An infinite white expanse, a lonely world covered in frost, the freezing cold solitude… those thoughts kept tormenting Leona until she snapped awake with a loud gasp. As she shot up, she noticed she was on a warm and comfortable bed covered to the brim with pelts of different animals.
She inspected her immediate surroundings. She was inside a room in a log cabin. The window to the outside was closed and it was already dark, a metallic stove beside her bed was burning firewood to keep the interior warm. Stacks of neatly cut wood were beside it which could only mean someone was living there.
"When did I…" The moment she tried to remember what happened before she came to that place made her head throb in pain. "Ugh…"
She forced her lower body from beneath the mountain of pelts and stood up. Someone had taken her boots off and the clothes she was wearing were meant for sleep.
"Strange… why does this place feel…
Her surroundings felt as if she was at her own home.
'Awfully familiar?'
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard footsteps coming her way. Despite the cozy accommodation, she was on guard as she raised her right hand in front of her body and mana started to gather at her fingertips.
As the footsteps grew closer, Leona's legs instinctively bent a little as her eyes narrowed—focus unparalleled.
However, as opposed to a foe, the person who appeared in the entrance of the room was a woman with short silver hair. She wore a brown apron and puffy clothes meant for a maid. Her crimson red eyes lit up as she noticed Leona up and about.
"Ah! You're awake!" She peeked out of the room and shouted as loud as she could. "Hey! Aron! She's awake!"
"Heard you the first time, Ascalon." Another annoyed female voice came from down the hallway. "I'll go fetch sir Krieg, don't give her a scare will you?"
"Aye, ma'am!" She popped her head back in the room where Leona was and smiled before walking in and leaving a basket of clothing on the bed. "Here you go, a fresh set of clothes. Once you've changed you should join us at the table."
Dumbfounded, Leona stood there looking at the basket of clothes and then to the young woman.
"Huh…? No I…"
"Ah, right, where are my manners?" She took half a step back and bowed deeply. "My name is Ascalon. Sylphia's right winged blade."
"Winged blade…?"
"Oh, you know… like sister Avalon." She lifted her head and did half a twirl, showing a small wing on the right side of her back. "She's on the left side instead, see?"
'Dragon's wing…?!'
That snapped something inside her mind as memories of the platinum dragon came flooding back and the freezing cold sensation came back in full force. Her knees buckled and her body started to shake violently.
Her mind could hear the deafening roar again. Her ears were ringing despite the lack of loud sounds around, her breathing became ragged as she clasped the clothes over her chest as she gasped for air.
The dragon woman quickly grabbed her before she fell with her head against the wooden floor. But the tactician was struggling to breathe.
"Aaa… haaa…!"
"Hey! What's wrong?!" Ascalon's voice cut through the static plaguing her ears. "Aron! Give me… hand! …isn't breathing right!"
Her throat felt dry. Breathing was difficult. Her limbs felt like they were frozen solid. It was hard to move, yet she was still frantically waving her arm left and right before eventually grabbing a hold of Ascalon's apron and clutching it tightly like her life depended on it. What she felt could only be described as terror incarnate.
'Make it stop…!' Flashes of the dragon landing right in front of her peppered her mind alongside the firebreath of vicious blue fire. 'No… no…! Not the flames…! NO!'
The azure flames she despised so much as a kid was consuming her mind in a spiral of madness. The linen beneath her fingers started to become dampen in red as blood started to come out of her nails.
Her vision was gradually blurring as the shaking in her body refused to cease, breathing was becoming a monumental task as she could barely gasp for air anymore.
"Leona… I thought you were better than this."
A voice echoed in her mind and as she opened her eyes she was no longer shaking, her body felt uncannily stable and steady. She still couldn't hear clearly but when she came back to—there was another woman in the room.
Her hair was similar to Ascalon's in color, but was much longer at waist level and tied into a ponytail with a black bowtie. She wore the same clothes as her and once she noticed Leona's gaze, she turned at her and smiled warmly.
She spoke but Leona couldn't hear it. Instead, the tactician raised her bloodied index finger towards her own right ear and pointed at it twice. That made the woman's eyes widen in surprise before she started to voice her words slowly and Leona slowly started to read her lips.
"He-llo, my name is Ar-on."
The woman nodded twice. She then glanced at Ascalon who was still holding her in her arms and tilted her head to one side then back. The tactician followed her gaze and noticed the other woman smiling at her before helping her stand up.
She sat on the bed as she gathered her thoughts. The two women left her alone for the time being. She took a slow and deep breath.
