A TALE OF FIRE AND ICE

Loss and Victory

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***

TO SAY that Irene was shocked would be an understatement.

[I'm the Supreme Fire Mage?]

Although she had only met Captain Denver recently, she knew that he wouldn't lie. Still, she had so many questions for him. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she just coughed blood again. The pain in her ċhėst had also gotten worse.

Captain Denver stood and put his hands on her shoulders. "Lady Prescott, what did you ask the Red Phoenix to do?"

"Kill the bitch," Irene answered when her coughing stopped. "I asked the phoenix to kill Her Royal Highness."

The captain gasped. "Take it back, Lady Prescott. You can't ask the replica of the Red Phoenix to kill a royal family member!"

"Shut up," she said while glaring at him. The wrath in her ċhėst hadn't diminished yet so she wasn't in the mood to be polite right now. "You have no idea what the princess has done to me. I have to kill her now before she kills me again."

"I'm saying this for your own good, Lady Prescott," he insisted. "The replicas of the Four Ancient Beasts are programmed to self-destruct if they hurt any member of the royal family– especially His Majesty and Her Royal Highness! If the replica of the Red Phoenix dies, you'll get hurt as well!"

"Why would I die if it's just a replica?"

"The royal family had inserted a piece of the original Supreme Fire Mage's heart inside the replica to make it alive," he explained. "Your current heart is incomplete, Lady Prescott. Several pieces are either hidden or stolen. And a part of it is inside the replica."

"What?"

"I'll explain it later," he said. "But you have to stop now before you hurt yourself even more!"

"I don't care," she hissed. "This is my chance to kill the bitch–"

"I hear two heartbeats in your body, Lady Prescott!"

That made her freeze.

"You are pregnant," Captain Denver said. "We don't know what will happen to you if you kill the princess using the replica. Would you sacrifice your child for that?"

No.

Of course not.

"We can kill the royal family next time," the captain continued. "But if you lose your child now, we can't bring him back anymore."

That was more than enough to put out the flame of wrath in her ċhėst.

[Winter...] She carefully placed her hands on her belly. [Mommy is sorry for almost putting your life in danger.]

"Have you calmed down?" the captain asked. "You shouldn't strain yourself when you're pregnant, silly."

She was about to say something when the ground shook hard. She lost balance but thankfully, Captain Denver caught her in time. To be honest, now that she had calmed down, she was starting to feel exhausted.

The shaking of the ground hadn't stopped yet when they heard a loud bang. And a very menacing aura that made her shiver in fear.

"What was that?" Irene asked under her breath. "The pressure is heavy..."

"It's the emperor's unleashed power," Captain Denver said while looking in the direction of the castle. Then, he swallowed hard– fear evident on his face. "His Majesty is probably releasing the real Ancient Beasts!"