Where Magic Flows
M. Lauren
Fire and Ice: Part Three
Long streams of water descended the walls. The floor beneath their feet buckled under the heat of the rising flames. Cleyo and the mages turned on them in unison. Elsa and Honeymaren were outnumbered, but Ahtohallan was their land to defend.
A powerful blast of power emitted from Elsa's hands. It collided with a shield of fire, melting upon impact.
"Get behind me!" she shouted to Honeymaren.
Honeymaren had no choice but to comply. She fell into a defensive stance at Elsa's back, her eyes saying all her mouth refused.
Cleyo's rage sent a series of fireballs in their direction. Elsa warded them off with hits of her own. In one quick fluid motion, ice rained down from her palm. A set of spikes cast up from the ground and created a barrier between them and the mages.
"Woah!" Honeymaren shouted, startled by movement beneath them.
The floors trembled. Ahtohallan cried out in protest. Blocks of ice were rattled from the walls and crashed into the frozen earth. The mighty weight had their feet stumbling across the slick floor.
As another chunk fell, Elsa's eyes grew large. "Ahtohallan is defending itself!" she explained. "We have to lead the mages out of here or the whole glacier will come down with us inside!"
"Isn't that what she wants- to destroy Ahtohallan?"
Elsa threw Honeymaren a quick glare. "I don't think she anticipates dying herself in the process!"
"Let her!" Honeymaren continued, pulling Elsa back by the arm. Another block of ice fell before their feet, and the two were knocked roughly together. "Let her take the glacier down and die trying! Then we can worry about getting out of here alive!"
Elsa's response was cut-off as sparks poured in overhead. Thinking fast, Elsa ducked her and Honeymaren beneath an umbrella of ice. The sparks deterred. Red embers faded to black against its surface, however, the longer the sparks continued; the weaker Elsa's ice became.
Honeymaren winced. Her eyes pulled to her shoulder. A tiny ember had slipped through the shield and fallen onto her sleeve. As she brushed it off, Elsa reinforced the ice with a second blast of her magic.
"You're right." she told Honeymaren. "We need to focus on getting out of here! I can't put my energy into taking Cleyo down while Ahtohallan crumbles around us."
She pulled the umbrella to their front, backing them toward the tunnel. Both women gasped as they were suddenly swept off their feet. Gale, having circled in, barreled through the frozen tundra with tempest force.
"It appears Ahtohallan has called for backup…" Honeymaren stilled with a hand on Elsa's shoulder.
Elsa didn't respond, though. She was distracted. Gale had dropped a folded letter, and Elsa watched it fluttering out of reach. She quickly dove. Her chest slid over the ice. The parchment dared to land amongst the snake of flames slithering her way, but she saved it at the last second.
Elsa stashed the letter safely beneath her shirt. Honeymaren pulled her to stand as her face filled with worry.
"Look!" she pointed toward the center of the dome. "This isn't going to end well!"
Honeymaren was right. Gale's presence only increased the strength of Cleyo's powers. Flames raged to new heights. The heat trapped in the chamber was becoming unbearable, and the walls began to crumble at an unprecedented rate.
"Gale!" Elsa called her back. "Pull us out! Don't encourage the flames!"
Yet, Gale was hungry; starving for vengeance. She had come in contact with the mages, and now her energy had stirred.
"The amulets! They've put Gale off-balance." Honeymaren reminded her. "Here, take my hand!"
Elsa's fingers slipped between her's. Gale continued circling the flames, pulling their white tips up to the height of the ceiling. Amidst her destruction, she ignored Elsa's calls. Not even the combined strength of Honeymaren's love was enough to break her focus.
Suddenly though, a new arrival appeared. Tiny feet scampered up their hands and stilled against Elsa's shoulder.
"Bruni!" she greeted with a sigh of relief. "I was wondering where you were hiding!"
He licked his eyeball as if saying, hello.
"Bruni, I need you to target the black cloaks! Distract them so I can call back Gale!"
He gave a single shake of his head. Bruni squeaked and leapt from her arm. He was next seen skittering across the slick floor, diving into the flames, before being lost to a wall of fire.
Honeymaren's hand squeezed against Elsa's. "You need to try again." she encouraged her.
Elsa pulled the ice shield safely above them. She noticed that, very quickly, they were being back into the rear wall. Flames surged nearer, and Gale's winds weren't helping. If this battle with Cleyo continued this way, they wouldn't have much longer to live.
"Okay." she agreed with a deep breath.
