Chapter 37: Kill the Ballad of Ice II

I wonder what I'll get to kill today! thought a young Esdeath, skipping through her small village.

A morning sun reflected the snowy landscape that was the Northern Frontier Lands. Vast mountains that could kiss the sky, a thick forest at its base, and a wide field with a view of the horizon lied in the opposite direction.

Even on clear days like today, it was still bitterly cold. A strong member of the Partas Clan doesn't whine about it, though. Esdeath herself never minded the cold.

Instead, she hummed a nursery tune, excited about today's hunt. If her father was honest, he'd allow her to hunt a Danger Beast on her own for the first time. She was young—only ten years of age—but wasn't afraid.

As customary in the Partas Clan, when one reaches an adequate age, they go into the wilderness to hunt and slay a Danger Beast. If victorious, they return to the village with the beast over their shoulders. If not, well, they have no place in the tribe. Returning without a kill is a cowardly act, punished with banishment from the tribe.

But, Esdeath wasn't afraid of the challenge at all—she embraced it.

"The strong live, and the weak die" is a doctrine her father would say often. The words had become a creed Esdeath held dearly. She was always confident in her abilities because she knew there wasn't a single part of her that was weak.

And out here on the Frontier, the harsh winds of winter ravaging the landscaping year-round, strength was a necessity. If the climate didn't kill you, the constant barrage of Super-Class Danger beast would. Such was the fate of Esdeath's mother.

She died because she was weak, is a thought Esdeath always repeating when the topic came up. She echoed her father's sentiments. While he mourned, he ruled she was weak and death was only logical.

But Esdeath knew she'd never meet that fate. She'd been on hunts with her father and other tribe members in the past, and she never came close to death. It was quite the opposite: she had taken the lives of many Danger Beasts several times her size. The young girl always looked forward gutting and mutilating a Danger Beast for their meat and other spoils.

I can't wait to cut one open for myself, she thought, the cathartic image warming her cheeks. I'll have to be extra sure not to let them die too quickly.

Esdeath was going to aim for a non-vital spot so she could savor dissecting the Danger Beast as slow as possible. She hoped her father would let her keep one as a pet so she could experiment cutting as many parts as she could without it dying.

The reason Esdeath strolled through the village was that she waited for her father to return since he had left at dawn. Esdeath was so excited for today's hunt, she could barely sit still.

She waved at the citizens of her tribe, her boots crunching the snow below her. The entire tribe had nothing but praise for Esdeath. She was an elegant, charismatic, and promising warrior. It wasn't a stretch to call her the idol of the Partas Clan.

After an hour of strolling around the village, she returned home to the welcomed sight of her father in his usual kimono and furs. The fresh hides in his hands told Esdeath the hunt was a success. "Father!" she yelled before running up to him.

Her father pushed some of his pale hair aside, his face indicating a man who's been very active. "You're up early, Esdeath."

"Yep! I see your hunt was successful." Esdeath pouted. "I wish you would've stalled tearing off the beasts hide until you brought it to the village."

Her father chuckled before patting her head. "If you have time to worry over that, you should be training. Wouldn't want your skills to grow dull, do you?"

"But I'm plenty strong already! Just wait until I begin my hunt. I'll bring back a humongous, Super-Class Danger Beast!"

"Your hunt?" Esdeath tilted her head as her father's eyes widened. "Right…I had forgotten your hunt was today..." Her father had a far-off look before he said, "Esdeath, why don't you conduct your hunt at a later date?"

"What…" She was beside herself. The young girl had trained and gone on hunts with her father in preparation for this day. Listening to her father wanting to postpone her hunt was like he was saying she was too weak. And that was unacceptable. "You can't do that! I'm ready to take the challenge now!"

"Now's not the best time, Esdeath. Look at the horizon." Her father pointed to the dark clouds in the distance. The skies were clear and the sun was radiant, so Esdeath hadn't noticed them. "I've taught you to read the weather; what do you think those are?"

