Chapter Text
Snezhnaya has no time for tears.
You grew up hearing your grandparents say that to you daily. Not a day could pass in the big house that you spent your lonely days in without hearing that saying. At first, it meant nothing to you, but as the phrase was uttered again and again, as an excuse to deny all you wanted to do, it began to have a meaning.
It had no time for tears, so you also shouldn't have time for them.
Your grandparents had been strict enough on that subject. Your mother died and nothing would bring her back, certainly not the loud cries of a silly child. They had lost a daughter and yet didn't feel the need to let out some annoying pathetic sobs. Not that you felt the need to anymore. Maybe it had taken a while, but little by little all thoughts of your mother faded away, as if she was just another pretty, delicate thing that people seemed to send you on festive occasions, not a thing, a human that lived and loved and existed just like any other person. It was hard to think of her as someone, when no one seemed to think of her that way either. The first years of your life went by with almost no mention of a mother, bar some whispers from the maids, or old guests who came to visit the house and always said how sorry they were for their daughters passing. No portraits, no memories nothing at all to remember her, soon all notion of that someone who was assumed to be your mother were whisked far from you, as a dusted page you didn't wish to remember.
It had no time for tears, so you had to join the military.
Tears threatened to fall as the small girl walked through the camp. The whispers were omnipresent everywhere you went, just like the cold winds that plagued the western field were you were training. They sent you hoping for a quick, clean death at the hands of the enemy for a child too little loved, too little in form, too little of existence. She lacked spirit, and any real desire to achieve anything at all. She went to class, learned and trained, but all could see the lack of ambition that showed itself in all the actions the girl did. A fast walk, as of praying to be ignored, quiet voice apologetic for it's owner's existence and frail, weak body who wasn't suited to the climate of this country. Even the captains were hesitating about accepting or denying her.
No real abilities did you seem to have, but the right family name did more than anyone could imagine.
The recruits were not impressed by your family name. Not in the least. In the long days that barely passed in the accumulating snow, the old saying proved to be true. Snezhnaya had no mercy on its people, so the people won't have any mercy either. She is gonna get sent on a suicide mission as soon as she moves to the next grade. She is the granddaughter of some rich bastards who had nothing better to do but send her here to die.
And you do. You watch the captains congratulate you, as they promoted you to the next grade, and assigned you on a mission. You had no true role there, no tasks to achieve or jobs to get done at an impressing speed. Clean the weapons, watch the baggage as it was carted from one carriage to the other and stay silent as the veterans got drunk and reminiscent about their glorious days of past battles long over.
It was going west. North West to be precise. Mountains on your right, peeking through the veils of mist covering the earth in the early hours of morning and some stubborn trees cutting your field of view. Back at camp, all trainees attended geography lessons, amongst others, so you theoretically knew where the mission was. But what could some simple, modest villages, frozen ports with barely any ships and scattered forests interest these high ups was beyond you.
No one deemed this pale girl worthy enough of Intel on the mission, not even of simple courtesies as acknowledging her existence. The last stop you made was near a huge forest. It was bigger, taller and definitely older than the ones before. The huge pine trees surrounded the group as it entered, making you feel more insignificant than ever. Further and further from from the world, to the point where the only thing you could hear was the deafening sound of your heartbeat. During the long, unending months at the military camp all of you had been advised to not lose your head when faced with a dangerous situation, but as the ravenous wolf pack went straight at your group you could barely see straight, much less think about anything. You had to run. So run you did, faster than ever, tracking through the snow-covered path, leaving everyone behind as the full moon rose high up in the sky. Itchy tree branches brushed across your body and yet that seemed to be the least of your problems. The wolves were hungry and desperate, as they chased after their prey, stubborn in not giving you up. It was better not to think, to try not to imagine old Pyotr with his long, twirly moustache, or Captain Andrei and the happy, content look he always had when he was looking at his team. Better to not dwell now, when surviving was more important. If you could just get to the other side of the forest... There was a village there, who for sure had a big, warm fire and people, hunters, who had been dealing with these monstrous wolves for much longer than you had been alive.
And then you fell.
Into what you took to be a cave in the ground, some 5 meters below you. Saying a quick prayer to the Tsarista for letting you keep your glider, you made it to the floor intact, if definitely scared. The wolves didn't fancy following you down there, so you at least didn't need to worry about that for now.
The cave looked as you imagined any other cave to look like, with stones littering the floor, and a small, pale shimmer of moonlight making it through the hole in the ceiling you just fell down in. Unfortunately, it didn't have any other entry, as far as you could tell. Alas, you would spend the night there, before attempting to get out of there. It was your safest bet.
The massive, white thing on the opposite end of the cave, thought so too, as it started to move towards you. It was a Frostarm Lawachurl, just woken up from it's deep sleep by a silly child falling into it's cave.The only weapons you had were a practical hunting bow and a small dagger, not very practical. If you could kill it before it got close... Then, maybe you had a chance. Take the arrow out, fix it, let it go, repeat. If anything the Lawachurl only looked slightly annoyed at having a dozen of arrows piercing into his flesh. It stared at the little thing in front of him, before pushing it aside, in the wall.
