The Winter War, epub

by Priscilla Shirer

  He got up slowly and helped Brianna to her feet. She looked okay to him, just still very scared. He slowly reached into his belt, grasping his Krÿs. She followed his lead.

  Thayne raised the hammer and began to tap the handle against his other hand slowly. The sound was like the ticking of a loud, clanging clock. “So what shall I do with you? I could throw you into the fire. Then we will see if you burst into flame or just incinerate slowly as the lava consumes you. That will be very entertaining. But there is another way for you.”

  “There is?” asked Levi.

  “Join forces with me.”

  Levi’s mouth dropped open. “Join you?”

  “It is the only way you will live. Bow down to me. Serve the great Ponéros, who will soon be Master of all Ahoratos.”

  “Ruwach is the Master of Ahoratos,” said Brianna. “Not Ponéros. He will never be.”

  “Silence!” Thayne thundered.

  “I think she means, no thank you,” said Levi evenly. “We aren’t interested.”

  “You would rather be burned alive in a pit of lava?”

  “Yes. There is no way we are going to bow down and serve you.”

  Thayne seemed to consider this. “What if I told you that I could give you anything your heart desires? What do you desire, little Prince Warrior? A fortress of your own? More riches than you could ever imagine? Power beyond your wildest dreams? I can give you what Ruwach would never give you.”

  “I don’t want anything you can give me.”

  “No?” Thayne bent forward, so his empty-eyed helmet hovered close to Levi’s face.

  “Not even . . . your father?”

  Levi froze.

  He was suddenly aware of a familiar smell: dead worms. He thought it must be coming from Thayne, who was so close, but then he caught a movement and looked up at the throne. Seated there was the blind king in tattered robes.

  Nameless was here. In this fortress. Did that mean that Nameless—Death—was under the power of Thayne? Or Ponéros? If that was so, then Thayne might actually be able to give him his father back.

  Levi hesitated, unable to answer.

  “He’s lying,” Brianna whispered. “Don’t listen to him.”

  Still, Levi couldn’t speak. He stared into the blank eyeholes of the helmet looming before him.

  All he wanted was his father restored. Healthy. Alive.

  He would do anything . . .

  Suddenly, he felt something grab his hand. He glanced down to see that Brianna had slipped her root around his wrist. He closed his eyes, fighting tears. Even if . . . even if it were true. Even if Thayne could give him back his father . . .

  “Never,” Levi said, drawing himself up as tall as he could. “I will never bow down to you. Or your master.”

  “Me neither,” said Brianna.

  Thayne let out a horrendous bellow and raised his hammer up over Levi’s head, as if to strike him down. Levi braced himself, pushing away his fear. He reached over and grabbed Brianna’s hand and held it tight.

  Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Even now.

  The hammer did not fall. Levi glanced up at the mighty being standing before him, the hammer still poised over his head. But then Thayne lowered the weapon, as if he had changed his mind.

  “Very well. You will die. But first, you will watch your friends die.”

  Thayne returned to his high throne. The blind king was not there anymore. Levi looked all around but didn’t see him anywhere. Maybe he had just been imagining things.

  “He was lying, you know,” Brianna whispered.

  “I know.”

  Thayne sat down, resting the hammer on his knees. Levi and Brianna watched him, curious. He sat very still, and yet his massive armored body began to vibrate as if charged with electricity. The empty eyeholes in his helmet lit up, streaming bright lights that flashed on and off like strobes. The Bone Breakers began to squawk in excitement, flapping their huge wings.

  “What’s going on?” whispered Brianna.

  “I don’t know. . . .” Levi pulled out his Glimmer Glass and stared through it. The walls of the fortress became transparent, revealing the massive Lava Forger army charging over the obsidian bridge and heading down the mountain, their horrible voices rising to a roar.

  Levi turned to Brianna. “I think the battle has begun.”

  * * *

  “What’s that noise?” Evan asked. The boys strained to see through the cloud of Ents. They caught glimpses of something spilling over the rim of the crater.

