Chapter 25: Window of Red

Venereth grunted in pain as she landed against the ground of the secondary level of Ashla's Pike, the embrace of the 'shadow flight' leaving her, replaced by the cold bite of the northern winds. She raised herself to one knee, lifting her face shield and breathing deeply. She looked to her sword in her wounded hand, through gritted teeth she forced herself to grip it tighter. Looking around her she saw others of her kind that noticed her arrival, she raised herself as quickly and as carefully as she could, standing tall. Though as she took a step forward her hand found its way to her side and she noticeably winced, she saw the prying, judging eyes from her kin. In response she glared back and hissed, they lowered their heads in submission, reminding them that even wounded, she was still a force to be reckoned with.

She turned her gaze upwards to The Raider's Hall, while she should have felt confident that she had completed her task...a feeling sat with her that told her otherwise, she'd only faced an elemental once before. That child had been inexperienced and knew little of their true power but even so, it had been one the most difficult tasks she had ever carried out...she realized her overconfidence too late: that defeating one elemental did not make her an adept on killing them. In the end she knew that the only one who knew if she truly succeeded or not...would be the Witch King.

Sighing she continued on, ignoring the pain in her arm and side as she continued up towards her master's dwelling. As she made her way higher and higher she was watched by naga who were more aggressive or were more elevated in the hierarchy, they were not so easily dissuaded from staring. They sensed her weakness, even if it was only momentary, it's not as if she could blame them: weakness simply put is weakness and it was their way to stamp out weakness and she knew the risks of her position...as they knew the risk in challenging her. But it was Amicus who would ultimately decide the fate of each witch knight, as they were his chosen.

She had reached the flat ground of the third level as her thoughts were interrupted by an all too familiar sound of heavy metal steps approaching, looking up she saw General Tarn slowly walking down the steps of the hall towards her. She grimaced at the sight of her rival: commander Sorvec who followed close behind Tarn, she turned back to the general who stopped just in front of her, towering over her...as always. If anyone despised weakness more than anything else, it was Tarn, though she could gleam no expression from behind his metal mask, she sensed from his quiet and Sorvec's smug grin that things here would not end well for her.

General Tarn stepped to the side, as he did the dark whisper of the Shadow Flight filled their ears, she looked skyward to see a shadowy orb rise from the Raider's hall and then slam into the ground in front of her. The frilled helm of the Witch King looked upon her now, swallowing hard she could think of only one thing to do: she knelt before him and held her sword out to him in both hands, her head bowed. If she had failed...the consequences were clear, but she would face them...whatever they may be...

She shuddered slightly as his steel grasp wrapped around the blade of her sword...but rather than snatching it from her grasp he simply slowly dragged his hand across both edges of the blade from side to side. Releasing his grip, he held his hand out flat, the blood from her blade now pooled in the curves of his steel glove, "Well done Venereth."

Sorvec's expression was disbelieving and shocked, he almost said something but a quick look from General Tarn silenced him. Venereth looked up questioningly, "My lord?..."

The blood in his hand slowly lifted and gathered into a small swirling orb of crimson that hovered above his palm, "You've brought me exactly what I hoped you would."

"Then the elemental is-"

"It was never expected that you would kill the elemental." She could not help but be wounded by how curt he stated this but she did not dare let it show, "We have not seen the last of lord Embercrow...I can assure you." He turned and walked back to the hall with the orb of blood still floating in his hand, "Come..."

She winced and stumble slightly as she rose, she was stunned when her slight fall was halted by a surprisingly gentle hand from General Tarn. His massive hand held her arm and assisted her to her feet, she had not known him long but she had never taken him for the type to help a lady off the ground or anyone for that matter, his specialty was more along the lines of...putting people in the ground. She eyed him with curiosity a moment until he motioned with his head toward the hall, she continued onward...still perplexed.

Sorvec attempted to follow but was stopped by Tarn's hand against his chest, the naga General growled softly: a simple message that he was not welcome at the current meeting. The commander stepped back with his head hung as General Tarn moved past him. Sorvec glared up at Venereth as she disappeared into the hall with Amicus and Tarn

OoO

In the hall, Amicus walked towards a large, circular table in the middle of the throne room: surrounding the table were a few select Naga Ai lieutenants and captains that represented his war council that watched the trio as they entered. The Witch King stood before the table, the crimson orb moved from his hand to hover above the center of the table, emitting a slight glow which was the only source of illumination in the room, without looking to anyone he spoke, "Leave us."

