Conquest of the Horde - A song of Ice [Cryomancer]

You have always been too weak to protect yourself.

Bitter thoughts flew across a bitter woman's head. Each step though the snow only made it worse. She was bundled up, prepared for her trip in the frozen north. She had not expected someone to stay so hidden, yet be known at all. Every strange noise caused the small woman to look around, her one eye fearful of the unknown. Too much has happened in the cold to give her any sort of comfort.

Flashing jaws, blinding lights and screams. The pain as the claws dug into your flesh, the mana forced from your body. Remember the roar as your life was drained, as the snow soaked up your blood. Remember the torture of death and how the light drained your warmth.

Remember the eyes of the Drake.

You were too weak.

With a firm shake of her head, the woman trudged on, now at an incline. Sure, she could have made this all the more easy on herself and simply went back to school to learn, but that was far from what she wanted. Schools had restrictions, rules to bind yourself too. Reigen had never been one to follow anotherâ€™s law, nor listen to their silly rules. She had to find someone who was away from their eyes, someone who could teach her without the rules.

It was then she heard about Becky.

From what she had heard, Becky was an older human who has forsaken the flame in order to focus on level-headed magic. She had become withdrawn from society and simply left her home, only to be heard from but never seen from. She sent constant letters to her friends and family, though never from the same spot. Though these letters, given to her by the woman's daughter in Dalaran, Reigen managed to figure out pattern to start her search. Granted, it wasnâ€™t too obvious at first.

Over the course of two weeks, Reigen managed to figure that the womanâ€™s letters would move at an arch across the Eastern Kingdoms, moving to Winterspring, then finally to the frozen north. If the pattern kept true, the woman would be somewhere in the mountains at Grizzly hills by this point, or dead. Reigen really hoped that the woman didnâ€™t pass off of old age by the time she was found.

Why bother? Sheâ€™ll be dead...remember the fel...remember the feeling it gave you, the power and th-

A frozen stone caught her foot and she came tumbling down into the snow. She slide a ways down the mountain and laid there. The small mage was grateful for a few, at least the cold would make her forget the addiction, even if only for the moment. Such was another thing she had hoped to get free from, the nagging addiction of demonâ€™s blood.

Perhaps...if my own power grows...I wonâ€™t feel the need to drink. Maybe at last Iâ€™ll be free and the demons will no longer tempted me.

Never...youâ€™ll never be freed.

For a few minutes, only the howling find of the chilly air made noise, each burst causing her cloak to fall off of her and exposing more of her to the cold. Reigen was about to make a move to stand...but the rock moved first.

Well that isnâ€™t right...

The ground around the rock began to rumble before the snow burst upwards. In confusion, Reigen stumbled up and back as something covered right before her. After a moment, she was able to recognize the form of a frozen water elemental...but...how was it moving? She held her staff in front of her defensively, ready to strike out, before a soft, older voice floated down.

â€œYouâ€™re far away from home, deary.â€

The elemental stopped itâ€™s approach and moved to the side. An elder woman wrapped in a cloak moved on down the slope with ease to the paranoid elf. Reigen gave no response at first until she noticed the woman would not speak again until her comment was noticed. Teeth chattering, the tiny mage muttered.

â€œI donâ€™t understand what you said, deary.â€, the elder woman responded. Her voice commanded a proper response.

â€œI seek out Becky, the human.â€

â€œWhy?â€. An almost amused tone passed down the mountain to the elf.

â€œI seek her aid in bettering myself.â€, was a quick reply.

A moment passed of no further words, only the howling wind. Finally, the elder female started to laugh. It was warming, yet cold at the same time. The female leaned upon the frozen elemental for support as she happily laughed.

After a bit, the irritated Sinâ€™dorei snapped out, â€œWhatâ€™s so amusing!?â€.

â€œHow funny it is...â€, started the woman, â€œThat so long ago, you elves were teaching us humans magic, and now here you are, asking this old human to to better!â€

The ears of the Sinâ€™dorei would droop in shame before she once more spoke out, â€œPlease...I donâ€™t want to be at the mercy of the cold any l-â€

â€œOh, give me a break little girl. If I had a silver for every time I hear that line. Donâ€™t beg me for help, prove to me that youâ€™re worthy to even see my little cave.â€ The woman would motion up the hill before one more speaking, â€œYou will spend an exact day out here in the wilderness. If you can do that and find my cave, then weâ€™ll talk so I can hear your sob story. Find my dear friend here once the day has passed, heâ€™ll help you to the cave.â€ The woman would give the frozen elemental a pat before turning to lumber off.

