3: Anima-replica.

3:- Anima-replica.

In the midst of blinding flashes of lightning, deafening thunders, howling winds, ferocious monsters and destructive energy beams, Glacilian yeti and Incendian salamanders fought with valour and honour, even at the sight of death herself.

"Inferno!" Firn called out. "We cannot let her get the rest of the gems!" He said, letting an arrow loose to a beast's head.

"Ah'don't know 'bout you, but Ah'm not givin' her dah Red Hot," Inferno responded while he combated a shadowy monster.

"I know! But I've been thinking, we might not survive this, Inferno!"

"Ugh - and they call me dah pessimist... So, wha' are you suggestin'?!"

"Have you - get down!" Firn quickly dived in and pushed Inferno from a Gestrïn beam range of fire.

"Yah makin'a habit of savin' mah life..." Inferno grunted.

"Don't get used to it... C'mon." Firn helped him up. "As I was saying, I'm sure you have heard of the Anima-replica ritual."

"Yes, you kill yourself 'nd fake a gem... Duck!" Firn bent at his call and Inferno set ablaze an attacking shadower with a stream of flames from his fingers.

"Not an option!" He finished, wielding his vitarma.

"Inferno!" Firn yelled again.

Inferno stopped and looked at him.

"It's the only way... friend," Firn said in a low tone.

Inferno punched the ground and lava poured out of the earth like geysers and both of them to prevent an Oscurian from coming closer.

"So... Anima-replica?" He repeated.

"To protect our tribes, our families, and the elementals... My son I just bore." Firn told Inferno, looking straight into his golden-red eyes.

Inferno's face softened as he heard that.

"Ah'too just bore a child. An Heiress," he told him, looking away.

Firn's eyes shone. At this point, hope awoke in his spirit as he recalled an ancient and forgotten prophecy. He placed a comforting hand on Inferno's shoulder.

"Then, let's keep them safe. Both of them." He said, lowering his hand.

"Would they ever be safe here? With her around?" Inferno asked, pointing upwards to Zella playing with her new powerful toy.

"T-then we will send them to the human world, with our wives," Firn uttered without thinking.

"Dah human world? Are you jokin'?! We are seen as devils by those small-minded beings, they would be executed if they even sneezed!" Inferno countered immediately.

"I know, I know... but Zella won't find them there. They can hide, blend in, and even the humans won't discover them. Listen to me, Inferno... Our children would be safe... Safe to return and finally fulfil the prophecy of the union foretold ages ago."

"Oh, now we're goin' into prophecies? Tha' prophecy is a myth, Firn."

"But is it? Hm? Look around you... It is all coming together, just as it was foretold. I know I'm asking for much, but Inferno, please... it's either us- or the rest of the Realm, and the worlds beyond."

Inferno grew silent.

Finally, he sighed.

"Order your Sovereigness tah rendezvous with mine at dah Edge of the Realm. There, they shall both open dah portal and leave with all they can. I shall take care of mine." He sighed again. "Ah'can't believe Ah'm gon' kill mahself... 'nd worse of all - yah talked me in-tah it."

Firn laughed lightly.

"We shall meet again before we disappear. Right here, we shall finish it." He said with a sad smile.

"A war made us allies and allies shall our generations tah come be." Inferno smiled back, and the two Sovereigns shook arms.

"Let's slay some more beasts, eh?" He referred to the awaiting monsters surrounding the lava pool keeping them off.

"With pleasure..." Firn reformed his vitarma, so did Inferno.

Inferno cooled the molten back to solid rock and they both attacked before they were attacked. They fought out of the circle and separated in battle. Firn blew a high pitched whistle that alerted his Snow-Leopard which came running to its master, lucky to be alive. He grabbed hold of the creature and rode for Glacilia, battling his way through. Inferno, too, called out for his fiery bird, and atop it, flew towards Incendia.

Zella saw them dispersing in opposite directions.