Every one of them bowed and quickly left the room, even the guards near the throne and doors followed. Venereth watched the heavy doors close behind them, now only the three of them remained, she suspected she was to be witness to something important. She turned back to Amicus and Tarn who stood at the table looking at the orb, the naga general motioned with a hand for her to approach, her exhaustion began to wear on her with every moment she stood but she made herself walk forward.

The Witch King kept his gaze on the orb as he spoke, "Tell me, what precisely transpired that left you with such injuries?"

She sheathed her weapon and traced her hand along the wounds on her upper and forearm as she told their stories, "Lord Aldren gifted me with this and I repaid him in kind twice over, but this was the young princess Anna who thwarted me just as I would've claimed his head for you, my lord...I intend to repay her too should the opportunity present itself." She scraped her steel claws against the table.

"That opportunity may come sooner than you think...but we have more important things to discuss now." He held his hand out towards the crimson orb, the rounded orb expanded and flattened into a thin sheet that stood vertical to them like a window of glistening red. "Now is time for a lesson...how would you describe elementals, now that you have faced and been defeated by a second more powerful than your first?"

She looked at the window of blood in awe as she replied slowly, "Power...raw emotion and fury...a force of nature."

"Accurate if inelegant, for an elemental's power is not based solely on emotional state. No, an elemental's true power comes from concentration, still mind and focus...singular focus. What was it that made him lose his focus?"

"The young princess Anna, I suspect that against lord Embercrow's wishes she brought troops to reinforce him during our duel. She thought she was helping him...she was distracting him."

"Yes. And what restored his focus?"

"Rage...with no form or grace...just pure, unrestrained hatred. If my poison hadn't begun to bring him down when it did...there wouldn't be anything left of me..."

"No, there would not. His strength came from anger and hate, he did not think of anything or anyone else in that moment other than destroying you...but it is also his greatest weakness, had he let his hate overcome him he may have wiped out every living thing that surrounded him...including the princess."

"My lord, was it not queen Elsa's fear that led to her incredible display of power that covered this entire country in ice and snow?"

"Indeed, but it was not her intention. She was not even aware of what she had done initially, her imbalance and fear made it so her power controlled her instead of her controlling it, Aldren Embercrow is no different. Remember that the next time you face any elemental in the future, their weakness is your strength and their focus is your undoing."

"I shall my lord."

Amicus gestured back to the window of red, "No doubt you are curious as to why I had you bring this to me..."

She looked to the window, "The thought...did cross my mind."

"Through the use of dark magic, we can peer into the history and events related to an object or artifact of magical nature. In this respect elementals are very much the same, perhaps even more so. My power combined with this sample of lord Embercrow's blood will allow me to temporarily link my thoughts with his and so long as the blood remains whole, the umbilical will remain intact..." He passed his hand just over the surface of the blood, dark magic crackling from his fingers and dancing above the blood's surface "A window...into his past and his present..."

Though Venereth did not fully understand her master's aim in invading lord Embercrow's mind, she could not help but be infinitely curious, entranced even by the concept of such a power. Her hand involuntarily, slowly reached out to the window of red. But suddenly the blood recoiled into a stream that quickly arced its way into a black, circular container the Witch King held in his hand. The lid of the container slid shut, "All in good time. This device may prove vital to our victory over our enemies, but not now...not yet."

She nodded, "In the meantime my lord, what would you have of me?"

For a moment Amicus simply looked on at her silently, "Rest, recover...and prepare for a siege."

"Siege, my lord?"

"Yes, while you pursued your quarry in the Troll's Pine, Queen Elsa laid siege to Hadenville, conquering the garrison and even slaying Decicus. Her army has retaken the entire south and soon they will be upon us. You will take any new directives from General Tarn until I deem otherwise."

She glanced over her shoulder at Tarn who she had nearly forgotten was standing behind her, she turned back to her king, "As you command."

"Go now, you have served me well and soon your faithfulness shall be rewarded."

