The War of Ice and Fire

The War of Ice And Fire

A Fiction, Fantasy & Action Novel by Juliana Chu

          The impudent six year old Alaska clumsily picked up her father Apollo's spear and unsuccessfully cast it at a dummy made of hay. Her long curtain of blonde-white hair swished behind her as she threw. The spear easily found a target in the behind of a cow, but thankfully since Alaska couldn't throw very hard, she didn't damage the cow too much. Her mother Willow, walked over and hugged her worriedly. Unlike her father Apollo, who seemed quite impressed at his daughter's accomplishment, Willow thought she was not quite ready for that. Unfortunately, that was the tradition, and Apollo wished to follow it instead of sheltering Alaska because she was a princess. In Alaska's parents' kingdom, women fought. No one was left out ever since the Unforgettable War. Many people were killed on both ends, but many of the women were defenseless and because of that many generations were lost. All men and women were trained until the age of 16. When they came of age, they were sent away from the kingdom on their own as rogues, spies, to work for rebellions, all across Fitaria , or if they wished they could stay. Alaska was an eager child. She loved fighting because it was a freedom to her. She couldn't wait to leave and be on her own. She wanted to run her own life, without her parents always watching over her. Regret however, would soon follow that decision. The independent child took her fathers sword while walking over to the river bank.
          She loved to skip stones and play with the butterflies, but her joy didn't last for long. As a huge cloud of smoke covered the land, Alaska was scared for once. She had never seen something like this. She ran to the closest tree and ducked behind it, panting for breath as she peeked out from behind the tree. From the looks of it, the fire benders were attacking the ice benders kingdom! Mount Icemark! The ice benders were clearly losing, and their kingdom was being invaded. A fire bender came rushing toward her with angry burning eyes. He was going to kill her, but luckily he missed her and was frozen away with ice by another warrior. Her mother and father were in the thick of the fight. Then, the worst that could happen, happened. They were blown at with dust and immediately petrified. Alaska didn't want to watch. Her heart burned with hate and revenge. They had been killed by the savage Fire benders! They would pay, they would all pay! Alaska ran away, grabbing her fathers sword with her. Being only six years old, she didn't know where to go. She ran farther and farther till she heard no more of the fighting. In exhaustion, she found a cave and hid in the cave. She soundly cried herself to sleep.

Chapter 1 Alaska

{10 and a half years later}
          Thwick! A spear flew right by Alaska's head and found its location in a tree, the arrow almost immediately lit the tree up in flames. She quickly turned around and ran as fast as she could, kicking snow in her pursuers' faces as the noise of their clanking boots ceased and the sound of their screams echoed into the distance as they sizzled into black withered figures. She ran through the trees being pursued by the angry fire bender's. She had stolen some rationed food from their nearby outpost. But Alaska would call it borrowing, but now they were very angry. She kept running, panting vigorously for breath, but suddenly, she stopped. A dead end! There was a huge rock blocking her path, and the trees were too thick to go around, the fire benders were closing in! She had to think fast. She took out her sword, aiming at five of the incoming dark figures. She quickly threw her sword like a boomerang, killing 1 of the aflamed figures. Four, rapidly closing in on her, she grabbed some snow, forming it into a ball. She threw it at one as he fell. She picked up her sword hastily and cut the other two in half. The last one, the captain of their squad, cursed at her as he took out his spear and cast it out with a mighty grunt. Alaska dodged, but she was too late! It punctured her left ear and not her head, just missing by centimeters. She quickly picked up her sword and threw it as fast as a lightning bolt, it found its target in the captain's heart, he fell to the ground, blood spurting from his heart. He let out a blood curdling scream, and never roused again.
          She once again retrieved her sword while wincing in pain, for the spear had made a deep scar in her left ear. Part of the skin had been cut off. Only half of it remained. "I will end this war. I hate this war!" she screamed, knowing no one could hear her cries. She fell on her knees into the snow in exhaustion. Taking a deep breath, she put her sword back into its sheath on her back. She got back up covered in snow, grasping her ear to stop the bleeding. Her hands were covered in blood and she wearily walked into her close by small cave to hide from the temporary heat admitted from the dead Fire Bender's. The cave was a dull place, with a bed on the floor, a poorly made table made from wood, and a carved out counter on the side of the cave. The cave was something of a 10x15 feet space, a small, but workable cave, and excellent for hiding! Then unstrapping the sheath from her back, hung it up on the wall. Going to her bed of wood and bear hide, she ate some of the food rations she stole, then she tore off some of her vest and tied it with much effort around her ear. Then the bleeding on her ear ceased enough for Alaska to lay down to rest herself for yet another tomorrow.
          Icicle slid down her rope attached to a mountain side, she looked all around her, and sighed in relief, only a few fire benders were left. She managed to duck a flaming spear that wooshed shockingly close to her face. She winced from the heat admitted from the spear. She jumped down from her rope which was nearing the ground and slid into a fairly small cave, she turned around quickly to hide, something unexpected happened and a wake of sudden shock was sent through her body. Another icebender!
          Alaska woke up and frantically sprung from her bed and grabbed her sword hanging from the wall, drawing it out of its sheath, aiming the sword at her neck and said. "Who are you!?" she asks, trembling, for she had not seen an Ice Bender in some 10 years.
          "No time for questions, we need to leave!" Icicle shouts, trying to speak over the loud noise of crackling flames getting closer by the second.
          "No! I-I haven't seen another one of my kind for over ten years, how am I to trust you!? How am I to trust anyone? And I'm not going anywhere! I've been here for over ten years. This is my home! I've finally found a place, you can't just take me from it!" Alaska shouts, as a tear drops to the cave floor.

