Kindling of Frost and Ashes (Phoenix Chronicles Book 3)

Chapter 6: Thick Ice

"Do you love your king?" Gwen shouted, drawing the attention of passersby. The villagers of Vellaria paused in their mid-morning routines, turning toward the two young people. Maverick waited a few seconds before joining in.

"Who is your king?" he asked, spreading his arms wide and staring around. A man off to the side glanced around at his fellow villagers before calling out.

"Bainon is our king."

"Yes!" Gwen threw her arms up in the air. A few villagers let out a bark of approval. "And no." A dumbfounded silence followed as people turned to their neighbors for clarity.

"Well over a month ago, the betrayers known as the Militia came in the dark of night and slaughtered innocent people sleeping in their beds. They captured or killed Bainon's Army. The king is on the run, and a stranger sits on his throne." 

"How do you know this?" a voice asked from his left. It was Finny, strategically placed to move the narrative forward. 

"We were there," Gwen said. A murmur went through the crowd. "We saw so many die."

"Bainon is still alive. He's in hiding!" Maverick raised his voice. "Your king lives while a usurper sits on his throne!" 

"The usurper must be stopped!" Gwen said, raising a fist. "We want your help to stop them!"

"And who are you?" An old lady called, having just appeared. She looked confused, and Maverick could tell she'd just walked into the conversation.

"We're Bainon's heirs," Maverick said. "I'm Maverick Knight, son of Clarice Tremaine, and this...this is my sister." Maverick glanced at Gwen, who nodded.

They'd gone back and forth on whether or not they ought to say who she really was. The daughter of Tarvril, Lieutenant Port said, might not gain them support in certain areas. In some, Maverick would have more pull - the son of the beloved princess. In others, further north, Gwen would have just as much positive influence. But in the south, where the people under Tarvril's reign felt the full force of his insanity, her identity would be better hidden.

"Prove it!" 

The voice was joined by a chorus. They'd expected it and prepared a way to do so. As Maverick grabbed at his tunic, the sky darkened and a boom of thunder rolled. The crowd shouted as one, the blue sky vanishing as a dark grey swirl of clouds appeared overhead. 

"What's going on?" Gwen asked, grabbing hold of Maverick's arm. 

"I don't know!"

A swirl of wet, heavy snow pelted down from the skies, obscuring his vision and causing mass chaos as people fled the street to nearby shops. Another peal of thunder rumbled, shaking the ground. Something spread across the cobblestones, and Maverick slid a few inches to the left.

What is this? He stared around at the hard substance below him.

"Ice!" Gwen said, losing her footing. "Where is the ice coming from?"

Ice.

Maverick whirled around, slipping and sliding as he searched the streets. Finny reached them and helped Gwen to her feet. 

"Look!" Maverick pointed north to where the ice originated. A vortex of snow and wind formed around two beings who stood toe to toe, shouting at each other. In the din of the howling gales, Maverick couldn't see more than their outlines, let alone hear a word they were saying. 

Pushing against the forceful wind, he tried to reach them, slipping and sliding across the ice. Squinting ahead, he saw the taller of the two raise his arms and bring them down to his sides. A force stronger than any Maverick had ever felt hit him square in the chest and knocked him flat on his back.