Raygal stomped through the dimly lit cave water as his shadow followed suit on the cave wall. Each splash of water was more aggressive than they should have been, completely inconsiderate of stealth.

       “All this…for him?!” He thought as he splashed through. Raygal battled with the urge to scream in anger, his displeasure with the situation was already brimming. His aimless walking then extended into searching for Geoffren. He walked through the stalagmite covered cave, circling through them to what seemed like a turning point. The cave unapologetically turned to the right, obstructing his vision of what lay on the other side, all but the reflection of the water on the cave wall. The light from the water moved soothingly, almost as if it were attempting to calm him. Raygal observed it’s beauty before noticing an outlier in its paradigm. He quickly crouched down as he saw a shadow materialize onto the cave wall. He watched it’s every move, it looked to be walking directly towards him, growing in size as it came closer and stopping just before it turned the corner. Raygal quietly readied his weapons for the enemy though his legs did not get the memo.The cave water quickly chilled. His legs shivered at the rapidly dropping temperature of it. He grabbed them, attempting to stop them before they made any noise that would echo around the corner and alert who was there. His breath was now visible, causing him concern. The water became too cold though, and they overpowered him, the strong ripples traveling from his shivering legs. The shadow's head looked down at the ripples, it had noticed. It then looked forward, almost as if staring directly at Raygal. Raygal jumped up and prepared to fight before the water was filled with ice and began to freeze. Raygal hanged onto a stalagmite before the water froze solid. He slipped around on the ice, attempting to gather himself. The enemy walked around the corner revealing himself. Raygal aimed his revolver and took two shots, both being blocked by giant icicles. The ice slowly encased Raygal’s feet, making him unable to move. The enemy walked around him confidently, his boots being spiked, allowing him to walk freely on the ice. 

        “Hello.” He said with a deep but soft voice. He had a long face with sharp eyes and long straight burnt grey hair. He stood eye to eye with Raygal, but Raygal avoided eye contact. The man continued to circle around Raygal, the water freezing under his feet with each step, giving him somewhere to walk.

        “Your name?” The man asked. Raygal ignored him as he struggled to move his feet. Raygal could feel his skin beginning to peel off as he yanked at his feet.

        “You’re not gonna want to do that, you like your feet right?” The man said. Raygal stopped tugging and quickly aimed his revolver at the man’s head.

    changed once again, being less lax. Raygal waited for his response, sweating despite the severe cold. The ice began to rapidly grow once more, causing him to belt out another throat ripping scream.

        “You don’t gamble or deal alot, do you? I dont know how your side is, but in our camps we gamble to pass the time. You need to get better at bluffing though, lying is an important part of war.`` Ravavitch said as he walked closer to Raygal.

        “Answer this one truthfully now, please.” He said before inhaling. “What do you know about the fortress 29 miles from here?” He asked. Raygal’s eyes widened as he gripped his legs. 

        “Fortress? Around here?’’ Raygal said, doing his best to sound confused.

        “Yes. Our forces kept in good contact with it during its build, a couple days ago it went silent. My team and I were heading north until we got the message they were silent, then we were distracted by you. Do you want to tell me why union are all the way out here in the deep south past the silent fortress?” Ravavitch said, getting closer. Raygal had a poor poker face, the worry and guilt couldn't be masked to save his life, literally.

        “Recon.” Raygal said quietly.

        “Recon?” Ravavitch said.

        “Yes…we were sent to search the land and 45 miles past it. Results would determine our next few battle plans.”

        “Hmm, ok. So you never knew of any fortress?” Ravavitch asked

       “No. We had no knowledge of any fortress.”

        “Ok. Do you perchance have another lie that’ll explain that disgusting energy radiating from the fortress’ location for miles? Or one that explains why said energy looms through this cave?” Ravavitch said with a smile. Raygal’s heart dropped, he stared into Ravavitch’s eyes in shock. Raygal’s breaths gained weight and length as they ran races through his body, the emotions extending them. It was undetermined if his body shook from the cold, or his nervousness. The sweat trekked down his Adam's apple and through his collar, found his chest, and was catapulted away by his heartbeat. 

