The sky was dark and heavily laden with ash. Ominous spires punctured the toxic sky letting in sickly green sun beams. A warm breeze graced the party's exposed skin, assaulting their noses with the all too familiar scent of burnt flesh. They dared to breathe the foul air as they trudged further into the wasteland that was once the west city. No sign of life bared its head if there was any but the undertones of a harsh winter peaked from under the footfalls of heavy boots. The ground was hard with ice stained black by dirt and the remnants of war.

Uneasy rabble stirred from the traveling crowd when the air turned cold and forbidding. They knew that many had died here but were unsure of who was responsible for such a massacre. This was the land the snow people had ravaged, but it was also the land the captive warlock claimed to have scorched in anger. Formidable power clashed here, raw elemental power so primitive, absolute control was unimaginable.

The party slowed as they neared the heart of rickety building frames.

"Set out and look for anything dead or alive!" barked the governor in a cool, gravelly voice. The scenery surrounding him was not to his liking. It was desolate, with nothing more to conquer and take. The governor soon turned his attention to Karin who was sleeping in her carriage. Jin briskly walked over to her resting place and harshly opened the curtains.

The noise of the curtain rings sliding quickly startled Karin awake as she scrambled for blankets to cover herself with. Staring up at the sour-faced man, Karin noticed that they had stopped moving.

"Get up and tell me what you can about this land!"

Grudgingly, Karin pushed past the governor and looked around muttering something under her breath. The hopeless scene around her stopped her anger as she took in the place her mother had destroyed. For a moment everything was silent as the somber wind carried the recent past to her ears. She could feel the energy of this earth was hurting and that there was nothing left to bloom sweet life. It was a coldness that she had never felt, the coldness of despair and hatred.

From the side of the road, Kazune watch Karin closely to see if she was alright. He did not like the essence she was giving off after seeing him homeland. The cold fire that burned within her was dampened to near extinction. While Kazune delighted in seeing his home void of those who used to torment him, he was unhappy he was not the undoing of this land. The cold earth told him that the war reached here the night he fled and ultimately ended the lives of the people. His frozen ashes were lacking in the pleasant fluffiness that came with burning and the warmth of the land was stolen.

Karin turned to the governor and told him it was her mother's doing and that her army should not be far. Scoffing at her answer, Jin replied, "The whole point of this voyage was to take over this city, there is nothing to take! What purpose do we have here now other than to kill those who stole new riches from me?"

"You could let us go." Karin responded quietly, knowing that was not a likely option.

"Like hell I'll let you go, I want your mother dead!" Jin shoved Karin back into her carriage, causing Kazune to stir. Karin let a small yelp as she fell back. That cry rang out loudly in the silence surrounding them.

Storming over to the carriage, Kazune pulled Jin down by his robes and planted his fist into the side of the governor's face. It was a dull smacking noise, but it must have hurt. Jin's nose began to bleed as he stared wide-eyed into the distance, shocked that someone would hit him so calmly.

To his own amazement, Kazune was calm. There was no blaring heat, no fiery rage no shouting at one another; everything was calm and everything was still. Jin's eyes shifted slowly to face Kazune's and was greeted with a saddened stare. Kazune released his grip on the governor and returned to his place on the edge of the road without a sound.

"Ahmm, well, shall we get moving? Where did all you lazy bums go off to?" Jin straightened himself out and wiped his nose. Something about this land sucked the fight out of everyone. The party began moving forward again. Step by step over the frozen ashy land.

~~..~~..~~

A few hours later the group had reached the edge of the west city where some life still endured. While the guards went to find an inn for the night and a suitable place to eat, Kazune was left alone with Karin's carriage. Knocking twice on the carriage wall, he asked if he could join her. She obliged. Being careful not to be seen, Kazune swiftly entered the small room and found Karin sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest. She looked awfully depressed.

"Is something bothering you?" Kazune asked.

"That town we stopped at was devoid of life... it made me sad. It is even worse knowing that this is the kind of person my mother has become."

Kazune sat quietly for a moment before speaking.

"I did not like the feeling of that place either. Sure I wanted it destroyed, but I did not wish for it to become so vacant." He reached over and grasped the top of Karin's hand. Her warmth felt lovely. The gesture seemed to startle her a bit but she soon relaxed into his touch.

"How are you? You've been walking on foot this whole time, do your feet hurt?"

"A little... do you mind if I take my shoes off for a bit?" Kazune was glad to complain just a little.

"As long as your feet don't stink!" Karin answered back a little more playfully than she had been the last few days.

They smiled for the first time in a while. Once Kazune got more comfortable, Karin crawled over and nuzzled into his chest, inhaling his sent deeply. He had not bathed in a while and his hair was a funny color because the dye was wearing off, but she was relaxed. Kazune wrapped his arms around her shoulders and breathed in the scent of her hair.

"I've missed you." He said quietly as he hugged her tighter. "I don't like being separated like this. Even if I can see you, hear you and speak to you, I cannot touch you or give you my love.

Karin began to feel tears welling up in her eyes.

"I don't like wearing this kind of outfit for that man" she said. "If it were you, I would be fine... but I really dislike him."

Kazune chuckled a little but became serious again.

"Karin... earlier... the governor knew that you weren't a virgin..." he trailed off.

"Oh, yeah..." Karin blushed. "We didn't go that far... but he did..."

"What?" Kazune responded urgently.

