Shadow of the Abyss

The Master grinned. "One year…" He said, carrying a devilish charm unbefitting of his age. He graciously stood to his feet, opening his eyes that eternally glowed within the darkness. Altair turned to Kirr and Jörm, his Eye of Sacrilege dimming the world around him. "It's been a while since I saw the moon."

Kirr nodded, his handsome expression untouched by the scars of his past life lit up. "We can finally leave this place."

Jörm rolled his eyes. "It's just snow outside. Nothing special."

"I've never seen snow!" Kirr childishly exclaimed, turning to his brother. "What is it like? Is it slippery? Sticky? or oozy? Maybe…"

"Ok-ok," Altair said, cutting in over the excitable Kirr. "You'll see it in a few days. First, let's leave."

"Master… House Aros is sure to have sent assassins to take you out," Jörm warned, his eyes narrowing with a fiendish light. He bowed his head. "If you would… Allow me to—"

"Do you still want revenge?" Altair patiently asked, knowing his Shadows could not lie to him.

Jörm fell to a knee. "No, my lord. I only seek to aid you. It's why I abandoned the name Dillian Aros." he lowered his head to the damp dirt. "I only wish to protect you."

"Then protect," Altair commanded, stepping past Kirr and Jörm as they dissipated into nodes of black light. The Prince proceeded ahead over the hundreds of thousands of bodies and bones, both fresh and decayed. When the winds blew, death followed, as did the whimpered roars of monsters and cryptids.

From mountain to mountain, the Prince journeyed through valleys and swamp lands, with silencing being his only friend. There had been no manner of beast or monstrosity that had dared to strike. From the moment the presence of death appeared, none dared to move.

[Divine Being, 'She who Hunts' is hungry for a hunt]

"Again?" Said the Prince, shaking his head. "We slaughtered a den of lizard men yesterday."

[Divine Being, 'She Who Hunts' snorts]

Altair laughed, not placing much on this god's whims. She had a capricious nature. Of all the Gods, only Artemis seemed to have an invested interest. Throughout all his battles and nightly cultivations, it was only Artemis who would point out some of his faults, taking the time to nurture rather than barter as the other gods did.

The journey back had been rather short than what Altair remembered, taking a week rather than the month he'd taken. When a gust of cold air touched his flesh for the first time, Altair was reminded of the intense heat he'd felt within the underground cave. He'd had never found the source, but not for a lack of trying.

For six months, he scoured the land, killing his way through various monsters that dared to meet his sword before giving up.

He'd felt that his current level was nowhere near the level it took to sense the source of power he so desperately craved. And for now… He'd given up.

Altair stood before the cold gust of winds, staring at the moonlight piercing through the cave from above. 'So this is ice?' the voice of Kirr echoed through his mind. Altair didn't answer him, continuing his journey; he enjoyed the snow as Kirr continued.

"Master, look! Did you know that ice was transparent?"

"Master, it's slippery!

"Master Ice tastes funny!"

"Master…" Through it all. The Prince said nothing until he approached a familiar entrance. The small crevice he once used now buried by three feet of ice. Suddenly, without notice, a great semi-arc of sword light howled, tearing through ice like water, carving a meter path for him.

He sheathed Endyminan, stepping out of the place that had held him for a year. Altair looked up at the skies, to the moon's glow and the flecks of ice raining from the Heavens. "Kirr… This is snow." He finally said, quieting the Shadow, watching with awe. "I—"

Suddenly, Endymion whisked through the air like a harbinger of death. It shrieked to the disturbance a few meters away, bleeding a deadly sword light that whisked through the trees like hot butter.

"You got strong," Came an enthralling voice, stirring the young man's heart. In front of the rubble, a fairy stepped out. Untouched by destruction, she approached the young Prince, grinning. Hair a rainfall of snow-white silk, with eyes to match. She stared at the boy… the man before her.

The Prince, a little over five and a half feet, now somewhat at eye level, stared deeply at her. His once soft eyes now carried a devilish temptation she'd not seen in a while. They were charming, so much so Luna's fingers trailed over his sublime features.

"You're filthy." She said, wiping away bits of mud.

"The rivers were dangerous." He replied, wrapping his arms around her waist, shaking. "I've missed you, big sis."

Luna felt her heart warm. "When I told you to go find yourself. I did not mean to spend a year in utter darkness." She sighed, patting him on the back. And looked up at his head of hair, Matted, littered with lice, and the unspeakable. She dragged him towards a lake a few miles away. "Go take a bath.

No way Reina is seeing you like this."

'So this is Masters Sister." Jörm muttered with reverence.

"She's pretty!" Kirr added. "Hey, Master, can I swim in the snow?"

"You can't swim in the snow, you idiot."

"Wanna bet!"

When they arrived at the small cold spring, Altair could see the cold air rising from out of the lake. He'd not seen such clear water in such a long time. And as his reflection appeared over the mirrored image of the water, he all but gasped at his disheveled appearance.

"I look homeless!" He cried, leaping into the water far below freezing. Coldness burrowed into his bones, eating away the dirt and filth gathering around his flesh. For a whole five minutes, Altair did not rise, wrestling to cleanse his body.

He rose a different man. One who appeared untouched by the elements themselves, the charm he carried seemed only to intensify. Free and unburdened, Altair grinned like a little boy befitting his age. "Wanna join me, Big sis?"

"How old are you now? Eleven? Soon to make twelve?" Luna mused, dipping her bare feet in icy waters. She observed the playful child she'd been watching over. "Don't forget to clean your ears. And crotch."

"Big Sis!!" Altair blushed.

Luna smirked. " Not my fault you smell like a graveyard." She pointed out, kicking her feet back and forth. She opened her palm, summoning shampoo, body wash, and conditioner, and tossed it to him. "Clean yourself well. You wouldn't want Ren to say you are smelly. You know how sensitive her nose is."

Disrobing within the icy waters, Altair thought back to the time he left, finding a bright smile. "How is she?"

The Goddess of the Moon mischievously lifted her lips. "You'll see."