Bab 234: The history of the northern lands (1)
Asura reached for the hilt of her katana, but the woman casually waved her hand, halting the girl.
"Well, well, no need to grab your weapon right away. Let's talk instead, and there's nothing you can do to this body," the woman said, swirling around as thousands of snowflakes scattered around her.
Upon closer inspection, the woman's entire body seemed to be made of snow. Snow-white skin, eyes, and clothes – all were nothing more than snow and ice shaped like a person.
"Was it you who tried to knock me down on my way here?" Asura squinted with anger.
"Oh, what a fierce look," the woman's voice was far from malicious; rather, it sounded playful. "I just wanted to test you, find out your motives, make sure of your strength... and, well, just mock you a bit. Hehe."
The woman laughed impudently at Asura, much to her surprise after hearing so many myths about the seriousness of this ordeal from Siegfried and Freya.
"Who are you, anyway? And why are you laughing at me?!" Asura's patience was wearing thin.
"What? Don't you recognize me? I thought my descendants would be smarter," the woman replied.
"Hmm..." Asura examined the snowy maiden. She looked to be in her early thirties, with long white hair, but it was her attire that stood out. It was not the armor of a Valkyrie or any armor at all; instead, it was a light, shortened kimono – the traditional clothing of an ancient clan in eastern Verania. "Have we never met personally?"
"Probably not, but you seem to pass down stories about me from generation to generation. Though right now, most of it is just stories," the woman waved her hand, and a large pile of snow gathered behind her. She leaned back, propping her hands behind her head and happily created a snow cloud in the air. "Come on, take a seat. I haven't had a chat with anyone in a long time."
The woman lacked the elegance typical of the Yukitori clan; it was hard to believe she could belong to the same clan as Asura. With a similar gesture, a smaller snow mound appeared behind Asura.
"Don't worry; there's no cold in this room, so you can sit in the snow and feel nothing," the woman reassured.
Asura gave the woman a skeptical look, then glanced at the snow and back at her interlocutor. The pale stranger playfully raised her eyebrows, pointing at the mound. Eventually, Asura decided to trust her and settled down on the snow, breaking into a contented smile.
"Still, who are you?" Asura asked again.
"Well, well, think for yourself. Assess the situation, try to guess what kind of gemstone is hanging in the center and who could be its guardian," the woman replied.
Asura gazed at the flickering flames inside the crystal. It seemed serene and calm, but something was amiss. The tongues of flame detached and returned to the center, as if locked in one moment, as if time had stopped for them.
"Is it possible that this is the heart of the White Goddess?!" Asura stood up and approached the crystal. It wasn't cold or hot. Touching it barely registered on her skin.
"Well, you got the first one right. Now it's my turn. Who am I?!" Hope flashed in the woman's eyes.
"Could it be... you are the founder of the Shiva clan?" Asura squinted with doubt.
"Hey! What's with that look? Am I hearing cracks in your ideal image of a warrior?!" The woman crossed her arms, displeased.
"But... I imagined you completely differently," Asura timidly stepped back.
"Well?!" Shiva jumped up angrily, then quickly calmed down, squinting and adopting a much more serious tone than a moment ago. "Or were you expecting a serious and wise warrior? A great leader who brought glory and a place in history to her clan?"
Her face turned serious for just a couple of seconds, then quickly returned to her relaxed state.
"Unfortunately, it's mostly fiction. They just embellished me a bit for the sake of the story, that's all. Besides, I didn't encounter Azura the way you think," she said.
"But you defeated her and delivered her bound to the clan, didn't you?" the person asked.
"Haha, well, let me put it this way. A wounded god-dragon is incomparably stronger than any human. I couldn't even touch her. It was much simpler than that. Our clan, or rather, tribe back then, were ordinary hunters who occasionally traveled the world, offering their services to different villages. The lands to the east were wild and unexplored, so it was the perfect place for training the younger generation. In my youth, I had a disagreement with my father, so I set out on a journey alone. I hadn't returned home for five years until I heard that a dragon was ravaging the eastern lands."
"And when you returned, you met Azura?"
"Hehe, well, not exactly. I didn't know what the dragon looked like, so I thought the one lying in the middle of the forest, looking pretty beaten up, was the monster. I'm not stupid enough to charge at a dragon with a sword, so I set traps all around, laid out ropes, set snares, and dug a few pits with glue."
"And she didn't notice?"
"Oh yeah, you know, she was always a wild one. Isn't that right, Azi?" Shiva lightly tapped the crystal, and the flame inside flickered. "I spent nearly a day setting up the traps, and she didn't notice a thing. Then I lightly poked her tail with a little knife, and I watched with amusement as she panicked and got tangled up in my traps. It was a funny sight, but as it turned out, it was pointless."
"You're just wicked."
"Oh, don't praise me too much. She later told me everything, and I decided to help her deal with Ultras. In reality, she joined our clan in her human form. You know, a three-meter-tall beauty with horns on her forehead looked quite odd."
"I can imagine."
"Well, the cold and calculating part was more about her. I, on the other hand, was the initiative in our duo."
"So, you got yourself into all sorts of troubles?"
