The Winter War, epub

by Priscilla Shirer

  Thayne grabbed hold of Levi by the neck and lifted him high over his head. Levi twisted in his grip, beating hopelessly on the heavily armored arm. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t cry out. Thayne carried him to the lava pit. Levi felt the searing heat of the lava blast his face. He closed his eyes.

  “Levi!” It was Mr. J. Ar, calling to him from somewhere near the doorway. “Levi! Son!”

  Thayne was about to throw Levi in the pit when a piercing scream filled the air. The sound made Thayne’s whole body shake. He spun around, letting go of Levi, who dropped to the floor. Levi gasped, struggling for breath, as a huge reptilian creature with yellow eyes seemed to sail through the air over his head.

  Sybylla.

  Thayne spun around as the leviathan landed on him, both of them crashing to the floor. Thayne smashed a fist into the creature’s head. Sybylla fell sideways then righted herself, her powerful jaws clamping down on Thayne’s only remaining arm. She yanked him off the floor and flung him about like a rag doll as she slithered to the lava pit. Thayne hooked his leg around her neck as she tried to dump him into the fire. She whipped her head from side to side but couldn’t shake him off.

  Then she seemed to pause for a moment, turning to look at Levi. Her yellow eyes peered into his, and she blinked. She dipped her head once, as if she was nodding to him. Then she turned away and leapt into the lava pit, Thayne still locked in her jaws.

  Levi stumbled backward, covering his face as the lava splashed and sputtered, engulfing the leviathan queen and her prey in blue fire.

  The fire was suddenly quenched, and the lava pit began to steam as if rapidly cooling. Levi moved gingerly to the edge and looked in. He could see no evidence of Sybylla or Thayne in the pitch-black hole. If was as if they had been swallowed up by the fire, just as the fire was now swallowed up by . . . something else.

  “Levi!” Mr. J. Ar had managed to climb over the piles of broken wall, hurtling glass shards in all directions.

  “Dad,” Levi gasped, falling into his father’s arms. His legs suddenly felt too weak to hold him up.

  “It’s okay, son,” Mr. J. Ar said softly, holding him close.

  “Where’s Bean?”

  “She’s outside.”

  The floor under them shook violently, as if the whole mountain were gripped by a terrible earthquake. More pieces of glass wall began to tumble down into the lava pit, as if being sucked in by some unknown force.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Mr. J. Ar whispered.

  “Best idea I’ve heard all day.”

  * * *

  The whole army cheered as the newly arrived Prince Warriors overtook the Askalons from the rear. Several Warriors jumped up onto the machines, got into the hatches, and began steering them into each other, causing major pileups. Others thrust burning sticks into the side hatches, turning the ice-webs and ice-snakes to harmless water.

  Tannyn appeared soon after, crash-landing at the edge of the woods. Ivy screamed with joy when she saw Xavier, Manuel, and Evan jump down from the dragon’s back and run to join them, their swords drawn. Xavier still carried his staff.

  “Guys! You’re alive!” Ivy exclaimed.

  “Yeah,” said Xavier. “Have you seen Levi and Brianna?”

  Ivy shook her head. But there was no time to talk. The five friends joined the rest of the army in finishing off the Lava Forgers, who were still bumbling in all directions, slamming into each other.

  “Thayne must be gone,” Xavier said. “He was the one controlling them.”

  “Good! Finish ’em!” Evan shouted. He thrust his sword into a confused Forger, who exploded into ash.

  The Bone Breakers came back, but instead of flying, they were just falling from the sky, as if their wings no longer worked. They flopped around on the ground, squawking like mad, creating even more havoc. Evan stop fighting Forgers when he noticed one of the birds choking and sputtering, as if something was caught in its throat. He drew closer to investigate.

  “Hey! You took my seed!” Evan cried and rushed toward the bird. He was about to stab it with his sword when it simply fell over as if dead and its beak dropped open. Evan’s little red seed rolled out onto the snow, covered in slime. Evan lunged for it, grabbing it away before any other bird got hold of it. “I got it back!” he exclaimed. “Look, Xavier!”

  Instead of making some snide remark, Xavier smiled at him. “That’s cool, Evan. I knew you would.”

  As the battle wound down, Xavier began to wonder more and more about Levi and Brianna. Maybe they were still up there, still alive. Maybe it was possible to rescue them. He had to know for sure.

  “You keep going here,” he said to the others. “I’m going up there.” He raced back to Tannyn, positioning himself once more on the dragon’s neck. “Let’s go, boy,” he whispered, and Tannyn took off.

  CHAPTER 49

  Left Behind

  Mr. J. Ar and Levi stumbled out of the fortress just as the entire structure collapsed, raising a thick black cloud of dust and ash. Firecrackers of blue flame were shooting every which way, like a Fourth of July celebration gone haywire. Brianna was still sitting outside; Mr. J. Ar grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the disaster. The three of them half ran, half slid down the sloping rampart toward the fiery moat. But the obsidian bridge had already been destroyed by the roiling lava. Levi looked through the Glimmer Glass, but no other bridge appeared to him. There was no way he could see to get off the mountain. Ash fell upon them like snow, coating them in a layer of gray, so they looked like statues of themselves.

  “At least we’re out of the fortress,” Brianna said, trying to smile. She huddled closer to Mr. J. Ar, who lay on his back, holding both kids close. “We did it, didn’t we?”

  “Yes, you did,” said Mr. J. Ar.

  “So who was that guy in there?” Levi asked. “Gavreel. Have you met him before?”

  “No, I’d only heard about him. He’s a good friend of Ruwach’s.”

  Levi had a million more questions, but he suddenly didn’t want to talk anymore. He didn’t even care if they ever got off the mountain. He had his father with him, and that was all that mattered. Thayne was gone. The fortress was destroyed. They’d done what they came to do. He put his arm around his dad’s broad chest and lay still, letting all the pain and fear he had experienced wash away.

  Then he thought he heard someone calling his name.

  “Levi! Brianna!”

  “Did you hear that?” he said, sitting up. Brianna looked at him, confused.

  “What was it?”

  Levi fished out the Glimmer Glass and peered through the smoke.

  “It’s Xavier!” Brianna cried. “Over here!” She waved one arm wildly. “We’re here!”

  Through the Glass, Levi saw Tannyn turn and head their way. Maybe they would be rescued, after all. “He’s coming!” he said, turning to his father. “Come on, Dad! Let’s go!”

  Mr. J. Ar had risen to his feet.

  “No,” said Mr. J. Ar. “You go on, son. Both of you.”

  “What do you mean?” Brianna asked.

  Levi glanced up to the top of the mountain. The fortress was gone. But Ruwach was there, the little figure in the purple hood, beside the tall, majestic Gavreel. And the blind king in the tattered robe was there too—Nameless.

  Levi felt his chest cave in, his throat close. He threw his arms around his father, clinging so tightly he could hear the thud of his father’s heart.

  “I’m not going without you!”

  “Yes, you are,” said Mr. J. Ar as he wrapped his son in his arms and held him close. Then he gently disengaged and took Levi’s chin in his hand, smiling into his eyes. “It’s okay, son. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”

  “But . . . why?” Levi could barely speak through his tears.

  “You will understand one day,” Mr. J.
Ar said. “All you need to remember is this. I love you, son. I’m proud of you. You are a Prince Warrior. You will carry on my legacy. And it won’t be long before we are together again.”

  “How long?” Levi cried, sobbing now.

  “Take this.” Mr. J. Ar lifted his sword to Levi. “I pass this to you, father to son. It will serve you as faithfully as it did me. And one day, I hope you will pass it to a son of your own.”

  Levi took the sword in both hands. It was far bigger than his own, but it did not feel too heavy for him. He held the blade aloft, as if in salute. Mr. J. Ar put a hand on his shoulder.

  Mr. J. Ar turned and began to climb up the rampart. He joined Ruwach, Gavreel, and the blind king at the top and gave his son and Brianna one last wave. Then he turned to follow the king over the top of the mountain, disappearing in the mist.

  * * *

  In the ICU of the Cedar Creek Hospital, Dr. Arthur grabbed hold of her husband’s hand. His eyes had started to flutter, and his hand flinched a tiny bit. She bent over him, peering into his face.

  “James . . . I love you.”

  Mr. J. Ar’s body went still. The beeping on the monitor over his head became erratic, the little red dot jumping up and down. Dr. Arthur held her breath, clutching her husband’s hand as the little red dot fell one last time, the rapid beeps slowing to a single, soft, unchanging tone.

  * * *

  Tannyn crashed down on the ramparts. Levi heard Xavier’s voice calling out to them.

  “Guys! Hurry! Let’s go!”

  Levi’s eyes were blinded with tears. He dropped to his knees, thrusting the sword into the ground and rested his head against the hilt.

  “Levi!”

  Brianna tugged on his arm. She was crying too. Levi wouldn’t move.

  “We have to go,” she said urgently.

  Levi didn’t answer. He lifted his head to look at his father’s sword. There was something inscribed in the blade, a jumble of letters in a strange language.

  דוֹמעֲ

  Surprisingly, he could decipher exactly what those letters meant.

  Stand firm.

  Something flashed through his mind. A memory. But it wasn’t his own memory. He recognized his father as a young boy, standing before a tall Warrior in fine armor who was handing him the sword. Mr. J. Ar had grown up without a father. So who was this Warrior who had given him the sword?

  The memory flashed again. This time the tall Warrior turned his head, and Levi could see his face. It was not a face he knew. It was a kind face, and yet it was strong and fearless too. Just like his dad’s.

  Carry on my legacy.

  Brianna knelt down beside him and put her hand on his shoulder.

  “Come with me, Levi. One step at a time. It’s going to be okay.”

  She got up slowly, her hand still on his shoulder, and Levi got up with her. One step at a time. He walked with her to where Tannyn and Xavier waited. The ground shook, and he almost fell, but Brianna held on to him, and he stayed on his feet. When he got to Tannyn, Xavier pulled him up onto the dragon’s back. He noticed the new sword but didn’t say anything. Brianna climbed up behind him. She took out her root and put one end in his hand. His fingers closed over it.

  “Let’s go, Tannyn,” Xavier said.

  Tannyn leapt into the air, breaking through the smoke that ringed the summit. Levi was surprised to see that away from the mountaintop the air was clear and the sun was shining. The battle below seemed to be almost over. The sky was filled with gentle snowflakes . . . at least they looked like snowflakes. Levi pulled out his Glimmer Glass and looked through it. The sky and the land were filled with tall, majestic, shimmery Warriors. The Sparks in their true form. They were there, just as they had been at Cedar Hill. Levi smiled through the tears still streaming down his face.

  And then a bone-chilling roar filled his ears, and an enormous red dragon suddenly dropped out of the sky.

  CHAPTER 50

  The Dragon Returns

  Its wings were wider than an ocean liner. Each of its many spikes was actually a tongue of flame. The dragon was on them before Xavier could react, clamping down on Tannyn’s tail and flinging him away. Tannyn wailed as he was thrown head over tail, Xavier, Brianna, and Levi barely clinging to his spikes.

  Tannyn struggled to right himself, flailing his wings as the red dragon dove toward the Prince Warriors on the battlefield.

  “Get him, Tannyn!” Xavier cried, urging the dragon to follow.

  “No, wait! It’s Ponéros!” Levi shouted.

  The fiery red dragon sped toward the unsuspecting Warriors on the ground. Xavier directed Tannyn to land, thinking they could better help their friends on foot. As Tannyn headed for the ground, the Warriors saw the Sparks—the army of the Unseen—rise up from the ground. They surrounded Ponéros, slashing him with their gleaming swords and deflecting his fire breath with their golden shields.

  All the Warriors stood silent and in awe as the fight went on. The red dragon looked like a streak of fire in the sky. The Sparks’ swords were like long sleek icicles; with every pierce, one of the dragon’s flaming spikes went out, leaving a blackened scar. Ponéros was covered in many scars, and yet he kept fighting, yellow flames erupting from his great jaws. He refused to give up.