'This is the first time I ever felt so much raw terror… even Akamui, as colossal as it was, it didn't evoke this much fear inside me.' She was on the brink of closing her eyes but her heart suddenly started to race again as her breath quickened. 'I shouldn't close my eyes… I don't want to imagine that again…'
Her fingers were still occasionally twitching and those involuntary movements made her eyes trail down. The dried blood beneath her nails made her think how exactly she was able to get through that uncontrollable panic.
She swallowed and then took another deep breath. After taking her time breathing, her hearing also slowly came back with the sound of crackling firewood slowly becoming more apparent over time. The wind from the outside shook the window slightly behind her as she finally got back in full control of her body.
She stood up and decided to change clothes. It took a while, but the pelt clothes she was provided with were very comfortable. They were on the heavier side but the robe covered her from shoulder to shin in a very warm and fuzzy embrace.
The fur felt a bit ticklish but she was sure it was just a matter of getting used to it. She carefully peeked her head out in the hallway and noticed Krieg standing beside the door to another room. He wore the same fur garb as her.
Once he noticed her, he walked over to her with a worried look on his face.
"Leona, I heard what happened. Are you alright?"
"Haha…" She tried to laugh it off but she still felt bad about what happened. "I am now. More importantly, how is your hand?"
"My hand? Ah, you mean the wound from earlier today."
He rolled the sleeves of his robe and showed his healed limb. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
"Who… who healed you?"
"Aunt Sylphia did."
"Oh… where– where is she?"
He was about to answer but fell quiet at the last moment. Seeing how she was made him rethink how he would reply.
"It would be best for Robert to answer that question." He took half a step to the side and extended his open hand towards the door. "I'll take you to him."
She offered a short nod to him. He walked ahead of her which made her feel relief in her heart. Despite overcoming many trials over the course of a few months, she was still at peace when Krieg was with her.
He opened the door and revealed a modest room with a table large enough for six people, three on each side. Robert was drinking while conversing with a woman clad in platinum armor.
"You should drop by once in a while, you know, my daughters would like to hang out with you from time to time."
She annoyedly shook her head as if the mere thought of being near him was an abhorrent idea
"How long are you planning to stay here?" She bluntly asked. Her voice was a bit deep and mature which was befitting for a woman of her appearance. "Thanks to your needless meddling–"
"Yeah, yeah, you've told me countless times already." He flicked his hand back and forth, showing disdain. "Point is, you scared your granddaughter and now you are troubled how to deal with–oh, hello there Leona."
That single sentence from him made the dragon knight tense up as she inadvertently straightened her posture which made Robert snicker which prompted the woman to quickly stand up and raise her fist as if she was about to punch him. On the other side of the table, the sage lifted his index finger up and cleared his throat.
"Come on now, no need for violence. You wouldn't want to ruin the house your late husband built for you, would you?"
The tightened fist slowly opened as she returned to sit down. Robert extended his open palm to Leona and pointed to the seat beside himself. She glanced briefly at the dragon knight before taking her seat beside the sage.
"Leona." He started. "This is Frostleaf. Your great grandmother. Or should I say–"
"Sylphia Frostleaf." She said as she crossed her arms and glanced at the tactician. "It's… a pleasure to meet you, Leona."
For a moment, she didn't know what to say. It felt both monumental as well as debilitating—the woman in front of her, a knight living in the middle of nowhere, was the woman responsible for bringing her own lineage into this world.
"I…" She looked down for a few seconds before lifting her head and introducing herself. "My name is Leona Crossford. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, great grandmother."
Beneath her resolve, fear still lingered fresh in her mind. To think such a powerful dragon was her progenitor felt surreal.
"Now…" Robert clasped his hands over the table and leaned forward while looking at Sylphia and then Leona. "About your panic attack–"
He didn't even manage to finish his sentence and the dragon knight suddenly stood up with rage apparent on her face.
"Robert… you–!"
"Calm your nerves Sylphy. Rest assured, I'm not making jokes about it this time. Her fear is also concerning to me, you know." He looked back at Leona who was almost merging with the chair she was sitting on. "Leona, it would be hard for me to explain in detail to you but in simple terms, you've acquired a trauma which cannot be easily fixed."
"Huh…?" The eerie silence accompanied by the crackling of a nearby firewood stove and the quiet night wind from the outside finally made all sink in. "What do you mean by 'cannot be easily fixed'?"
