Slowly, her snowy eyes came open, with her blue icy lashes glinting as they blink.
Raith took a step back out of instinct. If there was any way to resolve this misunderstanding without having to fight this pretty young lady, he would gladly take that route.
She was the most beautiful thing he had seen since he was born. It made his heart flutter, he never wanted to cross swords with her.
'Maybe we'll be able to resolve this by talking.'
He prepared his mind as the lady lifted her head and leaned into the backrest of the throne seat then put one leg over the other, causing her oversized gown to dance subtly. Even her minor gestures were enchanting.
"Who are you?"
Her voice was like the howling wind of snow, low and harsh but delightful to listen to. There was a little roughness to her tone but it only made her sound more unique.
Raith bowed his head.
Usually, he wouldn't to anyone. But if it would put him on the good side of this ice queen, he didn't mind.
"My name is Raven Raith... I am here per the request of the tree."
"The tree..." She paused for a moment, scrunching up her eyes and looking upwards, her diverted focus showed she was flipping through the pages of her memory...
"Ah, the Faefern."
The Faefern? Raith didn't know what that meant but it wasn't hard for him to guess that it would be related to the tree topic they were currently on.
The lady's brow creased together to a frown.
"What about it?"
Her change in demeanor threw Raith into a state of utter carefulness. It was evident mentioning the tree had prickled her peace.
But he still had to say what he had to say. And hope there's a way to resolve this issue without fighting.
"The tree is suffering... it seems to be dying."
"It is just whining."
Raith didn't expect an informal speech from her. Because of the way she had spoken before, she looked like the type that would demand formality and respect, he could even feel her voice laced with pride.
But he was glad she was talking, this seems to be getting better.
"I think it is more...I can't put it into words. But the tree is communicating with me. And all I have come to do is find its source of suffering."
-tap-
-tap-
She tapped the arm of her throne seat twice before speaking.
"And what are you going to do?"
A stiff tension filled the air between the lady and Raith, awaiting the answer of the latter.
Raith at this point knew that his answer was going to decide how his relationship with this beautiful young lady was going to go moving forward.
Now what was he going to do? He felt like he didn't want to cross swords with this lady. He didn't want to fight her. Should he just turn back and ignore everything? Find another place for the people of Therut to inhabit.
Then he would be able to keep his relationship with he and the lady on good terms. He could always come to Antarctica to visit her.
Raith lowered his head.
'What is wrong with me?'
Why was he hesitating? Was it really because she was too beautiful to be fought or because he was scared of what he felt outside the door? He didn't ask but deep down he knew, the lady sitting in front of him was the dragon Noir was talking about.
Raith smiled bitterly.
"Under no circumstances, should we as beings with power deprive the less privileged of their freedom. Power is power because it is used to protect and claim victory. Not to oppress and force weaklings to do our bidding. Power challenges the strong...not the weak."
The lady's frown turned to a scowl, and her index finger began to slowly tap the arm of her chair.
Raith's bitter smile slowly faded as he lifted his head, What was remaining of his face was his usually crazed look, when he knew he was about to die in different ways even he had no idea of.
But that was not the only thing that fueled his smirk this time around. He had changed, he had been asleep for three months, with his body going through different levels of changes in and out. Surely, there was no foe to test himself on than a dragon.
'Forget the beautiful lady? What more could I have asked for than a strong opponent.'
Casting the regret away from his mind, Raith looked at the lady atop the throne.
"I am here to destroy the source of this tree's suffering..." He pointed his hand forward, "...you"
The scowl remained on the lady's face, his declaration did not much on her facial expression. Instead, she cast a demeaning gaze on him and pointed one finger forward, resting her head back on one hand.
Tss...
Whoom!!
She was surprised for a moment.
"Uhh? He has good senses"
Raith was already as far back as the center of the palace where the blue carpet had started.
He slowly touched his neck with quaking eyes.
'I definitely felt my neck fall...'
Raith's foresight had activated and this time it was more vivid than before, he felt his neck slit and slide down, all his body tingled with fear, his pores rose and his legs moved ok their own. In one jump, he covered over 50m distance.
"It is useless."
She added another finger to the one she was already pointing forward.
"Frost nova."
-Shrrringgggh-
A beam of ice shot out from her hand–
Immediately Raith picked himself into the air. An encasing sphere of ice immediately grew out where he was standing, freezing to the thick and shattering.
Raith thought that was the end but the ice beam shot upward after the ice sphere shattered. Belatedly seeing this, he stepped on the pillar very close to him and flipped backward through the air–sprawling himself away from the direction of the beam.
At that point too, an ice sphere grew out and shattered. The beam shot at him again but by this time Raith had lost his momentum in the air and fell to the ground causing webbed crevices on the perfect icy floor.
Before he could react and jump away, the beam caught his legs, and immediately an ice sphere encased him.
And shattered, spilling his blood all over.
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