Prologue: Nothing is ever that easy.
The frozen shards of ice shattered violently before finally splintering into thousands of smaller, more harmless remains of frozen water. The Iron mace connected with the iron helmet of its Frostguard opponent so hard, the man’s head caved in almost instantaneously; the man collapsed almost just as fast. The sound of his limp body hitting the frozen ground was a sweet tune in her ears. She watched it fall as it connected to the ground before turning her attention back to the battle. Similar scenes played out before her, Frostguard all falling to the strength of her warriors. She snorted unimpressively.
The Frostguard, the same told in the stores and made out in legends to be the strongest and the most challenging opponent one could ever face in the field of battle... the same ones that fell like a sickly tree during a spring breeze. They all were a discredit to their race, and yet she was force to ally herself with similar people she viewed as weak. She wanted to justify her reason, but she could not. Making an excuse was her being weak willed, and so she accepted the simple truth; she just wasn’t strong enough to do this on her own and for that she had asked for help.
Her mighty warbeast grunted its displeasure as it felt his master's state of mind turn from war to self pity. It would not stand here and allow such weakness as the world around them was alit with the fires of war and the chilling touch of death. They were in a war, and they had a point that needed to be proven. It grunted once to grab his rider’s attention, and then another when she wasn’t doing anything. When that failed he lazily bucked twice, snapping her out of her little funk and back into the present.
“Now Bristle.” She ordered and it obeyed happily as its mighty hoof thumps were added to the winter’s symphony.
The cries and struggles everywhere as her fearless WinterClaw and their Avaroson allies struggled and clashed with the armies of the time honored Frostguard of the Frozen North. In other times she would have welcomed this; the soft Avarosons returning to their roots as they both fought “worthy” opponents. An epic in the making that would be reenacted and sung for all the ages to come... Sadly this wasn’t the most ideal battle considering their opponents were breaking like sticks, but still it would have to do.
“Not everything could be perfect, and that’s what makes it fun.” Sejuani thought, giving a small smile as she smashed her mace into another guard, her battle boar Bristle trampling another happily.Around her WinterClaw and Avaroson warriors fought savagely and greatly with the Blizzard’s Blessings; hit hard and move fast. The Frostguard fought madly in response. In some extreme cases she could even say they lived to their reputation, but that was few cases far in between and even then those individuals fell like the weaklings they were.
“Drive them back! Show them first hand why we are WinterClaw, the heirs of Freljord!” Sejuani shouted passionately,and was met with the acknowledged battle cries of both tribes. Even if the Avaroson’s believed Ashe to be the one and only true heir... if it kept Sejuani from fighting them than they could afford to stomach her one sided speeches a bit longer.
By now they had manage to drive the Frostguard back toward the massive, stone and ice temple that they fought so stubbornly to protect. Sejuani road Bristle down the open stretch of land that led to the its massive walls and stairs. Her clansmen furiously followed in her wake as they finished off stragglers that were too slow to make for the temples protective walls. Sejuani looked up as she closed the distance to the temple. A “grand” statue of the ice witch, Lissandra towarded over height of the walls, and just above everything else only being dwarfed by the cliffs and mountains that housed the building itself.
She thought about how strange it looked, almost looking like it was recently carved from a massive chunk of boulder from the mountain face. How they managed to have sculpted the ice crystal it held in its hand was beyond her understanding. Like a lighthouse along the coast the crystal glowed brightly for such a dark shade, acting like a beacon that was summoning to their victory... or their doom.
Still She led her clan onward.
To her right and left, in the small woods the lined the open path she was on, the Avarosons flanked her approach using the trees as cover. Sejuani felt a bit of anger at their cowardice, strongly believing that such a tactic wasn’t honorable; instead believing one should be face to face with their opponent instead of darting from tree to tree. Still she kept her opinion to herself as she watched their arrows clear the path ahead of her, allowing them to push faster for the temple walls. She could let this act of warfare continue for now since it was allowing her to progress faster to her go of killing that witch.