Hanging her head, Esdeath said, "Storm clouds. A really bad blizzard is on its way, right?"

"Exactly. Right now, it's best to stock up on supplies and wait until the storm passes. Hunting on the frontier is difficult enough when the conditions are calm. I don't want to send my daughter on a hunt in extreme conditions like that. Not to mention we've found traces of an odd Danger Beast not native to the frontier…"

Esdeath clenched her fists, a desperate look on her face. "But I still want to try! I've trained hard for this day, and I know a blizzard won't stop me from accomplishing my goal!"

"You're strong, much stronger than I ever could've hoped. The natural talent you have eclipsed anyone I've ever seen. Teaching you to be a hunter is like teaching a fish to swim. Be that as it may…" Her father stared downward, long in the face. Esdeath knew what this expression meant.

"… I won't die as my mother did. It's like you said, Father, the strong will live and the weak die. Mother was weak, so she died…but I'm not." Esdeath gazed into her father's eyes, her confidence brewing. "Let me prove to you I am strong. If I die, then it was only a matter of time anyway."

Her father seemed mystified as if he was looking at a glorious painting, Then, he smiled. "Sometimes, I feel you're too accustomed to this life. Talking about your mother's death and the possibility of you dying like it's a trivial matter. There are men who have lived their whole lives and can't find this kind of conviction."

She patted her father's shoulder, a warm smile across her face. "It's because I have such a great father."

Nodding, her father crossed his arms. "You are right, my child. Just as nature has worked since the beginning of life, your will shall be tested. If you are worthy, you shall make it back to me and lead this tribe to glory even the Empire would fear. If not, then you are no different from prey that spends their lives running from death."

Grinning from ear to ear, Esdeath yelled, "Yes, Father, I'll make you and the Partas Clan proud!"

VVV

As tradition dictated, her trial would begin in the late hours of the evening. During the time she waited, Esdeath was not to eat or drink. If she needed sustenance, she'd have to find it in the wilderness. The young girl used the time she had to sit and meditate.

Throughout the hours, members of the tribe would give their regards, wishing her the best of luck in the trial. Everyone in the Partas Clan wanted the young girl to succeed, but their tones sounded grim as the sky darkened with foreboding clouds. Despite some misgiving, Esdeath assured them she was strong enough to outlast any force the planet throws at her.

When the time arrived, blindfolded, Esdeath hopped on a raptor Danger Beast with her father the tribe had domesticated. Before the hunt could start, the person taking the trial had to go into the middle of the wilderness without sight. Not only did she have to kill a Danger Beast and bring it back, but she also had to find her way back home.

As her father predicted, it had begun snowing. It wasn't strong enough to be anything more than a light flurry, but it was sure to pick up intensity quickly. And by the feel of the wind, it was going to be a strong one.

As Esdeath sat on the raptor, her father whispered, "You can still back out now, Esdeath. No one will think any less of you. This storm looks worse than I initially thought it'd be…"

Smiling, Esdeath said, "Not a chance, Father. It's not my fault if the planet thought I was so strong, it needed to force the elements to make this harder, hehe."

"Very well. Let us be off!"

The frigid wind blew against Esdeath, the snowfall colliding against her face, as the raptor rook off at a great speed. Esdeath had ridden them enough to know the proper etiquette when mounted on the swift beast. Even while domesticated, the raptor would easily turn against a rider it felt was a weakling. The perfect pet for her tribe.

Esdeath, who had been keeping track of time, felt the raptor slow down after an hour of riding. Her father removed the blindfold, revealing a snowy forest. Esdeath had been here on hunts before, but the length of the ride suggested she was deep inside the forest.

"So, this is where I'll have to start," said Esdeath, jumping of the raptor, her look of enthusiasm not fading. "Even experienced hunters in our tribe are known to get lost in this forest because of the density and uneven elevation."

"It'll take a true hunter to get through this with the conditions being so hostile." Her father closed his eyes, some indecisiveness of his face. "You know the rules of this trail, so I won't waste time on that. So…all I will do is wish you luck."

