Winters Chill

The cries of spirit drowned in mud. The last breaths of honour in a dying age. These plagued the young girls mind, like static interfering with her attempts to think straight. She drew in a deep breath, the winters air harsh in the caress of her lungs. She sighed, as if such a simple act would clear her mind. The tormenting images of battle had been etched into the walls of her mind, the demented roar of chaos would forever echo within her ears. At first she would banish them from her thoughts with a vengeance. Then she had learnt to embrace them. Now she thrived on them.

She looked out across the frozen lake, the ice glistening in the slivers of moonlight and the trees decorating the lakes edge hanging low with the heavy burden of the snow, as if hunching their shoulders to ward off a cold breath of air. She gazed out, past the obscuring tree's, to let her eyes trace invisible lines along the snow capped mountain range. She remembered when they used to hold such mystery for her as a young child, as the sun would sink behind it like a slowly closing eye and cast beautiful and serene hues across the endless spanse of sky. How long ago had that been? It felt like decades but it may only have been years for at the young naive age she had been, time had eluded her. Now at nineteen she had come to realise how long days really were and how to keep track of the untamable ticking of time.

Chilly winds blew through her short russet hair forcing a shiver to ripple down her spine. It was dark and cold, just like her heart. Her heart had frozen over when…

Amida was a lithe and strong girl, some used to say contrary to her appearances. But since she had witnessed the entire slaughter of her family she had changed. Now the people would note how the innocent and pristine princess had been replaced with an empty shell of her former self. Outsiders would think her the same if it weren’t for the intense aura she emitted. The most common rumor that had spread across the empire was that she had traded her soul to the demons in exchange for exceptional fighting abilities, with which she slayed her attackers. None would ever have guessed that she gathered her deft handling of the blade and her exceptional acrobatic skills from watching her brother’s train for battle. And none would certainly have ever guessed that her brother’s relayed their training sessions to her in the dark veil of night.

The twilight alerted Amida to how late it was getting and that she should probably return to her room. But she was the princess, there was not a single person who could tell her what to do. Still she admonished herself for staying out in the cold so late as she might fall ill. Her kingdom could not afford that. Amida glanced behind her at the warm and heated solace of her room with a longing gaze. She however decided to stay out on the balcony and overlook the lake caught in a frozen shawl. She looked out over the disappearing horizon and sighed heavy with the burden of looking after the empire her family left to her. She did not wish to stay here and look after the empire. She longed to travel the world, battle enemies and slay those who got in her way. This new found blood lust had manifested the night she had killed her family’s murderers. Now she couldn’t get rid of it. It enveloped her entire being. She found herself always wanting more. That is why in times of chaos such as these she assumed the leading males position of the royal family and led her troops into battle.

A brilliant leader, they would call her. The inheritance of her fathers intelligence and cunning had developed in her far more than it had in any other family member. With her knowledgeable perspicacity, good discernment, unmatchable leadership and her dextrous fighting ability, spawned in the hell fires of the under world, she slayed and defeated the nations that had tried to steal her kingdom from her. Her followers, once screptical of her abilities, judging the young princess before she even rose to the throne, were now loyal and obedient. They worshipped her. But even that couldn't console her. It seemed she would forever mourn the tragic loss of her family.

The princess, she refused to be called by the title of empress for that was her mothers title, ridiculed herself harshly for letting the constant and unbearable pain of being alone consume her. The world was riddled with chaos. No innocent woman or child was spared in such a raging battle. The heavy clash of swords became as common as the whistling of the birds had once been. Battle cries and innocent screams were the wind blowing through the trees. The whistle of flying arrows were the ruslting leaves. The burning sight of raging fire the sun shine. This was a world at war. Not a single person escaped the effects of such a thing. Perhaps that was why she judged herself so harshly. She was a shadow of the woman she wanted to be. She had long acccepted that she could not give up the empire of her family, it was her last memory of them. But she would never truly want it. Perhaps the only reason she remained was because by taking this position she could thrive on the thrill and glory of battle. She longed to take lives and when in the heat of battle the true creature within her erupted and transformed her from an empty shell to a deadly femme fatale.

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Character Profile:
Name: Amida Uzukay
Age: 19 although most wouldn't guess by the way she had risen to the call of duty. She has a high maturity level, causing most to think her 25 or more.
Description: Dark brown mysterious eyes, dark brown hair cut short (almost like a male hair cut) styled nicely with a side fringe. (Sorry if I didn't describe it well, here's the hairstyle I was trying to get at if you couldn't picture it http://www.hairstylesdesign.com/gallery/images/short_hairstyles_01_01.jpg) She's 5 foot 6 with an athletic build and exceptional fighting ability, complete with martial arts knowledge and acrobatic skills.