"Who are you?" Ruby questioned as fear grasped her heart. Something heavy and foreboding seems to be trying to crush her chest as the atmosphere around her drastically changed its ambiance. The sweet singing of sparrows disappeared and was replaced by the enigmatic song of the owls. The gentle wind that caressed her skin transformed into a wraith that whispers terror in her ears. 

She tried to summon her scythe and call upon the powers of Fenrir but found herself unable to. She was able to bring out her scythe but the Wolf's mighty strength refused to answer her call. She could feel it, yes, but it won't reach back to her. Drawing the power of the frost and the indomitable might of destruction has become almost second nature to her, but right now it feels like she's been left to fend for herself. 

"Fenrir, what's happening...?" This was the first time that she couldn't openly feel her connection with the Wolf God. It was alarming because she's grown quite dependent upon his powers to help her in times of need. But right now, no matter how much she calls upon his essence, no reply or aid ever comes back. It was like she was completely cut off from him. 

"Oh, has your master abandoned you? What a shame. Even the all-mighty wolf deserts its allies, I suppose."

"What did you do to Hrod?!" Ruby tried to scream out but her voice sounded more like a whimper. No, she won't be intimidated by this beast or whatever it is that copied the face of her son. She is the embodiment of the strongest beast feared by both men and gods alike so she won't cower like a little rat to this new unknown threat. Even without Fenrir's powers, she's not completely helpless at all. Martis made sure that she could hold out on her own even without the help of her patron. She'll make sure that all that time spent training with the demigod would pay off. 

"Let's just say that he won't be helping you in this fight." the wolf smirked ominously. Her blood tingled with rage, her hand gripped her weapon tighter. 

"Stop being a coward hiding under the guise of my son! Reveal your name and your face! Fight me heads on!" declared the blonde fighter, standing her ground. She had immediately collected her bearings and mustered her courage. She might not be able to fully understand her situation but that doesn't mean that she can be pushed back by some lunatic pretending to be her wolf.

"As you wish, even though you are unworthy to bask in my beauty."

Light shimmered from the wolf's body which contorted into a different shape. They looked like clay being molded before taking the silhouette of a human and yet not quite one. When the light dimmed, Ruby could see a person, an elf-looking entity, floating in the air apathetically defying gravity. They had a silver circlet sitting on top of their flowing silver hair that looked like it was made of moonlight or spiderweb. Their eyes glowed a brilliant blue like sparkling sapphire gems that held hate and vengefulness. High cheekbones and strong jawlines defined their face giving them a graceful and regal appearance. 

They were rather tall with a pale complexion. Their gender is indiscernible given that their face looks so androgynous. Maybe they're male that looks feminine or actually female with a hint of masculinity. They might be neither or both and yet they would still be beautiful. 

Their colors are silver, white, and blue. Their armor was intricately made to look both glorious and be functional. Their tunic was elegant and bespoke, fit for someone that resides in heaven. But what caught her attention the most was the silver-bladed scythe on their hand. It was wonderfully made and perfectly crafted to provide balance and fatality. She was almost envious of its craftsmanship. If Terizla was here, she would probably pester him to make her a scythe as marvelous as that one. 

"I am Illuminous, envoy of the Goddess of the Moon, Gavanna. The most gracious and perfect creator of the elves who brings light into the infinite darkness of the night. Paragon among the gods and supreme beauty across all pantheons. I've been sent here to pass her most rational judgement upon a worthless sinner like yourself. Prepare to meet your death, lowly human." 

Ruby rolled her eyes at their pompous speech. They talk too much balderdash. They could have summarized all that bullshit into "I'm here to kill you, bitch!" but they chose to give her a lengthy monolog. How annoying. 

"I acknowledge no goddess of the moon than my goddess, Lady Artemis. I bet she could finish your goddess without so much as lifting a single finger. Your lady sounds like all shimmer and shine with no strength." she insulted, trying to get a rise from her opponent. 

"How dare you compare my lady to that barbaric deity you call goddess of the Moon! She is not even a wit as magnificent as my goddess. Now prepare to be shown no mercy." roared the envoy with unfathomable spite. 

"Well, as a worshipper of goddess Artemis I take great offense from your words as well. I will show you with equal courtesy. No mercy."

