At the sound of a knock, Ferinish and Carolina stood still, patient. Until the door opened, revealing Carlos, shirtless and drenched in sweat.
"Carolina?... And you…"
The soldier turned her gaze away, blushing. Ferinish, on the other hand, remained cold and uninterested.
"Please, put on a shirt!"
"I'm not naked, woman. You've seen me shirtless plenty of times…"
"But not in front of guests!"
Carolina exclaimed, delivering a weak punch to Carlos muscular chest. He rolled his eyes.
"Alright, alright! But what do you want, bringing this woman here?"
Carlos cast a glance at Ferinish, who met his eyes silently and placed her hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist, a quiet threat.
"I'm here to train you two. In case we need to face Fraizen Rosenmary."
She declared. Carlos tilted his head, confused.
"Why would we fight her? You and that other guy already lost to her. Besides, we're her soldiers, why would we go against our queen?!"
He crossed his arms, looking seriously at both Carolina and Ferinish.
"She's using us like weapons, you idiot. She wants to keep us apart so we'll serve her better."
Carolina argued, trying to convince her childhood friend to join her.
"You know you can't take this anymore, Carlos. You're a good man, you shouldn't serve someone like her."
"But… what are we supposed to do if we try to leave her service? She'll probably kill us."
"That's not what I mean. We'll gather strength in secret. And with Ferinish's help, she's stronger than both of us combined, we'll have a chance to face her, if it comes to that."
Carolina took Carlos's hands in hers, holding them firmly yet gently.
"Please. For our friendship, and for everything we believe in."
Carlos looked at her, nearly persuaded. Then he turned to Ferinish, who had remained silent the entire time.
"Alright… just for you, you pain."
He gave Carolina a light punch on the head. She responded with a weak jab to his stomach.
'They're definity close… and violent.'
Ferinish thought silently, observing their friendship. Carlos briefly stepped away, put on a shirt, and returned to the door.
"I accept your offer… but I still have one question, Ferinish. Where's that guy who was with you? He was seriously powerful."
Ferinish looked away, her gaze falling on the kingdom of IceStorm. Carolina noticed her discomfort and answered for her.
"He… ended up in a coma. His body is way weaker than other men's."
"That's hard to believe…"
Carlos stepped aside to let them in. His home was luxurious yet modest. The two women entered. Carolina flopped onto the couch, clearly familiar with the place. Ferinish sat upright, legs together, gaze cold but calm.
"Ahhh, yes… it's so much better having your friend here than staying at odds with her, right?"
Carolina teased, glancing at Carlos. He rolled his eyes and began preparing hot chocolate for them.
"Quiet."
He replied without venom. Carolina giggled, unbothered.
"Sure, sure…"
She stretched on the couch, curious.
"How can you stay shirtless in IceStorm? That's insane!"
"Training heats my body up, nothing special."
"Still, you must be pretty bold to walk around like that!"
Ferinish, disinterested, nearly dozed off on the couch. But the scent of hot chocolate wafted to her nose, stirring her awake. She opened her eyes as Carlos handed them each a cup.
"You need to warm up."
"Thanks."
"…."
Carolina held her cup by the handle, sipping slowly. Ferinish, however, held hers like a glass and downed the drink in nearly one go.
The two stared at her, stunned. She looked back at them coldly, but with an innocence, as if unaware of what shocked them.
"What?"
"Nothing…"
They replied in unison. Ferinish placed the cup on the table nearby, lost in thought.
'I wonder if Slady knows how to make this… I'll ask him when he wakes up…'
"Anyway… it's time to train."
Ferinish said in a cold tone, leaving no room for refusal. The duo hurried to finish their drinks, now oddly motivated.
***
Hours passed. Ferinish trained Carolina and Carlos in an Inférius, an area where they could unleash the full extent of their abilities.
At night, she walked alone through the streets, seeking a moment to herself. Suddenly, she heard a muffled groan, as if someone was being silenced.
Entering an alley, she found a man pressing a machete to the neck of a humble-looking woman.
"Shut up! Give me everything you have!"
