Creatures of the Ice

Tenth Ice

Tenth IceCreatures of the Mist

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##### Tenth Ice #####

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Black stars over the sea,

Hold wonders beyond the depth of the ravine.

There is no such serenity that can be measured by yours,

Because no serenity is enough in this world.

Our final targets are followed by a series of killing patterns that me and Abel have to make a countdown for the last-one-standing demon lord. He and his followers escaped a few decades ago, and have been in hiding ever since, which turned out to be disguising themselves as humans, and then never return. The reason why they could not just be brought back was because they were known too much by the humans. His fellow demons were known as powerful business men and senators, while the leader himself is a president of a country. It would cause too much fuzz and suspicion if they were all taken out then. But the present time is different now.

The president himself is on the run after killing a few members of a very well-known human mafia of their country. This caused his supporters to be hunted down as well, which forced them to be on the run in their separate ways. This case will not just help us with the advantage of taking them all out one by one, but also letting the demon president to be in the suspense as well. The Devil had messaged us to let this one be difficult.

Thus, begins the night by night m******e. It starts from the lowest rank, and then climbing on the top of the troops. We cut them, beheaded them and mutilate them. When the last pawn is out, he knows that his time is up for us to be knocking by his door.

"Ronaldon Hiveist, we are here to give you my last present. Do accept now, or your run will end bad," I sing evilly.

He has to run, of course. That will be the most rational decision, even though not all do the same when I come to them. But some are just being way too stubborn for their own good.

"So, what will you do after this?" I ask Abel when I clean my hand, which is shape-shifting back from a scythe and covered with deep purple blood.

He is taking care of the corpse currently, like usual. He pays too much attention on the dead body and he is not even facing me. When he does not answer, I try again.

"Will he point you to a different partner? Or a new job? Or perhaps, it has something to do with your deal?"

In an instant, something snaps in Abel and he abruptly turns to me.

"It's none of your business!" He spats with a new anger, which probably is actually a hidden and reborn fury.

"It wouldn't be, if you could just stay away from making the deal in the first place," I reply in a matter of fact.

"I wouldn't if you weren't dying!"

"I was fine once I—" I cut myself, not being able to continue my argument. It is still part of the deal to not mention what is in it.

"You what, Frost? Were you accepting me to just dish you out when you were in the point of almost losing your existence?"

Those orange eyes are once again burning with intensity, as if trying to heat me with its rage.

"I would be just fine back then. You shouldn't have interrupted. And now.... Can you even tell me what you traded for letting The Devil do you a favor? No, right?"

My tone sounds sad — almost in deep grief — even though no tears will be spared by my eyes.

"Your sacrifice was just for nothing, Abel, just for you to know."

"No." He shakes his head, not sign of anger anymore. His eyes have soften as my serenity reaches him. "It wasn't for nothing, even when it didn't affect you much. But I did it for you, because of my love."

Up until that point, I don't even know that demons can have feelings. No book from any universe has said anything about it. No knowledge is old and wise enough to learn this matter. This feeling he has for me, I am not even sure if it is real or not. But when I look into his eyes, I know that I am staring at the truth.

Upon slaying my last detainee, I appear in the sight of The Devil's chamber. My hand reaches the inside of my jacket, taking the small black skull of the proof of this contract, and places it at the front of his double-doors.

"This will be the end of my bargain. I am expecting my parent's freedom at any second, back on Earth, safe and sound," I say without raising my voice, knowing that he will listen just as clear from the inside.

"Why don't you take a look yourself?" I can still hear his voice clearly as well.

And with that, I take his advice and open a portal, going back to the dimension I belong to.

Valline is asleep in his own room. Almost everything is white in here, including the carpet, with grey, thin lines that are drawing elegance on the surface. The walls are white as chalk, firm and patterned with tidily arranged giant bricks, as well as decorated with blue roses and magnificent paintings. Yet, no art is beautiful enough compared to the sleeping figure on the king size bed itself.

"My beloved Valline, I can finally be back to your side," I say while caressing one side of his cheek, while finding myself already reaching the side of his bed soundlessly.

I can feel his breathing through my hand, steady and somehow attracting me to watch even longer. His soft eyelashes jingle ever so slightly against the construction of his lids, looking like they are about to open anytime soon, but still keeping me with the suspense. His chest raise and exhale calmly, a little bit of his skin showing from the gap that his one unbuttoned shirt made, until his power allows him to recognize me and makes up his consciousness.

His magnificent blue eyes stare at me once he wakes up. But rather than welcoming me, he lets out a scream, making me flinch on the way.

I never heard him scream, let alone like that before. Valline is always calm. Moreover, his scream sounds like he is looking at a very threatening being.

