Quite a number of steps later, I stood in front of the large stone door I had snuck out to find. The familiar engravings of dragons and knights flickered in the unstable light of the torch, making it seem as if the battle from so long ago was taking place right before my eyes. I shuddered, and reached out to push the door. But before I could touch the coarse surface, it shifted inwards by itself.
"Come in," said a low voice.
I composed myself and walked into the room. It was smaller than I remembered; maybe it was because I hadn't been in there for more than ten years. Aged books with nearly-rotting leather bindings lined the shelves just like before, and the same blue flame sat in the far corner, never seeming to get smaller. Speaking of which, I'd never seen any firewood being put into it....
Snapping out of my train of thoughts, I turned my attention to the back of the man who sat beside the flame on an ornate wooden stool. He was well-built, with jet black hair that stood out, even with its short length, against the rest of him. His azure robes flowed from his broad, muscular shoulders and spread across the ground like a puddle. It seemed to flow like a miniature waterfall, but at the same time, it gave me the impression that if I were to touch it, it would be like touching a glacier - solid and cold.... yet majestic, and full of life underneath....
"Well? What are you here for?" he asked, still not turning to face me.
I sighed, and walked across the surprisingly well-lit room to stand beside him. He was polishing his blade. Not surprising, I thought. "Zern."
He still didn't turn. "Yes?"
I thought about how to say what I wanted to. Finally, "What do you intend to do with Saren?"
He continued to polish his blade with a focused glare, not saying anything for a few seconds. The near-silence was deafening. Then, "I intend to execute her."
My eyes widened. "What!? You can't!"
"And why not, young Alpha? She betrayed us. Nearly got us all killed. All for her ridiculous desire to be seen as a hero-"
"She didn't do it for herself! You're just too stubborn to see that-"
Suddenly, I was on the ground, face up and eye to eye with Zern. The blunt side of his blade was pressed against my throat, and it felt more like a shard of ice than anything else - but that wasn't what froze me. Zern's eyes glowed with a fierce, ancient icy blue, the only things apart from his robes that showed his age of hundreds of years... His eyes stared right into mine, and the temperature in the room plummeted. Fear took the breath from my lungs, and I wanted to gasp for air, to seek warmth before I froze to my doom - but I couldn't move. All I could do was stare back into his piercing glare.
"Stop with your foolery, Pan," he growled. "I tire of your efforts to cover up for these traitors; they chose to care only for themselves, but all you want to believe is that they had the greater good in mind. Let me remind you that nobody is like you, young Alpha. Nobody else would put his or her life down for the Agreement. And it is my duty to make sure that those traitors are put down..."
His eyes went back to normal. "Even if they are my brothers and sisters."
He stood up, and went back to his desk. "Leave," he said.
I sat up, panting. Slowly, I made my way out of the room and shut the door behind me. It was no wonder that Zern, the Winter Knight, was feared by all who wanted to go against the Great Order... But aside from his chillingly overwhelming power, what had made the warrior so cold inside...?
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Oh man, I need to sleep.....
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Done by Yap Xiao Wei on 16 June 2013. Reposted on Yap Xiao Wei's blog on 25 June 2013.
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Getting consumed @ 11:09 PM