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BACK-ICED
SUMMARY
Born into a family of snowblowers, in a world where the power less, the impuissant, are casted aside, to be carted off as slaves by the time they reach 18.
Izel, only a few hours away from being sent to the Slave Triad is in dire need of a miracle. Coincidentally, the mysterious wishing comet takes its passage through the sky once again after its 500 year absence. In a bid to remain on the great end of society, she wishes for one thing.
To manifest her ice abilities.
But nothing is ever that simple. And every wish has its consequence.
1
Izel stared down the lake. The dull light of the moon grazed her in soft patters. The frigid notes of the wind cut through her thatched grey sweater hanging off her loose frame. The cold pinched her tanned pointed nose, clogging it as always with mucus that threatened to spill out of her nostrils. A heavy breath escaped Izel's mouth, small husks of mist drifting into the surrounding. At either side of the frozen lake to which Izel hunched over, gnarled leave-less trees grew, twisted and shrivelled branches drawing up to the sky, growing in on themselves as they formed clusters at either side of the icy lake.
A faint crackle followed by explosion rocked the surrounding sending a flutter of loose snow down from where they rested along thick branches. Izel craned her neck back, already knowing the sight she would meet. The snow sloped up to a hill, stones tracing the pathway which followed up with the hill's ascension. At the very pinnacle of the hill stood a white washed mansion with glass windows that overlooked the icy plains. Mecury lights streamed down from two huge street light, flanking either side of the mansion. Another crackle of iceworks cut through the sky producing a shatter of shimmering icicles, which was followed by the shout of people, cheers that cut through Izel in many ways than she would like to admit.
"Dance for us, impuissant. Isn't that all you're good for?"
Izel breathed out deeply, hearing a bitter cry fling from the memory. The darkness rubbed down her body, creasing her with an anger that could melt the frozen lake that she stared at once again.
"Father and mother made a mistake in having you, you're nothing but a taint to our family."
"Oh? Is the ugly little impuissant crying? Boo hoo."
The voices joined together in a cacaphony of frenzied notes. Izel's mind whirled from a bitterness that pushed up scales of resentment, twisting and curdling like an invisible shield around her. Pain of rejection glided down from the memories that pulsed within the corridors of her mind. Izel gritted her teeth, scrunching her first before she pounded it against the snow. Numbness flailed down her paling fingers, crawling down her veins as tears prickled the back of her eyes.
As per tradition, the Elemental Games would hold tomorrow after all the 18 year old impuissants from the four regions of the continent, Naturae, have been taken to the Slave Triad before being shipped off to the various regions. Izel's bleary eyes focused on her hollow reflection that shimmered slightly under the light from the moon, reinforced by the intense mecury lights that punctured the sky. Her matted black curls that fell down her back in tangled strands, her deep brown eyes that should have been an icy blue that could make you sink into them. Her tanned skin looked a bit pasty looking now but nothing compared to the the almost translucent skin tone that each snowblower had.
Izel's shoulder blades throbbed from where a whip had brutally bitten into. The dead icy air plunged into her nostrils, pulling another gasp from her lungs which tumbled down to her mouth. Her future seemed dull, the light at the end of the tunnel now overshadowed with an eternal darkness that could not be pierced through. Izel had heard the rumors of what the slaves go through, seen wounds and spilled blood that slid over ice with her own two eyes. Her breathing hitched. Her lips quivered, her arms crossed as she now pressed her knees into her chest, ripped boots allowing the passage of the nipping wind in between cold toes.
Raising her blurry eyes to the sky, Izel managed a faint whimper, drowned by the buzz that continued on in the background, a painful static that underlined her many memories. The sky was blank, dark and as heavy as the weight that hung down on her chest. The moon stood out, a faint crescent that called softly in the dreary atmosphere. Then she saw it.
A comet flew past the sky, leaving majestic lines of blue and green scuttling in wavy formats that rushed past. Izel's eyes were transfixed to the magnificent wonder, the light works pulling her a little from the shade in which she had been buried in. The wishing comet, a comet that made it's appearance once every 500 years though it was said to be more myth than actual fact. The glow spilled down the surrounding shrivelled trees and lake, wrapping them in the beauty that rushed past.
With small faith, she clutched at her sweater, the seams coming away with loose threads. The wishing comet was here, despite it being rumored to not actually exist but it was. There was nothing else that she could do, so trying wouldn't hurt. Izel tried to ignore the curdling of her stomach and the jittering of her fingers, she tried to ignore the darkness that could herald her life if the wish didn't come true.
Despite hating herself for doing this, she held up her hands and with a hoarse voice she said,
"I wish my ice abilities would finally manifest."
WORD COUNT: 867
Amazing cover by jianxvi
2
The darkness kept Izel locked in its hold, allowing to continue in her sleep induced state. A scream pierced through her sleep. With a jolt, she pushes her body off the bed. The light from the ceiling blinds her for a moment casting shadows over her eyes, the familiar smell of snow lilies clogs her nostrils. After a second or two, she fully adjusts to the light and sees two of her eight siblings, standing in front of her with their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
Confusion clouded her mind, her thoughts jammed and barely decipherable under the sleepy gaze she still operates in. Her eyes slowly draws to the quilt that hangs of her legs, her threadbare sweater and long dark tights filtering back into her line of sight. For once the cold didn't envelope like it always did, her throat didn't feel scratchy, her nose surprising free from the usual clutter of mucus. For some reason she didn't feel cold, in fact Izel seemed to like the cold.
"H-" Another scream ripped through the room. Izel snapped her head to them once again. Sacnite threw her hands up in the air before letting another shriek rumble through the room. Her twin brother, Luitl turned towards her, his eyes narrowed but before he could say a word, the rickety door behind them bound open, shifting out of place before clambering to the floor.
