The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice

by Melissa Collins

  “I don’t need her,” Ewei spat, shaking his sword to clear the remaining snow from the tip. “She would make a fine trophy, though. Don’t you think?”

  For the first time since Ewei arrived Edric could feel his temper flare, forcing it back down. Don’t let him get to you. He was trying to get under his skin. Saying things to spark his anger. To distract him. Edric couldn’t let him succeed. “Neomi is not something to be won.”

  “I beg to differ,” Ewei smirked, lunging at Edric again. His momentum carried him quickly across the floor, hurling his weight forward. With practiced grace Edric stepped out of the way, watching as Ewei’s body slammed against the sarcophagus, hearing the heavy stone slide across the ice from the impact. Ewei grimaced in pain, straightening his shoulders to point his blade at Edric again. “Her company would be a constant reminder of the fact that I defeated you, Vor’shai. Whenever I touch her, I’ll know that somewhere your soul is burning, tortured by the pleasure I’ll get out of her that you never will.”

  “She’ll never let you touch her.”

  “She won’t have a choice!”

  Edric inhaled another breath. He was surprised at how calm he felt. Slowly it was beginning to dawn on him what he had to do. Personal sacrifice was no longer the way to protect Neomi and the others. As long as Ewei was allowed to live, he would be a threat to everyone. He would kill Onuric and Okivra, taking Neomi as his prize just to spite Edric. If given the chance, he would have Callum taken into custody for the humiliation he caused Ewei in front of his men on their way back from Isavo. Edric no longer trusted that Ewei would even let the rest of the Vor’shai soldiers return to Tanispa. He was power hungry. And absolutely mad.

  Ewei had to die. It was the only way to ensure victory. Somehow Edric thought he would feel remorse, but he couldn’t bring himself to have pity on this man. In death Ewei might be able to redeem himself by saving his people, but in life he would only cause them more ruin.

  With renewed determination Edric grasped the spear tightly in his hands, holding it at the ready for another attack. This time Ewei would find him more prepared. It wasn’t just about defense anymore. Whatever Ewei had done while in possession of the weapon had activated the magic within. Edric would need to be careful. He didn’t know what it would take to draw Ewei’s energy into the blade but he assumed it had something to do with the death itself. If he could plunge the tip into Ewei’s heart, the energy inside him would be released, free, open to whatever magic the weapon held which would take it into itself.

  It didn’t take long for Ewei to strike, each swing of the sword met by Edric’s swift defense. His eyes opened wide at the sight of Edric thrusting the blade toward him, nicking the side of his face as he twisted away. “So now you’ve decided to fight?” he snarled, wiping the blood from his cheek in disdain. “You don’t have it in you to kill me, boy.”

  “On the contrary, you’re the only person I could ever take pleasure in seeing dead.” Gritting his teeth Edric thrust the spear forward again, causing Ewei to leap into the air to avoid the blow. He moved with incredible speed, finding his footing easily on the ice, showing no sign of unbalance. Edric didn’t let it stop him. He had little training with a weapon of this make but it came relatively natural to him. By shifting his grip on the handle he could utilize it in a similar fashion to a sword, his only disadvantage coming in the size of the blade compared to Ewei’s. The advantage came in its length. He had a longer reach than Ewei, allowing him to strike with greater distance between them. It kept Ewei on the defensive, granting Edric a slight reprieve from the barrage of attacks which had prevented him from being able to focus on how to land a solid blow against his opponent.

  Ewei was too fast. Length did nothing to make up for the extra time it took for Edric to complete each thrust of the blade, easily deflected and pushed aside. He’d never seen anyone move with such ease before. Ewei possessed more confidence than he had when fighting Callum. He didn’t consider Edric a threat. But that would change. Ewei would know he was mistaken before he drew his last breath.