  “It’s the Lava Forgers,” Xavier said. “They’re attacking.”

  “But the fortress hasn’t blown up yet!” Evan shouted.

  “We need to signal them below,” said Xavier. He patted Tannyn’s hide. “Tannyn!”

  The dragon moaned softly.

  “Come on. I know you’re hurting. Just give me three short blasts.”

  “You can do it, Tannyn!” Evan shouted. All three boys began to pat the dragon’s back and encourage him.

  Finally, Tannyn raised his head, stretching his long neck as far out as he could. He summoned all his strength and blew three bursts of flame. The Ents scattered.

  “Again!” Xavier shouted.

  Tannyn blew three more bursts.

  “Do it again!” Over and over, Xavier commanded, and Tannyn obeyed.

  Xavier hoped the Prince Warriors on the ground were watching.

  CHAPTER 44

  Ask

  There it is!” Bupe shouted. “The signal!”

  Bupe, sitting in the top of a tree, saw three bursts of flame come from the tiny remnant of the skypod. She scrambled down and raced to Ivy and Finn, shouting all the while. “The signal! The signal! They are coming!”

  Ivy jumped to her feet, her heart racing. Finn looked at her. She gave him a shaky smile.

  “It’s time.” Finn nodded.

  “Prince Warriors!” Ivy shouted, pulling her seed-shield from her pocket. “Assemble!”

  “What’s going on?” Mary Stanton, the only one who had actually fallen asleep, sat up and looked around blearily.

  “Come on, Miss Stanton,” Ivy said. “Get up. It’s time.”

  “Time for what?”

  The forest burst with commotion as the Warriors jumped up, putting on helmets and heading for the battle zone. As they emerged from the woods into the open area, bright flashes erupted from the dark cloud that hovered around the summit.

  “Fireballs!” Ivy shouted. She threw up her shield. The other Warriors did the same. They hurried to get into position, forming a single, unbroken line.

  All around them the fiery balls of lava began to fall. The Warriors pressed themselves closer together so their individual shields formed one large covering, a sparkling net of red seeds over all of them. Fireballs of lava fell all around them, creating smoking craters in the snow. There was so much steam it was difficult to see anything at all.

  “Stand!” Ivy shouted, the command carried down the line by others. It was all they could do.

  Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the attack from above stopped. The only sound was the hiss of lava turning to steam and the heavy breathing of the Prince Warriors.

  “They’ve given up!” said Mary, her voice filled with hope. “So it’s over, right? ’Cause they know it’s not going to work?”

  “It’s not over,” Ivy said in a stern voice. She shouted to the rest of them. “Don’t move! Keep your shields up!”

  The Prince Warriors continued to stand firm with their shields raised.

  New noises arose, the sound of engines churning. The Askalons, most of which were still in the woods behind them, were starting up. But instead of the familiar roar, they were sputtering and straining, as if unable to get going.

  “They’re stuck,” Finn said.


  “What if they manage to break through the sticks in their wheels?” Ivy said.

  Just then a huge fireball crashed into a tree, and it burst into flames. More fireballs followed. Soon the entire forest would be on fire.

  “Maybe the fires will hold them off,” Finn said.

  Ivy turned back to the mountain. She hoped Finn was right. Because now she could plainly see a dark wave descending from the cloud that rimmed the crater, rippling down the slope.

  The Lava Forgers were coming.

  * * *

  “We need to get off this rock,” Xavier said. The boys could see the Lava Forger army streaming down the mountain. But the fireballs were still falling all around them, and the Ents were still attacking. They were trapped.

  Ask.

  The words bubbled up from some distant memory. The Cave. The Book. The letters dancing in the air. Ask and you will receive. Xavier turned around and looked at his little brother.

  “Evan, do you think if you asked Ru, he would fix Tannyn?”

  “I . . . don’t know if it works on dragons. But I’ll try.” Evan slid down from Tannyn’s back. There was barely any room to stand. He inched his way over to Tannyn’s head and put one hand on his nose. The dragon moaned out soft gorps. His eyes were closed. His broken wing was outstretched, for he couldn’t even fold it properly.

