CHAPTER 1: FROZEN
I was never a good man. No, not by any means. In fact, you could say, I did everything I could to be a bad man. There was no atrocity that I was too sensitive for, no depth I wouldn't stoop to, nor depravity that was outside of my character. So, it really was no surprise when the people strung me up.
I can't say I hated them, for it was after all, simply a means of equal and opposite reactions. I'm fairly certain that's a popular concept I heard about once, but being no learned man, I'm not certain. Still, even though I was not bitter over their desire to execute me, neither was I inclined to shuffle off this mortal coil. I desired to live, and sought any means to carry on.
But one thing I had always lacked in this life of mine, such as it is, is the strength to see me through my endeavors. No, I was more of a sneak thief and assassin. I hadn't the muscle needed to present myself as a proper threat to anyone. And my final breath, strangling at the end of a rope hoisted over a tree with my body dragging, was no different.
I became a spirit, and haunted the same city that saw to my elimination. However, unlike the spirits I had always heard of, I had no power over anything. I could not in fact, affect anything within the physical world. As such, I spent my eternal wanderings, as harmless as a bird on the wing.
Now, I have never been a particularly dangerous man by nature, but that didn't stop me from becoming one as necessity dictated. And though I longed to enact my vengeance upon those who did see to my execution I, unfortunately, had not the means to do so, but that was not to remain the case.
The season of winter is upon us, and the streets are frozen solid. Inside, the houses are aglow with the homely warmth of a fireplace. It's deep into the night, and the wind is especially cold. That's when I see him. A little boy, trembling from the icy air. He wanders the streets calling out for help, but none is given.
I can see his body turning blue, and I know his end has come. I hash upon a ploy. The boy stops in front of a toy shop and presses his hand against the glass. I use the only tool
at my disposal, the ability to creep inside other's minds and make them see things. Though I could frighten them, I'm still no greater than an evil sandman. But this would be different.
I slip into the boy's mind as he's halfway between a sleeping and waking state. "Hello boy," I call through his mental space in which he is trapped in a world of bright glowing ice.
He doesn't speak, but piques right up as he turns toward me.
"What are you doing out in the cold, all alone?" I ask, my words slithering about him as though a serpent while my body follows.
The boy sniffs, and his mouth quakes, but he doesn't speak, as he cannot.
"Where are your mother and father?" I ask, even though I already know him to be an orphan.
If the boy's eyes hadn't been frozen, I know he would have cried. His tale is indeed sad, I can sense it, though I know not the exact details. But then, I really don't care.
I decide to switch tactics. "Why are you not warm?" I whisper into his ear while circling his person. "Are there not fires ablaze all around you? Why then do you freeze? Don't the people want you at their tables? To share in their feasts?"
I can see his head turn and I know he means to shake it.
"But you're such a nice boy, aren't you?" I ask him, as I shift to his other ear. "They must be monsters. Only a monster would leave a boy to freeze out in this bitter cold. Only a monster would keep their fire all to themselves, and deny even a hint of heat to one so needy."
It worked. I could feel the anger seethe within him, but he's still just a boy, and I know that I will have to take control. That is, after all, my plan all along. It's not long, until I have complete control over the small child. He's like a bucking horse, and I hold the reins. Using his power, I freeze the town solid, and even the hottest of days cannot melt my phantasmal ice.
I had my revenge, but I'm not satisfied. I wish to freeze more. To dominate all within sight, but I cannot. The boy is somehow anchored to the city, and his power will not extend past its limits. This is a bother. I had already frozen solid, all of the people, even as they sat next to their cheery fires. But I wanted more.
I decide a more diplomatic approach is necessary. I melt my ice and limit my killings to much smaller numbers. Soon, the town is repopulated again and I dare say, some have come for miles to see if the rumors are true. Oh, they're true alright. I became a legend in their eyes. The Demon Of The Black Ice, they call me. And I relished every minute of it.
My power grows so much, feeding off the boy's spiritual energy, that his presence is no longer necessary. So I imprison him in the middle of the city, in an ice so thick and strong that I don't even think I could break it, not without expending a serious portion of my power, and why would I want to do that?
