Lost Tales, Writings, Musings...

A Song of Fire and Ice

Two great lineages collide
Her ancestors battle for her in the afterlife
On one side, fire brings passion, rage, and light
On the other, strength is forged in frigid ice

Two great lineages, forbidden, would procreate
It should never have happened, but nothing was sacred in those days
On one side, the father died in a land of sand
On the other, the mother finally fell by crimson hands

Now, as two great families battled to own her in the heavens
Another monster dominated her on earth

Daughter,

I love you so much. I feel great pain in leaving you. Know that no matter how far apart we are, I think of you every day. I have an important task, I must save this world from darkness. But you, you my love, I wish to be shielded from such things. I placed you in the hands of the doctor in hopes he would protect you. Darling, I fight for you. We cannot be together, but my heart is always with you. Carry the necklace I gave you always. It was my mother’s, it was mine, and now it was yours. Lovely child, you have brought so much joy to my life. Please, no matter how dark I become, stay in the light. You were never meant to be like me, and I earnestly hope you never will be. I may become a monster, but you must be a queen. I love you so much, daughter. May our ancestors look upon you with grace, my child. I love you.

~ Ashla Rose Icebreaker, to Hanuh Lulia Tabor-Icebreaker.

The letter was accompanied with a wonderful necklace, which shone blue in the light. It was made of the Eiskaltian gem nixstella. Alongside it, a small, torn sash of green cloth was filthy with desert debris. It likely belonged to her father. The letter was signed with the fanciful insignia of a rose.

And now, the letter was drenched in the daughter’s tears.

"Okay... Concentrate."

My eyes were closed. I felt my thin, gentle clothes rippling in the wind. My bare feet were within water, up to my bony ankles.

"I am an Icebreaker."

I took deep breaths, the cold nipping at my bare arms and most of my legs. The water was numbing. I extended my hands, remaining here.

"I can control ice."

I felt power pulsate through my body. It was like blood plumbing. It was like my lungs inhaling and exhaling. It was my biology, it was natural to be. It was instinct. Yet, I needed to grow in this power as well.

"I am ice."

I felt the air grow even colder. Yet, it did not hurt anymore. It felt... home.

"And I will do as I please!"

The water stirred around me. The water drained. The sound of creaking, squeezing, and hissing resounded in my ears. I opened my eyes.

I was standing in a small koi pond, unfilled with fish. It was nighttime, and I was unable to see much in this darkness. I did see a small lantern hanging on a nail from across the yard. The nail was hung to a wooden house, illuminating the back door. Between me and the door, however, the image was strangely blurred and bizarre. I reached out and touched.

I had built a wall of ice.

I smiled.

"Are you proud of me, mommy?"

The page is seemingly torn from an old journal from who knows where. Auctioned off in Raiaera as a lost page from the diary of Julius Tabor, last of the Tabor Lineage. It was found by some caravan in Fallien’s desert sands. Whoever the auctioneer sold it off to, they were lucky. The page would go on to foretell of the line being continued after all…

Ashla and I still cannot agree on a name. She wants to name her Lulia, after my own name, but I… well… it’s awkward. The similar naming culture was always weird to me, especially now that our family trees are broken. No, I want something more original. Ashla hates it, but I like the idea of taking a common name and mixing it up, spelling it differently. She thinks it is stupid. She doesn’t get it.

Ah, well, anyways, I suggested the name “Hannah,” but spelled like “Hanuh” instead. Ashla took one look at the spelling and went on a rant about how I absolutely cannot do that to my kid or something. Huh. Well, I thought it was cool. More thoughtful than some alternate female version of my own name that’s so distant you can’t tell.

Our advisor suggested we just go with both. Lulia Hanuh Tabor-Icebreaker sounds weird though. And it’s a mouthful! Ashla sighed and admitted Hanuh Lulia is better.

Honestly, we might just scrap the whole thing and name her something like Jill. Dunno. Being a father is hard. But I very much look forward to it. Ashla and I never dreamed of a child, but now I realize I wanted this more than anything in the world… So it’s confusing why Ashla thinks an unloving father would name her something like Hanuh. I love her so much, and she hasn’t even been born yet! I feel so strange feeling Ashla’s stomach and feeling her kick inside. It steals your breath. Ashla’s excited too, but I can tell she’s nervous. All I can do is try to encourage her… and make fun of her name choices.

I have a family. It breaks every rule ever, but I don’t want it any other way. I don’t need traditional rules or a kingdom to command, I just need Ashla and whatever-my-daughter-will-be-named. Those two are all I need…

~ Julius Tabor, Lead General of P.A.LE.

