Far up north on the planet is a large and frozen spanning continent brimming with life that has adapted to the cold, and grown tolerance to even the toughest of winters. This continent is named Eonis, after the Giant of Frost, Eonisbel.
Eonis is notorious for its fareskinned people who don't get much sunlight. They tend to possess light hair colors, with light eye colors, but in stark contrast to that they tend to possess large and powerful frames with heights that exceed the standards known in the Eastern Continent, Eogab.
Within the dense crowds of people bundled up in winter clothes, the most populated of all places is the capital of the continent and country; Eonis City.
Eonis city is notorious for its powerful and tall standing stone structures that are resistant to the natural cold, and stand tall during even the harshest of storms. With the recent addition of radiators, and steam powered heating, their homes have become cozier than ever within these great bastions.
Due to the nature of this continent, the creatures here have developed to withstand the cold, and have grown rather large like the humanoids, as well as produced a thick layer of fur to help protect against the cold. The most notorious of these creatures is the Rammoth; a large creature resembling both a Ram and a mammoth, who has a powerful charge and horns, but very thick fur and tender meat.
One such Rammoth was splayed out in various parts in a large manor located in the center of Eonis City, just outside the grounds of Keep where the royal family and army live.
Various guests dressed in fine silk clothing with large wool capes of various colors, and possessing various badges depicting their noble status, stood around the large creature, openly picking out the already cooked insides and putting them on a plate and eating them with a glass of Snow Berry wine.
The original custom would be that they'd cook the innards during the banquet, but with the fire hazard it wasn't safe to do indoors, so the servants prepared the innards, and a professional prepared the carcass to use as a fancy display that could fit across the table. Standing at the edge of this table and picking out large slabs of meat was a rather tall blonde woman.
The blonde woman standing at the edge of the table was adorned in a luxurious blue silk dress, with a fur coat hanging from her shoulders, and tough leather boots that made her resemble a warrior posing as nobility. To further enforce that image, the slabs of meat were being loaded onto her plate without regard for etiquette, though that could be said for every noble presence standing around this table.
Just as she began to turn away from the table with her food, a figure standing over 5 inches taller than her approached, and blocked her path, causing her to turn and stare at the chest of this figure. He was a large man with long blonde braided hair, hair that resembled hers, just much rougher with more split ends, and a large beard on his face. He was shirtless, exposing his blonde chest hair and muscles, and his loud voice boomed through the halls.
"Sister! Eating like a pig as always? Not even a mammoth could feed that appetite of yours!" He began laughing, and with his thunderous laughs followed the laughs of many noblemen, but the servants of the manor seemed to lower their heads as if to prepare to avoid an ugly sight.
"Well brother, I could always afford to put on more weight, unlike you! You are so large you can hardly get out of bed on your own without yelling for servants, no wonder you aren't betrothed yet despite our age gap." The sister of the pair seemed to reply with a snarky, and harsh combat, his joking tone being shunned by her judgmental tone. A lively air quickly turned into a heated one, as conflict began to brew.
Standing with her back to the table was Vivian Criab, the first daughter and second child of Duke Criab. In front of her was the first son, and child of Duke Criab; her brother Grail Criab.
In the Kingdom of Eonis, among nobility, strength is a display of power, both political and physical. This often leads to battles and bloodshed among children of a household, sometimes even resulting in death. This also means that men are most dominant in the nobility of this land, however; the power of the dragon's blood within nobility gives women a chance to rise up if they wish to break through the social boundaries. That is what Vivian has done!
The blue eyes of Vivian stared up into the blue eyes of Grail, and the two each showed their teeth, as if they were dogs growling at each other. Grail quickly opened his mouth again, roaring like a bear and screaming:
"Vivian! Do you wish for a repeat of many years ago? You dare to talk to your elder brother like that?! I should slap the paleness out of your skin just for the disrespect you've shown! If we didn't have royal guests on the way, I bet you'd be on the ground crying, like every other woman who has met my fist!"
Grail let out a mighty laugh, but the eyes of countless women attending the party stabbed into him like needles from all sides, yet he stood like a fortress that didn't care. He was confident that he could take everyone here, after all he has known for years now how to access the powers of the blood within him. However, Vivian was quick to remark.