Chapter 2 Flame

          Flame bent over the two other dead firebenders. Her fiery red hair emitted smoke in anger. They had been slaughtered, from the looks of it, by an ice bender's blade. She was furious "No one has ever dared! But, on the bright side, now I have a worthy opponent to kill." Her face showed traces of impish glee as she let out a bone chilling laugh. She saw a faint trail leading to a small cave, and saw two Ice Benders arguing at the entrance of the cave. Flame was shivering at the cold snow surrounding her, she pulled a parka out of her pack. She then put it on and carefully touched the tip of her fire dagger to the coat. The heat spread through it and warmed her. She let out a satisfied and relieved sigh, she then turned her attention to the ice benders. Her orders had been to take prisoners, not kill. Flame took a hot red rope out and threw it while holding the tail of the rope, it whipped around Alaska.
          "Ahhh!" Alaska screamed in pain. The rope weakened her with the pure heat of it, Alaska had started to sweat and felt weak, so weak, like never before. She tried to stay awake while crumpling to her knees. But she slowly blanked out into darkness. Just then, Flame noticed the other icebender watching her. She whipped out her sword and pointed it at the other one. Flames ribboned out of it and laced toward the icebender.
          Icicle pulled out a sword, and covered herself in ice, then let out an ice blast, blowing out the scorching hot flames, a cloud a thick smoke appeared from the put out fire, she used her sword to carefully cut the rope, so as not to hurt Alaska. She grabbed the still stunned Alaska by the arm, and vanished through an ice portal, made by a charm Icicle clipped back to her belt, the portal too cold for a Fire Bender to follow. Alaska flashed to awareness she woke up from the trance and screamed "Ahh! Put me down! What do you think you're doing? I could've rescued myself, and where's my bag of belongings!? Stop it, take me back!" They whoosh through the portal.
          Flame pulled out her dagger and blasted the portal with flames, hoping that she could go through if it became hot enough or the flames would reach the ice benders on the other side. But it was already closing, and the portal soon turned into nothingness. She angrily turned around and left, frustrated and angry because along with her side mission to take prisoners, which she had failed like never before. She was going to take revenge on those young troublemakers and alongside a new task to find the fire dragon and ask it to destroy the ice benders...
          "Shush! you're going to get us killed!" Icicle said, "And sorry for the big excitement. They wanted to take me back to their lair and question me for locations, I know too much. Oh and sorry, again. I'm Icicle."
          Alaska whispers, "It's good to see a friendly face of another Ice Bender. But I'm still mad at you! You took me from my home without my consent." She said gazing at Icicle like she was something not from their world and with hints of frustration. "I am Alaska, Princess Alaska. Great to meet you. Icicle." She said with sarcasm and a slight smirk. "Now I shall share with you why I hold that place so dearly, and by that I mean my cave which you took me from!" "All my life I have been running, but, since I have nowhere to run to, I have gotten nowhere and I am lost. And belong nowhere. And when I finally found a place, you come along and take me from there. But no time for chit chat. Where are you taking me? And where's my bag?" she said, strapping her sheath over her head and on her shoulder.
          "Uhm, I'm not sure." Icicle said. They land almost immediately after, and a bag lands on Alaska's head.
          "Ow!" Alaska yells.
          "Well, that's where your bag went," Icicle laughs.
          Flame traveled day and night, only stopping for occasional rest. She rationed food and no casualties were big enough to stop her. And finally after 3 days came to the mountain of the Fire Dragon. According to the words carved on the stone door, in order for her to open the cave of Blaze, she had to find "Something that can break a rock yet cowers from the sun." to enter. She sat down and started to think. Steel? 'No, metal doesn't melt in the sun.' she thought. There it was! Ice! But then she realized the complications; to bring a piece of ice here, she couldn't hold it in her bare hand; it would melt by the time she got there. And would probably sizzle her hand. And she couldn't use a glove, which would obviously melt the ice. So what could she use?
          Icicle smiled "So the princess did live, all I know is this, all the rest of the ice benders are hiding, scattered around Fitaria , I am trying to find them so we can band together and finally defeat the fire benders. But, if we don't have to kill. That would be a first option, but the Fire Benders want all, or nothing." "Ok first put me down, I'm old enough, I'm not a child anymore, then we talk." said Alaska, annoyed. She of course was being held the whole time!
          After a while, Flame had figured out how to transport the ice; aluminum she had found on the ground. It was an ore, in the ground of course, but she could go to a Fire Bender outpost, they might have some scrap lying around. She then went to the nearest Fire Bender outpost. She found two guards, the first one bluntly said "Who are you?" "Fine, dipwad!" she said frustratedly, she then shoved them away and entered into the outpost, she found some bins, weaponry, armor, food rations, and boxes of scrap. "Perfect" She said as she pulls out a sheet of aluminum
          used to store and preserve rations. She then exits the outpost and punches one of the guards, and kicks the other. Well, I'm not going to tell you where, the guard howls in pain. "Okay got it!?" She ends, "I'm Flame, F-L-A-M-E you dipwads, I'm a higher rank thank you so you should be thankful I haven't reported you for your forgetfulness!" With that, Flame had enough and left the outpost, and found icicles hanging off of some tree branches, she quickly brakes one off, and trips, thwick! She gets up and bolts out from under the icicles, as all of them fall down, "A death trap. Pathetic." She smirks, as she picks up a few more icicles and wraps the aluminum sheet around them, she talks to herself expressing how worthless everyone is but her. She travels as fast as she can back to the mountain of the fire dragon. After many hours, and what Flame would call hardships, made it back to the mountain, she grabs aluminum from her bag, she grabs the least melted one and stabs a hole in the mountain with the least melted icicle. The huge stone door slowly swings open as Flame trembles, not being scared before. But then, she had a sudden shock as a voice spoke. "Who goes there? Who has set me free."

