POV:

On the roof of the desolate, gloomy castle, a slender figure paced restlessly amidst a sprawling array of arcane symbols and glittering gems. A dark elf with silvery hair pouring down behind her along the floor. Her attire consisted of small strips of cloth to cover her chest and her modesty beneath, while woven gold chains hugged snugly around her thighs. A ring attached to her gold bracelet, catching light as she gazed on with her white globes at the poor pregnant woman who was bound and crying as her water broke.

"Almost there~ my dear, hold on tight" the tanned women began to chant softly, her voice barely above a whisper. The sun and the moon came into alignment, casting a blood-red silhouette of the heavens over the world of Eostia. Fear seeped into the hearts of the common folk, who had no understanding of the momentous event that would take place once every five hundred years.

The dark elves, or drow, were revered for their adeptness in the dark arts and their long life spans to observe the natural changes of the world and turn them to their advantage. With the eclipse of the sun upon them, they planned to perform a transmutation ritual using its power as a catalyst.

Stepping into the meticulously drawn pentagon, the diminutive elf's silver hair cascaded down her back, trailing behind her as she approached the centre where the captive lay. A diamond rested on her stomach, acting as a conduit for the crimson rays of the eclipse, which focused to a single point. As the surrounding air grew colder, the symbols etched around the captive began to glow with an otherworldly light, and the drow began her incantation.

“By the power of the icy winds and the frozen earth” she intoned, her voice unwavering as a ghastly blue mana surged from her body.

"I call upon the spirits of winter to heed my call. Let the essence of winter to flow through your veins and awaken the primal magic within you." Cerulean tendrils emerged, as if sentient, from the symbols drawn from the essence of Eis Franse, beginning to graze the skin of the screaming women in childbirth.

“Transform the form and release the spirit” coating her skin in runic markings, that pricked into her flesh. Rimming the skin with snow, whether it was a blessing or a curse, the woman’s spirit had already died the day of her capture by the orcs.

“Let it be reborn as a creature of winter and solitude. With this power, be changed, and be reborn. So mote it be." With the ritual complete, the silver-haired elf panted in exertion, her shoulders rising and falling as her chest heaved with effort. Even with all the preparation done, she never expected to have to use so much of her mana.

“Fuck! Don’t let it be a still-born” she murmured frantically, wiping her sweat-drenched brow she rushed towards the azure-skinned infant, still attached to his mother’s frozen umbilical cord. Despite gulping copious amount of air for the first time in its life, the baby made no sounds.

“Slaves! Slaves! Get in here” she yelled, her voice rising in desperation as she scrambled forward. Within moments, five women shackles in chains hurried over from the edge of the roof.

"Yes, Mistress, what is it you wish for?" asked the slaves, their eyes downcast as they anxiously clutched the hems of their ragged clothes.

"Clean that thing and bring it to the chambers of the queen immediately. Wait for me there. Also, remove that iced corpse from the premises at once. I will be preparing for my meeting with the Dark Queen," Lady Athens Isre ordered, pointing towards the baby still lying on the stone floor beside its deceased mother.

"As you command, Ma'am," the women replied quickly, hoping to avoid the fate of the previous batch thrown to goblins, should the Lady be displeased.

Lady Athens Isre left them behind and made her way down the spiral stairs, muttering to herself, "I worked too hard for this. I need a bath."

(-Break-)

Athens walked out of the hot springs showcasing her short, taut, Lilith body taking the babe from the slaves’ arms. Her heart beating out of her chest, worried about the upcoming meeting with Queen Olga to report about her tasked ritual.

Stepped forward, holding Jacob close to her chest as they walked deeper into the citadel. The sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls, creating an ominous feeling in the air.

As she arrived at the massive gates behind which the Ruler of the Clack Citadel, Olga Discordia, Queen of the Drow, Tamer of Monsters awaited her, Athens couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. She gazed intently at Jacob’s new form with her whitened orbs, “Hmm, I thought you would be more monstrous, but you’re equally ugly as human. But that’s to be expected, being birthed from one.” Athens said with a smirk while waiting for the queen to answer. Her mind raced with worries about what the queen would say about the newborn she held in her arms.

"Come in~," the queen commanded, her sweet voice ringing out as the massive, dark door opened. The halls were lit only by flickering torches, casting eerie shadows across the walls. As they entered, Athens couldn't help but feel a sense of unease in the gloomy surroundings.

As Athens entered the throne room, her heart pounded with apprehension. She couldn't shake the sense of unease that crept up on her as she neared the grand obsidian throne, where Queen Olga sat upon it, her striking figure exuding both beauty and power. Her long raven hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of silk, a cluster of bangs covering her right eye and her pointed ears marked her as a member of the Elven race, and her eyes glowing with a deep shade of violet.

Olga perched upon her throne, wearing a black tight-fitting corset hugged her curvaceous figure, accentuating her shapely hips and toned legs, relaxed and confident, with her hand resting on her hip. The halls were dimly lit by flickering torches, casting eerie shadows across the walls.

