*ICE WING QUEEN’S POV*

Madness. Complete madness. I knew he was strong. I’ve been looking at him since the start. But… To this degree? Had he been hiding his power all along? No… Maybe it is that transformation? I don’t know!

[Focus. You’re thinking useless things. Focus on the fight. And we’ll win. He’ll not be able to keep that form too much.]-A voice resonated inside my head.

It has been there since a while ago. When I chose to come here. I know who that voice belongs to.

“AAAAARGHHHHHH!!!!”-Another Ice Wing fell from a sudden attack.

“FUCK! COME HERE YOU BASTARD!”-I shout towards the hum- Fuck it. He’s not human. He’s no different than a Devil.

I rush towards him. I should be faster than him! But he always gets to evade me. As if he somehow could see my every movement.

“SHIT!”- I shout while sending demonic ice bolts toward him. But the orbs of fire that are constantly surrounding him don’t let any of those get close to him, floating all around him inside a firestorm, protecting him.

He once again rushes out far away from me. Swinging his swords toward another group of Ice Wings burning them all with the damned fire that his sword keeps spitting.

“YOU BASTARD! COME HERE AND FIGHT ME!”- I fly towards him once again with as much speed as I can muster. The demonic snowstorm that constantly covers me is trying its hardest to protect me from his own firestorm. But it is barely doing anything else other than protecting me. “FUCK!”-This time I get to him, and start swinging my claws towards every part of his body.

But he stops every attack with his sword while giving me a small mocking grin. As if he knew when or where I would attack each time.

“You fucking bastard, I’ll rip that smile off from your face!”-I said while increasing the speed of my attacks as much as I can.

But he only smiled wider. As if laughing at my efforts. “You didn’t want to dance with me. Now what puts you in such a hurry to do so?”-He says.

“FUCK YOU!!!”-I close my fist and threw it at him. Slow to notice the wider smile he made then. He covered with his sword’s blade’s side with his left arm right where I punched and flew away from.

“Sh-shit!”-I noticed too late. He used my punch to propel himself somewhere else; where a big group of my flock was throwing any spell or attack possible at him. “RUN AWAY!!!”-I shouted. But it was too late.

He spun around in the air, and his sword cut through one of his own fire spheres, which followed the trace of the sword as it unleashed an even bigger and more destructive wave of fire that incinerated every Ice Wing that got in its way.

“““ARRGHHHHH!!!!”””-The screams of the dying Ice Wings resounded all over the place.

“SHIT! YOU BASTARD!”

[Calm yourself. You’re losing because you’re too temperamental. He’s only toying with you.]-Said once again the voice inside my head.

“Shut up! You bastard. This wasn’t what I thought would happen!”

[Neither I thought that this bastard would coincidentally be here. So now, calm yourself. And let us work through this. He’ll soon be out of power. And when that happens. You’ll be able to kill him.]

“MOTHER!”-An Ice Wing got close to me. She was my own daughter. She had a scar on her face. “Let me help! If we all go towards him at the same time, he won’t be able to stop our combined attack!”-She says.

“You already saw what happened to your sister! I don’t want to lose you too. Go away and keep firing any spell you can at him from a safe distance, I’ll confront him closely.”-I said to her. Not wanting to lose another one of my daughters to that bastard.

“BUT MOTHER WE-”

“SHUT UP. Do as I tell you! NOW!”-I interrupted her.

“…”-She barely stares at me. With a saddened face, not truly knowing what to do.

“Now go! And don’t you dare get close to him.”-I said with a stern face. Not like she can see through my helmet.

“Okay, mother…”-She flies away.

“I’m sorry… This is all my fault…”-I murmur to myself. “Now. What should we do, Duke Zepar?”

[So, you finally calmed yourself? Listen to me. Don’t get close to him. Just throw spells at him from afar. He’ll soon tire out.]

“BUT-”

[I know. But there’s nothing we can do. Right now, that man is like the incarnation of nature itself.]-The irritating voice of Duke Zepar interrupts me. [Fighting against him right now will only get you killed. And I don’t think I have to remember you what would happen to your brethren if you die.]

“Then… What do you suggest?”-I ask as I intently watch how the bastard is going from one place to another killing all the Ice Wings he sees. Even the distance isn’t a problem for him. He somehow steps on the air, propelling himself all around in the air. It’s almost as if he is using the fire surrounding him to jump around. {Ridiculous…}-The mere thought of it being possible, makes me see how stupid it was to fight against him in the first place.

At first, my flock was filled with a little more than a thousand Ice Wings… Now… It merely amounts to a little more than six hundred… And the number just keeps going down.

[I already told you. Throw anything long-ranged you have at him. Don’t let him be close enough to you. And once his time ends. You’ll go at him with all you got. And finish him.]-Said Duke Zepar. [I’ll give you a little bit more of Demonic Power, but remember that I can’t supply you any more than this. So, you better use it as best as you can.]-He finished.

And immediately after, my ice armor started to change again. From the shoulder, small spikes of crimson red ice appeared, while the horns on my helmet got even larger. Even my wings started being covered in what seemed some kind of red ice armor. The claws on my hands got thinner, but longer and sharper, though I’m not using them yet.

“Fine. I’ll do as you say. But you better be right.”-I said to Duke Zepar, the Devil with who I made a deal.

[Don’t worry. It will work. Trust me.]-So he says.

Ironic. He’s a Devil. Who could trust a Devil’s world? Only an idiot…

“LEDUS BUMBA!!”-I said while spreading my arms and hands, creating two reddish icy blue orbs on each hand, and then throwing them towards the bastards that’s busily killing my kin.

The orbs swiftly flew through the air, reaching the human that’s midway towards another group of Ice Wings. But he suddenly evades, exploding a firebomb right in front of him, a gaining altitude. Still. But orbs exploded, sending cold cutting winds, freezing air, and ice shards all around them. He could only protect himself with his sword and enhancing the flames around him.

“LEDUS AIZSPROSTS”-I won't let him rest for even a second. Sending hundreds and hundreds of demonic ice arrows and bullets of varying sizes. Leaving him without a place to escape.

{Take that, you bastard.}-I thought as I start chanting my next spell. This one, a powerful one.

{Sala Debesis, Sala Elle, Sasalusi Elle, Laika Beigas, Beigu Sākums...}-I chant mentally with my eyes closed while pointing both hands’ palms towards the bastard that’s trying to destroy every projectile that gets in his way.

“ZEM NULLES VĒTRA”-I conjure while clapping with my arms extended and crossing my fingers.

Immediately after, the ice storm ragging all around the place stops. Ice, snow, wind, even the projectiles I threw and the ice bolts that other of my kin threw, everything stopped. Only to reassume moving moments after. But this time, everything going towards him at the same time, like some kind of vortex.

“DIE!!!”-I shout at him as everything crashes on him. Resulting in an enormous explosion of ice shards, snow, and wind. The surrounding air glittering from the little pieces of ice.

“Wh-What!? What’s that?”-But sadly, what I hope to see. Didn’t happened. In the now clear air, instead of a falling corpse, I see a big sphere of blue flames being surrounded by four rings of flames, making it look somewhat strange.

[Run!]-I suddenly heard Duke Zepar in my mind. But it was too late. The rings of fire extended all the way towards me and the other Ice Wings. While the blue flames opened like if the were some kind of wings, revealing a tattered body inside of them slowly descending to an ice plateau.

“This Mon-ARGH!”-I couldn’t finish my words, as the ring of fire quickly impacted me.

I tried to cover myself with my arms. But the damage was still unbelievable. It destroyed my armguards, part of the claws, and even some pieces of my chest armor. The left-upper half of my helmet was also destroyed.

“““AAAAARGHHHH!!!!!”””-All around me I could hear how my kin was getting killed by these rings of flames.

After a great effort, I could barely stabilize myself. Looking around at all the screaming Ice Wings. The damage made by those crimson rings of fire was greater than I thought, the already low numbers were even lower now, I can barely count two hundred of my kin… Even my daughter was greatly damaged while trying to protect those around her.

“*Sigh…* I’ll give it to you. That was dangerous. If it wasn’t for my high durability and the Spirit Fire. I would be close to death right now.”-He says, finally landing in the plateau, and with the ghostly blue fire disappearing as if it didn’t exist in the first place. “That sure made me sweat and waste a lot of energy. And there’s still a lot of you alive.”- He keeps talking while looking around to the remaining Ice Wings.

{This… This bastard… He…}

“YOU MONSTER!!!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!”-I shouted at him while flying towards him in a blind rage.

