On the ground and unarmed, both princes reached for one another and entered brutal, hand to hand combat. Each landed a punch or two before their fists locked together, testing the limits of their raw strength. Tristan ignored the beads of sweat that dripped from the tip of his nose and the stray hairs that dangled over his eyes, which he kept firmly locked onto Casimir's. Tristan made every attempt to correct his breathing so that his concentration wouldn't fail him, and soon enough, he prevailed.
Casimir slowly retreated under Tristan's strength, and the latter took advantage of this and whipped his hands around, knocking the former off balance. Before his weakened body even had a chance to hit the ground, Tristan swung his fist and landed it square into Casimir's temple. He fell to the ground with unnatural stillness, and only the rise and fall of his chest revealed he was still alive.
Chapter 31
Debris rained from the chamber walls and ceiling as the stone sword smashed into them once again. Aldis barely kept his footing as the ground underneath trembled under the force of each hit. He spotted the marksman, Emir, crouching behind a pile of rubble, so he rushed over to his side.
“This guardian is unstoppable,” Aldis said. “If we aren't careful, we'll surely be crushed!”
The stone knight hit the ceiling, and the ground trembled again.
“If we don't stop it soon,” Emir said, “it'll bury all of Eboncrest!”
Aldis stared up at the ceiling. “Wait a moment, I have an idea. How do you crush stone?”
Emir stared at him blankly, so Aldis answered the question for him, “With another stone, of course! We can use its strength against it.”
Aldis looked around, and he saw Froki and Abigail hopping from rock to rock trying to attack the fiend, but their pitiful steel blades had no effect. Melchior circled around it hurling a flurry of thunder bolts, but that caused little more damage than a butter knife would to a diamond.
Aldis waited for the stone giant to turn its back to him, then he stood up and shouted, “Melchior, follow me! I have a plan.”
Melchior turned his attention to Aldis after tossing another fruitless spell, then he rushed to meet him while the others kept the knight busy.
“Emir, can you and the others distract it while Melchior and I prepare a spell?” Aldis said.
“That we can,” Emir said with a smile. He then ran to join the others, signaled the plan, and then all three carried out their task while Aldis explained his plan to Melchior.
“It's quite the risk,” Melchior said, “but one worth taking. The ground above should still be able to support the city if we manage it.”
“I hope you're right,” Aldis said. “Let's go.”
The two wizards ran to the top of the stairs that were still in tact and raised their arms for a spell. It would take time to cast, but the others were doing their part and keeping the knight busy in one spot while they did what they had to do.
“Ready?” Aldis asked.
“Ready,” Melchior said.
“NOW!” Aldis yelled.
They released their magic and send waves of energy flying towards the stone ceiling just above the knight, and the others ran for their lives to the safety of the stairs at the sound of Aldis' signal. The stone ceiling crumbled and cracked. Boulders the size of a small building rained upon the knight, and it scowled again as the stone pummeled it and forced it to its knees. Piece by piece of it broke off starting with its arms, followed by chunks of its chest plate, and then finally its head piled upon the floor in a thousand pieces.
Froki, Emir, and Abigail joined the two wizards and looked down upon the remains, almost as if they expected it to pull itself back together and fight at any moment. After several seconds of stillness, however, they were relieved to witness the green glow in its eyes vanished.
“That...was quite the battle,” Froki said. He then held up his arm, which had a fresh cut and bruises forming and said, “I'm going to have a new collection of scars from that one.”
Abigail flashed a smile. “It's always about the scars with you, isn't it?”
“Scars are like trophies where I come from,” Froki said proudly.
“I hate to interrupt,” Aldis said, “but we should probably find Kaina and Tristan to see if they need any assistance.”
“Right,” Froki said, “let's go.”
Azemar charged forward and shot fireball at Kaina, which she met with one of her own. She dodged as he shot another at her, and in no time the two were locked in an endless torrent of fire.
“You're no match for a master of magic,” Azemar taunted. He then switched his element to ice in an effort to slow Kaina down, causing the already slick floor to become even more slippery.
Kaina made every effort to avoid the frozen sheets, but in the end she was forced to keep her feet secluded to a single, five foot radius as Azemar created a blanket of sleet all around her. She summoned her will and searched her mind for any knowledge of a spell that could help her, and thankfully Zion had blessed her with the perfect spell for the situation. She brought up her hands and just as a swarm of ice flew her way, a barrier formed at her fingertips. When everything grew still, the barrier vanished and Kaina surveyed what had happened.
The ice formed a solid wall around her that was roughly two fingers in width on all sides. The wall had covered her head and formed a dome all the way around her to the floor on the other side. She pushed up on the ice, but was stunned to discover that it wouldn't budge.
Kaina was completely and utterly trapped.
Azemar chuckled from somewhere beyond her icy prison, though she wasn't entirely sure how she could even hear him. The master wizard edged closer to her, and even through the misty veil of the ice she could see the smug grin on his face as he said, “You can walk out of here alive as long as you surrender.”
Kaina shivered, her breath forming a cold mist, and said, “Do you honestly expect me to take your word for that?”
