Wintry Fire: Clash in the sea

Voyage
It has been a month since Invel became a citizen of the Gemma Empire as well as the 9th ranked Warmage. He was settling in better than he thought. Aeternum was a mysterious northern continent even Zeref had little knowledge of. While originally a stepping stone to reclaim the Alvarez Empire as the former power it once was. Invel abandoned this goal. He discovered Gemma and decided to leave Alvarez despite it being his home since birth. Invel originally torn about leaving his homeland, decided that despite his desire for war against Ishgar wouldn’t re-enforce his goals. As with Zeref gone he couldn’t find his anchor to a true resolution for war. So he decided after landing in Aeternum to make his new home have the destiny of his former home.

At the port city of Pearl. Invel was there overseeing Lacrima being put on the ship. Gemma had the largest naturally occurrence of Lacrima, and was one of the reasons it is such a rich nation. However he wasn’t alone. “So how goes the new job new boy?” The voice came from Phoebe Vastaril the 5th ranked Warmage. “Lady Phoebe I have a proper name it is Invel. Please address me as such.” Phoebe rolled her eyes in a typical anime fashion. “So serious, you need to relax.” Invel was trying to ignore his fellow Warmage. “Why are you here Lady Phoebe? Does lord Irminsul think I can’t handle it?” Asked Invel.

Phoebe smile her grin. Such a grin had known to cripple nations. “Oh you are silly, Invel if only you were taking this ship. The Magic God doesn’t yet trust you completely. You could run back to Alvarez with this shipment. The entirety of the shipment is very expensive. Full price is about 100 million Gems, which to be 10 Billion Jewels to Flore. Now we should go. We have several nations to stop to sell these Lacrima to. Invel and Phoebe joined the crew. They sailed to the sea and miles away from the coast of Gemma was an island. It wasn’t a huge one, but it had a large city on it. Coal Island was under the protection of Gemma and was the first stop to sell Lacrima to.

Inland
The sun was relentless and beat upon 'Azra'il, even through the thick jungle leaves overhead. He had made it onto this particular island a week ago, via a boat that wasn't far off from being considered a rowboat. In fact, now that he though about it, the slimy old geezer who sold him the piece of crap had been far too willing to lower his price by a couple hundred. So long as he got paid something. The thought left a sour taste in 'Azra'il's mouth. Regardless, his reason for coming to his particular island remained, even if he was aimlessly lost. "God-dammit! Where is the civilization?" No one was there to answer his question.

'Azra'il was in search of the one port on this island. It wasn't a very large island, but they still traded and bartered with the rest of the world, especially with its unique position between two widely known continents. So far, he was not a fan of the people who inhabited the wilder parts of the island. For starters, since arriving, he had his pack stolen by what looked to be some swinging monkeys, but turned out to be thieves with a knack for living in trees. It had been very irritating chasing them down, but by then, there wasn't much left anyways.

His train of thought was interrupted when his foot sank into a muddy pithole. Yep, irritated, check. For the good of my kingdom, he had to keep reminding himself, trudging onward with only one booted foot while he tried to clean the other.

It wasn't until he begun to crest a hill when the faint sounds of actual life strained towards his ears. Not the rustling and howling and grassy sounds of life from the forest, but actual civil life. He knew his ears could pick up sounds miles away, so he was prepared for the city to not be as close as it sounded. When he stood atop the hill, a breeze finally providing relief for his heated skin, 'Azra'il could see an ocean stretching far and wide, and looking down, there was the port city of Coal Island he had been searching for.

Already the smells of fish and spices wafted towards him on the wind, and he spied a couple of docked ships. "I think I've found what I'm looking for." He mused.

"Yep. It's about damn time too."

"What the fu—!" The words died on his tongue as he took in the appearance of a dark haired male hanging languidly upsidedown from a branch. "Kieron?!"

In the docking bay was Invel and Phoebe’s ship. “Attention crewmen, we are here per Lord Irminsul’s order to sell these Lacrima to the location businesses. Any stock labeled below Class 5-Level Magic Rank Lacrima can be sold to this island. We leave in three hours, any crewman not on this dock at that time will face consequences.” The crewmen looked slightly worried until Phoebe stepped in. “Of course, once the shipment assigned here is all sold any remaining time is for you to enjoy at your leisure.” The crewmen were happy and quickly ran off with several dozen crates of Lacrima. Leaving the other several hundred crates assigned on board the ship.

