Click here to read Part One, here to read Part Two, here to read Part Three, here to read Part Four, here to read Part Five, and here to read Part Six.
The beast roared again, and the ground seemed to shake. The commander of the black army took a step backward, adopting a defensive stance. Just as he did, the icedrake reared its head back and shot a stream of liquid straight at him. As soon as it touched the commander’s sword, it froze solid, creating a wall of ice in front of him. The icedrake continued to shoot, the wall growing larger and larger, pushing against the commander’s sword. His feet began to slip as the impact drove him backward, towards the two children. Just as he looked as if he was going to fall over, the icedrake’s stream of liquid diminished and then stopped altogether, as it paused to regain power. The man stepped back and knelt down for a moment to regain his breath, then he stood and raised his sword. He struck the wall of ice and it exploded, pieces flying everywhere. When the fog cleared, the icedrake shot again, and the children watched in grim fascination as the entire process was repeated several times. It was clear that it would be quite some time before either opponent was worn out. “What’s the plan?” the boy asked the girl, trusting the noise of the battle to cover the sound of his voice, and hoping he didn't sound as worried as he looked. “I don't know,” she answered. “Just give me a minute to think.” She stared at the icedrake, unable to stop herself from admiring the pale blue scales, the sleek wings, and sapphire eyes. I wish I knew where it was from… To her horror, the icedrake stopped, mid attack, and turned towards her, looking her straight in the eyes. The boy took a step backwards, and tried to pull the girl with him, but she shook him off. There was something about that gaze… Who are you? She reached back and grabbed the boy’s hand, suddenly feeling dizzy, but she couldn't shift her eyes away. What…? How…? she thought, panicking. She'd never heard of anything like this ever happening before. Did that voice come from you? she thought at the icedrake. Yes, it answered. How can hear me? My master said that he alone has the power to speak to drakes. I don't know, the girl thought. Who is your master? The Ice King, came the answer. The thought came with a sensation of cold, almost as if the words themselves were frozen. The girl felt her eyes being directed downward, and for the first time, she noticed a man standing behind the icedrake. On his head was a crown of ice. The boy saw him too, but his gaze was quickly distracted by the Black Commander, who had spotted the children and was walking towards them with his sword raised. The girl was still trapped in the icedrake’s gaze, so he looked around for a weapon. The boy spotted a sword — belonging to the ice army from the looks of it — several paces paces away. There was no time to consider. He dropped the girl’s hand and took off at a sprint, snatched up the sword, skidding as he spun around, and retraced his steps as quickly as he could. He was only halfway there, though, when he saw the Black Commander raise his sword, and remembered that he didn't have to be touching an object to turn it to ice. No! The mental scream tore through his mind. I can’t lose her! The commander’s sword was pointed to the sky, and it was beginning to drop. The boy pushed himself forward, running faster than he’d ever run before. Still staring at the icedrake, the girl didn't seem to see anything else that was going on. The sword was nearly even with its target. I have to make it, he thought, searching for any reserves of energy that he hadn't already spent. He held the sword out, ready to try and block whatever the Black Commander shot towards the girl. The boy had one moment of pure relief. He was only a few paces away from her, and he knew that she was safe. Or, he thought she was. Until he ran into what felt like a brick wall. Someone was laughing. The boy, shaking his head to clear the black spots from his eyes, turned to find the source of the noise. The commander was walking towards him, smiling and looking almost amused. “Did you really think I would just hand you one of the most powerful spells in the world? Of course I had to take precautions. There are those who would be most displeased if commoners began meddling in such things.” Suddenly the boy felt something like chains wrapping around his arms and legs, and he was jerked upwards into the air. “This restraint is rather rudimentary; I couldn't do anything too complex last night without you becoming suspicious. But as you have no real skill, I don't have to worry about you breaking out,” the Black Commander said. “Thanks to your completely unfounded trust in me, you’ll have a good view of your friend’s death.” The boy struggled desperately, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't even open his mouth. Hoping for a miracle, he