“You can take my word for the fact that if you continue to oppose me, it will result in your demise. It's your choice, Kaina Haventhorn,” Azemar said.
Kaina lowered her head and wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. She then noticed the necklace that Tristan gave her hanging from her neck and grasped it. It was something that gave him hope in the darkest of times, and yet he willingly parted with the only thing he had left of his mother for her sake. Kaina couldn't allow herself to make it all in vain.
Kaina clenched the locket into her fist, the fire in the pit of her soul coming forth. The cold that crept over her skin vanished, and small beads of melting ice trickled down the frozen walls. Orange light formed around her, drowning out the bluish hue of the ice. She looked up and saw Azemar's expression had shifted, and he now stared frozen in shock at what he bore witness to.
Kaina released her hold on the locket, stooped down, and retracted her arms. The fire grew more intense, and she shut her eyes in an effort to contain it until she was ready. She could hear Azemar's footsteps receding, no doubt as he braced for impact for what was to come.
In an instant, Kaina opened her eyes and spread her arms out like an eagle. Her hands acted as a catapult, hurling the trapped energy outward and shattering the ice surrounding her. Before the shards even hit the floor, they and the sheets on the floor melted, then evaporated from the sheer force of Kaina's inner flame. She stood up straight, balled her hands into fists, and lowered them to her sides. The floor had small traces of char and embers, but no sign of the icy sheets. As Kaina turned her gaze back up to Azemar, she witnessed the last remnants of his barrier before it vanished.
Azemar stared at the aftermath, then back at Kaina. The look in his eyes told Kaina that she had him exactly where she wanted him.
It was the look of fear.
Kaina looked him dead in the eyes, the lingering glow in hers reflecting in his, and said, “The only death tonight will be yours.”
Kaina's body erupted in flames as she charged at Azemar again. He brought up an
other barrier to stop her, but she cast a wave of fire in his direction. Her power seeped through the thin veil of his barrier, blistering his skin and singing his robes. The wizard cried out and halted his defense to brush off the embers that burned him, and before Kaina could act again, he shot a fire spell of his own. This time, however, he loosed his fury on the floor in between them.
A wall of fire seven feet high rose from the site of Azemar's spell, and he cackled as the wall grew seven feet thick, abolishing any chance of Kaina stepping through it.
“That should hold you,” Azemar snarled. “Now I can get to that book without your interference.”
Azemar cackled again and turned to get to the book, and Kaina could do nothing but watch helplessly as he inched closer to the cursed book.
Kaina took in a sharp breath. A familiar feeling echoed inside of her, one that she called on only once before, but one that she knew she needed to stop Azemar. Blue light resonated from her body, outshining even the blaze before her and catching the attention of her foe. He turned around and his skin turned a sickly shade of white as Kaina began to walk forward. The light encased her as she brazenly stepped into the inferno, but the flames retreated in terror at the mere presence of her power. Kaina locked eyes with Azemar, the blue flame surrounding her. Without a word, she raised her hand to him and willed the flame forth.
Blue fire shot from Kaina's fingertips and sent Azemar flying backwards, but he maintained his footing and attempted to return fire, but Kaina was ready. She sent the blue flame again, this time even brighter. Though he still remained standing, his body grew visibly broken and shaken with multiple blisters, burns, and abrasions. Azemar still readied one last spell, but Kaina had already charged hers, and the blue light grew so bright that Azemar interrupted his spell to shield his eyes.
Kaina flicked her hand and released her energy. The blue flame spilled forth and struck Azemar, knocking him off his feet and several feet into the air. The fire licked his skin and it wasn't until he hit the ground that he screamed in agony. Only when the fire subsided and Kaina's flow vanished, everything ceased.
Finally, Azemar lay still, barely able to breathe and unable to fight. The wall of fire vanished, and Kaina collapsed to her knees.
After their battle had subsided, the toll the rush had taken on Tristan's body took effect, and he nearly collapsed next to his unconscious brother. He kept himself standing, if barely, and made his way to where his sword had fallen.
Bending down to retrieve the weapon alone nearly caused him to faint, but Tristan refused to rest while he still had one last task to undertake. He returned his gaze to Casimir, then slowly walked over, and held the tip of his sword only inches away from his heart. He lowered the tip of his sword on Casimir's chest, who moaned when the tip pierced the skin underneath his doublet.
Yet as Tristan stood there, ready to kill his own brother, he couldn't do it. He could have done it. He should have done it. Everything he fought for screamed at Tristan to not pass the opportunity up, but he simply froze in response.
“Damn it all,” Tristan grumbled as he pulled the sword away from Casimir. He cursed himself again for his own weakness and replaced his sword into his sheath. As he stared down at his only brother, the sound of hurried footsteps caught his attention.
Tristan looked up to see Froki, Emir, and Abigail enter the room. When they saw him, Froki stepped forward and said, “You did it...you defeated him.”
Tristan met his friend's gaze and said, “And yet in my own cowardice, I can't bring myself to kill him.”
Froki's expression softened and he placed a hand on Tristan's shoulder. “It's never cowardly to value life, my friend.”
“He's right,” Emir said. “Besides, perhaps he would serve us better as a captive...”