Izel's father rushed...
Born into a family of snowblowers, in a world where the power less, the impuissant, are casted aside, to be carted off as slaves by the time they reach 18.
Izel, only a few hours away from being sent to the Slave Triad is in dire need of a miracle. Coincidentally, the mysterious wishing comet takes its passage through the sky once again after its 500 year absence. In a bid to remain on the great end of society, she wishes for one thing.
To manifest her ice abilities.
But nothing is ever that simple. And every wish has its consequence.
1
Izel stared down the lake. The dull light of the moon grazed her in soft patters. The frigid notes of the wind cut through her thatched grey sweater hanging off her loose frame. The cold pinched her tanned pointed nose, clogging it as always with mucus that threatened to spill out of her nostrils. A heavy breath escaped Izel's mouth, small husks of mist drifting into the surrounding. At either side of the frozen lake to which Izel hunched over, gnarled leave-less trees grew, twisted and shrivelled branches drawing up to the sky, growing in on themselves as they formed clusters at either side of the icy lake.
A faint crackle followed by explosion rocked the surrounding sending a flutter of loose snow down from where they rested along thick branches. Izel craned her neck back, already knowing the sight she would meet. The snow sloped up to a hill, stones tracing the pathway which followed up with the hill's ascension. At the very pinnacle of the hill stood a white washed mansion with glass windows that overlooked the icy plains. Mecury lights streamed down from two huge street light, flanking either side of the mansion. Another crackle of iceworks cut through the sky producing a shatter of shimmering icicles, which was followed by the shout of people, cheers that cut through Izel in many ways than she would like to admit.
"Dance for us, impuissant. Isn't that all you're good for?"
Izel breathed out deeply, hearing a bitter cry fling from the memory. The darkness rubbed down her body, creasing her with an anger that could melt the frozen lake that she stared at once again.
"Father and mother made a mistake in having you, you're nothing but a taint to our family."
"Oh? Is the ugly little impuissant crying? Boo hoo."
The voices joined together in a cacaphony of frenzied notes. Izel's mind whirled from a bitterness that pushed up scales of resentment, twisting and curdling like an invisible shield around her. Pain of rejection glided down from the memories that pulsed within the corridors of her mind. Izel gritted her teeth, scrunching her first before she pounded it against the snow. Numbness flailed down her paling fingers, crawling down her veins as tears prickled the back of her eyes.
As per tradition, the Elemental Games would hold tomorrow after all the 18 year old impuissants from the four regions of the continent, Naturae, have been taken to the Slave Triad before being shipped off to the various regions. Izel's bleary eyes focused on her hollow reflection that shimmered slightly under the light from the moon, reinforced by the intense mecury lights that punctured the sky. Her matted black curls that fell down her back in tangled strands, her deep brown eyes that should have been an icy blue that could make you sink into them. Her tanned skin looked a bit pasty looking now but nothing compared to the the almost translucent skin tone that each snowblower had.
Izel's shoulder blades throbbed from where a whip had brutally bitten into. The dead icy air plunged into her nostrils, pulling another gasp from her lungs which tumbled down to her mouth. Her future seemed dull, the light at the end of the tunnel now overshadowed with an eternal darkness that could not be pierced through. Izel had heard the rumors of what the slaves go through, seen wounds and spilled blood that slid over ice with her own two eyes. Her breathing hitched. Her lips quivered, her arms crossed as she now pressed her knees into her chest, ripped boots allowing the passage of the nipping wind in between cold toes.
Raising her blurry eyes to the sky, Izel managed a faint whimper, drowned by the buzz that continued on in the background, a painful static that underlined her many memories. The sky was blank, dark and as heavy as the weight that hung down on her chest. The moon stood out, a faint crescent that called softly in the dreary atmosphere. Then she saw it.
A comet flew past the sky, leaving majestic lines of blue and green scuttling in wavy formats that rushed past. Izel's eyes were transfixed to the magnificent wonder, the light works pulling her a little from the shade in which she had been buried in. The wishing comet, a comet that made it's appearance once every 500 years though it was said to be more myth than actual fact. The glow spilled down the surrounding shrivelled trees and lake, wrapping them in the beauty that rushed past.
With small faith, she clutched at her sweater, the seams coming away with loose threads. The wishing comet was here, despite it being rumored to not actually exist but it was. There was nothing else that she could do, so trying wouldn't hurt. Izel tried to ignore the curdling of her stomach and the jittering of her fingers, she tried to ignore the darkness that could herald her life if the wish didn't come true.
Despite hating herself for doing this, she held up her hands and with a hoarse voice she said,
"I wish my ice abilities would finally manifest."
WORD COUNT: 867
Amazing cover by jianxvi
2
The darkness kept Izel locked in its hold, allowing to continue in her sleep induced state. A scream pierced through her sleep. With a jolt, she pushes her body off the bed. The light from the ceiling blinds her for a moment casting shadows over her eyes, the familiar smell of snow lilies clogs her nostrils. After a second or two, she fully adjusts to the light and sees two of her eight siblings, standing in front of her with their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
Confusion clouded her mind, her thoughts jammed and barely decipherable under the sleepy gaze she still operates in. Her eyes slowly draws to the quilt that hangs of her legs, her threadbare sweater and long dark tights filtering back into her line of sight. For once the cold didn't envelope like it always did, her throat didn't feel scratchy, her nose surprising free from the usual clutter of mucus. For some reason she didn't feel cold, in fact Izel seemed to like the cold.
"H-" Another scream ripped through the room. Izel snapped her head to them once again. Sacnite threw her hands up in the air before letting another shriek rumble through the room. Her twin brother, Luitl turned towards her, his eyes narrowed but before he could say a word, the rickety door behind them bound open, shifting out of place before clambering to the floor.
Izel's father rushed...
