Chapter 13
thirteen
Atlas’s army surges forward, the flame-wolves leading the charge, their howls splitting the air.
Behind him, I watch as some type of monster so pale that black veins can be seen through their flesh, towering over the men.
Their roars are loud, unlike anything I could have ever thought would be in existence.
But worries me the most is they are imbued with … ice.
Kosae! He’s used Thesix magic, stolen the gift from him, to create these monstrosities.
“For Ashonera!” I cry, bringing my hands down in a slashing motion.
Water erupts from the earth in a massive wave, crashing into the front line of Atlas’s forces.
The flame wolves howl, some of their fire sizzling and dimming, but they push forward, jaws snapping.
My soldiers meet them with precision, their blades flashing.
The clash of metal, screams of the wounded, the snarls of beasts blend into a cacophony of battle.
I move through the chaos like the tide, water swirling around me in a protective ring. Every gesture sends deadly spikes of ice or crushing waves toward Atlas’s forces. I’m searching, always searching, for any sight of Thesix.
A towering monster of ice and death lunges at me, it’s form shifting and twisting in a way that hurts to look at. I push my hands through the air, sending a blade of water through its center. It shrieks in pain before finally meeting its end.
“Drāhēn?!” Selene’s voice cuts through the din. “Behind you!”
I spin, barely avoiding the jaws of a flame-wolf. Its teeth snap inches from my face, heat searing my skin. With a grunt of effort, I plunge my hand into its chest, ice forming around my fingers. The beast convulses, flame sputtering out along its spine as it collapses.
I catch sight of Kya. She’s in the thick of battle, flames dancing around her hands – but I watch her attacks. They seem to miss their marks or strike with less force than they could. Playing her part, as we agreed.
The sky darkens, clouds gathering. I raise my face to them, feeling the potential of the storm building above. With a deep breath, I reach up, calling to the water suspended there.
“Fall!” I whisper.
The clouds crack open, and rain pours down – not gentle and life giving rain, but stinging needles of water.
The downpour intensifies. If I am to fight the flames, my people will have access to the water many of them wield.
Those with the power of earth open sink holes, those with wind working to cast the creatures and soldiers into them.
A massive explosion rocks the western flank, sending bodies flying.
I whip my head toward the source and see Atlas, hands raised, fire pouring from his palms in torrents.
His flames carve a path of destruction through my forces.
Sending us all back towards the shoreline, where I realized our mistake.
They’ve surrounded us. While fighting the creatures, I didn’t realize the soldiers were heading behind us.
“You see?” he screams, “This is true power!”
A panic sets in, my hands starting to shake at my side as the rage inside me becomes cold. I plant my feet firmly on the blood-soaked ground and raise both hands toward the storm-dark sky, sending a whisper I hope is answered – just once more.
A sound answers, part song and part earthquake. It resonates through bone and soul. The w?ngesk rises from the waters, its massive tentacles reach towards the sky, and its eyes fix on the battlefield. The soldier’s at its shores.
“No!” Atlas screams, recognizing the creature from the stories we once whispered between us.
The w?ngesk tentacles crash down, sweeping aside Atlas’s forces. It moves with impossible grace for something massive, targeting the flame-wolves that are within reach.
Fire dances around me as the ones I love have turned on each other, with hate fueling their hearts. I hold my hands out, fighting back the flames with the water within me, the magic pulsing through my veins.
Atlas did this because of his jealousy. He made the deal that sealed our fates – a fate I never wanted for any of them. Death was a dream that I never had, and yet it will forever be a nightmare they can’t escape.
Atlas stands there sneering before shouting an order to his men. His creatures of darkness slink between the shadows and flames as they bring something out. I can’t tell what it is through the maddening chaos.
Men and women stand behind me as we fight for everything we believe in, a fight we have never prepared for. Their powers weren’t meant for war, but as gifts, and yet, they fight beside me anyway. The stench of smoke, rot, and death lingers in the air.
Mud sucks at my boots with each step, threatening to hold me in place.
Blood darkens the earth in expanding pools, some still warm and steaming in the rain.
My people fight with desperate valor against overwhelming odds.
To my left, a woman with water swirling around her hands pushes back three flame-wolves, her face contorted with effort.
To my right, an earth [wielder] creates a wall of stone that crumbles almost immediately under the assault of Atlas's guard.
"We're losing ground," Selene shouts beside me, her sword dripping red as she dispatches a kukhe that ventured too close.
Through the sheets of rain, I spot movement at the center of Atlas's forces.
“Looking for this?” Atlas calls across the battlefield to me.
Shielding my eyes from the heat of the flames with my hands, I look up, noticing what the creatures brought out. My knees crumble and the rocks beneath dig into my skin.
“Thesix.” I whisper.