White orbs appeared around the envoy who hovered upon the air. There were fifty of them and Ruby was sure that they were not friendly at all. 

Soon, those pearly orbs began shooting beams like a barrage of arrows sending her running. Just as she expected, it was an attack meant to hurt. The ground where she stood was riddled with glowing spikes that were able to split a rock in two. 

She winced at the sight. It would have been death by a thousand cuts if she wasn't fast enough. 

Ruby tried to look up at the envoy to see what they were planning to do next. There was no significant change on the elf but she realized an observation she neglected earlier. The envoy was being accentuated by the pale moonlight making her squint. Since when did it become night? The sun was just high a few minutes ago. Perhaps it's an illusion or maybe she was relocated into another location without her knowing it.  

Fenrir had told her that moon entities are capable of intricate illusions that are so believable that they are almost true. But she's also aware of a special skill that allows a person to overlap the contents of reality with the contents of a fictional world or a familiar territory. Such skill allows the caster full control over the environment where they brought their opponents, giving them a greater advantage.

"It's a Fable Realm." Ruby mused as she looked upon them with a frown. She might be right because the natural primordial magic that vibrates around the forest was buried under something that feels... quite lunar. It was the same essence she felt whenever she visited the elven forests for her missions. It's been a while since she's been there but she recognized this presence. It was the authority of Gavanna, confirming the envoy's words.

They were quite smart with this move. They knew that she could easily vanquish them if she had full access to Fenrir's powers given that it was his fate to devour the immediate light sources of the planet. However, they seem to have forgotten to take into account a new power she acquired.

She trusted her hand inside her satchel and retrieved the notepad and charcoal pen made from the tree of Yggdrasil. She'll need a little bit of distraction to summon fort her new powers given that her connection with it is still unstable. Plus, the goddess must choose to approve of her first before she could borrow her powers. 

Finishing the runic inscription, Ruby threw it into the air and uttered a small chant to activate the spell. All it needed was a small amount of mana to bring it to life. The small parchment transformed into a kaleidoscope of butterflies that fluttered towards the envoy. They swarmed around them before exploding one by one and taking the elf by surprise. Ruby grabbed this opportunity to access her new powers. 

"I seek your aid giantess that dwells on the frozen mountains of Jotunheim. Venerable goddess of the hunt and frost, let me borrow your strength, Skadi." Ruby uttered as she clutched the pendant that glowed brighter on her chest.

She felt a sudden surge of cold coursing through her veins. Her scythe glowed with ethereal light signifying the positive response of the giantess. She could feel the chilling power of a Jotun in her muscles and she shivered with its might. 

Unlike the fury and bloodlust that Fenrir's powers bring, Skadi's magic was more refined and elegant rather than wild and overpowering. This time, she doesn't have to put restrictions upon herself to prevent her consciousness from being swallowed by the Wolf's beastly nature. Therefore, she could freely fight without fear of losing herself in the heat of the moment. 

"Thank you, Skadi." she exclaimed in gratitude before leaving her hiding spot.

Her shivering stopped as the goddess's aid afforded her new battle regalia. Blue winter clothes replaced her crimson garments. A snowflake brooch made from dazzling sapphire gems decorated her chest while an azure aviator hat covered her head. 

A silent voice inside her mind whispered a name befitting the goddess' gift. Mountain flower, Edelweiss: purity and innocence that is difficult to attain. It was a lovely gift from the goddess which she appreciated. Her clothes were crafted to help her cope with the winter that flows within her. She is sure that it would help her channel the Jotun magic more efficiently. 

She raised her scythe, which had also changed with her transformation. It now bears more resemblance to Fenrir's scythe, the Eternal Winter. However, her new scythe feels less malevolent and more valiant. 

She smirked. 

This will be fun. 

Illuminous was just getting rid of the last remnants of her butterfly army when she sent a crescent shockwave to further disorient them. The attack successfully connected but the elf merely flicked it off with a single slash of their bare hand. 

"Your cheap tactics won't work on me. I've fought thousands of enemies far stronger than you. So much bigger opponents that could crush you under one step and just like them, I would vanquish you without fail." growled the envoy boastfully. 

"We'll see about that." Ruby smirked as she prepared for their attack. 

