Back to Tradition (With Leona Jarnefeldt)

It was a strange thing. A significant amount of time had passed since, well, a lot of things. The start of the major conflicts throughout the lands, the last time a real job had been completed, even the last conversation with many friends occurred so long ago that the details of it were barely present enough to be accurate. Samira's life had become stagnant. Nothing changed, nothing happened, nothing sparked any reason for her to do more than simply exist beyond name and title to signify what power she had in case there came a time it was needed. Even her guild provided little purpose beyond bearing the same recognizable mark as other members. Perhaps that was always how it was to the summoner though, and it was only with all the time she had for peaceful reflection that made herself more aware just how little guild interaction mattered.

Stranger still Samira didn't mind the stagnation or the quiet that came with it. Her magical abilities may have not increased in a while but truthfully they didn't need to any longer. There was always room for growth and ways to improve, of course, but the goddess of Ishgar had become quite content with her current self. There was very little regret in doing absolutely nothing important the whole year... Or two. It might have been two. Samira hadn't been as diligent with her journal entries as she had used to be and marking the days on the calendar felt unnecessary. Somehow she could feel her past self sighing in disapproval for her current lack of interest in forcing her abilities to grow further. That had always been a goal of hers once upon a time. Now it felt like a waste of a pursuit. Maybe Samira was just bored with it all. She wasn't entirely sure anymore.

The many spirits that lived as a part of her magic did not sit silently while Samira took her trip away from major civilization. It was quite the opposite. Most were loud, annoying, and constantly nagging her to get out and do something more than quietly remain idle. The summoner was quite practiced with ignoring them, but even she had her breaking point. It had been pointed out that the annual winter festivities were right around the corner. She'd just use that to make them happy. She'd rejoin society for a time and they'd get to play around and cause their usual mayhem that she'd have to apologize to the public for later. What a wonderful tradition to return to.

Actually, Samira would retract her sarcastic thoughts on the matter. It wouldn't be a return to true tradition if she didn't have a certain friend with her. Leona Jarnefeldt. Having her around would make the return to the social scene much better. It had been too long since the two had spoken. Just what had her fellow Wizard Saint been up to the whole time she had been seemingly absent from the world? Surely doing much more than she had been, no doubt. Oh, it would be so lovely to see and speak to her again.

Before arriving in Rose Garden, Samira had sent a message to Leona on her iLac, letting her know that she'd be there for a few days if she wanted to catch up. It was fine if not. The invitation was a little last minute, but so were many of their other festival outings. True to tradition once again.

It was late morning when Samira found herself at a local cafe. She took the pleasure of taking one of the tables set up outside so she could better view and listen to the festivities around her. Rose Garden was the same as it always was that time of year. Decorations and magic everywhere brought the holidays to life, music played for all to enjoy, shops were open, and the streets were absolutely bustling with people of all kinds. Samira was so still by comparison. One would think she'd freeze by just sitting there in the cold even with her comfy winter long-sleeved top and pants of a snowy color. Her magic kept her warm for the most part but most of all the warm cup of hot cocoa she was sipping on provided a more simple explanation. There she'd remain for a time, watching those around her all the while waiting to see if Leona would stop by.

(Word Count: 740)

The morning continued with very little disruption. The only real change was her original cup of hot chocolate being replaced with another. It would probably be her last. It was tasty but there was such a thing as too much of a good thing. Even with hot chocolate.

Samira had just taken a short sip from the cup when a familiar voice reached her ears. Her gaze turned towards the source that was all too familiar. Leona was the same as ever. A smile formed on Samira's face. There was a strong urge to leave her seat so she'd be free to hug her friend but that course of action was resisted. The shell she had crawled into over the year kept her in check and reasoned that a spontaneous show of affection was inappropriate.

"Good morning, Leona," Samira warmly replied. "Things are going as well as can be expected, I suppose. Though a bit dull." A second was spent to take another short sip from the cup she held. "The holiday season adds a bit more charm to the world at the very least," she added, with no intention to go into further explanation at that moment. Who was she to bring the chances of having a good time down before things even got started?

