I saw rise in the heat settle soft and as pure as snow

[reunionize]

[This, honestly, took a lot of work. More work than some of the battleplans, but admittedly the machinations of the Victorian nobles are predictable. The only thing Talulah knows about the northern territories is what she's gleaned from her father's journals.

Edward Artorius apparently had a decent enough relationship with the ruler when he'd been alive, and since the wendigo race of Sarkaz live for a very, very long time, perhaps any goodwill towards her parent might be extended to her.

She has also gleaned the northerners are not unreasonable; they've crossed paths during various skirmishes at the border, and they ignore all rebel forces once their own task is complete. Talulah has made it very clear no one from her side is to engage with any other party that isn't either obviously Victorian, or strikes first, and it seems the courtesy is returned.

That said, isolationist policy is hard to overcome, and what she's asking isn't a mere favor. To be embroiled in civil war in another country is an idea most people would scoff at, but...the north has undoubtedly seen the writing on the wall for what will transpire after the dust settles. Victoria's appetite is ever unsatiable.

The Gaulish castle she walks through is a testament to that. It's nothing but ruins now, good for little else besides neutral territory. She's brought two members of the rebels with her, two with a calm rationality suited to negotiations. She'd be fine going in alone, but, well...if Talulah saw another group's leader sitting all alone during a meeting that was meant to be a peaceful talk, she'd think there was an ambush waiting.

Still, no matter how rational one is, curiosity tends to win out, and she can hear her escort party gossiping even behind their masks. They're wondering if the northern princess is as beautiful and strong as the rumors say. If she's half as strong as that Cautus she'd seen once during a border skirmish, then her alliance would be more than a boon.

By her estimation, the meeting time is near, so she supposes she'll find out soon enough.]

Comments

[reunionize]

That's convenient.

[Especially since both of their arts together would be more likely than others to cause damage to the surroundings without any precautions.]

I'll stay put after the meeting so I'm easy to find, then.

[hypothermy]

It was a necessity when I was younger; it wasn't practical for me to be taught anywhere else.

[ Yelena's already thinking about how she'll have to arrange her schedule for the next day to fit this new appointment in, dropping her latest comment without much thought. it's not particularly noteworthy unless one knows of the old rumors regarding the princess' magic when she was a child, a piece of gossip kept only to the highest government. ]

That works for me.

[reunionize]

[Talulah assumes it has to do with control. Sometimes children aren't the best at reining in their arts, and the ice Frostnova can make would cause damage if it's misaimed or gets out of hand, even when she had been younger.

So no, Talulah doesn't think much of the comment at all. She moves to stand instead.]

Then I'll see you tomorrow.

[hypothermy]

You will.

[ Yelena doesn't immediately leave after that, returning her attention to the stack of papers she still has to work through, taking her leave an hour or two later and bidding Talulah goodbye if she hasn't already left.

the next day, after Talulah's meeting, Frostnova doesn't make her entrance immediately. it's a good quarter of an hour after it ends when she finally appears, and not alone. General Hellagur is at her side, dressed in more casual attire compared the meetings where Talulah's met him before, greeting the draco cordially and mentioning how honored he is to be able to watch her bout with the princess. as far as prestige goes, the man is second only to Ursus' royalty, a trusted confidant to the king and decorated war veteran of every war the country's fought in recent memory.

Yelena, stony-faced as ever, somehow manages to exude the faintest air of a youth who's been caught in the act by an old caretaker.

the general's not overly chatty during their long walk from the assembly rooms to the extensive palace grounds, but makes comments here and there, pointing out things their guest might find interesting. when they reach their destination, a massive oval arena hidden behind a thick grove, he stays at the edge, not crossing the stone boundary lines set into the ground that hum softly with inactive magic.

once they're out of earshot of the elder soldier, Yelena addresses Talulah flatly. ]

He's here to watch over me, not you. Don't get too in your head about it.

[reunionize]

[When Frostnova eventually shows up, Talulah is a little surprised to see she's not alone, but she greets the General with equal politeness. He's a decorated veteran, and Talulah hasn't failed to notice the rank-and-file look to him for his opinion and analysis the same as they do Buldrokkas'tee.

She does wonder, based on Frostnova's countenance, if she had expected him to tag along, either.

Talulah doesn't mind, though, and appreciates the brief sort-of tour she's given on the way to the arena. The magic surrounding it is curious, and she's in the middle of testing a tiny bit of her arts against the wards when Frostnova approaches her.]

I'm not bothered. I said I'd be fine with an audience or not, remember?

[Which just makes Talulah think even more that Frostnova had been stopped on her way to Talulah and had to explain what she'd been doing. Considering those shieldguards she'd had with her at the initial negotiations...another escort is almost expected.]

[hypothermy]

You did.

[ Yelena hadn't mentioned having one if they fought here, however, so she considers it only fair to offer a partial explanation for their unexpected chaperone. there are plenty of people who would feel some kind of anxiety at having one of the most influential military leaders of Ursus closely observing their combat skills. ]

Do you want to use practice weapons? I can go with or without.

[reunionize]

[A lot of what she's experienced since she's gotten here is some kind of scrutiny, so a decorated general watching their sparring match is just another point in a long line.

