“It is not the weapon we should be concerned with. I have to believe it will function the way the Ythes intended, regardless of the energy stored within.” Edric’s attention shifted to Neomi as she approached, reminded of the tension between the three of them. Onuric instantly tensed, stepping in closer to place his body between her and Edric. She glanced over to him in frustration, though she made no move to step away. “Covering the weapon will not prevent Ewei’s spirit from lashing out at us. It will only make it more difficult for his energy to direct its power with the precision it utilized in animating the sculptures.”
At mention of the sculptures Edric let his eyes scan the area, taking note of the fallen statues scattered about the ground. They continued to writhe and twitch from the energy, their motions no longer controlled with the same strength as before. He could see Ehren stepping away from one of them, staring down at it in disbelief. Edric couldn’t blame him for the discomfort visible in his brother’s eyes. The uncertainty was evident in his face, looking to Edric in confusion. He regretted the fact that he could offer nothing to answer the questions he saw in Ehren’s eyes.
One detail nagged at the back of Edric’s mind. Ewei was dead. How was it possible for his energy to still manipulate the elements of the living world? Ignoring Onuric’s expression of discontent Edric directed his question to Neomi, hoping she might have some insight which would help put things into perspective. Some knowledge of Ovatai lore that he was overlooking. “You speak as though Ewei retains a conscious awareness of what his spirit does. The dead do not have that luxury.”
“Only his body is dead,” Neomi replied, leaning forward to examine the exposed handle of the weapon in Onuric’s hands. Her fingers reached to touch it, finding it quickly pulled away with a disapproving glare from her brother. Heaving a sigh she shook her head, returning her solemn gaze to Edric. “This weapon appears to have taken in Ewei’s spirit. The very essence of his being. As long as it is trapped within the stone, he will not pass on from this world. In addition, he is no longer bound by the limitations we suffer in our mortal bodies. Without a body, the spirit housed within that weapon is free to do whatever it pleases with little consequence. Whoever wields it against the Avaern must have a steady hand and an accurate aim. Ewei will attempt to destroy us with greater fervor in death.”
“Do you mean to say this weapon will fight against us? How does that do us any good against the Avaern?”
“It will make things more difficult, but not impossible,” she replied quietly. Her eyes lifted to Onuric’s, holding his gaze steady. “Our father is the strongest of our people. He must be the one to wield the weapon against the Avaern in battle or there is too great a risk of failure.”
“Our father is too old,” Onuric grumbled, shaking his head in vehement disapproval. “I do not doubt his ability in battle, but this is different.”
“You dishonor our father by assuming him incapable simply because of his age. He is the Chief. It is his duty and right to hold the blade which saves his people. If he chooses to leave the responsibility to you, that is his decision, and his alone.”
A loud rumble shook the ground underneath them. Neomi’s voice trailed off, lost in a gust of wind which roared through the area. Pieces of snow and ice were picked up by the force, pelting them painfully from every direction. “We need to get out of here,” Onuric’s face contorted into an irritable scowl, pressing the fabric tighter around the weapon still clasped in his hands. “If we stay much longer the whole place will come down on top of us. Ewei will see to that.”
It didn’t make sense. They had covered the blade. How was Ewei’s energy still able to affect anything around them? “I thought concealing the weapon would prevent him from manipulating our surroundings…”
“Nothing will prevent it. You cannot contain that kind of energy… merely muffle it.” Neomi stepped forward, her path immediately blocked by Onuric, forcing her to remain distanced from Edric. Jaw clenched she inhaled a deep breath to try and calm her rising anger, saying nothing to chide him for his behavior. There was nothing she could say. Edric knew very well that Onuric was within his rights to act the way he did. He was protecting his sister. If only he knew that there was no need to protect her from him. Onuric needed to be more concerned about the weapon he now possessed. Edric was no threat in comparison to something like that.
“You can either come with us or stay here and die,” Onuric huffed. “Do not expect me to urge you to follow. The choice is yours. Come, Neomi. We are leaving.”
