The frozen wastes of Jutonheim was no happier with its intruders than it had been the moment they had arrived. The stilled blizzard of sleeted ice drifted lazily through the frozen air, swirling softly in a drowsy spiral around the idle, prickling with hate upon either presence imposed on its hateful iced plains.
The confident form of a standing woman was wrapped entirely with a billowing blue cloak edged with tarnished fur. Shadows clung to the beautiful form of her face, welcomed by the volumous folds of her heavy hood that loomed over her golden gaze.
At her belt an ancient metal of a long forgotten lore shimmered within the confines of an etched blade that ended upon an ornate hilt embroidered with a Dark Gem upon either side of the stretches of firm metal.
Standing before her was a man of immense size and strength, with battle toned muscle stretching at the seams of his heavy armor of weighted metal. Adorning his back was a cloak of a brilliant red, matching the subtle decorations within the expertly carved armor with a simple class. His handsome features were darkened with anger and the thirst for battle. Thor adjusted his grip upon his legendary weaponry as he took in the woman before him, debating visibly within himself concerning Winter, his anger, and his upbringing.
Honor, predictably, won out.
But just barely.
Thor dragged his glaring gaze from Winter's shadowed features reluctantly, resting his anger upon the frozen ground upon his feet. "Winter, it would be wise to speak no further." He warned firmly, his deep voice adorn with unspoken anger.
Well, Winter thought dangerously, That would not prove very helpful to my cause of royally pissing you off, now would it?
A wolfish grin stretched across her shadowed features as Winter drew in a single breath, savoring perhaps the last moment before she'd have to adruptly evade a well powered swing her way. "I never thought I'd see the day when The Mighty Thor ran from a fight." Winter growled with sharpened teeth and a pleasant smile. "I DO wonder what I'll see next.."
Thor's silent ire exploded outwards, and he tore his gaze to Winter's with fury boiling through his once handsome features. The ancient metal of his weapon whirled and sang through the air as Thor raised the weapon to the air by the leather strap, the weapon of legend's form blurring together into a whirlwind of power and Asgardian Magic.
Thor leapt into the air, his weighted boots cracking and splintering the ice beneath their soles within his wake. The frozen wind tore at Winter's cloak as Thor threw his weapon, himself included, towards the wake of the Frost Beast.
Winter rested a hand over her slamming heartbeat and released a long, drawn out breath of air she hadn't even realized she had collected and held.
Well, her head wasn't thrown off her shoulders. So, there's that.
Among her relief, however, Winter found that, alarmingly, her heart beat was faint and withdrawn.
On the other side. Well reminded pointedly.
Ah.
You're lucky that he didn't take off your head. Sure, this provocation scheme of yours worked when he was a little stick swinging toddler. But his reflexes are getting faster. He'll take your head one of these days, when you anger him just a bit too much.
Oh, no, he was a gentleman. Winter thought sarcastically as she squared her shoulders, firmly throwing her hands open palmed towards the ground. The iced spikes that held the Frost Giants at bay around the clearing tripled in height, baring the blood of more than a hundred men upon its ice. He left us here to die.
He didn't leave us to DIE, he's too honorable for it!
Not on purpose. He doesn't know I can take this very world if I desired it. He thinks I'm still a gadget flinging trader.
And, you're not mad that if you were as he thought you were, you'd be dead by now?
Oh, I'm furious. Winter growled within her thoughts sharply before dropping her hands with a soft smile stretching across her features. The wall of spears and ice fell back into the shifting ice without so much as a murmur of complaint.
Ice was such an obedient thing.
"Well now!" Winter clapped once sharply, the noise slicing through the silent air as the Frost Giants collected, and remained, outside of the clearing. "As I rather like to say to the people who are blinded by death." Winter started, a soft smile twitching across her features as she displayed her open palmed hands to the Frost Giants that took no step further onto the clearing.
"People get so, hot blooded, you see." Winter's voice continued, cutting through the steeled silence as a weapon would, "Battle is an event any warrior adores, both dreads and craves. No one here will deny that, surely?" Winter turned with a raised eyebrow in a mock inquisition, the warriors adjusted their grips upon their weaponry in silence as they regarded the woman placed before them assessingly. Wondering how many of them it would take to bring her down. "Heh, I thought not. But I digress.." Winter smirked, shrugging her arms with good humour.
"Let's have some common sense." Winter's golden eyes shimmered with a firm knowledge from uncountable years that had long since been forgotten.
"You want me dead, I can respect that." Winter nodded as she rolled her shoulders comfortably, "I really do. Thing is, I don't particularly want to die today." Winter's golden eyes gleamed from the shadows of her hood with calculation, "A coward's thought, I know." Winter chuckled dryly, "Self preservation."
"But that's what I present to you. Self preservation. You've seen me fight. You've seen me win. But, you're not going to stand down, now are you? So, I'll offer you something else. And, heh, you'll enjoy this." Winter lifted her heavy hood from her features, allowing it to fall down her back to reveal a rather well cast, firm form of her Asgardian body.
"I'll bring your warriors back." Winter promised, unsurprised to find that no breath was caught amongst the warriors that lined the clearing in hoardes, "Your men, your husbands, fathers, anyone who died in this idiotic battle of the short minded. I'll bring back your dead." Winter raised a hand sternly, "For a price."
"This battle ends here." Winter demanded firmly as Laufey rose from his ruined throne and strode purposefully to the clearing. "The Asgardians will not be pursued," The crowd divided for the steps of their king as Laufey entered the clearing, and closed promptly behind him. "You will call back your Frost Beast," Winter continued, unfazed as Laufey calmly rounded the clearing, hateful gaze set upon her own, "Nnd no war will amount from this act of a spoiled child." Winter finished, her soft boots padding the iced ground with ease as she strode in time with the man, remaining upon the other end of the clearing.