        “You were searching for us?...” Raygal asked.

    “You were given a chance, but instead decided to fight an impossible battle.” Ravavitch said. 

      “Sounds a little familiar.” Raygal said, pressed against the wall with ice. The ice froze half of his face and hair, it was extremely painful but he didnt care, he felt defeated. Ravavitch could see his own reflection in the ice on Raygal’s face.

        “Wasting your words on jokes, it’s sad. I guess you aren’t wrong, but that was a bad time to be honest. A small and simple truth could have extended your life beyond its years, but you chose nobility and the safety of the north. Rather than take the easy way out you fought me in the chance you would kill me. You definitely do not gamble.” His voice echoed. Raygal became silent as the ice grew around his entire body, beginning to encase him. 

        “That old man looks like he plays cards though…” Ravavitch said. Raygal’s face filled with rage after hearing that, the ice fully encasing him. As he finished, the halls of ice began to shake. Loud rumbles echoed through them as his reflections anxiously looked around. The ice wall behind Ravavitch was pulverized, sending him flying into another wall.

        “This ice will melt if I kill you right? Because I’m fucking freezing!” Bullus shouted. Ravavitch sent giant ice spikes at Bullus, he punched through them with little effort. This sent Ravavitch into a panic and he ran through the halls to escape. Bullus ripped Raygal out of the ice and began to bear hug him, a quick attempt to warm him up.

 “Coldest firecracker I’ve ever seen, you ok?” Bullus asked.

        “Y-Yes but I w-wanna kick h-his a-a-a-ass!” Raygal responded.

        “We’ll do that. Just need to find a way around to overwhelm his ice abilities.”

        “No! Ebnus! he’s the entire reason any of this is happening! After we kill this bastard, I’ll explain” Raygal said as Bullus put him down. Bullus blasted out of the icy corridor and rushed toward Ravavitch who immediately sent a wall of ice towards them. Bullus smashed a massive hole through it and continued forth at incredible speed. Ravavitch placed another wall in front but it was destroyed by Bullus again. Just before he could make contact, Ravavitch launched himself into the air with another hill of ice, this time, encasing Bullus inside of it. It began to shake tremendously, finally erupting Bullus from the top, sending Ravavitch flying off of it. He landed in a spot Raygal could reach in time. He riddled the floor with spiked icicles to keep him at bay. 

        “This shit again?!” Raygal screamed as he was focused on cutting the icicles. A loud boom exploded from behind Ravavitch. Bullus was hurtling towards him with a mad smile. Ravavitch unfroze the cave water, allowing himself to sink just deep enough to dodge Bullus’ 

    hit them from afar.  He cut the cave walls with each swing. The two swiftly dodged each swing as debris from the cave went flying. Ravavitch sent more cascades of ice at them as he swung.

        "With a well placed ice attack I can trap them into a sword swing!” He thought. Bullus clapped his hands together, creating enough air to disperse the cascade.

       “I’m running low. We need to finish this fast.” He thought as he ran towards Ravavitch. Raygal ran forth too before being encapsulated into a cocoon of ice himself. He attempted to cut through it, but his blade wasn’t hot enough. Ravavitch prepared to slice through it but was surprised by Bullus. He transformed his arm into a giant fist and snatched Bullus out of the air. He threw him at the wall of the cave. Bullus gathered himself and ran towards the cocoon. His muscle form was wearing off, his body transfigured between his regular and muscle forms. He rapidly went from 6’6 to 5’6 as he ran for the cocoon. Ravavitch chased him to it, preparing to attack him again. Just as Bullus made it, his form wore off, sending him back to normal. 