"Luck is a tool for weaklings. I'll get through this with skill and intelligence. Make sure you have my favorite meal ready for when I get back."

Her father laughed heartily, which was a rare phenomenon. "You really are a special one. Until next time, Esdeath…if you are to be victorious that is." Her father gave her one last glance before riding away on the raptor Danger Beast. Within a minute, he disappeared behind the thick trees and falling snow.

Esdeath's smile vanished as she considered her options. The only equipment she had was her clothes, some rope, and a hunting knife.

She had three options: hunt for a Danger Beast immediately, find somewhere to take refuge since she'd have a few more hours of daylight left and the storm was worsening, or search for water.

As much as I want to kill one now…hunting in the dark would be risky. A common fact was how the most vicious Danger Beasts came out to hunt at night, and that went double for the forest. Not to mention the blizzard would become so thick in the darkness, she'd have no visibility.

I'll find shelter first, something dry. Then I'll start a fire and use my coat as a basin to melt some of the snow. Her pride nearly convinced her to brave the elements regardless, but this was the best course of action. One advantage she had was this trial had no time limit set to it.

The young girl drifted through the snow while the storm got stronger. Along the way, she encountered some small animals, but nothing worthy to bring home as a trophy. Tracking anything big was a problem since the snowfall covered tracks that might've been visible.

Esdeath made sure to mark the trees with her hunting knife as she passed them. One of the biggest reason people fail the trial is because they lose their way in this dense forest. She could recall the frozen corpses of failed hunters and travelers her tribe has pulled from the forest.

After meticulous searching through the growing flurry, she discovered a small cave. The young girl hurried inside, happy to be out of the blizzard. What's more, there were no Danger Beast or other unwelcomed visitors inside. The space was narrow but was more than accommodating for the little girl.

After procuring some dry wood, Esdeath made a fire, which was like a godsend in the middle of the blizzard. Then she scooped some ice into her jacket before holding over the fire. In no time, she had some water to drink from. She used the excess to fill her canister.

"So far, so good," said Esdeath, resting on the cave wall. She was annoyed when her stomach barked at her. "Looks like there isn't going to be a meal tonight. It's too risky going back out there."

Not only had the sky darkened, but the blizzard had also gotten ferocious. Trying to hunt in this weather would be like trying to scale a mountain with one leg. Even though she was eager for any challenge of her strength, she was wise enough to know when an act would be counterproductive.

"Better to conserve strength for tomorrow. Heh, I bet Father and the rest of the tribe figured I'd be back by now. Hope they're not too disappointed when I return tomorrow."

Esdeath laid down, seeking solace in her thoughts from the stinging cold of the blizzard. Even with the fire, she could feel herself get numb.

Why was my mother weak…? Esdeath pondered the matter many times. She was strong, her father was strong, so why was her mother weak? It was always a mystery why her father chose someone who was weak. Esdeath chalked it up to him just being in love.

"Love, huh?" Her life was hunting and surviving, just like all young Partas. Though, she pondered what love is at times. Whenever she'd ask her father, he'd never give a straight answer. In her opinion, love was an irrational emotion you felt towards somebody with a specific set of characteristics.

So, Esdeath thought about what set of characteristics she'd want in a man.

"… He'd have to be a strong warrior, always thinking of how to get stronger. I'd want him to join me on dangerous hunts, so he'd have to be courageous and daring. Nature must mold him so he can know how to survive and persevere, so someone raised on the Frontier would be nice—not some cupcake in the Capital. Him being younger would be nice so I can easily be in charge."

Esdeath mulled over her choices. While that sounded like an impressive man, something was missing…something crucial. The final requirement came to her because the way her father smiled always made things better.

"He has to have a warm, innocent smile that I like."

She smiled, a pleasing feeling enveloping her as she used her hands as a pillow. Esdeath's ideal partner was enough to make her warmer, even during the harsh blizzard. Such a man could only exist in my head, she thought before allowing her consciousness to drift off.

