Fire, Ash and Ice

Katria had been desperately trying to rescue as many villagers from the burning homes as she could. Thankfully, her great strength allowed her to effortlessly break the doors down and lift the fallen beams. However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not find Sonia in the raging inferno.

At one point she had to discard her cloak when it caught fire from the burning ruins. The smoke she had inhaled made her dizzy.

She tried to make her way to the village square, but the collapsing belfry cut off her way. The impact sent thousands of sparks flying right at her. She flinched and tripped, falling into the pile of smoldering ash. Before she could stand up, a half-burnt beam broke loose and pinned her to the ground. Had it not been for her armor, she would have been crushed.

She tried to move the beam, but it was in vain. Having said her prayers, she could only watch the flames creep in closer and closer.

Then, she saw a black clawed hand grab the beam and toss it aside. She thought she was delirious from the smoke inhalation. A strange force lifted her from the ash and she felt as if she was flying. The burning village moved further and further away. On the village square she spotted some faint silhouettes engaged in vicious fighting, but she could not discern the details with her tearful eyes.

When she looked up, she saw a shade of monstrous black wings, carrying her away.

Dear God, am I going to hell for my sins? – she thought in desperation.

Finally, she felt a solid ground under her back. When she looked around, she found herself in the forest at the foot of the hill. The distant fire lit the woods dim orange. A strange man wearing black stood nearby.

“Sorry to leave you like this, but I have one more dumbass to save” – the man said.

He turned into a raven in front of her eyes and took off, heading back for the burning village.

***

It came to Katnir a nasty surprise that he couldn’t simply cut through the witch’s hands, which were now fully engulfed by flames. His sword simply bounced off her skin like it was made of steel. Her reaction was a sinister smile.

Undeterred, the wizard tried again, swinging with all his strength, but her hand simply stopped the blade. The force of impact pushed her a step back, but that was all.

“My turn” – she hissed menacingly.

Her hands glowed brighter and she lunged at Katnir, aiming to slash his face with her burning claws. He lifted his sword to absorb the impact and threw her over his head. She landed safely behind his back and rushed at him. Before he could turn around, she caught him with her claws and tore the skin on his back.

Overwhelmed by the burning pain, he was unable to counterattack and could only retreat, the witch following his every step.

He took a more defensive stance, focusing on parrying her attacks while trying to come up with a better plan. He glanced at Sonia. She was able to hold her ground by picking the shadows one after the other with her sharpshooting, even when they tried to jump her from different directions. The shadowmaster himself was still, directing his minions from afar.

Pushed to the edge of the village square, Katnir changed his approach. He picked up a large beam with telekinesis and flung it at the witch. She evaded it at the last moment. The wizard picked more debris and hurled it at her in quick succession. While it slowed her down, she was able to dodge or bounce it all with her hands.

In response, she cast a firebolt at Katnir. He easily deflected it with his sword. She cast another, and another, overwhelming Katnir with the sheer rate of fire. Finally, one firebolt hit the hilt of his sword and knocked it out of his hands. Sensing easy prey, the witch threw herself at the wizard.

Katnir whispered the magic formula and caught her hands with his own. Ignoring the pain, he continued the incantation. His hands became covered with frost and the ice crystals began creeping over to the witch’s skin. The flames began to fade with a sizzling sound.

The witch cried with pain and tried to free herself, but Katnir’s grip was too strong. He doused her flames completely and punched her in the face so hard he sent her flying into a burning house. The wall collapsed on her at the impact.

Having picked his sword up, Katnir rushed to help Sonia who had just run out of arrows.

***

I did expect it to suck, but bloody hell… – Sonia thought, discarding her bow and drawing her shortsword.

Two dozen shadows laid scattered around the village square, arrows sticking upright from the chest. Each slowly dissolved into a puddle of dark shade, which creeped back to the shadowmaster. More shadows emerged from the dark nooks and crannies in the nearby smoldering ruins and made their way towards Sonia. She was surrounded on all sides.

I guess this is it… Despite all the shortcomings, life was fun while it lasted…

She took a defensive stance, anticipating the first attack and determined to make her last stand hold on as long as possible. Shadowy figures slowly closed the distance until she could see the blacks of their eyes.

Suddenly, she saw a dark silhouette leaping over their heads with a sword raised for a strike. It fell on the shadows, cleaving several of them in half with a swift cut.

“Miss me already?” – the sorcerer asked, standing back to back with Sonia.

“Little bit. You can punch those guys in the face all you want.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

That actually reminds me…

Sonia wrapped her amulet around her fist. Now she felt more confident about fighting the shadows. They lunged at them from all sides. While the sorcerer took care of his side, Sonia cut through the shades on hers, occasionally punching some of them with her makeshift catharite knuckle-duster. Each strike turned the shadow to a puddle.