He growled in a low voice. Noticing Ferinish, he looked her up and down with lustful eyes, shoving the other woman away roughly.
"Well, well… didn't expect a beauty like you…"
As he reached toward her, Ferinish grabbed his arm and unsheathed her sword, piercing his chest with skilled precision. The woman screamed and ran off.
Ferinish looked at her own hands, confused.
"Why did she run…?"
To her, she was only protecting the woman.
She looked down at the man's corpse. Her sword, now stained with blood, she needed to clean it. She didn't want to be dirty.
To avoid being seen, she slipped through the shadows of the kingdom's structures, exiting discreetly.
Back at her cabin, she checked on Slady, still unconscious. She undressed and entered the bathroom to bathe.
She stared into the mirror, examining her toned, well-sculpted muscles, flawless skin, not a single scar, not even a hair, her feminine body was likely the dream of many women.
"I'm beautiful… but still, dirty."
She looked at the blood stains. Then, to the pool where she and Slady had once bathed together to save water.
"…"
Kneeling down, she heated the water with intense heat, cleansing it of any bacteria or dirt.
Then she entered the pool, eyes closed in relaxation, feeling the warm water wash away blood and fatigue.
"Perfect…"
After her bath, she dried off, changed into something comfortable, and lay down beside Slady, resting her ear on his chest to hear his heartbeat. She cherished the sound.
She placed her hand on his, fingers intertwining… until she felt a gentle squeeze from him.
"Oh!"
She lifted her head, watching as he stirred, a sign his consciousness was returning.
"Dear…"
She couldn't help a small smile. She lay on top of him and, finally, fell asleep in peace.
***
The next day, Ferinish wandered the kingdom of IceStorm with her kimono-style hood up, hiding her face.
In the distance, she saw a group of protestors near the ice castle.
"We want freedom!"
"We want equality!"
"We want opportunity!"
"We want justice!"
She looked on in surprise. Whether the protest was the people's initiative or something organized by Fraizen's own soldiers was unclear.
Regular guards tried to push the protestors back with shields and spears, restraining, not harming.
Then, from the castle's grand doors, Fraizen emerged. The poison still affected her, though she was more stable now. She descended with elegant, cold steps, gazing down at the people with contempt.
"What do you ungrateful humans want? You should be thankful you even get to eat! I could starve you all starting today!"
The protestors fell silent, fearful of punishment. But a child, there with her mother, threw a rock at Fraizen.
"You're a bad woman!"
It hit her back. She turned to the girl and marched over, grabbing her head with a clawed, icy hand.
"No! Don't hurt my daughter!!"
"Mama!!"
The mother screamed, trying to stop her, but guards restrained her. The girl sobbed as Fraizen prepared to crush her skull.
Ferinish couldn't stand by. In a flash, she dashed forward, sword ablaze.
Fraizen grinned wickedly, hurling the child toward the attack. Ferinish stopped to catch her.
Taking advantage, Fraizen punched Ferinish's gut with her mutated arm, causing intense pain.
"See what your beloved gave me, bitch."
She grabbed Ferinish's face, preventing her from striking back while she held the child. But Ferinish kicked Fraizen's chin, making her stagger and drop her.
She ran to the girl's mother.
"Go! Now!"
The protestors, the mother, and the child fled. Guards surrounded Ferinish.
"This is the woman you were searching for, my lady?"
One asked. Fraizen nodded, recovering.
"Kill her!"
As they attacked, Ferinish drew her sword and spun in a fiery arc, slicing and burning them down in an instant.
Fraizen growled with rage, conjuring a massive barrier around the castle. Ferinish tried to break the ice with kicks and strikes, no use.
"Damn…"
She looked up. The castle was completely sealed. No entry or exit, unless Fraizen allowed it.
***
Inside the castle, Fraizen collapsed on her throne in frustration. Pain pierced her chest as roots spread through her body.
"Shit!!"
She fell, coughing blood. Her eyes bled, and half her face twisted into a truly demonic shape, this time for real.
"AHHHHHH!!"
She screamed in desperation as the mutation advanced, her body transforming more and more with the venom coursing through her veins...