  “Hey, big guy,” Evan said softly. “It’s okay.” Evan placed his hand over one of Tannyn’s eyes. Tannyn yelped a little, smoke steaming from his nostrils. “Just relax.” He reached into his pocket with the other hand and gripped the rock tightly, remembering Ruwach’s words to him. He spoke aloud. “Ruwach, I know you’re here. I know you can hear me. Please, make Tannyn’s eyes all better.”

  Evan waited, but he didn’t feel the familiar heat from the rock. He heard the answer clearly, as if Ruwach had spoken aloud.

  No.

  No? Evan’s heart sank. He closed his eyes in despair.

  The wing.

  Evan’s eyes flew open. He turned and inched over to Tannyn’s broken wing. He put his hand on it. Suddenly he could see Ruwach, see him as clear as day, standing right in front of him, reaching out one of his glowing hands and putting it over his own. He felt the warmth of that hand filling his body, radiating into the broken wing. He saw the wing begin to straighten, the bones knitting together, the torn flesh sewn up. He smiled and bowed low and thanked Ruwach for healing his friend.

  “Gorp!”

  Evan’s eyes flew open as the giant wing under his palm flapped once, nearly knocking him over. The wing had straightened, the burned-out skin returned to its normal green. Tannyn flapped it again and gorped loudly. Evan made sure to duck that time.

  “He did it,” Manuel said, in awe.

  Evan saw Xavier’s staff still on the ground, where he had dropped it during the dragon fight. He picked it up and handed it to Xavier and then climbed onto Tannyn’s back.

  “He still can’t see,” he said. “How’s he going to fly?”

  “We can guide him,” said Xavier.

  The skypod shuddered as another big chunk fell off.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Evan shouted.

  Holding his staff in one hand, Xavier inched along Tannyn’s neck until he was straddling him right behind his head. “Okay, boy, I’ll tell you where to go. You just fly.”

  Tannyn flapped his wings, sent a blast of fire into the cloud of Ents, and took off into the sky. He wobbled and almost did a somersault, but Xavier steadied him, clinging to his neck.

  “Hang on, guys!” Xavier shouted to Evan and Manuel. He glanced back and saw the last remnant of the skypod crumble, releasing another cloud of Ents.

  “Four hundred seventy-three, four hundred seventy-four . . .” Manuel whispered.

  “Let’s get down to the battle!” Evan cried.

  Xavier looked at the battle below, where the Lava Forgers were barreling down the mountain, headed straight for the Prince Warriors. He was about to guide Tannyn that way when he saw something the Warriors on the ground couldn’t see.

  “Hang on, guys,” Xavier said. “There’s something we need to do first.”

  CHAPTER 45

  Stand Firm

  Ivy and Finn and the rest of the Warriors braced themselves for the onslaught of the Lava Forgers.

  We are so few, Ivy thought. Their line didn’t extend very far. The Forgers would easily be able to overrun them.

  She heard a familiar trumpet call and saw Tannyn flying overhead. She couldn’t tell if the boys were with him. Tannyn didn’t fly down to the battleground. He kept going, over the treetops, and disappeared from sight.

  “They’re gone,” Ivy said, a thick knot of sorrow building up in her stomach.

  “How do you know?”

  “Tannyn just flew away.”

  Finn sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. “We can do this, Ivy.”

  She looked up at him, blinking back tears. She would not let him see her cry. “But Xavier . . .”

  “You’ll lead. You’ve been doing it all along.”

  Ivy gasped at the realization. She had been leading them. Without even really thinking about it.

  “Warriors,” she shouted so everyone could hear. She had to put Xavier and the others out of her mind. “Stand firm, no matter what happens! We have everything we need!”

  The next moment, Ivy’s line of vision filled with the shocking sight of a thousand monstrous Lava Forgers smashing into their shields.

  Ruwach! Ivy screamed his name in her mind as she felt the impact of the attack shake her very bones. The Forgers smashed their rock-hard bodies against the shields over and over. They roared like out-of-control blast furnaces. Ivy longed to fight back, to pull out her sword and thrust it into those molten cores. But it was all any of them could do just to keep their shields raised.