“Phoebe why are we selling product here?” Asked Invel in a confused toned while looking at a map. “Sure this island has a large city but it’s remote. Now that look at this map, the island is not much bigger than Caracole Island before Brandish shrunk it to the size of a stepping foothold. How does Gemma really profit from this?” Phoebe took the map from Invel and showed it to him. “What do you see?” Asked Phoebe. Invel looked the map. “I see the Aeternum continent then the Giltena continent below, and the ocean between the two.” Phoebe rolled up the map. “Exactly correct, Invel.”

Phoebe sat down on the dock. “This island is one of very few before you would hit Gemma’s southern coastline. So we made the island a protectorate of Gemma. So we supply them with Lacrima which we don’t sell at full price. In return, they keep a foothold against sea invasions until we Warmages can deal with them. You have a lot to learn about the complex politics of Gemma. Come on we should go into the city, I heard there is this shop that’s makes the best ice cream anywhere.” Invel and Phoebe left the docks.

"Why on earth is your deadbeat carcass here?" 'Azra'il grumbled, completely put off by his team member's appearance. And to think he had gone through all that trouble to ensure that he came alone. From raising private funds to secure the rickety old boat, to ditching him in the middle of the night. Well that last part had at least been the soundest.

A briny breeze straight off the surface of the sea accompanied the bustling port-city life. "I would think the answer was pretty obvious." Kieron stated. "Whose going to give you your warm cup of milk when you're cranky?" Kieron earned that punch, then he got serious. "I've known about your little trip for weeks now. If you don't want to tell me why we're here, then that's fine by me. But your safety is my priority. Or at least your whereabouts." Az's cousin was in no way his babysitter, nor did he try and keep him cushioned away somewhere, but he understood.

They were well into the city by now, taking in everything as casually as possible so as not to scream foreigner. Az made note of every alleyway, low-roofed house, crowded area, and balcony he saw. He might just need to use those routes. The closer they got to the docks, the more ruffled his feathers got in anticipation. He just hoped his source of information had been truthful about this certain shipment. 'Azra'il begun a slow pace around a few barrels stationed on the walkway above the docks. While his stance was lax, his eyes were roving over single guard, searching and weighing the threats.

Meaning while back in Coal City, Invel and Phoebe were in ice cream shop. “I told you Invel, best ice cream in Earthland.” Invel was finishing his dish. “Acceptable, however I think it should be colder.” Invel using his Magic made the ice cream even colder. “This is better.” The Warmages paid for their ice cream and left. “Now it’s only thirty minutes till we leave this island. Maybe we should return to the ship.” As Invel and Phoebe were returning to the docks, a crewman ran towards them. “Lady Phoebe, Lord Invel there is someone looking around the Lacrima shipments. I thought it was a costumer but they aren’t part of any business here.”

Invel and Phoebe quickly returned to the docks. “I can’t believe someone is so arrogantly to steal from Gemma. So Invel I will look around here for any other thieves.” Phoebe separated from Invel. Invel quickly sensed Magic Power more powerful than what was in the city, even when they disembarked earlier. Invel quickly began to freeze the air around himself. He had found the perpetrator. “Identify yourself.” Said Invel to 'Azra'il Ishvarion

''Crap. Crap. Crap.'' Ran through his mind. He guessed he was maybe a little too casual. Turning around, 'Azra'il took in as much information on the opposing man as he could. Around average height, and his robes told him of either nobility or a scholar maybe? He also didn't look much older than 'Azra'il himself. "'Azra'il is my name." He left off his last name, even though he was on a pretty remote island, he didn't want to chance anything. "I'm just taking a look around. Is there anything I can help you with?"

From a closer inspection, 'Azra'il could see the glint in the man's eyes. This wasn't going to end in any-kind of friendly conversation. Someone had tipped him off. There goes his bystander role. Could I manage to dispatch him quickly enough? "You come to admire the ships as well?" Yeah, keep talking, maybe he won't get suspicious.

Invel looked the same. His face had a mixture of a suspicion and cautionary expression. “What are you talking about? You aren’t a citizen of Coal Island are you? All people of the Gemma Empire know of us, the Nine Warmages. You can’t hide what it is your doing, Azra'il.” In an instant the entire ship and the docks minus Invel and Azra'il was frozen by his Ice Magic. “No one dares steal from us knowingly. So since you aren’t a citizen of the nation or this island protectorate the leaves only two other options. You could be a tourist however, tourists wouldn’t go around other ships secretively. So that leaves the only other option. You must be here to steal the remaining Lacrima shipment. I am afraid that warrants a full scale retaliation.”

Invel stood his ground on the frozen deck of his ship, that he and Azra'il were standing on. “You should leave at once. I wouldn’t mind a decent battle but I Invel Yura he who brings winter to all, am on a tight schedule. So leave at once or be frozen and shattered.” Invel didn’t want to wait for a rebound in their conversation. He was after all already running late. So he used his Ice Magic and his own immensely powerful Magic Power to focus his Ice Magic. By doing so he attempted to freeze Azra'il.

The Wintry Assault
Even as the words were said, 'Azra'il knew he had to at least try and make a stand, for he had traveled some distance to get here. Az readied the magic that danced in his veins, when he felt the tall tale signs of the atmosphere gaining colder properties. An ice wizard?

As the spell begun its work on Az, he released controlled amounts of dark fire from around his body, lighting himself ablaze and negating the magic from freezing him. Crap, the opposite of my element. The fire died down, and 'Azra'il's hand in turn became engulfed in the dark flames, resembling a phoneix talon. "Black Fire Phoenix's Striking Hook." He jumped at Invel with the intent to slash and burn.

Invel knew that he could freeze these flames. However they were of such an intensity that even though he could freeze them, Azrá’il could melt the ice even covering him quickly. So Invel would need time to affix his Ice-Magic, to be able to flash freeze his opponent to where he couldn’t melt himself free. As he learned from freezing the flames of Natsu Dragneel and even the legendary Dragon Slayer himself in the past. That even though he could freeze them instantly. He didn’t account for Natsu being able to melt his ice. So Invel jumped back a distance from the Gemma Ship and back onto the shipping dock, avoiding Azrá’il.

“I am the purest of Ice Mages. I simply freeze all in my path I don’t create toys from ice.” When he said that he used a rudimentary skill of Ice Magic. By affixing his Magic Power into his index and middle fingers of his left hand and then moving his hand in the general vicinity of his opponent he was releasing an attack. Invel had used his great process in freezing to send a force of Ice Magic toward his opponent similar to a cannon blast of condensed pressure. The attack was about to land on Azrá’il. Invel had also increased the strength of the freezing application of his attack.

'Azra'il was astonished as the ice managed to snuff out the flames in his hand, and not a second after, he was sent tumbling backwards from the force of the attack. Az grimaced and got back on his feet, pondering over the others words. "Toys...Oh, you must mean ice-make." He mused.

He didn't know whether to go at Invel from long-distance, or close-range. He settled for trying out long-range this time. "I mean come on, aren't you all the same? Boys playing with frozen water?" He teased the other man, baiting him, even as 'Azra'il winced from the earlier hit. Using his Black Fire Phoenix's Wing—, 'Azra'il extended his arms out, allowing the flames to form underneath his arms like feathers. Attack, a barage of small fire-like projectiles shot from the flames at Invel.

“You don’t listen.” Invel walked toward the flame projectiles and froze them. As they fell to the frozen dock, one wasn’t frozen. Invel grabbed the last projectile of fire into his left hand burning it before freezing it. “I can freeze All Things. I’m not restricted to only the physical world. Your mind, heart, even your very soul can be frozen and shattered by my Magic. When I was part of the Spriggan 12, Zeref’s elite mages in the Alvarez Empire I was powerful and could do all these things already. However I never attempted to fully use them, believing my power was already supreme. However after training in this empire I have become even stronger.”

The air became heavy and far colder. “ Now that I have become one of the Nine Warmages, I have trained further. “Ice Age (アイス・エイジ Aisu Eiji).” Invel slammed his burnt left hand’s palm onto the ground. The ground started to freeze again. However it spanned the entire island quickly, and several hundred meters off the island’s coast into the ocean. All the people, flora and fauna, buildings and virtually everything was frozen. Only Invel, Phoebe, Azrá’il, and Kieron weren’t frozen either by design or by being skilled enough to evade the freezing power.

“Very soon, I will have the exact measurement and magical structure of your flames. When I do you and your very soul will be frozen. Invel waved his non-injured right hand. “White Hurricane (ホワイトハリケーン, Howaito Harikēn).” A massive snowstorm appeared all around Coal Island and even spanned far beyond the island’s borders. “Now you see, why any single mage of the Nine is powerful enough to decimate or defend against an entire nation single-handed.”

Meaning while Phoebe was fighting Kieron, and was caught in Invel’s Ice Age and White Hurricane spells. “That fool. Doesn’t he realize if Gemma discovers this island has enemy invaders they will use M.A.N.A, if we don’t eliminate them soon?!” Back to Invel and Azrá’il. “By covering this island with ice and surrounding this island in a snowstorm, it will be difficult to use your flames. You will have to use the hottest flames you have to fight me. By which time I will have understood them enough to completely counter any attempt to melt yourself free.” With a simple gesture he started making currents of snowfall surround Azrá’il.

'Azra'il nearly slipped on the icy ground while trying to alter his stance. He frowned at this newly proposed challenge and tried to figure out this mage through his words. This man, Invel, spanned an entire snowstorm across the entire island. What was the extent of his magic power?

