Nox¹ Literally nox (night). Where Nox is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province. ZaiWin²Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). jumped back. And again. And then again. And even though he kept using his daitai³Literally dai (light) + tai (mark), or Holy Markings, considered Heavenly Blessings. They’re the source of power., which allowed him to move much faster than normal people, he could barely keep up with fast-growing ice spikes threatening to impale him, his feet barely touching the ground before he had to jump again.

When the expanding ice finally stopped sprouting from the ground he had been forced to move back quite the distance. Not only that. He was actually gasping for air, small droplets of sweat covering his forehead.

That damn brat! Allowing his markings to spiral out of control like that! It was almost as if all their hard work, improving Snow’s ability to control his markings had all been for nothing! He really wanted to smack him upside the head!

Taking a deep breath, ZaiWin looked at the huge extension of ice in front of him, spikes covering the ground, forming a deadly, impenetrable circular area around … What was that? Squinting, he tried to understand what he was looking at.

No matter, he concluded the next second, his initial annoyance quickly escalating into anger. The damn brat had actually dared send him away! Worse! He had had the nerve to openly attack him! Twice! He’d be damned, if some childish spikes of ice were going to keep him away! Sure, he had no fire markings to melt them. But he could easily shatter them to pieces!

Slamming his foot on the ground, a ring of dark, purplish markings immediately surrounded his feet. Break! Shatter! Render it to dust!, he commanded in his mind, and a wave of darkness immediately washed over the shiny ice. It sounded very much as if huge walls of glass were being smashed, the cringing sound filling the air around him.

With an angry frown, ZaiWin slid into the darkness and reappeared right in front of the ice structure at the center. A large cluster of ice spikes occupied the center of the circle, the ice so thick that he couldn’t see through it.

Was the freaking brat inside it? Was this supposed to be some kind of protective dome?

Fuck it!, he quickly decided, placing his hand against the cold ice. This one too, break it!, he commanded, and darkness poured into the ice, permeating it, cracking it from top to bottom, the sound of the ice breaking ominous and lonely.

It was taking way too long!, he impatiently decided, pouring even more darkness into it. And then, as if it just couldn’t hold any more darkness, the ice cluster simply exploded, sharp pieces of ice flying in every direction. ZaiWin was just in time to raise one arm and shield his eyes from the sudden attack, the dark energy surrounding him easily protecting him from the greater part of it. Still, a few shards managed to cut his face and hands, leaving a few tears on his clothes.

Slowly lowering his arm, ZaiWin looked down, and the red glow of the array surrounding the boy washed over him.

Snow was still kneeling on the ground, his body leaning forward, a hand clutching his chest as if he were in deep pain. The sound of his hard breathing immediately saturated the air, his silver hair damp, sticking to his neck and face, as were his clothes. He was clearly having a hard time controlling it, ZaiWin concluded, taking a step forward, his initial anger dwindling. But the instant he did so, the markings on his back started to burn.

His gaze fell on the red array glowing around the boy. It was still small, encompassing only him. But ZaiWin now knew that he’d be in real danger if he stepped inside it, his own markings reacting defensively in anticipation.

“Snow …?” he carefully called him. Maybe if he talked to him … Maybe if Snow listened to what he had to say …

His scattered thoughts were immediately interrupted when the sound of that harsh breathing suddenly stopped.

Looking apprehensively at him, ZaiWin watched as Snow slowly straightened his back and raised his head to look up at him.

Even though there were still unshed tears dancing in his eyes, his gaze was completely empty, Snow’s eye color a deep, blood red. And then he knew. Those eyes, even though they were looking at him, they couldn’t see him at all. It was as if he wasn’t there, as if his body had become an empty shell. As if his Snow had disappeared from this world.

His throat suddenly constricted, ZaiWin couldn’t help frown in anger and frustration. As if he’d ever allow that to happen! Red array or not!, he decided, closing the distance between them in two large steps.

“Cut the crap, brat! And fucking snap out of it!” he demanded, grabbing his arm, intending to pull him back to his feet. But Snow simply tilted his head, and with that small gesture, a red arrow shot from the array beneath his feet, aiming directly at ZaiWin’s chest.

It all happened so fast that ZaiWin couldn’t really tell what was happening. His back burned, and a deep, dense mass of darkness surrounded him immediately. This was hardly the first time such a thing happened. Whenever his life was in true danger, as long as he was aware of that, no matter how hard he worked on his control, his markings would simply take control and try to protect him. And yet, even though he was usually simply surrounded by an effective shield of darkness, this time the red light kept pouring in, kept getting closer, kept destroying the dark shield that surrounded him. He couldn’t defend against that arrow, he quickly realized. And he’d never be able to escape it in time!

As if replying to his own thoughts, the darkness around him quickly shifted, and a ray of darkness cut the air as fast as thunder. The red arrow that was about to strike him was shattered in small flecks of light, as was the red array beneath his feet, speckles of red energy filling the air like bloody snowflakes. And then he saw the boy, still kneeling on the ground in front of him, close his eyes, his body tumbling heavily to one side.

For a moment all ZaiWin could do was breathe. He had … survived? He couldn’t really tell exactly how. But, in the next instant, he immediately understood how he’d managed such impossibility.

When you can’t defend, and you can’t retreat, then all that is left is to attack with all you’ve got!, ZenTar’s voice echoed in his mind, and he was on his knees in the next second, grabbing Snow’s arm and pulling him up. His heart was beating so fast, his hands shaking so badly, that he had trouble actually grabbing the boy’s tunic and pulling it up until he could see his bare chest. And then there it was, the dark mark where he’d been hit, the darkness already spreading, forming dark vein-like lines that were quickly spreading beneath his pale skin.

“No, no, no, no …” he repeated under his breath, an overwhelming dread taking over his chest, making it hard to breathe. Pulling the boy’s head against his chest, ZaiWin leaned forward trying to listen to Snow’s breathing above the suffocating beating of his own heart.

Nothing. Nothing!

Whimpering in agony, ZaiWin quickly collected Snow’s limp body in his arms and slipped into the darkness.

Silvareiel

These two can probably easily bring the entire Empire to its knees. But they can as easily destroy each other. They’re both too strong and they both lack the needed control to avoid a disaster when things get complicated ? In any case. Baka ZaiWin! ?