The Impeccable Lady Claus

15 - The Gathering Storm

Shadowbane sliced his bladed left hand towards Christina's stomach but she dodged it by an inch. He tried again and again, but she managed to avoid his attacks with ease, feeling less and less afraid of him each time. Her body thankfully was aiding her, contorting and shrinking away from the attacks as her senses alerted her to danger.

It was like her body was reacting on instinct; keeping her alive.

Lady Claus moved back a little before rubbing her hands together, launching a blizzard of ice crystals towards Shadowbane's face. He stumbled back and covered his facade, leaving Lady Claus with an opening. She jumped towards him and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards, his black cloak flowing through the air.

He refused to be taken down so easily, piercing his blades into the ice beneath him, and using them to launch himself back in her direction. Shadowbane was lucky it was nighttime and that the moon rose high. Even though it was the Last Quarter phase, it still channelled enough magic for him to be able to use his most powerful attacks.

Shadowbane reached out with his right hand, making the ice underneath Lady Claus break up, leaving her floating in mid-air. She flailed her legs wildly, attempting to find solid ground beneath her, but it was no use.

Shadowbane took the opportunity to strike, grabbing her legs in both hands before throwing her to the side.

"You are not strong enough to defeat me, Mrs. Claus," he sneered. "I am the Shadowbane, the darkest and most feared creature in all the holidays. I am your worst nightmare. You cannot beat me. You are weak, just like your husband."

Lady Claus would lunge at him, using her elbow to punch him in the side of the head, then using her leg to kick him in the chest. He flew into the air and landed on the ice, grunting. The villain soon stood up, looking back at her with anger in his eyes.

She charged at him, ready to deliver another kick, but he grabbed her ankle, holding her in place. He looked up at her with a cruel smile, before slamming her onto the ground and pinning her down with one foot on her chest.

"You can't win, Lady Claus," Shadowbane taunted. "You're too weak. You can't beat me. You've already lost, Ebonia has won. You can't beat her."

Lady Claus tried to get out of the hold but Shadowbane was too strong. He was pushing down on her, making it harder for her to breathe.

"It's over for you," he chuckled. "The North Pole is ours."

"No," she gasped, looking up at him. "No, it's not over for me. I will stop her, even if it kills me."

To Christina's surprise, two beams of ice shot from her eyes, hitting Shadowbane in the face. He screamed in pain as his hold on Lady Claus was broken, falling back onto the ground, and rolling around in agony. Frost formed over the front of his facade, his skin cracking and his eyes growing colder.

He tried to move but could barely breathe, he could hardly see. He felt pain shoot through his entire body, and it was all because of the icy power Lady Claus had used on him. It was a different type of pain than anything he had felt before, one that made his very core shiver.

As Shadowbane fell to his knees, Christina noticed a shadow in the corner of her eye making its way down a set of stairs that were chiselled into the side of the iceberg. It was a short staircase that led directly into a cave which sat at the bottom, which she soon made her way towards.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shadowbane called out, standing back up on shaky legs. "Come back here!"

"Oh quiet!" she yelled.

Flying towards Shadowbane, Lady Claus drop-kicked him off the side of the iceberg, sending him tumbling to the ground below. He let out a strangled cry before hitting the bottom.