Chapter 3 Hope

          Icicle grinned and put her down, "My sisters and I were separated in a fight, but I found one of my living sisters, and she's at a place about a few more miles ahead, or to make it more clear, my hideout," said Icicle in a friendly tone, trying to hide the deep anguish that clenched her heart. "That's nice you have family.." Alaska pauses, Icicle opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Then Alaska continues speaking. "Most of the Ice Bender's are terrified of letting newcomers into their territory, they are likely untrustworthy because of Fice benders. Oh, and have you ever seen a Fice Bender Icicle?" Said Alaska. "Erm, no." She said
          Alaska brushed the topic off, and looked at her sword, "My father gave it to me when I was very young, He was the only one who understood I liked fighting. My mother was too overprotective, she did let me fight. But I saw the disappointment in her eyes, and knew she would rather I had done more lady-like things until I was a little older. Now I think of my dad as a hero, for supporting me, at least when I got separated, I knew some skills to start myself off. Ever since, I've just learned to teach myself things. But, now I wish I had spent time with my mother, just as much as my father. " She sighs. Running her hand over the jewel by the hilt. Alaska puts it back in its sheath, "We all will regret things in life, but trying to prevent misery, causes stress, and more pain." Icicle stayed silent, and then after a long pause, she spoke "What happened to your parents, may I ask?" Alaska paused and looked into her face "Icicle, I think, you would know the answer to that by now." Icicle stayed quiet in guilt, knowing deep inside it was a stupid question to ask. "You know," Said Alaska to brighten the conversation. "This is too slow, don't you think?" She said as she made an Ice Slope. "Ahh. Much better, It's hot here so it'll melt fast." Then they slid down the hills. Icicle smiles, "Let's be serious now, we have business to attend to." Alaska laughs as they go down. "I haven't had this much fun in years!" She said smiling. "But you're right we should be serious." She said as they slide down, "Actually, this is really fun" Icicle laughs, then turn serious as they land in a huge underground fort, all made up of the never melting ice, "It's so compact it would take 3 elephants to break it apart it seems." said Alaska "We all should be safe here."
          An ice bender sees a white slash mark on the back of Alaska's hand. A symbol of the royal family, she gasps. "Can it be true, an Ice Bender descended from the royal lineage?" They all gasp. Alaska tries to avoid all eyes upon her. She was shy, she hadn't seen so many people for so long. She stepped closer to Icicle, she was embarrassed. "Uhh Icicle can we hurry up through the hallway please," She said nervously, but in a Joyous tone. Icicle rolls her eyes "Yes, the princess is alive, do you have the secret passageway ready?" "Yes Icicle, we are all glad you found the daughter of our beloved leader" said a beautiful girl of 15 years. "Who's that?" Said Alaska "This is my sister Lumi, my older sister, Crystal.. didn't make it from the unforgettable war, like I said, I only found one" Icicle said. Lumi's gray eyes sparkle as she smiles at Alaska, Alaska smiles back and she knows that they are going to be good friends. She walks over to Lumi looking her in the eye gently. "Thank you for your service to us." Then she hurriedly catches up with Icicle and continues walking down the soft frosted path. Icicle shows her to a door, "This is your room Alaska. Always be ready to get called out." She said and left Alaska.
          She slowly opened the door, the room had a pleasant scent, there were roses lined on the mantle over a counter. The floor was a beautiful dark, unpolished wood. Likely from the trees outside she thought and a bed much more inviting than her old one. She hangs her Precious sword on a hook on the wall, she takes off her bag from her shoulder, she then takes out a dagger, lined with sapphires, aqua marines, diamonds, and pearls. Fit for someone of high royalty, She mutters a few words, she clips the dagger to her belt, then she pulls out the dagger and throws it at the wall, perfectly piercing the ice. She pulled the dagger out of the ice with much effort, then lies down on the bed, it felt like heaven, it wasn't the best bed, but it was so nice compared to her old ragged "bed" she stared up at the ceiling, made of dense packed ice, she looked around the room restless, she sees a small window for air, but she finds none of this interesting and eventually falls asleep.
          "I-I need your help" stuttered Flame. "So...will you?" "So?" Flame stuttered. "H-Hello, w-will you answer me or not?" "Argh!" he said in a low growl. "Quit asking me! Since you let me out, I will not eat you." He said angrily, then his tone turned into a dark mysterious, bone chilling voice. "I want something for the help you so desperately need me to assist you with. I want something No-One Else has, and I mean no one"