"Well... he did use his fingers a bit... but I threatened him with frostbite if he tried any more than that..." Karin hid her face into Kazune's tunic. He could feel her face burning and her guilt building up. He was not pleased that Jin tried to go so far with something that belonged to him, but he was glad that Karin was not violated.

Sitting up a little more, Kazune pushed Karin back a bit to look at her. He did enjoy her outfit very much.

"Let me rest a bit. You've been treated like a princess this whole trip." Kazune seated Karin on her knees and lay down with his head on her lap. With the face of a giddy teenager he was able to look up at Karin's lovely eyes past the bountiful breasts that sat inches above his face. Karin knew what he was doing and was blushing madly.

"You pervert..." she whispered with a tiny smile.

Kazune leaned up and began licking the undersides of her breasts, sucking and kissing all down her torso. He felt Karin's legs clamp together as she noticed her arousal and she stifled her whimpers so no one could hear. Kazune allowed his hands to roam her body for tender spots that made her quiver when he laced his fingers over them. Her face was beautifully flushed with a pure pink shade and her wonderful eyes dampened with pleading lust. Karin's lips parted slightly letting her hot breath create bubbles of steam in the cool air. Kazune pulled Karin over him so he could watch her straddle his frame. Unable to support her own weight, Karin lowered herself on to his body, blanketing him with the kindest warmth he could ever imagine. Kazune's hands ran down the arch of her back, resting on her behind. It squished wonderfully in his palms as she tried to get closer to his lips. He could feel her body slide easily along his body before their lips met in a greatly welcomed kiss. The heat in the carriage was nearly unbearable despite the cold air outside. Kazune began to fumble with is pants, trying to remove the belts and clothing from under Karin's body. He need was growing and the heat, he just wanted to feel her on his skin. He had only managed one buckle before Karin sat up. She looked down at him with half-lidded eyes. Upset at the loss of heat Kazune wanted to pull her back down but her graceful fingers traced down his stomach and started swiftly undoing his belts for him. She hooked her index fingers under the waistband of his pants and gently tugged. Eyes widening, Kazune raised his hips to allow her to slide them off completely.

She leaned down and dragged her long hair along his leg and up to his hips as she pressed his tunic up further. Karin left trails of kisses up and down his bare skin sending his mind into a spiral. He could hardly breathe. Everything was white in his vision. All he could hear was his own breathing and all he could focus on was her movements. The light touch of her fingers was so soft he swore it was silk. A sensation enveloped him that sent eclectic pulses directly to his head. Forcing his vision to return to him, he looked down to see Karin bobbing her head over his throbbing cock. The wet smoothness of her tongue massaging his member and the soft sucking feeling drove him insane. Kazune blushed deeply with his mouth opening a bit. His breathing became labored and he could barely keep his eyes open to watch the one he loved so much bring him so close to ecstasy. As if unsure if what she was doing was working, Karin looked up at him with brilliant emerald eyes while her mouth still held him. It was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. Her blushing face, embarrassed glassy eyes, and her eagerness to please him well... Kazune let out a moan that might have been too loud while his head was thrown back into the blankets. Karin resumed her activity, sucking and licking around the tip. Every so often she would release him to lick up his shaft and allow the cold air to tease him further. It made him beg for her warm mouth again. She indulged his requests. Kazune felt helpless for the first time in his life. All he could do was lie back and let out cries of pleasure as someone melted him. He was so close now, if she didn't stop her onslaught, he would cum within seconds. It was too late, Karin removed her mouth from around his member just as he released. Squeaking in surprise, Karin recoiled quickly. Coming down from his high, Kazune looked down at Karin again. She had his seed on her face and looked a little unsure of what to do about it. Embarrassed that he had dirtied her, Kazune reached for his pants to offer as a wipe. Karin surprised him further with a deeper red face. Her eyes glanced to his as she began to wipe her face off with her hand and lick the cum off her fingers in the most seductive way he had ever seen. It was as if he was getting a display of what she had just done around his manhood moments before. When she was done, Karin looked at him with wonderful eyes.

Kazune stammered and was unable to form words.

"I hope you are well relaxed..." Karin said in a hushed tone.

"You, you've earned major points for later..."

Kazune licked Karin's lips again, asking for more kisses. She was willing to give up more of her love to him. As he pushed her onto her back the carriage shook violently. Their brief fall became Kazune shielding Karin against the vibrations. A wave of terrified voices rose up from the town as the wind picked up. A cackling rung through the air. It was bell like and tinlkly. Kazune pulled his pants back on and used a bit of magic to fasten the buckles quickly. Holding Karin close to him, he peeked around the carriage wall to see what was going on.

"DAUGHTER!" The voice screamed.

Icy wind blasted the carriage sending it tumbling. Kazune held onto Karin as if he thought she would blow away if he did not. They were thrown from the safety of the small room.

The two held tightly and opened their eyes slowly. Before them was a woman perched upon a moving ice throne. She had beautiful silver hair and deep blue eyes that rivaled Kazune's own. Her body had voluptuous curves and a heart shaped face. Her lips were like pink rose petals and she had the daintiest fingers Kazune had ever seen. Icicles were formed on her forearms.

The bell like voice rang out and she was the most terrifying, yet beautiful thing Kazune had ever seen. The only thing that could rival her was Karin's own beauty and terror.

"So, this is where bad children run off to!"