VVV

Upon waking, it was nice to see the blizzard had subsided, leaving a light snowfall in its wake. There shouldn't be any more trouble with the weather. With the conditions more favorable, Esdeath stretched a bit before venturing into the white sea. It was time to begin her hunter and find a worthy Danger Beast.

With the blizzard gone, searching for tracks will be easier. Need to find something before I get famished.

Esdeath set out once more, searching for any sign of a Danger Beast. She managed to find several in no time, but none were worthy of hunting. Frustration was beginning to set in as she wondered if the blizzard warded away any big game. However, after some hours, she found some promising tracks.

She knelt and examined some hove tracks, each footprint being larger than her head and fresh. "These belong to a Buckler Danger Beast, likely adult, and it's a just under Super-Class…" A wide grin cracked across her face. "Perfect for my trial."

Esdeath used all her knowledge about tracking to locate the Danger Beast. She examined footprints, any damage to trees or plants nearby, and kept information about Bucklers in her head. They were common around the Northern Frontier, so it wouldn't be her first encounter with one. A Buckler's giant antlers could break the bones of a grown man, but Esdeath already knew a proper method to dispatch it.

As Esdeath was tracking the Buckler, an odd phenomenon happened. The snowfall began to strengthen, becoming more thick and rapid. This change of weather had come out of complete nowhere. And it seemed to get stronger as she pressed forward. That's odd… It was calm only a minute ago. Despite the oddity, she pressed forward.

After meticulous examination of the creature's tracks, Esdeath found the beast eating some berries near the edge of a steep hill. It was a perfect opportunity to kill it. Esdeath decided to forsake her plans for slowly killing the beast, and felt getting it over with quickly was best. This could turn ugly fast if she was careless.

Quietly, she stepped closer to the creature while drawing her hunting knife. When she was close enough, she grabbed the knife by the blade, intent on throwing it between the beast's rib cage. Her father demonstrated this technique before, and she was confident about performing it herself.

The wild card was the falling snow. While it provided her adequate cover, it did the same for the Buckler. This would be a difficult target to hit, a challenge Esdeath licked her lips in anticipation for.

Keep my prey in sight, wait for wind resistance to weaken, have a light touch…and then...! Esdeath threw her hunting knife once the conditions were right. She clicked her tongue when the knife plunged into the beast's hide, missing its mark by a few inches. The beast was in pain, but still alive and thrashing about in confusion.

The fledging hunter sprinted from her spot, intent on finishing the kill. A rampaging Buckler was perilous to engage…but, as she did with every challenge, Esdeath smirked at this new obstacle.

She dodged the beast antlers before yanking the knife from between its rib cage. This act angered the beast, causing it to lock its gaze on Esdeath. It scraped its giant hooves in the snow, indicating it was about to attack. Esdeath, the edge of the hill at her back, held her knife at the ready.

Sticking out her tongue, she said, "Anytime you're ready, filthy beast!"

Roaring loudly, the Danger Beast charged at her. Esdeath followed suit, aiming for the Buckler's neck. This will be close! Once the moment arrived, Esdeath ducked to avoid impalement by the antlers. Then she swiped her knife across its neck, slicing it open. "Got you."

Her smile vanished when the Buckler tumbled down the slope. "Darn, I was too careless!" Esdeath ran to pursue, sliding down the snowy slope in pursuit of her prey. And as she did, things became more bizarre.

As Esdeath descended the slope, the snow storm became fiercer and colder—much colder. "What is going on!" she yelled. Her body was so cold it felt like hypothermia was setting in, the snow stung her eyes, and like the storm itself was strangling her. Throughout her entire life on the Northern Frontier, she had never experienced anything close to this agony.

I think I'm gonna die… She tried her best to maintain consciousness. Still, the farther she went, the rougher the conditions became. At this point, she had no visibility was losing feeling in her body. It was as if death itself was embracing her.