Talulah considers that statement a little more thoughtfully. She can fight without a weapon, if need be, but she and her arts are better with a sword. The only problem is, she's not entirely sure a practice weapon could hold up to what she knows Frostnova is capable of.

But, better to have it for a while, she thinks. The other isn't the kind of opponent Talulah's eager to fight against with any disadvantage.]

I'll take one.

[hypothermy]

Sure. Over here.

[ she beckons Talulah to follow her to the far end of the arena, where a shed sits just a short ways past the magical border set into the ground. Yelena flings the door open and hits a light switch once they reach it, revealing several weapon racks (along with sleds, hockey sticks, and other equipment for various sports stacked in a corner).

while Yelena called them "practice weapons", there's only a few real wasters, most of them live steel that have been worn down from too many years of use, edges wrapped to minimize damage. Frostnova grabs a thin cane and a dull dagger, not waiting for Talulah to make her choice before heading back out to the arena. ]

[reunionize]

[Talulah doesn't take too much time, just enough to find a sword with a balance and weight that feels comfortable before she steps back out of the storage shed.

She glances around with a bit more scrutiny as she walks further into the area, getting a decent idea of the space of the area.]

I'm ready whenever you are.

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena waits, pose relaxed, for Talulah to meet her the approximate middle of the clearing. it's good weather by the standards of Ursus, warm enough to walk around outdoors without a coat, but when she speaks, her breath turns white in the air. ]

Ready.

[ she doesn't waste time after that. in a place as familiar with this, Frostnova's magic doesn't even require a somatic component to take form. the temperature around them drops and a sheet of ice explodes up from the ground, rolling up like a wave before aiming to crash down where Talulah stands. ]

[reunionize]

[The temperature drop is warning enough.

What she didn't expect is just how quickly the cold encroaches, even with the help of her arts. Lingering is a death sentence, and she doesn't trust dodging backwards in this scenario, so there's a single option.

Thankfully, Talulah's arts don't need a medium or material to ignite. Her fire melts enough of weak spot in the wall closing in for her to sheath her sword in flames and break through with a swing. The heat of it extends outwards as she steps forward, through the break she created, just in case there's a surprise waiting.]

[hypothermy]

[ with the explosion of heat melting through Frostnova's ice, huge clouds of steam will obscure her vision of she doesn't act quickly. she flicks her wrist to summon a gust of freezing wind, clearing the air and hopefully suppressing some of Talulah's flames.

when Talulah manages to break the ice, she can see Yelena's already retreated back, and waves her hand again as soon as she's in her sights. the harsh wind intensifies, and in the blink of an eye, a storm of razor-sharp shards of black ice begin to hail down with it. ]

[reunionize]

[It's only because she'd already assumed there would be a follow-up waiting for her on the other side of the ice wall that Talulah acts quickly enough.

Melting would leave more time for Frostnova to retaliate, so Talulah uses the much more straightforward approach of bursting open the shards midair with her arts. She jumps forward in the same motion, closing the distance between her and Frostnova to prevent a second wave of that ice.]

[hypothermy]

[ she's quicker than Yelena expected. given the size of the sword Talulah usually wields, she assumed the other would naturally have a slower response time. as Talulah lunges forward, Frostnova raises her weapon to meet Talulah's, the blunt metal erupting with ice to quench the flames clashing against it.

the heat surrounding Talulah is strong enough that she likely doesn't notice the change to the ground she's stepped onto, the thin layer of ice melting on contact. the area directly under Frostnova remains frozen, her unhindered aura of cold maintaining its form, and after suddenly leaning her weight forward against Talulah's sword, she shoots off to the side— the ice beneath her flowing like water, carrying her out of range again as she hurls another volley of black shards down from above Talulah. ]

[reunionize]

[The heat surrounding her does melt most of the ice around her. The kind blocking her sword is the exception, since she barely gets a chip in it before Frostnova slips away.

And just like that, the distance is back between them. Talulah uses the momentum from Frostnova pushing away to swing her sword in an arc in the direction the other dodged. The flames engulfing the blade whip out in a wave, cutting enough of a path through the shards for Talulah to follow in pursuit.

Once the first arc of flame disappears, Talulah produces another one. She doesn't think it will pin Frostnova down by any stretch, but it might delay another wave of ice shot her way.]

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena isn't used to being the one who has to play defensive, an impatient impulse already beginning to gnaw at the edges of her nerves. expending too much energy on a friendly duel isn't a sensible move, and besides, there's a good chance that Hellagur will step in if she starts an incantation.

she raises another sheet of ice to eat Talulah's first swing, and she seems to do the same for the second, a thicker, smaller cocoon of ice forming around her to soak up the heat. if Talulah manages to see through the smoke, she'll quickly realize that the second barrier isn't static, the ice rapidly reforming to absorb the heat, but also seeming to grow larger, or even move forward.

Yelena lets the shell break when she's within swinging distance of her opponent, piercing through it's center to attempt a strike with her weapon on Talalah's sword arm. ]

[reunionize]

[The mix of heat and cold in the ambient air is causing small swirls of air to pick up. It blows the steam and smoke away enough that Talulah can tell her fire isn't making substantial dents in that shield, and that said ice wall is growing.