Elsa closed her eyes.
She could feel the power alive within her veins. The source in her chest was blooming with strength. Elsa's magic called out to Gale, while Honeymaren's hand sat warm in her own.
The heat was a distraction, but energizing all the same.
In an instant, Elsa was swept off her feet again. Although this time, she was held safely above the floor. Honeymaren was beside her. She floated uneasily in Gale's wings. The two kept their hands fastened together as they balanced amongst the circling wind.
Then from overhead, it began to snow. Thick blankets of white powder poured down from the height of the dome. As Honeymaren and Elsa were carried above their heads, Cleyo and the mages adjusted their stance.
Cleyo's tirade did not stop with their advantage. Angrily, she cast a line of fire into Gale's gust. Gale spiralled quickly, nearly dropping Honeymaren and Elsa. She caught them, and in a panic; deposited them at the edge of the final slide.
"If you take Ahtohallan down from its inside, you too shall meet your end!" Elsa bellowed. "This isn't about magic, nor this place! This is about what you want from me !"
Swiftly, Elsa turned from the balcony. She tugged Honeymaren to follow, and led them into the narrow tunnel. Yet, its ground was slick. Its downward angle made it difficult for Honeymaren to climb.
Cleyo neared. They could hear the flames rising at their backs, but then Gale appeared; applying steady pressure against their legs. She led them up the slope. They were gliding across the ice at speed, blinded by the wind chill.
Honeymaren was brought to a hard and ungraceful stop beyond the foyer. She tripped, landing chest first onto the shores of Ahtohallan. Elsa slid in next to her. She pulled Honeymaren to her feet.
"Now what?" she looked to Elsa. Her brows drew low into a frown.
Despite the long summer days, the sky was growing dark. Time had escaped them while Ahtohallan divulged its secrets. Another day threatened to end.
"I can't leave this place defenseless…" Elsa considered. "I swore to protect the Northern lands, but I can't risk fueling Cleyo's anger either. If she reaches Arendelle before I can…"
Elsa shivered as she turned silent.
Honeymaren's expression came to match hers. She nodded. Her teeth grit. "We need to get the amulets away from the mages. It doesn't solve everything, but it restores the balance of nature, and it can buy us more time! They can't stir the spirits without them, nor can they deflect your attacks. It's the next right thing!"
Confusion grew across Elsa's face. It quickly fell away and she shook her head. "No, I don't want you getting involved." she scolded.
"There's no time to argue! I will take on the mages, and you worry about Cleyo!"
An orange glow emitted from beyond the foyer. Honeymaren took advantage of Elsa's distraction and quickly darted from her reach. In one swift jump, she scaled the entryway. She landed, staff in hand, at the edge of the glacier's mouth.
Angered, but unwilling to call attention to Honeymaren's whereabouts; Elsa lowered into a fighting stance before the exit. She could feel the heat channeling out of the tunnel. A low rumble coursed through Ahtohallan. It's aggressive structure, once again, buckled beneath the flames.
It was Cleyo who emerged first. She was floating over feet of fire. Her eyes glowed with powers, and the masked mages held fearlessly at her back.
"The time has come to take your glacier down, and you with it! Listen to how she cries in the light of my flames!"
Elsa shook her head. "You're wasting your energy! You saw yourself that Ahtohallan is a place for which nature can only speak through. It's a totem and nothing more!"
"A totem…" Cleyo sneered. "I will take everything of value from you, Elsa of Ahtohallan; starting with your own personal totem- your Northuldra female lover!"
"You mean me?"
Her entry rang loud. Honeymaren leapt from the glacier. Twisting mid air, her staff met Cleyo's chest in a swift blow. She was sent reeling backward. The hilt of the spear caught against her collar, and something snapped. The amulet slipped beneath her cloak, clattering with a bounce onto the ice. It slid quickly out of reach, and the mages lunged for it. Honeymaren faced off in a low stance, daring them to even try. Elsa, then, had slid in at her side.
Sneering, Cleyo raised her fingers. She snapped... yet nothing happened.
Honeymaren flashed her a grin and laughed. "Ahtohallan had more to teach me than I might have believed… illusions only work on people who don't know that they're illusions!"
Cleyo growled. She leapt towards Honeymaren. Her hands enraged with flames. Cleyo's anger peaked, and she launched forward in her attack.
A ball of ice knocked the energy from her palm, and Elsa stepped in; ready to battle. Unfortunately, Cleyo was all too eager to do the same.
