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

[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.]

[hypothermy]

[ it was a risky move in the first place, Yelena reminds herself as she attempts to roll and dodge Talulah's downward strike, moving fast enough to only take a passing blow on the shoulder.

a sheet of ice forming beneath her feet helps her skid back to a safer distance, though not before Talulah can catch her cursing in Ursan. they're two for two now, and if she doesn't get serious, she'll be delivering some very interesting news to the council meeting tomorrow.

as she pushes herself up to stand, pointed shards of ice spring up from the ground around her, turning the field into hazardous terrain. the air is filled with a noises like a brittle wind chime, crystals colliding together, though it's not enough to drown out Frostnova's voice when she speaks again. ]

What kind of music do you like, Artorius?

[reunionize]

[The eerie sound of the ice makes Talulah's hair stand on end. Her instincts say to stop Frostnova before she can do anything further, but charging right at her would spell an instant defeat as well.

Her arts swirl around her, keeping most of the ice away. If the air hadn't been so cold, it would be shimmering with heat instead.]

Music? ...I didn't get much exposure to a variety.

[Thanks to Kashchey, of course, and his idea of what an heir needs to know. Which should give Frostnova enough of a hint as to what kind of music Talulah has been taught about and heard most often.]

[hypothermy]

Too bad. You'll have to forgive me if our tastes are too different.

[ the cold wind whips around the both of them Frostnova draws herself up to her full (if not particularly imposing height). the ice around her rattles again as she draws in a deep breath, opening her mouth again a moment later as if to speak again. ]

Es führt über den Main eine Brücke von Stein—

[ there won't be much time to puzzle over why the lilting, simple melody that fills the air is in Leithanien. any heir of Kaschey's would recognize an arts incantation in a heartbeat, and know they need to act before the next one, unless they'd rather risk the sudden explosion of black ice hailing down upon them from all directions. ]

Wer darüber will geh'n, muss im Tanze sich dreh'n

[reunionize]

[Any music during a fight is a reason to be wary--Leithaniens aren't the only ones who use it as an arts conduit, after all.

Despite how beautiful the song is, Talulah can't afford to wait around and listen to it. If the encantation completes, she doesn't have much of a chance to dodge or block the result.

The only choice she has is to wrap herself and her weapon in fire and heat again, as some kind of protection against all the cold and ice, and rush forward before any more of those notes complete the spell.]

[hypothermy]

[ Talulah will quickly realize that the frigid cold eating away at her flames is different from what she's experienced before. the incantation is still building to its crescendo, but even the prelude hits with terrifying force. low waves of ice roll out from where Yelena stands, an ocean all in white, threatening to rise up Talulah's legs and trap her in place. ]

Fa la la la, fa la la la la—

[ it's clear now what the runes along the edge of the arena are for. an iridescent dome of arts rises higher and higher as the temperature drops, frost forming along the barrier like it would on glass. it hurts to breathe now, the air could enough to rend any normal humans lungs, all while shards of ice continue fall from above. ]

[reunionize]

[If Talulah's arts had been true fire, they'd probably get swallowed up by the sheer cold. As it is, she can just keep at the ice attempting to halt her movement at bay and keep the air around her warm enough to render the ice shards harmless.

It won't last long. Not least of all because Talulah can't possibly predict what the incantation is leading to.

The flames around her sword grow, white-hot enough that looking at them would leave an imprint in anyone's vision. She steps forward, swings, and releases the arts in a pillar that rages forward. She has no idea if it's enough to reach Frostnova, but that's less important than the fact it cuts her a path through the ice she can follow, easily and swiftly.]

[hypothermy]

[ the pillar of fire as Talulah reprisal was expected, and Yelena does her best to counter it. ]

Kommt ein Fuhrmann daher, at geladen— gar schwer

[ there's a slight hitch in the melody as Frostnova has to throw up her defense. it's another pillar, though of a size Talulah's never seen before. it rises up like a volcanic geyser shooting out of the ground, the width and height of one of the modest houses Talulah's seen in the capital. her ribbon of fire connects with it just in time to block her clear path to Frostnova, the sheer size of the ice allowing it to take the brunt of Talulah's attack. ]

Seiner Rösser sind drei, und sie tanzen vorbei

[ the breathe Yelena takes between verses is a beat too long as ice melts, then shatters, raining shards down on the field again like a volley of arrows. it gives Frostnova enough time to finish off another round of the song, but Talulah gains the clear path to her opponent she'd been aiming for. ]

Fa la la la la, fa la la la.

[reunionize]

[She could be running into a trap, if she's honest. But if she doesn't go towards Frostnova, it's certain failure. She'll lose in a war of attrition.

But at least she's sure now, from how the ice weakened when Frostnova paused to take a breath, that stopping the song would work.

She hadn't slowed down much when she saw the ice pillar, thinking that if the initial blast hadn't done the trick, she could physically cut a path with her sword. Her pace quickens and she adjusts to grip her sword firmly in both hands, so she can swing as quickly and decisively as possible the moment she's in range.]

[hypothermy]

[ the storm Yelena's whipped up inside the boundaries of the training field is raging now, a bitterly cold wind mixed with snow battering against Talulah as she surges forward. ]

Und ein Bursch ohne Schuh, und in Lumpen dazu

[ Frostnova knows repositioning herself isn't option, as allowing the incantation to lapse for that long will dispel it entirely, squandering her energy. she can't afford to trade blows again, but she doesn't have another option. ]

Als die Brücke er sah, ei, wie tanzte er da

[ the terrain surrounding her struggles to reform the ice where Talulah cleared a path, leaving her a clear route to close in. Yelena allows it, continuing the song until Talulah is nearly within striking distance, and only then throwing up her last defense. another cocoon of ice takes form, curling around her before it blooms out, additional walls of ice rising around her like the unfolding petals of a flower. the ice forms in such a way that rather than break or tear whatever lies in its path, it grows around it, trapping anything it catches. ]