Onuric grabbed onto Neomi’s arm harshly, dragging her forward with him toward the icy stairs along the far wall. There was no choice to be made. They had to get out of there. The rumbling from the mountain was getting louder, the ground under Edric’s feet trembling from the force exerted by Ewei’s spirit. He cast a final glance to Ewei’s body, feeling no remorse for leaving it behind. He was a traitor. Had there been a single redeeming quality about him, Edric might have been compelled to see him returned to Nahedu for a proper burial. After what he’d done, Edric preferred the thought of him rotting here in the middle of nowhere, forgotten by the people he once claimed loyalty to. “Come on, Ehren. We have to go,” he called out, waving his brother toward him. There was no time to waste. They needed to get out of there and back to Nahedu before Ewei’s excessive energy summoned the Avaern directly to them the way he’d predicted would occur in Isavo. It was never proven fact, but it wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. Not when they were so close to victory. The time for taking chances was over.
The unnatural blizzard persisted for days, blowing snow in every direction, impairing the vision of everyone left in the group, their safe return to Nahedu lying solely in the hands of Neomi and Onuric to guide them across the country. Neomi shivered from the strong wind. Her body’s natural protection against the cold wasn’t enough to ease the chill freezing her to the bone. She sympathized for Edric and his brother. If she suffered from the temperatures, she could only imagine how badly it affected them. They possessed nothing to ease the chill aside from the thick cloaks they wore, the hoods pulled over their heads in attempts to keep the snow and wind off their faces.
Even Onuric was beginning to show signs of fatigue. The strength of Ewei’s spirit trapped within the weapon they carried caused the weather to react harshly, slowing them down, adding days to their journey that otherwise wouldn’t have been necessary. When they chanced to rest, they were granted no more than an hour, forced to return to their feet before the snow covered them where they lie. Food was scarce and the only source of water they could rely on was that of the snow along the way. Hunting was out of the question. They could barely see three feet in front of their noses to walk. Chasing down an animal for food wasn’t an option.
Sitting in the snow beside Onuric, she let her eyes trail over the spear he kept securely in his lap, the fabric of his coat still wrapped tightly around the blade to keep it out of view. Several symbols could be seen carved into the stone of the exposed handle, their meaning vaguely registering in Neomi’s mind. She had to think on the pictures, straining her mind to recall the lessons she’d learned of their history. They resembled old runes used by the ancient shamans, believed to possess some sort of magical quality though she’d always doubted the truth in the stories. She found it hard to believe that a symbol could carry such power. Yet here they were, holding an ancient weapon forged by the old shamans themselves… and it had worked. Somehow Edric and Ewei had activated the magic, though it remained a mystery as to how. She’d been given no opportunity to speak with Edric about the incident with Ewei since they found the two of them in the cavern.
They had to be close to Nahedu. For days they had been walking, slowly making their way toward the village. She feared the possibility of the weather causing them to veer off track but she wouldn’t let herself dwell on the thought. It was too easy to lose hope if she allowed her mind to accept the likelihood of failure they faced. Everything was against them. The weather held them back and
even if they found the village there was still a chance the Avaern had already wiped out the camp and killed everyone there. If the others were alive then they stood a chance against the beast but the weapon they relied on to destroy it was being controlled by the spirit of a man who wanted them all dead. The odds were in the favor of their enemy. It angered her to think that Ewei could still get his way after his body had already been defeated.
Onuric said nothing, stiff and rigid at Neomi’s side. She wanted to talk to him. To ask him what was going through his mind. Somehow she knew that was a bad idea. He was a straightforward man. The fact that he’d managed to keep his opinions to himself for so long since discovering Edric and Ewei in the cavern was impressive. His face was contorted into an expression of disdain, casting an occasional glance in the direction where Edric and Ehren now slept. From time to time she would see his fingers tighten around the handle of the weapon as if considering an attack on the sleeping men, eventually thinking better of it and relaxing once again.
