Even if Onna were to grab a sword and try to ram it in-between my eyes, it wouldn’t do much harm. On the other hand, because of my title, my attacks certainly did do a lot.
It was also why she was gasping and throwing up from the minor kick I’d given her.
“I wonder if you realize you’re currently the weakest of Fort Zyvar’s lieutenants.”
“W-what?”
“Wunder, he’s hard to put down. Arol, she has a weakness, but most people won’t find it in their first battle. Slim… I don’t have much to go on, but he’s certainly more versatile. You, however? All you have is ice. Without it, you’re no different from a defenseless girl. You have terrible stamina, a poor battle sense –”
“SHUT UP!”
She charged at me, summoning to swords of ice in her hands. I side-stepped her swings. They were wild. Frantic. Inelegant. My brows furrowed beneath my mask as I found something instantly wrong with her movements. My brain was telling me what she was doing wrong before she did it. My instincts were flaring, informing me that she was making all the rookie mistakes of a swordsman. Putting all of her strength in her swings. Using wide, open movements filled with dozens of holes.
My right foot stuck out, my body jerking to the side, tripping her into the dirt. She rose again, and I batted away her swing with my left hand, disarming her, and flicking her once more unto the ground.
Oh this is interesting. I’m not a swordsman, yet, I can read through swordplay easily. This is Zyvar’s doing isn’t it?
Roaring, she swung at me again. “Your swing is too wide,” I said. “You wind-up your movements so much that it’s almost as if you’re begging me to dodge it.”
“Shut up!”
I caught the blades with my fingers. She tried to budge them. I applied a little pressure and watched the swords snap. She backed away, panting, snarling. “You – you dare! Using Erzili’s ability – you wish to steal me away from her, is that it?”
I shrugged. “Yes.”
She backed away, eyes widening in surprise.
“What, did you think I wouldn’t admit it?” I dusted some left-over frost from my armor. “I overheard you. You believed I wasn’t worthy, for Erzili to follow. For Erzili to choose as a leader.”
“I stand by my belief that Erzili deserves better.”
“You’re right.”
It was amusing, seeing her face contort in confusion. “…what?”
“Erzili deserves better,” I repeated. “You, Onna, are weak. Does Erzili not deserve one better than you?”
She flinched. “I – no – I am Erzili’s most devout –”
I rose my hand. “Listen. You’re not my enemy. Erzili is devoted to me. You are devoted to Erzili. If you are on Erzili’s side, my side, I need you to be stronger. If you cannot do that, then why do you even serve Erzili?”
Onna’s lips smacked shut. She gritted her teeth, her face twisting into a myriad of conflicting emotions. Her fists clenched tightly as her entire body shook.
“Erzili… Erzili is an existence beyond you,” she said. “When my Nightshaman, Zimra Vigo found my soul, wandering the cold frigid wasteland, he glanced upon me with apathy and gave a new name – Onna. He named me, and he told me, he did it for me to take vengeance on the Takumian Royal Line. I tried. I failed. King Gawa devastated me. Almost killed me a second time. I fled, barely escaping.”
She laughed. “When Zimra found me, he was disappointed. He cursed me. He told me, ‘you shall wander Alamir forever, in search of a purpose you shall never find, and meet a pathetic end.’ I did. For years. For over two hundred years I wandered, entering small towns and settlements, freezing to death everything and everyone I encountered. The White Death they started to call me. I believed this was my destiny. To merely roam Alamir, bringing cold and nothingness, until I encountered the one that would finally end me.”
“But something changed.”
“Erzili found me.” Onna’s lips twitched. “Erzili approached me, untouched to my frost, my cold. With a beautiful form and a smile, Erzili stretched out a hand, and gave me a purpose. Erzili undid my curse with three simple words –”
It was the first time I saw the ice-woman smile. “Be My Darling.”
Onna crossed her arms. She averted her gaze away from me, staring into the sky. “I need not think of a purpose. Erzili’s will is my will. Erzili’s purpose is my purpose. Erzili is all I live for. For all the power you have, to me, Erzili will always be worth a million of you.”
Absolute, unwavering devotion. A small part of me respected Onna for it. A small part of me questioned, if Erzili knew just how much Onna was devoted, and just to what extent the Yuki-Onna would go. Who am I kidding? Erzili knew.
Erzili understood most definitely, certainly, knew.
Dusting my hands, I pointed north.
“What do you think lays beyond those trees?”
“That direction…” It took her a few seconds. “Krvavi Lagoon?” She snapped her gaze to me. “You – you can’t be serious.”
“If you can kill Giggles, not only do you become much stronger, you also find yourself in Erzili’s favor. You, Onna, not me, the Demiurge, were the one to destroy Giggles and claim Krvavi Lagoon for Fort Zyvar. You’d have succeeded at a task that I was meant to do. I imagine Erzili will reward you bountifully.”
I understood how Onna worked. She would die, for Erzili. Jump in front of a train at a moment’s notice for Erzili. She would throw her hand into her chest and rip out her heart if Erzili commanded it.
Getting her to respect me as Erzili’s Master would never work. She would loathe
