Chronicles of Anora Book 1: Paragon of Invasion

Chapter 1: 10,000 Cold Nights

        The sky is clear, and the sunshines down upon the Silver City of Paradise, where a young man stands in the Throne Room of the castle, to which he sits on his lower legs in the Seiza stance. The Young Empress, Genevieve Ambrose, looking down at him, stands and slowly brings forward his Slave Collar, the symbol of this one's undying loyalty to her as his master. She gently tightens the strap of the collar, looking into his eyes with a feeling of joy and love as she sees him, and once the collar is finally clasped onto his neck, he notices there is a dark white crystal hanging from it shaped like a heart, and releasing a faint dark purple aura, engraved with the Royal Sigil, the combined Alpha and Omega symbols, that releases a faint golden light. He looks at her and then bows his head, showing her he acknowledges her as his master, to which the Empress smiles and introduces herself, asking for his name. "I am known as the Frostbite, and I am forever at your service!" The ninja says, smiling at her gently, his smile being faint but it is there for all to see.

        "I see... Let me ask you something though..."

        "Yes, my master?" Frostbite asks.

        "You have a strange fascination with the color white, may I ask why that is?"

        "I am unsure... Ever since I was young, I had always liked the color white..." Frostbite explains. He stands, smiling at his master, and as he does so, the ground below his feet freezes, Frostbite changing on the look on his face for a moment, causing the ice to evaporate. "My apologies, it seems sitting in Seiza for so long has caused the mana to rush to my feet... I humbly ask for your forgiveness, Master."

        "No apologies necessary, it is completely understandable!" She says, smiling at him and a pillow is brought to a spot next to her, in which he gently walks to the throne and sits next to her, this time taking the Kamae of Fudoza, the Immovable Seat, allowing him to act on an instinct should the need require it. He sits there as court continues on as it normally would, the young man watching out for any threats to his master, his cold, ice blue eyes being mindful of their surroundings to be sure nothing dares to even set foot near her. He sits, and as the day continues, the Empress performs her duties, however, that is when something enters the throne room, a rather unusual little butterfly. Alex holds out his hand and extends out his index finger, in which the little creature lands on his finger. Speaking in a language she doesn't recognize, he speaks to the butterfly and nods, listening to its soft, nearly inaudible voice.

        "Thank you my friend..." Alex says, the butterfly fluttering off. He then stands and begins to whisper to his master, telling her what the butterfly just told him.

        "Really?" The Empress whispers back.

        "Yes... That is what my little friend said." Frostbite says, "Shall I go?"

        "Do as you please, but be careful!" She says, smiling at Frostbite, who vanishes in a burst of snow filled wind, to which nobles pay his antics no mind. Reappearing on a gargoyle just ouside the throne room's window, he gently opens his palm, blowing into it, causing crystals to build in his hand, one of the butterflies from before appearing in his hand. Upon closer inspection, the wings of the white butterfly are shaped like snowflakes, but they have a lightning fractal pattern within them that are navy blue with a crimson red outline. The butterfly flies off as the young man follows behind, knowing that this intruder is a threat to his master, and any threat must be eliminated.

        It takes a few minutes, but he finds the intruder, the butterfly hovering above the gardens as he is in the kitchens, and from what Frostbite can see, the man is poisoning the Empress's luncheon. Deciding to play things subtly, he places his fingertip on the ground and gently causes ice to silently creep across the ground, and once in range, subtly anchor the intruder's feet to the ground, however, as soon as the ice touches his feet, the man jumps away, grabbing one of the rafters, clinging with his legs and one arm. Frostbite charges into the kitchen, taking a stance as he prepares for battle, his hands becoming covered in a layer of sharpened ice. "Who are you and what are you doing there!?!" Frostbite shouts, snarling, glaring at him as the man grows a monkey's tail and takes on a more monkey-esque form.