"My Lady"

Hue, my old friend decided to wake me up for some magical reasons in the middle of the night.

"Hue, I wasn't having nightmares and you decided to wake me up, what part of my soul would love that?" I asked quietly, while opening my eyes and block as soon as I saw a man who was wearing a long brown mantel, walking around the two wagons which were standing behind the tavern.

"Who's there?" I asked and the man froze 

"Why is this woman awake?" he said to someone I wasn't seeing well considering it was still night.

"Of course the Soulmaster wouldn't eat that food" I could recognize the voice of the chief, while he was holding a jar of a liquid that did smell awfully.

My eyes opened up as I noticed the chief was pouring oil around the wagon, while the hidden man was smiling.

"What are you doing? Why do you want to kill the slaves? Weren't they supposed to be a gift?" I asked. The Chief called out some of the soldiers who were guarding, and apparently were on his side "Why do you want to kill these innocents?" I could feel the anger rising slowly inside my body, Hue was trying to send me pulses of energy to keep myself calm as I couldn't really risk to fight considering the last time I did I almost collaps without even attacking once, by just summoning my swords.

Nevermind I actually did.

"Stupid logic sense" I told myself with a creepy face, making the people around me confused of me swearing at myself.

"Yinyué doesn't need slaves, but we need entertainment" the covered man spoke, making me stare at him as he was walking slowly towards the cage "The Cult doesn't like when things go this slow, what would happen if the gift of the King gets destroyed inside the city? Wouldn't it be an affront to the benevolence of the Kingdom of Arthus?" he asked "We work better with... chaos" 

"And I am happy to be part of the Cult" the chief said while holding the torch.

The covered man laid his hands on the bars that were separating us, looking at me "You were not supposed to be there, Soulmaster, why don't you break this cage?" 

"She can't, apparently she didn't know she was a Soulmaster and can't even attack, we took her when we were still in Arthos lands" the chief explained and the man nod.

"Never heard of Soulmasters in other regions other than Yinyué" the man said, he laughed even more "That's even better!" his laugh stopped and he suddendly turned cold and looked like he was stabbing my soul with his stare "They are just obstacles to our goals, they all should die."

I started shouting, making the chief alarmed "She's gonna start the show too early, soldiers, move your damn ass, set them on fire NOW" 

As soon as the torches were thrown, a big fire started, making me tremble.

"Alysia" I whispered as I saw the girl not minding the chaos of flame and smoke around "What kind of soporific food did they give you" 

The chief started to shout as well "Oh my Lord! Help! Help!" he started running asking for help, making me annoyed 

"Bastard" I swore, trying to make the people of my wagon wake up.

"What's wrong Soulmaster" I turned towards the covered man, my eyes opened up even more when I noticed him holding magic fire balls in his hands "You still didn't accept your death? No one will save you from the immortal fire"

My body started to tremble as soon as I noticed the fireball hit my wagon, making us all expose to the oil. People started to wake up and shouting, but they couldn't move at all like they were still paralysed cause of the food.

I couldn't hear anything anymore, I was feeling like a scene I lived already. The fire all around me, the hell slowly burning my clothes and being in contact with my skin. 

I was dying again... of the same death?

"What is happening?" Argos came out of the tavern. His medium lenght dark hair were messy, and he was wearing a simple night shirt and brown leather pants. As soon as he noticed the fire he looked terrified "What in the Lord is this?" he exclaimed surprised. 

Why... Was he surprised?

Not all the soldiers of the commerce row knew it?

This wasn't the plan of the King of Arthus, of course, but not even all the soldiers knew about this plan... So that's why the chief made only some soldiers do the first shift.. Only the soldiers who were now running towards the man of The Cult knew about the plan..

"No one ever said to kill them!" Argos exclaimed charging towards us, but the magic fire, like it was actually alive, moved like a monster with tongues and pushed him against the wall of the Tavern that was on fire.

"No!" I exclaimed.

"It's here in the Tavern! I saw a man who was working there setting the back of the tavern on fire!" I could hear lots of steps coming, while the stupid chief was making up a damn story, making me feel a different fire inside.

"Seems like it's time to take my leave" said the sorcerer.

I couldn't speak, I couldn't move, it was like I was paralised from the fear of fire that grew because of the last memory of mine before death... It was like my brain wasn't thinking anymore, my logic side was totally gone...

