by Fandy Adams
“West Rim?”
“It was long region stretching along the western border. Basically The West Rim was the former region of Illitea Nobledom which now become the part of Ishtar Kingdom.” said Eorin. “Before the coming of the Dark Lord the Green Continent consisted of five nations, Ishtar, Azgalor, Illitea, Nagari, Nirithrea. But about hundred years ago the Nobledom of Illitea was destroyed.”
“By whom?”
“By the Dark Lord Azriel.” answered Eorin. “How he destroyed it I don’t know the detail about it. But it was said that the Dark Lord made clash between nobles and created war which tore the country from inside. But the destroying of Illitea was prelude of bigger and longer history, for since then two great nations, Ishtar and Azgalor were always in tense and war to proclaim the lordless land.”
“That’s why I don’t like modern history. One noble splash a wine to other noble then waaaaaa …” Aska screamed. “… the war broke out. Bad history always happened when nobles or politician did something idiot.”
Suddenly Eorin felt strange feeling, as if someone watching her, watching them. But when she looked around everything look normal, nothing suspicious, peoples talk and eat like a common. Only a soldier there catch her attention more than the others but he just sat and watching the windows like someone unwillingly sent off far from home.
“What’s wrong?” asked Rey.
“No, it just my feeling.” said Eorin.
Suddenly Scarlett sat next to Eorin with two cans of cola in his hand.
“You came back fast.”
“People there only talk about politics and money, I can’t stand with them. So I came back, brought only two cans from the ice box.”
“Are you really lived in the palace? Became royal guard? How you can’t stand against that political chit chat?” asked Aska.
“In the palace we only had gossips.” answered Scarlett.
“No politics?”
“The gossip was the politic. You can rules half of the nation just by knew the nobles affair.”
“That sounds fair.” said Aska.
Chapter 14
Frost and Fire
“Nice Scepter, can I see it?” asked Scarlett.
“Sure.” said Eorin as she hand it over to Scarlett.
Scarlett looked and examined it. It was like made by bone, straight and smoothly polished, have length of arm and hexagonal. The blue jewel at the tip glittered by sunlight and her finger felt cold as she touched it.
“Angel Tears, The Maestro of Blizzard, enhance all water-ice elemental magic. With this every ice and water is yours to control.” said Scarlett, “But as I knew it belong only to The Brethren of Arctos in North White. I don’t think if someone in Ishtar could have it moreover I believe you don’t belong to those Brethren.”
“I got it from pawn shop with only 400 florin. The owner seemed doesn’t realize what it was, so was I at that time.”
Scarlett glanced at her for a moment, she knew that the girl before her less in truth about the scepter but she also realized that she wouldn’t do something dishonorable to get it, no vileness look on her nor she was ever did it.
“Well, this is nice stuff.” said Scarlett, as she gave it back to Eorin. “It has answered my question why you’re very good with the ice and water.”
“Yeah, but I’m also used its counter element of fire and this one reduced that part of mine. If you want to know I give all strength to trap you in the fire whirl last night.”
“Still this is nice stuff and very useful especially in the humid area like west border. And especially if we must face someone, or something.” said Scarlett.
A few minute later waiters deliver their order and in less than minute the table already filled by foods and beverages, well served and looks very delicious – especially the grilled lamb which glazes brown. Delicious smell was unleashed from the food and tempting anyone to lick one’s lips to its delicacy.
Rey took his dish calmly and modest while Aska feed himself with gusto, his right hand clutch the roasted fat leg of lambs while his left takes whatever on its range, whether it’s chicken wings, crab, buns or lettuce. It seemed he doesn’t care whatever would goes into his mouth.
“Good thing about boys, you can eat anything without any fear of getting up a weight or ballooned our abs.” said Aska, as he teased Eorin with the way he ate.