watched as the commander lowered his sword again. Just as he thought all was lost, the icedrake looked away from the girl, and she turned quickly towards the commander. As she did, something blue and transparent shot out of the end of the commander’s sword. She quickly raised her hands, and out of them came a string of golden light. The two collided with a blinding flash. When the afterimage faded from the boy’s eyes, he saw the commander and girl facing each other, both blinking and looking slightly dazed. The commander recovered quickly and tried again; the girl stopped it again. He cursed and slammed his sword into the ground, which gave her a moment to check on the icedrake. It was cowering before the Ice King, who was glaring and, she guessed, speaking to it. Seeing that the Black Commander had raised his sword again, the girl prepared herself. This time, though, a steady stream of blue emanated from the weapon; the girl did the same with her light. The blinding light this time was constant, not just a flash. She found that by squinting she could see vaguely the meeting point between the opposing forces. To her amazement, she found that it was much closer to the commander than it was to her. She wasn't sure what would happen when it reached him, but she knew it would be to her advantage. She put all of her energy behind the line of gold, and it inched closer to the Black Commander. He was pushing back now, but it wasn't enough to stop the girl’s barrage. All she could see now was a tiny line of blue many paces away. Almost there! she thought, giving one last big burst of energy. Then, to her shock, the line of blue moved. It stopped almost immediately, as the golden light found its target, but a small bit shot forward and hit something to her left. The girl turned to see what it was. Her heart stopped and her vision started to blur. The world around her started spinning as she rushed forward to where the boy lay, completely frozen. She dropped to her knees and put her ear against his chest. Nothing. There was no heartbeat. She felt a sob rising in her throat, and tears were slipping out onto her cheeks. She wept into the boy’s cold chest, having no strength to move or even think. How long she stayed there she never knew, but after some time she heard a voice behind her. “What a pity you had to see that. If you'd both gone at the same time it would've been much less painful.” The girl’s sorrow was quickly replaced by anger. She stood and spun around, hands raised, ready to destroy whoever had just spoken. The Ice King stood in front of her, no more than five paces away. “What do you want?” the girl asked, glaring at him. “You're systematically decimating this entire island. What's the point of ruling an iceberg?” “I'm not after the island,” the Ice King answered. “All I'm doing here is experimenting. I have much bigger plans, plans which will come to fruition when my icedrake is full grown.” The girl opened her mouth to speak, but the king interrupted her. “The reason I didn't kill you while you were distracted is that I have an offer to make you. The icedrake tells me you can speak to it. You must either be the child of a sorcerer, or you must have something new… something that's never been heard of. To win the battles I have planned, I need more strength.” He paused for a moment, apparently lost in thought, then looked her in the eyes. “I want you to join me.” The girl didn't hesitate for a moment. She gathered her anger and shot a huge burst of energy through her hands and towards the Ice King. He quickly raised his own hands to ward off the light, and to the girl’s shock, they did. Only then did she notice that his skin was the same pale shade of blue that hers had been when she’d touched the ice arrow. “Don't be difficult,” the Ice King said. “I'm offering you a chance only a few in history have ever had. You can rule the world alongside me… or you can die here.” “I would much rather die than join a scheming, murdering—” “That's quite enough,” he interrupted, then turned to the icedrake. A moment later it stepped forward and opened its mouth. The girl thought back to what the icedrake had said to her earlier, just before the Black Commander had attacked. It said it couldn't disobey its master’s command, but maybe…. She looked into the icedrake’s eyes. Does your master love you? The icedrake hesitated. What do you mean? Does he care for you? Would he risk his life for you? she asked. Of course not, the icedrake answered. I am his servant. Exactly, the girl thought. This boy behind me, he loved me. He… she bit her lip, barely able to even think the words, he died because he was trying to protect me. Your master knows nothing of love, he only knows hate. If you serve him, you will be miserable all your life. But, but… the icedrake started, knowing that the girl must be wrong, but unsure why. Or maybe she wasn't. I don't know what to believe. The Ice