The Elementalist Tales: Icefall
Once again, after disappearing for a week ... oh, wait, it's a month. Sorry guys!
But yeah, I'm back.
On to the tale! (And yes, it's been too long since the last one, sorry again!)
Ashe gazed over the open plain, scanning for any sign of hostiles. Seeing none, she relaxed and released her grip on her ice magic, letting the cold flow back to wherever elementalists’ power actually came from.
Her icy bow, her spirit weapon, vanished back to wherever she’d called it from, and Ashe turned back towards her village.
She knew she’d have to go easy on Sejuani tonight – today had been her older sister’s day as Watercaller, and the old well the water elementalists were trying their best to keep from running dry had been particularly stubborn lately.
That could have been my job, Ashe thought as she stalked to her house, which was close to the well, thanks to Sejuani. The water elementalists acting as Watercallers got the houses closest to the well so that they could perform their task easily and not be worried about a long walk home after dusk. The shifts ran from dawn to dusk, since the nighttime air was cool enough that there was no risk of water evaporating, and it was the daytime heat that was the true threat to the village’s lone water source.
Sejuani had allowed the rest of her family to move in with her, despite the house’s small size. At least the family only consisted of the two girls and their parents – the Watercallers with larger families couldn’t fit everyone in the small houses, no matter how hard they tried. But part of the reason why Sej had let the family move in was because she’d expected Ashe to share her task once the younger girl grew old enough. After all, Ashe had shown promise of becoming a strong water elementalist.
But Anivia changed it all, Ashe thought, and a hint of a smile appeared on her face.
Anivia was a rare snow-white hawk that had chosen Ashe as her next human partner. Rumor had it that Anivia was actually a phoenix of some type, since there was – supposedly – only ever one snow-white hawk, and it was always female. Ashe had asked Anivia about the rumors once, and the sly bird had ignored her. But Ashe had sensed her companion’s humor the entire time, so she guessed there was some merit to the rumors.
It was common for the white hawk to find a human to bond with each time she (supposedly) reincarnated, but what had happened to Ashe’s magic when the bond had snapped into place was unheard of.
Ashe had been a strong water elementalist, even at the young age she’d been when she found Anivia, but when the bond was forged, Anivia’s power over the air had fused with Ashe’s water affinity, altering Ashe’s elemental power forever.
Ashe now controlled ice, one of the rare complex elemental affinities, and that had forever altered her destiny. She could no longer be a Watercaller – her ice affinity would have frozen the water. So, she chose to craft a new task for herself – as a village guardian.
The first day young Ashe had showed up to train with the men, they’d merely stood and laughed as she struggled to lift a simple broadsword. A female guardian was a mere joke to them, even if said female had an affinity for a complex element. But the laughter ceased immediately when the first arrow she ever fired was a dead bull’s-eye.
Every day since, Ashe always would head straight to the target fields on training days, snagging a bow and quiver from the village’s small armory as she went. She could always tell which trainees were new, based on whether they merely stood and gawked at her shooting or not. The guardians who had been around long enough to know she never missed freely retrieved their arrows, even when she was firing, because they knew she would never hit them by mistake. Her aim was far too precise for that.
But Ashe’s life changed yet again the day Anivia followed her to the range.
It was Ashe’s coming of age – her sixteenth anniversary of birth – and she’d still insisted on going to practice with the other guardians. Her amused parents had allowed it, hoping she’d finally meet a village boy she liked.
That didn’t happen for a few more years, but what did happen that day was far more important – at least to Ashe.
She received a spirit weapon.
Her village revered guardians who were able to manifest their spirit weapons, since spirit weapons were far more powerful than their manmade equivalents. They also increased their own users’ skills to nearly impossible levels.
Ashe arrived at the range that day, and started into her usual routine, but Anivia immediately protested when she entered the armory and reached for a bow and quiver. When Ashe stopped and asked Anivia why, Anivia replied, you have a better weapon than that measly piece of wood.
And then before Ashe could ask the bird what she meant, a bow made entirely of ice blinked into reality at her feet.
Several guardians stared, and one muttered under his breath. But Ashe’s attention was entirely on the bow.
It was intricately carved, and almost looked like a sculpture, so much that Ashe was almost afraid to ruin it by picking it up. But then the white hawk told her, it’s your spirit weapon, silly girl, and Ashe couldn’t help but immediately make a grab for the bow.