  A hard tug on the spear pulled Edric to the side, grimacing from the strength it required to prevent Ewei from tearing the weapon from his hands. Off balance, he was open to Ewei’s next attack, pushed backward against the stony surface of the sarcophagus, the blade of Ewei’s sword pressed down over his neck, the glowing stone handle of the spear the only thing between Edric and certain death. “I should have killed you when I had the chance in Isavo,” Ewei hissed, thick spittle flying from his mouth onto Edric’s face. Disgusted, Edric spat at him, striking Ewei in the eye. Ewei flinched, blinking to try and avoid the liquid getting through the lid. Enraged by the insult he thrust forward harder, pushing the blade closer to Edric’s throat. “This would have been a lot less painful if you had just done it yourself!”

  “I’m not going to be that easy to defeat,” Edric shouted, lifting his knee upward between Ewei’s legs, feeling it connect solidly with his groin. The pressure of the blade against him eased slightly, a pained expression filling Ewei’s eyes as he tried to keep focused.

  Clenching his fists tighter around the handle, Edric pushed forward, knocking Ewei’s hands away. It created a narrow opening between them. Not much, but enough for Edric to bring his knee up tight to his body, thrusting outward with the heel of his foot into Ewei’s chin. The bone cracked loudly, snapping Ewei’s head backward with a painful shriek. He thought it too good to be true that the force would be enough to break Ewei’s neck. But the sound was so loud. For a moment he stood, staring at Ewei’s flailing form until his head lifted, tossing it from side-to-side in an attempt to ease the pain he so clearly felt. Edric could see it written on his face. He’d caused damage, though to what extent, he couldn’t be sure. All that mattered was that Ewei was still standing and remained armed. As long as he was alive, he was a threat, and had to be treated with extreme caution.

  A shrill battle cry erupted through the mountain as Ewei regained his composure, rushing forward, the blade of his sword lifted, pointed at Edric’s chest. “When I am Chief, I will see your family dead for this!” he screamed wildly. His steps were halted by Edric’s foot connecting with his left knee, snapping the bone at a grotesque angle.

  “You will never be Chief!” Edric exclaimed. Moving away from the sarcophagus he came to stand over Ewei’s fallen form. At his approach Ewei struggled to a kneeling position, fighting through the pain to slice toward Edric’s abdomen. The blade cut easily through the fabric of his doublet, grazing the skin of his stomach. Edric recoiled slightly, noticing the opening presented while Ewei’s arm was stretched across his body, leaving his head vulnerable. Edric’s elbow slammed against the side of Ewei’s head, sending his body spinning to the side. “You didn’t deserve the mercy Okivra showed in allowing you to live.” Spinning the spear around Edric struck the other side of Ewei’s head with the blunt end as he struggled to stand. “Onuric would never fall to you. And you are a fool if you think my family would ever let you get away with this.”

  “Your family wouldn’t even know it was coming! I would leave your corpse here to rot with your brother’s before I brought Okivra down.” Ewei wove drunkenly in front of Edric, trying to stand, but finding his footing impossible to regain on his broken leg. He was disoriented from the pain. Now was Edric’s chance. He had the weapon. It would take a single strike to bring Ewei’s miserable existence to an end.

  Jaw set, Edric spun the spearhead back around, hearing the tear of flesh under the strike before he realized his arms had moved to thrust the blade forward. It met little resistance, the tip piercing through Ewei’s chest with incredible ease. Amazement came over him as his mind registered what he’d done.

  Ewei’s lips parted in an agonized wail, ringing through Edric’s head. The sound reverberated off the walls. Surreal. Unnatural. Light shot from the wound where the blade remained embedded into his chest, writhing in fingerlike tendrils along the handle. An invisible force knocked Edric backward, awa
y from Ewei’s body. Something was happening. Suddenly everything looked different. Brighter. Rays of light shining outward from the weapon in every direction. He had to shield his eyes to keep from being blinded by it, fearful of what it was. Did it work? Was this what was supposed to happen?