"Brother, you disappoint our ancestors! You claim you wish to hit me, yet you won't act simply because the king and princes are on the way?! Shame on you brother. You initiate a duel with words, then fail to draw your sword. No wonder you spend your time hitting servant women, because their status doesn't allow them to fight back."
Vivian let out an audible scoff and turned to the crowd of people, raising her arms to display as an uproar began to break out, discussing the cowards of Grail. The large rammoth became an obstacle for the spectators, as they were forced to crowd around the edges of the table, but that wasn't an issue for much longer!
Suddenly, a loud roar filled their ears, as the shattering of ceramic, and the spilling of wine filled the hall. The crunch of wood, and the sounds of yells filled the hall, as a large man, and a relatively tall woman, threw each other over the table, destroying the beautiful display and the table along with it!
In an instant, the situation went from an argument to a fight, as Vivian was being held by her brother, and pinned to the ground. His rage was showing through the cracks in his blue eyes, the grinding of his teeth, and the popping of his veins as he raised his fists up, intended to bring them down onto the woman.
BAM
His fists slammed into something, but it wasn't his sister, it was a silver tray used to serve food! The tray had been greatly deformed from his blow, showing his strength, yet his sister still held it firmly.
Before he could follow up with a second strike, everyone in the hall recognized a thumping sound; it was a heart beat!
The heart was beating in a rhythmic tone, like war drums marching into battle. The tone filled the hall, but it was loudly interrupted by another sound!
BANG
Grail struck again, this time his fist went through the silver tray, and reached his sister, though it didn't connect with her face, instead it was covered in an icy blue case, as it touched what looked like a brick of ice.
"You hear the very song that signifies the impenetrable walls of Eonis, and you strike? If you attack a wall, you should expect a cannon to fire."
Vivian's voice calmly spoke, as her breath was visible in the air. The temperature around her had dropped, and her skin had become much paler. Her heart beat continued to be heard by all, as she grabbed the frozen hand of her brother and twisted it to the side, rolling him off her.
He hadn't been grappling with her at all, yet to roll such a large man by his arm alone demonstrated great strength. Everyone watched as the largest man in the room was thrown onto the ground by a much smaller woman. For a moment, everyone thought he was defeated, as Vivian rose to her feet drenched in wine and food, while Grail laid on the ground.
A suspenseful silence filled the air, but it was interrupted by a gasp as Grail sat up!
Under the eyes of all the high nobility of Eonis, Grail rose to his feet, and looked at his sister.
"Sister, I was going to challenge you with my brute strength alone, but since you've resorted to using the strength of a dragon… I shall too!"
The edges of his lips curled up, as his muscles began to tense in his arms. Like Vivian, his skin became paler, and a rhythmic beating of the heart began to fill the room, clashing with the beat from Vivian's. This beat resembled loud bangs and booms, like pickaxes slamming against iron.
Vivian sat in silence as her brother seemed to charge up. Perhaps she was foolish, or perhaps she was just confident, but she let him activate his ability without interruption. She watched as his arms were encased in thin layers of frost, and his muscles began to bulge. He then lunged forwards towards her, at a much greater speed than the first time.
Grail's smile remained on his face as he neared close to her. Once he was within arms reach he extended his hand, but he found himself not moving closer. In fact, everything had a strange discoloration and blur to it.
The entire crowd watched, and heard. They heard a rapid pounding sound come from Vivian. They watched as she didn't move a muscle, like a statue, but before them Grail had been completely encased in ice.
There was a silence as everyone waited for him to break from the ice, but he didn't. Instead he was stuck with a frozen smile on his face as he sat there. At that moment, Vivian turned away from her brother and began to step over the broken plates, spilled wine, and meats in the hall. As she walked by, she gestured for a maid to follow her.
"Come with me, I must get changed. The rest of you, leave him there until Father, or the Princes arrive. I need proof of his defeat to spread so I can claim my right as heir. If any of you touch him, I will see it as you challenging my honor, and we will meet when I see fit, at the time I see fit, for a battle to the death."
Every single noble understood this declaration. Though Grail had most of the political support here, with that declaration, it was a duel condition. Should anyone act in the ways she stated, it would be akin to accepting her declaration for a battle to the death, under her conditions. This meant if she showed up at their house and killed them in their sleep, it would be declared as the outcome of a duel rather than an assassination. No one dared to free Grail Criab from the block of ice, after all he had the vitality to survive.