She watched with a bit of interest as arrows flew from the trees on her left and right, meeting just ahead of her and creating a living spearhead that moved defiantly toward its destination. Sejuani roared with approval, Bristle grunting in response as he pushed himself to run faster. They had covered a great distance but still had a ways to go until the could climb the steps of the temple. The piercing cry of a certain frost hawk momentarily remained her of someone... and it rustled her mood greatly. They would properly settle their differences at a later time.
It was only after this thought did she finally take note of the land around her, and how quiet it had become. She motioned for Bristle to slow until he finally came to stop. Sejuani panted once as the exhilarant effects of the adrenaline finally started to wear thin in her blood. Her head focused on the temple before as the hairs along her neck started to rise.
Something wasn’t right.
The Frostguard weren’t firing any arrows or shouting commands as her army approached. Only the heavy crunching as multiple boots moved through the snow were all her trained ears could hear and it worried her. This was suppose to be a battle, a war and there should be screaming and the clashing as metal and ice met and yet there wasn’t any. Only the disheartening silence of desolation to come lingered in the air. Speaking of the air, Sejuani finally looked toward the heavens... and her eyes widen in horror at what she was seeing.
Glowing brightly and optimistically was the yellow fireball everyone called the sun. Just hovering over their battle like a bored bypasser with nothing better to do. She let her eyes linger a moment before panickedly realizing the land around her wasn’t much better; she cursed herself for not noticing sooner. It looked much like a bright and sunny day. The snow, the trees, the temperature... just everything was wrong. Sejuani was so wrapped up in preparing for the coming battle that she missed the one and most important detail; this was Freljord, and its never warm. It’s always brutally freezing with winds of such wild power, that only gods could hope to tame them.
Her warriors passed by her quickly once she stopped, none even slowing down to even acknowledge her existence with their goal in sight. Bristle whined and grunted annoyingly as he wanted to follow and rejoin the clan once more, but his master didn’t react. She was still surveying the land as her mind saturated itself with thoughts and questions she wanted to know/answer.
Her head quickly snapped back to the front, looking right at the temple as she spurred Bristle forward.
“It’s a Trap! Return to your ranks NOW!” She frantically yelled which managed to gain the attention of a few nearby but the majority were already arriving at the base of the temple steps, and right then and there Sejuani knew it was too late. What hit her first, Sejuani couldn’t really say, only knowing it seemed Feljord had once more turned on her.
The sun disappeared almost as soon as the first WinterClaw took their first steps onto the temple. The result brought a massive drop in temperature as the cold started once more reminding her soldiers exactly where they were fighting. The wind came next, knocking nearly everyone over except Sejuani who clung to the fur of the iron boar she called her stead and friend. These two changes brought back the land’s famous blizzards in a heartbeat, disorientating those that had grew soft in that brief moment in the sun.
Then the screaming began, howling a grisly song that strangely matched how Freljord was. A land where the strong live and the weak die.
The counterattack was depamentral as it was effective. They had no time to prepare before losing all the men that made it to the temple, and it was a massacre in every sense of the word. Enemy arrows and massive bolts of ice filled the sky above the temple and using the current of the wind, allowing them to sling further than the normal wound on their own and cutting her army in two.
“Scatter! Make for the woods!” She cried, trying to project some form of control. The men paid no heed as the bolts and arrows continued in a never ending torrent of hail and pain. She watched all of this from the back of Bristle as he dodge the numerous projectiles, making for the trees that would offer some sort of cover.
As they neared the treeline a mighty horn blew drowning all other noise in the surrounding area; the arrows and bolts of ice ceased their assault. The unsettling quiet from before returned once more. A few wails of pain and suffering were present but mostly it was dead silence. Sejuani and Bristle looked toward the temple from between the trees that they now took shelter behind. She may have condemned this act before for being a cowards tactic but she wasn’t stupid. Sejuani knew either they took cover or stay out there and be impaled by a shard of ice the size of a tree. She noted all around her warriors from both tribes had taken refuge behind the ancient barks of the old trees, finding some tranquility in the knowledge they were safe for the moment. They all wore a look an unsure and spooked herd animal but they all held firmly ready to fight when needed.