"I am so glad you came. The day has greatly improved with your presence. Please, have a seat," Samira motioned to the empty chair at the table. "Take a moment to try the hot chocolate or whatever else you may like instead. I will pay, of course." Offering to cover expenses seemed right since it was she who invited Leona, and so suddenly too. "We must take this opportunity to catch up. It has been quite some time since we last enjoyed a seasonal outing together."

(Word Count: 302
Samira Total: 1042
Thread Total: 1752)

Samira let out a soft chuckle. She wasn't all that certain there was much truth to those words. Sending an iLac message to meet and finding someone seemingly through the will of fate were two different things. Still, she could appreciate the sentiment. The words were sweet in a way. "I am grateful that you take my sudden invitations so well. Some would prefer giving me a lecture, I am sure."

"Well, I should see about getting that coffee of yours." Samira turned around slightly and motioned for one of the servers while calling out for attention. The order was so simple that as soon as it was made Leona had a cup of hot fresh coffee in front of her within a few moments. Honestly, Samira couldn't tell if it was excellent service or just the fact that, given the time of day, the servers expected pretty much everyone to order coffee and so always carried around a magic pitcher of it in their pockets. Well, whichever it was, the thought went away to live in the back of her mind.

"How have-" The attempt to keep the conversation going was cut short. A surge of powerful magic spread through the city. Samira could feel its presence, especially when it passed through her. She shivered from its effect. It was ice cold! Not even the temperatures of Iceberg got that reaction out of her. The bond with one of her more fiery spirits was strong enough to easily keep her warm always with very minimal effort. To have that power diminished so effectively was unheard of. It'd be troubling if she didn't at first consider that the caster of the wintry spell was a part of the festival events. Surely it had to be.

"Hm, that is peculiar. Someone is using strong magic. I wonder why?" What use was there in making the temperature drop? If even she was cold the normal citizens of Rose Garden must have been freezing. No matter. There was no real cause for concern just yet. It was nothing. Just something to laugh about later. She'd find comfort with her cup of hot chocolate.

Samira raised her cup to take another sip of the chocolatey goodness. Except when her lips made contact she quickly noticed there was no warmth left within the cup. There was no liquid either. Her eyes widened a bit but they were quick to lose any and all surprise that was within. Upon a certain realization, her stare became just as cold as the air. She set the cup down on the table before tapping on its contents. Frozen. Her hot chocolate had become a popsicle! Disgusting.

Samira was no longer amused. Whoever was responsible for that spell had ruined a pleasant part of her day. True to tradition once again. The two friends were going to have more to do that day than just a friendly chat.

(Word Count: 488
Samira Total: 1530
Thread Total: 2624)

Leona's iced coffee comment almost made Samira forget how unpleasant ruined hot chocolate was. She allowed herself to smile a bit, but that was all. It was a shame that even the strongest of coffee blends could not withstand the effects of the spell. Now Leona was also disappointed. Maybe next year the two could catch a break.

"Agreed." Even before Leona made the suggestion Samira knew they would have to find out what was going on and deal with the issue if it was more than some prank. Looking around, the summoner could see the confusion of the people. They were just as uninformed of the happening as the two of them were.

The temperature continued to drop unnaturally and ice began to cover everything in town. She first noticed the ice spreading on the windows of the cafe, then the building itself, then the outside furniture. Not wanting to find out if it could spread to people, Samira quickly left her chair the moment she noticed it was too cold for comfort. The situation was quickly escalating.

"Do any of you see anyone casting a sort of ice magic?" Samira telepathically asked of the spirit summons that had been let loose to do as they wished much earlier. They had been well-behaved, which was suspicious. The unusual icing of the town had better not be them causing mischief.

"I do not."
"Oh, so that's what that was. Nope."
"No, but if I find the caster I'm eating them for this. If I wanted the frozen in Iceberg experience again I'd go there!"

The rest of the replies were more of the same, except for one that stood out.

"Did you talk to the blue giant standing menacingly outside town? He might know something!"

