Chapter 10: Winter’s choice
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The four brothers watched their children grow, just like they said they would, but it was soon time for their mother, the goddess Demeter, to come get them and for them to leave their kids. Every guardian had completed their mission, well except for Blizzard. 

But the mission was to leave an heir, right? Wrong, the mission was to give birth to a child and appoint that child as the next guardian of that respective season, but there’s a problem since Blizzard didn’t give birth to just one, but twins instead.  

The children can both fundamentally be called guardians of winter, but he actually needs to choose one of his two children and give the rest of his power as a guardian to them, the reason being that every time they meet Demeter, they burn out and get reborn, meaning their formal powers would disappear and get replaced as they’re reborn. 

His current magic power was very weak, just like the other guardians since their children had absorbed most of it already while they were still inside them. All that was left was to give up the last of that power, return to their true forms and leaving to go meet their mother. 

All of the other guardians didn’t have a problem since all they really needed to do was add their remaining power to their child’s and leave, but for Blizzard, it turned into a whole different story. 

You see, Blizzard as the guardian of winter, was the most isolated one of all his other brothers. He lived on the mountain furthest away from the others and was always extra lonely compared to his other brothers who sometimes got visitors when someone accidentally got into their lair, but his situation was different.  

He lived on a barren mountain where not a single shred of grass grew. His presence made the mountain so cold that it was almost as if he’d set up a barrier around his lair, although he hadn’t. This made people avoid that mountain like the plague because of its capability of freezing anything solid after just one hour. The twenty-one heroes that passed by his mountain to slay me were the only ones who actually managed to survive the whole journey up the mountain and heck, they even met Blizzard and somehow still managed to survive. Most people just take a path that leads straight to the second mountain Clover lived on even though it’ll take them an extra two days compared to Blizzard’s. 

He was always lonely since the heroes never came to visit again and he couldn’t leave his lair as he’d like even to meet his brothers without fear of something bad happening, so he stayed in his mountain until it was time to welcome winter. But this wasn’t something he wished for his children. 

Back to his children, the children had all grown up, just like their cousins, about 1000 years old now, which was significantly young for a dragon. A dragon was considered old after about 10 000 years old.  

They both grew to be very powerful like the winter dragons they were. Even without passing on his remaining power, he was sure that they’d be just fine. But who was he supposed to choose among his sons? Winter, the younger of the twins who grew up to be caring and cheerful, just like him or Frostbite, the brash, impatient and slightly powerful older twin. The choice wasn’t easy for him to make. 

In the end, he decided to give his power to the one who came first when the time came, meaning Frostbite was to be the next guardian of Winter. I wasn’t very surprised when I heard his choice since it was the most logical one. 

700 years passed just like that and it was finally time for the four old guardians to leave.  

Blizzard and the other brothers were discussing a few matters about how I'd take care of their children when they left and after I was done with that, Winter arrived through a portal and asked to speak. We moved to a grass field in the castle and grabbed a seat on that comfortable green grass.  

His usual cheerful demeanor was nowhere to be seen. He looked quite lost in thought, so I began with something that’d eventually lead to him talking about his problems. 

“So, what’s the matter, Winter? I hope your brother isn’t giving you too much of a hard time.” I asked him, hoping it’d lighten the mood a little. 

“Oh, big brother. He is being as clingy as he always is although, he’s been forcing me to take human form more these days, but I think everything’s the same as usual.” He smiles as he begins to talk about his brother. It worked, now he’s back to his old self. 

“So, if it isn’t about your brother who loves you too much, then what is it?” His happy expression turned into that of worry. 

“It’s about the next guardian of winter. I’m thinking of telling dad that I want to take over instead of big brother.” What he said almost made me choke on saliva. He was voluntary going to take over? Just what was he thinking? 

“What’s your reasoning for doing such a thing? You know that your dad won’t just say yes, right? He’s at least going to ask you why you want to take over instead of your brother. Could you tell me why?”  