When Frostnova bursts out from behind the ice, Talulah dodges, but whether or not the other's weapon gazes her arm doesn't really matter. Not when Frostnova is also finally in range, and with another surprising burst of speed and strength for the weapon she wields, she swings her sword in a low arc towards Frostnova's legs.]

[hypothermy]

[ Frostnova knows getting close like this is risky, but she can't see herself landing a hit from too long a distance. she's faster than anyone she knows, and makes the gamble that she can strike Talulah and move away in time to avoid retaliation—

she's right about being able to connect the cold metal of her cane to backside of Talulah's forearm, but the draco's too quick. the blunt edge of her sword connects with Yelena's leg, sending a shock of pain through her body. unluckily for Talulah, the angle is right to get both legs at once, and Frostnova isn't knocked down. she quickly re-establishes her footing and twists away, but not before a shock of ice through her weapon up to Talulah's arm, encasing it in ice for the briefest moment while she jumps back. ]

[reunionize]

[The ice is heavy, and holds Talulah back as she tries to follow Frostnova's retreat. It's frsutrating--no matter how quickly she's able to melt and crack away the ice with her arts, it still takes too much time.

The bruise from the hit of Frostnova's cane stings in the heat it takes to remove the ice as quickly as possible, but Talulah ignores it. She's concentrating, on how difficult it is to warm anything up when the ambient temperature is this cold. Frostnova will undoubtedly notice some pockets of air are hotter than others...and then avoid them.

Talulah's not trying to get her anywhere that's primed for a burst of flames, but it does mean the space she can move in is smaller. That said, Talulah's not really used to this kind of arts manipulation. She's not sure she can keep it up for long, but that's what sparring is for, isn't it? To test out your opponent and yourself.]

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena, conversely, is more than accustomed to duels riddled with brutal, precise waves of arts attacks. the longer she fights, the easier it gets for her to gradually loosen the careful hold she keeps on her innate arts. what flashes of her face Talulah can catch through the billowing smoke and fog are of a face gone ghastly white, like a corpse left in the snow.

her breath is a white plume when she exhales, the air in her immediate vicinity maintaining a freezing temperature to stave off the worst of Talulah's heat. she drops her stance low as row of ice pillars shoot out from the ground right in front of her, obscuring her as she dashes to one side— which Talulah will have to determine without a good view of her, if she's to avoid Frostnova's next attack. ]

[reunionize]

[Talulah's learned quickly that sight isn't always the best way to determine where Frostnova is or might be. A sudden drop in temperature is a better sign, but that knowledge doesn't make reacting to it that much easier.

A swirl of fire emerges from under Talulah's feet, wrapping her in a cocoon to keep the pillars of ice away. It's only temporary, and before it fades, Talulah braces herself and holds her sword up in the direction she feels is the lowest temperature. It's easy to pinpoint, at least, since it's the place she has to put a little more effort into maintaining her arts.]

[hypothermy]

[ raising defenses in the direction of the coldest pillar was the right idea. barely a moment after Talulah raises her sword, the ice shatters, and Frostnova comes crashing through with a bone-chilling gust of wind at her back.

her cane comes down hard on Talulah's sword, a last minute adjustment she has to make as she didn't think Talulah would have it raised already. her momentum makes it a decently heavy blow, but it's likely not enough to throw off Talulah. on equal ground the draco has a size advantage, and Yelena's weapons are better suited to parrying than frontal attacks. ]

[reunionize]

[The particular arts of her bloodline see to it that she rarely feels this magnitude of cold, but the wind that blows past her is biting.

Despite the chill, Talulah doesn't falter. She can feel the blow through her sword and has to actively brace herself against it, but thankfully, she can melt any ice forming around her feet before it makes her slip.

She adjusts her grip and throws her weight forward before pivoting, attempting to push Frostnova off and force her to the side where another follow-up swing will be easier.]

[hypothermy]

[ close combat with an opponent who can melt her ice this quickly is not playing to Frostnova's strengths. she's experienced enough to guess what Talulah's going to try next when she pushes forward, but she doesn't have much time to formulate a good reprisal, all her available options presenting various risks.

she settles for the one she thinks Talulah will expect the least. when Talulah tries to shove her off balance, Yelena doesn't budge. ice wraps around her feet to keep her upright, her cane almost wavering as she does her best to keep Talulah from overtaking her. with a burst of movement, she suddenly drops her weapon, and then rest of her body, her feet breaking out of the ice as she sticks a leg out and turns, attempting to catch Talulah's knees and knock her down. ]

[reunionize]

[Talulah expected her sword to give at some point if her attempt at breaking Frostnova's guard worked, but she hadn't anticipated it to happen that fast.

She doesn't pitch forward, but her momentum is too much for her to dodge away effectively. She doesn't like trading hits, at best, but she doesn't see any other options. She lets Frostnova hit one of her legs but remains upright, whipping her tail around as a counterbalance to keep her footing.

There's not much finesse in her next downward swing, but it doesn't need to be elegant so long as it lands.]