  Voices were shouting at him from somewhere. He couldn’t see where they came from, his vision filled with the white light pouring forth from Ewei’s body into the weapon. It was almost beautiful. He would have remained frozen in awe of the sight if not for the feeling of hands grabbing him under his arms to pull him back, taking cover behind the protection of the sarcophagus’s thick stone base. “Are you alright?” Neomi’s voice cut through his thoughts like a beacon drawing him back to reality. “Edric, are you hurt? Speak to me!”

  Through the haze of his thoughts he feared he was imagining Neomi’s presence beside him. She had been in Onuric’s company. Why would he have let her come near him? “Neomi…” her name came out as nothing more than a breath, his body twisting toward her, clutching at her arms, wanting to feel her there. To know she was real. “He didn’t give me a choice,” he rambled on, overcome with the desire to defend his actions. Ewei was Ovatai. His death at Edric’s hands could create a stir if the reason went unspoken. “He was going to kill Onuric and your father. I wanted to offer my life for the sake of your people but I couldn’t let him carry through with his plans…”

  “Edric, hush,” Neomi pulled him further behind the sarcophagus, pressing his head down low in a protective gesture. “My brother is aware of what Ewei planned… or at least he suspected. It was his intention all along for Ewei to be the sacrifice. This was just… not the way he expected it to happen.”

  Confusion set in at her words. Onuric intended for Ewei to be the sacrifice? Ewei couldn’t have known. He wouldn’t have agreed. But where was Onuric now? And Ehren… he should have been there. “My brother,” Edric blinked, forcing his focus back to the situation at hand. “Where is Ehren? Did he find you? Is he alright?”

  Neomi peered at him, concerned. “Your brother is with Onuric. You do not seem yourself. Are you injured?”

  Her hands trailed over the torn fabric of Edric’s doublet along his abdomen, a faint trace of blood coating the tips of her fingers as she retracted her hand. Edric stared down at the red tint against Neomi’s pale skin. Until that moment, he’d been unaware of the extent of his injuries. Adrenaline blocked the pain from his mind but he couldn’t deny the blood. Distracted by the whirl of lights and sounds surrounding them, he let his hand rest over his stomach, feeling the sting of the laceration under the pressure of his touch. “I’ll be fine,” he stated, reflexive, unsure if the statement was even true. There was no time to evaluate the extent of the wounds though he suspected if they were life-threatening there would be more pain. More blood. And if they weren’t severe, he didn’t want to think about them until he knew Ehren was safe and the weapon was secured in Onuric’s hands.

  Someone was shouting. The rush of wind which had begun to whip through the area made it difficult to decipher who it was or what they were saying. Slipping out from Neomi’s arms he stood up, quickly running around the sarcophagus in search of his brother. If something was happening, he needed to be there for Ehren. He couldn’t let his desire to stay with Neomi get in the way of his family. Neomi was a strong woman. Capable of protecting herself. Ehren was young and inexperienced. He shouldn’t have been allowed to come in the first place.

  The light continued to flash from the spear where it remained embedded in Ewei’s chest. Anxious to see what the commotion was, Edric searched the area for Onuric and Ehren, finding them at the far side of the cavern, swords drawn, Onuric’s voice shouting commands to direct Ehren’s movements. Nothing could have prepared Edric for what he saw in that moment. He rubbed his eyes, praying that he would wake up to discover himself to have been knocked unconscious during his fight with Ewei, but somehow he knew that wasn’t the case. This was real. He just didn’t want to believe it. The sculptures of the ancient warriors were moving. Wielding their chiseled blades as they lashed out at Onuric and Ehren, their movements languid, but no less real. But how?

  Without hesitation Edric pulled his sword from its sheath, rushing into the fray at his brother’s side. He had so many questions but now wasn’t the time to ask them. They needed to concentrate on eliminating the threat before they could evaluate the situation. Edric fought, going through the motions despite the shock and awe which hindered his ability to think clearly. The icy warriors were tall, their weapons long and sharp, weighing them down with every strike, causing their motions to be slow and sluggish. They weren’t real. Not living, at least. Whatever energy possessed them was the driving source, similar to the way Edric had witnessed Neomi manipulate the snow and wind to her benefit in battle. But this… this was far more intense. More powerful. Beyond the simple tricks of magic. The focus such a feat would require seemed beyond the physical capacity of any Ovatai, no matter how strong or skilled they were with the energy. It would weaken the body to a dangerous level; unless the source of the energy no longer had a body to weaken.