Hugging her arms tightly around her body she slid closer to Onuric, the crunch of snow underneath her weight drawing his attention to where she positioned herself. With her chin held high she met his gaze, insistent that he not become aware of the uncertainty she felt. He had to think her confident in her decision. If he noticed her faltering, he would attempt to use it against her. “You should not dwell on him,” she stated plainly, satisfied to see his eyes settle on her. His constant anger toward Edric would only cause trouble if she allowed him to continue in his own head without distraction.
“How can I not dwell on him?” Onuric scowled. “I cannot believe our father overlooked this. His presence here now is a slap in the face. He lives only because I do not yet hold the power to invoke justice the way I would if I was Chief.”
“Onuric, he found the weapon. We may never have succeeded if not for him…”
“I would have succeeded, Neomi,” he hissed. His fingers tightened around the weapon, clutching it against his chest. “You give that man too much credit. All he has done is anger the spirit contained within this blade and now we suffer the consequences for it.”
She stared at him in disbelief, awed by his misconceptions. He possessed more sense than he was exhibiting. It was frustrating to think how wrong he was… and how difficult it would be to make him see his error. “Ewei’s spirit would have been angered either way. You said it yourself that you intended to sacrifice his life for our cause. Do you not think that would have enraged him? Edric spared you the fight you knew was inevitable and now you choose to use him as an excuse so you can place the blame on someone’s shoulders other than your own.”
“He spared me nothing! Why do you press the issue? Do you not understand the insult you inflict upon me by defending him?”
“Insult?” she exclaimed. “What is there to be insulted by? You misjudge him, Onuric. Your behavior is out of line and unacceptable.”
Onuric scoffed, staring down his nose at her in disdain. “Unacceptable? You sleep with the foreigners I argued against inviting to our land and you have the audacity to say my behavior is unacceptable? Have you gone mad?”
“No, not mad.” Shaking her head, she inhaled a deep breath to calm her nerves. She wasn’t ready to give up on him. Onuric was stubborn, but she knew she could be persuasive enough to make him see reason. She was one of the few people he had ever been inclined to listen to. If she could just find the right words to express her feelings. “When our father first told us of his intentions in bringing the Vor’shai soldiers here, I was against the idea as well. Although I argued with you in support of his decision, I had my doubts. And I clung to them for a long time until I realized the Vor’shai soldiers are more worthy of our respect than any other military our father could have called upon. I have seen them fight, Onuric. As we speak our own men willingly follow the command of the Vor’shai Captain. Does that not say enough to you of their abilities to merit your acceptance?”
“This has nothing to do with their skill on the battlefield. This is about the conduct of their Prince. I can never respect that man after what he has done. It sickens me to think of it. Why do you insist on throwing it in my face?”
She let his words linger on the air between them, contemplating how to respond. She needed to stay calm. But that was easier said than done. Her heart pounded, the hard pulse echoing through her head, temples throbbing uncomfortably. Onuric’s attitude implied his discontent to go much deeper than the difference in Edric’s race. He harbored a specific hatred toward him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It didn’t make sense. Onuric barely knew him. They had spent minimal time in each other’s company since Edric’s arrival to Ethrysta. Onuric had made sure of that. So what was it? Why would his disapproval have reached such an extent with so little interaction?
When the realization came to her, she felt somewhat foolish for not having recognized the truth before. Onuric spoke a great deal about Edric’s race, but it was more than that. He was intimidated by the Vor’shai. Despite his steely countenance, his lack of knowledge of their culture and ways made him feel inadequate in their company. Out of his comfort zone. If there was one thing about her brother that she knew, it was his preference to be in control of any situation. But he couldn’t be in control with a group of soldiers whose practices were so different from their own. “Tell me,” she mused, unable to hold back the satisfied smirk which played over the corners of her lips. “Is it really my feelings toward Edric which make you hate him to this degree or is it merely your pride?”
“My pride?” he scoffed. “What reason would I have to be concerned about my pride?”