â€œB-but wait!â€ Reigenâ€™s words would fall upon nothingness as the woman faded from view. The elemental took the moment of distraction to give her a light shove. â€œH-â€

Down the mountain side slide the Sinâ€™dorei until a not so gentle tree stopped her trip. One angry grumble later, Reigen sat up and looked around. She had slide into the forest at the base of the mountain. One day had to be spent here before she could make her way back up and to the cave the woman had mentioned.

After a sigh, the little mage crossed her arms and muttered out, â€œWell -now- what?â€

The cold will forever hold you.

Hours later found the small mage against the same tree, her heavy cloak doing well thus far in order to shield her from the biting cold. Her habit to dress in several layers also contributed to her lack of frostbite, only her ears and the top half of her face was exposed to the cold. Her eyes were closed and a grimace showed over her expression. Reigen had the looks of someone that had forced themselves into an unwanted sleep, perhaps out of want rather than necessity. What movements the mage did make were fast, jerking movements, nightmares surely plagued the girls thoughts.

Fearful these nightmares were.

Claws ripping and tearing into soft flesh, the screams of agony that followed. Close friends and loved ones waiting up the stairs to do more damage. Each mark they made forever embedded upon the flesh. No relief, no break, forever more to feel the pain of betrayal and agony.

He only watched from the top.

At last they would become too much for the small mage, her head would whip up from it’s resting position to look around, the fake eye twitching about as it did so. Snow had started to fall during the course of her dreaming, and what was once a light drift had become a harsh storm. The cold had started to make her cheeks hurt and with a forced sigh, the little mage stood up to travel further into the forest. Her current goal? Shelter from the cold, perhaps in the form of a cave or even that of a good spot to start a small fire.

Why bother? You can’t feel the warmth anyway.

You’ll never feel the warmth.

Never.

Each step she took made a crunching sound, though her tracks were quickly covered by the new snow rushing in. Reigen would pull out a dagger and start to slash into the trees, doing her best to make the marks deep enough so that she might find her way. For ever tree she passed, a new mark was made to be sure that she would not lose her way from her goal. Sometimes she would carve a whole symbol into the tree, matching that of her tabard. The insane eye would be carved deep in and away from the snows direction so that it would not be filled.

The cold will hold you here forever, you will not find your way back.

Reigen would shake her head, trying to ride herself of her own self-doubt. Such musings had plagued her since her time in the wilds ages ago.

“Stay strong...for us...”

Such words had been spoken to her by her husband before she had left to embark upon this journey. They had spent the night before in each others embrace, knowing it could be a while before they had the chance to see each other again, and they made the most out of it that they could. She had known that he was unhappy with her decision, but he had, as always, supported her and left her with words of love and caution. Such words she took to heart as she walked, her steps growing in confidence as she moved about, keeping her blood circulating in her body. Though the cold was making her sluggish still, she could not feel it as others could. What was a bit extra to one who had forgotten what the warmth felt like?

You will never remember.

Soon she came into a small clearing somewhere in the forest. The trees were tightly packed together, greatly dulling the wind and snow that came into the area. A few of the trees were fused together by what looked to be the residue of a lake that had moved with the wind and frozen over. As she approached it, the section above the tree would act as a mirror, causing her own distorted reflection to catch her eye. After a moment of hesitation, she lowered her hood and mask and peered into the naturally formed mirror.

What she saw was what others had denied for months, what they were too afraid to tell her.

Monster.

Krilari, Thragash and many others had always commented about how her scars were not as bad as she had thought. They were correct, as she had only a few scars since her rebirth at the hands of a red drake. They were on her face, her shoulder and one came from her stomach to her chest. Most weren't even that deep and were more noticeable at a passing glance. No one had ever lied to the small mage.

Her mind lied to herself.

Hideous!

She saw in her reflection something horrible beyond recognition. Marks were over ever inch of flesh she had to show. Bruises lined her face from her mouth to her ears and stitches were needed to hold the flesh together. Her eyes were discolored and none of her scarred skin matched. Deep marks, some still bleeding circled around her eyes and cheeks giving her the appearance of the waking dead. Her skin held boils and warts, pus leaving from the raised skin and dripping down only to mix with the blood her mind tricked her into seeing. Quickly the mask and hood would return to covering her flesh, giving her the chance to look away from her own horrid reflection.