Abigail looked around and said, “Where's Kaina?”
That was when Tristan noticed that Kaina and Azemar were no where to be seen, and that Hugo lay knocked out and tied on in the corner. He scanned the room and noticed that the previously sealed door now opened into a dark corridor.
“She must have gone after Azemar,” Tristan said. “Where are Aldis and Melchior?”
“They stayed behind in the last chamber and said something about making sure they could come back for the books,” Emir said. “You go on ahead to help Kaina. We'll stay here and deal with these two.”
Tristan nodded and made his way to the mysterious corridor.
Chapter 32
Kaina thought Azemar was dead at first, but the sight of his chest still rising and falling abolished the notion. She knew it would be pointless to fight him anymore, so she made her way to the altar where the book lie. She could almost feel the sickness eminating from it, a horrid energy that could make even the most hardened of people reel in terror.
“Go on...take it,” Azemar mumbled.
Kaina turned to face him, his swollen, blackening skin cracking into a vain attempt at a smile as he continued, “You can feel its power calling you to it, can't you? Even you have to admit that the power is tempting...”
Kaina turned away from him and her eyes locked onto the ashen black cover, its corners curled outward and flaking off. She shook her head and replied, “No one should have this kind of power.”
Kaina raised her hands and stared at the book. Embers slowly rose from her fingertips as she readied her shot.
“What are you doing?” Azemar said.
Kaina kept her eyes firmly locked on the book, almost out of fear that it would vanish if she even blinked, and she replied, “I'm ensuring that no one will ever abuse the power in this book.”
She then hurled the fire at the book, catching it immediately. She could hear shrieks coming from the book, causing her to bring her hands to her ears as the book crumbled to ash before her very eyes. Just as the flame faded away, she heard footsteps approaching and turned around.
“Tristan!” Kaina cried as he came running into the chamber.
“What's going on?” Tristan asked.
Before Kaina could answer, she heard Azemar laughing hysterically. She turned to see him barely holding his head up.
“You...fool...you have doomed...everyone!” he laughed again and rested his head on the ground until he could no longer make a sound. He lay still until he drew one final breath, a grin forever etched on his face.
Kaina stared at Azemar's corpse and said, “What did he mean by--”
She was interrupted when she saw something moving in the corner of her eye. From the ashes of the book, the moment the fire faded, a cloud of black smoke raised from the ashes and formed a figure. Though there were no discernable features, Kaina and Tristan soon heard a low, guttural laugh surround them as the smoke then shot forward over their heads and traveled out of the chamber, its laughter still echoing in the distance.
When Kaina and the others finally emerged from the library into the manor, she was surprised to see that there wasn't a soul in sight. The dim light of dawn flooded in through the opening in the curtains overhead, giving just enough light to see the overturned chairs and the knocked over fixtures from the earlier fight.
“Why is it so...quiet?” Kaina asked.
Emir went over to the window and said, “It looks like everyone is outside...at least the guards and your family. I don't see any of our men and women, though, nor do I see the Disciples.”
Froki stepped up and said, “So then what will we do about these two?”
He dragged both Casimir and Hugo across the floor, both alive but unconscious, and dropped them at his feet. Hugo's armor made a loud crash upon impact, but afterwards there was nothing but silence. That was, until someone came marching into the room.
It was another rebel, thankfully, who then went up to Tristan and said, “You'd better get outside, Boss. The king is here.”
“The king?” everyone said simultaneously.
“You are aware that he's our sworn enemy and that he's likely here to arrest us all?” Emir pointed out.
�
�That's just it,” the rebel said. “He's not here to arrest us, he's here to arrest him.”
He then pointed to Casimir, and Kaina's jaw dropped.
“But...why would he arrest his own son?” Kaina asked.
“It's a trick,” Tristan said. “Casimir went after the library before Torald was ready, and so he's arresting him to cover his own tracks...”
“Should we go out there?” Kaina asked. “What if he tries to arrest us anyway?”
“The guards already tried,” the rebel explained. “After you went into the library, the Haventhorns tried to have us all arrested, but the king arrived this morning and ordered them to release us. Most of the others went back to the hideout, but a few stayed behind to offer you assistance if you needed it.”
Tristan stepped forward and said, “Tell the others to wait for us outside of the city. If you don't see us within the hour, get back to the hideout and regroup.”
“Done,” the rebel said with a nod, and then he ran off to the exit.
“You all go on ahead,” Aldis said. “Melchior and I are going to seal up the entrance.”
When Kaina gave him a strange look, he added, “We already ensured that the wizards of Undercliff will be able to return to gather up as much as they can from within its halls, but we need to seal it up so that Torald won't be able to get inside, at least until we're ready.”
Kaina nodded, then she met Tristan's gaze and said, “Well, here goes nothing.”
Froki gathered up the two men again and the entire group made their way outside into the courtyard. A crowd of people turned to see them as they emerged from the manor, and Kaina could see her parents and the rest of her family glaring at her from the corner of her eye. The crowd parted as they approached until eventually, Kaina came face to face with the king.
Kaina's Dawn (Kaina Saga Book 1) Page 31