Legacy
Chapter 6

Withnothing in sight that resembled a real dwelling, the group had nochoice but to spend the night in a forest cave. A small fire workedto keep the four warm, but when the fire went out, nothing could stopthe cold from laying its claim to them.

When hisbody could no longer handle such a temperature, James was forcedawake. So forcefully had the extreme cold woken him that it felt toJames as if someone had physically shaken him out of his slumber.

Jaycee andArcher also woke from their sleep.

“Why isit so cold?” asked Jaycee.

“Andwhere did Aiko go?” asked Archer.

The threehurried outside and were shocked to replace the forest covered in ablanket of snow. The trees, lush and green the previous day, werenow bare and dripping with ice. Had the season been winter, seeingsuch a thing would have come as a surprise to no one, but the seasonwas spring, and this was far beyond out of the ordinary.

“Aiko!”called out Jaycee. “Where are you?”

A snowballcame from seemingly out of nowhere and hit Archer in the face. “Whodid that?” he demanded to know.

When shehad been spotted by the others, Aiko ducked behind a crudely madesnowman she had built while the others were asleep.

“Come outhere right now,” barked Archer.

Like ascolded child, Aiko did as she was told.

Archer madehis way to Aiko to reprimand her. “What’s wrong with you?” heasked. “Do you really think this is the time to be doing thingslike that?”

“I wasjust trying to lighten the mood,” replied Aiko. “You’ve seenhow sad everyone has been. I thought I could make everyone feelbetter.”

“Well,that wasn’t the way to do it. Now, let’s go.” And with that,Archer forcefully led Aiko back to the others.

“Didn’tseeing all this snow make you realize that something was wrong?”asked Jaycee. “Why didn’t you wake the rest of us up?”

“I’mnot from around here,” said Aiko. “I thought it was normal.”

The groupdeparted shortly after the snowball incident. They hoped to escapethe chill of the forest and replace a place with a more bearableclimate. But after an hour of traveling, they realized just howwidespread the cold was.

“So, doesthe snow melt soon?” asked Aiko.

“Wealready told you this isn’t normal weather,” replied Archer. “How should we know when the snow’s going to melt?”

“Well,excuse me for not paying attention,” exclaimed Aiko.

The group’sjourney eventually led them to a clearing.

“Wait,”said James, whose sudden halt prompted the others to do the same.

“What isit?” asked Jaycee.

“Ithought I heard something,” replied James.

Theunsettling silence was broken when Aiko shrieked. “We’restanding in a puddle,” she exclaimed. “My feet are all wet.”

“Bequiet,” demanded James. “Don’t move.”

“But myfeet are really cold.”

A snowballthen crashed into Archer’s face, prompting Aiko to begin laughinghysterically. “That’s what you get for being mean to me,” shesaid. A snowball then crashed into Aiko’s face, quickly changingher demeanor. “Who the hell did that? Show yourself!”

A gust ofwind filled with snow and ice tore through the air, forcing everyoneto shield themselves from flying debris. The snow and ice then beganaccumulating at the center of the clearing. And from it emerged awoman, but no ordinary woman. Her skin was a pale blue and her eyesa much darker shade of the color. The silken white garment she worewas matched in radiance only by her flowing locks.

“It wasyou,” exclaimed Aiko, who looked more than ready for a fight. Butthere was something keeping her from advancing. The puddle she,James and Archer were standing in had formed into solid ice and hadencased their feet. Jaycee, however, had been leading the way andwas spared from the frozen trap.

“Wewalked right into a trap,” said Archer.

“Who areyou?” James asked the woman.

IgnoringJames’ question, the woman stretched her arms high above her head,looking as if she had just woken from a long sleep.

“Hey, heasked you a question, weirdo,” exclaimed Aiko. “Who are you?”

“That onehas quite the sharp tongue,” said the woman, whose icy glare sent ashiver down Aiko’s spine. “I might just have to cut it out.”

Aikoimmediately clasped her hands over her mouth.

The womanlet out a sigh. “If you must know,” she said. “My name isAlenia, and I am a loyal servant of the master.”

“ShadowKahn,” said James.

“Aren’tyou the quick learner? You see, the master has a very simplephilosophy. If you refuse to pledge your undying devotion to him,then that means you’re against him, which means you’ve forfeitedthe right to exist. So I get to do whatever I want to you.”

“Jaycee,you need to get out of here,” said James.

