Desolator's Clearing
Jared's chest rose up and down, eyes fixed on the seemingly empty space ahead. Ceecee's dark hand rested on his arm, contrasting his lighter complexion. He licked his lips. "I know I came up with this idea, but it still doesn't make it any less daunting."
Her eyes, too, were fixated on the wide field before them. "Don't worry. It'll be fine. Just focus on doing your job."
He gritted his teeth. "I know, no need to remind me..."
She glanced behind them where several of the group members had hands raised and readied before them. All were waiting for the signal.
And then it came.
A loud crashing came from further down the space and chunks of ice began falling from the ceiling. Shafts of ice leapt across the area around it and collaborations of shields began holding the ice from the ground. Shafts of winds gusted in and around them with icy breath as all attention was turned towards the mayhem.
They would only have a few seconds.
Several hundred metres from them, a small group of runners broke from the surrounding rocks, caves and mounds of ice towards the mapped entrance to the path through the invisible maze of traps. Their legs beat faster, pounding the ground in a hurricane, faces going flushed, yet their speed only increased as the ice below them repelled them forward.
Flashes and forms of ice, snow and frost began directing at them.
One fell.
Then another.
Another clutched her throat as her skin turned blue, and then she dropped.
And another curled his arms together, attempting to summon a fragment of his ability to no avail.
All of them were involuntary feeders of the maze's holding power. Their leader had decided on them to be the runners due to their inability to contribute to other parts of the plan. But they were all ready to die in a flash for the faint possibility of reaching the centre – it had been most of their life's purpose in any case.
Still, two of them had reached the beginning and, having previously memorised the map's path, started twisting and turning to avoid hitting the supposed edges.
And that was Jared's cue. He closed his eyes, placing his hands on the ground and focusing his ability. Deeper. And deeper. And deeper into the whirlpool of power inside him, forming it into a cylindrical can. And then he released all guards. And opened the lid.
A thin wave of ice scattered across the floor, directed towards the maze, creating a shield on everything it touched.
From Ceecee's hand, he felt a tingling sensation as power shot across her and merged with his ability, strengthening it tenfold.
A support ability. Quite unusual for a leader of Ice to have – something that almost never happened. Although, with a support ability as strong as hers, having any devoted person around her with an attack or defence ability or something in-between would ensure victory on her end.
The speed of the ice's trajectory increased immediately, covering the invisible walls and thickening, creating a gap in the centre where all the structured lines of ice poison resided. Everyone inside the walls were shielded from all outside viewing. They were, practically, invisible.
The ice extended out, forming a gigantic, lengthened circle of ice around them, still allowing further walls to remain invisible.
Jared's breathing deepened, drops of sweat breaking out on him as his chest heaved. A grin formed on his mouth. "Let's go."
YOU ARE READING
Frozen Flame
Fantasy[Finished and being edited] Once captured by a distraught king, a fierce warrior is forced to choose between saving his family or his country. But choices are never that simple. ...
