As the enigmatic Fennwick disappeared behind a screen of snow, Shinsou spared one last moment of bewilderment for himself. His target here today was just a child. How was he meant to fight a boy, even in a place like the Citadel? Constant conflicts with powerful and dangerous opponents, grown men and women alike, had trained him to hold the natural hesitations and doubts one experiences in battle at bay for so long. Perhaps his wanderings had taken their toll. He had grown so accustomed to a certain class of enemy that the charm and innocence of a mere kid had thrown him off canter.

Suddenly, Shinsou's frost covered head jerked violently back and a searing pain above his right eye brought him swiftly back to reality. Before he had even recovered from the recoil of whatetver it was that had hit him, a second blow struck him square in the mouth. Throbbing pain eminated from the bruises that followed, and a small trickle of blood could be felt oozing from the corner of the Telgradians lips. At his feet lay two fist sized chunks of ice; one of which was stained by a little crimson.

Son of a bitch, that hurt!

A feeling rose rose from the depths of his stomach; a feeling like one who had forgotten how to write finally remembering how to form prose. Connections formed between mind and matter and violent impulses seized control. This person, this supposed kid who had caused him to hesitate momentarily and had now drawn blood, deserved nothing less than his undivided attention.

You came here for a fight, kid. I'll give you a fight!

Shinsou exhaled his frustration at the pain of in his face in a stream of cold steam. Unchecked annoyance served no greater purpose. Clearing his mind of distractions, he began weaving particles of ice into a swirling cocoon. The snow all around him still masked the Fae's movements from him, and the child's power wasn't registering on his senses, but it wouldn't matter. Shinsou knew the true nature of his power, and he knew what to do next. Pine, fir and snow warred in his nose. Shadows shuddered through the snowscreen, interrupting the light from the moon overhead. A maelstrom of wind and blizzard resonated through his ears. But his mind settled as he became the aggressor.

In an instant, the Telgradian knelt and released a circular shockwave woven in solid, dehlar strength ice. It spread from the epicenter of where the Telgradian stood and blew away the swirling storm of white that had masked Fenn's movements. He couldn't see the kid, but Shinsou was hoping that the boy was still within twenty five feet of him with his feet on the deck. That way, when the crest of the crystalline cold hit the ground underneath the child, the small opponent would be welded to the ground, unable to move. That was the plan.

As it travelled, the dangerous ice flash froze everything between their positions, sending splintered shards of ground fizzing through the air. The sheer cold from the attack alone could have stripped flesh from bone.

As he watched the attack unfold, Shinsou wondered what was more dangerous; the enemy one knew, with power and strength one can measure and fear, or the hidden power at the fingertips of an untested opponent?