You make others want to vomit.

No one else could see what she saw of herself, the poor girl’s mind messing with herself. It was how she had saw herself from her rebirth, it was what she saw the moment her eyes glanced down at her own flesh. It was only backed up when she saw her own reflection in a mirror, a mirror in which she had broken in a fit of rage soon after. It was what she felt she would always see. Her own false image was the reason she went though such great lengths to cover herself, why she went though such great lengths to avoid letting the world see her. No words of comfort would ever change what her mind made her see.

“Pah...others thinking they could make me see what’s not there...” She would shake her head. “I know what I see...they just try to sugar-coat life for me.”

They all lie...they all laugh behind you back.

Reigen took a few steps back, shaking her head out of annoyance. Soon after, she stood very still, the sound of heavy breathing behind her. Slowly, her head would turn to take in the white fur of a creature. Her body would turn just as slow with her her head in order to get a full view of whatever it was that was behind her. Reigen would blink, then gulp. What she had first hoped to be some sort of snow cat had turned out to be a very large yeti.

A very large...and very angry yeti at that.

“...Fu-”

The yeti reared back onto it’s hind legs and screamed out it’s angry, it’s two fist beating on it’s chest before it dropped back down and started to charge at the small and rather unsuspecting mage. Thankfully for her, habits long repeated forced her to move before she was trampled, her body shimmering for a moment with the gathered arcane energies to her person. The yeti became highly confused when it’s target was suddenly gone, it’s head moving about as it frantically searched, it’s nose sniffing the air heavily to pick up on a scent. Reigen, now done with her blink spell, took off running as fast as her legs would carry her.

“-ck!”

A thunderous roar would follow as the small mage ran. Soon enough the creature was able to pick up on her tracks and was quick to follow the intruder in it’s territory. It’s legs and arms carved deep marks into the snow, causing a small blizzard of snow to fly up behind it. In it’s rage, it knocked down trees in it’s path, causing loud crashes to follow. What normally would have been a win in the smaller and seemingly faster body turned into a horrible fault. She pushed herself too soon too fast and her body was starting to protest this act. Soon the pain started, causing her eyes to go wide in panic. Behind her she could still hear the thuds of the beast.

You can’t win.

At last, the crippling pain started, Reigen lurched forward onto her side, sliding into the snow. Her dark clothing would stand out, she knew that much. Sacrificing comfort for survival, the mage backed up against the tree, allowing herself to become covered with snow and giving her more of a cover. All she could do now was wait and hope the monstrous beast would pass her by so that she could make her way out of the forest quickly. As the loud steps approached, Reigen took a deep breath, then remained as still as she could possible be. The thudding stopped as the trail went cold for the beast.

Look at you...hiding like a child.

Your family isn’t here to help you now.

Reigen bit her lip as the yeti sniffed close to the tree she was against. Luckily for her, it didn’t have the foresight to look around the tree to the oddly shaped snow-drift. It’s harsh breath knocked blew the snow around it away and it’s maw dripped with saliva, only to become frozen in it’s fur or off the side of it’s mouth. The creature lifted up a rock as if it expected the girl to have somehow fit under it before it slammed it back down upon seeing she wasn’t there. It would then grunt and groan only to stand back and bellow it’s anger once more, rather frustrated over it’s inability to find such an easy target. Reigen’s ear twitched at the loud sound, the earrings clinking together just enough to make a noise which became all the louder to her in her panicked state. Her body begged to shake in fear, but she had to do her best to remain still.

Weak...coward. You will forever fail everyone...

You’re a mouse hiding from a cat.

The beast began to lumber off, apparently no longer caring so long as the ‘invader’ was no longer within’ it’s sight or smell range. It picked it’s nose and scratched it’s rear end before making to move between the trees. No longer did it bust them down, instead it passed peacefully though, it’s former rage seeming to be gone. Only when it was fully gone between the trees did the small mage dare to stand up and brush the snow off herself. Slowly she began to creep back using the path the yeti had made. Still her self-doubt would plague her.

You are worthless.

“Shut up!”. Her voice echoed as she grew frustrated with her own thoughts.

Shit.

