The Chronicles of Onyx: Book 2

Chapter One

Ivory blanketed the frozen ground in a soft, untouched expanse of snow. The cold, crisp winter air held a pure silence, disrupted only by the rhythmic, almost hypnotic sound of Onyx's swift footsteps as she raced across the frozen land. Her movements were a mesmerizing blend of grace, akin to a majestic stag in its prime, yet her agility mirrored that of a cunning wolf on the prowl. The landscape behind her was a blank canvas, devoid of any signs of life, but the unmistakable stench of orcs lingered in her senses like a sinister omen.

With her sword, Rivana, firmly gripped in her hand, she came to a sudden halt. Her thoughts echoed through the quiet forest like a chilling breeze through the trees. She whispered to herself, her voice barely audible in the frigid air.

"The only way to rid of them is to kill them." She took a deep breath, her exhalation visible in the cold, and with a defiant shout, she challenged her unseen pursuers. "Come and drag me off to your queen, orcs!" Her voice cut through the stillness, but the only response was the hushed serenity of the snow-covered woods. In the ensuing silence, the only sound she could hear was the rhythmic pounding of her heart in her chest, reverberating like a distant war drum.

"You lost them at the river," A voice suddenly shattered the silence behind her. Startled, Onyx spun around, her sword, Rivana, poised menacingly at the throat of a familiar face. "Are you following me?" Her voice was sharp and impatient.

The intruder stammered, "Um... yes?" A steady hand reached out to push her sword aside, a hint of a wry smile played on the intruder's lips. "And you should be more careful with your weapon."

"And you should not be following me smelling like an orc," she retorted, her anger still simmering. "You could have gotten yourself killed, by me!" she exclaimed as she pushed a strand of her jet-black hair from her face as she returned the marvelous sword to its protective sheath.

"Didn't I tell you to stay hidden until it was clear, Jade?" Onyx asked in disbelief. Her eyes shimmered like angry flames full of power and hunger. "You should really start carrying a sword if you're going to keep on following me like this."

The elven boy chuckled in response, his dark green eyes locking onto hers, with his auburn hair neatly tied in a bun. "I do have a weapon," he reassured her, lifting his bow and quiver to emphasize his point. His expression seemed to say, 'Are you satisfied now?' as he did so.

"And it is clear," he insisted, that was until his young gaze shifted uneasily behind Onyx to the sound of approaching footfalls.

"Well, I may have mistaken," he added with a hint of worry in his voice.

Onyx spun around, drawing out Rivana in a single fluid motion. The steel flickered to life with azure flames dancing upon the blade in a majestic manner. Her golden eyes mirroring that of a lively flame, with her power radiating within like a storm. An uncontrollable fire that couldn't be held back nor contained by any barrier.

Jade, overwhelmed by both fear and anticipation, stumbled back behind Onyx. His eyes widened in response to the fiery spectacle. Each breath he took hung in the crisp, frigid air, forming visible puffs of anxiety in the crisp, wintry air. His footfalls left heavy imprints in the icy powder beneath him. His thoughts raced as chaotically as his movements.

"She's invoking an unnecessary fight with magik... Rok would not approve of her choice.." Jade's thoughts murmured with concern.

Onyx's frustration simmered further, every fiber of her being fought to not scream at Jade for even mentioning Rok in this perilous moment.

"He doesn't understand the torment of being trapped within your own body," she thought fiercely, fueled with rage. Yet before her anger could escalate, she closed her fiery gaze, channeling all her energy toward the approaching Orcs instead of the young Elven boy.

As she did so, she could feel a surge of power coursed through her veins, swirling like a storm in her soul. The flames on Rivana were ablaze with renewed intensity, casting a brilliant, sapphire glow across the snow-covered ground. Melting the ice with the intensity of the azure flames.

The Orcs came, emerging from the woods like a pack of rabid dogs going for the kill. Their large, muscular forms rippled beneath their tan, scared, hide. Ivory tucks protruding from their mouths, their black, beady eyes searched Onyx with a greedy, hungry gaze. Seemingly looking forward to the reword of bring her to the Queen.

Onyx braced herself, her knuckles white as she clutched Rivana, her breaths came in measured, controlled exhales as she steadied herself for the clash. Beside her, Jade cowered down, shielding himself from what Onyx would unleash upon the small group of Orcs.

With a steady gaze Onyx eyed each one, counting them, sizing them up. There were only a pair of them. And they had been chasing Onyx for over a league, weaving between trees as she did, following her every move, their determination evident in their relentless pursuit. Fighting to not lose her.

She had wandered away from her father's home, making her way toward one of the small towns in the hopes of catching even the slightest glimpse of the war she had been missing. Rok had been adamant in his pleas for Onyx not to leave, emphasizing the danger that lurked beyond the safety of the hidden ways of the wolves. Yet she had disregarded his warnings, her determination overpowering her fear.

She had grown weary of hiding, tired of standing still as the world crumbled around her. Onyx wanted to fight, to avenge all that she had lost. She refused to cower in the shadows like her father, who had always been cautious and afraid. It was time to fight. It was time for her to show the world just how strong she was, for evil to fear her by name alone. And that, she would.

"Um.. Onyx should we move?" Jade question, his voice wobbled with uncertainty.

Onyx however, only held up her hand in a dismissive motion. Her eyes boring into the Orcs emotionless gazes. "No, let them come", she answered back, her voice steady and smooth. Void of fear.

With a single turn of her wrist, the frosty ground before the Orcs crumbled and fell away, forming a deep crevasse that stretched farther than the eye could see. Onyx smirked as the earth yielded to her will. The Orcs, however, halted their advance. Their beady eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and fear, and a low growl rumbled in their throats.

"Witch!" one of them cried out in outrage.

Yet, Onyx only stood her ground in silence, her eyes locked onto the Orcs with a challenging glare, as though she silently dared them to try and cross the impassable gap.