Eorin got lured, she was so upset that she doesn’t realize that she gulped an empty bottles. Scarlett on the other side doesn’t give concern about that spiky-haired boy. For last minute her eyes had been more focused on the soldier who was sitting in the front left of them. He looks like a common soldier, low rank from his dark-green suit and armor. So was the curved-sword in front of him, it was standard sword of Ishtar Soldier at his rank. But somehow Scarlett felt something familiar on the soldier, something which told her that the man was beyond his rank and sword.
A moment later a waiter came out of the door with service trolley, everything on it was frozen even the water in glass and jug had turned into solid ice. The door closed with a slam and so the tense between them grew bigger. The soldier slowly and secretly took something under the table while Scarlett immediately grabbed her sword in the backpack and her Sphere glow to prepare a magic.
“Get ready!” cried Scarlett.
“For what?”
Suddenly the soldier threw a knife at her, glowing red as thought just been forged in flame. But either it missed or the soldier deliberately not aimed at her, the knife passed her to the waiter behind. The hand was skillful and fast, quickly the waiter caught it right at the hilt, strangely the red glow on the knife dimmed and vaporous.
Four of them were standing on alert immediately, look left and right, friend or foe undecided.
“You girls get off now! Let me take care of him!” said the soldier, as he drew his sword.
His voice and the way he spoke sound familiar on Scarlett’s ears. Untold feeling of resent fell on her, for it heard like howler in her forgotten past. Still she didn’t lower her guard at all.
The soldier run passed them and jump forward attacking the waiter with one quick slash of his sword. But the waiter immediately pulled out a sword from misty trolley to fend off the attack. The waiter give a smirk beneath his strange sword, no steel was made of it, the blade itself almost like ice shard with bone as the hilt, but it was strong and hard more than any common steel, couldn’t be melted or be break easily as if it was made by the white ice of eternity. But overall the blade seems possess mysterious power, bitter cold haze emitted from its blade. His helmet and mask were covered with frost and slowly it spread to his armor as if he was just being in the snowstorm. The cold frost forced the soldier to step back with hands shivering in frost.
“Iceberg! Still good as I remembered.” said the soldier, as he took off his helmet.
Scarlett looked at him with surprise. He was a man with crew-cut and stubble covered his strong jaws. He had high stature and looks gallant in his uniform. Fearless and sharp-eyed, as his eyes focused to where his sword pointed, no glance given to the others except Iceberg. And the way he wield his sword exuded great strength as he is able to cleave a tree with just one slash of his sword.
“Marius!” cried Scarlett.
“Long time no see Scar!” said Marius, without remove his gaze to Iceberg.
“You know him?”
“I wish not.” Scarlett looked crossly.
“Thanks for the compliment. Now could I demand you to get out of here?!” Marius commanded.
Scarlett gives the cue to the others but only few steps from the door, Iceberg thrust his sword to the floor and once it does the whole room become cold and only in an instant, the floor and the windows frozen and covered by ice especially the door before them. The ice was thicker on it till blocked the door knob.
However the danger wasn’t only lies before them, all of sudden a shadow streaked on the windows and the sky rumbled with the roar. Peoples looked up and some ran t
o the windows to look into the sky. Nothing they could see to the edge of their sight but in the ground they caught a shadow pursuing them, large and winged.
“What’s that?” said Rey looking up.
“Wyvern.” answered Aska.
“Is it a good thing?”
“Normally, but somehow I don’t feel right about it for now.”
Shade crawls on the running steel and suddenly a dragon stooping out of high air with a roar to their surprise. Swiftly it flew to chase the train like hunting a prey with the wide wings stretched against the gale. Peoples looked up through the windows and at a glance they saw a gleam of light on the winged beast. Suddenly the dragon unleashed a huge fireball to blast. The train was shaken, all the windows shattered and all peoples cried in fear.
Inside, Iceberg cast his magic and four ice chunks rose before him, at the size of man and dark inside like there’s something trapped in the ice.
“Bandersnatch, take cover!” shouted Marius
A sudden fear was upon them as they heard Marius warning. They running scared into the door, but the door had already covered by ice so they just huddled fearfully like cornered sheep. Only Rey who stood out of the crowd undaunted, he wondered what they feared off, even now Scarlett more alerted to the ice chunks than Iceberg himself.