Nobody replied, in fact, both Sylphia and Krieg didn't know what to say in order to comfort her. On the other hand, Robert adjusted his seat and leaned on his left arm as he turned his body in order to look at her better.
"This trauma of encountering a being far more powerful than yourself, it's very much like experiencing mana shock—but instead of a one time thing, it sticks to your mind."
She chuckled nervously.
"But it won't happen again, I'm not facing against dragons it's just–"
"Are you really?" Robert leaned in with a raised eyebrow. "Just until a few weeks ago you didn't know you had dragon blood running through your veins. What makes you so sure that you won't face one of her kind?"
He pointed his open palm towards Sylphia. At that point Leona didn't know what to say.
"Then what do you suggest, Robert?"
Sylphia voiced her inquiry with dissatisfaction in her tone.
"I was getting there. For now, rest up and prepare yourself for tomorrow. I think you already have a way to work around that trauma."
She looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"Do I…?"
"Yes, now whether or not you can use it willingly, it'll all come down to you." He stood up and adjusted his robe. "I'll take my leave for now, I'll see you tomorrow morning." He walked to the door which was opened by Ascalon. He bowed shortly to her and glanced back over his shoulder. "Enjoy the family time, Sylphy."
His insolence was met with a blast of ice shards pinpointed at his face, but with a snap of his fingers, he vanished from thin air before they even hit him.
"Insolent little…!"
She returned to her seat and glared at her right gauntlet. Krieg decided to take the vacant seat left by Robert while Ascalon and Aron sat on each of Sylphia's sides.
"I'm sorry about Robert." Krieg spoke first with a respectful tone. "I'm unsure about aunt Sylphia's relationship with him but nevertheless–"
As he was about to bow down, she interrupted him.
"No need to apologize in that cretin's place, Krieg. Instead let me be the one who apologizes to both of you." She bowed her head down, which made both maids beside her do the same. "It had been decades since I last spoke to anyone let alone met those of my flesh and blood. I should have been more cordial with you."
That made Leona feel a bit guilty. She knew deep down the fabled platinum dragon was her great grandmother, but it still didn't prevent her from embarrassing herself in front of her. However, merely thinking about it made her hand tremble from fear of a relapse.
They could feel her fear. Not only Sylphia, but all others around her as well. Krieg reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. She lifted her face and looked at him—who was smiling warmly.
"It's alright now."
"Heh… thank you Krieg."
"Leona." Sylphia's voice made the tactician lock eyes with her. At that moment her great grandmother put a frostburnt silver longsword on the table. Avalon. "I believe this is yours?"
"Ah… Avalon…"
She nodded.
"This weapon was made from my sister's remains. She fought tooth and nail against my brother but was unfortunately defeated." Her armored clad fingers trailed the gleaming blade. "Through the promise of a bright morrow, her lifelong friend made sure even in death she would be able to accomplish what she was set out to do."
"Thus, Avalon was created."
"Not just her." She looked at each woman beside her. "Ascalon and Arondight as well."
"But to be reunited like this…"
Arondight looked at the blade in front of her with a hint of sadness. That made Leona ask.
"Is there something wrong?"
"She isn't what she used to be…" Arondight answered and despite her composure, her sadness was also palpable. "Avalon used to be serious and focused but not… vicious."
"Only weaklings bite back you know!" Ascalon raised her voice as she poked the blade with her index finger which proceeded to be consumed by frost. "Yeowch!"
Arondight sighed as she shook her head, she stood up in order to aid her sister with the frostbitten finger.
Sylphia brought her hands close and clasped them together before leaning in towards Leona. She had a calm and warm expression as she awkwardly asked.
"Now, Leona. Could you… could you tell me about the kind of life you led up until now?"
"Huh…?"
"If possible, I'd like to hear about your mother as well. Ravness was… a very unique child."
That moment made the tactician genuinely smile.
"It would be my pleasure."
At that moment Krieg quietly stood up and headed outside. The cold was bone chilling and yet Krieg found peace basking in the night frigid wind. He took off his fur robe and left it on the wooden rail that surrounded the house's porch.
A few minutes passed until he heard footsteps crunching the snow behind him.
"You'll catch a cold like this."
He glanced over his shoulder and noticed it was Arondight.
"Lady Arondight."
"Just Aron will do. Strictly speaking we are also family." She joined him and stood by his side. "Krieg, I have a request for you."
"A request?"
She nodded.
"Yes, if possible…" She turned to him and her eyes narrowed in a serious expression. "I'd like you to wield me in battle."