Samira sighed. Chances were the "blue giant" was the source. She had no idea what else to expect from that simple description but she'd find out soon enough. "My spirits have mentioned a suspicious character outside the city. We should start our search there."

A portal made up of swirling blue magic particles formed near the two. Perhaps Leona would recognize it as the magic belonging to one of Samira's summons, Janus. Even if she did not it wouldn't be difficult to tell that it wasn't a hostile magic. After all, Samira walked right towards it while also motioning for Leona to follow.

"This should get us close enough. I cannot imagine that there would be much difficulty in locating an imposing blue...giant." Samira didn't like using that word. Its accuracy still brought a lot of uncertainty, and if there truly was a giant walking around using magical abilities with no caution to the city and its residents Samira had to question just what kind of security Rose Garden had. It wasn't very effective whatever it was.

(Word Count: 472
Samira Total: 2002
Thread Total: 3566)

Enemy Info:

The trip through the portal was instant. One moment they were a part of the crowd in the streets of Rose Garden and in the next they were right outside its borders. The supposed giant wasn't right there in front of them but it only took a quick look to spot it not far off. Much too close to town and yet further off than Samira expected. Considering the effects of the spell and her place in town at the time the summoner had thought the creature to be right on its doorstep. The giant was a source of great power indeed.

There within their clear line of sight stood a large man. He wasn't the giant many would have imagined. The sort of massive creature that stood taller than a building. Still, Samira supposed he could be a rare enough sight to be given such a label. If only she knew at that moment the other secrets of his abilities. Then perhaps she would fully understand the description that had been given.

Aside from his size setting him apart from the average Joe, he truly was blue. From the paleness of his skin and beard to the thick robe and hat there was nothing but that icy wintry color in various shades. Except for the unnatural red eyes. Thankfully that cold inhuman stare was not upon them just yet. The unknown being was distracted with his spell-casting. From the large tree-tipped wooden staff he held a large aura of frost and ice could be seen, the particles swirling around and spreading out into Rose Garden. Why he was doing that Samira couldn't tell. At the very least he did seem to be alone, but that was all she could gather with a look.

"That must be the source of the magic affecting Rose Garden," Samira calmly stated to Leona. She was still annoyed about the ruined hot chocolate but she wasn't about to attack the man right that instant. Honestly, she couldn't rightly tell if he was fully hostile despite his appearance. Sure he was using magic to decrease the temperature and cover the place in ice but thus far no one was hurt. That thought process was short-lived.

The swirl of magic was becoming a chaotic storm. If not stopped, Rose Garden and its people would have much more to worry about than iced-over windows and the takeover of iced coffee as its new most popular drink. Samira wanted to let out a hopeless sigh but she resisted. Any slim chance there was for a non-violent resolution became nonexistent.

A quick moment was taken to decide her options. In the end, it was decided to let her summons continue their day off uninterrupted. Her other abilities were more than adequate for the situation.

"Well, I suppose we should get started," as Samira said those words her own magic sparked into action. Her body went through the process of take-over magic and in an instant, her body glowed and changed. The skin of the Goddess of Ishgar swirled with a living flame that burned brightly. To match, a pair of fiery wings materialized from her back and her nails became sharp golden talons. A fire-based spell to go against the frozen caster. It was basic logic. Of course, it didn't apply all the time in her experience but it was as good a place to begin with as any other.

"I am looking forward to a proper hot chocolate refill after this."

(Word Count: 583
Samira Total: 2585
Thread Total: 4525)

Very impressive. Samira watched for a moment as Leona and her summon seemed to have fused together. Well, that was the simplest description of what she had just watched anyway. It looked to be a rather simple result with Leona just having the summon's wings and beret, but Samira knew better than to think there was no more to it than that. Many summoners had such an ability, including herself, although it came in many varieties. No two summoners had exactly the same effect. She could not recall Leona ever having made use of that sort of magic before. Something she had learned over the year perhaps? Or was it something she always could do? It was something she'd need to inquire about later.