Sejuani couldn’t have been more proud of them.
“You, what is your name?” She called, while pointing to a burly man of significant height. He was only a head shorter than her... and she was sitting comfortably on Bristle’s back. He looked toward the temple again likely watching for more arrows to suddenly start once he left the protection of the tree. Once he was satisfied knowing no more were going to be fired he moved from the trunk, lumbering toward the warrior princess.
“Ye called?” He asked in a heavy, thick Freljord accent marking him of northern descent. WinterClaw or part of a newly integrated tribe: the Avaroson of the south mostly spoke with a smoother, crisper accent that was only laced with the Froljord tongue. Interesting.
“Indeed I have warrior. I have never seen you before are WinterClaw?”
“Ya, and na. I were raised elsewhere, but ony eturn for ze battle.” This bear of a man replied like it was something similar he had repeated numerous times before.
Sejuani nodded, accepting the answer with respect for this man. She’ll have to reward him for his service after this battle was won. She raised her left arm, aiming at their brothers off on the other side of the crossing that had became the no mans land.
“They are without guidance and command. I want you to act in my place. Be my voice and lead them to glory that even their forefathers would rise once more to praise them!”
The bear like man pounded his fist against his chest with determined vigour. A chance to prove his strength and skills in battle and to be trusted with a command from the Winter Princess was an honor. So honored, he bent a knee to her, the first time he had ever done to any being.
“Ye honor me Princess, with your...”
“HAHAHAHAHA! Do you really think you can escape the cold? Did you think I wouldn’t find you?”
Everybody froze in place. Sejuani looked around the trees before coming to the only logical conclusion and returned her gazed back to the dreaded ice temple once more. Her eyes scanned the archways, towers, steps, walls looking for anything that could be responsible for the spectral voice. Nothing. Sejuani refused to be ousted from this game; if anything it renewed her courage and determination.
The wind had died some, becoming ironically refreshing breeze that caressed their faces and stirred the furs they wore. When she was planning the attack with Ashe, they both had thought out and countered planned for as many possible actions they could think of and account for.
Apparently disembodied voices wasn’t in one of those plans. This wasn’t even considered as a possibility and now they were without a plan or some course of action.
Sejuani mumbled something which was lost to the winds as they continued to playfully dance between the trees they were still hiding behind. Bristle and the bear man both looked to her once they caught the traces of her phantom words.
“We’re being toyed with. From the moment we had planned this assault to the point we took cover behind these trees we were being led and maneuvered like common beasts!” she yelled hotheadedly, raising her giant mace and smashing the trunk of the tree to her left like it was plywood. Those near it bolted away as the tree came collapsing down with a hearty roar that marked its finally moments, taking two more of its brothers before coming to rest on the frozen floor.
“Now, now Sejuani. That was uncalled for you brute of a woman.” The spectre taunted. Still hidden from view as it watched Sejuani ride into the open that was no mans land.
“I’ll show you more when you ascend from your cowardice ways and appear before me like a true child of Freljord!” She roared her challenge which was met with the joyest approval of her army. She smiled confidently knowing she had their blessings and support if she needed it.
If this opponent of hers would not show themselves natural than she’ll have to lure them out with a personal challenge. There were no guarantee they’ll accept but it was the best plan she had at the moment. She waited maybe only a few seconds before Bristle’s nerve faltered. Sejuani looked down worriedly at her friend. For an iron boar of these harsh lands to act in such a manner was very bad sign that shouldn’t be taken likely.Thinking back to an old Freljordan saying...”If the strong actively avoid a something then you should too.” Bristle was shaking at whatever she had just summon.
The final traces of the cool wind ceased its courtship of their furs and finally started moving away from them and back toward the cliffs beyond. The darken clouds still hovered above them, still calm and perfectly motionless; unnaturally so. An omen if she ever had to guess and Sejuani guessed correctly. The chilling silence from before returned, filling them with a calm before the storm feeling in mass. The warriors fidgeted, grabbing their weapons as they readied themselves for the unknown and uncertainty that they were experiencing. A part of it was to find solace in their livelihood and way of life, some pried looking to the their beliefs for some stability and the refinement of their will.