"Run, run, run... but hide, you cannot..." She giggled silently.

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"Leave us," Firn ordered as he flung the throne room doors open, the castle guards surrounding it marched for the exit and closed the big icy doors behind them.

"Firn." White ran into her husband's arms.

"You're not hurt?" She asked, examining him.

"I'm fine, my love. But we all will be in a whole world of hurt if I don't do something to save us all." Firn spoke beholding his wife.

"What are you saying? Why is everyone so tense? What in the Kügel's might is going on?"

"How coincidental for you to mention the Kügel." Firn scoffed. "The Oscurian Sovereigness, a child named Zella, a demon witch has invaded the whole Realm and claimed in her possession four quarter pieces of the Kügel. The Frost Fire Valley is a slaughterhouse. That child is winning."

"That sounds terrible. What are we going to do, my love?" White asked him, putting her hand on his bruised face, brushing his heated cheek with her thumb.

"No, not 'we'... Me," he sighed. "Anima-replica." He stated, avoiding her eyes.

"Uh-uh... No, no, no, no..." Her eyes shone with despair and her hand dropped as she shook head in disagreement.

Firn caught her hand, "It's the only way I..."

"No!" She pulled back, devastated. "There has to be some other option buried deep beneath the snow, Firn. You, find it. Please, I beg of you, find it. For your son's sake, Firn, you will dig deeper and find it!"

"If I dig any deeper, I might as well be digging a grave for everyone! It's because of Frost I want to do this!" He held her shaking shoulders and squeezed, "White, I'm doing this for us."

"You'll kill yourself!" There were tears in her voice, but her face remained emotionless, frozen.

"Yes! To save you, my - our son and the tribe, and the entire Realm, and I'd do it again, and again if I have to." Firn said, overflowing with emotions but still keeping a straight, poker face to hide it.

"Let me see Frost. Where is he?"

"He-he's in the cot," She quietly snickered, "I finally got the ice cube to sleep." Her smile shook.

Firn walked to the cot sitten beside the ice throne and looked in, Heir Frost laid like a limp fur-ball. He carried him out gently into his arms.

"Listen, White, you will take Frost - and leave Glacilia." He stated, rocking his child.

"Leave? Propsposterous! Leave to where?" White strutted towards him.

"Dunwood."

"Forest of Dunwood?"

"Yes. Gather all you may need; food, clothes, money, anything that is necessary, and go to Dunwood. There, you would meet the Incendian Sovereigness, and together, you two will open the portal and escape to the human world."

"Sovereigness of Incendia? You are collaborating with Incendia...a-and the human world...? Firn, what are thinking?"

"Thinking of saving the Realm from chaos. Yes, I've come to a truce with the salamanders, this war has made them - us, realize that we are supposed to be working together as allies for the betterment of the tribes."

"How can I leave you here to escape with some, some...b-barbarian?!"

"Trust me, my love, you're not escaping, this will work - it has been said in the prophecy of the union."

"Frozen Hades, everyone knows the prophecy is a myth, Firn. How does it..."

"But it's not a myth, White," he breathed a laugh. "We have a son and Inferno, a daughter. We bore children on the same day. I speak the truth, and their union shall be the undoing of Zella."

"A union between different and opposite elements? Firn, have you forgotten what happened the last time something like that happened?"

"Very well... And without that incident- we would not exist. Everything happens for a reason, and that probably happened so this could." He handed the Heir to White. He moved to the throne and held both front legs, and then he twisted both at once but in opposite directions, the seat of the throne melted away revealing a hollow with a sliver box within. Firn pulled out the box, the seat froze back, he opened the box's lid and from it withdrew a white gem; the ice elemental gem, Snow White.

He stood up straight and turned to his wife.

"Train Frost in the way of the yeti, and bow and sword until he's perfect. You must prepare him for his destiny and not fail...a-and tell him I'm sorry I had to go," as he spoke, he began to glow in the white aura.