The magical presence of the two Saints' transformations did not go unnoticed. The levels of such power combined were hard to ignore even if they were not the most powerful spells either could accomplish. The large man slowed his storm and turned to face them. He said nothing as he glared at them. It was almost like he was something that was being controlled. Acting on another's desire rather than his own.

Immediately he turned his staff on them. An icy blast was released from the tip of the fir tree. Samira countered it with a spell of her own. A swipe of her new talons created a blast of flames that collided with the wintry version the man had used. The flames completely disintegrated the opposing spell, negating it, and continued on their path to the villain. The spell struck true but it did little more than knock him off balance. He was neither burned nor hurt. Truly he was very resistant to such spells and formidable. Samira wasn't surprised. With the town so close she was playing it safe by not using her strongest magic. He'd fall eventually. She was sure of it. It'd just take more than one hit.

Shifting from defense to offense, Samira made use of another power of her takeover. Her body lost its humanoid form to become one of pure fire that took off towards the blue giant. She was there in an instant, hitting him once more with her power before returning to the form she had before that move. It was notably colder that close to him but the heat of her magic allowed her to ignore it for now. What she could not ignore was the already large man growing in size. Her attack doing about as much as the first was momentarily forgotten as she stepped back and watched him get larger and larger until he finally fit the original description her summon had given earlier.

"Unexpected." Samira calmly thought out loud. She didn't have a magic to increase her own size and though she did have summons just as large she was against calling on their aid. Perhaps with his focus on her Leona would have a chance of causing some damage.

(Word Count: 499
Samira Total: 3084
Thread Total: 5552)

As Leona made her move against the giant, Samira used her fiery wings to rise into the air and move out of the way as the giant retaliated. His attention had changed focus, proving that he could get distracted easily. That was a great benefit as it allowed the summoner to observe everything in greater detail. It didn't take long for her to spot something she had not been able to notice before.

The man's large size and Leona's attack made it possible for a crack to appear on the giant's body. A thin but durable layer of ice coated his body like a shield. It was cracking now but it did explain why the previous attacks seemed to do so little. He had already prepared a defense before the battle. With that in mind, Samira knew she could continue to whittle down the shield, or she could redo her strategy and choose spells that could pierce right through that protective layer. The latter was chosen.

Samira tapped into her celestial magic. Not to summon a spirit but to instead call upon a gateway that led to pure energy and the essence of the original entities that her spirits came from. A large arched and opened doorway appeared above the summoner as she seemingly conjured it from nothing but thought. Its edges pulsed and shifted continuously in waving motions, moving from one reality to the next on a loop as it existed in an in-between state. The large opening glowed with all sorts of colors as it released orbs of celestial energy that went straight for the enemy. They navigated around Leona as they homed in on him. Not that he was an easy target to miss in the first place. He groaned loudly as they struck, their full power going straight through the ice shield.

Samira wasn't going to give him the chance to use any other defenses that ice magic was known for. Her eyes shot beams of fire as she flew around him to strike at different points. They too could go through the defensive layer, hitting him with his weakness and bringing him down further. He was not happy but he was slow and couldn't keep up with the onslaught of attacks. The two were like insects buzzing around him. It was only a matter of time before he unleashed something truly powerful to be rid of them.

(Word Count: 402
Samira Total: 3486
Thread Total: 6532)

There wasn't anything more that needed to be done. Leona had delivered a blow that severely weakened the robed giant. Seeing as the gate spell was still active, Samira hovered in the air and watched as it unleashed a second barrage. Each orb of celestial energy made contact and by the end of it, the giant entity was done. His giant form dispersed into a swarm of icy magic particles that faded out of existence. There still was no knowledge of the true intent behind his actions but Samira deduced he had been something summoned by the seasonal overlords that appeared every year and on nearly every season with the sole intent of making life more complicated for mages everywhere that had to clean up the mess.

Samira returned to the ground and allowed her take-over spell to fade away to return to her normal self. The opened gateway also disappeared as it too was no longer needed. Now all that was left to do was check in on the town and get back to their time of catching up.

(Word Count: 180
Samira Total: 3666
Thread Total: 7194)