A cold wind blew. The area was silent. There were no clashes of blades, no explosions of magic, and no clanking of armored figures against cobblestone. As quickly as the calm of azure mana washed over the area, as quickly as a blizzard of snow swept through soldiers, it died down just as fast. Under a sky whose sun was slowly descending, statues of ice dotted the place as Claire turned towards Evan Macron, the only individual left once more, frozen until only his head could move.

"Now, commander," She spoke as she walked leisurely closer to him, passing frozen figures that appeared like unblemished sculptures, "Tell me something, will you?"

This time, Evan sighed, accepting his defeat as his gaze shifted amongst the forest of ice, recognizing faces, in the midst of a charge or attack, frozen in shock and awe. They were brave, but they never stood a chance. Then he stared back forward, gazing at the girl whose hair was white, and whose skirt shifted with every tap of her black boots. She had won, and not a single speck of blood was shed. Her face was placid, aware of the fact that she had gained an expected outcome.

"What is it?" Evan finally asked as she stopped before him, standing and gazing up at him with sharp, azure eyes.

"I doubt your City Lord is foolish enough to send mere city guards against an individual who was shown to have stripped a hero of her powers with the hopes of actually capturing or killing her. Even if you stood a chance of catching me, he surely wouldn't send his men foolishly to their deaths once that chance slipped by, would he?" She said. "Tell me. This was nothing more than a gauge of my strength, wasn't it? Or a ruse to keep me away from something else, correct?"

Evan Macron sighed once more. He was expending his mana in a continual force exploding out of his body, but that had no effect. The ice on his body was unyielding, forming back thanks to the overflowing mana the girl wielded.

And then it happened.

He ran out of mana.

At which point, he sighed once more.

"You're sighing an awful lot, are you alright?" Claire asked.

Alright? She sure had a comical way of showing kindness, he was almost a statue of ice. Evan Macron stared at her blankly.

"I am," He said.

"Good, then answer my earlier question."

Evan nodded, or as much of a nod as he could accomplish.

"You are correct. Though, if we could capture you, it would be for the best, he never placed his hopes on that. He mostly wished to understand you more as an individual."

"That's quite bold of him," Claire replied, her eyes narrowing, "If I had been someone who killed as easily as they breathed, you all would have died."

Evan Macron smiled. "The City Lord isn't an idiot, miss, he took into account what I reported to him about your appearance and actions earlier this morning and surmised you aren't the type to outright massacre individuals far weaker than you who were only following orders unless rightfully angered."

"Oh?" Claire raised a brow, "And he predicted this wouldn't anger me enough to do so?"

"He did."

Her face softened.

"I suppose that's a fair assessment by him, then."

She gripped her gloved hand, an azure light glowed, and water squirmed into the shape of a dagger before freezing.

"Though, that doesn't mean I'm not angered at the source."

She touched Evan's neck with the blade.

"I wish to meet this City Lord of yours," She said, "Could you be so kind as to tell me where he is?"

Evan Macron sighed, his breath frosting, feeling the chill of the blade and the ice that surrounded him seeping into his skin.

"I shall not," He said.

"Even if I otherwise kill you?" Claire asked.

"Mhmm, even then, I shall not."

Claire smiled.

"Your soldiers are still frozen, Commander," She said, "I'm sure you are aware I still hold their lives in my hand, correct?"

At that, his silver eyes widened.

"You. . ."

"Don't be mistaken, Commander, for I won't kill anyone here," Claire said. "Yet, if you remain unwilling to talk, I don't mind shattering a limb from each soldier. Or freezing into their eyes until they go blind. Is that a fate you wish to befall your men, Commander? Unless, you wish to test my words?"

Evan Macron stared silently at the girl.

"I wouldn't recommend testing me once more," She finished. "In this world, Commander, kindness is in short order, so enjoy the few that remain."

The man chuckled at her threat.

"To use my own words against me. . ." He sighed.

Clare smiled. "You are sighing an awful lot."

He sighed once more.

"I shall tell you," He said.

His eyes passed her figure, over the brick building behind her, and the houses of wood even further back. He was staring at the inner-wall of the city.

"The City Lord, Lain Tross, is within the second section of the city," He said, "His manor should be eye catching as a centerpiece of the area, with black, iron gates."

"I see. . ."

Claire retracted from him, her weapon disappearing. The ice sculptures around her cracked, and then shattered away. The once-frozen men collapsed onto the ground in the next instant, each individual sucking in air in an effort to breath. Though she had left holes in the sculptures, they had only been barely enough and now, the soldiers were hyperventilating.

"Thank you for the information," Claire said without batting an eye as she turned away from the scene.

Evan Macron watched her fluttering white hair and nodded.

"Thank you for not harming my men," He said.

No one tried to stop Claire as she left, her black boots clicking against the cobblestone ground while the ice that had once been in the area disappeared in azure light.

As her figured disappeared, Evan Macron sighed once more.

'So that is what it feels like to engage the Ice Queen.'

Throughout the whole ordeal, she had been confidently in charge even when they had thought they trapped her. The battle had been one-sided, prolonged only because she wished it to be. In some ways, she was a fearful being to face. In others, he was glad it had been her they had faced.

'Though kind. . .she really suits her moniker.'

He sighed once more, wondering if he still had need to draft up a report when she clearly had the intentions of heading for the City Lord. Though, he wondered if the hero had already predicted that much as well.

LotsChrono

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