“No,”said Jaycee. “I won’t leave you.”

“Yes,Jaycee, run away,” said Alenia. “But know this, if you flee,eventually I will catch you and I will kill you. But while you’remaking your escape, I’ll be killing these friends of yours. Buthow am I going to do it? Maybe I’ll just slit their throats. That’s if I’m in a good mood. You don’t want to know what I’lldo if I’m angry.”

“Shoot anarrow at her,” Aiko shouted of Archer.

Archerattempted to reach for his weapon but his body was unresponsive. “Ican’t move,” he said. “What’s going on?”

A gruntburst from Aiko, who also was trying desperately to move her body.

“My icedoes that sometimes,” said Alenia. “Sorry.”

Jayceeimmediately took to a readied stance. “You’re not going to lay afinger on any of them,” she exclaimed.

“Youmortals are an impetuous lot, aren’t you?” asked Alenia. “That’sprobably why there are so few of you left.” In a playful manner,Alenia placed her hand over her mouth. “Oh, did I say that outloud? I’m just no good at keeping secrets.”

“Jaycee,run,” exclaimed James.

“No,”replied Jaycee.

“Howadmirable,” said Alenia. “He would rather die than let any harmcome to that girl. Oh, how human emotions sicken me.”

“If weweren’t trapped in this ice, you wouldn’t be so confident,”said Aiko.

“Ofcourse I wouldn’t,” said Alenia. “Why do you think I put youthere? Now shut up, I have to concentrate on killing your friend.”

When Aleniaextended her arm, a mist began to circulate around her hand. Andfrom the mist formed a sword of crystal clear ice.

Aikoshrieked, prompting Jaycee to turn her focus back to her friends. She found that the ice had grown upward and now had the three trappedup to their waists.

“Did Iforget to mention?” asked Alenia. “That ice has a bit of a mindof its own.” She then began chuckling, but only shortly. “Now,let’s begin.”

Jaycee wasable to block Alenia’s first strike with her staff. But the firststrike was all it took to show who had the advantage. Jaycee hadnearly lost her balance due to the incredible power behind Alenia’sinitial attack.

Aleniabegan laughing. “Do you really think you can stop me? Look atyou. You’re shaking from head to toe, and it has absolutelynothing to do with the weather.”

“Is shestrong enough to win a battle like this?” Archer asked.

“I don’tknow,” answered James. “She’s never been in real combat.”

“You cando it, Jaycee,” exclaimed Aiko. “We believe in you!”

Aleniaunleashed a number of furious attacks but Jaycee was able to blockevery last one of them.

“It wouldseem that I underestimated you, my dear little Jaycee,” saidAlenia, her sword now locked with Jaycee’s staff. With a strengththat was far superior to her opponent’s, Alenia was able to pushJaycee away, then slash her across the arm.

“Jaycee,”exclaimed James.

BeforeAlenia had time to fully savor success, Jaycee had already begun adevastating counterattack. She struck her foe across the face,temporarily dazing her. And with Alenia in such a vulnerable state,Jaycee used the opportunity to strike the blade of her sword,breaking it cleanly off the hilt.

“Insolentlittle bitch,” exclaimed Alenia. She then took a hold of Jaycee’sstaff and attempted to take it from her. When that tactic provedfutile, Alenia kicked Jaycee into a tree, sending the battered younglady crumbling to the forest floor.

A violentwind then began to swirl through the clearing. When Alenia raisedher arm, razor sharp chunks of ice began appearing around her, alldirected at Jaycee.

“Jaycee,get up!” screamed Aiko.

Ontrembling legs, Jaycee was able to get back to her feet.

“Goodbye,Jaycee,” said Alenia. And with that, she swung her arm forward,sending the chunks of ice at her foe.

With nary amoment to spare, Jaycee was able to duck behind the tree into whichshe had just been kicked. The impact some of the chunks madeslamming into the tree made it seem as if Jaycee’s shield would besnapped in half. The chunks that missed the tree flew mere inchesfrom Jaycee’s face, crackling the air around them.

“Bitch,”exclaimed Alenia. “You think your friends will be as fortunate? They don’t have anything to hide behind!” Alenia then raised herarm, in preparation of summoning another group of razor sharp chunksof ice. But this time, she was facing the others.

Jayceeemerged from her hiding spot. “We’re not finished yet,” shesaid.

“Then nomore games,” said Alenia before summoning another sword.