"Frost wind!" Ruby exclaimed as she released sheets of ice as sharp as knives towards the elf. 

Illuminous raised their hand as if to grasp something and within seconds a brilliant bow appeared in their palm. They drew the cord, an arrow made of light appeared, and they pointed it at her before letting it loose. At first, it appeared dainty, like a small match lit and thrown into the air but she did not expect it to grow in intensity as it approached her. It destroyed her attack with ease and targeted her like a cataclysm from the sky. 

It was too late to evade the blow so she raised her hand on instinct in a feeble attempt to defend herself. Eyes closed shut, she expected to feel the pain within seconds. A brilliant flash of light burned through her eyes but no pain followed it. 

Confused, Ruby slowly opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, adjusting her vision from the blinding attack. There in front of her, made from her own mana and desire to live, a grand fortress of ice stood erect protecting her from the elf's merciless attacks. The envoy kept firing moon-blessed arrows at her but as soon as they shattered one layer, another would rise from the ground to replace it. 

She marveled at the intricacy of her magic and thanked the goddess for this favor. She looked around and observed the shape of her ice fortress. It seems to have multiple layers of ice shaped like petals and she imagined that it must have looked like a massive flower from the outside. 

"I'll call you Winter Rose Fortress." The ice seems to gleam with pride as it earned its name. 

Interesting. Now, how does she control it? 

Your magic is powered by your desires. The stronger you wish, the more formidable spells you can summon. Its form comes from the nature of your imagination and the personality of your soul. The power of winter and storms is at your fingertips. Use it as you will. 

Ruby heard a faint voice in her head. It didn't sound foreign, instead, it sounded like her natural thoughts telling her what to do. It must be Skadi. She would follow her advice and use her magic to its fullest. 

Ruby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

Focus. 

Dig deep down. 

And think about what you want. 

She imagined swords: long, broad, and lethal. Her mind traced their designs and her resolve crafted their essence. Once her eyes opened, seven swords made of ice manifested behind her awaiting her command. She gawked at them in wonder for a second before a confident grin blossomed from her lips. 

The envoy was still attacking. Hundreds of arrows rained down on her but her winter flower fortress kept their assault at bay. Their barrage left little to be done within her dome unless she wanted to be riddled with arrows. However, if there's a way to attack from the safety of her shields to disorient them before dealing a lethal blow with her scythe then it is worth exploring. 

Her attention turned to her swords. She can make them spin and soar in the air at will as if invisible hands were controlling them. But, could she move them around if she thought of specific coordinates? She couldn't risk opening her fortress to let them out. The envoy could take that opportunity to attack her which could prove fatal. Therefore, teleporting her frozen blades would be much safer and more efficient. She put this idea to the test. 

Focus. Be precise. Be accurate.

She honed her eyes on the location where she wanted her blades: above the envoy.

"Go." Her lips uttered their command, her swords instantly vanished, and reappeared exactly above the envoy before thrusting down to skewer them.

Though they didn't expect the attack, Illuminous was swift. Their hand was already at their scythe and shattered the swords with one swing. Ruby took this discovery to practice and created more swords around the envoy to pin them down. The walls of her fortress parted like a blooming flower to let her out. Hand firmly holding her scythe, she pounced and moved her blade to decapitate the envoy still busy with deflecting her swords.

She watched as her weapon slashed through their torso but something wasn't right. This feels like a mistake. Not the act of killing, no, she's accustomed to the idea of protecting herself. Self-preservation comes first before morality. So the problem lies with what she is actually killing.

It wasn't solid.

Once her blade sank through their armour, she didn't feel the familiar resistance of metal breaking and flesh being torn apart. It was like cutting light. There was nothing there once her scythe sliced them and their false image flickered out like a mirage.

It was an illusion.

The revelation was later realized as she felt a heavy blow connecting with her spine. The force sent her crashing harshly on the ground. It was so strong that her surroundings fractured, creating a crater around her. Without Fenrir's blessings and Skadi's regalia, her body would have been reduced into a nasty pile of flesh and bones. 

For a moment, she was too shocked and too injured to react. Her whole body throbbed with pain and her mouth bled when she bit her tongue. She released a soft groan of pain. Fenrir's powers, despite being inaccessible at the moment, still acted diligently to repair her wounds. She supported her hand on the ground and slowly pushed her body up, using her scythe as leverage. 