"Why be so quick to judge? Not always, you know! Azura made a contract with me, and in return, my entire family received the power of ice magic, and partly the power of white flames. She also taught us swordsmanship, writing, and culture. She said we resembled a certain people she met with her brothers in another world, so she decided to train us in their manner. In just a year, she transformed us from a gang of free hunters into a noble clan of warriors."
"And she managed to do all that in just a year?"
"Well, no, of course not. She used her power to slow down time and spend more years with us. But she recovered and was ready to challenge Ultras again. Then my brothers and sisters cornered him in his lair, and we fought him. Unfortunately, we couldn't defeat him, and I've always blamed myself for Azura's death. That's why I vowed to forever protect her peace."
"You know, we defeated Ultras not long ago."
"I know."
"How?"
"I'm not blind, you know. This place is at the intersection of magical lines, and I can see what's happening in other parts of the continent. Although I can't see what's happening in the Empire. By the way, your fiery friend there has caused quite a stir among the dragons. It's about time someone stirred up that snake's nest. It was long overdue."
"But how did Azura's heart end up here? Wasn't it kept in the sanctuary?"
"Yes, your father probably didn't have time to tell you about it," Shiva immersed herself in thoughts. "They brought it here a thousand years ago during the demon invasion. The Archdemon was looking for powerful sources of magic, and, of course, he was drawn to the heart of the White Goddess. That's when the Nords came to our clan's aid. We had a long-standing friendship since the time of the Great Plague. By the way, many jarls married girls from our clan, so they also possessed ice magic. But then we decided to protect the heart by moving it to a place inaccessible to the demons. Even after the Archdemon's defeat, cultists tried to seize the heart to resurrect him. So the heart never returned to Ultras's prison. I'm afraid that's what weakened the seal. Azura sacrificed her life to create the seal, but without her heart, it weakened, leading to the current situation."
Shiva lowered her gaze, and it was evident that she blamed herself for what had happened.
"Don't worry about it. If the heart had fallen into the wrong hands, it would have brought much more trouble. But tell me, did our clan lose its magic because of this?" the person asked.
"I believe so. After all, even the blood of the contractor cannot sustain magic in descendants for so many millennia. The power you possessed came from Azura's heart, and that's why the ice magic in the blood of the Nords regained its former strength in recent years. You probably want to return the heart to your clan, right? If so, I think Siegfried won't refuse you," Shiva said.
"No. Our clan is weakened now, many people have died, and I doubt we can protect the heart. It's better for it to stay here," the person replied.
"Hmm, you are a wise leader, putting the common good above personal interests," Shiva remarked.
"I don't see anything special in that," the person responded.
"Then why did you come here? You said you wanted to help your friends," Shiva asked.
"Yes. A few weeks ago, a white dragoness went mad and started killing people. We managed to defeat her, but there were bite marks on her. My comrades went to her lair, but perhaps you know who could be powerful enough to drive a dragoness insane?"
The snowy woman casually stroked her chin, tapping her foot on the snowy floor.
"Hmm, I don't see Askareza's lair; it's located at the very edge of the Northern Crown, but I can think of only one option. Bring your necromancer friend to the main hall of the dungeon and let her inquire about the source of the Great Plague from Thanatos. That's all that comes to mind," she said.
"Thank you," Asura bowed and stood up: "Though you are not as I imagined, thank you for telling me about my family. It's a pity we couldn't talk longer, but I must help my friends."
"You young ones are so restless. You remind me of the girl who came here last time."
"Hilda?"
"Really? I thought her name was Helen," Shiva smirked slyly: "I recall she came here with her sister. They hid it from their parents, but they had no magic since birth and feared the tans wouldn't find them strong enough to succeed the crown. Freya became infertile after difficult childbirth."
"She didn't mention it."
"Of course, only the Jarl's close circle knows about it. Helen convinced Hilda that she would obtain ancestral power for both of them, so they came to my 'repose.' But Hilda was always weaker than her sister and could barely move from the cold when they reached the inner sanctum. Helen persuaded her to go back, promising to acquire power for both of them. She boldly entered here, but her sister didn't flee; she waited for her at the entrance all this time. When Helen arrived here, her sister was already on the verge of death. I wanted to convince her to go back, but Helen knew she couldn't do anything to save her sister. She asked me to give her the power that could bring her sister back to life."
"But that's impossible."
"Oh, why not?" Shiva smiled mysteriously: "This place is extraordinary; time flows slower or faster depending on the interlocutor's desire. Besides, the proximity to the portal to the world of the dead can keep the soul in the deceased body for a long time. That's when the idea struck me. I had never before made a contract with mortals, but I know that spirits can do such things. I'm not the only spirit of our clan residing here. One of my descendants agreed to merge with Helen, so she could give part of her spiritual power to Hilda and bring her back to life. In the end, everything turned out wonderfully; both girls survived and even gained unprecedented power. However, unfortunately, they lost all their memories, much like mages who contract with elemental spirits. Alas, they even forgot what they were willing to do for each other. If fate ever brings them together, help them become good friends. I wouldn't want my efforts to be in vain."
"I'll do my best," Asura smiled; after all, Shiva was a good person, albeit a bit mischievous: "But now I must hurry to save Hilda. Can you tell me how to get out of here?"
"Just step into the darkness. Farewell, Asura Yukitori, and thank you for brightening my captivity here," the snow-white hand gently nudged the warrior forward, and in the next second, the bright room dissolved into darkness.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone