Chapter 46 - Trial by Fire

Groyven led Tiffaniel though the overgrown outskirts of what was a trading town in the distant past. Crumbling stone walls with tenacious strands of knotted ivy, trees growing from the middle of the empty shells of houses and piles of rubble covered with weeds and moss. Most of the town was in the heavy shade cast by the mountain ahead, but the centre of town still had sunlight, golden hues with a blush of pink as sunset began.

Groyven looked around, his head snapping from one direction to another. Searching.

Tiffaniel stumbled on a cracked cobblestone, “Ven! Slow down.” she said, reaching for her ankle.

“We don’t have long, Tiff. The sun is starting to set, the rest of the eclipse is going to cut the last of our light short. We need to find a place to hide.” he said, his voice strained, fear creeping into it.

She did not respond, he was right. The howls of wolves were regular now. Only moments before she was sure she heard one from this side of the river. While she checked her ankle, Groyven ran from wreck to ruin, searching for a place they could at least protect themselves in. He returned to her side, kneeling, getting her to raise her foot while balancing herself, one hand on his shoulder.

As he checked the movement in her ankle, he had the distinct sensation they were being watched. Looking past Tiffaniel, he had a view right up what would have been the town’s main street. In the distance a black wolf stood silently, watching them, suddenly it lifted its head and howled. Tiffaniel turned, favouring her ankle, but it was gone.

She looked to Groyven, her eyes wide, “Was that?”

Groyven nodded, “Yes, a black wolf. It just stood there, watching us, Tiff.”

Tiffaniel put more weight on her foot, swiftly flicking her hair back over her shoulder, “It will be fine, let’s go.”

They both passed the middle of the town square, Tiffaniel grabbing Groyven’s arm. To their left was a roadway that led to the river, a large, damaged stone bridge collapsed over it.

Groyven looked at her with concern, “I hope the middle is gone. Or the wolves on the other side will use it to cross.”

They both stared in the opposite direction that led towards the forest. A debilitated water wheel and the branch of the river that swept around the town. Groyven looked around.

“We can’t cross the river, most of the howling is coming from there. The way we came in, we saw that black wolf, there is no way back, Tiff.” he said, looking back to her.

“We have to think about an escape. They are waiting for nightfall. I can use my fire and you, your ice. And if we summon Hendosphyre here in the square, he will have room to fight if he needs to. But he can’t help us if he needs to run among the ruins.”

Tiffaniel looked at him as she realised his words, “Ven, we can’t fight so many. Sure, we can kill or injure a few. But, you are talking of battle plans.” she said, looking around.

Groyven glanced at her, the tension showing on his face, “I am Tiff, because we have nowhere to hide. These ruins, they will only slow the wolves chasing us.” he looked down the road leading to the ruined water wheel, the mill, “I can set walls of fire to either side of that road, block it off so they won’t follow. I can separate them and box them in.”

He turned and for a moment the sunset reflected like fire in his eyes, bringing an involuntary shiver to Tiffaniel, “Ven, how do you know these things?”

“I don’t know, the Captain taught me tactics and how to play that game of war many of the crew like to play. I am not sure, but everything is strangely clear.” he said, confusion in his eyes as he tried to make sense of it.

She looked at him, “Ven, I can make walls of ice, hail, spears.” she looked toward the river, the waterwheel and swallowed hard, “We could escape over it, I might be able to flash freeze the surface of the river.” she offered.

Groyven nodded, “If we can beat them back, they will leave us alone.”

Tiffaniel smiled in fear, her lips twisted, “We can’t outrun them.”

She started to shake, dropping to her knees, “Ven, we can’t outrun them. They are hunting us.” she shook, concentrating on breathing deeply, “They are hunting us.”

He crouched in front of her, his eyes on her’s, “Tiff, what is the one thing we are really good at, one thing that comes to us really easily? Something the demon thread inside of us sings for?”

She closed her eyes, “Destruction.” she said calmly as she breathed out, steam rising in her breath despite the warm air.

Groyven looked into her eyes as she opened them, “No one is going to save us. There is no one coming. We have to survive. We have to fight, we have to win, or we die.”

She looked back at him, nodding, her eyes hard.

“Good.” Groyven said, the strained smile on his lips hiding the fear in his eyes.

“Tiff, when they come, you focus on our escape, and assist as you can. Wolves fear fire, and I can use a couple of these to keep me going longer.” he patted the pouch at his belt.

She nodded, at the same time another howl broke over them, neither of them flinched, or even glanced in the direction. Tiffaniel looked at him, at the change in him and how he took charge. That same ragged determination, anger and fear that she saw before after their parents died.

“When do we summon Hendosphyre?” she asked.

He looked at her, “The moment we are forced out of the town and towards that river over there.”

She nodded in understanding. Among the walls and ruins, Hendosphyre was at a disadvantage, “We don’t have long, Ven. The sun is half set.”

“Then we will lose most of the light suddenly,” he looked around, howls were still taking place along the river, “I think they will attack with the rising of the full moon. Remember how bright it was last night? They will have an advantage, and they only need to wait a few moments.”

Tiffaniel nodded, her mouth dry realising what was about to take place.

“Tiff, can you help me gather some wood, branches, anything that would burn? We need a fire in the middle of the square. If we look like we are ready for a fight, they may try to wait us out.”

Tiffaniel nodded numbly as she stood. A strange burning fire springing to life inside of her, making her heart beat faster and her hands shake. Fear screamed at her, anxiety twisting at her insides, she and her brother would be fighting for their very survival. Fighting for the right to live. She watched as Groyven started to move, running to the nearest branch and dragging it to the middle of the square and crossroad. Rapidly making a pile.

The fear started to clear, her thoughts urgent, “Ven!”

He stopped and looked at her, “Tiff?”

“You told me last night that I could amplify my power by controlling the elements that are related to it?”

He looked at her, “Yes, you can control it more easily.”

“And our skills overlap, the elements that amplify them.” she said.

Groyven stooped and picked up a stick, throwing it to the pile, “They do, we both can manipulate humidity, airflow and other things. But for the opposing purposes.”

She followed him as he gathered more sticks and small branches.

“That is why we had such a hard time using our power. The water off the sea, but too much heat and dry air, meant you had to use far too much of your own energy to overcome it. The easiest approach was to give it everything.” he said, walking back to the pile, dragging branches, “My problem was the same thing, too dry and warm with no fuel to burn. I would have to burn myself to give fire to my flames, I would have to struggle to keep them under control.”

Tiffaniel nodded, starting to understand their previous difficulties, she looked and then pointed to the remnants of the stone bridge, her breath coming fast, “Ven, can you heat the water so it steams?”

He glanced at where she was pointing, nodding, “A fireball.” he continued to gather fuel for the fire.

“Ven, I turn that steam into ice spears, I use up all the humidity. You will be left with dry air?”

Groyven smirked and shrugged, “Dry air? I will be left with enriched oxygen, I could…” he stopped and looked at the river his eyes growing wide, “I could create an explosion, enough to. Tiff.” he glanced at her, “It would have to be done fast, and accurately.”

Tiffaniel noticed movement down one of the streets, “Ven.”

He turned and looked, two black shadows in the shape of wolves were watching from a safe distance, “I don’t think they are from the same group.” he said, a frown growing on his face.

Tiffaniel’s face paled in the rapidly lengthening shadows. She quickly grabbed the nearest branch and dragged it over to the pile. Dropping it on top, she looked back to find them gone. They were waiting.

“Tiff, I will hit the water near the bridge with a fireball when the first wolves reach that wall there.” Goyven said while pointing, “We have a few moments, go and take a look. I know I can do it from here. Can you?”

Tiffaniel peered into the distance; the ruined bridge was just inside her range. Illias had her creating waterspouts at greater distances.

She nodded, “I don’t know how accurate I will be with the spears. Lumps of ice, like large hail stones in mid-air, wherever they form.” she smiled grimly with the thought.

Groyven raised a brow, shaking his head, “As dry as you can.”

Another howl pealed out long and echoing as the last of the sun’s light was hidden from sight by the moon, the sky lit by a strange reddish glow. Groyven stood by the small bonfire they had readied, his hand hanging at his side, fingers ready to snap. Silence lay over the valley and ruins like a thick blanket, so quiet that Groyven and Tiffaniel could clearly hear each other’s breathing. The glow in the sky deepened to black, giving way to night. That foreign, red star hanging bright as it pulsed with life far above. The faint sounds of splashing water came to them along with quiet yelps and whines.

