The first of Atlas’s forces crests the hill, and my breath catches in my throat. The monsters Kya spoke of, wolves the size of three horses with flames licking from the tips of their fur, lead the charge. Behind them march his soldiers, their armor blackened.
At their center, I can see Atlas on horseback. His once handsome face twisted with malice, eyes glowing with unnaturalfire. His crown, once silver, is now tarnished to black from being burnt. Beside him rides Kya, her expression carefully blank, her hair braided down her back.
I don’t spot Thesix though, no matter how hard I try to find him.
Atlas raises his hand, and his army halts with eerie precision. The silence that follows is more terrifying than a battle cry. It’s otherworldly, deadly, like balancing on the tip of a needle.
“Drahenå!” His voice carries across the field, loud. “Khaysus says to remind you, he will see you soon.”
I step forward, allowing the surrounding water to rise higher. A reminder of exactly who I am.
“You’ve come a long way to die, Atlas.” I call back, my voice steady despite the fear and rage churning inside me.
He laughs. “I’ve come to claim what’s mine.”
“You will never get that. You truly think even if you win today, Khaysus will allow that?” I respond, taking another step forward. “I gave you honor, respect, leadership.”
“You gave me scraps!” he roars, his composure fracturing. “I pledged myself to you, and you threw me away for some baker’s son?”
The soldiers behind me shift restlessly but hold formation.
“Last chance, Atlas,” I say. “Surrender. Release Thesix from where you have him. End this madness.”
He smiles wickedly, as he raises his sword. “Kill them all!” Atlas screams. “Bring me her head!”
thirteen
Atlas’s army surges forward, the flame-wolves leading the charge, their howls splitting the air. Behind him, I watch as some type of monster so pale that black veins can be seen through their flesh, towering over the men. Their roars are loud, unlike anything I could have ever thought would be in existence. But worries me the most is they are imbued with … ice.
Kosæ! He’s used Thesix magic, stolen the gift from him, to create these monstrosities.
“For Ashonera!” I cry, bringing my hands down in a slashing motion.
Water erupts from the earth in a massive wave, crashing into the front line of Atlas’s forces. The flame wolves howl, some of their fire sizzling and dimming, but they push forward, jawssnapping. My soldiers meet them with precision, their blades flashing. The clash of metal, screams of the wounded, the snarls of beasts blend into a cacophony of battle.
I move through the chaos like the tide, water swirling around me in a protective ring. Every gesture sends deadly spikes of ice or crushing waves toward Atlas’s forces. I’m searching, always searching, for any sight of Thesix.
A towering monster of ice and death lunges at me, it’s form shifting and twisting in a way that hurts to look at. I push my hands through the air, sending a blade of water through its center. It shrieks in pain before finally meeting its end.
“Drahenå!” Selene’s voice cuts through the din. “Behind you!”
I spin, barely avoiding the jaws of a flame-wolf. Its teeth snap inches from my face, heat searing my skin. With a grunt of effort, I plunge my hand into its chest, ice forming around my fingers. The beast convulses, flame sputtering out along its spine as it collapses.
I catch sight of Kya. She’s in the thick of battle, flames dancing around her hands – but I watch her attacks. They seem to miss their marks or strike with less force than they could. Playing her part, as we agreed.
The sky darkens, clouds gathering. I raise my face to them, feeling the potential of the storm building above. With a deep breath, I reach up, calling to the water suspended there.
“Fall!” I whisper.
The clouds crack open, and rain pours down – not gentle and life giving rain, but stinging needles of water. The downpour intensifies. If I am to fight the flames, my people will have access to the water many of them wield. Those with the power of earth open sink holes, those with wind working to cast the creatures and soldiers into them.
A massive explosion rocks the western flank, sending bodies flying. I whip my head toward the source and see Atlas, handsraised, fire pouring from his palms in torrents. His flames carve a path of destruction through my forces. Sending us all back towards the shoreline, where I realized our mistake. They’ve surrounded us. While fighting the creatures, I didn’t realize the soldiers were heading behind us.
“You see?” he screams, “This is true power!”
A panic sets in, my hands starting to shake at my side as the rage inside me becomes cold. I plant my feet firmly on the blood-soaked ground and raise both hands toward the storm-dark sky, sending a whisper I hope is answered – just once more.
A sound answers, part song and part earthquake. It resonates through bone and soul. Thew?ngeskrises from the waters, its massive tentacles reach towards the sky, and its eyes fix on the battlefield. The soldier’s at its shores.