[No! Stop! Don’t get close to him!]-I heard Duke Zepar’s voice, but I didn’t care. I had to take revenge. For my kin. For my sisters. For my daughter.

“DIE!!!!”-I throw my claws at him.

“You finally lost it, huh…”-He murmurs something, but honestly. I didn’t care. I just focused myself on swinging my claws as fast as I could, trying to rip him to shreds.

“Stop now. This isn’t going anywhere good for you.”-He says, with an indifferent face as he stops every attack with his sword. {I hate that face. I NEED TO GOUGE THOSE EYES OFF!!!}

“SHUT UP!!! DIE! DIE!!! DIEEEE!!!!”-I keep shouting and clawing, I don’t care about anything else. I need to kill him.

“It’s impossible for you to kill me.”-He says right before a current of electricity starts to travel all around his body.

{What?}-Everything stopped.

I don’t know what happened. But it was as if time itself stopped in front of me. The only thing moving was his clenched left hand, which slowly got closer and closer to my face, with fire and lightning covering it. I think it was all my senses. They were talking to me. That I couldn’t evade. That his punch would connect with my face no matter what.

[EVADE!!!]-Somewhere inside my head, Duke Zepar’s voice resounds. But I’m unable to do anything. I just look into those crimson indifferent reptile eyes of the monster that’s massacring my kin. They send a chill up my back with that cold indifference. As if there was no soul behind them. Only an abysm that looked back at me. A black hole filled with the pure intent to destroy whatever stands in front of it.

And the fist of that black hole finally makes its way to my face, making a clean hit. I hear no sound. Just everything turning black for a second or so. Until I finally open my eyes again to see the ceiling of the cave, quickly moving downward.

{Or is it me that’s moving?}-I don’t know the answer.

“MOTHER!!!!!!!”-The sudden scream of my daughter wakes me up from my senseless self. Right before hitting what I assume was one of the houses upon the plateau.

*BOOOM!!!*

“MOTHER!!!! YOU BASTARD!!!!!”-I still can hear my daughter's voice. But I don’t see her. I can’t even talk nor move.

{Am I stunned? What’s happing? Why can’t I move? I need to tell her… I need to stop her… She can’t…}-I think quickly, trying to order my body to move. But it’s useless, I can’t even move my head that’s looking up to the ceiling. I feel like my body was electrified, made unable to move. It just lay there buried between the rubbles of the destroyed house. With my back resting on what probably used to be some kind of wall, combined with ice blocks and some debris.

“Like mother, like daughter…”-I hear the faintest of the whispers. I know where it comes from. And who said it.

With a great effort. I try to forcibly raise my head. Little by little. Until I see those red eyes directly looking at me with the same indifference from before. The chill in my back getting stronger. I’m feeling colder with each passing second.

{Cold? Me? An Ice Wing Queen? I’m feeling cold? Ha…Haha…HAHAHA… What’s this… When did I suddenly grew fearful of him…? Why those eyes seem like they already killed me? I’m still here, right? I haven’t died yet.}-I thought, right before looking at how my daughter cut between us. With her ice claws ready to fight.

{No… Stop… You can’t… He’s going to kill you…}-I try to say, barely opening my mouth, but nothing comes out of it… Not even a sigh or an exhausted breath for all the pain my body is feeling right now.

“YOU’LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!!”-My daughter, Elisia, says as she jumps towards him, with the intention to kill him. If only that was possible…

“Idiot. Your queen isn’t strong enough. And you think you can do something against me? You’re all a bunch of idiots.”-He says, while, once again, lightning travels all around his body. “That’s why you’re fated to perish.”

He disappears when my daughter was about to hit him. Reappearing once again, at my daughter’s side. Still looking at me with those crimson eyes.

{No… Please… No…}

[There’s nothing that can be done now. It’s all over.]-The dejected voice of Duke Zepar resounds in my mind.

{What…}

I didn’t even finish my thought, when I watched the monster punch right through my daughter's stomach, with increasing currents of flames surrounding them both, shredding my daughter’s body and turning it to ashes.

Time just seemed to slow down to a crawl for me… The slowly disappearing body of my daughter being replaced by a bunch of ashes replays constantly inside my head…

“Ah… Aaahhh… AAAAARGGHHHHHHHHHHH”-A ghostly scream goes out of my mouth. I wail, scream, cry to no avail. My daughters are not coming back anymore.