She bowed to him before turning to leave the hall, Amicus nodded to General Tarn who bowed his head and followed Venereth out of the throne room. The Witch King was left alone now, looking upon the black reliquary in deep thought: The young pyromancer had demanded his attention from the beginning...but now he suspected the Embercrow lord may serve his purposes in more ways than he had foreseen...

OoO

Despite being wounded Venereth's stride was aided by renewed confidence as she walked out from the raider's hall towards the city.

"Venereth."

It was shaken again when she heard Tarn's grainy voice behind her, she turned to see him walking up to her, she nodded, "General?"

His thunderous stride halted in front of her, folding his arms as he began to speak, "Seeing as you will be taking your orders from me for the time being, I believe that I should make some things clear..." She braced herself for inevitable berating, "I-am-not your enemy." Her eyes widened slightly, 'The surprises never end.' she thought to herself as he continued. "In opposition of what you may believe, I do not despise you or Meren. Your brother may not be the fiercest of warriors but he has proven a skilled sergeant in the past, I value level heads as well as strength and I felt that Meren's more tempered demeanor might serve to balance Dane's...eagerness. Based on current events it would seem likely that my captain did not heed your brother's council; an error in judgment that has led to a prolonged war that could have been avoided altogether."

She grinned, "Why general, I thought you enjoyed warfare and looked down on weakness?"

"I value progress, and Dane's oversight halted that progress...this is what I look down on."

She cocked her head, feeling slightly relaxed around him, "Would my brother be due for promotion when he returns?" she asked, not truly serious but curious all the same.

"We shall cross that bridge when it is relevant...I have but one certainty in mind: that Dane will pay for his incompetence when he returns with his life and serve as an example for future commanders who fail to see the wisdom in restraint." Her grin and her ease disappeared all at once, there was the Tarn she had become familiar with: very to the point and very, very casual about death. "However the current focus is not Dane or Meren, but the war and how you may help with it."

She stood at attention, "What do you require General Tarn?"

"For now, only that you obey the Witch King's last command and regain your strength. When Arendelle retook the southern regions our forces there were scattered throughout, when you have recovered you will aid them in finding their way back to Ashla's Pike. We must be at full strength for the coming battle ahead."

"It shall be done."

He held up a hand, "One-last thing: when Aldren Embercrow steps onto the field once more, know this..." he leaned down so that his metal mask was in front of her face and placed his giant hand on her shoulder, "His life is-mine..."

She did not allow herself to be shaken but she knew it would be fool hearty, suicidal even to stand between General Tarn and his prey, she glanced momentarily at the burnt skin of his jaw and then nodded her compliance.

He removed his hand and walked past her into the city without another word. She had no interest in another duel with Aldren unless her master commanded it, he had done nothing that would not be expected from someone who was being attacked. In fact, she still admired him, in some ways more than admired perhaps. Though based on how personally the general took the wound to his pride dealt to him by the elemental, there wouldn't be much left for her to admire after Tarn was through with him.

She sighed and made her own way into the city in search of a bunk where she may sleep. But there was still one last individual who wanted words, the last person she wanted to speak with...

"Looks like the Aesir did a number on you eh?"

She closed her eyes and groaned internally, turning back she saw Sorvec leaning against the side of a building with his visor up, revealing his usual smug expression.

She did her best not to show signs of her injuries, "Yes, he proved to be a surprisingly worthy opponent...something I lack to find among my own people." she gave a smile with her last words directed at him.

His cocky look remained the same as he walked over to her, "That's just because you haven't looked hard enough, it almost sounds like you fancy him?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

She narrowed her eyes as he stood in front of her, "I respect his skill."

"Right...what'd you and our 'leadership' talk about?"

"I don't believe it's any of your concern."

"Now there's no need to be rude, I'm only curious." he said, feigning innocence with his hands held up.

Her fist clenched, "End your curiosity here, or I'll end it for you!"

"Oh...now I wouldn't make threats if I were you..." his hand rested on the pommel of one of his twin swords.

She eyed his hand, "Perhaps you shouldn't either...commander."

He smirked and leaned in, "No, I wouldn't try and kill you now...you're not whole, wouldn't be as much fun..." She held his gaze in a murderous glare, he simply snickered and brushed past her, "Worthy foe indeed. Don't rest too long, Witch."