Even withAlenia her main concern, Jaycee still kept focus on the others, whowere now trapped up to their chests by the ice. This left Jayceewith no other option but to end the fight quickly and hope that wouldbreak the spell. She charged and unleashed as strong an attack asshe was capable. Alenia, however, was able to block the strike withrelative ease.

“Howimpulsive,” said Alenia.

“I won’tlet any harm come to my friends,” said Jaycee.

“Youfight to protect those you care about. How noble. I fight becausethere’s nothing else for me. It’s the core of my existence.”

“Thatdoesn’t sound like much of an existence.”

“Notreally. But what other choice do I have?”

Alenia thencaught Jaycee by surprise with a barrage of furious attacks. Showingher precision with the staff, Jaycee blocked every one of them.

“You’remaking this more difficult than it needs to be,” said Alenia. “Whydon’t you be a good girl and just die?”

BeforeAlenia could make another comment like that one, Jaycee went on theoffensive. So fast and furious were the attacks that Alenia wasunable to block them all. Jaycee succeeded in landing a number ofstrikes to Alenia’s face that sent the ice demon to a knee.

“Alright,Jaycee,” exclaimed Aiko. “You did it!”

“You’regoing to regret that, bitch,” said Alenia, wiping away a trickle ofblue blood now running from her mouth.

A thick fogbegan to form within the clearing. Its composition was so dense thatit made it impossible to see anything more than a few feet away. Jaycee frantically began looking around but she could see nothing butwhite in every direction.

“What’swrong, Jaycee?” asked Alenia, who was hiding somewhere in the fog. “Having trouble replaceing where I am? That’s too bad, because Iknow exactly where you are.” Jaycee was then slashed across thearm, forcing a scream to burst from her.

“Jaycee!”screamed James.

“Doesn’tfeel so good, does it?” asked Alenia.

The nextslash was to Jaycee’s leg. She once again screamed from the pain.

“You justhad to make me angry, didn’t you? And for that, your death isgoing to be most unpleasant.” Alenia then let out a boisterouslaugh.

From herposition, Jaycee could tell that the laughing was coming fromdirectly in front of her. Believing it was the only opportunity shewas going to have, Jaycee lunged at Alenia’s laugh. It was atactic that paid off, as Jaycee slammed into her foe.

Toeveryone’s surprise, the fog began to dissipate. When the air hadcleared, it was revealed why. Alenia had been sent into the sametree in which Jaycee had been slammed. But unlike when Jaycee wasflung into it, the tree now had Alenia’s sharp chunks of iceembedded into it, which had impaled their creator.

“Do youreally think this changes anything?” asked Alenia, her mouthfilling with blue blood. “When the master finally decides the timeis right, he’ll kill you all. There won’t be a single one of youleft standing. The only reason any of you is still alive is becausehe’s allowing it. Just wait until he changes his mind.”

The iceencasing James and the others was easily broken, allowing thecaptives their much desired freedom.

Alenia thenturned her teary gaze to the sky. “Oh, how I wish I could havebeen there to see your glorious plan come to fruition,” she said. “My lord, please forgive me.” And with that, Alenia lowered herhead and closed her eyes for the final time.

ThoughAlenia had been a ruthless foe, no one could take pleasure inwatching her time in the world of the living come to its sorrowfulconclusion.

Withanother harrowing ordeal behind them, the travelers continued ontheir journey. The snow melted at an astonishing rate after Alenia’sdemise, making the weather far more suitable for the time of year.

Aftersetting up camp, James, Jaycee and Archer sat around a warming fire. Aiko, who had been strangely quiet since their ordeal, rested nearby. She was feigning sleep so the others would be unaware that she waslistening to them.

As hard asshe tried, Aiko was unable to keep herself from feeling envious ofthe accolades that had been levied upon Jaycee after her victory. She was just as appreciative as the others, but Aiko knew she wouldhave been just as capable of winning such a battle had she been theone given the opportunity. For it was Aiko’s stubborn nature thatcompelled her to prove her worth in every such situation.

* * *

Being theonly girl in her dojo made it all the more difficult for Aiko toexcel. But it wasn’t the fact that she was smaller and weaker thanher fellow students that put Aiko at the disadvantage. Being femalemade her very unpopular with the other students, who made no attemptto keep it secret that they felt a girl had no place in their school.

Unlike hercurrent appearance, Aiko’s almost boyish hairstyle had beenpreceded by a flowing head of hair fashioned into a pony-tail.