And like break the tense, suddenly four wolves break out of the ices. All white like hunter in the winter forest with eyes gleaming in the cold haze and protruding long fangs surpassing the jaw. No word or command came from Iceberg but they suddenly leap and passed him, run wildly over the table and chair, so sharp their claws till leave deep scratch on tables.
Two wolves were running on Scarlett and Marius while other two go wild behind and attack everyone on their sight. As the beast leaped on her Scarlett teleported and appear to kick it out of the window. At the same time Marius has caught the wolf on the neck with a hand and at once strikes it with his lightning magic. Something strange happened, as the beast killed, it shattered into ice shards.
However those behind didn’t experience a better fate. Aska dealing with one of them, he was down and trying to keep those teeth away from him, Eorin help him by knocked it with her scepter. While Rey on the other hand were trying to rescue a fat man whose arm is bitten by the wolf. Scarlett trying to help them behind but Iceberg step ahead and attack them first. His ice sword swung and clashed with their sword.
Beaten many times by her scepter, the wolf turned to Eorin in mad and leaped. But as it leaped Aska grabbed it first and throw it out of the window. Meanwhile Rey still trying to rescue the fat guy but suddenly the wolf turned and attacked him to fall. Now they boy must fought to keep those teeth away from him and in that situation he grabbed whatever he could and without a second thought stabs it to the beast. But then his eyes widened in surprise as he saw the knife on the beast was glowing. The knife suddenly blast with cold frost splashed to his face.
“Fyuh, I’m lucky it wasn’t a real wolf, if not I must get to laundry.” said Rey relieved. “I have to control my Gremlin from now on.” he muttered.
Outside, the Wyvern flew around the train, overshadowing them like the shadow of death. Then with a long thrum it swerved away and attack the train once again, three fireballs the beast shot in a row. The train was shaken by the blast and almost derailed.
“Damn that torch! Is he forgot that I was inside?!” cried Iceberg look frustrated.
“Let me take care of that flying lizard. You deal with him.”
“Be careful! He called the man outside ‘torch’, if my guess was right you will face a big trouble.”
“No need to worry about me, just beat him and keep him away from my kids.” said Scarlett looked sharply at Iceberg.
Then she moved to the back to look those kids. They seemed alright though the tense still look on their faces.
“Rey, Eorin melt this door! Aska give them cover! I will get rid of the dragon.” said Scarlett.
She vanished before them and at once they like heard someone has stepped on the roof above.
“Rey, Eorin melt this door! Aska give them cover! I will get rid of the dragon.” said Aska, mimicking Scarlett. “What makes she think she could easily shoo that dragon away? Did she think it was a little bird?”
***
Scarlett stood looking at the sky, blue and clear it was and the blindless sun shone behind the white cloud. Green forest and plain looks back away in motion with the rail extends to the edge of the sight while the mountain stood still watching them from afar. Everything seems fine, no sign of Wyvern nor the sound of its roar, only wind blowing against her.
Suddenly a huge shadow passed over her and the rush of the wings swept her like a tempest. To the air the dragon had returned, railing in the blowing winds along the train and upon it rode a man. Her fears were confirmed when she looked at the rider, for she noticed that the man wasn’t the Dragon Rider of Ishtar. It was a man in leather black jacket and his face looks familiar as if she was still faced the same enemy inside, for he was looks like Iceberg but older and frightening with disheveled beard and long hair.
The size and strength of the winged beast was unmatched for the lady and certainly the rider wasn’t less powerful than the ice man inside. But fear wasn’t looked on her, she stood firm and tightly grasp her sword. Then like a puzzle she turned the sword into a bow. Her hand was very deft and skillful till she only needed three seconds to transform her weapon.
“Let’s hunt!” said Scarlett, as she attached an arrow pocket on the shoulder. The arrow was odd, for it was very short, maybe at the size of pencil and consist tip and feather only. But when she drew it the wooden shaft lengthened into perfect arrow.