The man laughed the more he heard people in pain, he the disappeared as a shadow with the soldiers as soon as the guards of the city came.

"Bibi"

My eyes turned right away seeing the little one moving her hand towards me. Her whole body was totally immobile "Bao Bao!"I shouted and my legs right away moved to her. I held her in my tunic, trying to set the fire on her clothes off.

"What happened" she asked softly, while my hands were trembling looking at all the people suffering around me asking for help while the fire that turned black and magical kept the two cages and the people trapped inside the hell.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" a guard of the city whispered "Call the Officer now!" he shouted, while other people who woke up came to see and to try to help throwing water, but it was magical, nothing could have helped if not a sorcerer or potions.

"Potions..." I whispered, trying to wake up from the trance because of the fear "we need holy potions! The water of the Eternal breeze mountain!" I exclaimed making the chief surprised

"How does she know that" he whispered surprised, he then smiled "Too late anyway"

"The Fire is gonna eat all of them"

"We gotta help!" a child of the city along with the civils who woke up, tried to help the best they could.

"I am... not feeling well" Alysia was slowly closing her eyes again, the smoke was getting unbearable, people wanted to shout of pain while the flames were eating their bodies. Those flames were eating their soul.

"Young Master Lin!"

My eyes turned and my heart almost did burst out of my chest as soon as I saw the figure of my son... My son who now was fifteen years old, running holding his sword. His blonde hair were tied in a high tail, with some strands on the sides.

"Do not worry, I am here to help" he smiled, determined while summing all the other four swords around him.

He jumped, summoning his sword, like I did train him to do, inside the fire circles next to the second wagon of people, since the fire was even more aggressive in that side, people were already covered and shouting in pain with that little energy.

He was wearing the uniform of the high rank of Soulmasters. A simple tunic with some armor plates around the waist, and shoulders. He was making me proud and sad, because I couldn't help.

Me, the Lady of the clan who lived in the ice for generations, the oldest clan of Soulmasters.

When was I that... weak?

"It's... so much" Lin said while his swords were fighting the tongues of the magic fire, freezing little areas, wherever his swords were moving and touching.

It was something he took from my blood, the Soulmasters had different elements affinity, my son's was ice... Mine well...

I don't remember anymore exactly what my main element was.

A little grip took my attentions, seeing Alysia coughing without energy in her body.

"It's gonna be alright, BaoBao" I said while coughing, and she looked at me. She smiled, making me feel more pain.

"Why are you crying then?" she asked softly while closing her eyes. I didn't notice my eyes were actually full of silent tears, I was cought surprised "Do not lie... I heard too many of them, not you too, please" her grip got strong for a moment, but then I felt no strenght anymore... 

"BaoBao!" I shouted, Lin looked at me for a moment from the other side of the fire, as I started crying noticing the little girl not moving anymore. There was no energy flowing, she was...

Dead?

"This is not fair" I cried while my heart was bursting "This is... NOT FAIR!" I shouted, feeling my breath getting heavy. 

I felt like my voice was enhanced and a wind out of nowhere started to whisper through my hair, like a cuddle.

"What is happening..." Lin whispered. He tried to look better, but the magic fire kept getting more aggressive blocking the view of with smoke and fire tongues.

Some civils shouted as the tongues of the fire tried to catch some of the Yinyué people who were trying to throw water at it. Like a beast without collar, famelic and ruthless.

"STAY BACK!" Lin exclaimed, making the people step back, trying to make a way for the soldiers who were bringing potions of holy water.

"My lady" My eyes opened, looking at my sword Hue, kneeling in human form in front of me. His long white hair were covering partially his face. His eyes, white as the permafrost of the Eternal Breeze, were looking at me. He had his long white hanfu, covered in the fire, like my clothes were in that moment, but I felt like the skin was getting even colder "You have slept too much" he whispered like he was scolding me, even though his tone was calm, soft. He had an aura around him that felt like I was feeling my heart at ease, like all my emotions were slowly going back, drowned under a thick layer of ice before an infinite cold sea. The more my eyes were looking at his, the more my emotions were drowning, making a part of my soul awake...

I looked around even though the smoke and the fire was making everything feel like I was just touching the hell itself 

"You can't summon all your swords, but my lady doesn't need all of her power to fight this... doesn't she?" he asked calmly, making me focus.

