Of Ice, Death & Monsters

Chapter 56 : And What We Hate Most

Marian was on the back foot. There was nothing she could really do as her enemy was firing blasts of flames, nearly incinerating her at every moment, saved only by the diluting protection that the Caretaker offered.

She held out so far with her quickened reflexes and heightened senses, dodging and weaving through the pillars of flame and gouts of fire. But how could she hold out for long? Could she hold out for long?

“Stop running away! Come back here bitch!” Jane dashed towards her, using her flames as if they were propelling her, before she delivered a punch to Marian’s gut. Instantly, her mind began to falter as she felt her spirit slowly dissolve; her presence wasn’t long if she kept taking these blows.

Marian grabbed Jane by the neck, gripping it tightly as she sank her claws deep into the Choir agent. She focused on pouring in the energy that the Caretaker gave her, trying to tear off Jane's head, yet the girl wouldn’t budge.

“Is that the best you can do?!” Jane charged up a fireball in her hand, shoving it deep into Marian’s stomach as it exploded, sending the wolf girl flying away, skittering across the ground and nearly to the edge towards the Smorodina River.

There was a small sigh upon her lips as she got up, collecting herself. Was she in over her head? Was she really being used? Was Rook right? For a moment, all these thoughts swirled in her mind as she tried to think of what to do next, what she could do next.

‘Avenge us.’

‘Save us.’

‘Bring us back.’

‘Call us.’

‘Our savior.’

Several small glowing drops of water danced around her, whispering words of encouragement as they dripped on her skin. Each time it did so, a burst of life began to course through her, filling her soul with a strange sense of energy that invigorated her, that became a part of her.

Her eyes glowed as she saw it all, numerous lives that had been snuffed out in the land of Galfania. They swirled together like colors of a rainbow, dancing around her body. They wanted her to use them; they wanted to help her fight back. If she loses now, then they would all lose their individuality, they would dissolve back into the paste and swirl and simply become nothing more than a hivemind.

She reached for one of the floating orbs, that with a soul of a fallen Keeper, one that seemed to resonate with her as if it were alive. Marian grabbed onto it, and suddenly, it morphed into that of a sword in her hands, gleaming and glittering with sparkling power.

While she was in awe, she was also in battle. Jane was headed her way, sending out another pillar of fire towards her. Without even thinking, her sword swung itself at the flames, taking the hit as its form dismantled back into the drop of water it was before, yet Marian touched it again, imbuing it with life as it transformed back into a blade in her hands.

“What the-” Jane didn’t really understand why Marian all of a sudden had a sword in her hand, but that didn't really matter to her. She readied another volley of flames with her left hand to fire down.

However, in response, Marian danced her fingers across the air, touching dozens of souls, transforming them into an assortment of weapons from spears, swords, daggers, axes, and more.

“Wait- what?!” Jane fired her blasts prematurely, sending them flying towards Marian, yet as if they had minds of their own, the floating weapons zoomed towards the fireballs, smashing into them as they took the blow, reverting back into discorporated souls.

“When the fuck did you get a power up-“ Jane ducked as Marian threw a spear near her head.

“You’re not the only one blessed! Or perhaps you’ve forgotten with a head full of smoke!” Marian dashed towards Jane, slashing the air with her hands, instantly transforming dozens of souls into weapons that flew at Jane like bullets, nearly pelting her down if she didn’t spin around in a ballet of fire, disintegrating each blade about to hit her.

However, after her dance, she could not avoid it when Marian decked her right in the face with brass knuckles, sending her flying into the mountain pass. Her mind was dazed a little, her body churning, and images of fallen warriors filled her mind as she tried to get up. But Marian wouldn’t let her get away so easily.

The wolf grabbed at the air, manifesting a bident as she threw it at Jane’s wrist, sinking into the mountain pass and locking her hand in place. Jane burnt it off, of course, but Marian simply grabbed two this time, chucking them at her other hand and her leg, restraining her.

“Tch, what kind of cheat is this? Seriously?” Jane grumbled as she burned off the bident at her wrist, then aimed at the one by her foot, but before she could shoot it off, Marian swooped in, manifesting a sword and thrusting it into Jane’s body.

Unlike all the rest of the times when weapons and injuries bounced off each other, this one actually sank in deep, as if integrating with Jane’s very being as the poor girl’s spirit began to vibrate, oscillating as a soul dug into her, as if it was trying to suppress her, trying to subdue her.

For a moment, her will waned in confusion, allowing Marian to shove her hand deep into Jane’s chest, impaling the Harbinger’s Chosen with an arm.

“Gah! Y-You bitch…” Jane would have coughed up blood if she had any; instead, mental anguish took over as she saw a hospital bed with a rather pale and thin man on it. His eyes were closed, and he was hooked up to several machines. Marian kept on staying by his side, even as Jane saw the sun fall and the moon rise over and over again, each beep like a lifeline, each breath another hope to hold onto.