“He defeated you,” she replied simply, leaning in closer to try and get a better view of his expression. His tone was uneasy. She had him off his guard. “You want so badly to think them a weaker species yet they have proven you wrong at every turn. Their Captain rose to the task of leading our men when you expected him to fail and now their Prince has shown a remarkable prowess in physical combat, claiming victory over you as well as defeating Ewei… the man you once considered one of the strongest warriors outside our own family.”
“He did not claim victory over me –”
“Do not fool yourself, Onuric. I saw the two of you fight.”
“Then you should recall how easily I could have snapped his neck had it not been for you interfering.”
“Perhaps, but that does not change the fact that he was the one who had you on your back when the fight ended,” she frowned. “I will accept that it was not an absolute victory but you cannot deny that he stood his ground admirably. Were he any of our warriors you would respect his strength. So why is it that his difference in heritage causes you to despise him more for the very reasons we would commend our own people?”
He had no retort. The flash of light in his eyes was all she needed to know that she’d won. Holding her gaze he remained silent for a moment, eyes narrowed, considering what she said. “What do you want me to say?” he asked after a long pause, the lines on his face softening, though only slightly. “If you are looking for me to accept what the two of you have done, then you will never succeed. You are above the foreigners. I do not care if that man defeated every warrior under my command; he is not good enough for you. The only thing I will admit is that his skill is impressive. I am willing to let this scandal go until after we have taken down the Avaern because I have no choice than to agree that we require their assistance, and he has proven they are capable of offering the strength we need to accomplish victory. Beyond that, he remains nothing to me… and I will see to it he is sent home immediately upon completion of this war.”
Sent home. It wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but it was better than she could have hoped for. Onuric no longer spoke of execution. Any fate other than death was preferred. Edric had done too much for their people for him to be repaid with such hostility. They owed him and the other Vor’shai a debt of gratitude which they could never repay. Their soldiers had alrea
dy done more for the Ovatai than her father and his men ever did for the Tanispan Queen those years ago.
Averting her eyes she could think of nothing to say in response to her brother’s concession. She was grateful for his decision to ease his anger toward Edric for the time. There simply weren’t words to describe her gratitude. Discussion of personal feelings wasn’t something she had a grasp on yet; and Onuric would never understand. It seemed pointless to try. “We should get moving,” she said quietly, rising to her feet in a fluid motion, anxious to be moving again. There was still a long way between them and Nahedu… and when they returned she would have more important things to worry about than her brother’s stubbornness.
The storm was relentless. It was getting harder for Edric to convince himself that they would find their way back to Nahedu. But he couldn’t let himself dwell on it. The minute he let himself start believing they had failed would be the minute that they would. As long as he still had the strength to keep moving, he would never give up. Too many lives depended on their success. Ovatai and Vor’shai alike. If they failed, the Ovatai would be destroyed and the Avaern would be free to continue its fight on Tanispan soil. He didn’t want to consider what the beast would do if allowed to make it that far.
Shielding his eyes from the blowing snow he tried to peer through the white haze, searching desperately for some indication of where they were. They had to be close. Even at their slow pace it seemed as though they had covered enough ground to be near the Nahedu camp. The snow was just too thick. He couldn’t make out their surroundings, unable to distinguish the landmarks which would gauge their progress.
As he fought down another wave of discouragement he felt his feet stumble over something on the ground, his arms flailing wildly to try and catch his balance. Ehren’s arms caught him, steadying him on his feet, their eyes immediately drawn to the object which protruded upward from the snow. It looked to be a post of some kind. Buried deep into the ice. Overcome by curiosity he knelt down, running his frozen fingers along the surface around the object. He couldn’t feel anything. His gloves had been left behind in the tunnels of the cave, worsening the numbness in his extremities that he already suffered. But there was something there. He could see the vague outline of what looked to be a piece of rope extending from the post, attached to a heavy piece of fabric long since covered by the drifting snow.
The Myatheira Chronicles: Volume Three: Crown of Ice Page 91