Suddenly, a fireball flew over their heads. They saw the fiery witch approaching, all beat-up, but still quite battle-worthy.

“I thought you took care of her!”

“Yeah, me too. Watch out!”

One of the shadows scratched Sonia in the arm with its claws. She cried with pain. The sorcerer grabbed her at the waist and jumped up high, landing them both outside the ring of shades. She felt a cold numbness spreading from the wound and soon she lost feeling in her arm. Unable to hold the sword, she swapped hands. It was near hopeless to handle it in her weak hand, but it was better than nothing.

The shadows were closing in like a black wall, with the witch cutting off their way of escape on the flank. The sorcerer held his sword high, ready to deflect any incoming projectiles.

Suddenly a corvine monster landed in front of them. It had large black wings which retracted back into the body, leaving the monster a morbid humanoid with a long beak and sharp talons. Sonia was petrified with fear at the sight.

“Need a hand?” – the monster said casually.

“Yeah, we could use some” – the sorcerer replied and joined it in the direct assault. – “Watch out for the claws.”

The monster grabbed the arm of the closest shadow.

“Those are not claws” – it raised its own talons, each long as a beam nail. – “These are claws.”

It tore the shadow to shreds with a single strike. Together, they cut into the enemy ranks, reaping the shades like a field of wheat. The fiery witch tried to hit them with fireballs, but they were too quick. She turned her attention to Sonia, who was now sitting on the ground, unable to walk due to spreading paralysis. Too awestruck by the slaughter to cry for help, she had not even realized it. Her vision became blurred.

The fireball was already forming in the witch’s hand when the sorcerer finally saw what was going on and rushed to aid Sonia. He chopped the witch’s hand off at the wrist just when she was about to release the projectile. It exploded violently, knocking them both off their feet.

Seeing Sonia collapsed on the ground, the sorcerer shouted:

“Reiny! Take her away from here, I’ll hold them off.”

The last thing Sonia remembered before passing out was the feeling of being carried away into the air.

***

Reiny’s faint silhouette faded into the smoke. Katnir was now alone in the middle of the burning village. While they had succeeded in disarming the fireballs, the fire still engulfed the village. Fortunately, the locals had already fled.

The shadowmaster still stood defiantly, raising new minions from the deep shadows cast by the raging flames. The fiery witch too remained stubbornly undefeated, already cradling a new firebolt in her only remaining hand. A third figure loomed behind the flames, as if waiting for the right moment to join the combat.

All or nothing – Katnir thought as he sheathed his sword.

He hadn’t used this formula in ages, but remembered it well. It used to be one of his favorites, back in his days on the Isles. Raw, unrestrained destruction, exactly what he needed at the moment. His only concern was if he would be able to contain the spell with only two khorii crystals, but he was determined to try nonetheless. He couldn’t imagine looking at himself in the mirror again if he fled before two mages who would be considered mediocre, at best, by the standards of his kin. He raised his hands and began the incantation.

First, a wind rose. A cold wind, like the very breath of the Farthest North. The fires flickered and paled, swaying on the swelling gale. Then it began snowing. At first slowly, faintly, but it soon increased in volume to a full blown blizzard, dousing the nearest flames.

The snow swirled around Katnir’s raised hands. He had to chant louder and louder over the deafening howling of the gale. His cloak fluttered on the wind as he rose into the air. Ever since he had stirred up the blizzard, he felt a little dizzy, but thought little of it, too keen to wreak havoc upon his opponents.

The witch hurled some fireballs at him, but all went out at the impact with the frosty sphere surrounding him. The shadows stretched upward, trying to reach him, but upon touching the sphere, they were frozen solid at the contact and shattered like black ice.

Katnir stretched his arm and the shadowmaster was sweeped by the wind and thrown away. He moved his hand and the same happened to the fiery witch. Now he made his way towards Einhart himself, who still stood in the distance.

It ends now – he thought.

Just when he was about to deliver his strike, a sharp pain paralyzed his hand. His scar started bleeding. He understood. He had overestimated his abilities after the loss of Zaria and was now facing the price for his hubris. Unable to contain the blizzard, he was flung out of it and smashed against the ground. He couldn’t even move from the overwhelming pain.

Soon the storm dissipated and the village became quiet again.

Balancing on the edge of consciousness, he heard approaching steps.

“How’s your hand?” – the shadowmaster asked.

“I’ll be fine. I can fuse it back” – the witch replied. – “So he has the seal?”

“So it would seem. The device is clearly pointing at him.”

“Damn, I thought we would find it buried underground.”

“No matter, let’s take the seal and finish him off.”

“No” – a third voice joined the conversation. It was rasping, and barely discernible. – “Take him alive. I would certainly like to have a talk with this mage.”

Katnir managed to look up and see the blurred silhouettes of the three sorcerers, and then everything faded to black.