With all the ice melted away, people once again are coming in droves. They all wish to see the frozen city for themselves and care not for the dangers that yet exist, providing they get a glimpse of what it is that makes this catastrophe so unique. Oh they will see, and they will learn, but they will not live long enough to profit from the lesson.
I wait till the city is good and full, then I freeze it solid. In a single instant, everyone is encased in ice. I can feel their spirits trapped within my power and I relish what is to come. They will all die slowly, freezing to death. But wait, what is this? Not everyone is frozen as they should be. What power is this that challenges my own?
I can see a man in the city, and he remains untouched by my fury. I lash out, forming chains of ice, which take hold of his wrists and hold him fast. But they only restrain him for but a second, as the next he breaks them, with little effort as a light emanates from within his heavy cloak, no doubt the source of his power.
After which, he lifts his oversize hat, and stares directly at me. I know not how he knows my exact location, but I'll shelve that concern for now. He's speaking, but I can't hear what he says. As I watch, he opens his cloak, revealing a little girl. So, he was protecting her. Well, I'm sure outside of his protection, she'll freeze quite nicely.
I let loose a barrage of fierce winds and ice shards. I'm laughing as I pour on the cold. But something's not right. The man has disappeared leaving the girl behind, who's not being affected by my bombardment as she seems to be encased in a shield of raw energy. It is this protection that is holding back my power.
It infuriates me, and I resort to pulling out the big guns. Then I see it, the swordsman. He is above me and falling fast, driving a nasty looking spear before him. Strictly due to reflex, I avoid the weapon, but barely. I'm shocked. The man had attacked me?! Me, a ghost, and he thinks he can hurt me with a simple weapon?
I stop. There's a slight pain in my side. I look. I have a small gash in my flesh. It would seem that his spear is no ordinary weapon. He launches it at me again and again, and I'm barely able to dodge each attack, and he's getting closer. For the first time since my death I start to fear once again.
To give myself some breathing room, I conjure up a solid wall of ice, which halts my opponents advance. I watch as he continues to chip away at the hastily erected obstacle. But I'm not worried. It will take him forever to get through. I take the time to relax and think. That's when I remember the little girl.
I look to her, but she is gone. Neither hide, nor hair of her can I find. She has well and truly disappeared. That's when it dawns on me, the man was only a distraction, so the girl could get at my power source, the boy. Anger rises within me. They have no idea who it is they have come to play their wits against.
I siphon a portion of my spirit out of my corporeal body, which is able to slip through the barrier and past my adversary, who has not let up, despite the hopelessness of the task before him. I slink my way through the streets, where I find the girl chasing the boy's elusive spirit and the perpetual blizzard that follows him around, with a cold so intense, it chills the very soul.
I slither through the air like a vile serpent till I am just behind her, where I simply sit and relish the agony to come. As I know that every step she takes toward the boy, will bring her closer to his sorrow, closer to the terrible night that plays over and over in his head. The night his little body froze solid.
I watch as she stumbles about in the freezing torrent of snow and ice, which batters her tiny frame and only gets worse with each step closer she makes. Her skin is turning blue and her movements are becoming more sluggish. Her struggles amuse me, and I start to wonder just how far she will make it.
I decide to mess with her a bit and put bright lights in the windows of the surrounding, abandoned houses, which line both sides of the street. The gleaming luminescence bathes her shivering body, but she does not halt her progress. On and on she drags her feet through the most blistering of cold.
I swirl around her, whispering into her ears, creeping under her skin, doing my utmost to dissuade her in my passive-aggressive fashion, which is all I can do in my phantasmal form. But it doesn't seem to be enough, as she continues to trudge forward, despite the toll my attack is having on her.
Disregarding my best efforts, she reaches the boy and huddles her body around his, giving him warmth. The two become one before my eyes and the boy dissipates and rises into the air. I scream and slam my fists against the encasement. The boy's spirit is exercised and I see him depart.