She pulled the arrow but the black-jacketed rider attacked her first with a flame. Swiftly she moves to evade but the flame doesn’t dispersed or exploded when it touched the ground, instead it turned into fire hound and chased her. Scarlett ran and jumped to the back and when nothing left from her exit she turned around. Fast it seemed the beast chasing her, for it was a magic that won’t stop till the flame got her and burn her in raging fires.
Suddenly Scarlett ran forward into the flame hound, wonder what in her thought. The beast leaped to her but Scarlett doesn’t evade or protect herself, instead she fearlessly sprang up to grab it. At once it burst into a great flame, blasting wild in the air like raging magic and soon it swept by the winds.
Scarlett bent down trembled and looked at the explosion on the back. By split of a second she managed to teleport forward and escaped but her hand was burnt. Great it was the flame of magic, even when she has teleported the flame spreads and consuming her glove like it was living flame. Scarlett took it off immediately and threw it away. Then she drew another arrow from her shoulder and fitted it to the string. Two Spheres in her hand was glowing at the same time, turn her eyes to be sharper, no; it was more than that – the dragon flew above seem slowing in her vision. She sprang up and teleported, and under the wings she released the arrow. So fast and strong, the arrow pierced through the wing and shaved the rider from his back to shoulder. The dragon swerved unbalance aside with a roar.
Over the train Scarlett knelt. She drew another arrow and prepared her next shot, and she peered at the woods and sky. “Come here dammit! I knew you wouldn’t fall with that.”
***
Inside, Rey and Eorin have succeeded to melt the ice which shut the exit with their magic. And while Iceberg busy to fight against Marius they were evacuating all people in the car. In less than half minute the car was empty, save only three youth and two soldiers in fight.
Iceberg’s sword was very mysterious, not only chilled to the bone but also made Marius couldn’t freely release the energy till no magic he couldn’t create. His sword was the only thing he could use to fight him.
“We have to help him!” said Rey.
“I’d love to help but don’t you see how they both fighting? Two steps from them and we must good bye to our limbs.”
&n
bsp; “I had an idea.” said Eorin. “Cover me!”
Marius pushed back, shivering in cold with white frost spread all over his body. Iceberg on the other side smiled as if has gained the victory. But then to his surprise he noticed a gleam in Marius’s eyes. He turned around immediately. A round symbol kindled behind him, formed by many ancient letters and blazed red like flame carved it on the floor. Then suddenly it burst into a fire whirl but soon as the flame confined by space it turned into surge of flame that consumed everything in the car. The flame engulfed him right away while Marius sprang back immediately. The flame didn’t get him only touch the tip of his hair.
“Watch your magic young girl!” said Marius.
The flame has vanished but the smoke grew thick before them and clouding their vision. For a moment everything was calm there, no sound or shadow move behind curled smoke.
“Is he dead?” asked Aska.
“He had through hundred flames in Silent War. He would not dead with such attack.” said Marius.
Suddenly there’s sound of clink behind the smoke like sound of metal and glasses falling together. Curiously Rey stepped forward. He wiped the smoke and hazily he found a table lied on the floor with glass and tableware scattered. But even as the smoke grew thinner, he found no sign of Iceberg as though the flame had consumed him entirely.
“It just the glass.” said Rey turned to them.
Then all of sudden a shadow came out of the smoke behind him, grabbed him swiftly to throw him up and at once ensnares him at the ceiling with strange green gel. Then Iceberg appears before them suddenly, cloaking in smoke and looked at them with grudge especially to the girl with scepter. His hand tightly clutched the sword and strange, the ice blade glowing blue suddenly.
“Get back! Now!” shouted Marius.
Iceberg thrust his sword to the floor and at once sharp hoarfrost burst out all over the place like thousands of ice needles surged and rushed into them, but when it’s almost get them the rush of ice stops suddenly as Iceberg bent down in pain.