In an instant, I look behind me right away. But there is nothing behind me that indicates any threat to him, because no one is there.

I look back at him, finding him staring at my figure warily. I follow his gaze until my eyes land on my gloves, to my jacket, until I find a gap of a blue skin.

Oh, that's right. No wonder.

"It's alright, Valline. No need to be cautious," I say calmly, but the demon voice makes my serenity sounds very doubtful with its malicious accent.

"No! Stay away from me!" Valline snaps, his hands ready to flash light with his magic.

Nevertheless, I slowly pull one of my gloves and gently move it in the air near his head.

He doesn’t look like he is compliant to attack me anymore, but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous.

"Stay back...." He whimpers weakly, but more like as if he is trying to defend himself, as if he is now losing his strength to fight me. Maybe.... Something. But that does not matter, since I am about to put my palm.... At the head of his bed.

In an instant, the blue skin in my entire body changes back to its original paleness, my hair and eyes turn black, and my clothes change to their normal form.

"Arsene!" He exclaims, still surprised.

I only smile at him as a reply.

"No! This can't be real!" Valline suddenly interject. "Y-you were an ice demon just then, and then suddenly, you were her. No, you are trying to deceive me. What do you want with me? Don't you think I won't—"

I push my palm away from the head bed and switch its location into caring side of face.

"Revelation after revelation, yet you still manage to amaze me," I chant.

When I try to lean in, but Valline struggles to get away from the bed. To prevent him from running out of the room and tell every single of his family member that an intruder has appeared, I use my own weight to keep him still. I crawl deeper to the bed and cross one of my legs over his to keep him stay still. He tries to use his power on me, but I grab each of his wrists before he can aim anything.

Right at the exact moment, someone chooses that timing to burst open the door and into the room. Family members in white uniforms, who I think are the guardians, stand just outside with their magic spears pointed up, petrified.

Out of the new crowd, one figure stands out the most with his high shoulders and blue attribute.

“Your Majesty?” Carvel sounds urgent and very concern.

He orders the rest to stay back, not doing anything until he commands them with such a thick, pompous accent. Then he reaches the front line and take in the sight of his guardians have been seeing the whole time, and gasps in surprise. Different from the rest, though, he recovers fast.

"Well, well, well," I mumbled, turning to them without leaving my current position, which if their point of view might look like I, Arsene Noirmelns, am trying to attack their head of their clan and king, Valline Blancort, while he was asleep. Nevertheless, I still act as relaxed and normal as it is truly supposed to be.

Who is not dead?

"I thought I killed you," I say to Carvel Blancort, the head of Blancort's security, in a rather teasing tone than amused.

Valline is still under me, not struggling anymore, but seems to have realize what incident is going on in front of him.

"What were you doing in His Majesty's room?" Carvel asks me accusingly in an interrogation that is hold at the next five minutes after he and his troop discovered me.

He had ordered his guardians to arrest me, to be very cautious on taking me under arrest, and then throw me into this interrogation chamber. The closed and dim sensation that the room provides kind of reminds me of the special prison at the underground of Noirmelns Castle, where I tortured and killed Carvel.

"You're not asking why I am not surprised that you are actually still alive and breathing?" I ask back instead, making him flinch in uneasiness.

My eyes are praying sharp at him ever since I found him, but he has been acting in his usual way-too-superior, proud and cavalier self. But now, I just switched from calm and almost friendly to unforgiving and something that he should not be playing with.

He tries to break the eye contact for more than a few times, but so far it’s not making any result. My stare is too threatening, too demanding that it will not let him get away so easily such as that.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he’s finally able to talk.

“You didn’t answer mine as well,” I simply shot back.

He grits his teeth tightly in irritation, holding in his growl.

He and I both know that none of us is going to back off from this game. But it is not a necessary deed to cause a war when peace is already signed through a treaty.

“What? Are you saying that visiting Valline for me is wrong?” I imply. “And where are your manners, Carvel? I thought Blancorts have high etiquette. Or do you probably forget that I am now a queen, as a side damage to almost getting yourself killed?”

“Do not address His Majesty so familiarly,” he hisses through his white set of sharp gritted teeth. “And I do have manner, and so does this family. I just do not think that it is necessary to be so polite in front of a highly doubted suspect in my field.”

“Carvel!” Valline suddenly interrupts and snaps at his head guard.

Carvel looks like he really wants to protest to Valline, probably with their family’s regulations and responsibilities rumblings. But Valline already took a hold of my wrist to lead me out from the interrogation room. When Carvel is standing on our way, the determination and fearlessness influx in Valline’s glowing blue eyes shut him up right away. Carvel unwillingly steps aside and lets us pass.