But even with the hell-like forces nature was hurling at her, the young girl refused to submit.

She kept repeating, "I'm not weak, I'm not weak, I'm not weak." It began as a whisper until it devolved into her yelling at the top of her lungs. Then she screamed, "This won't stop me!"

And, like some force heard her voice, the pain stopped. Esdeath had reached the bottom of the snowy ravine, and the harsh conditions subsided on a dime. The snow stopped, and the sun was shining.

With her body shaking, each movement met with a cracking sound from the ice that formed on her, she stood up. The sight of dark clouds around her made a circular barrier while a clear sky was directly above. It was like she had reached the eye of a storm. It's like the blizzard is alive… How could—

Even with this incredible development, a more stunning sight was in front of her. Sleeping soundly on the ravine's floor—right in the center of the eye of the blizzard—was a dragon with scales so brilliantly blue, the sun reflected off them like the sea. The sight was hypnotizing.

"What kind of Danger Beast is that…?" The dragon was massive. Esdeath doubted she was bigger than one of the creature's eyes. Another interesting observation was the giant scar on its back. Scar looks old. It was in a rough battle a long time ago. Does that mean another beast like this exists somewhere in the world?

In this situation, the next play was obvious for anyone else. Her kill was lying at the bottom of the ravine, she was still regaining feeling in her body, and a giant Danger Beast who could probably blow her several kilometers laid before her. For most, they would grab the kill and get the hell out of there before anything can go wrong.

Esdeath wasn't most. She was a warrior, and right now…her excitement was rising. If I can kill something like that…I'll be the strongest ever! She clutched the hunting knife in her hand before running at the dragon, aiming at is vulnerable underbelly. That way, I'll never die like mother, and I'll always stand by father's side!

No matter how big the beast was, like any dragon, its belly was vulnerable. Esdeath read about them before, so she knew where the heart was. When she reached the desired spot, she didn't hesitate to plunge the knife in the creature's belly. As she expected, the dragon roared to life with a roar louder than anything Esdeath had ever heard.

Then the creature's blood erupted from the wound, shooting her back with the force of a geyser. She hit the snowy ground, her form completely caked in red, the dragon's blood. And as was the theme today, something strange happened as an odd sensation spread through Esdeath's body.

"My body…!" The feeling was indescribable. It was like her body was melting and freezing at the same time. Her body felt like it'd explode from the inside out if she allowed it. She could practically hear her heart beat a hundred erratically. It feels like something overtaking me!

To add to her woes, a massive force pressed down on her, the air knocked from her body. The cause was the dragon, its massive leg placed on her body, two giant blue eyes staring down at her. It could've crushed Esdeath with ease, but the dragon seemed to be studying her.

Despite all the craziness that's transpired the last few minutes, the most unthinkable event occurred when the dragon said, "You're still drawing breath, even after being coated in my blood."

"W-what…?" This is a trick, she kept thinking. There was no way a Danger Beast talked to her. Even the biggest fool in the Empire knew that only happened in the most outlandish fairy tales. What's more, its voice sounded feminine almost mother-like in its subtle gentleness.

"What's more, you even made it through my barrier. I've come across handed warriors who could not bear the torture of my barrier, yet you—a young girl—has managed to accomplish that… You're very remarkable."

The dragon continued to gaze at her. Esdeath felt powerless right now, at the mercy of whatever this mighty behemoth wanted to do, and she despised feeling powerless because that was a feeling of the weak. It mattered little since her consciousness was slipping away. An effect of the dragon's blood maybe?

"I don't know why, but you seem to have an affinity with me, else being coved in my blood and being so close would've killed you by now." The dragon's eyes narrowed. "You're someone meant to accomplish extraordinary things."

Too dizzy… Esdeath's were heavy. Can't keep awake… The dragon's blue eye was the last thing she saw before things went dark.