“Yes, it’s because I just don’t want big brother to do it.” He said with a smile. Wait, that’s all? You don’t want your brother to do it? How are you going to convince your dad with that reasoning, I thought, but there was more to it than he said at first. 

“I heard that dad was all alone in the beginning until he met you, right?” He asked. I nodded and he continued, “If big brother was to take over from dad, he’d have to endure the same kind of loneliness that comes with being the guardian. He’d have to live in the cave all by himself and wouldn’t be able to hang out with other people as he does now, would he? I don’t want that for my big brother, so I'm going to take over instead... besides, I don’t have many friends anyway apart from you and my cousins anyway. So, I’ll be just fine. I love my big brother” He smiled until the very end. I’d never heard anything so selfless before. He was willing to give up the privileges to be free from all that power, just so that his brother gets to enjoy it all.  

“But you won’t get to see me, or anyone else apart from your big brother and the only information you’d be able to get while inside is through Dragon Link. I’m sure your brother won’t just accept it and will try to stop you.” This was my last chance to convince him. His eyes were filled with determination and I thought my words would end up doing something, but they didn’t waver for a second as I spelled out the disadvantages. 

“It’s fine. I have a way to take care of big brother, but I'd like you to promise me something. Promise me that you’ll come visit me every now and then.” He smiled again and I sighed, agreeing to his request and then came the brother lover, “Winter!!” He shouted with a smile on his face as he flew towards us in his human form. 

When he got about twenty meters away from us, Winter uh... shrunk, just like he usually does. 

Yes, whenever Winter was in human form and close to his brother, his human form with features of a young man about 17-year old, would shrink into that of an 11-year old. This change began about the time when they were 800 and I think it has something to do with Frostbite’s power being superior to his brother’s. 

“You’re talking to him again, how typical. It seems like I always find you with him. Why are you always smiling towards this man here anyway, brother?” He asked as he stared at me with those eyes filled with jealousy. 

“Just had a little talk. Shall we go back now? Father must be rather bored waiting at home all by himself. Let’s go cheer him up.” Winter said with his usual smile and his cold brother hugged him and started smothering himself all over him. Frostbite smiled and picked up Winter’s now small body in his arms, sprouted wings and left, turning back only to stare at me, his eyes saying, “He’s mine. Keep your hands off him.” 

Huh, he hasn’t changed at all from when he was five. Always giving me those death stares and being all protective of his brother. I wonder if he’s going to do something totally unbrotherly in the future. Now all I can do is wait and see. 

After that visit I got from Winter, I got a call the next day from his father telling me that Winter was so bold, saying that Winter said he wanted to take over as the guardian instead. He said he had agreed, so we were switching and it was final this time.  

Honestly, I had a hunch that something like this way going to happen, but I didn’t think that his father would agree too. Wonder what Frostbite must be thinking right now, poor guy. 

15 more years passed afterwards and it was time for the four parents to leave. Blizzard and the other guardians passed on their power along with their memories of how their jobs were done to their children. Winter got to be the new lord, although Frostbite’s disapproved of it.  

“Take care of your brother okay, Frostbite.” Blizzard’s last words and then he and the guardians took to the skies in their majestic dragon forms. 

Frostbite cried so much on that day and so did the others, then the next day, he suddenly attacked me in the throne room with an advanced ice spell and disappeared. That attack was strong enough that the castle remained frozen for about a week until I finally got rid of it afterwards. Don’t ask why I didn’t get rid of it then and there. 

Winter was worried since he was expecting something like this to happen, but when his brother suddenly disappeared, he was so worried that he had a nervous breakdown. He waited and waited but his brother never came back home, leaving him all alone, just like their father had been before having them. 

Oh, about Frostbite, after his attack failed, he told me that he’d claim my head for what I had done someday and then went to the human world. He himself could never hope to beat me, so he entered the human world, yes, since he was technically also a guardian; transformed himself into a weapon somewhere the hero would find it, then come here to face me alongside the hero 

Whenever the hero gave up, he’d go back and do the same thing but this time, taking on the form of another weapon with sometimes different abilities, and that cycle went on for almost six thousand years.  

