Forbidden - Chapter 3: Meeting

 

Ava has her breath caught in her throat. Cielo, who was at her left, halted. Sensing something was wrong, he followed the direction of her eyes. The king on her right stops right beside her. Gazing at what's in front of them.

The men behind them looked confused why their king stop. They look ahead. See nothing but plain white mist hanging above like a thick cloud rumbling.

The king and Cielo also see the same sight. Only Ava is alert. Her fingers found her sword at her wrist. The other hand is caressing her gauntlet. Her own magical tool, she called Lily.

"Ava, do you see something ahead?" The king asked, puzzled. Ava did not put down her guard when she ask back, "Do you not see what's ahead?"

Her tone was light, but heavy with caution. It makes the men behind her feel something dangerous is upon them. Thus, they take their swords at the ready.

"Tell me, what do you see?" the king asks. He is also on alert. His sword is halfway unsheathed in his hand.

It took a moment before she responds. "Ice open castle."

Cielo exchanged looks with the king before looking ahead. Squinting. As expected, they see nothing.

"Crystalline throne." There was a pause. The king, Cielo and everyone finally see some movements under the heavy mist. But they cannot discern what's causing the movement. For all they know, it could be the wind that's causing them. If it's not for Ava, they would not be this alert either.

For a moment, the atmosphere seems to ground on them. The air seems to suck all the coldness in the surrounding and mash their bodies with ice cold winds. Numbing their senses. The warmth from their armor is not enough to warm their bodies anymore. In fact, the air is suppressing them so hard, their skin froze.

"Father," Ava called out. Her sword unsheathe from the scabbard. "Why didn't you tell us the legendary beast can transform into a mortal form and control the dead?"

Hearing this, everyone is deeply shocked. The dead? Mortal form? Who? The legendary beast? Isn't it Azure Dragon? Even the king could not believe the words coming out of his daughter's mouth. Sensing that everyone still cannot see what she sees. Ava snap her finger. A circular, transparent veil appeared in front of the men's faces. The next moment after they blink their eyes, the heavy dark mist hung above them disappeared.

It was already nighttime and the full moon was like a torch giving light to the plain ice field. The mist has disappeared. What's before them is the high crystal formation of what seems to be a grand palace. The shapes are eccentric and bizarre. There is no door, no front walls, which means they can clearly see the set of high stairs and the grand throne seated at the center of the ice palace.

And someone is sitting cross - legged on the high crystal throne. A man. His hair is silver white, eyes deep blue and his clothes are plain white. He has strong, distinct features. Beautiful to the point of horrifying. No one dared mention of coming forward. The atmosphere around this man is so strong it's suffocating. The ice in the air freezes their very lungs.

Who is he? They do not know. But one can fairly guess his identity based on the dragon ornament he wore on his forehead. It was a dragon with distinct waving body and strong form. Even from this distance, they can see the ornament giving a faint glow under the moonlight.

And the more the light in the ornament strength, the more unspeakable ‘thing’ gathered around him. These ‘things’ don't have clothes. They have two horns on their heads. Their bodies appeared white to the point they no longer had another color. Even in their irises and hair. No - they squinted closer. These things don't have hair.

What's horrifying in the scene is the attention of the man sitting on the throne is focused on one person. Ava. No wonder she takes out her sword. Revealed her magical tool, Lily, and have it at the ready. The man on the throne sees no worthwhile opponent except her.

But there was still one question they want to confirm. And the king voiced it out. "Ava....don't tell me that's the legendary beast, the Azure Dragon?!"

Hearing the king, under normal circumstances, they would think him crazy. The princess is only eighteen years old of age. Try to compare that to him, whose over two hundred years old and one would think why is an adult, and a king demanding answers from his eighteen-year-old daughter? Yet Ava responds with a nod.

Now the question she raised earlier made sense. Mortal form. The azure dragon has indeed looked human in their eyes. But it made his powers more lethal. Even the air cackled in frost.

The unspeakable ‘things’ move when the king dismounted his rein. The men also joined him. Cielo stick close to Ava, who did not move from her stead.

"Great legendary beast! We plead for peace. For hundreds of years, the faery realm has been flooded with snow weather and ice mountains because of your power. Hence, we are all here right now to ask you to undo it. Give back the spring we once knew..... If you refuse... you leave us no choice but to conquer you."

The man only flutter his eyelashes in response. He looks bored. They waited in silence. No response coming from him. So the king continued,

"I ask again, undo your powers, shielding the atmosphere from the glorious sun! We do not have all the time in the world. If you continue to be stubborn.... then we will put an end to your reign."

With a flick of the man's finger, the horse the king ridden on - no, everyone's horses freeze on the spot. Their mane and tail flutter, frozen in the air. The horses whine for a few second but were suddenly cut off a moment later.

Everyone could not believe their eyes. Their very own mode of transportation turns into an ice statue. Only one remains. Only one horse remains alive and visibly unscathed.

Ava's horse. The king, Cielo and everyone in the group had their mouths fallen. Ava's magical tool, Lily had flung in the open air and caught something before it hits the horse. A tiny crystal ice. One that shapes like a diamond teardrop.

"Release our horses at once." Ava demanded. Her hold against her horse reign tightens. Wary if the man on the throne will throw another statue, making ice crystals.

Yet the man with the dragon ornament only looks at her. He gazed straight into her unyielding eyes before he said,

"You're the silver bloom devouring lotus?"

Everyone looked at Ava, puzzled. What devouring lotus? They don't understand. Only the king and Cielo paled, so much their faces reflect the color of ice on their feet.

Ava did not give away anything from her face. She only nudges her horse to step forward. Ready to take on the monster who controls ice.

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