As soon as the words left her mouth, an enraged roar had followed. The yeti had heard her yell and was just as quick to start on her trail. Reigen too took off running, not wanting such an unfortunate end to befall her so soon. Small legs carried her from the yeti, though she was already tired from the first bout of running. The monster was quick to gain on her and soon enough she was only just a hairs reach away. Once more her legs would start to flare up in pain. All it took was one slam on the ground from the monster’s paw for her legs to give out. The mage once more tumbled down a slope and landed hard against something. The yeti stopped just before her, then lunged. Reigen could only shut her eyes.

At last your worthlessness will come to an end.

Drip.

Drip...

Dead silence enveloped the mage as she waited for her downfall. The only thing she had felt for what seemed like hours was a dripping upon her head. Though it had only been a few minutes, it had been elongated due to her fears. Had she died peacefully this time? She was too afraid to open her eyes, fearing that if she did the blow would land and she would once more feel the pain of death. At last, the dripping became too much and she opened her eyes.

Time to face death.

Red was all she saw before her. What was once a vibrant bright and white snow was now mushy, stained with a deep crimson color. Her eyes turned to herself only to see her robes stained as well. Her hair had become slick as the crimson dripped from it as well, but she felt no pain, nor could she possible bleed that much. Confusion filled her expression as she looked up at last to see what had happened.

Lucky...

There was the yeti, blood dripping down it’s fur and onto her. The rest dripped onto the ground around her, making it appear as if she was bathing in it’s blood. Lucky she was indeed. In her hurry and panic, she had taken no notice to what she had fallen against. Looking around now, she could see that she was against a stump of one of the trees the yeti had torn down in it’s rage. The tree had remained against it, pointing up and above the ground, as natures own spear. When the creature has rushed at her, the tree had impaled it right though it’s lower throat and chest.

Fate will have you...monster.

For the rest of the night, the mage stayed under her cover. The body of the yeti providing her a shield from the wind and snow. The closeness of it’s fur was like a blanket, one that would provide her a bit of heat for the time being. Eventually the warm blood would stop dripping, though she had moved out of it’s path long before, and the body would turn cold. She looked as if she had really bathed in blood, her hair starting to clump with the chunks of flesh and blood. Her skin had become a brown as the blood began to dry. For now, she could only wait under the protection nature had given her.

When the sun hit the center of the sky, the storm died down at last. Reigen removed herself from her corpse shelter to stumble along the path. Her expression was haunted, the close call to death something she had never wanted to feel again. She paid minor attention as she followed her trail, each step seeming heavier than the last. Soon she would ascend the mountain just as she did the day before. Waiting there, as promised, was the frozen elemental. It gave no reaction upon her approach, not that it really could with it’s frozen state, it simply turned around to lead her away. An opening in the mountain was soon to be seen, the cave that that human had promised would be there.

Next time you will not be so lucky.

Small flutters of snow would dance around on the gentle breeze as Reigen took heavy steps forward. The frozen elemental would move forward a few steps then stop, waiting for the drooping mage to catch up to him. A trip that should have taken no more than a few minutes was taking over thirty. Every so often, the little mage would drop down onto her side, gasping for breath as the situation she had just faced caught up to her. Looking back on it now, she had been scared senseless, such a thing she was not used too. For the longest of times, she had been the scariest thing in the forest, but now she had grown soft. Realizing that things were out of her control once more only added to the physical and mental weight on her.

Little girl is afraid of the big bad forest. What a joke...pathetic.

Once more, for what seemed like the tenth time, Reigen lifted herself off the ground. Her numb body swaying in the wind for a few moments before she took a few test steps forward. The small mage’s mind was as numb as her body was. Her emotions had for the longest of times been dulled, giving her a feeling of emptiness and worse, uncaring. Such a thing she longed to be free from, but it was a something that would forever plague her. The markings on her body were testament to how much she desperately wanted to feel again.

Just think of how you will never love you child...your husband...life.

Even the dead feel more than you.

You’re better off dead...

Parish.

At last she would step into the shadow of the cave, the entrance surprisingly a little less cold than the outside. In a few moments, she would see why. A fire was lit in several places in order to keep the cave warm and livable. The snow would melt into a normal cave floor soon enough, and away from that a few rugs would be laying around. This would answer Reigen’s question as to how one survived in such a place, though it was only a fleeting thought. Her attention was more on the fire in which she could not feel. She would stumble up to it as the elemental pointed her to stand into an empty tub, then move back to the outside of the cave. The snow on her would slowly start to melt and the frozen blood would drip down into the empty tub below her.