Chapter 4 Unite

          "I'm sure that, something, would be easy to get ... What is it?" asked Flame, hoping she could get out of the dragon's lair in one piece. "Get me something Very Precious, and that will not be easy, oh, prideful, one." Blaze smiles evilly. "Then I will help you, '' said the booming voice which echoed into the emptiness of the immensely large cave. Blaze expected her to never return with something so precious, and if she came back with nothing, he had a simple solution. Dinner. "And even if I did help you, with something what would that something be?" Said the blaze questioningly. "We would want you to fly over the land, locate all the icebender hideouts, and destroy them with your fire-breath. And kill everyone, extinct the whole Ice Bender populati-" She doesn't finish in time for the dragon's patience to burst,
          "DON'T YOU KNOW!?" said Blaze angrily.
          "Easier said than done!! It's snowing at their hideout you idiot, I'll be killed! Plus, they're hideouts dummy! I can't just find them! Provide me a charm that blocks the cold. They're very very rare So you MUST find one or I cannot help you even if I wanted to!" He said hissing as "B-but that's two things" Flame stuttered, "Do you want your end of the bargain, or not!?" He said angrily, Flame hastily stepped back "Y-yes sir, I will g-get the items." The dragon evil grins and laughs at Flame's pride which vanished. Flame slowly moves out of the room. "Don't come back anytime soon either!" He said, spitting fire out.
          But now I shall go and get what you want." Flame went out of the cave, and realized she never asked what he wanted for his precious item, she walked back inside, her pride of a marvelous exit, now vanished from her mind. "S-sir," She said, kneeling once more, "what do you want for your precious item?" The dragon, annoyed at Flame's unavoidable presence, "Ugh! Just pick something, I don't have time for all of this!" He said. Flame, quite startled, ran out as fast as she could screaming for joy in her heart that she had not been eaten. "Now I have to find something. Great." She said annoyed. Then she hastily traveled to the nearest firebender outpost, and bought a horse, or stole it, But no-one knows. She then started for the nearest Ice bender trading post where her commander would be waiting for her. He was closely related to the royal family and therefore would have some precious item she could take back to the dragon.
          Flame arrived at an Ice Bender market, she hid her fiery red hair that would stick out like white on black, for all the Ice Benders were either in the range of coffee blondes, blondes, or white haired, she ducked and met another Fire Bender in an alleyway leading out of the market. "Commander, do you have the things" asked him, for the items the dragon had demanded. He gave her a very precious item, which was a magical fire coronet made out of fire gold and embedded with fiery red topazes and rubies, but she still had no charm for the dragon, at least not one that would protect him from the cold of the icebender hideout. She looked at the bright red ruby embedded in her dagger and sighed. She didn't want to give it up, but it would work and she didn't have a choice. But now she needed to get back to the dragon.