        “There’s no use, I’ll just find someone else in this cave to give me the answers I want” Ravavitch said. He backed Bullus into the cocoon, his arm morphing into a blade again. He raised it to Bullus’ neck, making him break a sweat.

        “I’ll make plenty of money off of this though, killing two of you will bring great marks to my name. I just hope Sinta doesn’t steal any of the credit!” Ravavitch said. Before he could finish Bullus off, he noticed a water drop traveling down the cocoon of ice. His eyes widened as he realized. In the next second, Bullus vacated the area and Raygal bursted from the cocoon wielding his burning blade, he was distracted by Bullus and didn’t chill Raygal’s sword.  Ravavitch reacted quickly by swinging his sword and cooling the blade down at the same time. They both went for each other’s wastes, but Ravavitch couldn’t cool Raygal’s sword down in time. Raygal’s sword cut straight through Ravavitch’s. Before he could regenerate it, Raygal had sliced Ravavitch in half separating his top and bottom. He coughed and ejected blood, twitching with each one. He grabbed at the separation attempting to freeze it and hold himself together. Raygal stared at him with a straight face as his frozen hairs remained stationary in front of his eyes. His eyes gave off an orange hue, the same kind Geoffren’s would give off apart from his gray. The blood bubbled up from Ravavitch’s mouth as he tried to walk towards Raygal. His legs wouldn’t move properly though and he opted to turn around and shoot ice spikes at Raygal. He raised his arm and let out a bloody screech. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, closed, and his top half fell back into Bullus’ arms. His legs fell as well and Bullus threw him onto the rest of himself.

        “You fit?” Bullus asked.

        “Yes. Just angry is all” Raygal responded. He walked away to the crossroads in the cave, Bullus following behind him.

    “I just wanted to address our little disagreement. You are aware I bear no ill will towards you, I will put my life on the line for you at any–” Evanglow said before being interrupted. Kelnick grabbed him and ducked down. 

       “That actually made him shut up? I just figured he’d keep talking but pretending an enemy was near worked…” Kelnick thought as he proceeded forward. They cautiously continued, Kelnick playing up the idea that someone was in front of them, constantly shushing and ducking down behind stalagmites. Evanglow ignorantly followed thinking someone was truly there. Kelnick shimmied around the cave wall, signaling Evanglow to stay back. He turned around the cave wall and was met with an enemy soldier. The enemy looked no older than 16 and scared out of his mind. Kelnick had a surprised look, someone was actually there. Their heavy breathing mixed with Evanglow’s timed footsteps to make the cave noise. Kelnick was completely lost, his mind was absent in the moment. The enemy was frightened, noticing Kelnick’s rifle and his killing eyes. The green glow left them, he wasn’t in his war mode anymore. Evanglow jumped around the corner still trying to be stealthy, he noticed the young man and also went into a daze. Kelnick’s hand twitched on the trigger of his rifle. This itself triggered his war instincts, his eyes filling with green fire once again. He raised the rifle, aiming down at the boy. Evanglow reacted, smacking the rifle into the air, ruining Kelnick’s shot. The noise ran through the cave, the boy saw his chance and ran away.

        “What the hell are you doing?!” Kelnick shouted, turning towards Evanglow. 

        “What the heck are you doing? Killing a boy?” Evanglow said.

        “He’s a rebel, it’s our job!”

        “But it’s not right!”

        “You can’t determine what is and isn’t right Evanglow, you’re just a pawn, I am too. We don’t make the rules, we just enact them.” Kelnick said as he raised his rifle in the direction the boy ran.

        “Kelnick! Do not reload! I’m warning you!” 

        “You forgot. I have two shots. And a clear view of the boy.” Kelnick said as he aimed down. Evanglow tackled him, preventing the shot from hitting him. The two tussled on the ground for a second before Kelnick pushed him off and ran after the boy. Evanglow wiped himself off and descended deeper into the cave, hunting after Kelnick. All of their footsteps echoing as they chased each other, into the dark void of the cave.