In one hand, he tightly held the gem and opened the other, a white stream of light began to emerge from his chest to his open palm forming a white sphere gradually

"No, no, no... You should train yourself, you can if you stop this madness. H-how sure are we th-that Inferno will sacrifice himself too and not run with his tail behind his legs...?" White said sobbing as pearl icy tears rolled down her cheeks as Firn performed the Anima-replica ritual- Spiritual Replication.

The sphere in his open hand begins to take the form of the gem while the gem in his closed hand begins to be enclosed in a white orb. Firn seized glowing. He staggered forward to his wife, already dead, but holding onto the strands of his life force in his hand. He placed the encased Snow White on Frost's chest and made a string to hold it around his neck.

"You will leave for Dunwood immediately. I shall give the demon child the replicate, then vanish. Do not let it be in vain. Protect the orb and our son, show to him the love and affection I would have given to him. Tell him about me. Teach him in the Glacilian way." Firn, unable to mask his emotions anymore, spoke with a shaky voice and teary eyes.

"I love you both," he kissed Frost on his head and White very deeply on her lips. "Now, go! Go! Never disclose your true identities to the humans and stay clear of their ignorance and small-mindedness, and train in secret... Be safe, now... Go!"

White pulled out the white blanket from the cot and left the throne room in icy tears.

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...Simultaneously, at another point of view......

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"Gimme dah room!" Inferno ordered stepping into the throne room and the castle guards evacuated themselves.

"Always with dah dramatic entrance, Inferno," Agrimitra rolled her eyes as he walked up to her.

"Can't you be a little quiet? Ah just got day flame thrower tah sleep." She added, rocking Fiammetta's cot. She stood up, "Seven hells, you look terrible."

"We might all as well as look very dead soon if'ah don't do something tah stop it," Inferno told her.

"Stop wha'? Dah snowmen haven't all melted yet?" She smirked at the thought.

"Dah snowmen are not our problem today... they weren't ever. Our true enemies revealed themselves today, dah Oscurians, 'nd their Dark Sovereigness is here 'nd is winnin'. She, somehow, got in-tah her tiny hands on four elemental quarter gems 'nd form part of dah Kügel."

"You are not making any sense, Inferno. Wha' is really goin' on?"

"She has vanquished almost half of dah men in dah Valley, if not more even 'nd dah only way Ah can stop her now is tah - is if'ah perform Anima-replica..."

"Yes, you go 'nd stop - wait...wha'?" Her eyes shone in realization. "Anima-replica?" She repeated.

"Honestly, it's not mah idea, but it's our only hope tah save-"

"Oh, burn tha' witch, Inferno, whoever she is! You're not going tah kill yahself when Etta is just born! I won't allow it. There has tah be some other way lingerin' about in tha' thick skull of yours, so find it. Because you will live, Inferno. For me, for your daughter, 'nd for our victory against those ice breaths."

"Ah'm ready tah die for her! For you!" Inferno exclaimed and she grew quiet.

"Let me see her." Agrimitra went to the cot and brought Fiammetta out and gave her to him.

"Mitra, listen. Ah want you tah take day fastest phoenix there is, 'nd along with Etta, you will leave Incendia," he spoke, caressing his child's face.

"Ah will not abandon you. No less dah tribe at a crucial time like this." Agrimitra retorted.

"You will do as Ah'ave commanded. For me, 'nd dah tribe. Gather as many supplies as you can carry 'nd both of you leave for Dunwood."

"As in, dah Edge of the Realm?"

"Yes. There, you will meet dah Glacilian Sovereigness 'nd both of you shall open dah gate 'nd escape tah dah human world."

"Escape tah dah human world? Inferno, are you insane?! We would be hunted down 'nd executed like animals if they discover us... 'N-nd did you really canoodle with Glacilia? Th-those weakling abomination?!"

"No, not weaklings. Abominations, uhm, yes- but not weaklings. This war has made me realize it. Our tribes must work together tah beat this threat."

