FIRE AND ICE

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

            - ROBERT FROST

ISOLDE'S POV

Despite promising myself not to sleep and almost succeeding, I did fall asleep just before sunrise, a very deep one too.

This is probably why Mr. Pretty Face decided to wake me up by shaking me like we're in the middle of an Obiama invasion.

"Dear Gods and spirits, you sleep like a bloody coma patient."

"Good morning to you too, sire. Is this how people are awakened in Azura? The place sounds like a dream more and more."

Instead of the expected snarky comment, I got a chuckle in reply. I finally looked at him and noticed the barely hidden excitement in them.

"We're here", he said, voice slightly high-pitched from excitement.

At his words, I looked outside and saw nothing but vast mountains. But just when I was about to ask him if he was joking, something came into my field of vision.

It was two large waterfalls falling into a lake but instead of a mountain, the water was coming down from the giant pitchers held by two humongous statues of a man and a woman.

Immediately I recognized the male statue, Sol, the God who had forsaken my village.

The closer we got, the clearer the statues became. Sol with his magnificent Golden crown placed on the blood-red hair and equally red robes looked every bit the most powerful God he was.

Opposite him, the gentle figure of a woman with raven hair clad in midnight blue robes gave the illusion of mercy and compassion.

Not to be fooled, Gods did not know human emotions such as mercy or love.

"What is she called? Who does she reign over?" I asked, there is only a certain amount of curiosity a girl could hold on to.

"We call her by as many names as her forms. Qamar, Chandni, Chandrima, Selene, Tsukuyomi ,and many more. But here in Azura, she's famously known as Selena, the other half of Sol. The night to his day, darkness to his light, ice to his fire. The half of everything and everyone."

"Selena," I whispered her name as if to make sure someone like me can utter the name of someone like her.

Sol's equal in every way, I didn't know Sol even had an equal!

I was brought back from my musings by the sudden halt of the carriage. Guess this was our queue to start walking.

But no, the coachman didn't ask us to get off. Instead, the carriage moved again, this time at a much faster pace.

Before I could make sense of the sudden change in pace, the carriage started to move straight towards the waterfall.

I heard a scream.

It took me a moment to register the scream was coming from me. That's it, I'm going to die. At the ripe age of 16. I felt my eyes tearing up.

Just as I was about to scream for the carriage to stop, I heard the sound of laughter. I looked at Inayat and saw him trying to stifle a burst of laughter hard but failing miserably.

Before I could ask him what was funny about our impending demise, the carriage drove through the waterfall. I waited, holding my breath for it to happen but nothing happened.

I opened my eyes to look outside and saw the water didn't reach us, instead was suspended at a few meters away from the window as if hitting some sort of invisible glass.

This time Inayat didn't bother holding back his laughter.

That bastard! He knew we would be unharmed but instead of telling me, he chose to laugh at my misery.

"The fire and Ice gateway waterfalls are spelled to make way for rides towards Azura. The force of the water doesn't hit the carriage and we safely pass through," he explained to me in between laughter.

"Oh," was all I could answer with.

And you didn't tell me this before I had a heart attack because??

 And what do you mean by spelled to make way for carriages? Who spelled it? 

Such display of Magical power is only possible in Azura, I guess.

My situation suddenly became much more real to me. The fact that I will have to compete with mages like these made my throat dry.

The carriage drove on between the waterfall as I looked outside contemplating my decision to come here and how hard I have to work to catch up to the noble children. 

What was I even doing here ?

 I didn't belong here. I couldn't possibly mix with these refined people. I was the complete opposite of them.

Like fire and Ice.

GLOSSARY

*Selene: The Titaness of Moon in Greek mythology.

*Tsukuyomi: The moon God in Japanese mythology and Shinto religion. Tsukuyomi was said to have been brought into existence from a mirror held by Izanagi, so is often associated with illusion and reflection.

 
_________________________________________
Please remember to vote and comment.