  Then the sky lit up with a brilliant flash, like a nuclear blast. And from the light came another dragon, this one pure white, with fiery white spikes. A small purple figure was perched just behind its magnificent head.

  “Ruwach!” Brianna cried. Everyone shouted his name.

  Ruwach rode the white dragon directly into the midst of the fight. He raised one of his long, shining arms. A glittering spear appeared in his hand. Ruwach threw the spear, which streaked through the air like a lightning bolt. Ponéros screamed in pain and rage as the spear pierced his heart. A blackness spread from the wound, consuming his flaming scales, his enormous wings. He fell from the sky, spinning helplessly, and disappeared.

  None of the Warriors saw where he landed. But they heard a sound like thunder inside the earth, and saw a plume of dark smoke rising into the distant sky. And then it was quiet.

  CHAPTER 51

  Victory

  There was nothing left of the Lava Forgers except piles of ash.

  The Askalons lay in heaps of twisted, smoldering metal.

  The fortress was gone. And a thin wisp of smoke rose up from the flattened top of the Mount of Rhema, peaceful and serene.

  The Breath had returned.

  The Prince Warriors were at first too stunned to understand what had happened—that the battle was suddenly over. They stood still with blank stares on their faces, the only sound their panting breath.

  And then, gradually, they began to cheer. First one voice, then two, then a whole chorus of praise rose up, swords piercing the air in victory.

  Ivy, Finn, and Evan ran to Levi and Brianna as they slid from Tannyn’s back, shouting with happiness. Ivy threw her arms around Brianna’s neck.

  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she said.

  “Me too,” said Brianna.

  “How was it up there?”

  Brianna smiled weakly. “Stellar.”

  Evan gave Levi a high five. “Wow. You did it, man. Awesome!”

  “Thanks,” said Levi. “So did you.”

  “Where’d you get that sword?” Evan pointed to the sword that Levi still held in both hands. “It looks like Mr. J. Ar’s.”

  Levi’s head dropped.

  Brianna spoke for him. “It is.”

  “Mr. J. Ar was there? On the mountain?” said Xavier, astonished.

  “Yes. He came to rescue us. He fought Thayne.”

  “Well, where is he?”

  Brianna glanced at Levi. Her eyes filled with tears. “He’s . . . not coming down.”

  The friends were qui
et, looking from one to the other. No one wanted to believe it.

  The moment was interrupted by Mary Stanton, who came bounding toward the group, waving excitedly.

  “Guys!” she said, nearly colliding with Finn. “We made it! I’m actually getting to like Ahoratos, although it could really use a Starbucks.”

  “Where’s Manuel?” Evan asked, looking around.

  “Here I am.” A bedraggled Manuel limped up to them. “I ended up next to a big Russian dude who stepped on my toes numerous times. I think several of them might be broken.”

  “Kalle! Kristian!” Ivy said as the twins came over, looking tired but triumphant. They all high-fived each other. Bupe and Ravi and their friends came to join in with high fives and fist bumps and Bupe’s secret handshake, which all the Prince Warriors soon adopted as their own. They talked excitedly about the events of the battle and the fall of the great red dragon from the sky.

  It was Evan who first noticed it.

  “A leaf!” he cried. He pointed to a tree branch overhead, where a single green leaf was gently unfolding before their eyes. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at the miracle taking place before their eyes. Suddenly there was hope again, and life, and peace.

  Evan grinned. “I think the Winter is over.”

  EPILOGUE

  Back to the Beginning

  The rec center was full of people. Levi couldn’t even find any place to sit. So many people had come out for the memorial service; most of them Levi had never seen before. Levi’s mom had decided to have the reception for Mr. J. Ar at the rec center since it had been such a big part of his life. People brought a ton of food. They cried as they told their stories of how Mr. J. Ar had affected their lives. Everyone was eating and talking and crying, but there was laughter sprinkled in with all the tears. Happy memories. A sweetness they wanted to savor a little longer.