//------------------------------// // Zenith // Story: Scroll of the Thorn of the Frozen Star // by Sanxa //------------------------------// Ivory Frost was finding her way through the snow and the strong wind. She had to reach Zuriak, and attempt a last peaceful approach, hoping that he would allow her to talk. Above her, dark clouds were preventing the light of the sun to reach the grove, plundged in shadows. Branches were bending under the weight of the snow, and some, broken already, were lying on the ground. Ivory was walking, sometimes jumping over obstacles and using rocks to avoid the deep snow. As she left the lower parts of the mountain, covers from the cold wind became limited. She had difficulties to see through the elements, her hears twitching in all directions. By reflex, she jumped backward. A fragment of ice crashed where she was standing a blink before. She turned her head and could only guess the silhouette of Zuriak in the air, but clearly saw the trail of his neon green eyes through the strong cold wind. She frowned. His silhouette was moving but his head, and a white light under his eyes made her jumped forward. A fragment of ice crashed behind her as she lit her horn of the matching green, and a bolt of fire forced Zuriak to move. Ivory was running on the climbing path, jumping over and on rocks to avoid the frozen projectiles. She responded by short bolts of fire, forcing him to move. He was flying alonside the path, a little above, bombarding her. Ivory's course was erratic, but she was still able to find moments when she could fire back at Zuriak. After a moment, she noticed the sudden absence of his hostile presence. The path before her was going for a short and narrow turn. Her eyes went wide opened a short instant, before frowning, as she halted, her four hooves sliding in the snow. Zuriak appeared from below, shouting a ray of ice directly at her. She answered to the attack with her own, but of fire. For a moment, both stood their position, water freezing and sublimating. Thunder began to crack. Zuriak rose and darted over the path, ending his attack. They exchanged fragments of ice and traits of flame. Ivory avoided most of the attacks, but she got a bruise from a projectile fragmenting near her. Taking the opportunity that Zuriak went behind her, she took the narrow turn and followed the path to continue her climb, galloping. Flames started to appear on Ivory's eyes, hooves and tail, yet she was still a kirin. Why? This was frustrating. Even with the wind blowing around her, her eyes were focused on the path, while her ears were high, directed behind and above her. She suddenly made a short hop, blocking her four hooves against a rock, and pushed her body to jump. In a flash of light, a nirik appeared in a ball of fire, shooting a few bolts at a surprised Zuriak, one exploding on his torso. As she shot backwards a few more traits of fire, she resumed her course, barely forcing her way through the steaming snow and rocks. Coming closer to the summit, the struggle between the ice and fire intensified. But all their traits were either intercepted or evaded, the few scores being superficial scratches. But Zuriak was patient. Ivory would soon be blocked, or in free fall. It didn't matter wether she was a kirin or a nirik. He darted forward at high speed, to position himself. He wanted to be at his advantage to welcome Ivory, when she would be stuck at the summit, or fall to her demise. He couldn't repress a smile, as the running flames came toward the limits. If she thought that jumping would limit his options... He shot a ray of ice, stronger this time, his eyes locked on the nirik. The nirik smiled. Zuriak frowned. Ivory jumped, and the flames around her hooves grew stronger. Zuriak swore as bolts of fire where raining down on him. He began to fly in circle, waiting for the moment the nirik would fall. But Ivory did not fall. She even stabilized the flames around her hooves, making her able to circle with Zuriak. Maybe he would listen, now... A burst of flame from her hooves made her evade three ice projectiles coming from Zuriak. He was climbing, and she followed him. They exchanged multiple bolts & traits, but soon, they became longer and longer rays of ice and fire, clashing against each other. Sparks of lightning could be seen where their spells met. The heat and cold created by the fight of both creatures suddenly provoked violent thunders in the dark clouds above them, illuminating the scene all around. Facing each other, Ivory and Zuriak were shooting at each others a continuous ray of energy, creating a huge white ball of ice and fire. Zuriak broke and darted to climb above Ivory, but she was blindly fast to react and was not that short of him in altitude. Her fire stronger than before. Yet she slowed down and driven by her momentum, she continued to climb. Zuriak hesitated, but when he saw the flames vanished and the kirin, eyes closed, beginning to fall, he dived, a big smile on his face. Distanced closed with the falling and unconscious kirin. He was going to miss her. No choice! With a violent move, Zuriak launched the rear of his body in direction of his target, claws out. The body of Ivory was shaken and deviated at the attack of Zuriak. She fell on a mountain, the impact diminished by the snow and slided into an opening that Zuriak had not seen below. He snarled at the too small opening for him, but looked at his rear claws, and took the time to clean three of them with the snow, smiling. He noticed a change in luminosity. The sun let place to the moon. As if he cared. He was not in a hurry. He sadly smiled, as he began to fly down the mountain. Ivory opened her eyes. Her body was hurting everywhere. As she looked above her, she could see that she was in a cave full of reflective crystal, snow falling from above. She was lying on pile of snow. She stood up, slowly, the hooves unsure, the eyes closing to the pain. She opened them and observed her reflection. Three slashes were running on her stomach, bleeding and tainting the snow below her. But worse, she was feeling numb within her body. She was not feeling her right rear leg when moving it. Her head dropped. Droplets appeared in the corner of her eyes. She shook her head, and started to walk, limping, a grimace on her face, looking for an exit.