The ice quickly begins to melt and with it my body. I revert to my corporeal form just as the man's spear thrusts through the middle of me. My body of ice breaks away, but my spirit remains. He can't harm me now, but neither can I harm him. I guess we're at a stalemate. A pathetic draw, but what can be done?
But what's this, he has raised his hand to his mouth and is chanting. What does he hope to accomplish? Suddenly, a brilliant light washes over me. It's pouring from a hole and is getting wider. With each phrase chanted the portal opens all the more. Soon, it becomes large enough for a fierce looking warrior to pass through.
He holds a sword at the ready and fast as lighting, the blade comes down and cleaves me in two. I do not even have time to react to the swift attack. Then the warrior is gone and all I can see are the man and girl. They stand silent and watch me drift into nothing. It seems my revenge was short-lived after all.
CHAPTER 2: RIGHT OF OWNERSHIP
This land and all its holdings have been in my family for generations, and will be so for eternity. From the high manor house to the lowly little servant's stables and everything that should betwixt the two. Why then should it matter whether I am living or dead? But it seems to matter to them.
They who enter my home, and dirty my floors. They who raid my stores and drink my wine. They who beak my walls and burn down my candles. What should I do, but shoo them away. violently, if necessary, mostly for those who seem hard of hearing. As I said, this land has been in my family for generations.
It was given to us by the emperor, and none have the right to revoke his decree, even if he too is dead. What's more, I have been content with the people taking the outlying fortifications, even the towers, but what they can't have, is the palace. It is my home. Mine and no one else's. But that never stops mortals.
And if that weren't enough, they have the gaul to contract a specialist, to take care of me. What nerve they seem to possess! But they'll soon learn, I am not so easy to dispatch. I, the daughter of a proud line of warriors. And when I've finished with this specialist, I will then set myself to dealing with them. Good and proper.
From the window I'm able to see the professional coming toward the manor. He is a tall man, but poor, not even a horse to save his legs. He's wearing simple traveling attire and beside him is a little girl, who is dressed just as drably. I leave my vantage and hold myself ready, in the main hall, with a clear view of the main entry.
I told the villagers time and again, not to trifle with me, but they ignore me all the same. Me, a princess of the royal family that has reigned for over a century. Of course they're all gone now save myself, off to parts unknown, but that shouldn't matter. Death does not change my lineage, nor my birthright.
The door opens wide, bathing the small foyer in moonlight, cut only by their shadows, which stretch all the way across the floor. I stare down at them, as I conjure for myself a blade akin to the one I once held when I was flesh. But this blade is far more powerful than any earthly steel could ever hope to be.
I have tried to be nice, to give proper warning, but I have been ignored far too many times. Well, no more, and forever onward my warnings will be bodies. The bodies of those who dare trespass and it matters not to me how many must be stacked for their eyes to finally see. Maybe then they'll stop coming around.
I dash forward and swing my blade wide, bringing it down at an angle. I have targeted the shoulder of the man and with any luck, I will cut the girl asunder as well. Normally, I wouldn't be so blood thirsty, but I have been pushed too far and this blood is the new currency that shall fill their coffers from now on.
I swing with all I am made of, cleaving time and space themselves, and I miss. I miss?! But how can that be, as neither I, nor my blade had been rendered visible?! And yet, the man, and the girl had avoided my attack, as though it were plainly visible. This cannot be! This isn't right! This shall not persist!
I'm nearly in shock, as I raise my blade from the floor, when I start to sense a strange power permeating the atmosphere. It's coming from the little girl. Her whole body has taken on a glow, while the man ties a cloth over his eyes, and he pulls a sword from out of thin air. A strange blade which I can tell, is one even I have to be wary of.
Warily, I take position, and dance about with the man, while we swing our weapons at each other. As we exchange blow for blow and step for step. He is quite skilled, but I'm no amateur. And through our exchange, the truth is made more and more apparent. The man does not see, nor sense me. It is only the girl who can. She directs his movement through invisible means, as made evident by their synchronized dancing.
I know then that if I am to succeed, I must first eliminate the girl. I sweep my blade again and again aiming for the girl. But the man is too fast, and deflects each of my blows, well before they have a chance to get near to my intended target. This fight is going nowhere. It's time I take these two seriously.
I rapidly retreat to the seal of the emperor, which lies between a set of spiraling stairs. Here, I properly manifest my body, and cover myself in my royal, battle armor. I am truly a sight to behold. And my sword is changed to a blade for war. "I am Sonia, daughter of Haran," I bellow aloud my declaration, as I stare down my enemies. "Rightful heir to the Viper of Jade. Clan of my ancestors. This day you find yourself in my power for I will never give up that which has been bestowed to my family, by the emperor himself!"
My opponents stand stock still. They must be in awe of my presence. After all, I am no simple spirit. They should have left when given the chance.
I charge with great energy and terrible anger. All of my fury is now in my sword and it shall act as my advocate to speak words that cannot be spoken. I bring it down upon the swordsman who does protect himself from the blow. But it is stopped. The blade that he held is now floating by itself and it shields him from my blow.
He is sitting cross legged and in contemplation. The girl approaches me. I make ready to cut her down, but my sword is stuck. I cannot pull it free from the floating sword. The girl carries on past me, to the seal of the emperor. She looks it over carefully and examines the inscription beneath it. After which, she returns to my side, where I am still unable to move. She bows low.
"My lady Sonia," she addresses me with her head nearly to the floor. "A mistake has been made, and we ask for your forgiveness."
I am taken aback by the gesture, and barely register that my blade is now free, while the opposing one has vanished altogether. All the while, my adversaries are on their knees, with their heads bowed, which is the proper gesture of supplication, when begging forgiveness. I am impressed, no one has shown me such respect since I was flesh.
I have every right to strike off their heads, or I can, if I feel so inclined, forgive them. I take a moment to consider my choices very carefully while the blade in my hand feels that much heavier. After several moments I have made up my mind. I touch upon their heads, the proper gesture, when forgiveness is granted.
The girl looks up to me. "Thank you my lady," she speaks, with a wide grin on her face. "With your leave we will depart from your home."
I am taken aback by her words. Who are these two fierce beings, who show proper respect, even so much as to ask for leave? I nod. Slowly, they rise from the floor, before departing. I follow close behind, while changed to my spectral form. As I walk along, I take a closer look at my former opponents.
The man is strong, solidly built and tall with the proper litheness of a master of the blade. His skin is pale and etched with strange designs. The girl is mostly covered up and I find it impossible to discern anything about her, though I can sense from her great power, but I can not see it clearly.
I replay our battle through and through. Now, through my memory's eye, I look closely at my opponents. I wonder if I really did have the advantage, if it would even be possible for me to best them. I leave my mind and see that we are in some building with the magistrate of the village, sitting at his desk.
"Is the deed done?" the high official asks, as he stands from his chair.
"We cannot exorcise the spirit," the girl informs him, as she and her partner draw their steps to a halt.
"How can this be?!" the magistrate demands, as he can't believe what he heard. "You swore that your power would be more than adequate."
"Power is not the issue," the girl informs the official while her companion remains silent. "The spirit that inhabits the estate belongs to the lady Sonia. She is the rightful owner of the property, as it was granted to her by the third emperor of this realm and there is no condition of death to disinherit."
"The third emperor?!" the magistrate bursts forth, slamming his hands on the table to give his words emphasis. "But he is dead. How can his decree still hold weight?"
"The inscription beneath the seal of the emperor," the girl explains. "That resides in the palace, decrees that the land belongs to the rightful heir of the Viper of Jade Clan. It further states that there are only two conditions that may repeal this decree. One, is the word of the emperor, two is the fall of the empire."
"But the emperor would never grant an audience to a small village like ours," the magistrate protests and is quite agitated. "And no force can ever hope to disrupt the power of the empire."
"Then you have only one choice," the girl declares and raises a hand. "You must offer proper apology to the lady Sonia."
I see the look on the magistrates face. He's afraid. He knows that a proper apology means offering his neck to my blade. He fears I will cut it off. He fears correctly. We have departed the magistrate's office, and now he and all the people of the village stand outside my palace. Along with them are the man and girl as well.
"My lady Sonia," the high official speaks, as he approaches the stairs, drops to his knees and bows his head. "I, Eldrik, magistrate of the town of Norfolk, offer a sincere apology to you, for the transgressions of my people."
I materialize on the top of the stair, and glare upon the supplicating individual, who has been the bane of my afterlife. Slowly, I descend the stairs, each step intensifying my anger, making me grip the handle of my sword tightly.
I'm going to relish striking off his head. Finally, I am going to get revenge for all the time that I was unheeded. All the times that I found strangers in my living area. Well, no more! It all ends now.
I raise my blade high into the air, ready to bring it down with a fury no human could hope to express. But something halts my hand, a kind of gentle force which eases my hatred, and I follow it to the little girl, who is smiling at me, and it is that simple smile, which dissolves my anger, till there is very little left.
I place my hand upon the magistrates head. "You and all your people are forgiven their transgressions," I absolve the man, as I maintain my cool. "Providing that there are no more trespasses upon my good will."
"I swear it," Eldrik assures me, as he raises his eyes to meet mine.
"Then go in peace, you have my gratitude," I inform all gathered. "And I will forever watch over the town."
The people depart one by one, as they genuflect before me, and I nod each time. But truth be told, I'm far more interested in the strange man and girl. I watch, as they depart and carry on out of town. It seems that I will be here for sometime to come.
CHAPTER 3: REFLECTION OF EVIL
I am evil incarnate, comprised of many, not just my own vile soul. Like a magnet the deplorable spirits are drawn to me, and I consume them. Then they become a part of me, never to part again. This grants me an extensive reach and incredible power over all living things that crawl upon the ground.
I defile and corrupt, destroying everything I touch, anything I can lay my hands on. Not just good or pure things, but all things, no matter their varying degree, of good or evil. For I am hungry, and I do not care what fills my belly, only that it be full for as long as it possibly can be. I am nothing if not gluttonous.
I use my massive body to cover an entire region, and still, I am not full. So, I extend my being and consume more and more. There are none who can challenge me. All run in fear for their very lives. For they cannot hurt me, and I cannot be stopped. But something is wrong. I can feel it in my core.
To the east there is something amiss. It is there that my progress has been halted. I travel the length of my body, reformulating so that my head is now where my leg had been. This grants me the vision I need and I use it to scour the ground, there is something there, something small, almost invisible.
I look closely, it's a white powder and it burns my flesh most fiercely. A minor obstacle, since the searing substance is gone after its initial touch and I only have to endure a moment's agony. But then, there is something else, something not far off, in the middle of a small village that lies within my sight.
It is a little girl, and she stands in the center of the square, holding a mirror, nearly as big as herself, effortlessly, as though there's no weight to it. That's when I notice it is not a simple, physical object, but something else entirely. It is this thing, this mirror, that holds me back. What's more, it repels my body and does not cease to push me away.
But it doesn't stop the rest of me from advancing, as the mirror is limited in power, and can only repel that which it reflects. So long as I stay outside of its gaze, I am uninhibited. I amass my body and surround the village and though it burns my flesh, I envelope the white powder which has been sprinkled around the border.
Slowly, methodically, I close about the town pushing myself closer to the girl, cutting off any means of escape. I materialize my head, so that I am staring at her back, as I slither my way toward her, while I prepare to strike. She has no idea the terror I am about to unleash upon her poor little person.
Suddenly, the little girl spins about, as though she knows I am there, and I'm forced to gaze deep into the mirror she brandishes. I try to turn away, but find I cannot. So I am forced to stare into the reflective surface. I see a small figure directly in the center, which slowly gets larger, as it draws nearer.
My eyes go wide, it is me! Not hideous, not repulsive, just myself, as I had once been. It causes my whole body to shudder. But this tactic does not work for long, as after a short time, I have grown used to the image and it no longer repels me. So I move forward, closer to the girl, as I push past the mirror, which holds me still, but I'm starting to overcome it.