Once he was out of sight she allowed herself to lean over slightly and breathe in deeply, she was starting to fade and she greatly desired rest. But there was one last curiosity she wished to fulfill, and she suspected that there would be no time once she had finished her reprieve. She made her way to the lower levels of the city, navigating through the crowds of fellow naga who served the Naga Ai cause in many different ways: the sounds of smithy hammers, marching footsteps and commanders shouting orders were among these. Eventually a large stable house came into view, she made her way to the side of the building, out of sight, she found a small hole in the wall and peered in.

She saw the ice harvester, Kristoff and the snowman called Olaf, but they were not as she had expected them to be. Gathered around them was a crowd of Arendellian prisoners, mainly children who watched Kristoff as he appeared to be telling some story with the aid of Olaf; using rocks and debris that had been stitched together into small figures. Whatever the tale, it appeared to be reaching its climax as the ice harvester's arms arced wide above his head and the snowman 'fell to pieces' in a humorous manner. The children all laughed quietly, Venereth herself had to suppress a small laugh at the sight of the silly creature.

He eyes widened and her expression suddenly became grim, she pulled away from the hole and leaned against the side of the building and it dawned on her: it had been so long since she had actually laughed...naga were born into a world where they must fight to survive, conflict was part of their existence. But when she looked upon the humans and how they could find joy and hope even in the face of annihilation...she envied them, she had never known anything beyond the Naga Ai and she couldn't help but wonder what life would be like if she had been born a human instead of a naga.

She took one last look at the ice harvester and snowman who found happiness in the darkest times, smiling slightly before using the shadow flight to ascend to the roof of the stable house. Standing atop she focused her vision to check on the third prisoner she was familiar with: the reindeer named Sven whom she had sparred from Sorvec's blades when they had first taken Ashla's Pike. What she saw did not please her: three soldiers were taunting the bound animal, the one in the middle teasing him with a bundle of carrots. Memories of bullies who tormented her brother in their early childhood flooded her mind and made her blood boil, one thing set her apart from many of her kin that she would never change...She did not believe in cruelty.

Gritting her teeth, she took to the sky in their direction, landing behind the middle soldier she drew her fist back and punched him hard across the face as he turned towards her. He fell to the ground unconscious, the carrots falling to the ground near the reindeer. She then extended a hand to the one to her right, a wave of force knocking him away into the side of a nearby building. She turned to the third and growled, he held his hands up defensively before running for his life. She then looked around at the few naga who might have taken notice to her actions, if they did, they were not concerned with it.

She looked to the reindeer who looked up at her, afraid and unsure how to react, to answer his questioning gaze she nudged the carrots towards him with her foot. She gave a slight nod before turning to leave, he gave her a small thankful groan as she left, though she did not respond, she understood. She made her way back up to the second level and eventually located an indoor bunk that hadn't been taken yet...A house that had once belonged to someone else...

She closed the door of the bedroom behind her, her body finally beginning to realize it's exhaustion. But first she began with removing her vambrace and wrapping her wounded forearm, her side would heal itself and the wound on her upper arm was cauterized by Aldren's heated blade. Once she finished with that she closed her visor and removed her helmet. Sighing in relief she ran a hand through her tangle black locks, her war braid in utter ruin, she followed by massaging the edge of her pointed ears which had been compressed by her helm for some time. She walked over to a desk with a mirror in front of it, she sat her helm and vambrace on the desk and looked into the mirror. She had not seen her own face in a very long time...she still looked good. She laughed internally at herself for being so vain, but she was proud of who she was inside and out...or at least she usually was...

This war had made her question a great many things, about herself and about her role in the Naga Ai. But there was one thing that she would always be certain of: her brother was the most important thing to her and she would get him back by whatever means necessary. Previous thoughts and recent memories attempted to invade her mind again but she ignored them, she didn't want to think about them anymore. She made her way over to the bed and laid down, again, for the first time in...who knows how long it had really been, she didn't care. When she awoke she would have a great deal of work to complete before the Arendelle army arrived, she would need a clear mind to do so. However, she couldn't stop herself from recalling what she had seen at the stable house before she fell asleep, smiling, she closed her eyes and again wondered...she scolded herself for thinking this way, she sounded like her brother...