He was panting hard now as he followed the ravens. His lungs felt like they would cave in and his heart was beating far too hard in his chest. By the time he made it to the grove, he was breathless; but that was fine as Lumikki wasn't reliant on his words. No, her ravens already spoke on the matters of his village. The Demoness was quite aware of why this man had come, and his desperation was delicious.

In every major step of his promotion, the Demoness was on his side aiding him. All the challenges to his power and rule, she took in his place. This occurrence would not be different from the others. And it would be she that sat back and observed as he fumbled it all time, and time again. Only to watch him running back to the safety of her wings.

It was pathetic

Zimnur became a good example of what she hated in man. Weakness that she was so graciously spared from back home in Iceberg. People like him would not survive long there, nor were they coddled. Some lacked the strength to overcome, and then there was weakness. Zimnur would only present the latter in all he did. And it sickened her but it made her exploitation of his incompetence only that much sweeter.

Lumikki had already started to build her following. To elevate in power and status. So there were some she would trust with tasks and the aid to grow her desires, and then there were others she used for all her worst traits and nature. After all a Demon still needed something to sink their claws and teeth into. Zimnur would act as a release to her sadistic joys and pleasures. So that she may leave her valuable servants untouched.

" Heh, didn't take long before it blew up in yer face did it? All that desire for power and no idea of how to use it. The price will be getting much steeper from here Zimnur. Ye aren't growing more valuable to me, ye aren't of use to me, and I am no babysitter." Her glare was radiant even in the dark of night, but Zimnur would see her just fine in the dark. He couldn't respond to her just yet, he needed time to catch his breath. So all he could do for the moment was heave until his heart calmed down and his lungs cooled off.

" I know my Demoness that I have been asking too much. And in your kindness, you've humored me for mere jewels. So right now in my highest time of need, please....please, I'll give you everything. Even my soul if I have to! I just can't go back like this. If they find out, I'll have nothing!" Zimnur in his plea and fresh recovery, fell to his knees. He was sniveling and groveling for her assistance as he understood that he was far too deep in his lies to back out now. At this point, he might as well cash in all his cards and let his fate take him.

Lumi on the other hand looked over him with contempt, but his offer of his soul was enough to ease her irritated disposition and put a smile on her face. " Aye, then let's go. I accept yer offer and yer mine. But if ye don't find anything practical use, ye'll just be feed for me birds. As for the village of yers? I rule it now and ye do as I say. Those people of yers are mine as well, after all, what's yers is mine." Zimnur knew he had no leverage to plead otherwise. And with the state of things, this would probably help him enjoy his life longer. As for finding a use, that worried him most for the moment.

It would not take them long to reach the nest of the wyvern. Nor was the beast hard to find in its lair. The men Zimnur was tasked to find would prove to be the most difficult as Lumi did not have eyes within the cave. So it would be his task on this mission as Lumi got to work dispatching the beast.

When the pair entered the cave, they were bombarded by the roars of the wyvern and screams of the mission men. The two would break off and seek their goal. Both were blessed with the sight to transverse the underground without the need for light. Yet Lumi still enjoyed the sensation of running her hands along the walls as she took the stone in. It was a way to always channel and connect to her family.

With each step taken toward the beast who needed to be slain, a frost blossom would bloom and flourish. Marking her way back out if she required a path.

The Wyvern was snarling by the time she walked into the last entrance of its lair. Its movements were manic and jerky. With its ferocity, it would immediately lung toward the Demoness, not bothering to care for her presence or threat level. It just saw another person rip from this world and so it acted on it.

But Lumi would not give the beast the luxury to draw near, her chill was already entering the air and slowing the movements of the Wyvern down. The cold was so frigid, that it fell to its feet and recoiled in pain. The exacerbated cries of battled before quickly melded into whimpers of pain and screeches of agony. And Lumi would rejoice in it for a moment, drinking in the suffering of her prey until she eventually grew so bored she ended it for good. All that was left was a frozen Wyvern tucked into a ball. It was another casualty of Zimnur's collateral damage.

All the could be heard now throughout the tunnels was the pitter-patter of Lumi's talons hitting the ground as she made her way to where she figured Zimnur and his men to be. He had been comforting them the whole time that the situation would improve. How he had great enough connections to enlist a strong monster hunter to handle the Wyvern so that he would have the time to find and aid his men. The poor guys fell for it, eating up all his lies and ushering him with praise and joy. And when they saw Lumi, they all rejoiced once more. Parading her with their thanks as now they knew that home would be a reality again.

Except it wasn't

No Zimnur could not reveal his weakness to those back home. He said so himself on the walk here. But out of pity for the men who believed the dream, Lumikki froze them so fast that joy was the last emotion they could ever feel. Their wide smiles were now encased in black ice that ran its way down deep into their bones. Meanwhile, Zimnur would cackle as the turn of events he pleaded for. Almost as if her power was now like an extension of his own.

" You'll get what we agreed on like usual chief. I'll have it to you by tomorrow. And you know? I really see this working out. You'll see, you'll grow to love me!"

Lumi scoffed and walked away, she felt no need to spare any more words.