Chapter 42
He Who Stains the Snow With Blood
The longhouse was much warmer than Sonya had expected. The thatched room kept out both snow and rain, causing the fire to keep the room a comfortable temperature. The room seemed to be empty, except for the torches lining the side, a throne at the far end, and a circular platform in the center.
Laione lead the way and Abanth walked behind her. Sitting on a raised platform, was a manticore. His mane was a reddish-orange, and his eyes were beady and dark. Bat-like wings were folded at his side, and a scorpion’s tale flickered back and forth behind him, like a cat ready to pounce.
“I wish to speak to the elf,” the beast rumbled. Laione and Abanth stepped off to the side, heads bowed. The manticore studied her for a moment and Sonya shifted her weight. She couldn’t help but wonder what this creature was thinking.
“I am Chief Mangino Kalur, the Sovereign of Frost, Slaughterer of Kings, and He Who Stains the Snow with Blood. Who are you, to come into my presence?”
Standing a little taller, Sonya lifted her chin and replied, “I am Sonya Elvenchild, Daughter of the Trees and Protégé of the Elf Thieves. I come to ask for a place to rest, and to call upon your people, as guardians of the land, to fight against an evil greater than either one of our differences.”
A booming laugh came from Mangino’s maw. “The little creature knows what it wants!" he said. "Yet she does not understand what she asks. Tell me, Elvenchild, why should we leave our home and fight for a race that wishes to destroy us? The outside world has never been a friend to the manticores. Both your people and others have hunted us almost to extinction when they first sailed to this land.”
“Sailed!” exclaimed Sonya. “What do you mean ‘sailed?’”
“You did not truly think that your people were native to this land? No, you came from a land far away, sailing across Centurius’ Sea to the far west. You then moved inland until you reached the mountains, which you could not pass. It was there that you found the manticores, and slaughtered almost every one of us. We found refuge in this mountain pass, only accessible by the wings of a manticore. We will not help those who tried to destroy us!” The chieftain’s voice had turned into a low growl, full of hatred and anger.
Sonya stood taller, refusing to be belittled by this beast. Lifting her chin, she said, “The King will destroy the elves. Then he will massacre the fay. He will hunt down the dwarves, and oppress his own people. And believe me, he will find a way into these mountains. And he will slaughter every one of you. He is power hungry, and he will not stop until he has conquered the world or died trying. Right now, he is batting an insect flying around his head. The elven resistance can only occupy his attention for so long before he moves on the greater conquests. He is insane. He does not know the limits of mortal beings. If we do not stop him, he will continue to wreak havoc on the realm and tyrannize all under his rule.”
Mangino stood, his scorpion-tail waving dangerously. “If I did not know better, elf, I would say that you were threatening us.”
“I am only stating what I know,” Sonya stated. “The King is mad. He will go to measures that no sane man would even dream of going to. I have already felt something change; a dark magic is growing stronger. It has haunted my dreams since my youth, but now it is growing stronger...clearer.” She shook her head, as if trying to escape a haze that clouded her mind.
“And what is this growing dark magic?” Mangino replied.
Anger flared up in Sonya. Did she hear amusement in this creature’s voice? Disbelief? Baring her teeth, the elf hissed in anger, positioning herself to attack. Fury flowed through her and she felt the itch to attack throughout her body like a second skin. A low growl from Laione reminded her that she would lose miserably in an actual fight, but her blood was running hot through her veins. She hadn’t fought a good battle since the hydra, and she was eager to feel the mindlessness of combat again.
“Magic as old as you!” she hissed. “No, older! A dark demon torn from the pits of the Asylum, kept secret and locked away, in hope that the world would forget about it. Some things were meant to be forgotten, Sovereign of Frost! Some whispers should never be spoken and some sights never seen! But they are. Dark whispers, whispers that should be forgotten, are being screamed from mountaintops, and evil sights are put on display for all to see! This world will crash down into chaos! If you do not wish to help, at least let us go!”
The manticore chief shook his head. “This stronghold will never fall,” he said. “We have lived here for thousands of years and it will not fall to an insane human king. However, we cannot let you go. Even though this valley is inaccessible to those without the capability of flight, it is too much of a risk. You will have a quick execution.” Without another word, he turned away.
Sonya was consumed by fury. Who was this beast to kill her just for discovering his secret kingdom? Stepping forward, she yelled, “I demand to be freed! I have committed no crimes and you have no reason to kill me!”
“You are paying for the crimes of your ancestors,” he responded nonchalantly. “The blood of hundreds of manticores lies on your head. That is your crime. Be grateful I am granting you a merciful death.”
Desperate for a way out, Sonya looked at Laione for help. When he did not meet her eyes, she turned to Abanth, fear in her bright green eyes. He looked at her, then at Mangino, but said nothing.
Sonya frantically turned towards the manticore chief, trying to think of a convincing argument that would get Dearekk and her out of this situation alive. But none came to mind.
A low growl sounded from behind her. Before she could turn around, Abanth stepped in front of her. His massive head, as big as her torso, was next to her as he lifted his bottom lip into a snarl.
“I vouch for the human,” he said in a low voice.
Elf, Sonya thought to herself. I’m not a human, you blundering beast. Then the words he said registered in her head and an astonished thankfulness washed over her.
“I will vouch for the human,” he repeated as Mangino slowly looked up to meet his eyes. “I claim her and her friend as one of us and I will stand their champion in a trial by combat.”
“Very well,” the chieftain replied stiffly. “Come to the arena at sundown. There the trial shall take place; it will be a battle to the death.” He then turned and walked out of the longhouse.
As soon as the Sovereign of Frost was gone, Laione jumped forward. “You stupid, stupid beast!” he growled, fury lacing his tone. “You cannot defeat He Who Stains the Snow With Blood! You will not last a moment in the ring with him! What were you thinking?”
