Winter in the Tundra [Open]

[Vyraena]

"I was born in Connlaoth." Winter said, changing the topic to herself for a moment to show the man she understood what he went through. "As a mage, I practiced my powers in secret. One day, my brother and I came home to find a group of mages slaughtering the civilians. He told me to hide, so I ran and hid in an abandoned stables."

Winter paused for a moment before continuing. "Our parents were killed in front of my brother, who then killed all of the mages. He then vowed to kill every mage he came across. Then, one day, he came home early and saw me using my magic. He told me I needed to leave Connlaoth immediately, or he would be the one to kill me for being a mage."

Winter paused again, sighing at the memories. "I left and came to Hyoite, where I started to work. Until the day when... I became like this. My point is, I had lost everything except my brother. Then, he became so consumed with vengeance that I lost him too. Don't let yourself be lost because of what happened to you."

[Wicked Basket]

"I'm not lost," Cryce replied. "It's all I have. I lost everything. Consumed by vengeance I may be, but it's not like there's anyone that will lose me anyway. They're all dead."

[Vyraena]

"I see so much of my brother in you." Winter said with a smile. "Just, noble, kind... but too blinded by his past to be able to see the future."

[Wicked Basket]

"Don't pretend like you know me," Cryce said. "I know what I'm doing. Only by the death of those responsible will my family rest in peace."

[Vyraena]

Winter sighed. "It's always the same, but I can't stop you. If that's what you believe, then that's what you believe."

She looked up to the sky, watching the snow fall. "Maybe someday people will learn."

[Wicked Basket]

"Learn to what," Cryce asked angrily. "Let people get away with murder? Allow innocent people to be killed? The only thing people need to learn are the consequences of their actions."

[Vyraena]

"Ah, but when you kill them, now someone else will want to avenge them by killing you." Winter said. "All it will ever lead to is more death."

[Wicked Basket]

"That does not concern me," Cryce told her. "I highly doubt such monsters will be missed anyway."

[Vyraena]

Winter knelt down and rubbed her hand over the snow. "The world's such a cold, cruel place."

[Wicked Basket]

"You just have to be crueler and colder," Cryce told her.

[Vyraena]

"For some reason, even though the world rejects me, I refuse to reject the world." Winter said with a sad smile.

[Wicked Basket]

"Why," Cryce asked. "If you have all of this power, why raise an undead army and take your revenge?"

[Vyraena]

"That would only create more like me." Winter said, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "I thought about it, once, when I was first made to be this way. In fact, I did raise part of an army. However, now we just wish to create our kingdom, and live isolated from the world that rejects us."

[Wicked Basket]

"The world will just find you," Cryce told her. "Peace is a lie. There are only intermissions between violence. Your kingdom will be found and you will have no choice but to fight when it is."

[Vyraena]

Winter smiled. "And when that time comes, I will defend what I care about, rather than wipe out everything I don't."

[Wicked Basket]

"Then you will never know peace," Cryce said simply.

[Vyraena]

"Believe me, I have killed my fair share of people." Winter said. "It has done nothing for me, and now I only kill those who threaten me."

[Wicked Basket]

"I have also killed," Cryce replied. "And I will continue doing so until my family is avenged or I die trying."

[Vyraena]

Winter directed her attention back to the skeleton and the two men she had raised from the dead, and waved them away. They began walking off into the distance. "They'll find our home. It calls to the undead, and they answer."

[Wicked Basket]

"How are you not angry," Cryce asked. "How can you be so accepting of the fact that everyone is out to kill you?"