Vivian had a single maid following her, as she pushed open the grand doors of the dining hall and began to walk up a flight up stairs to the second floor. She passed by a few windows. On one side of them, she could see the keep, and all the land encompassing the royal territory. This grand castle and many small buildings were the only areas past the Criab manor. This signified the might of her family; second only to the Eonis family.
On the other side of the building was a view into a large portion of Eonis. Due to the elevation of the multiple stories of the manor, she could clearly see throughout the kingdom, though she had seen this view too many times and didn't stop to stare. Instead she continued walking, past the many paintings of her ancestors, and the priceless furniture and pottery owned by her family, until she arrived at a door she sought fit to stop at.
This door was her bedroom, which she pushed open without hesitation. The maid did not follow her, as entering a room without permission was the same as defying orders, but once Vivian waved a hand, she understood the command and entered the room.
A cold gust blew into the room, causing the maid to shiver slightly, but Vivian didn't feel the cold. Despite that, she walked over and shut the window, attempting to twist the latch to lock it, but the latch twisted loosely, preventing it from locking. The curtains continued to sway in the wind, just at a lesser rate.
"Once you're done helping me change, please file a maintenance report for this. It's not urgent, as we are so high off the ground this wouldn't be deemed a safety risk."
The maid bowed her head to respond, to let her employer know she understood. She then walked over to a closet and opened it, gathering a few outfits and laying them out.
For a few moments, the two discussed the appropriate outfit for the event, until coming to an agreement. They both agreed on the vibrant red, symbolizing the victory in her goal of achieving the title of heir, and also symbolizing the bloodshed she was willing to spill. Such powerful symbolizing was respected in Eonis.
The maid helped Vivian change, and after a moment she was finished. Vivian walked to the large mirror display in the corner of her room and looked at herself in the mirror, taking a moment to calm herself. Her body was still feeling the effects of her ability usage, and she didn't wish to display weakness at this time, however she didn't have the courtesy to catch her breath.
As she looked in the mirror, a glimmer of light caught her eye in the reflection, as she could see in the adjacent corner was a figure clung to the ceiling, in an instant her body tensed up, as a rapid loud thumping sound erupted into the room, resembling drums in a war.
Vivian whipped around, and a figure encased in black shrouds lunged at her, revealing a hidden blade as it struck for her.
She rose her arms, ice encasing them in the form of blocks as she managed to divert the blade upwards, she then struck forwards and pushed the figure backwards and yelled;
"Go! Alert everyone! There is an assassin!"
The maid began to run, and the assassin ignored the maid, not daring to take their eye off their prey. They showed great athletic skill, as their balance remained in check despite such a strengthy shove from Vivian.
The assassin seemed to almost warp In front of Vivian, its silver blade hooked in a reverse grip as they attempted to plunge it into her shoulder.
Due to the strange cloak and clothing of the figure, Vivian could hardly discern their details, including their foot placement, of arm length. She had to follow the blade by eye. As a result she was able to use one of her ice blocks to catch the blade, slipping it downward as it scraped off flakes of ice. She then followed up by slamming her other ice block into the chest of the foe sending them backwards with much more force than last time.
She actually managed to see their figure for once, as they had one arm extended, and the other drawn back with a dagger. They were encased in black clothing with long swaying hair, with a more feminine body than masculine.
These descriptions matched one person she knew of; the most wanted, and dangerous criminal in all of Eonis, and perhaps the entire world. Wolf.
Wolf wasn't a person whose name or identity was known. He got his name from his lack of Allie's seemingly, and his sole reliance on himself. However, there was something off, she didn't see any of his signature weapons.
Wolf was notorious for using cursed objects and weapons that could kill someone with powerful afflictions from just a nick, yet he only held an ordinary dagger! He was also very weak it seemed!
Vivian let out a scoff as she could tell something was wrong, and she pressed forwards toward the assassin, aiming to end the fight quickly to incapacitate him.
The Assassin held his ribs in pain, letting out a grunt as he struggled to stay on his feet. In what seemed like a last ditch effort, he tossed his dagger at Vivian, but she simply knocked it to the side with her ice block arms.
Vivian wound her fist back and went to slam it into the assassin, but she felt a throbbing pain in her lower back, as her legs gave way, causing her to collapse.