Dripping away just like your own mortality...just like your own control.

Reigen would lift her head to look around, noticing at last that the old woman didn’t seem to be around. With a light shrug, her took her time to examin the cave in which she would be meeting her teacher at. It was larger than she had first though, a ramp leading from that room to no doubt another. Hung about the cave wall was old drawings, fading ‘photographs’ which seemed to be a new trend, and many books lying around on the floor and make-shift shelves. A ghost of a smile touched the Sin’dorei’s lips as she recalled her own little similar set-ups. Her favorite had been when she raided an old village and made a house in the trees. It was nice until a nasty storm blew it down and away. During her fond little memory, an out of place color caught her eye. Upon the seat was a note, addressed simply to ‘The Sin’dorei’. Reigen would reach over to it and pick it up, a frown crossing her face as she read.

“Dear Idiot,

I went out to get things. If you’re back before me ,[which is disappointing, but oh well!], then know there is soup in the back room for you to eat. If you’re not, hands off, it’s mine. If you’re dirty, there’s a spare robe under this chair. Don’t get my cave dirty.

~Becky”

Reigen would sigh and pull out the robe in which was provided. It was old, ugly and dusty, but she didn’t complain as she changed from her normal clothing to the robe. Following the note’s instruction, she would make her way to the back room to see that it branched off into two rooms. She followed the smell to the ‘kitchen’ and picked up a bowl of soup. The room was also furnished with self-made things. The table was made of a fallen tree, which was cut in half in order to be flat. The seats were made of tree stumps and the stove was a pit of rocks with a cooking pot hung over the coal. It was simple, which gave Reigen an odd impression about a woman who went from everything to nothing. She would only shrug it off, eat and wait for the woman to return home.

Perhaps she is doing you a favor...poison...perhaps she will kill you...

The thought would sit in her mind until she heard the entrance of someone in the cave. She would shake her head to clear her thoughts and walk up to the front of the cave. There, with a sled of supplies behind her, was Becky. She waved off the elemental and grumbled as she moved right past Reigen and into the kitchen. Reigen made no comment and walked forward to sit on the floor by a fire. Not even ten minutes later, the woman would walk up and sit herself on the seat near the elf. No words passed between them.

Perhaps you did die...you are just a ghost doomed to wonder the world...

You are as dead on the outside as you are inside...

Die already.

Once more Reigen would shake off her own self doubt, doing her best not to let it endanger her like it had with the yeti. After a few more moments of silence passed between them, she would open her mouth to speak only for the old woman to hold up a stern finger. No complaint left the small woman’s lift as she let the woman think. Occasionally the woman’s eyes would dart between the fire and Reigen, as if trying to observe something.

“So why do you want to train?”

Reigen would look up, confused for the moment before noticing that the woman had spoken. The suddenness of it had made her think it had been her imagination, but it was far from that. She tapped a finger against her chin, letting her thoughts run wild for an answer that the woman might want to hear, before opening her mouth to speak. She’d shut it after, rethinking her words before she’d attempt it again.

“I want to be better...so I don’t need to rely on others to come save me. You see...when I w-”

“I don’t want to hear your sob story!”. The elder woman turned to glare at Reigen, the annoyance strong across her face. It caused the Sin’dorei to give a little wince. The woman stood up and started to pace around before speaking again. “Time and time again people come to me with their little sob stories saying how much they need my help. I reject them all, it’s as if they think a heart-felt story is what it takes to get places in life. Bah!”

“Then that means you’re n-”

“You passed my test, little girl.”.Once more the reply was rather snippy. “You did what I asked and I’m going to keep my word, but guess what? You’re not going to like me at all...and you’re not going to like what this training might do to you. Think it over, and give me a simple -yes- or -no- answer. Do you wish to train still knowing that the results could be bad for you physically and mentally?”

Reigen would lower her gaze to the floor, once more letting her thoughts plague her. She thought back to the cave in which she was held for near a week. She had relied on others to bring her food and keep her alive. The time before that...how she was at the mercy of that suit-wearing Sin’dorei while others walked though landmines in order to save her. Then Dragonblight...how she had been at the mercy of the cold...how she had died there...