King was shouting something and hitting the icedrake, but neither of them paid any attention to him. Then go, the girl told him. Explore. Learn. Grow. If you ever want to return to you master, you're free to do so. If you don't, you're free to stay where you are. The icedrake considered for several moments. The advice you have given is good. He spread his wings, knocking the Ice King away as if he was a piece of grass. Holding his gaze just a little longer, the girl thought, You will always be welcome in my kingdom. The icedrake bowed his head in thanks and then launched himself into the air with a powerful stroke of his wings. The girl watched as he disappeared behind a row of buildings. Just as she was starting to turn around, something smashed into her face and sent her sprawling on the ground. “What did you do?” the Ice King screamed, standing over her. “Where did you send my icedrake?” The girl had a few dark spots in her vision, but she noticed that his hands were in the air, exposing his head and torso. She raised her own hands and shot a strong blast into his stomach. He fell over, screaming with pain. The girl closed her eyes and tried to block out the sound. She wanted to go to sleep… so tired… sleep… But something wouldn't let her rest. Slowly the fog in her mind faded, and she remembered: the boy. I have to see if I can do anything for him. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up. The ground around her was strewn with ice and broken cobblestones, and it was nearly dark now. A few stars were showing themselves in the heavens, and it looked as if one of the moons was about to rise. The Ice King lay on the ground next to her, motionless. She didn't have to check for a heartbeat, she knew he was dead; his skin had turned a sickening shade of black. She glanced over to where the duel between her and the Black Commander had taken place and saw him, too. His skin had retained its color, but he wasn't breathing. Perhaps the Ice King was affected more by her gift because of his ice power. With a sigh, she walked over to where the boy lay. She was so completely exhausted, both physically and emotionally, that no tears would come. She sat and mourned silently, trying not to let herself think about what might have been. But it was impossible. Images flashed before her mind: riding together in the forest, reading in the library, hunting, even one that looked suspiciously like a wedding. She brushed her hand gently against his cheek, pouring all of her trust, all of her hope, all of her love into that touch. And then something happened. The spot where she had placed her fingers changed. The cold, blue tinge of his skin started to fade. It looked… normal. The effect slowly started spreading across his face, and then to the rest of his body. The girl's eyes widened and she drew a quick breath. Do I dare hope…? The boy coughed, and his eyes slowly opened. The girl threw her arms around him, all the tears that she hadn't been able to shed pouring down her cheeks. “You're alive!” She was too overwhelmed to think of anything else to say. “Not for much longer if you keep squeezing me like that,” the boy said, sitting up. “Sorry,” the girl answered with a laugh. She wiped her cheeks and smiled as he returned her embrace. “What did I miss?” he asked. An hour later, the two children started back towards where they had left the King of Cliffhaven and his army. They both had an arm around the other; they were taking no chances of being separated again. As they were getting close, the girl turned her gaze towards the boy. “There's one more thing I need to tell you,” she said. “What's that?” the boy asked, keeping an eye on the path to make sure they didn't trip. “My father was supposed to be King of Cliffhaven,” she told him. “The current ‘king’ stole his throne and sent him to your kingdom.” “Then you’re the rightful ruler,” he said. “For now,” the girl answered. “If I can revive everyone the way I did you, my father will be.” “But we should get rid of him either way,” the boy said, nodding towards the king, who had just appeared as they rounded the corner of a building. “Exactly.” The girl let go of the boy and raised both her hands towards the king. He froze and instinctively raised his hands. “Don't move,” she called, hurrying towards him. “What happened? Has the ice army been—?” “Be quiet,” the girl said as she reached him. She walked around him slowly. What's she doing? the boy wondered. Then she pulled a dagger out of the king’s belt. Ah. She walked back around to face him. “You,” she said, pointing the dagger at his face, “are hereby charged with treason and attempted murder, by the true queen of Cliffhaven, Uncle. And don’t try telling me that’s not what the dagger was for.” The impostor’s eyes widened and he seemed to be unable to speak for several moments. Finally he got out, “Prove it. Prove you're my brother’s daughter.” “I don't have any way to