The envoy smirked as they watched her crawl back to her feet. They landed behind her. They had foregone their bow for their scythe and one could already guess what they planned to do with it.

"Ah, yes. Crawl on the ground like the vermin that you are. The moon shines bright and enjoys the sight."

"The moon does not shine. It merely reflects the light of the sun. It has no brilliance on its own. But unlike you that shines with a borrowed light, I illuminate with my own brilliance like a star." Ruby articulated as she faced them, fully healed and rejuvenated. 

Fenrir's wrath howled within her chest, tired of the disrespect. The monster chained inside her soul gnashed at his chains, begging to be unleashed. 

The injuries she attained, all the bones that she broke repaired themselves with no fail. In a second, she was up on her feet again ready for battle. Ruby's prized skill is her sustainability. She might not have Dyrroth's raw power nor Martis' massive strength, but she outranks them both when it comes to endurance, mobility, and durability. 

"Such insolence even in the face of your death."

Ruby concentrated a huge amount of mana on her arms and legs and propelled herself forward to directly assault the elf. Electricity sparked from her limbs as the might of storms stirred within her body. One slash from above followed by another from below, attacking from every direction, twisting her scythe in every possible angle to find an opening. The envoy was sent on a defensive stance as her assault afforded them no reprieve. Her attack was so strong that any normal person would be reduced to cubes by now. 

Illuminous gritted their teeth. Their hands ached and throbbed due to the massive tremors her blows deliver every second. They were pushed back but they defended themselves fairly well with their scythe. 

They spread one palm to summon their pearls behind the Frost Maiden who turned her head to the side to see that they were about to shoot. They took this opportunity to strike her down but to their dismay, instead of slicing through flesh, their blade sank into a statue of ice shaped like the girl. The statue shattered into a million pieces just like their hope. 

She used the same trick they used on her. 

They felt her presence behind them, blade raised, and ready to kill. Ruby swung her weapon down and this time, succeeded in delivering a fatal blow on their back. She meant to decapitate them completely but it merely maimed them. Well, she'll have to satisfy herself with that. 

"Agggghhhhhh!" screamed the envoy as they fell on the ground, bleeding profusely and humiliated. 

"Send my regards to your goddess." This time it was Ruby's turn to hover above them with her scythe sneering at them with no mercy. 

"Gaahhhhhhhh!" Illuminous roared with indignation. 

"Any last words?"

"The moon... Has many faces." Ruby narrowed her eyes at their cryptic reply but was suddenly astounded when she felt several hostile presences over her. When she gazed up, she saw multiple elves with bows pointed at her and then she understood what they meant. 

They let their arrows loose and rained death upon her. 

Ruby immediately deployed her winter flower fortress but unlike earlier where there was only one oppressor, there were now eight of them firing blessed arrows all at once. Her barriers shattered like glass and one by one the layers that safeguarded her earlier failed to match the speed of their destruction. The rose lost its petals and wilted. The sound of their breaking was deafening and tortuous. The ice seems to be screaming with lamentation as they failed to defend her.

She was panicking. These envoys are more powerful than the elves she fought in the forest of Devas. Their intent is more vicious and their strength is more relentless. She doesn't know how long she could keep making the flower bloom before she is depleted.

Channeling the power of a God takes a great toll on the stamina. Skadi gives her precision and level-headed tactics but if she removes the restraints of her Illusionary Gleipneir she could utilize monstrous untamed powers that could obliterate her enemies in a second. However, she has to pay the price by losing her sanity and acting on pure instinct. She'll be a disaster with inexhaustible powers just like Fenrir and she can't afford to lose herself like that. 

"Dyrroth... What do I do?" she wailed as despondency gripped her heart. 

"This is the punishment of your paramour for what he's done to our kin. He shall rise from his death bed but you will take his place." The envoys spoke in unison. 

*Crack, crack, crack*

"We will break his heart just like how he broke our people."

*Crack, crack, crack*

"This is the justice of Gavanna. You should feel honored to be a part of it even though you are a mere sacrifice."

*Crack, crack, crack*

Fissures appeared on her last and final barrier. 

"Give our regards to the goddess of death."

Shatter.