You are worthless....weak...

“Yes.”.

“Good, at least you didn’t try to ramble on like an idiot.” Becky would nod and once more sit back down in the chair, one leg crossed over the other. “Now then, as you know, Cryomancy is the focus on frost casting, only with a bit more power and offense behind it. Normally those of frost use it defensively, but we take it a step further.”

Reigen would only nod her head in understanding as the woman would examine her. Becky’s words would float though her head as she took in the little bit of new information, something for her to write down later should she ever need to do some sort of little silly test. Aroes and Arianna had both spoken about papers during their time in training, though she hoped this would not be the case. The little mage would hold her breath, thinking it yet another test. Soon after, the woman would only shake her head and let out a small chuckle.

She laughs at you...she thinks you’re a joke...

“You look like shit, dear. Go home, you’ll come back in two days in order to start your training. I’ll tell you more as you go on.” Confusion crossed the eyes on the Sin’dorei before the woman would once more speak. “What, you thought we’d do that silly thing where you’d live with me until you were done? I don’t know why others do that, but it’s silly and stupid. I don’t want you here any longer than you need to be. Change back into your dirty things and scram. Come back in two days, clear?”

She wont be here...you’ll be tricked...

Once more Reigen’s head would nod, making sure to cram into her head that she was to return in two days. Becky would toss Reigen’s robes at her and walk out of the room. Taking this as her hint to leave, Reigen would once more change back into the bloody robes, setting the slightly dirty one down onto the chair again. After making sure she had nothing missing from her person, she would start to trudge out of the cave. She would stop for a moment to stare at the frozen elemental, which wouldn’t return her stare, before moving on and away from the cave.

Why bother...you’re worthless....

She didn’t have the energy to teleport herself back home, nor did she really have the will too. Only by the luck of the light did she make it to a Horde outpost near the mountain in which she came from. A kind Tauren shaman offered her some warm milk, mistaking her for a younger elf, which Reigen gladly drank down. She was a nice, elder female and did her best to try to figure out why such a ‘young girl’ was covered in so much blood. Reigen was willing to tell about how she had a run-in with a yeti, but not why she was there. The story earned her another glass of milk and a few cookies. After it was all said and done, she managed to pay for a flight back near where she was staying at the time.

Why do you even try...?

The Wyvren would land at the location it was trained to go, which was only a few miles from home. Each step she took sent shivers of pain up her spine, but she trudged on best she could, even when the wind started to howl. At last, after an extra hour or so, she came in site to the smaller resort like area. Strange looks were passed on to her as she made her way to one of the houses and stepped in though the door. Behind the door was the past in which she wished to put behind her in any way possible, in front of her was the future she had always dreamed of and was slowly achiving.

With a lazy smile on her face, she walked foward only to fall in the arms of the one she held close to her heart, the words of worry washing over and not even taking hold to the tired woman’s head. Sadly, her own self-doubt was all that could be heard.

It will never last...

Warning: Language in Youtube song. I'd also like to note, as it could be easily mistaken, Reigen does -not- have D.I.D or anything of the sort. The negative thoughts are her own self-doubt, nothing more, nothing less.

Two days...it had been two days since the small Sin’dorei had left the cave of the Human named Becky. Her two days had been rough, filled with things she’d rather not deal with on top of the training, but her duty as a Matron would always come before her comfort. This time, with the urging of her husband, Reigen had chosen to dress in thicker cloth and in layers in order to prevent the cold from harming her. Despite her protests, she walked away dressed in three layers and two thick cloaks. To herself, she felt silly and rather large, but she would allow Krilari to win this round.

Letting yourself be controlled...

She’d once more land in the village with the sweet elder Tauren shaman. Rather than head straight to the mountain, she sought her out to speak for the moment. Just as she had thought, it earned her a name and a glass of warm milk. She’d learn the name, Nartii, before making her way out of the village with a few sweets to eat. As Reigen munched on a cupcake, she’d reach the start of the mountain. With a huff, she’d shove the rest of the treat into her mouth before starting her climb.

Snow would crunch under her feet with each step, her boots lined with small spikes so she would not slip and fall on the spots of ice. Thankfully there was no storm to be seen today, though the wind would cause the snow on the ground to whip about and cover her tracks. Such a think did not bother the girl, as it would make it harder to track her. Time would pass, the climb taking no less than thirty minutes, and the ledge in which the cave would rest on was just a few more tracks above herself. Reigen would stop and look back, allowing herself to take in the view before she’d finish the climb.

