sorry if my approach had offended you.”

Ty and Szak exchanged glances. Szak ignored his friend’s gesturing hint to say something nice in reparation. Regret forced itself back in to Szak’s throat and clogged all replies he could think to retort, anyway. They were all watching, all waiting to see what he would say to her.

“Alea,” Eulylia sang. As if by talent, the tension in the air between them lifted with the start of her song. “You need not apologize to him. You did not err.”

Szak watched Alea turn to Eulylia, all of her brilliant cerulean and ivory strands gliding with her movement, and he tried to calm his temper amidst the awkwardness. It was annoying that Alea made him look like the awful one here, and he was not quite willing to admit his own faults in the matter just yet.

“I absolutely must,” she pressed. “I’ve upset him, and for that I do apologize.”

Eulylia shook her head and looked out to the open arena, where Professor Tumesys had already started visiting pairs. Her eyes met Iago’s when she turned back to the group. Iago smiled for her.

“Darling, would you—”

“Iago would want nothing more than to practice with you today, Alea.”

Iago tried to get a good look at Eulylia, confused at both the suggestion announced without verifying it with him, and the benevolence with which she was welcoming him to spend time with another woman.

Is this one of those times women don’t say what they truly mean?

“Ah, of course,” Alea nodded. She smiled to Iago, one of genuine happiness that tugged at his heartbeat. She turned to Szak to offer one more, softer smile before she left beside Iago to the open arena.

Eulylia watched the two of them walk and opened her ears to their conversation.

“Uhmm… if you don’t mind me asking—”

“Ask away, darling. What would you like to know?”

“What is it like, to have a body so different from everyone’s?”

“What do you mean by that, sweetheart? I have two eyes and ears and hands and legs, just like everyone else.” A chuckle.

“Well, I’ve read about it. Your clan’s biological identity, I mean. A Kylmis’s talent originates from the land, unlike others who have obtained their talents as a gift from the Ashenborn.”

A pause.

“Kylmis were originally a nomadic clan until their children were infected. The Frigid Hex was an area of polluted land in the Province of Glacial Rivers that took over the ecosystem they traveled across. Mothers holding children inside them ate the plants and animals within the area, thereby ingesting the ‘frigid hex.’ As a result, the babies’ genes mutated and they became the first generation of the Kylmis emittiers. They drained their mothers of all physical energy and took their mother’s lives upon birth. Like the Hex Lands, a Kylmis body relies on perisynthesis, unlike any other kinetic emittier.”

“Very well read, darling.” A laugh. “Did you also know that perisynthesis is a process that can be tamed?”

“Yeah! With strenuous practice, a Kylmis can gain control over his or her body and shut down energy absorption. Span is determined by amount of practice and experience, but majority do not partake in such practices… oh! Can you go without energy absorption?”

“Yep. I’d say for about a third of an autumn day or so.”

Footsteps. Szak and Ty walked past her and Sephria on their way to the arena.

“That’s amazing! The research I’ve come across have all said that the average time is about half of the mean hour.”

“I’m a special one, sweetheart.”

“So… what’s it like?”

“It’s not much different.” Clothes scrapped against each other from a shrug. “Most interesting thing, I think anyway, is that I don’t need sleep.”

“… At all?? Other Kylmis sleep though, don’t they? I didn’t read about this.”

“They do.” A laugh.

“Can you imagine how much more I could read if I didn’t need sleep? But Iago, even if your brain doesn’t need sleep for energy, you need sleep for memory retention!”

“You’re right. You know what? Maybe that’s why I don’t call you by your name, love. I can’t remember it for the life of me.”

“It’s Alea.”

A genuine laugh, from the heart. “Is it now? Alright. I promise to remember.”

“You promised. Now you must remember my name.”

“It is impossible to forget. You ready to start sparring now? Might want to put your sword down.”

“Oh, yes, yes, of course. Oh—another question, if you don’t mind—”

“Anything for you.”

“… would you consider me a friend?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Why would I not?”

“That’s a relief!”

Iago laughed. “Why is that a relief?”

A pause. “You’re my first friend. It would have been saddening if you didn’t feel the same.”

Silence between them.

“Thank you, Iago, for taking your time to let me learn from you.”

Eulylia had heard enough. She was quick as she guided Sephria and carried her instrument beside her. They caught up to and walked past Szak, in which Eulylia intentionally pushed him aside infront of Ty. Even though Szak did not care to put out the fire he had started and opted to ignore it, Ty felt it best to get rid of it before it spread further and called out to her.

“Lyly? Something wrong?”

She turned to him with a scowl of her own. Szak stood beside him, and Eulylia caught his scarlet eyes in the corner of her hazels. She saw no reason to refrain any longer. Her fingernails dug into Sephria’s soft skin.

“Szakarilis Drakon. Your words seep distaste into my heart and your actions force disgust to permeate through my eyes.” She tugged Sephria’s hand and loosened her grip. “Come, Seph. I am your eyes. Allow me to describe to you exactly what it looks like to be a filthy casual.”

Sephria brought a gentle hand up to Eulylia’s upper arm. “I can only imagine.”