The Angel of Frost

V.

Miracles never were supposed to happen to angels. But one did, and to Glaucus, it was as miraculous as finding a cool river in a parched desert.

Hasuma, the nymph with the ability to probably read each of his thoughts and emotions right now as they walked alongside a river, had stopped their near cataclysmic fight earlier with a single, desperate word.

Glaucus could remember it as clear as the day that bore down on them. Levi's rage had summoned a wall of water around the meadow, and he, seeing no other choice, was ready to unleash the ultimate force of an arctic blizzard. The entire forest seemed doomed.

Then she had stepped between them, no doubt feeling the hostile tension concentrated in the air, and told them to stop.

A wave of gentle, serene calm raced across the clearing, dipping the air with the relaxing palm of a cool summer breeze by a blue sea and summoning the joy that only came from a snowball fight with a sibling.

All of them could feel their emotions being subdued, and any trace of conflict in the forest vanished as the wall of water gently flowed back into the river and the air became warm again.

Then suddenly, they talked as if nothing had happened, and planned their next course of action. Each of them wondered in their minds how all of the tension earlier had disappeared, and Levi had even voiced his thoughts.

"That was some," he paused as he coughed, "magic you did right there, nymph," Levi said as he looked at her with a look of grudging respect. "You managed saved yourself, him, and this forest by just telling us not to drown this entire place in water and snow. Interesting."

Oddly enough, the word him did not carry a venomous tone with it. Levi had said it like a teacher would state a fact, only that any sane teacher would probably scream the sight of him.

Though right now, as they walked, Levi was calm. Different. Sure, he still kept his scarred body a good distance from Glaucus, but every now and then he would ask Hasuma questions about the river. Apparently, it was where she resided, and with glee, she answered his inquiries. Glaucus couldn't remember the last time his brother was so inquisitive. Maybe because the only thing he had wanted to do when he saw him was to hurt him.

One question, in particular, made his ears perk up like a dog's, and it was about the river's "god". Well, too many did stray from the first faith, he thought.

"Oh, his name's Hasuantar, the Winter Lotus. He only appears during winter, or in an emergency concerning the river. He's known as its guardian, and apparently, he freezes fishermen who come here," Hasuma answered.

Levi nodded, deep in thought. "So, what's with the similarities between your names?"

Hasuma beamed brightly like she was a teacher seeing the loner in the class muster the courage to raise his hand. She didn't seem fazed at all by his hideous body. "Well, my name literally means 'lotus'. Antar means ice, cold, or winter. Hence the name Hasuantar."

The demon nodded again, and before he could open his mouth to ask another question, something burst out of the river's water, drenching the three of them in a huge splash.

"That's the third time you've said my name, nymph. The real one and the titular one," a massive, azure seal said in a baritone, masculine voice, crossing its massive, leaflike fins in an indignant pose. A massive flower surrounded by numerous petals was mounted on his back, and despite the green colors on its edges, the ice blue of the center dominated the air around him, chilling it. Equally cold tendrils protruded from the center like deformed petals, writhing like a worm swimming in the water, looking for prey. The entire flower, though intimidating, was beautiful.