Well, at last, your grandparent would be happy now. This was your suicide mission alright, you contemplated while feeling a sharp pain in your back.
" Is someone here?" a young, male voice asked.
" Don't!...."
Too late, for he already climbed down on a rope. He looked to be about your age, with choppy copper hair and big, curios blue eyes.
" Are you fine? I heard something fall so I decided to check it out... What is tha-"
He didn't even get to finish the sentence as the Lawachurl charged straight at him, without even seeming to acknowledge your presence anymore. You were tired and afraid but the boy didn't deserve the painful death he was sure to die of, if you didn't to something. It took less than a second for you to push him out of harm's way, but that meant than now the Lawachurl was going for you..
White...Everything was so white. And cold. Maybe even peaceful. For sure wet. But not very comfortable, as something was digging in your back, or on your chest? Did you get caught on something? The boy probably got down here with a rope, so maybe the rope was still there?
"I-..I-..I'm so sorry I-, Oh Tsaritsa, you.."
What... What had happened.. The Lawachurl.. The boy with blue eyes... Archons, did everything hurt. You let out a broken gasp, a painful breath and put your hand to your chest.
Crimson. Red, red, red. Your blood, coating your hand and clothes and already forming a small puddle at your feet. When the monster went for you, it threw you into the wall, forming huge, sharp ice spikes the moment you hit the wall. It wasn't a rope, or a small, pathetic stone or anything else. They were blades, digging through your skin, penetrating through you, keeping you prompted up into an awkward position, covered in your fresh blood. Nausea hit. you were never getting back alive.
..It didn't mean the boy would also die. The ice-born beast was still there, waiting for a movement. And the boy was doing exactly that, panic taking over.
You stood up. Archons, did it hurt.. So much so, that even breathing hurt, just like pulling yourself off the spikes, as blood flowed more freely, without anything holding it back. The training came back, in pieces : fragments of another life.
" Stay back. I can take it down, but you have to get out of here. It's too dangerous to engage in combat while civilians are on sight. There is a village nearby, go there to hide and inform the authorities, however, don't let them come here"
"You can't stay here alone! It will kill you! You're bleeding already..."
His pleas were too loud: they alerted it.
" That's the only way you can help..."
One hit, another, dodge. You didn't check to see if he left. Hopefully your next hit would take it down.
And then ice. Silent. More ice spikes cutting away at your hope, at the flickering spark you held more dear than everything.
" You won't make it out. There are people out there, I won't let you. "
Warm. It was warm, warmer than until then, alas that did not seem to matter. One strike, then another. It was different. so much different than any battle you had. The moves came naturally, fast and elegant, better than anything you ever did.
And then came the fire. Sparkling to life, full of mischief and hope and an unshakeable will to survive. An ambition. It glided alongside you, aiding you in defeating the enemy. Swirls of fire coming alive at your command, attaching themselves to the Lawachurl. Everything felt right, as if the gaping hole inside of you filled itself, as if the gears inside your head were finally clicking as they were meant to.
In graceful, powerful hits you took down the Lawachurl, letting the fire control you, losing it for the first time. Quick as lightning, strong as ice, graceful as water and lively as fire. After all, the Archons deemed you good enough of bearing their favour, for the whole world to see. Tiredness, clumsiness, fear and all that had plagued your mind and body just moments before were gone far away, killed by this new, wonderful feeling growing inside you.
" I didn't know you had a pyro vision... "
He was still there, gaping at you and the fallen beast.
" That was just awesome! Like my father used to tell me about his adventurer's day-! Are you fine?"
And the world was upside down. The pain your adrenaline fought off came back.
Of course you would be awarded a vision just to die soon after.
"Don't die! You saved my life!.."
"Can I ask something of you?" you said, barely louder than a whisper.
"Anything."
" Can you please talk? It doesn't matter what's it about, just.. Don't leave me alone...."
" Ahm.. sure I can talk.. Well you have to meet my family. You just saved me so of course that's where we'll go. Mum will almost strangle you, after she is done with me, trust her to force feed you plate after plate.. My father will compare stories with you. He always wanted a vision! My siblings.. Well I'm the third oldest with two brothers and a sister, but they'll all circle around you. The love adventure stories so much! I have to ask you to change the story a bit : I'm afraid they'll never let me live it down after they find out I just stood there like a plant while you did all the fighting.. Did I tell you how great you looked? It was simply amazing how you dodged attack after attack and just kept on hitting it! Tonia and Anthon are 10 and 12, while Teucer is the youngest, 4. We don't have a big house, so be prepared to room with them... Do you like medovik? My mum makes the best one I've ever tried : everyone says so! And after we eat we'll go ice skating. Do you know how to? Well even if you don't know, I'll just teach you, I'm sure that you'll get it fast and with a teacher as myself... And then we'll watch the stars together! Promise?."
His voice was trembling...
" I would love to meet your family....I promise..."
" We have to pinkie promise! My big brother said-"
And then the ice under us melted away, making us fall down into the Abyss