We adopted a little girl. This means so much to me. I… I cannot bear children… Yet, my father in law brought home an orphan in need of a loving family. Our dream came true, we had a child. She had dark skin, not as dark as mine though, and wonderful oak eyes. Her curly blond hair was like gold. She is so sweet, seldom cries. But this tiny girl, what happened to her true parents? My father in law said that the father died and the mother was unable to take care of her. Does that mean she will be taken back from us someday? Do not let that be so! I have desired a child for so long, and now I have one! I may not have birthed her, but she is my own. Every night I turn to her crib when she cries. Every day I feed, clothe, and spend time with her. She is mine now. Call me selfish, but if the mother gave her away, then it is good that this child is with me now! Hanuh Lulia is mine, my love, my daughter.

My husband loves her too. He is so grumpy most of the time, but he smiles when I walk in carrying the sleeping baby. I have never seen him so happy! If this girl could bring no joy to the mother who dare abandoned her, then we will feel that joy tenfold! This girl is a blessing, my husband proves it.

We’ve had talks of renaming her, but my father in law will not allow it. He knew the mother and constantly says that she still loves the child. Oh really! Pfft! Why would a mother abandon her child? Especially when I have wished for one for years. No, just because he knew the mother does not make any of this right. Still, Hanuh belongs to us now. Nothing can tear us apart.

Money.

I needed money.

If I was to continue Project Flamebird without Felicity, damn traitor, I needed money.

A gentle knock resounded on the door. I looked up from my desk to see my daughter in law coming in with some soup and toast on a tray.

"I'm kind of worried giving you garlic toast, papa." The woman joked, "You spend so much time in the darkness, I wonder if you're a vampire."

I chuckled softly, feeling nothing about the joke and no warmth in my heart. Yet, I was a great pretender. She brought me excellent food, after all. "Thank you, Melissa. Your food is always a pleasure."

She giggled and turned to leave, but not before a little girl darted into the room, "Mum! Up!"

Melissa turned with shock to the little girl, "Hanuh! What did I tell you about barging into your grandpa's workspace?"

"Up!" The girl jumped on the wooden floor, hands extended upwards with sparkling, hopeful brown eyes. I looked over to the small candlestick on my desk, the only light in here aside the light bursting in from the door. As Hanuh jumped, the flickering flame also wavered and swayed in unison. Hanuh was only a child and already showed the magical skills of both her biological parents.

The idea struck me like lightning.

I returned my gaze to the girl. As Melissa picked her up apologizing profusely to me, the light from the door lit the girl up more. She had dark skin and eyes like her father, Julius Tabor. Yet, she had elf like ears, and her blonde hair apparently was from the side of Ashla Icebreaker, her mother.

Tabor. Icebreaker. Two powerful, nearly extinct families, had merged in union to create this child. Fire and ice, bloodborn and potent. Endless in might. I had adopted her when her mother abandoned our old organization, I was kind of forced to, and handed her off to Melissa and my son. Yet, I suddenly saw actual purpose for this toddler. I had the means, I had performed excellerated growth on animals before and fed knowledge to homunculi in Alerar long ago. What if... Yes, what if I took the child and grew her into the ultimate weapon, sold her, and gained money from that? It would take time, yes, but...

Hanuh was the perfect specimen. Perfect genetics, perfect powers. Yes, she would do nicely as a weapon, and maybe more. Her mother was an attractive woman, lithe and curvey. No wonder Julius Tabor simped after her. Perhaps, a double purpose and better price could be made from Hanuh's grown body.

Yes, Hanuh was perfect for this. The great solution. Once I had grown and sold the Tabor-Icebreaker hybrid, I could return to my pet project.

All I needed to do was snatch the five year old away when her adoptive parents were not looking.

Legions of fire
Mountains of snow
Power, and glory, and pain
Bloodlines still trace

Creation in the fire
Destruction in the cold
Cower, this roaring and rage
This bloodline has yet to fade

The wind swirled, my hair flew around me. I looked down at a running river from a cliff. It called to me, begged me to jump in. Clinging onto the branch of a tree overlooking the drop, I smiled as I watched the deep river bubble and bounce, waves rich and pulling like a thick sheet. I lifted one of my bare feet and dangled it over, blinking as I felt water vapor spraying me already. I felt alive.

I closed my eyes. I could not be broken. I was strong and cool, sturdy and levelheaded, like solid ice. I was bright and passionate, and painfully deadly like fire. I felt the blood of my ancestors strengthen me, but I knew I should not use my powers as crutch.