  Oh, gods. That was it! Ducking under a wild swing from the icy warrior Edric let his head turn toward Ewei’s body, the handle of the spear protruding from his chest, blood now staining the white fabric of his clothes and the snow underneath him. He needed to get the weapon. There was no way to know if removing it from Ewei’s corpse would lessen the effect his energy had over the sculptures but he had to try. How else would they be able to kill something that wasn’t alive to begin with? Each blow they struck chipped at the ice, having no effect on their speed or power.

  Just as his legs shifted to carry him forward a hard pressure at his back knocked him to the ground, sprawling across the snow with a painful yelp. Rolling onto his back he found himself staring into the empty eyes of an ice-carved face, a heavy blade descending upon him rapidly. There was no time to react. By the time he was able to lift his arm to block, it would be too late. But he wasn’t going down without trying. Tightening his grip on his sword he started to lift his arm, finding the motion unnecessary as Neomi’s slender form stepped between him and the sculpture, pushing it back with a solid kick to its chest. The sculpture was sturdy, jarring Neomi’s body with the impact of the strike. Edric found himself mesmerized by Neomi in that instant. Her strength was unbelievable, the way she maneuvered around the icy warrior, weaving in and out of its strikes to deter its focus, her motions swift and graceful, revealing impressive agility. He didn’t want to leave her there to fight it alone but he didn’t have a choice. She would be fine as long as she kept her speed. With any luck they would find some reprieve once the blade had been removed from Ewei’s corpse.

  Scrambling to his feet Edric ran to Ewei’s fallen form, returning his sword to its sheath. The light was incredible in its brightness. Through the white glow illuminating the spear he could barely see anything, his hands grasping wildly to find the handle. When his fingers finally managed to wrap around the stone he was surprised by the warmth it exuded, heating the skin of his hands to an almost unbearable degree. Despite the discomfort, he refused to let it go. It was too important. Bracing himself, he gave a hard tug, grimacing under the strain. A grotesque sound of tearing flesh reached his ears as the blade came loose, the light quickly dissipating from around Ewei’s body to settle over the spear held tightly in his hands.

  The weapon shook violently, as if it fought against his touch. It was like it had a life of its own, struggling to be free, the glowing light running along the length of it in quick flashes, each one bringing more strength to the pull it exerted. Edric tightened his hold, looking up to see Onuric coming toward him. He held his coat in one hand and his sword in the other, thrusting the fabric into Edric’s arms. “Cover it!” he shouted, motioning toward the spear. “Find a way to conceal it.”

  Doing as he was told, Edric wrapped the coat around the blood-covered blade, shielding the flashing light from view. It wasn’t enou
gh material to enclose the entire weapon, yet it seemed enough to calm the rushing wind stirring throughout the spacious room. “What is happening?” he asked before he had a chance to consider who he was speaking to. Onuric wouldn’t be inclined to answer questions for him. Not after their earlier confrontation.

  To his surprise Onuric responded, extending his hands toward Edric, beckoning him to release the weapon. Obediently he did so, placing the handle on Onuric’s upturned palms. “Ewei is a malevolent spirit,” he frowned, staring down at the weapon in disappointment. “I should have expected this. An unfortunate complication.”

  “Complication?” Edric’s stomach lurched. Would this stand in the way of their cause? He wasn’t comfortable with the idea of infusing Ewei’s wild energy into the Avaern. It was already a powerful creature with the essence of the ancient shaman within its core. To add further strength would be detrimental. The Avaern would become unstoppable. “Can the weapon still be used? Does it require a different sacrifice?”

  “I cannot know,” Onuric shook his head. “This relic is unknown to me. My lack of familiarity makes it difficult to deduce what it is capable of.”