I smiled.

"I am coming back BaoBao, okay?" I moved her a bit off my lap and looked at my old friend with a smile.

"Forgive me, Hue" I smiled gently, making him smile back at me.

"Dance for me, my lady" he whispered my name, while showing me his hand. It felt like an echo that made my body shiver to the gentle touch of ice of my old home, place of my curse and benediction.

As soon as my hand touched his, he turned into my long sword. I stand up and looked around, but my heart was in peace... everything was silent to my ears, my senses, my fear, my emotions... everything was frozen.

Except the awful sound of that black magic fire.

Lin was fighting the tongues of fire while holding one of the slaves, to get him out of that hell and I looked at my sword and I started walking.

"NO, DON'T, LADY, YOU WILL GET EATEN FASTER!" Lin exclaimed at me while taking another slave out of the fire wall, knowing he couldn't save all of them.. but at least some.

"How can she still stand" the chief whispered annoyed. His eyes opened up as he noticed that every step I was making looked like a sound of a layer of ice creating slowly from water that wasn't there...

"You..." Argos tried to move his body while the fire was eating, burning through the armor consuming him with grief

"My lady.. This will hurt"

"Isn't Yinyué General's duty to protect?" I asked with a gentle smile, looking at the immense fire.

"Call out my name, Lady of the Eternal Breeze"

My right hand held the point of my sword, some blood came out but was right away absorbed by it.

"Call out my name, Lady of the Eternal Breeze"

"Fragments of Souls" I whispered while moving elegantly my sword. That movement created a glimpse to the black fire, making it even more aggressive. Around me, a cold wind started to freeze the floor, wherever my barefeet were touching, a frozen area expanded slowly, connecting all the other areas "Feel the curse and the benediction of my Lord" I swinged my sword up, while my back leant back "Dance of the.." Hit the floor with my sword. I felt the energy flowing through my hands, reaching my sword "Eternal Breeze" I whispered the name of my main sword.

The Hell stopped.

From my sword, ice came out, freezing everything of the evil magic. All the fire became crystallised, frozen in time... I felt like it was a cavern. Then it did shatter into pieces leaving me looking up at the night sky of my beloved city, while my hair were still flowing and touched by those fragments...

There was a terrible silence, everyone kept their eyes locked on me surrounded by a plain of ice that was in replacement of where and till where the black fire expanded. Even a part of the tavern wall was frozen.

I smiled as I picked up one of the flowers that grew in the frozen plain I created. Crystal Ice flowers, made of my soul energy to chain forever the black magic core of the fire.

It was such a beautiful and peaceful moment for me, surrounded by ice, the night sky... 

"Who are you..?" My face turned towards the voice of the owner. Lin was looking at me still surprised and I smiled gently while holding one of my flowers..

*Bad dum...*

I started coughing blood out of my mouth. People around looked worried and decided to take courage, stepping on the frozen plain, noticing how slowly everything was shattering and disappearing the more I was coughing and feeling my head dizzy.

Lin and some soldiers came and stopped around me. My son held me before I touched the ground and kept me close, looking at me in the eyes.

I could see him speaking, but all I did was looking at him, while some blood was flowing a little from my mouth. I raised a bit my hand to touch his cheek, making him worried, and I smiled again. His face paralysed and shouted to the soldiers to move, when he stopped and looked towards a side

"Hoi hoi, what a mess General" 

I know this voice

"Help the rest, this is not just ice, it's a restoring technique from black magic, who is..."

I know this voice too..

I could hear more steps coming closer while Lin was trying to keep me awake. I kept smiling and he shouted to stop as I was forcing my muscles to move. Little did he know that I was in a terrible pain like ten thousands words piercing every organ of mine, but the fact that the people were okay... My son was okay and I was back to be close to him, made me happy anyway.

"Thank you"

My heart almost stopped when for a second I could see the golden sea I wish I never lost even for a moment.

I looked at him for a second, I smiled again, making Lin again shouting with a grumpy and worried, embarassed face...

He definitely never changes.

I wish I could look at his embarassed face, along with my husband who looked at me and then the officer... I wanted to freeze more pictures of that moment, as I felt back to my place, but sadly his figure became just a shadow along with the others...

I really wish I could say

I'm home...