Her sweet voice commanded Athens to enter, and she obliged, feeling a sense of trepidation as she faced the powerful queen. As Athens spoke, she could feel Olga's piercing gaze fixed on her, hinting at a deeper interest in the situation at hand. Despite her uncertainty, Athens couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the regal presence appearance of the queen.

"Ah, Lady Athens Isre. I have been expecting you," the queen said, her voice laced with a hint of amusement.

Athens bowed deeply, "Your Majesty, I have completed the ritual as you requested."

Olga's gaze shifted to the infant in Athens' arms, and a small smile played across her lips. "And this is the result?"

“Well, not exactly. I have no idea. I came as soon as possible, so you could pass judgement yourself,” Athens said, her dusky cheeks flushing as she felt the queen's raised brow on her. “Also maybe—possibly because this…newborn acts…like a corpse…?”

Olga trailed a finger down the baby's face, releasing the barest sparks of her mana to which the baby was shaken awake, his lower lip trembling as he started crying and clenching the queen's arm. The Queen’s expression was thoughtful as she hummed to the babe." No teeth or fat layering under the skin either. His build looks closer to human than the Orcs. Athens, you know what this means"

“Yes, My Queen. Let me give you a brief rundown of the experiment. The initial idea was to mutate an orc child to possess magic artificially by embedding lacrimas in their bodies. After two decades of repetition, we abandoned the idea because it produced no results. The second approach was using blood magic on pregnant humans captured during the raids, which was more promising because it produced some reaction. However, the humans died far too quickly to be able to produce any concrete results. So after researching through the library of your previous notes on creating monsters that filled your army, I came up with an idea for a ritualistic approach.”

Olga pursed her full, fleshy lips." That's far too fundamentally different from the core aspect of an orc. Maybe if it was any other, it wouldn't be too hard to create abominations but an orc's speciality lies in physical combat that uses its thick fat skin to stop most attacks. Weaker blades altogether combined, they can't have much thought other than feed, kill or breed, let alone use magic".

Athens put one hand over her heart and the other behind her back, bowing lightly. “Yes, yes, my Queen. This is true, nonetheless I wanted to create a mutant capable to crush all our adversaries and conqueror Estoria as per the birthright of all dark elves”.

“Well, though your passion is appreciated, you must understand the cost of the resources you have used throughout the centuries, especially the Eis Franse (ice fringe/flower). Since it blooms every other half millennia, you know how valuable the elemental essences are for Magi such as ourselves.” Olga delivered the news in a slow, but not unkind, drawl.

"Furthermore, the outcome does not justify the resources you have consumed. It lacks the strength of an orc and, even though it can sense magic, utilizing the only ice essence has confined it to a single elemental affinity. Perhaps we should throw another human into the breeding pits to produce more of these?"

“Understood, and no, my Queen, she died by freezing just as the babe popped out.” realizing her folly, Athens grew nervous with each word.

“I see…” Olga replied, settling into silent judgement towards the newborn. Athens' heart was thumping with trepidation.

Breaking the silence, Olga separated the baby trying to nibble on her bountiful bosom as it searched to sate its hunger. “Aren’t you a needy little monster~”

Olga continued to move the child from her breasts, amused with each attempt. She eventually returned her gaze to Athens. “While the experiment may have yielded another failure, we must salvage what we can from it. Unlike orcs, this mutant is not carnivorous and appears to have more human traits than orc. It would be wise to arrange for a half-elf to breastfeed him. Feeding him animal milk in his infancy would only hinder his development.”

One voice within the chambers behind the Queen questioned the choice of an elf breastfeeding an orc, suggesting a human from the pits instead.

“Using a human would not be wise, as it could potentially decrease his potential. A pure-blooded elf like yourself, Athens would not be able to provide him with enough of what he needs” Olga explained, her eyes fixed on the baby.

She thanked the mage for her services and dismissed her, turning her full attention back to the mutant child. Her sylphlike fingers delicately traced his cheek as she whispered to him, a cold smirk forming on her lips, “And there you are, little one. I have high hopes for you; that alone makes you a more wondrous tool than those animals, doesn’t it?~”

(-Break-)

As Jacob regained consciousness, the all-encompassing cold and sliminess was replaced with a warm and comfortable sensation. He opened his eyes to see a blurry figure holding him. As his vision slowly cleared, his thoughts growing more coherent with every passing moment, he realized that it was a stunning raven haired woman. She radiated ethereal heat, her fingers gracing his face.

Confused and disoriented, he tried to lean forward to bite something. He found a soft and springy object to nibble on, but it was soon removed, and he drifted back to sleep. As he continued to wake up periodically, he felt an intense hunger gnawing at his stomach. The ethereal heat of the woman nearby provided some comfort, but he needed food, and he needed it fast. He tried to reach out and find something to eat, but his movements were restricted. Soon, he realized that he was swaddled in blankets, and he couldn't move his arms or legs freely—or at all. Frustrated and hungry, he cried out for help, hoping someone would come to his aid.