  The sky overhead darkened suddenly, and Ivy looked up to see the air fill with Bone Breakers and Ents that had been released from the fallen skypod. They swooped down over the Prince Warriors, their terrible shrieks joining the roars of the Forgers. The Bone Breakers dove at the seed-shields as if trying to peck at the sparkling lights while the Ents released a torrent of poisonous darts.

  “We need more help,” Ivy said aloud. She tried not to let the panic in her heart reach her voice. She gripped her Krÿs, wondering if she should pull it out. She wanted to fight, but she knew the time had not come for that.

  Then Ivy heard someone singing. She turned to Mary, but it wasn’t her. Mary looked too terrified to speak. Ivy looked all around, but she couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from.

  Then more voices joined in. Beautiful voices, whispering at first, then rising to a hum. And then white puffs like snowflakes began to swirl all around them, filling the air with music and light.

  Ivy glanced at Finn, who looked back at her and smiled.

  “They’re here,” he said.

  * * *

  Xavier saw the Lava Forgers slam into the Warriors’ shield wall as he directed Tannyn to fly over the battle. Then he saw the Ents and the Bone Breakers descend on the army. He longed to be there with them. But he had something else he had to do first.

  Tannyn soared over the vast forest until he came to the open plain before the Bridge of Tears. There stood hundreds of Prince Warriors, scattered over the field and locked in frozen poses, just as they had been ever since the first battle.

  “They’re still frozen!” Evan shouted. “How are we going to unfreeze them?”

  “Come on, boy,” Xavier said, patting Tannyn’s head. “Just enough to melt some ice, okay?”

  Xavier steered Tannyn over the frozen Warriors and signaled him to let loose with small bursts of fire over their heads. They made several passes, Xavier directing Tannyn’s fire breath while Evan shouted encouragements and Manuel called out a progres
s report. By the fourth pass, the Warriors had melted enough that they could move their heads and release their arms. They wriggled out of their ice prisons and gazed around in wonderment at where they were.

  Some saw the dragon circling above them and drew their swords as if preparing for an attack.

  “Don’t be afraid!” Xavier shouted down to them. “We’ve come to help you!”

  The Warriors gaped in awe at the sight of three boys mounted on the back of a dragon. Xavier directed Tannyn to land. The Warriors saw what was coming and scattered quickly as Tannyn did his usual belly-flop landing. Xavier slid down the side of Tannyn’s belly and set his staff on the ground before them.

  “There’s a battle at the mountain. We need your help.”

  Murmurs rose up from the Warriors, who were still somewhat confused by what was going on. One of them, an older boy, stepped toward him. He was even taller than Xavier.

  “Aren’t you the one who led your friends into a trap?” he asked. “We will not follow you!”

  “You have to!” Evan shouted, coming to stand beside his brother. “Xavier is right this time! Look—he has Ruwach’s staff!”

  Xavier held up the staff for them all to see.

  “That’s just an ordinary stick,” said the tall boy. “I’ll prove it to you!” He reached out and grabbed the staff from Xavier’s hand. Instantly, the staff began to wiggle and hiss—like a snake. The boy screamed and let go. The staff fell to the ground, an ordinary staff once again.

  “That thing’s alive!” the tall boy cried.

  Xavier bent down and calmly picked the staff up again. The jaws of all those watching dropped. Some of them started to snicker.

  “How’d you do that?” asked the tall boy. “Is that some sort of trick?”

  “I think he’s telling the truth,” said another boy.

  “It’s just a trick,” said the first boy.

  “I know you don’t trust me,” Xavier said. “You have good reason to doubt me. But you have to believe me when I tell you that dozens of Prince Warriors are battling right now at the foot of the mountain, and everything is at stake. If you don’t come to stand with us . . . then we will find another way. But if you want to stand against Ponéros and his army, if you want to defeat Thayne and rid this land of his dark schemes, you need to come now.”