Huh, poor guy. In the end, he neglected his father’s wish for him to protect his brother in the name of getting rid of me since I apparently, was the one who had bewitched his brother into taking on a job as lonely as being a guardian of winter, one of the most powerful forces in the world. 

I though, had to deal with both Winter’s breakdown and everything else his brother couldn’t while he was away, so I got even closer with Winter to the point where I could call him my best friend. I visit him whenever I had some spare time and we chat for days until I'm finally dragged back to the palace for more work.  

[End of Memory] 

After the memory finally ended, that bright flash of light happened again and just like that, Frostbite and Marcel found themselves back in that space full of stars; the demon lord standing there, looking at the two who looked like they still needed time to process all that information. 

Marcel was thinking of how tragic the whole thing was; Blizzard and the other guardians leaving and how their children were forced to take up such heavy burdens for the sake of the world-no, universe’s survival. It was very heartbreaking having to watch the whole thing happen. 

Frostbite on the other hand, finally noticed how bad a big brother he was and also why his brother wanted to take on such a lonely job. Tears unconsciously began running from his eyes and before he himself could finally comprehend what was happening, he began to cry. 

He had failed his brother, his father, everyone. All he had thought about was how his brother must have been forced to be the new guardian and that it was all the demon lord’s fault, never really stopping to consider how his brother felt. He was just being impulsive, bratty and acting like a loser instead of the proud dragon his father raised him to be. He was also thinking about how much he had disappointed his father who was probably watching from above as he attacked an opponent who did his brother more good than he ever could. 

“That’s it! I’m going back home.” He said in his usual impatient tone as he wiped the tears from his face. He wanted to see his brother so badly that he politely asked the demon lord to create an exit for him. 

The demon lord who smiled seeing Frostbite’s sudden change in attitude after seeing a different style of the story gladly granted his request and created an exit.  

Frostbite left the place that upset him so much in haste and just as Marcel was also about to exit the memory space, an abrupt headache struck him and he heard something, although in a distorted tone. 

“Tae... good car... of him... okay.” He thought he heard the voice say. That abrupt headache was almost enough to make him collapse and the demon lord; seeing Marcel who was somewhat stuck next to the exit, unwilling to move with a face carrying an expression of pain, quickly swept Marcel off his feet, putting him in a princess carry and exited the space. 

After they left the space, Marcel’s headache started to ease up and he could finally think again.  

What just happened?” was the first thought Marcel processed after his headache. Thoughts like who that voice belonged to, and what were they trying to say? Who was it even aimed at in the first place, continued after that and soon he was buried deep inside them to not even notice that he was clinging to you know who on the bed. 

Frostbite was the first person that came to Marcel’s mind when he thought of whom the voice was aimed at, but then the voice and the headache happened right after he left, so that could have just been really bad timing. But that voice didn’t really seem like it was aimed at Frostbite though, Marcel thought since the voice sounded strangely familiar, like someone he already knew. Plenty of people came to mind, but none of them had the power to give him headaches when they spoke, now could they? 

But, if that voice sounded so familiar, who could it belong to? That was a mystery that would remain unsolved today, Marcel thought after he was done analyzing all the people he had met since before coming to the demon realm. It could also be someone from here, but he just didn’t know who. 

He finally noticed he was being held in the demon lord’s strong and firm, but comfortable arms, blushed and then politely requested to released, a rosy face accompanied by an expression of embarrassment. “But he was the one who started it” was what the demon lord after Marcel’s request. 

The demon lord released and then asked, “Are you hungry?” accompanied by a smile. Marcel’s stomach growled right at that moment and he took that as a yes. The demon lord responded with a, “Just one more thing. Do you think you can handle one more thing before I call in someone?” his expression turned serious all of a sudden. Just what was going to happen now, Marcel thought as an uneasy feeling enshrouded his being. 

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