Groyven spoke quietly, feeling his sister press against him, his eyes starting to glow as he readied his power, drawing on the thread of the demon within him, “Tiff, shield your eyes.”

He snapped his fingers. The sharp click filling the quiet in the briefest moment before the pile of sticks, branches and twigs burst into life. A sudden roar tore through the air as the pile ignited, engulfed in flame, throwing wild shadows about the ruins. Groyven smiled, the power at his command now easy with the change of environment. Tiffaniel gasped lightly at his side, taking stock of the situation.

“Ven?”

“I saw, Tiff.” he said, looking towards the ruined bridge.

The eyes of forty or more wolves glimmered in the darkness, the closest recoiling from the sudden explosion of light, putting distance between themselves and the children. The night was filled with whines, growls and low howls. Some snarling as they were caught unaware.

“Ven, I don’t see any black ones.” said Tiffaniel as she looked down the crossroads.

He nodded, “They are there, in the shadows. Waiting to take us when we are not ready.”

She looked at him, unnerved by his choice of words, his blue eyes starting to flame and spark. Tiffaniel closed her eyes for a moment, focusing, drawing upon the thread within her.

“Ready, Tiff? The bridge.” she heard her twin say, an almost pleasurable cold shiver running up her spine as her power built in readiness.

“I am ready.” she said, the air around her crisp and freezing, steam rising from her breath. She opened her eyes, the same blue as her brother’s, but filling with white light.

His smile grew as he glanced over at her, she nodded. Looking beyond the wolves to the air far above the bridge and river, he concentrated, arm outstretched. His hand shook in the split second before he snapped his fingers. And there in the night sky, a few dozen yards above the river a ball of fire blossomed, growing in size and momentum as it fell. Until just before hitting the water it was taller then both of them combined. In those long seconds, bright light rained down on the wolves still swimming the river, those leaping and braving the ruined bridge and those on either bank, their eyes all drawn to the ball of fire until it hit the water.

Howls of terror and the deafening hissing of water as it was instantly vaporised, filled the ruins of the town. All eyes were drawn to the spectacle as everything stopped moving.

“Now.” came Tiffaniel’s voice softly to Groyven’s ear.

Her arms were at her side, her concentration on the steam in the air in the distance. A glow started building within it, illuminating the night, white and pure as the sound of hissing water was replaced by the creak and cracking of ice. Crystals started forming on Tiffaniel’s skin and in her hair as she projected her strength, drawing every droplet of humidity in the air over the river into small shards of ice that rained down into the water.

She didn’t react as Groyven stretched his hand out again, his fingers poised. All she felt was his arm pulling her close, his free hand covering her ear as he pressed her head against his chest. There was a muffled click, ignition in the distance over the river, she saw flames growing as if time had slowed. She was falling, her twin shielding her as a terrible thunder tore at the night sky, splitting it. A concussive blast that shook the ground and stole the air from her lungs, winding her. Even with Groyven’s hand and chest muffling it, her ears were ringing. She dazedly looked around, debris raining down around them in the silence that followed.

She looked at Groyven as he rolled off her, blood was dribbling from one ear, his eyes no longer afire as he struggled to kneel straight. He was fumbling at the pouch, his hands shaking violently and not responding to his command. She crawled over, only the sound of falling debris and the tortured wolves coming to her as she swiftly pulled one of Sialin’s ampules of ethereal liquid fire out, unstopping it and holding it to Groyven’s lips as he swallowed its contents. The seconds passed, she watched him, a grim smile returning to his face and the fire in his eyes flaring back to life.

Without warning, the air was blasted from her as she was thrown from her knees, her head hitting the ground, dazing her as she was dragged, the powerful body and legs of a black wolf pulling her along roughly. Being bounced along, she momentarily saw her brother with his eyes flaring and arm outstretched, standing firm. The terrible flames wreathing his sapphire eyes, the sharp snap of his fingers, then the sudden engulfing roar of flame as the world exploded around her.

Shadow of the Eclipse: Chapter Timeline

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