As soon as her left hand wrapped around the bow, Ashe’s ice magic – which she had rarely used since beginning her training as a guardian – surged, and an icy arrow materialized in her right hand. Ashe immediately knew that she’d have to rely on her long-forgotten magic to effectively use her weapon, because she had a feeling that regular arrows would be useless. In fact, she tried to use a regular arrow when she grew frustrated at her inability to manifest any more arrows beyond the first (she figured that out later), yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t nock it on the bowstring.
She was also apparently the only one who could wield the weapon – a foolish guardian trainee tried to pick the bow up when she left it resting with the other unused bows during a quick lunch break. His screams had fueled her run back to the range, where she discovered the boy clutching at his hand. It was entirely frostbitten, and the boy very nearly lost it – and thankfully learned his lesson the first time around.
Once Ashe learned how to use the bow and its few basic spells, her skill improved tremendously, despite the fact that she was already the best archer in the village. Her range increased to impossible distances (she couldn’t even see as far as she could shoot on most days, and her vision was excellent) without losing any accuracy, and on her best days, Ashe could reload and fire up to five arrows in just two seconds.
Ashe rose through the ranks of the guardians until she was second in command to Tryndamere, a young man with a massive broadsword for a spirit weapon, and whose skill in battle was unmatched. (Ashe also had feelings this young man, much to her parents’ relief – they’d worried she’d never meet a boy she liked.) Due to her rank, she was able to take whichever guardian task she wished – which was, of course, day watch. That way, she could avoid Sej and the crumbling relationship between the two of them, and would be able to get a good night’s sleep once she was done.
And that was the exact job Ashe was currently returning home from – well, she had to stop at the armory first to give a report of any events that occurred during her watch (nothing) and drop off any weapons she might have taken (none).
As Ashe made her way to the old building, Anivia landed on her shoulder without asking first. Ashe didn’t complain – the bird could do whatever it was she wanted, as long as it didn’t get Ashe in trouble.
How was your day? Anivia asked as she shifted to get into a more comfortable position on Ashe’s shoulder.
Decent, Ashe replied. Dead boring as usual, since not a single exciting event happened, but otherwise decent.
At least you weren’t the one trying to find a meal in the forest, Anivia shot back at her. Not a single mouse, squirrel, vole, or even rabbit to be found.
Ashe was just outside the armory as the meaning of Anivia’s comment hit her. She immediately replied with, did you see anything or anyone suspicious?
Anivia shook her head. Nothing, and that’s why I’m just as worried as you. Make sure you report it. There could be hostiles out there.
Ashe sighed. Hostiles were an issue – they were groups of ordinary humans that didn’t have any elementalists. As a result, they struggled to survive, and held grudges against villages that had elementalists – especially water elementalists. In the hot climate, water was a necessity, and anyone who could summon it was extremely valuable.
When she was young, three large groups of hostiles had banded together and raided a nearby village, taking all the water elementalists they found and killing everyone who stood in their way. The rumors about what the hostiles had done to the water elementalists, in particular the women, were terrifying, and Ashe knew that they were very likely true. So … she couldn’t let any hostiles near the village, because her sister, as a powerful Watercaller, would become one of their next victims.
Ashe pushed open the armory door and stalked inside. Tryndamere was at the desk today, writing down the day shift’s reports. He looked up when he heard her footsteps and smiled.
“How are you today, ice queen?” he asked.
The “ice queen” comment was a long-running joke between the pair, but Ashe didn’t have time to play along today. Instead, she cut straight to the point.
“I saw nothing today, but Anivia has evidence of a possible nearby camp of hostiles.”
Tryndamere’s mood changed immediately. The smile dropped from his face and the flames of his elemental affinity shone in the depths of his eyes.
Tryndamere had a powerful affinity for fire – if he wanted to, he could easily burn down the entire village and not feel any exhaustion from the energy expense. His quick temper only fueled the fire – after all, fury was the emotion aligned with fire, and fire elementalists who wielded their powers while in a blind rage were terrifyingly strong.
“Did she say where?” he asked, reigning in his anger at the news Ashe had just provided.
“No,” Ashe replied, “and to be honest, her only evidence was that she couldn’t find a meal, but I think it’s worth having extra guardians on duty for the next few days. And if she’s wrong, just tell everyone to blame me.”