A set of eyes would watch her.

There waiting was the frozen elemental from before, in the exact same spot it had been the first time. Reigen would stop just before it, allowing it to attempt to recognize her. If it did or not, she’d never know, but it would turn and start to lead her away from the cave. She’d shrug off the confusion before following, her steps still being covered by the whipping snow. The two would start to descend down a steep slope, the elemental moving rather fast. Every now and then it would pause to allow the woman to catch up before moving on ahead once more. At last they would come upon an area with hints of grass in it, Becky standing just a little further off.

It’s a trap...she’ll kill you...

“Right on time, little Elf.” Becky would state as the elemental lead Reigen into the somewhat grassy area. It crunched beneath the little elf’s feet and was rather slick. The human woman tapped her feet as she waited for the mage to take careful steps. Finally, she’d call out irritated enough, “You’ll never learn if you can’t trust the ice not to make you fall.”

Reigen, of course, could never turn down such a challenge. She’d puff out her chest and take a few confident strides forward, only to fall flat onto her rear end with a rather hard thunk. The human would start to laugh at her misfortune while the elf sat there, ears drooping in confusion and defeat. The elemental would hover by Reigen’s side as normal, it’s arm extended so that she could grab it and lift herself up. When she was once more on sturdy feet, she’d glare at the still laughing human before snapping out, “What’s so funny?!”

“You have to-”The human would take a deep breath to calm her laughing, “-learn to control it first for you to do that!”

“But...why didn’t you s-” Reigen would be cut off by a sharp whack to the head with the older woman’s cane. She’d pout a bit, though her mask would cover this, and rub the now sore spot while the human seemed to gather her thoughts.

“Only reason that hurt so much is because you didn’t have your shield up.”

“My...shield?”

“Don’t be stupid, you know the one. You lack defense of any kind, that’s why you ran like a little b***h away from that yeti.” Becky would soon grin after she said that, which would only grow wider at the confused look from the Sin’dorei. “Don’t ask me how I know, just accept the fact. Thus, that’s going to be your first lesson. You’re going to learn how to shield yourself to lesson attacks against you.”

She orders you like a dog...just like the autumns did...

Reigen would rub over her fake eye, a nod following as she found herself unable to argue with the woman at the moment. Her real eye showed just a momentary flash of defiance before it would turn to that of annoyance. At the humans beckoning, the small elf would move forward to stand near her and then await any orders she might have. After a few extended moments of the elder human gathering her thoughts, the woman would at last speak once more.

“I want you to shield yourself as you normally would...and I will hit you. I will keep hitting you until it no longer hurts.”

Reigen wasn’t even able to give a verbal protest of any sort. Instead, Becky’s staff came cracking down, striking her across the back. The elf’s body would tense at the contact, her expression twisting to that of anger. As the human jerked the staff back to strike once more, Reigen would mutter, ice would start to shimmer over her body to form a layer of it to shield her. The staff would once more come cracking down, the small elf smirking until it broke right though her pathetic shield and struck the back of her knee. Down she went onto one knee, her one eye showing her bruised ego as well as her hurt pride.

Weak...Pathetic...

“Bah! You elves were always made of glass, I swear. Here, I’ll show you how you do it!”. The human would shake her head in what seemed to be annoyance. Her hands then whole body would let out a gust of frost, the suddenness of it causing Reigen’s hair to fly back. When the little show was over, Becky looked exactly the same as she did before. All the little Sin’dorei could do was look up to her in confusion before raising herself up onto her feet again. The human would only look on with an impatient face. At last, the smaller woman would speak.

“I don’t...see what you-”

“Yes you do, you’re just not looking hard enough.”

Reigen could only stare at the female in mild confusion before letting her eyes travel over the elder woman’s body. To the mage, it all looked the same, nothing seemed out of place. Her hair was the same color, her height the same, her breath still smelling like rotting cabbages, the way her skin glinted in the sunlight and the way her clothing moved in the breeze.

Wait a moment...

