The Ice Crystal (Published)

Chapter 1

Rias remembered her father when she was very young; smart, yearning for respect, and hardworking. Then he went nuts and all hell broke loose. His mind became overpowered by the evil that had built inside his body. When he heard of the legendary Ice Crystal, that had unlimited power, he set out to find it dragging her along for Rias was the only person who could control its power.

When they came across a desert, her father gave up the search. Her mother saw that if things kept being the way they were, Rias would also be consumed with evil power. So she snuck out of the camp with Rias and fled to the north where monks would take care of them.

Years of peace went by and eventually her father, Nefal, found the sanctuary. He slaughtered hundreds of good men. He fled after being wounded himself from the monks' magic. Rias's mother was one of those who were killed. The remaining monks told her to run south to the great country of Iceltic, named after the legend itself.

After a month of running, Rias came across a small farming village. The village took her in, just a small little eight year old girl. Rias never spoke a word for two years. While out picking flowers for her caretakers' wife, the husband recieved a letter. He opened it up and read it. He closed it slowly and slid to the ground just as slow.

Rias ran over to see what was wrong. Tears flowing from his eyes, he handed the letter to Rias. It stated that the sanctuary that housed her and her mother for three years was destroyed by Nefal. The basket holding the flowers fell to the ground and spilt all over the ground. Tears streamed from her eyes as she wept into her caretakers' shoulder. She looked over at her spilled flowers as the wind carried them away. She held out her hand to try and grab them, but she couldn't reach them. Her caretaker reached out and grabbed a blue one and stuck it in her hair. Since that moment, Rias never spoke again for another two years.

When Tosta and Yomon came through the village to get some men for Icelia, since they went to war with a neighboring country named Argostia. Almost everyone was rejected. Rias was sitting on some barrels watching the proceedings. Eventually, the line of men either left to go back to their farms or stood beside Yomon and Tosta. They were about to leave when Tosta looked towards her way. Tosta elbowed Yomon in the side and whispered something to him. Yomon looked confused and Tosta pointed towards her way. Yomon studied her for a while and eventually nodded. They both headed her way.

Tosta was a tall, lanky man with a long and slender sword. He had blonde hair and green eyes. Yomon on the other hand was fat and funny looking. He had short black hair and had brown eyes. On his back he bore a giant double sided axe.

"You look like you've seen some hardship," Tosta had said, "How would you like to join the Royal Guards of Iceltic?"

"I don' know Tosta," Yomon had said. He had a very thick accent and hard to understand, "She don' look like she could do much. You sure she fits t'e role?" 

"I'm sure Yomon," Tosta said back to him, "She fits the role just fine. What do you say little girl?"

"Rias," Rias said breaking her silence, "my name is Rias!"