Tryndamere shook his head and managed to hold in his laughter. “Your bird is extremely wise, so if she found that detail important and told you to inform me, there’s a good chance that there are hostiles nearby. So I’ll put everyone on high alert for now.”
Ashe nodded, and turned to leave. As she closed the armory door, Tryndamere called, “And I still expect to see you on watch tomorrow!”
Ashe smiled and headed home.
A week passed and there were no further signs of hostiles nearby. But Anivia continued to report a lack of wildlife, which was clearly evidence that something was out there – whether it was hostiles or just a hungry predator.
It made Ashe uneasy. If there was something out there, why hadn’t she seen it yet? Why was there no further evidence, such as tracks? So she stayed on alert, double-checking everything that looked out of place during her shifts, and constantly asking Anivia to scout further, just in case the hostiles were hiding just out of Anivia’s usual scouting range.
But finally, on the eighth night after Ashe reported Anivia’s suspicions, Ashe was preparing to retire for the night when the alarm was raised. The hostiles had finally been spotted.
And there were dozens – no, hundreds – of them.
Ashe had heard the alarm before – after all, there were monthly drills to make sure every villager knew what to do should there ever be an attack. So the sound wasn’t a surprise.
The sheer volume of it was. Ashe felt like her ears were drowning in sound. But after a few moments of trying to block out the noise, she finally threw on her patrol gear and ran out of the house.
As she sprinted down the stairs and towards the door, she saw Sejuani and her parents retreat into the bolt-hole that had been built in every building that housed a Watercaller. Ashe paused just long enough to cover up the bolt-hole entrance once she heard her father lock it from inside.
“Be safe,” she heard her father whisper.
“Same to you,” she replied, before racing off towards the armory.
The armory was in absolute chaos. Guardians were scrambling to grab whatever they felt would be useful. Most went straight for a weapon or two, while others ran around, grabbing healing supplies that could be used in the chaos of battle. Ashe kept calm and looked for Tryndamere.
After a few minutes of walking around, searching for him, she finally found Tryndamere near the armory door, checking over each guardian’s gear before sending the men out to fight. When he finally looked over and saw her, she could instantly tell that he was struggling to not run out into the battle himself. His temper was a mere moment away from exploding, and his spirit weapon was already summoned, just in case he got the opportunity to fight.
“Go,” Ashe shouted over to him. “I’ll run the final checks.”
Tryndamere gave her a quick nod of thanks and raced outside, already yelling a battle cry.
Then Ashe turned to the task she’d taken over. Most of the guardians had flawless gear, and she let them by, but a few she stopped and told to adjust a piece or two.
And then there were the trainees. Ashe grabbed each one by the arm as they tried to get past her.
“You’re not going out there,” she told them.
Every single trainee begged and pleaded, but their attempts fell on deaf ears. Ashe knew the battle was dangerous, and she wouldn’t risk young lives, no matter how far along in training they were.
Finally, all the guardians – expect for the depressed trainees – were out of the armory. Ashe glared at the trainees and motioned for them to stay inside. Then she summoned her bow and walked out through the door, slamming it shut behind her. She considered locking it for a moment, to ensure the trainees stayed, but then they’d be at risk of getting trapped if the hostiles made it this far. So, she merely shook her head and turned her attention to the chaos before her.
And it was chaos. Blood, weapons, and bodies flew everywhere. Men were dying left and right, and Ashe could barely tell friend from foe amid all the insanity. But she summoned her first arrow and fired anyway.
The battle dragged on, and ever so slowly, the hostiles started to gain ground. Ashe gritted her teeth every time a guardian fell, and would instantly take down the killer with a well-aimed shot.
But there were still too many. So when Tryndamere approached, she instantly knew his plan, and turned to him, a silent plea in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, but it’s our only chance,” he told her, avoiding her glaze. “If I go charging in there, temper flaring, I can cut enough of them down to finish off the rest.”
“But … but what about you?” Ashe whispered, unable to not ask the question.
Tryndamere turned to her and smiled softly. “I guess I’ll be praying the entire time that I don’t take too much damage.”
Ashe stared into his eyes, silently begging him not to do it. She hadn’t been able to truly tell him how she felt before, and now it was too late.
She wanted him to stay. But her brain, ever tactical, knew that Tryndamere’s plan was their best shot. So she nodded and turned away, whispering, “Please, try to stay alive.”
Tryndamere marched forwards, his sword raised, saying nothing. But as he passed, his hand brushed hers, and she could have sworn he was trying to tell her he would do his best.
