over them dissolved as Lukor stepped back and glanced over his shoulder.
Some of the fog cleared, and Ivy glanced around to see partially formed shapes nearby. When she turned back to Lukor, she realized she touched his hand no longer.
He was gone.
A moment of panic threatened to overwhelm Ivy. Panic was one emotion she had only felt once before — after receiving word of her mother's death. Closing her eyes, she forced the emotion down, beating it into submission, converting and subverting it into energy. Upon opening her eyes, she could see the forms as people. Barbarians, goliaths, human, elves, dwarves, even a few trolls. Why they chose now to reveal themselves to her, Ivy didn't know, but all thought fled when one barbarian stepped forward.
Her mother.
Ivy swallowed several times, although it did nothing to alleviate her dry mouth. The ghostly apparition of her mother stole her breath away, and pressure mounted within her chest.
"My daughter. You have finally come to visit me." The white form of her mother through the gray mist tilted her head to the side. "Although that is not the purpose of your trek through the Realm, is it?"
Unable to respond vocally, Ivy shook her head.
"Still unclaimed, I see." Her mother lifted a transparent arm to point at Ivy's barren wrist.
Unlike humans, barbarians did not exchange rings on their wedding day. Barbarians, instead, bequeathed each other metal bracelets they entwined by sheer force. The more elaborate the design, the greater the layers, the stronger the love was said to be. Most bracelets were rather simple and plain. Ivy was not the sole barbarian to ignore the softer emotions, like love and devotion.
"I did not come here to be lectured." Ivy stared at the swirling skirt of her armored dress. A wind descended throughout the mist, increasing the chill in the air.
Her mother's form wavered, perhaps in response to the gust. "Have you even thought of your future at all, child?"
Ivy bristled at her mother's sharp, condescending tone. Even though her body was in spirit form, her voice was every bit as stern and harsh as when she had still breathed. "Of course I have."
"Your future. Who shall rule after you? Do you want the barbarians to resort to civil war like those useless humans?"
The barbarian-princess marched around her mother, but seemingly without moving, the former barbaroness blocked her path.
"What of Pierce? Vane? Or even Lance?"
Ivy grinned savagely. "All dead."
Her mother was not deterred. "Katar? Helm? Glaive? Steel would make a strong barbaron. Too strong. A poor choice."
The barbarian-princess glanced over her shoulder.
"Looking for someone?"
Yes, actually, but Ivy would die and join her mother here in this place of eternal unrest before revealing who she could not find. Had this been Lukor's plan all along?
No matter. It would be a difficult task to venture forth from the Spirit Realm without her guide, but perhaps her mother could lend her aid.
"Or mayhap any of the guards," her mother continued. "All loyal barbarians. Anyone would make a fine replacement for your father once the time comes."
"Do you so wish for me to be barbaroness? Father would have to die first."
"I do know that. Of course I do." Her mother averted her cold red eyes.
The notion that her mother wished for her husband to join her in this awful place crossed Ivy's mind, but she dismissed it. Her mother had showed no signs of love to her father, or her daughter. None, that is, under she found a troll spy lingering near their grounds. She had followed the troll to a trap. Killed every last troll but paid the ultimate price in the battle that had been her last.
To die in battle was every barbarian's dream.
Which made Ivy question for a moment why her mother had not passed on. Perhaps this truly was all there was after life.
"None of the guards have captured your heart?"
The teasing tone in her mother's voice startled Ivy. "None."
Perhaps no one ever would. But she did have
Some of the fog cleared, and Ivy glanced around to see partially formed shapes nearby. When she turned back to Lukor, she realized she touched his hand no longer.
He was gone.
A moment of panic threatened to overwhelm Ivy. Panic was one emotion she had only felt once before — after receiving word of her mother's death. Closing her eyes, she forced the emotion down, beating it into submission, converting and subverting it into energy. Upon opening her eyes, she could see the forms as people. Barbarians, goliaths, human, elves, dwarves, even a few trolls. Why they chose now to reveal themselves to her, Ivy didn't know, but all thought fled when one barbarian stepped forward.
Her mother.
Ivy swallowed several times, although it did nothing to alleviate her dry mouth. The ghostly apparition of her mother stole her breath away, and pressure mounted within her chest.
"My daughter. You have finally come to visit me." The white form of her mother through the gray mist tilted her head to the side. "Although that is not the purpose of your trek through the Realm, is it?"
Unable to respond vocally, Ivy shook her head.
"Still unclaimed, I see." Her mother lifted a transparent arm to point at Ivy's barren wrist.
Unlike humans, barbarians did not exchange rings on their wedding day. Barbarians, instead, bequeathed each other metal bracelets they entwined by sheer force. The more elaborate the design, the greater the layers, the stronger the love was said to be. Most bracelets were rather simple and plain. Ivy was not the sole barbarian to ignore the softer emotions, like love and devotion.
"I did not come here to be lectured." Ivy stared at the swirling skirt of her armored dress. A wind descended throughout the mist, increasing the chill in the air.
Her mother's form wavered, perhaps in response to the gust. "Have you even thought of your future at all, child?"
Ivy bristled at her mother's sharp, condescending tone. Even though her body was in spirit form, her voice was every bit as stern and harsh as when she had still breathed. "Of course I have."
"Your future. Who shall rule after you? Do you want the barbarians to resort to civil war like those useless humans?"
The barbarian-princess marched around her mother, but seemingly without moving, the former barbaroness blocked her path.
"What of Pierce? Vane? Or even Lance?"
Ivy grinned savagely. "All dead."
Her mother was not deterred. "Katar? Helm? Glaive? Steel would make a strong barbaron. Too strong. A poor choice."
The barbarian-princess glanced over her shoulder.
"Looking for someone?"
Yes, actually, but Ivy would die and join her mother here in this place of eternal unrest before revealing who she could not find. Had this been Lukor's plan all along?
No matter. It would be a difficult task to venture forth from the Spirit Realm without her guide, but perhaps her mother could lend her aid.
"Or mayhap any of the guards," her mother continued. "All loyal barbarians. Anyone would make a fine replacement for your father once the time comes."
"Do you so wish for me to be barbaroness? Father would have to die first."
"I do know that. Of course I do." Her mother averted her cold red eyes.
The notion that her mother wished for her husband to join her in this awful place crossed Ivy's mind, but she dismissed it. Her mother had showed no signs of love to her father, or her daughter. None, that is, under she found a troll spy lingering near their grounds. She had followed the troll to a trap. Killed every last troll but paid the ultimate price in the battle that had been her last.
To die in battle was every barbarian's dream.
Which made Ivy question for a moment why her mother had not passed on. Perhaps this truly was all there was after life.
"None of the guards have captured your heart?"
The teasing tone in her mother's voice startled Ivy. "None."
Perhaps no one ever would. But she did have
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