And those crimson eyes just stay there, looking at me. As if nothing of this had anything to do with him.

“WHYYYYYYY!!!!????”

“What did you think would happen when you started this fight?”-The monster started talking. “War is always like this. One side loses everything, while the other goes out victorious. If you’re not ready for this. You shouldn’t even be a Queen in the first place.”- He said, before turning to look at the remaining Ice Wings. The firestorm once again ragging around him.

“Better end this now. I barely have little more than a minute.”-He said before disappearing.

Soon after, I can hear the screams of horror and pain of the remaining Ice Wings. But I can’t turn to look at them. My body doesn’t answer my commands. And I don’t want to turn in the first place. I’m still paralyzed by pain, looking at the ashes remnants that were once my daughter.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!”

“AAARRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!”

“MY QUEEN!!!!!! AAAARRGHHHHHH!!!”

The screams only intensified, with the sounds of fire outbursts and explosions, even lightning, here and there. But I couldn’t do anything, only silently drown myself in sorrow and pain.

“Look at you. Is that the look of a queen? Or just the face of a mere looser?”-I heard a voice. But I didn’t even turn to look at the one speaking. “What? Now you can’t even talk?”-Sounded that voice again. And I noticed that his voice was the only noise I could hear. Anything else just faded. Like there was nothing around us. {How much time has passed?}

I finally turn to my left. Letting my head fall to rest over the rubles. And there they are. Those crimson red reptile eyes looking at me. With their abysmal look. I, once again, felt a chill creeping up my back, freezing me up in fear.

“Look at you. Your eyes are dead.”-The eyes seemed to speak directly to me. “It’s pathetic…”

“I… Don’t want… To hear… that… from you…”-I barely spoke.

Those eyes. Those lifeless eyes. I don’t want to hear that from them…

“Haha… So, you can talk huh?”-He chuckles. “I thought you would have become a mute or something. I guess not.”

“Shut… up…”-I don’t feel like talking anymore. Everything’s over. I know that. Every one of my kin is already dead… My sisters, my daughters, everyone…

{What did I sell my soul for? Why did I bring them all here in the first place?}-Those questions repeat themselves over and over inside my head. But no one can answer me.

Duke Zepar, the Devil I sold my soul to is silent. He hasn’t spoken anything for a while.

“Why did you sell your soul?”-Those eyes ask me, looking into my own, as if trying to scrutinize my soul, looking for something.

“I… Don’t know… He… promised me… that we would find a new home here…”-I don't even know why I'm answering him. I just do...

“Who?”

“Duke… Zepar…”

“He lied.”-Those eyes speak again with a firm tone. “You want to know what you would have found outside of here?”-What’s he saying now?

“You would find a bunch of heroes, a bunch of enemies. Each one of them ready to kill you. Some of them may be even stronger than me. But even if they weren’t. They sure have more numbers than you.”

“Ha…Haha…Hahaha… Why…?”

“Mmm? Why?”

“Why are you telling me all this?”-I ask. Looking for what little strength is left inside me. “Why don’t you let me die thinking all I did was to look for a better future but just happened to meet some misfortune?”

“Just because.”

“Ha…Haha…*sigh…* Just kill me already…”-I said while turning again to look where the ashes of my daughter remain.

“…”-I can feel those eyes’ gaze on me. “Sure… I’m already tired of this killing. I’m even physically tired…”-He spoke again.

*step… step… step…*

I can slowly hear his steps as he makes his way towards me. Until his shadow covers me, with the tip of his sword hovering over my naked chest. My armor lost long ago with the last impact.

It’s at that moment that I notice something else other than his eyes. His face… His body… It’s back to normal. There’re no marks around him. And his hair turned back again to its original shorter length. What’s more. He looks really tired.

“He… Was right… That Duke Zepar…”-I murmur to myself. Not really caring who heard me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My queen.”-He said with those indifferent eyes of him right before thrusting his sword into my chest. Right through my heart.

“You… *Cough* and your damned insolence…”-I said as I slowly closed my eyes. Not caring about anything else.

“I hope you can be happy in your next life.”-He dares to say.

“Fuck… You… Devil…”-Were the last words I could say to him.