All of that was shattered when it spoke once more.
“Humhumhumhum wha hahahaha! You challenge me Winter Princess? Do you even fully understand what it is you have challenged?” It’s haunting and elegant voice inquired not really expecting an answer to be returned.
They felt the wind reawaken from its temporary nap. With the strength of its kind coursing once more, eagerly wanting to flex its strength. No more autumn style breezes, no more spring flutters in the middle of the morning, day or night and no more weak gusts; It was an air current of Freljord and a blizzard was coming. The wind staggered, fading in and out as it gathered its strength and built pressure for the task ahead.
“Sejuani, Princess of the WinterClaw and tamer of the blizzard...” The mini blizzard twisted and conspired in such a way even magic users of the world would be skeptical such a feat could even be done. The purity of the white flakes of snow faded becoming stained with the darkness that held Freljord in its grip. The now visible blizzard continued to compress into a massive orb high in the sky, overlooking the army’s shelter but more importantly it was right in front of Sejuani. Bristle took a step back as it gathered in mass and height.
This display lasted maybe 1-2 minutes but when one witnesses such a display of power they normally don't keep track. The darken orb pulsed dimly with its tained magic of their sworn enemy, the ice witch: Sejuani clenched her war mace tightly as more of this simple battle became more and more complicated.
“The one that was to unite this shattered, and broken land.” It pulsed once more, brighter this time. “The one that was to slay the Ice witch Lissandra... and failed.”
Sejuani snorted while Bristle rumbled a deep chuckle even going as far to relax his stance for a moment before resuming it quickly when the orb exploded. Releasing its furry across the field with the savagery of an ursine war bear. Bristle knelt down planting his hooves firmly in the frozen dirt and snow. His rider melting into his fur until it gave way.
She looked up once the rhythmic pounding of the wings filled her ears.A bird larger than any known to ever exist filled her vision. Large and small crystals filled with tained dark magic loudly smacked one another with every flap of its massive wings. The sound was muffled slightly by its massive and omniscience painted feathers. A bird that looked vastly different than before but one she had seen and met before...
“ I should have scrambled that egg when I had the chance.” Sejuani muttered.
Anivia tilted her head. Unsure how she should respond to such a comment before deciding on a tried and true comeback that always seemed to work.
“Well you a pig, but enough of these silly insults.I believe you had issued a challenge?”
No sooner had she finished, Anivia began summoning particles of snow and ice in front of her as she readied for an attack. Wasting no time Sejuani urged Bristle forward, charging directly toward their avian opponent. She was desperately wondering how she would force Anivia to the the ground when from nowhere a massive arrow of ice and magic struck Anivia’s side. She released a startled and painful scream; her voice abandoning all traces of its smooth and confident tone. The blizzard that was being summon collapsed the moment her magic’s hold was shattered, turning it into pieces of ice and lumps of snow.
“Thank you...” Sejuani reluctantly thanked “her” for the help and said nothing more. She closed had closed the gap between and the down avian. The cries and cheering of her soldiers echoed drowned any other sound as she approached. Sejuani raised her deadly mace with every intent to kill as Anivia starting to recover from the surprise attack, feeling the painful soreness that through her crystals but the recovery wasn’t painful enough for her to gather a shard of ice before her.
Sejuani took note and began swing her mace above her head to gather momentum for her attack. Anivia did the same and prepared her own attack and started enchanting the shard with the dark magic for that added bit of agony and despair.
“For Freljord!”
“For the true peace!”
They both screamed at the same time just before they met each other in one titanic clash of monumental power....
=========================
“Aaaaaaaaaah!” The startled bird screamed in a hybrid yell and chirp. She nearly fell out of her perch that hung high on the wall of the massive beautifully designed room. It sunk into the wall creating a sort of cave with a small ledge for her to land and take off from whenever she wanted. Her chest expanded and retracted rapidly as her body tried to calm itself from what looked...