do that,” she answered. “But if you don't proclaim it in front of the entire city tomorrow morning, you'll be dead.” The boy doubted that she would actually carry through with that threat, but it had the desired effect. The impostor nodded quickly. “Now get out of here,” the girl said, giving him a push. “And if you or any of you soldiers even think about trying to harm either of us, I'll kill you.” He nodded again and hurried away. “That went well,” the boy said. “You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that,” the girl answered, a contented smile on her lips. The next evening, the two sat on a grassy hill on the edge of town, watching the sunset. Everything had gone as planned that morning, and the people had accepted the girl as their temporary ruler. She had begun repairing the city, starting, of course, with the people. Most of them had fled when the ice armies approached, but there were a few hundred who hadn't been able to get away quickly enough. The girl had healed them all, and restored a few of the largest fallen buildings. “Do you think we should stay another day?” she asked the boy, not taking her eyes off the orange clouds in the distance. “No,” he answered. “They can make the small repairs easily enough themselves, and our kingdom is still frozen solid.” The girl nodded. “What do you say? Shall we leave at dawn?” “Sounds good to me,” the boy said, laying down on the soft grass. Then he sat back up, remembering something. “You said you would tell me about the Creator.” “He can tell you Himself,” she answered. “He said He’d speak to us after the battle.” The boy laid back down. “Well then, I guess there's nothing to do except wait.” “That doesn't sound too bad, actually,” the girl said, laying down beside him.“Just as long as I'm waiting with you.” He took her hand in his, and they watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon, the diminishing light doing nothing to dampen the joy and hope filling their hearts. They didn't have to wait long. Written by Elia Tyson Edited by The Flabbits Copyright © 2018 by The Flabbit Room
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Click here to read Part One, here to read Part Two, here to read Part Three, here to read Part Four, and here to read Part Five.
“What are you doing?” the boy yelled, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened in the last few moments. “You're supposed to be gone! You're supposed to be safe,” he added more softly. After everything I did, she’s just going to die anyway…. “You need me here,” she answered, her tone leaving no room for argument. The boy tried anyway. “No, I want you—” He was stopped by a hissing sound from the direction of the ice army. Both spun around to see a hail of arrows bearing down on them. The boy instinctively jumped in front of the girl, shielding her body with his, but she pushed him out of the way and raised her hands. He looked on in shock as the arrowheads disintegrated and the shafts burst into flames. Sparks filled the air as a second volley came, but it suffered the same fate as the first. Chaos erupted below. The ice soldiers began dropping their weapons and running, terrified by what they had seen. Commanding officers screamed for order, but to no avail. While the army was distracted, the boy stepped closer to the girl and tapped her shoulder. She turned to face him. “What…?” he asked, unable to form any other words. “I have a lot to tell you,” the girl said, “but we don't have time right now. Pretty soon that army is going to realize I can't stop all of them, and they’ll attack. We need to make sure the other army is what they go after when they breach the wall.” “Other army?” the boy asked. “You mean that,” he pointed towards another falling building near the docks, “is not just another part part of this ice army?” “No,” she answered. “And they're not an ice army. Only the commander has that power, but he can use it on objects he's not actually touching. And there's one other thing too.” “There always is,” the boy said with a sigh. “The commander is the man from the library.” The boy wanted to slap himself. I shouldn't have trusted that man. She warned me not to. “I'm sorry.” “Don't be,” she answered. “You may have saved us all by giving him those arrows.” “What do you mean?” he asked, looking over the parapet at the ice army. They were beginning to reorganize. “My plan is, let the two armies clash. They'll destroy each other, and then we step in and take care of what's left.” “The entire city will be decimated in the process.” The army was starting to move forward, the boy noted. “You have a better plan?” the girl asked, narrowing her eyes. “No,” he answered. “Let’s go.” She glanced at the approaching ice army and nodded. After telling the Cliffhaven army, and everyone else they saw, to retreat to the west side of the city, the boy and the girl climbed to the top of the tallest building they could find. As soon as they got to the window, they both wished they hadn't looked. The city looked like it had been stepped on by a giant. The two armies were nearing the center, leaving in their wakes a frozen ruin. “Rebuilding this is going to take years,” the girl said. “Right now we just need to focus on surviving,” the boy answered. They fell silent as the armies drew closer. More and more buildings turned to ice and crumbled to the ground. Soon there was only a hundred yards between them. The front lines on both sides broke into a run. The girl held her breath. Moments before the first two enemies met, an immense explosion of ice came from the middle of the ice army. For several seconds all that was visible was a cloud of minuscule ice shards, but when it settled, the children’s eyes widened in horror. Nearly the entire army was gone. Turned to ice. “Oh no,” the girl whispered. This plan isn’t going to work if the black army takes the city without losing a single man. The scattered remnants of the ice army turned and ran, disappearing into doors and alleyways. The girl glanced at the boy. He shook his head. “There's no way we can defeat him,” he said. “What about hope?” she asked, looking him in the eyes. “Do you remember what you told me?” “I don't know what kind of powers you have, but there's no way we’re going to win. I'm sorry,” the boy said, looking down. “Sometimes there just isn't any hope.” “What if I told you,” the girl said slowly, “that there's a reason we’re here? That there's a Creator who made us, and has promised to help us? Would you have hope then?” The boy looked up, confused. What is going on? She’s gone for one day and she comes back with fire blasting hands and believing in some new deity? “Is the Creator the one that gave you your… power?” She nodded. “I don't guess there's any denying his existence, then,” he answered. “But…” I can’t make any kind of decision on this right now, we need to be planning, we need to be-- The girl stepped closer to him. “There's always hope.” He met her fierce, determined gaze. She really believes this. I don't know if she’s right or not, but I trust her. He nodded. “Come on,” the girl said, taking off towards the stairs. “Wait.” The boy grabbed her arm. “Thank you,” he said simply, and pulled her into an embrace. “If we don't both make it out, I just want you to know I'm sorry for everything that happened, and—” The girl stepped back and raised a hand. He stopped talking. “I need to know one thing,” she said. “Why did you send me away?” “I wanted to protect you, but I knew you would never leave as long as I was here. So I had to do something to make you go,” he answered. “Some things are more important than life,” the girl said softly. “I'd rather die today knowing you're my best friend than live for a thousand years thinking you hated me.” A tear slid down the boy’s cheek. “I understand that now. I’m sorry. I'm so, so…” The girl stepped forward and gently put her arms around him. They held each other for a few long, comforting moments, blocking out all of the darkness and evil around them with their joy. Finally she pulled back and pointed her finger at the boy. “But I swear, if you die before we win this thing, I'm going to kill you.” “I'll keep that in mind,” he said, the corner of his mouth crooked upward. Together they hurried down the stairs and out of the building. As they started towards the center of the city, the king saw them and hurried over. “Where are you going?” he asked. The girl frowned. “None of your business,” she answered. “Stay put.” His brows furrowed. “But I'm sure my army could be of help—” “Stay out of it!” she snapped. “I wouldn't trust you to feed a flitwing, much less fight beside me in battle!” The boy’s eyes widened slightly. “What are you talking about? You couldn't possibly know anything about me,” the king sneered. “Oh yes, I do,” the girl said, glaring at the king, who backed away as she raised her hands towards him. Evidently he'd seen what she had done to the ice army’s arrows, and didn't want to suffer the same fate. “Stay here.” The girl spun around and stalked off towards the east. “We’ll see about my crown later,” she added under her breath, then turned to the boy. “Let’s go.” A few minutes later, they heard a noise from up ahead. Ducking into the shadow of a nearby house, they stopped to listen. It was a sound unlike any they had ever heard. Half roar, half scream, it echoed deafeningly through the city again and again. The girl glanced at the boy. He shrugged. They began creeping forward, the sound growing louder each time as they got closer. Soon it was deafening, but they still had no clue as to what it might be. Then they rounded a corner, and both froze in terror. Before them stood the commander of the black army, but he wasn't looking at them. He had his sword raised, and was facing a huge, fierce, scaly… “Icedrake,” the girl whispered. Written by Elia Tyson Edited by The Flabbits Copyright © 2018 by The Flabbit Room Click here to read Part One, here to read Part Two, here to read Part Three, and here to read Part Four.
She grabbed the door handle, and froze as she tired to turn it. It wouldn’t budge. I should've known, she thought with a sinking feeling. That man was far too kind… “Be at peace.” The girl spun around. No one was there. “Be at peace,” the voice said again. It was strong, yet gentle; majestic, yet empathetic. “Who's there?” the girl asked. “I,” came the answer, “am your Creator.” Her eyes widened. Creator? She'd never heard of any such person. The only celestial beings she'd ever been told of were the star gods. It was quite obvious that this Creator existed though. She only knew one thing for sure about the star gods: they always wanted something. Whoever this Creator is, He’s probably the same. “What do you want?” The Creator laughed. It was the most wonderful noise the girl had ever heard. “I’m not asking you to give me anything. I've come with a gift.” She raised an eyebrow. “I will help you defeat the ice army, and afterwards, I have an even greater deliverance to offer,” He said. The girl was speechless. Since when to gods meddle with the wars of men? And what can He mean by a greater deliverance? “Put out your hand,” the Creator said. The girl hesitantly complied. At first nothing happened. Then, in the empty air above her palm, a sliver of golden light appeared, no thicker than one of her fingers. It slowly grew into a long string. “This,” explained the Creator, “is what was used to create your world of Ildathore. It is life, it is healing, it is warmth. I give you this power to fight the evil that now approaches, and it shall continue on to your descendants. Be careful that you do not use if frivolously. Guard your heart against pride.” The girl nodded slowly, trying to take in everything He had just said. After a moment of silence, she hesitantly asked a question. “Why me?” “Because I chose you,” came the answer. The string of light moved downwards and dissolved into the girl’s hand. Her skin glowed where it touched her, and the light spread to the rest of her body, and then slowly faded. Suddenly the girl knew she was alone again. And yet somehow she wasn't. The Presence that had been there still lingered around her. She took a deep breath and reached for the door handle. It turned, and she stepped out of the room. She breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped off the gangplank. She wasn't sure if the locked door had been the Creator’s doing or the ship captain’s, but she didn't care to find out. As soon as she was out of sight of the ship, she stopped to get her bearings. It was still morning, and the sun shone to her left. That’s east, then. The palace is in the center of the city, and I'm on the southeast side. She chose a road that looked like it was going approximately the right direction and started off down it. Only then did she have enough time to think and realize that she would probably see the boy again, and would definitely see the king. She didn't have many fond memories of him. But the boy…. Can I do it? After what happened? You have to, came the reply. No matter what he's done, you still love him. And if not for him, at least do it for the people of Cliffhaven. She took several deep breaths and redoubled her pace. The boy surveyed the wall. It looked ready. “Fire!” he called again. He watched as dozens of streams of oil trickled down the wall towards the same number of torches bellow. Just as it reached them, the men standing behind the wall pulled down on the huge bellows. The wind shot through the pipes and to the holes in the wall just behind the torches, and a giant wall of flame shot forward and scorched every piece of grass within twenty yards that had been missed by the previous blasts. “Good,” the boy said. “Pipe fourteen, pipe fifty one, you're off. Reposition.” Two men hurried to the pipes he had named and pointed them back at their holes. Just as they returned the king arrived. “Impressive work for three hours time,” he said. “Is it ready?” “Yes,” the boy answered. “Would you like a demonstration?” He shook his head. “I'd say the huge patch of black grass is proof enough. Why don't we move on to the iron coating on the drawbridge now. If the fire is successful, I'd prefer to have a way to get over the river to finish them off.” The boy nodded and turned towards the main gate. I sure hope this works. But if it doesn't at least I know she escaped. That's all that matters to me. An hour later, the girl stood in front of the front gate of the castle. She slowly forced her feet forward towards it. I have to. She gritted her teeth and walked up to one of the gate guards. “I need to speak with the king,” she said. “He's out,” the man answered. Oh no… “Where?” “Main gate,” he said. “Weapons testing.” The girl nodded, spun around, and took off north. After a few