"This was an act of war!" Laufey snarled.
"You act like you stand a chance!" Winter exclaimed in shock, her Nightmare features spreading like a disease across her Asgardian form's one. The golden, flawless skin grew blackened and marred, with rows of dragon teeth showing through her cheek. "You've got no method to leave these drifting ice rocks." Winter continued absently, resting a surprised hand upon her new features.
How foolish it was to think her Nightmare form would obey.
"A war, only on your worlds.. Well, that's not a war you'll win." Winter finished, her gashed lips pulled upwards in a grin as she dropped her hand from her features.
"Now," Winter called sharply, a coy glint dancing across her golden eyes. "You see, this comes with a limit. Bindings, if you will. There are three rules that I cannot change. Not now. Not ever."
"First, they had to have died within the hour." Winter held up one finger delicately.
"Second, they had to have died in my presence." Winter displayed a second finger firmly, a pointed look directing its way to the many deceased that piled around and within the clearing's broken ice.
"Thirdly, they had to have died a heroic death. In battle." Winter brandished a third, final finger in point.
"You speak lies." Laufey accused harshly, ceasing his pacing to regard Winter assessingly.
"Do I?" Winter blinked with mock shock, "Well, this is news to me."
"Oh my.. How much this explains…" Winter fawned with a joking grin falling across her features as her booted feet rested to the side of a fallen Frost Giant. "But alas, your opinion of me is biased," Winter threw a glare Laufey's way as she turned the fallen warrior onto his back as she glanced across his still fresh wounds. "Let us ask another, shall we?" Winter tilted her head slightly, smirking softly as she crouched beside the man, lying a palm onto the chest of the man.
The flesh knitted together, a rather gruesome sight. The severed muscle latched to its partner and dragged itself towards its partner, stitching itself to an invisible line within the minute. Once the flesh of the man was whole, Winter lifted her hand from the man. Thoughtfully, Winter gently blew upon her spread fingers. Red fire gripped her pale fingertips, curling around the digits with adoration.
Turn it blue, Power of Mine. Can't have a Frost Giant with a red handprint on his chest for the rest of his eventful days.
Why not?
They'll think I'm marking them. For something sinister. They don't understand what a mark of a spell would be.
The fire erupted a generously blue shade, perfectly matching the shade of the dead man. Planting her hand upon the center of the man's chest, Winter's confident grin deepened as the man took a sharp breath, and steadily claimed more.
"You! Have I ever told you a LIE, Towering Giant?" Winter inquired mock innocently.
The man swung an arm outward, gnashing his teeth at the effort and blood lust that was all too eager to return to the now VERY living man. Winter ducked beneath the blow, as she always would, and stood, dusting off her skillful fingers pointedly.
"Do we have a deal, Laufey?" Winter inquired calmly, a crooked grin twitching her lip upward.
"You are unnatural." Laufey condemned.
"Is that going to be a problem?" Winter furrowed her brow at the thought, taken aback at the claim.
"Well now," Winter looked to the wide eyed warriors that rimmed the clearing, their temptation to the offer written across their faces. Dying for a cause was an honorable thing.
But the idea of a returning loved one, it was the more tempting treat.
And reasonably so.
Winter shot Laufey a rather charming smile, in her opinion "Doesn't look like it's going to be much of a problem."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
You're going to Over Cast. Well warned as Winter staggered upon her weary boots. For every mark she had left of her palm upon the dead men, their own frozen skin had sizzled and charred her own. Frost Bite, she had been told. How easily it had been to forget such an ability.
I was mistaken for a Goddess by the Nightmares many times. A few parlor tricks and raising two hundred of the newly dead will not bring me to fall. Winter refused, shaking her head softly to restore the ability of a clear thought.
It's been years since you used any Power at all, Madness. Thousands of years. Well reminded mercilessly as Winter rested her back against the crumbling tower far outside of the ruined city. Winter stood alone, with only her thoughts to accompany her aching bones and weary limbs.
Quit talking. Winter commanded firmly.
Why's that? Don't like what you're hearing?
Winter was really rather sick of the effects of learning the art of sarcasm on her Power. Really, very, sick.
You haven't listed the five ways 'politely' asking Laufey why he really, REALLY hates me, was a terrible idea. Winter raised a hand, her open fingertips carving the form of a horse before herself.
Well tumbled and fell, forced from Winter's mind and placed firmly in the world before it by her own, demanding hand. Well shrieked with excitement and pleasure as the creature clutched at its new form with desire.
The form of a four legged beast the size of a horse leapt into the world. The creature wore eyes of a gleaming red, the shade of demonic blood spilt for dishonorable intentions. The animal's defined, stretched muscle were covered in hard, prickling white fur that grew shadowed at the clear mark of the many bones of the beast. The mane of the creature was adorn with long white strands of tarnished feathers the width of a single hair.
The creature held many ears attached to its elongated head, each of which elongated far upwards above the beast's skull. The animal's tail of an immense length was split down the center, portraying two individual slips of mobile, curling bone.
The sounds! Well fawned with delight, the great form trumphing about pleasantly as the creature's attention skittered about as a broken mug, The frost! How delightful! I want to see this! I want to poke that! I want to taste this!
Don't lick that. Winter rolled her eyes with annoyance as she turned to find her Power, stuck to the side of a building, its tongue outstretched and firmly attached to the ice.
Tooh laht… Nnnh shtuck..
Damn it, Power of Mine!
A/N - Alas! I have no reviews to respond to! Come on people, PLEEAASSEE!?