“I have completed my training as a warrior, I am as prepared as any for battle,” Abanth replied. “I will fight for the small human. I stand by my decision.”
“Even if you defeat Mangino, you will be viewed as a fool for fighting for a human,” Laione snarled.
“If I defeated Mangino I will be the new Sovereign of Frost and it will not matter what others view me to be.” Was Sonya hearing things or did she detect a hint of amusement in Abanth’s voice. “Go, friend. I will be fine,” Abanth whispered.
Laione stormed out and Abanth turned to Sonya. “I fight for you, little one,” he said softly. “I am views as a child among my community, but your words moved me. If I am defeated tonight, I suggest you leave your friend and climb. It is your only hope of escape, no matter how high the odds are stacked against you. If I win, I will take seventy of my warriors and accompany you back to the lowlands. We will fight with you.” With those words, the manticore gave a respectful nod to her. “Follow me,” he said, walking out.
As Sonya trailed after him, she was horrified to hear her own voice as she said, “I’m an elf, not a human. Just so you know.”
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As the sun began to go down, Sonya was surprised to find herself more nervous than Abanth. When they arrived at the arena, she was surprised to see that it was a raised, circular rock in the center of the village. It had to be as large as a castle room, and it was completely flat, giving her the impression that Abanth would be fighting on top of it.
The manticore was wearing iron plates that covered his chest and back. The breastplate was simply a solid sheet, but the back was made up of three interlocking pieces that left room for his wings to come out. He looked beyond fierce.
The sea of beasts, both big and small, parted as Abanth walked towards the rock. Mangino was already waiting for him.
“Abanth Lautensson,” the manticore chief began once Abanth had climbed onto the rock. “You are here to vouch for the lives of Sonya Elvenchild and her friend. If you defeat me the elf’s friend and her own life shall be spared and you will become to new Sovereign of Frost. However, if I defeat you, the elf and her friend will be executed. Do you accept the terms?”
“I do,” Abanth replied.
“Very well,” Mangino said, a small sigh of sadness in his voice, as if he was hoping the younger manticore would back down at the last moment. “Let us begin.”
The two manticores began to circle each other. As Sonya watched, she could feel the tension in the air, hundreds of eyes gazing up at the two creatures. Then, Abanth lunged at the chieftain. With a snarl, Mangino twisted around and clawed at his opponent. Sonya winced as the sound of claws against metal rang through the air.
When Abanth regained his footing, he continued to stay on the edge of the circle. He was baiting the other manticore, trying to make him move. It worked. Finally the chieftain attacked, shooting forward to knock Abanth’s legs out from under him. But the younger manticore jumped up, causing the Sovereign of Frost to swat at open air.
And while one clawed at nothing, the other landed atop of him. Feral snarls and yelps echoed across the mountain air. A gasp escaped Sonya as she watched the two beasts suddenly launch up in the air. Bat-like wings beating, they soared higher and higher until they disappeared into the clouds.
What seemed like hours past. A fog settled across the arena, covering the village with a thick blanket. The number of onlookers swelled, lessened and then swelled again as manticores both came and left, peering intently through the mist for a glimpse at the battling leaders.
Sonya never left the stone circle. Her head remained craned upwards for an eternity, but eventually her legs became weak beneath her. Sitting down, she did the only thing she could do: wait.
The elf must have dosed off eventually, but she was swiftly woken by a deafening crack. Jumping to her feet, she was shocked to see the flat circular arena cracked and a body of a massive beast lying atop of it. A piercing battle shriek sounded from above. Murmurs grew loud around her as Sonya leaped atop the arena and ran over to the body.
Summoning all of her strength, she tried to roll him over to see the face of the defeated opponent but the creature was too big.
The whole area shook again as another manticore suddenly flew through the mist and landed a few feet away from her. Her green eyes shooting up, the elf felt a moment of pure terror as she beheld the awe-inspiring creature before her.
Abanth did not say a word as he walked past the dead chieftain's body. Instead he gazed proudly out at his tribe, his stature that of a true leader. Blood streamed from wounds on his head, back and chest, giving him an even more fearsome appearance.
"I am the Sovereign of Frost," he rumbled, "the Defeater of Mangino Kalur. I am your chieftain and let any one who would challenge my power step forward now."
The only sound was that of the winter winds howling as they blew over the mountaintops. Satisfied with the response, Abanth turned and walked to the longhouse, a few older manticores following him. When he disappeared inside, the sea of onlookers slowly began to disperse.
No idea what to do next, Sonya just stood there. It was not until a female manticore stepped in front of her that the elf was forced to rejoin the world.
"Lady elf," the manticore whispered. "Lady elf, your friend has woken."
For what seemed like the first time in an eternity, she found she could breathe.
(A/N *cowers in the corner* Hi, guys! Please stop throwing the assorted vegetables at me. I feel bad enough as it is! I'm super duper sorry for the way late update and I stand here only to beg for all my loyal fan's forgiveness. Hopefully this will satisfy you all for a while! I'm taking a summer school class, so that's why the updates haven't come yet, but it ends July 15th, so hopefully everything will be a lot easier after that! Remember to vote and comment, please! Despite that the fact that I cannot take rejection or praise in person [as it makes me EXTREAMLY uncomfortable] I do love it online! So, make sure to tell me what you think! The picture on the side is of Abanth and the video is just an awesome song by Two Steps From Hell. And WOW! Almost 20,000 reads!!! Agh! I never thought I would make it this far and I have to thank everyone that has helped me get here! Every vote, comment, and generally just read has inspired me so much and I can't thank you all enough! Continue to be awesome people!
~*~*~Ninja Out~*~*~)