She turned her head in pain, only to see a second figure who was even more shrouded in darkness. The only thing she could see was a hand extending from a pure black cloak, and the glint of steel coming from the hilt placed against her spine. She had been stabbed!
Vivian went to curse the enemy, a cowardice foe who used deception and tricks to defeat her, but all that came from her mouth was a pool of blood. In an instant she could tell; she was poisoned.
Her heart beat rhythm was thrown off, as the energy inside her began to weaken, causing her pale skin to turn even paler, and her ice to crack and shatter. At that moment she knew what had happened; she wasn't just stabbed and poisoned, she was hit with a powerful affliction, likely a cursed weapon. Nobody said a cursed weapon looked any different than an ordinary one.
Her vision began to blur, as the assassin injured began to speak, sounding like a young girl.
"Your effort to bring greater light to women's and minority's suffrage in this country was great. Despite my weaknesses I accepted this mission to kill you due to my respect for you. It is unfortunate that just by existing you've made enemies… How could someone wish such a horrible thing on a woman just for showing her strength? If this country weren't so broken… they could've at least just killed you. Whatever chaos is brought about next, I hope the Titan averts your gaze from it upon his crown."
As the assassin, who seemed to be a girl somewhere in her late teens, spoke, she began to walk towards the arm extending from the shadows. The two merged together and seemed to vanish from the room.
Vivian didn't have time to think about the words of them, as she began to try and crawl forwards, and yell for pain, but her body did not move, and her voice did not let her scream. The glimmering knife in her back seemed to begin to rust and break away, leaving nothing but a hilt and pommel, as it fell against the carpet, which quickly began to pool with her blood.
The next few moments felt like hours, as loud sounds erupted. Various figures wielding shields branded with a dragon's gaping maw burst through the door, and at their head was a large man with graying blonde hair and a beard. He wore a fur cape with numerous medals of honor on it. This was Duke Criab.
The shielded men quickly began to surround the room, each one releasing an immense pressure as they realized no one was in the room. Meanwhile the Duke crouched down next to his only daughter, the one who had just earned the right to be his heir.
He extended a hand and held it out to his daughter, as chin scrunched beneath his beard, and his lips popped out from his mustache, as tears slowly fell from his eyes. In an instant he went from looking like a commander, to a father who was losing it all.
"My daughter… the light of my life… Who could do this to you?"
Vivian tried to respond, but the gargling sound of her blood was all that was heard, as she spit blood onto her fathers hand.
A silence filled the room, as every single soldier there stood on guard and gritted their teeth. They were more than soldiers, they were knights sworn to protect this bloodline.
The commander of these soldiers, Duke Criab, was the only one who broke form, gently caressing the cheek of his daughter with his thumb. Slowly he used his thumb to draw what looked like a gaping jaw and fangs onto her cheek.
"Forgive me, Light of my Life… if I hadn't been so busy, I could've arrived in time. Your war drums have gone out… they've been burst."
The tears of her father slowly fell and landed in front of her, and upon hearing those words, tears began to fall from her eyes too. Those words could only mean one thing; they couldn't save her.
"Your mother was just as strong a woman as you. When she was alive, she was effectively the head of this house. You would've led this house farther than your brother ever could've… I always worried her illness would claim you too, but this… At least you've died a warriors death. Our ancestors will greet you atop the Titan's Crown."
Duke Criab hit down on his lip, and smiled. He didn't see a full grown woman before him, he saw a scared child who had gone through too much suffering. A very soft rhythm began to fill the room, and each soldier began to bang their weapon against their shield to the rhythm.
This rhythm was a tradition in Eonis, it was the rhythm played to send off soldiers and important figures for their funeral. The meaning behind it held great value, as it was said to please the ancestors, even the very dragon that granted them this power.
As the rhythm filled her ears, Vivian felt as her body was encased in a thin layer of frost. Her heart beat grew even weaker, as her limbs felt stiff and immovable. Her consciousness began to fade. The last thing she saw was 3 figures full of majesty surrounded by even more guards, though these ones branded armor adorned with evergreen trees. Two of them possessed short white hair, and gentle features, while the other one was aged and had long hair, and a crown upon his head. The King and Princes were the last things she saw as she lost consciousness, and died.