Reigen would focus her eyes on the humans exposed skin before said eyes would widen. It clicked in her mind for the moment before she’d nod. Becky’s skin looked sleek, much too smooth for real human flesh. The way her body moved was just a little bit stiffer. Such a thing Reigen had not thought of before, and such a thought caused her to chuckle. The human had hardened her skin with ice, giving it a double edged backing. Her already natural protection hardened over.

“So you got it, do’ya? Well good...you better figure out how to do it.”

“Bu-”

Crack.

Once more the staff would be brought across the body of the smaller elf.

“Enough talking, more trying!”

This process could have lasted hours for all Reigen knew. Each whack of the staff cut across her body, forming new bruises and making older ones worse than before. Her back, legs and arms seemed to have taken the worst of it, each a nasty blueish purple color and only growing in size. Each attempt at her own shield wouldn’t be fast enough or strong enough. Each crack of the staff would only cause her body as well as ego to hurt more. The small mage was nearly ready to give up, fearing her body unable to handle much more of the abuse she was allowing it to be put though.

The staff would raise again.

“I gi-”

Coward.

For that small moment, time froze. The staff came down her at a slow, agonizing pace. Her doubts...her thoughts...would take hold of everything.

You’ve always been too afraid to get hurt...always letting the others take the blame...letting them die in your place. What, just so you can run home, cry to Krilari and have him kiss it all better? You know what that will turn into. That’s all you ever do...that’s all you’re good for you disgusting who-

No...

Cry like the child you are, like the weakling you are.

No...

You always think so low of yourself...you always let others rule you. What will you do when you go home because it hurt too bad for the pansy to take? What example are you setting for your followers...what example will you set for your child...?

I...

Cannot...

But you will...

No...

The spell came easy this time, as if her own self-inflicted mental wounds helped her along. She willed her skin to harden over, willed the arcane to flow over her body in order to protect her from the blow which might break her spirit. It felt odd at first, the skin feeling as if someone had pressed it between sheets of thin stone, which was spread over her body like a baker rolling dough, then dunked her into a bath of ice. The sensation was enough to cause her to shiver, and had her skin not been reinforced, her hair would have stood on ends. Movement was at a complete loss for her for the moment, but she managed to jerk herself so that the staff might crack across an unbruised part of her skin.

Crack.

This time the staff would not cause her any pain, much to her relief. With a wheezing laugh, the old human stood up straight and waved a dismissive hand to Reigen. When the elf didn’t respond, Becky perked a brow to gaze at her, only to burst into full on laughter.

“Ya look like a porcelain doll! Release the spell you dolt, least I leave you here so you shatter!”

Her words would take a few moments to make sense in the little elf’s head before she would release the spell, her skin starting to feel normal once more. Simply remembering the sensation caused her to shiver once more before she would force her hurting body into a standing position once again. She waited, though not for long, for the human to start speaking again. Reigen was pleasantly surprised at the woman’s short words.

“Back to the cave. We’re doing this again tomorrow n’ the next day until you get it right.” After speaking, Becky would stand up and start to trudge on though the snow and up the mountain in the direction of the cave. Reigen would follow, though at a much slower pace until the Ice elemental would pause right in front of her. They would spend a few moments staring at each other before she would get the kind and wrap her arms around it’s neck. It would lift her up and glide after the human.

You will fail...you always fail...

A short while later saw them back at the cave, Reigen with a numb rear end from the frozen elemental. No words were really spoken between the human and elf as they ate. The wind would start to pick up, a signal for the elf to start heading home. Not even a small goodbye was spoken as Reigen bundled up once more and the human retreated back to some some room of hers. As the elf was about to step out, a soft melody would reach her ears. The music was foreign to her, but she recognized the soft noise of a piano. She would linger for a few more moments before setting off, allowing the echo of the song to ring in her head. She’d go though the same routine with Nartii before being flown near her home.

As she walked into the home, her face fell. She had almost given up because it had started to hurt. She didn’t let pain distract her from keeping the drake distracted, she didn’t let pain keep her from fighting for her family. Why was she letting it bother her now, was she perhaps just getting tired of hurting all the time? Such thoughts stuck with her as she collapsed down in an empty bed, not even bothering to question where her husband had gone to, and in a way, not caring at the moment. He would ask questions she didn’t wish to answer at the moment. Darkness would start to take over her vision, not giving her a chance to reach over for one of the many vials on her nightstand. As her eyes drifted shut, the screams would start in her head, the nightmares once more able to take her peace for the night.

You will only fall to the screams.