"Work together with fragile icicles? Seven Hells, Inferno, wha' did they do tah you?" Agrimitra placed a concerned hand on his face, with worry in hers.

"They made me realize we have been fighting the wrong war all along. Glacilia is not dah enemy, Oscurians always have been... Though I still despise their furry asses. See... remember dah ancient prophecy of dah union?"

"Cursed smolderin' smokes, tha's a myth, Inferno. It's a..."

"Reality. 'Nd we are dah reality. We have an Heiress, Firn bore an Heir on dah same day. They are destined." He said as he gave Fiammetta back to Agrimitra and walked to the throne.

He pushed back a stalagmite beside the lava rock seat and pulled another at the other side and a stalactite fell off the ceiling in front of him. Inferno bent and picked it up, and a gem rolled out of the hollow stony cone; the Fire elemental gem: Red Hot.

"Inferno, don't. Ah beg of you. If you do this, how sure are you the' dah fragile Ice Sovereign is doing dah same? There has tah be some other way tha' involves you surviving. So, please..." Agrimitra's firm voice began to shake as he stood for the Anima-replica ritual.

"This is dah only way, Mitra." Inferno held the gem tight in one hand and opened the other.

"Protect Etta with your life, protect the Red Hot, 'nd tell Etta ah'm sorry ah cannuh be there for her," he began in a red aura.

Red streams of light flowed from his chest to his open palm, crystallizing into a red sphere gradually.

"No, Inferno! Please, please, please, no..." Tears began to flow down Agrimitra's cheeks.

"Stop killin' yahself in front of me...! Please!" She cried as she saw his life force bleed out.

"Teach her," Inferno continued, "train her, prepare her tah fulfil dah prophecy. You will train her till she's better than you." He said shakingly as the sphere began to take the shape of the Red Hot, while it began to be enclosed in a red orb.

He then stopped glowing. He walked, staggering toward his wife, lifeless.

"Trust me. Learn tah trust dah Glacilian Sovereigness. Protect each other, become friends as Ah'ave unbelievably become friends with Firn. We will deceive dah witch in-tah thinkin' she's won by givin' her dah replicates. I'll expire happily knowin' both of you are safe, 'nd away from her reach... At least for dah time being..."

He placed his hand on Agrimitra's cheeks and brushed off the hot tears, and passionately delivered his very last kiss to her, and his daughter. He placed the orbed Red Hot on Fiammetta's chest and made a string to hold it to her neck.

"Ah love you as deep as dah Seven Hells go. Now, go... As fast as you can. Go to dah human world 'nd live like them, keep your true identities a secret 'nd stay away from trouble...even though tha' might be a little difficult for you..." They snickered, sniffing.

"Now, go! Go!" His voice was hoarse and lifeless.

Agrimitra held her daughter tightly and fled at her husband's command.

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As both Sovereigns had sent off their wives and offsprings, they gathered whatever was left of their strengths, formed their vitarmas, mounted their royal steeds of war, and headed back to battle. By the time they arrived in the Valley, only a handful of good elementals were left, severally injured and breathing heavily as their life force steeped out of their wounds. Firn and Inferno rallied up the leftover into battle - knowing fully well they were charging at suicide.

Zella chuckled as she watched them use up all their essence. To rid them of their misery for eternity, she charged up another Gestrïn Light and aimed down at the last set of yeti and salamanders, but at the sight of Firn and Inferno holding up their elemental gems in surrender, she withdraw her hand.

She ordered the gems be brought to her, and immediately the gems left the Sovereigns' fingers, they both fell, and faded in ash and snow. Zella added the two gems to the Orb which is now missing just one piece; the Gray Matter.

She shone her beautiful eyes of sorrow as the extra power flowed into her, part of red and white appeared in her colourful spiralling eye. She smiled and fired a greater Gestrïn blast into the Frost Fire Valley...

Zella had won the battle... But did she win the war...?

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