Sitting under the moonlight, Ferinish rested near her cabin. She wasn't asleep, her eyes were closed as she breathed the cold air calmly.
Footsteps echoed near her ears, making her instinctively grab her sword and become alert, trying to identify who was approaching.
From the shadows came Carolina and Carlos. The woman carried a spear, while the man wore his renkata-forged gloves, with an ice bow slung over his back.
"Sorry to bother you tonight, but we need to train,"
Carlos said in a low voice, making his purpose clear.
Carolina was no different, as serious as he was, keeping a firm grip on her weapon.
"Aren't you going to be sleepy? You still have work tomorrow as soldiers," Ferinish asked without opening her eyes.
"Fraizen is absent. She wouldn't let me visit her... said she didn't want any of us near." Carlos explained.
Ferinish's eyes widened slightly, as if she knew something the two did not yet. Still, she kept her usual coldness.
"All right... let's train."
***
Inside an Inférius, after eliminating the dangers around them, Ferinish leaned on her sword and let out a small yawn.
"Are you sleepy?"
Carolina asked.
Ferinish only shook her head a few times, denying it.
"No... of course not."
Right after saying that, another yawn escaped her lips.
"That doesn't matter. Use everything you've got against me."
She shook her head to shake off the drowsiness. Carolina and Carlos exchanged a quick look and took their combat positions.
The training began.
Carolina lunged with the spear, but Ferinish blocked swiftly. Carlos tried to attack from behind, but the warrior struck him with a kick to the chest. In midair, the soldier drew his bow and fired three ice arrows at Ferinish, who, with a horizontal slash, melted them all.
The small fragments flew at speed. Carolina seized the moment and deflected the shards with her spear, directing them back toward the warrior.
A hit.
The pieces of ice struck the fabric of Ferinish's kimono and, on contact, formed a thin but tough layer of ice over her body, restricting her movements.
'They made a good pair.'
Having recovered, Carolina tried to hit her from behind and Carlos from the front. But Ferinish pushed her muscles, broke the ice around her body, and then leaned back. The two weapons clashed, the spear and the renkata fists, forcing them to retreat with a leap.
There she was, behind the soldier.
Ferinish delivered a kick to Carlos's thigh, not at full force but enough to knock him to the ground. Carolina reacted quickly, spinning and throwing the spear with precision. Ferinish saw the thrust coming and threw her sword in a spinning arc at the opponent's weapon. The two collided in midair and caused a small explosion, affecting an area of twenty meters.
Both were thrown away. Carlos was also hurled aside, though without serious injury.
The two women caught their weapons while still in the air and returned to the fight. Carolina pressed the attack aggressively and with force. Ferinish, on the other hand, remained calm, not intending to truly hurt her.
Carlos stood and, taking advantage of the warrior's distraction, shot three ice arrows. Ferinish had to leap. Carolina then resumed the fight, attempting to strike her at any opportunity.
On landing, Ferinish touched the ground. A flame sprang up beneath Carolina's feet, forcing her to pull back. Then Ferinish surged forward with an explosion of speed toward Carlos. He reacted in time, trying to block the sword with his fists, and managed to stop the blow.
To break the defense, Ferinish briefly parted the blade and collided it with the renkata fists, knocking him down once more.
Carolina ran toward Ferinish and stomped the ground hard, freezing the soil.
'Interesting... I don't usually see her use that kind of ability.'
Ferinish looked at her feet, now trapped. Carolina prepared to drive the spear in, but Ferinish quickly melted the ice and covered her feet with flames, which singed the hem of the opponent's kimono. She then kicked the opponent's spear away, sending it flying, and lunged forward, dropping low to deliver a precise kick to Carolina's chin.
The impact slammed the opponent's teeth together violently. They didn't break, but the pain was intense.
"Argh!"
Carolina exclaimed, falling and unable to get up because of the pain in her chest and jaw. Carlos also remained on the ground, feeling sharp pain in his back and head.
Ferinish swung her legs, extinguishing the fire on her feet, and stretched as if nothing had happened.
"You two... are you all right?"
"No!" they both answered in unison, frustrated but not angry, still lying on the ground.
"Do you have any weakness, Ferinish?"
Carlos asked.
She shrugged, indifferent.
"Maybe I do."
Saying no more, she turned and went to look for the Core of that Inférius.
***
After helping them recover and return home, Ferinish began to wander IceStorm, silent and guided by a strange curiosity that pulled her toward the top of the ice castle.
In no time she was already up there. The ice barrier still wrapped the castle tightly. The view was magnificent.
The moon looked brighter, and the spiky ice walls surrounding IceStorm gave the kingdom an almost unreal appearance. Everything was so perfect...
"What are you doing in my territory?"
A voice asked.
Ferinish turned immediately, standing up. Her eyes widened at the sight.
Fraizen was there, but her body, affected by the poison, looked demonic. Black veins like roots marked her skin. Two ice wings sprouted from her back, seeming to be made of her own frozen flesh.
Her face was split in two halves: one entirely of ice, with a huge horn. Despite that, it still moved like a normal face, and her voice had warped into a distorted feminine tone.
"Fraizen... don't you dare,"
Ferinish warned, taking a battle stance and fighting to stay conscious, still tired.
"No... I didn't come to do anything harmful... not yet,"
Fraizen replied, smiling maliciously. Her teeth were as sharp as razors.
"I'll save the perfect moment for that. Enjoy the peace this kingdom still has..."
She stepped closer, leaning toward Ferinish.
"Because I will turn your life into hell, just like you and your dear Slady did to mine."
Fear rose in Ferinish. It wasn't the fear of being attacked so much as fear of the unknown. What was in that poison Slady had created that caused such mutation? What had Fraizen done to survive instead of die, and instead be transformed?
Fraizen touched Ferinish's face, her claws nearly tearing the skin. Then tears made of ice shards began to flow from her eyes, bleeding from the pain.
"You destroyed my life. I will make you wish you were in the true hell. Ferinish Lawhell, I will kill you... inside and out."
The queen stepped back, her wings expanding, and then flew toward the horizon, disappearing from Ferinish's sight within seconds.
The warrior stayed motionless until her thoughts returned.
'She's heading for the cabin...'
Fraizen landed in front of the cabin where Ferinish and Slady lived. She began to walk calmly toward the door, the hem of her clothing dragging on the ground.
"You must be here, Slady... alone, with no one to protect you,"
She murmured.
Before touching the doorknob, she paused and looked over her shoulder.
"You are really quick, Ferinish Lawhell,"
She said, turning.
Ferinish stood there, in front of her. She held her sword so tightly the veins stood out under the skin. Her normally cold gaze overflowed with hatred, a cutting light in the darkness of the forest.
"Hate me or Slady all you want..."
Ferinish drew her sword and the blade burst into flames.
"But I won't let you attack someone who can't defend themselves."
Fraizen laughed and strode toward her as her wings grew, becoming even more lethal.
"Do you really think you can beat me, little woman? Maybe the poison weakened me... but I adapted to it. I became stronger than ever. I will kill you, Ferinish..."
She smiled wickedly.
"No, I'll do worse: I'll kill Slady in front of your eyes. And only then, I'll kill you."
Ferinish's eyes burned with fury. Without a word, she charged. Fraizen did the same, smiling with pure malice...
At the instant they were about to collide, a portal opened before them. Both of them fell into a new Inférius.