One fatefulday, Aiko challenged her teacher. Whenever a student did that itbecame quite the spectacle. But this fight took on a far greatersignificance for Aiko, who believed her teacher was the one who hadturned the other students against her, so she would prove to him,first hand, just how much she belonged.

“Perhapsthis fight will show us, once and for all, whether you deserve to behere or not,” said Aiko’s teacher.

Rather thanreplying with words, Aiko let her feet and fists do the talking. Despite her best effort, though, all of Aiko’s strikes were eitherdodged or blocked. The fight quickly took a turn for the worst whenAiko’s teacher landed a strike to her stomach, sending Aikocrashing to a knee and grasping for breath.

“Are youready to give up now?” asked Aiko's teacher.

Aiko triedto respond but only pained coughs escaped from her mouth.

“Why notjust do what the other girls from your village did and become aconcubine?” asked Aiko’s teacher. “There’s not that muchshame in it.” Aiko’s fellow students laughed at what was more aninsult than piece of advice.

“I’mnot as weak as you think I am,” said Aiko before lunging at herteacher and striking him across the face. Before Aiko could attackagain, though, her teacher once again landed a blow to her stomach,then jerked Aiko down by the hair, sending her slamming to the floorand bringing an end to the fight.

“Thatwasn’t fair,” groaned Aiko, who was doing her best to fight backtears.

“Thereare no rules to follow when it comes to battle. Do you understandnow that no matter how hard you try, you will never be one of us? Sodo yourself a favor and quit before you really get hurt, littlegirl.”

Using hermoment of humiliation as motivation, Aiko began training herselftwice as hard as the other students. Aiko’s obsession withbecoming stronger only made the disdain her classmates felt for hergrow, but she would let nothing deter her.

With arematch growing nearer, Aiko completed her training by cutting offher pony-tail. Aiko would let nothing as trivial as her hair standbetween her and proving to everyone that she was just as capable asany man.

When theday of the fight came, Aiko knew little had changed. She knew herteacher still saw her as a weak girl despite the intense training shehad put herself through. So the only way to sway his opinion of herwas to best him in combat.

“Let thisbe the last time I have to do this to you,” said Aiko’s teacher.

When Aikotook to a readied stance, her teacher went on the offensive. It wasevident by the look on the other students’ faces that they wereshocked by Aiko’s ability to block and dodge all of her teacher’sattacks. She then added to their astonishment by countering with abarrage of strikes of her own. Only barely was her teacher able todefend himself.

“It seemstraining on your own has done you a world of good,” said Aiko’steacher, who had to separate himself from his student so that hecould catch his breath. “I suppose, out of respect to you, Ishould stop putting up only a half-hearted effort.”

Aiko’steacher then unleashed a flurry of strikes, prompting Aiko to do thesame. Each fighter absorbed more than their fair share ofpunishment. But being the weaker of the two, Aiko was the first tosuccumb to her injuries. She crashed to the floor, and despite herbest effort, was unable to get back to her feet.

Aftergiving Aiko ample opportunity to get back up, her teacher let hissoon to be former student in on a piece of information that wouldforever fester within her. “It was never the hair that was holdingyou back,” he told her.

Aiko wasonly able to muster the strength to get to her hands and knees. “What are you talking about?” she asked.

“How manyfriends do you have, other than the ones you have in this dojo?”asked Aiko’s teacher, prompting the other students to beginlaughing. “That would be none. Regardless of your gender, younever had the chance to fit into a place like this. But you neverreally had a choice. Watching your parents die during the war leftyou void of the emotions you needed to become a functioning member ofany group. I’ve seen this many times with war orphans. You feelmore comfortable on your own. And perhaps that is what you need. Tobe on your own. Because you certainly aren’t going to be a memberof this dojo after today. The only reason I allowed you to enrollwas so that you could learn that lesson the hard way.”

As much asshe hated what her teacher had told her, a part of Aiko believed hiswords to be true. She truly had never felt like part of any group.

No matterwhat stage of life she had experienced, Aiko had always felt like anoutsider who would never be accepted by anyone unless she proved shedeserved her place.

* * *

Aiko rolledover so the others would be unable to see the tears now falling fromher eyes. She had made the vow to herself years ago that she wouldnever allow herself to look weak in situations where she could proveher worth. And that had already happened more than once, which meantAiko was in desperate need of redemption for her foolish pride.