VVV

"Ah!" yelled Esdeath, sitting upright. "Where…am I? Feels like I've been out for days…"

She was currently near the entrance to the forest, a spot she's been to many times. Her village would be a less than an hour walk from her current location. Also, there was a giant bird lying next to her. It was a rare avian species knows as an Evilbird.

"I'm back here? And where did this Evilbird come from?" She crossed her arms and tried to recall what happened. I killed that Buckler followed it down the slope through that weird blizzard, then I…met the talking dragon… Did that really happen?

Esdeath paused before rapidly shaking her head, smiling at the ridiculous notion of a talking Danger Beast. There were odd things on the Northern Frontier, but that had to have been her hallucinating due to the odd sensation she felt through her body.

"It must've been some ability of that Danger Beast… But, still…" Something had placed her in this spot and killed the Evilbird. Upon inspection, its neck was snapped, a feat that dragon would be capable of. And she didn't know why, but it felt like several days had passed.

Making heads or tails of this situation as too tough. Instead, Esdeath put the bird over her shoulder and decided to discuss this with her father when she arrived home. It was early into the evening, meaning she should arrive before nightfall.

During the walk, Esdeath noticed something about her body: it felt wonderful! She felt none of the pain that persisted earlier, she felt lighter, and carrying the large avian on her back was an easy chore.

"Why do I feel so great? Maybe the looming acceptance from my father has filled me with renewed vigor, hehe. Speaking of which, my home should be coming into sight right about—"

She stopped speaking; what she saw in the sky gave her tunnel vision. There was no mistake: the massive amounts of smoke in the air was coming from her village.

"That can't be!" Her legs moved on their own as she ran. She couldn't stop and marvel at how faster she had gotten since just a few days ago—another odd change. Instead, her mind was on her tribe, and on her father.

Finally, she stopped in front of the village entrance, gawking at the hopeless scene, her fears confirmed. Her home was burning to the ground. This can't be real…

She dropped the bird and ran through the village in search of life. Her jaw dropped in horror as many familiar faces were all impaled, beheaded, or worse. Whoever did this had no mercy as the carnage would suggest.

Esdeath ran to a man, impaled and alive. "Are you alright!"

"Ugh," he grumbled, a deathly look in his eyes. "Esdeath…another tribe from the north crossed the border…and ambushed us. Your father took the front line and slew many of the bastards, but the numbers were too much for him…"

Then she turned her head and saw a man pinned down by several spears. Her heart sank in a way it never did. The pain was greater than anything she had faced during her trial, or ever for that matter. It was surreal enough to make her believe this was another mind trick.

"Father!" she yelled, running to his side, kneeling in front of his crippled body.

He smiled when he saw her. "Hehe, this is nothing…"

The tears were about to fall. Even as an infant, Esdeath hardly ever cried. It was a sign of weakness. But now, it felt like her whole world was crumbling like shattered ice. Her will that she had refined until it was as strong as iron couldn't stop the outflow of emotion about to come out.

Then her father said, "It just means that we, who were defeated, were weak all along."

And just like that, it stopped. The tears, her emotions, the pain…it vanished. Her expression was blank as she looked down at her father, no empathy in her heart. She just…stopped feeling.

"Live strong, Esdeath, my daughter." Her father smiled at her once more before his eyes shut. "Seeing you now, I've nothing to worry about…"

Esdeath stood, taking in the chaotic surroundings. Her tribe was dead, her father was dead just like her mother, and she was all alone in a hostile environment. The feelings of sorrow should've come, but they didn't. Instead, it was surprising to hear someone's maniacal laughter.

Esdeath realized…she was the one laughing.

Never in her short life had she laughed so hard. Her laughter continued for a minute as she looked around at her slaughtered tribe. Why was she laughing? Everything she had was gone, so why did she find it so humorous? And then it came to her: it was the irony.

"I see…it wasn't my mother who was the weak one that didn't belong…" Her laughter subsided as she looked to the sky with a grin, black snow falling from the smoke covered sky. "All this time…I didn't belong because I was the only strong one…"