Then he was gone, flying into the fray screaming and swinging. Fire exploded outwards from him, incinerating several hostiles, and any single hostile who came too close was cleaved by the massive broadsword.
But slowly, Tryndamere was swamped. Ashe could only watch silently, tears streaming down her cheeks, as he disappeared from sight, buried by the mass of bodies.
Ashe’s grief quickly turned to rage, and she gave in to the emotions coursing through her body. With an almost primal scream, she fired an arrow up into the clouds, and then bent her knees, swung her bow up behind her, and slammed her free hand on the ground.
At first, nothing happened. So Ashe quickly settled into what the other guardians called her “rapid-fire mode,” firing and reloading faster than thought. Dozens dropped in the few moments before she felt her ice magic explode within her, nearly drowning her in power.
And then hundreds of her ice arrows poured from the sky.
Ashe and the other remaining guardians merely watched as the hostiles were shredded by the storm of ice. Not a single guardian was hit – it was as if the arrows knew who was friend and who was foe.
Eventually, fewer and fewer arrows fell from the sky, until the rain of ice was over. Now, there were just about seven hostiles left standing, each with several ice arrows protruding from their armor.
These last seven are the strongest of the hostiles, maybe even the leaders, Ashe thought to herself. And if the several ice arrows they’d been hit with hadn’t killed them, what would?
And then a broadsword sticking up from the piles of bodies caught her attention. If it were anyone else’s weapon, she likely wouldn’t have reacted as she did.
But it was Tryndamere’s spirit weapon. And if he’d lost his grip on it …
Rage boiled through her once more, but this time, before she could fire a single arrow, Anivia – who had been noticeably absent throughout the battle landed on her shoulder.
Not now, Ashe snapped.
But Anivia ignored the comment and told her, I can feel your rage, your grief. Forge those emotions into a weapon, and aim for the hostiles. I promise you that this will finish them off.
Ashe paused for a moment. Was Anivia sure? She decided to test out the hawk’s plan, and gathered all of the emotions burning within her into a single orb. Then she raised her bow.
Ashe didn’t summon an arrow as she drew back the bowstring, aiming for the hostile in the center. But as she released it, she forced the orb into the bow, willing her spirit weapon to turn her emotions into a weapon.
As the bowstring snapped back to its relaxed position, the bow shuddered and seemed to change shape for a moment.
Ashe yelled out one more time and poured all of her strength into her spirit weapon.
And then a massive arrow of ice, far larger than Ashe herself, exploded outwards, flying straight towards the seven remaining enemies. Ashe saw the men tense, and then turn to flee, but it was already too late.
The arrow collided with its intended target and then shattered. Massive ice shards flew outwards, impaling the six other men. All seven dropped to the ground, dead.
The guardians were all silent for a moment, and then exploded into celebration. After all, they had just survived an impossible battle, and won, to boot.
But Ashe couldn’t join them, as much as she wanted to. All she could do was slowly make her way over to Tryndamere’s broadsword, searching for his body.
Once she reached the massive weapon, she reached out to touch it, wondering what would happen if she did. But then a voice by her feet said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, ice queen.”
Ashe literally jumped, and then glanced down to see a bloodied and bruised, but somehow still alive, Tryndamere.
“How?” was all she could ask.
“I can’t really explain it,” Tryndamere replied, “but I think … I think that my temper, my rage at the hostiles, somehow kept me alive. I’m not quite sure how, but I’m not questioning it.”
Ashe smiled down at him, before Tryndamere added, “I think the more important question is, how did you make the sky rain arrows, and then fire a giant block of ice that was larger than me using just your bow?”
“It wasn’t me, it was my ice affinity,” Ashe replied.
“Yeah, right.”
But Tryndamere dropped the subject, and Ashe ran to get the healers, who helped her move Tryndamere out of the sea of bodies he had been buried in. They dragged him all the way to the armory – because they weren’t able to go any further, but wanted to bring him inside – and then the healers got to work, cleaning and sealing his wounds.
But as Ashe turned to leave, Tryndamere called, “You’re still on duty tomorrow, Ashe!”
Ashe merely smiled and continued home, to tell her family the good news.
Hope you guys liked this one! Here's the link back to the home page. Remember, if you have any ideas for me, leave them in the comments there!
Have a great day/evening/night (or whatever it is where you are), and see you on the Rift!
