242 Cold War 4 (1/2)
”It's warm,” Winter, who was holding his right hand tight, commented. ”I feel like I'd melt too because of Mommy's heat wave.”
”I feel like I'd melt too even though my dominant Mana is fire,” Julian said, his voice sounded as uneasy as he looked. ”It's so hot.”
Upon hearing his children's comments, he increased the layer of ice barrier that he created for them. The air inside the barrier turned cooler, making Winter and Julian let out a relieved sigh at the same time.
Luckily, his ice was strong enough to withstand Tilly's Black Flame. He just didn't know for how long though.
Tilly, I can feel your anger, Kiho thought to himself while watching his wife's back. The blood in the cloak that she wore was already dried. He was also also certain that her light wounds were already healed. And yet, he knew that the pain in Tilly's heart for losing her father again was still aching. If you have decided to end the clan that came from our bloodline, then I will follow you unquestioningly.
***
”YOU'RE still so freaking weak, little tiger,” Wixx told Ainsworth whom he found resting on a tree branch like a panther that he wasn't. Since the battle for today was practically over, he sat beside his fellow Beast God and watch the scene unfolding before them. ”It took you five years and yet, you weren't still able to defeat the undead army. But my precious little sister only needed five minutes.”
But of course, if he aided Tilly, it would only take them fifteen seconds to melt all the snow and ice in the North.
Yes, the whole village was melting fast. That also meant that the ice puppets, or the undead army, were melting one by one. Thanks to the Supreme's flame, her followers and allies didn't need to fight anymore. They were now taking a rest while watching the ice puppets turn into water after they melted.
But the battle was far from over. After all, a huge number of ice puppets managed to retreat when the snow-covered land started to melt.
Luckily, I caught the ice prince.
He surrended Thaddeus Nystrom to Luna and their son Roarke when he went to find Tilly a while ago.
”I have always known that I'm the weakest Beast God out of the four of us,” Ainsworth admitted with a frown. ”I have long accepted that I'm just a replacement for Soleil…”
””Soleil?””
”Big Sister Soleil,” he corrected himself begrudgingly. ”If she didn't refuse to enter the heavens back then, I wouldn't have been considered to be a Beast God.”
Thus, Ainsworth ended up being tamed by his precious sister.
”What did you do for the past five years?” he asked the little tiger. ”You're still a Beast God, Ainsworth. And you're with Asher Forrester.”
”I know that this will sound as an excuse but the spell in the North limited the use of our divine power,” Ainsworth explained. ”The unending winter in this place is actually a spell that seals any Mana-user's power. It won't be an exaggeration to say that all of our fighting force combined was reduced to half. Even the Fire Mages with us find it hard to melt several ice puppets.”
”Is it a miracle that you survived for the past five years?”
”Shut up,” he snarled at his mocking tone. ”I used my ability to control the earth to move the village that we found whenever the undead army would find us. Asher Forrester discovered that the village is enclosed in an ancient magic that hides it from being discovered by the enemies. Thanks to my ability to move earth and the ancient magic that Asher Forrester reactivated, we were able to avoid the undead army every time we needed to.” He paused, then he turned to him with a serious look on his face. ”Are you going to say that we're cowards for hiding instead of facing the enemies head-on?”
”If you were fighting alone, I would,” he said bluntly. ”But I know that you were protecting the people that chose to serve Tilly. You made the right decision, little tiger.” He ruffled his hair despite his complaint. ”You've matured. Tilly will be proud of you.”
His face turned red from embarrassment. ”Tsk.”
”We found Faline.”
The Golden Tiger's eyes widened in surprise. ”Where is she? Is she safe?”
”Of course, she's safe,” he assured the little tiger. ”We found your spirit guardian in the volcano where I hid myself for many years. She was with Drake and apparently, Aku Moonchester ordered them to find me.”
He growled lowly. ”I knew that he sent my spirit guardian away while I was asleep…”
”Faline is safe now,” he said. ”I asked her to guard Drake for the meantime in a safe place. I will bring you to her once the cold war here is over.”
”Is it going to end soon?” Ainsworth asked in a worried voice. ”Is the Supreme going to end her own clan?”
”That's what I think Tilly would do,” Wixx said, then he looked ahead. Now that the snow and the ice trees had melted, he could safely say that the long winter in the North had finally ended. And now, the sun was shining brightly in that land again. ”Most of all, she has no choice but to end the lives of her descendants that should have been gone a long time ago.”
***
TILLY felt her knees buckle as soon as she was certain that she finally put an end to the long winter of the North.