'Azra'il tunneled deep into his magic power, drawing up his hottest flames. Indeed this cold was actually starting to affect him, and he was known as the Black Phoenix Slayer for crying out loud.

He slid is feet across the ice, trying to evade the snow cloud, but found that it followed him, which meant he'd have to keep up a continuous supply of outward heat. Within moments, the snow flurries turned to steam the instant they touched his skin. He would need his hottest flames would he?

'Azra'il tried another Black Fire Phoenix's Wing Attack, but spread out the breadth of his attack, generating more fiery bullets in a wider area, attempting to strike him from a 270 degree angle.

Invel tried to increase the snowstorm to snuff out these bullets. But they were much hotter than the previous ones. However they weren’t hot enough to do any lasting damage even those several that did hit him. Invel was burned but it was minor. “These are impressive flames but if they are the limit of your power, than I don’t need to bring a greater winter to freeze you.”

Invel started to freeze the docks even more. The docks started to crack, ships started to fall under the shattering ice into the freezing ocean. Invel was trying to freeze the docks to such a degree that Azrá’il would fall into the ocean. “You are a good fighter Azrá’il, but you don’t possess the degree of Magic Power that I do.” Invel had increased the force of the snowstorm and expanded it to even further. Now from an island scale stormstorm, it became a full snow and hail storm. Large hail started to fall. However the hail was would freeze anything it touched. Invel was trying to push Azrá’il into the ocean. It was due to all his Ice Magic, the ocean was so cold if Azrá’il fell in it would encase him in ice.

'Azra'il snorted as he kept drawing up magic power. He casted his Black Fire Pinions, generating a pair of flaming wings made from his black fire. The wings sprung from underneath his arms and he took to the air. "No need to burst your bubble, but you're gonna need a little more than that to keep me down."

From his new aerial vantage point, he gathered black fire deep into his lungs but faltered as the hail begun to severely impact the strength of his black fire wings. Therefore, he fueled out more magical power just to keep himself aloft. Damn, so this fight is going to be harder than I thought. He warily realized the toll he would have to expend. Maybe if I make this fight quick... In the distance, the clashing of magic and weapons met his ears, notifying him that Kieron had engaged with someone. ''No...I can't underestimate this guy. That'll be my downfall.''

'Azra'il descended closer to the ground and tried for a point-blank attack. He unleashed his Black Fire Phoenix's Screech, dropping onto the hazardous icy ground after his attack. He decided in a split-second to try and conserve more of his magic energy. Even if it meant having to fight down on the ground.

Despite Invel possessing far greater Magic Power than his opponent he felt he might have ever so slightly underestimated his opponent. Azrá’il’s attack had inadvertently burned Invel again. “This is surprising most would have turned to ice by now. To make me use this, I should be ashamed, True-Ice Kamui (氷神衣トルーアイス・カムイ Torū-Aisu Kamui lit. Ice Shrine).” Invel was encased in a suit of ice. “This armor of ice from the darkness is something I rather not use. However don’t mistake this as a flimsy creation found in Ice-Make. I simply freeze the area around my body to produce this armor. Anything that this armor touches freezes instantly. Your fire won’t save you if I even so much as scratch you.” Invel had directed the snowstorm to spiral around them while Invel jumped to punch Azrá’il. If his punch would connect with Azrá’il, serious damage could occur.

Shock flashed across 'Azra'il's face as he tried and failed to register Invel's words in time, foolishly alighting his body in flames as he leant backwards. The force of the hit that followed blew 'Azra'il back, as he fiercely dug his heels into the ground to stay up-righted.

He opened his eyes and was immediately aware of the searing pain in his right arm, the limb encased in an ice so cold that it burned. "To think I could actually be burned in such a way." He chuckled warily, and then thought hard.

"Ice of darkness you say..." 'Azra'il looked up at the man in front of him. "I guess you could say our magics just might know each other." Indeed, his dark fire magic flared in response.

'Azra'il was cut off from saying more by the claws of ice in his arm. No, his arm wasn't turning numb, it was continuing to feel pain. Interesting... He tried a hand at using his healing spell, but not much use came of it. "Damn, you've managed to nullify my healing magic as well, since this isn't quite a normal wound." 'Azra'il increased the intensity of his flames, just enough to keep the ice from reaching the rest of his body. "Say, tell me something Winter General. What is it that you fight for? This shipment of items? A former kingdom?"

-- From a little ways away, Night Panther was engaging with a certain red-haired woman.

Kieron was breathing slightly heavier, and he jumped back twice, his arm stinging from a recent attack, but having just sent a blast of darkness magic straight for her.