Honeymaren slid from Elsa's back as their war began. Fire furied and ice ensued. She was sliding across the shore, bringing herself to halt at the water's ledge. Honeymaren picked up the amulet and stashed it safely in the inner pocket of her tunic.
Suddenly, and painfully, she was kicked back onto her rear. Honeymaren sank into a shallow incoming wave. Water soaked through her clothes. As she stood, a foot swung toward her cheek. Honeymaren ducked before impact, and swung her staff toward the leg. The sharp frozen edge sliced at the hem of a dark cloak.
When she righted, Honeymaren found herself head-on against Cleyo's two cohorts. They were mages by trade, but they had evidently been trained in the art of hand to hand combat.
"A fight without magic; my specialty!" Honeymaren cheered, encouraging them to make their move.
She swung her staff again. As the first mage dodged, the second was caught off guard. The staff pulled around in a full circle. Yet, it stopped briefly before connecting with their knees in the opposite direction.
"You're going to have to be quicker than that!" Honeymaren gloated. She jabbed fast, nailing the mage with a second hit.
Back behind her, Cleyo and Elsa continued. Their defenses were nearly moot. Both fire and ice proved too opposite for either to hold the upperhand. It was all about landing the best shot. However, neither were having much luck with that either. They were dancing hand in hand with their powers; both waiting for the other to tire out. Each watched closely for their enemy to falter. Despite the fear that came with the thought, Elsa knew this might be a fight to the very end.
Honeymaren struck the mages in unison. One was knocked onto their back, and their amulet unveiled from beneath their collar. Thinking fast, Honeymaren dug the tip of her spear into the earth. She flung herself at the mage still on their feet, and pushed off with her weight against the spear. She sailed through the air and Honeymaren's legs braced into their chest. The mage was kicked back into the water, while Honeymaren landed knees to chest over their ally.
She held the tip of her spear into the mage's throat. Her second hand tore the amulet free. For good measure, Honeymaren stepped back onto the mage's ankle. They cried out in pain, and Honeymaren knew she'd slowed their attack.
"Two down, one to go." She stashed the second amulet.
Gale swooped low against Honeymaren's feet. Her energy was buzzing, and heightened in Honeymaren's proximity.
"Better call in some backup here, Gale! Things are about to get ugly."
Both mages were back on their feet. Like them, Honeymaren was wet and cold. The night would surround them soon. They'd be at risk of frostbite if this fight continued much longer. However, Honeymaren had more to lose than they did. She'd fight to the death if she had to. She'd do just about anything to keep Elsa and her sister safe.
Honeymaren lowered before the mages. She could see the shiny gold chain peeking out beneath one of their collars. With a deep breath, Honeymaren lunged forward on her toes. As she did, a large wave curled in from overhead.
The mages and Honeymaren were drenched with water. When her vision cleared from salt, Honeymaren found Nokk bowed before her. He was glaring; snarling at her. His teeth bore grit.
"It's not me!" Honeymaren promised with her hands raised. "It's them! Elsa is with me!"
She could see Nokk dizzy with energy. He shook his head, clearing the fog, and turned to face the mages. Honeymaren seized the opportunity to dive for the amulet. She was filled with newfound adrenaline, and was ready to see her fight through to the end.
The mages weren't the only ones distracted. Cleyo's attention pulled to the shore as Nokk turned on her coven.
Given the chance she needed, Elsa pulled the ice higher amongst Cleyo's feet. It curled in at the sides, creating a hollow arch. Cleyo was sent sliding toward the shore in a boat made from the glacier itself. She scrambled to leap out as Honeymaren knocked one of the mages in on top of her. She stepped back and held the third amulet proudly in her grasp.
Beside her, Nokk swept the third mage into his mane. With a quick shake of his head, they were cast into air and carried into the boat by Gale's wind. Their combined weight caused them to slide further down the embankment. Elsa watched the mages struggle as fire burst to life in Cleyo's hands; threatening the boat.
"Go!" Elsa breathlessly commanded. "Sail them to the east- as far as you can take them!"
Nokk did not wait for more. His legs curled upward in a powerful swell. The canoe sank into the wave, and was directed out to sea in Nokk's own personal tide.
The two women watched from shore as the canoe was taken further from Ahtohallan. With hearts racing and sweat thick against their back; they gasped for air.
Yet before the mages were gone from sight, a beacon of fire bore through the night sky. There was one… and then another…
They were a flair for aide, but also a reminder that their war was far from over.
Cheers,
-M.