minutes she noticed the houses around her getting dingier and the people looking meaner. She slowed to a walk, and finally stopped altogether. Maybe I should've asked directions from someone…. She turned to head back in the direction she had come, but there was a huge man with a curved sword strapped to his waist walking down the alley towards her. Her heart rate quickened. He's probably just heading to get a drink somewhere, she tried to calm herself. But when she started forward, he moved over to block her path. She turned to run the other direction, but there was another man behind her. Scrambling into a small space between two houses, she looked for anything she could use as a weapon. There was nothing. No no no! I have to warn him! She ran forward, hoping to make it through to the next street, but there was a fence in the way. When she was only halfway to the top, a rough hand grabbed her and yanked her down. Her head hit the hard ground, and her world went black. “…the hundredth time, I told you not to damage her!” a voice snarled. “Who's going to pay ransom for a child with a smashed head?” The girl sat up quickly. When she tried to stand she discovered that her hands were tied behind her back, and one leg was secured to the bench she'd been laying on. “She’ll wake up,” another voice answered. “Just you wait.” “It's been five hours!” the other shouted. Five hours? the girl thought, panicked. That means it's nearly sunset! She struggled desperately to free her hands, but all she managed to do was knock a loose piece of scrap wood to the floor. “What was that?” the first man asked. There was a moment of silence, and then the girl heard two chairs scraping on the floor. She gave the rope one last desperate tug, and then collapsed back against the wall. “Look, she's awake!” The second man said triumphantly. “I told you!” “I didn't say….” Wait, the girl thought, blocking out their voices. The gift the Creator gave me… might it be able to help me escape? She took a deep breath and focused all her attention on the rope that tied her hands. Nothing happened. She changed her approach, focusing on her hands and projecting energy outwards. She felt the rope grow warm. She pushed outward even more, and the rope burst into flame. Strangely, she hardly felt it. It was more of a tingling sensation than burning. Looking up to make sure the two men were still arguing, she pointed her right hand towards the rope on her leg, and it burst into flame as well. As it did, one of the men stopped talking and sniffed the air. “Do you smell something burning?” The girl raised her hand and shot a burst of energy at the roof, and it exploded into flame. The men screamed and backed out of the room. The girl lit the wall to her left, and after a few moments it collapsed. She jumped back into the alleyway and hurried north again, no longer worried. The boy watched, every muscle in his body tense, as the line of blue approached. The ice army was close enough now that he could make out the individual men. Every time the feet of the first rank touched the ground, the unnatural frost spread a few inches further. The sun came out from behind the thin cloud that had been covering it, and the sunset colors turned the ice to an eeire shade of reddish blue. It might have been beautiful at another time, but not when every second brought nearly certain death that much closer. He glanced back behind the wall at where six men stood, ready to work the bellows that would hopefully burn the ice army into oblivion. “Prepare to fire!” he called. After watching to make sure they'd heard, he turned to the men on the walls with the oil pails. They were ready, as were the king and his army, who stood behind the main gate. Several tense minutes passed, and then finally, the first ice soldier set foot on the scorched grass. “Hold!” the boy called, leaning forward. One rank was over, two, three… then they stopped. What are they—? his thought was interrupted when the first two ranks pulled bows off their backs and each knocked an arrow. “Fire!” he yelled. A burst of flame shot forward and hit the first ranks of the ice army. For a few seconds, he couldn't see anything. Then the smoke cleared, and… Nothing had changed. The ice soldiers still stood, arrows nocked, and tips pointed towards the wall. The small flame of hope that the boy had kept in his heart fizzled out. They had lost. He heard a crash from behind him and spun around just in time to see a huge building near the docks finish falling. But it hadn't just fallen… there were ice shards scattered all around, and a huge fleet of ships was emptying hundreds of soldiers onto the shore. Just when he thought nothing else could go wrong, the girl ran up the last few steps to the top of the wall and stopped in front of him. Written by Elia Tyson Edited by The Flabbits Copyright © 2018 by The Flabbit Room |
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