She looked down at the side where the arrow had hit “her” in the dream and ran a wing along it. She inhaled deeply, clenching her eyes shut from the pain and quickly recalled the wing back to her side. The dream even felt real which only served to confuse and somewhat frighten the blue bird. She looked up, looking out of her little indented hold in wall to get an idea what time of day it was; the shadows of the night were still plastered on the finely smooth, and polished ice colored marble that made up the walls. She puffed out her chest and walked toward the ledge so she could peer at the darkness below, worrying about the occupant submerged in it.
The clitter clatter of her nails echoed louder than she would have wanted but she shrugged it off as the absolute silence messing with her. Normally she was surrounded by the day to day activities the various servants and maids, which kept her occupied until the evening where she would finally be able to see her master... her best friend in this large and exhilarating crystal mansion she called home. At night she was alone.
Though she could just barely make her friend’s outline at the very bottom of the darkness and the massive single chunk of petrified wood that made the frame of his bed, she still felt isolated. While her friend, a pony of high birth and standing was just lying right below her little hole in the wall, it still felt miles if not countries away. She looked down one more time before pulling her head up while taking a step back into her hole. She hated to admit such a terrible secret to anyone... anypony, let alone admitting it to herself.
She sighed softly at the irony of it. Here she was...some sort of bird that hails from the lands of the gryphons; a bird that is sacred to their beliefs and considered to be very rare and powerful symbol of ultimate perfection. The complete and total aspect of power, stature, and wisdom and yet she was afraid of the dark. She inhaled once more to take her mind off the nebulous void that surrounded her.
Some god bird she was.
She scooted back toward the inner wall of her home as she covered her eyes with a wing to shield herself from the murky, secretive night. She knew this was unbecoming from such a supposedly revered bird but she just found the dark frightening to be around let alone asleep during it. Like some very important piece of knowledge was clawing at the edges of her mind desperately trying to remind...or reawaken something that shouldn't be awaken.
She steeled herself with just enough nerve to move back to ledge to look back down at her sleeping friend’s form. She hated the dark and wanted her friend’s illuminating company to help her endure the night. She gulped, and dived off the ledge spreading her wings to catch the air so she could glide down to the end of one of the bedpost.
She landed with a soft thump as her nails gripped the ancient wood. She paused from making anymore movement as she relished the feel of the bed post; for some strange and foreign reason she had always loved the bed post. Not because it made a lovely perch, but it just felt familiar to her like a grown up finding their favorite sleep toy years later. It was that comforting to her.
She cooed softly as the metaphorical safety blanket was wrapped around her; she even started tolerating the dark again. When they finally turn in for the night, her friend would leave a light on for her which was enchanted to extinguish after a few hours into the night. The only problem with that was if she awoke during the night... well it was hard for her to fall back asleep.
She shifted around to put herself facing the bed where her friend was asleep. Being this close she could fully make out his little form resting under the covers, his peaceful breaths signaling a restful and placid sleep. She didn’t want to wake him from such a serene sleep; it wasn't fair for him to be disturbed just because she could sleep. So lifting her wings carefully to avoid having her crystallized feathers from making too much noise, she gave herself a leaping start. Jumping off the frame at the foot bed giving her just enough lift so that two flaps of her wings were all it was required to make it to the head frame nestled close to the wall.
It was cramped fit but she managed to find a comfortable spot to nest on. She looked around the room once more before turning her glance back to the sleeping pony; the darkness didn't feel all that unnerving anymore. Her feathers puffed out to create a layer of fluff that helped rested her head as she started letting the sands of sleep weigh her eyes.
“Night Sombra.” she whispered to her best friend. She knew he was asleep but it felt like the right thing to say after effectively moving from her perch to roost on his bed frame. By now the weight of her eyes had caught up with her exhausted body which she had gratefully let take her.
In a moment she was out. Her relaxed breathing went unheard except for the pony she now slept above. He stayed perfectly still, his body asleep while his mind was in between consciousness before becoming resuming its limbo state of dreaming.
“Night.. Hraes.”