I was raised by a loving, sweet mother and aloof yet caring father. They were my adoptive parents, and I only knew them a short while, but I would never forget them. They taught me valuable life lessons, how to be polite, how to share and eat my greens. They took me in, fed and clothed me, truly cherished and loved me, when my biological parents were dead or abandoned me.

I had been deceived, however, and soon torn from my parents. My grandfather, and great betrayer, threw a little girl into a lab and performed a heinous, abominable experiment. He force fed me knowledge and grew me into an early adult, meaning to sell me once I immerged. How could he!

Yet, I was strong.

He tried to break me, but I was unbreakable.

I looked down at the river below me, still holding the branch. I reached up with my free arm and wiped the tears from my eyes. The past was in the past. It would guide me, and it physically was within me, but it was only the start. I looked down at the river, strangely free. I let go of the branch and leapt off the ledge. Pebbles crumbled and tumbled off the cliff as I fell into the water with a smile on my face.

Whatever I faced next, I was both born for it and trained to face it.

"Hanuh."

I awoke. I looked up to a starlit sky, glistening with twinkling diamonds of pale white light against the cold darkness. I realized I felt sand surrounding me. Standing up, I looked around to see endless sand dunes extending for miles on end. Nothing but the stars above and sand below. Why was I here? I could tell this was a dream, yet it felt so... real... I...

"Hanuh."

I spun around, the white evening gown I wore twirling as I did so. I saw a hooded, cloaked man in heavy robes. I was unable to see his face. Was he a friend? We stood, several places from each other. He shifted his feet casually, speaking again.

"Happy birthday."

I gaped. How did this stranger know of my birthday? That my birthday was on March Eleventh? I looked at him, standing perfectly on the sand. My feet had sunken into the sand, soft and cool against my bare feet and ankles. As I gazed at him, I asked, "Who are you? What is this place? How do you know me?"

The man took a step forward. I took a step. Despite his being completely covered, I could tell that he was hurt from my flinch. He paused for a moment, then spoke, "I spent many, many years in this land. I was a troubled youth who lost everything, until I met the past and future rolled into one. I have a long past in this land, yet I had never imagined that I would have died here too."

I looked around at the smooth, rolling desert. A shooting star painted the cloudless sky in a sprinkling of light. I looked back to the man.

"I... I died too soon." His voice quivered, "I was unable to save my wife from the darkness I saw in her. I was unable to raise my child, watch her grow up. I was unable to protect my daughter, barred from speaking from the other side. I failed. All because I let my guard down once on a daily patrol."

Realization was beginning to dawn on me as he continued, "I finally was able to talk to you, only five years years later. Five years too late. I could not guide or save your mother, I cannot save you from your grandfather's prison, but I can guide you. My daughter."

Tears flooded my eyes as I choked, "F-fath..."

He opened his arms wide.

"Father!"

I effortlessly darted across the sand and clung tightly to him, embracing my father in a deep hug. "Father! Daddy! Oh, daddy!"

"Yes," the man spoke, crying as I was, "I am here, my darling. I love you."

Hearing those words broke me. I cried louder, squeezing him. He held me, loved me, and gave me so much warmth in the chilly desert night. Eventually, he pulled away. I whined at first, yet only stood still as he reached back and pulled off his hood. He had dark skin and curley, brown hair and oak eyes. He was young and, well, handsome. He smiled gently, sweetly at me. He lifted his finger and caressed my tear stained cheek.

"I cannot protect you from the dangers of the world, Hanuh," He gazed intensely into my eyes, earnest and true as I shivered, "But I can help you not make the same mistakes your mother and I did. And I can train you to better use your powers, once you are freed from that tube."

He took my head and leaned forward, resting his forehead against mine. "And tonight, I can wish you happy birthday."

I smiled gently, then was surprised when he raised an amused eyebrow.

"Problem is, is it your sixth birthday or your sixteenth birthday right now?"

Oh yeah, I forgot my grandpa had described him as a joker.

I know what I am.
I am the offspring of two powerful bloodlines merged into one.
I was experimented on as a child and rapidly grown into adulthood.
I am a powerful weilder of fire and ice.
I maintain advanced knowledge and understanding beyond my years.
I know what I am.
Yes, I know what I am.
I know what I am, but...
... but I do not know who I am.

(Done.)

Rewards request:

Ignis Glaciesque receives:
800 experience
100 gold

Discretion added. Rewards added.