I inch my way closer and closer, the little girl's protection will not save her from me. Then I feel pain wrack my body and I retreat from the sensation. A man stands beside the little girl, while he strikes out against me with a long pole that has a small mallet on the end. I am confused as to how this simple weapon can hurt me. It seems this is no ordinary weapon. It creates a concussive force which is much larger than its body.
It's time to get serious and deal with these interlopers as is necessary. I gather my power and let loose with everything I have and then some. I'm going to show these, children, just who it is they are messing with. Then it happens. The mirror sucks in my body, even as I try desperately to escape its pull.
I know I have to get out of here and quickly. Retreat for a time and allow myself to regroup. But I can't. I'm being held and reeled in. The mirror becomes larger and larger, until it holds my entire, massive body. I must break away. I sever my body, not a pleasant action. I retreat to myself and hold there.
Those two, the swordsman and the girl are in control of far greater power than they should be. They frighten me in a way I have not felt in the longest of times. They are the only ones who can pose a real threat to my person, as it were. They can destroy me. So I must hold back. For a while. Only for a while.
CHAPTER 4: THE CIRCLET
This body has grown old and weak. It is the curse of immortality. I retain my life upon this plane, but only through the manifestation of the circlet. Therefore my strength and power is equal only to the bearer of the circlet. But bodies are fragile things and wither with time. No matter the power, all succumb to age and death. All that is but me.
I, who am a remnant of a long lost civilization. I, who am all that remains of a once proud people. I continue to live on and strive to rebuild the kingdom and rebuild I must for such glory as we held cannot be relegated to annals of history. But this body is no longer of use to me, and I must find a new one. A proper one.
My search has led me to an ancient order, who are reputed to breed strong children, both physically and spiritually and whose name is never uttered above a frightened whisper. I know that if I can claim one of them as my body, I will be adequately equipped for a long, long time to come.
So, I advance upon the sanctuary, which is nestled among a nearly unscalable mountain region. Its only access, a small, fortified road, that leads directly to the temple of the order. Here I walk and here I fight. The guardians are those of the order and had I been a normal mortal, I would have founad them a great trouble.
But I am no mere mortal, oh no. My power is far greater than any of them could hope to possess, in this or any other lifetime. And I soon have the way clear of any all who would raise a hand against me. Now, the sanctuary is within my reach. I breach the confines and find myself in the sanctuary of the order.
I see a single child, a little girl, wearing a ceremonial gown, as she is kneeling in prayer, such devotion from one who cannot be old enough to even understand her role in this affair, but no matter. I move about taking careful sight of the little one, wary of a trap. So far, there doesn't seem to be anyone around. This is far too easy.
I appear before her. "Do not be startled my child," I speak reassuringly, as I hold out my hand to show I mean no harm.
But the girl does not stir an inch, and she does not speak. She does not even seem to register my appearance.
"I have come to offer you power," I carry on, undeterred by the lack of acknowledgement, as I circle about her. "Would you like that?"
The child still says nothing.
I am starting to get irritated. "Don't you know that it is bad manners to remain silent, when one is speaking to you?" I ask as I try to stifle my anger.
Still there's no response as the child continues to silently pray. I start to wonder if the child is in some sort of trance, a marker of her extreme devotion. But in the end, it really doesn't matter. I remove the circlet from my forehead, and using the power that yet remains in my host body, I place it upon the child's head.
The girl does not stir during the exchange, but that's of little concern for I am now in control. I stand up, but the body doesn't respond. Something has gone wrong. "What is happening?" I ask, but find I have no voice to utter any words.
The child rises from her place and sheds the ceremonial gown. She walks away from the temple and down the only path. Where she comes across a man, who has been waiting for her. Together, the two walk on in silence.
"Who are you?!" I demand, as I no longer try to quell my rage.
Neither of them speak. They just continue to walk away from the temple, away from the order and down the passage, which is the only means of departure.
Nothing I do, or rather try to do, matters in the slightest. None of my questions are answered, and so I take to silence. I simply observe the road we travel. It seems I am to remain an unwilling stow away, forever upon the brow of this girl who will not speak and her companion who speaks even less.