She grimaced, clenching her fist as she realized what this was, or rather, who this was.

“I had… Nothing to do with him, alright?” She stared at Marian, who snarled at her.

“Your people had everything to do with him! He was a good man! And now he’s…” Marian’s form began to visibly shimmer as the memories flashed upon her skin like it was some kind of projection. The closest thing to crying in this land.

Jane grabbed hold of the arm inside of her chest, pulling it out as flames ignited the palms of her hands, searing Marian who winced at the pain, her own mind now drowning in memories of being trapped and isolated in some cold room alone, locked like a rat in a cage for hours on end, only taken out when dangerous work was needed to be done or if certain Names were needed to be used.

A life of being a packmule, a labrat, and a toy for those with so much power, with hoarders and Magi who sat upon ivory towers.

“You deserved it, every bit of it!” Spat out Marian, venom coursing through her every word as Jane’s eyes began to glow, her hair turning red as she grabbed hold of Marian’s sword, burning it away before kicking the wolf lady off her.

“W-What did you say you bitch?” Jane’s legs began to spark, crackling like lightning as bits of ember were exuded.

“I said you and every single one of your friends we rounded up deserved it. That they all got off easy, especially the ones that died first. You all deserved what was coming.”

Jane’s hair caught on fire, her eyes piercing through Marian. “You… You really believe that, don’t you? You sick and twisted bitch.”

“Believe it?” Marian laughed, cackled even, howling into the sky as Jane took a startled step back.

“It’s true! You all are a plague. Look at you here, threatening to burn everything to ash. You’re a monster, and I’m here to stop monsters like you, to crush them and show them that they have no place in this world!”

Marian swiped at the air in front of her, once more transforming dozens of souls into bladed weapons, even several guns that were loaded in with bullets made from spirits. All of them aimed directly at Jane, locked, loaded, and readied to go.

“And I shall gladly take this position. I shall gladly endure the pain and torture! If it means ridding all of you from this world.”

Jane took a deep breath, shaking her head in frustration. “Then I guess your husband deserved every bit of what he got as well.”

Shots were fired, and blades were drawn, flying through the air as they were met with flames, burning them all away, revealing claws and fists that rend and blow away.

Jane and Marian clashed in mid-air, punching, kicking, and screaming. Whenever the Harbinger’s Chosen threw a bolt of flames, the Caretaker’s Chosen blocked with a shield. Each time the Magi slashed, the Alto simply retaliated with a grapple and a throw.

As time passed, their battle spread outwards. The waves grew, and the tempest around them started to thunder. The rain kept on pouring in, fueling both sides like oxygen to a fire. Every time one side seemed to be winning, Zmey or the fox would tilt the axis of powers, keeping them going at each other's throats, clashing as they stirred up the Nawia into a frenzy never before seen in thousands of years.

Koschei grinned to himself as he saw the chaos. If Jane managed to dismantle Marian, then the Caretaker’s presence is as good as gone. They can fully take over the south and begin travelling and subsuming all those who oppose them in this churning mix.

Mollie watched on in abject yet curious horror from the safety that Zmey offered. Wondering if she chose the right decision as she stared at Carey every once in a while.

Godwin and Matthias move away, trying to escape the storm back up to the mountain pass, closing their eyes as they winced from the splattering memories that drizzled all around them, making them both doubt yet accept their decisions at the same time, laughing and churning endlessly.

While the show was amazing, every story needed its climax, its turning point, and Zmey knew that very well. He needed something grand and something great; luckily, the lamb had been offered to the slaughter.

All he had to do was wait for the sacrifice as the fox did its own duty, sending raindrops towards Marian, these ones didn’t hold any proper memories or souls, rather when they splashed against her, they gave thoughts and ideas.

‘Kill all the Choir.’

‘Silence as much as you can.’

‘See that they all fall.’

‘You revenge lies in their bodies’

They whispered maddeningly as her mind hyper-focused. The only Choir member was Jane, wasn't it? Then, her eyes widened. She remembered someone else. Someone whom she thought she killed three days ago.

She checked the corner of her eyes, finding Samantha all alone on the bridge, just standing there, as if waiting for someone. Yes, she was a Choir member too.

A smile grew on Marian’s face as she raced across the battlefield, completely ignoring Jane as she made it to the bridge.

“What are you doing here?! You know there’s a giant-“ her voice trailed as she saw Samantha all alone, standing right at the center, not even shaking.

"Samantha! Run! Right now! Please!" Jane reached out, trying to warn her. She dashed through the Nawia, using her flames to thrust ahead as she raised her hand out, trying to grab onto Marian, but she was already too late.

Marian lunged towards the ex-Choir agent, grabbing them by their throat as she impaled her with a sword, before throwing them into the River Smorodina, her soul merging with the many others that broiled around her.