Taron paced anxiously as the ice fortress remained silent. Kas had been gone nearly an hour now and still absolutely nothing; it was pissing off the Fire prince.
"Is the whole immortal world intent on keeping us separate from Kasdeya?" He growled and kicked a chunk of ice.
Kai frowned at his outburst, "The water is an exceptionally powerful artifact and if it didn't want us to enter, we weren't going to. It chose Kas, now we have to have faith."
Ren looked taken back by Kai's words, "That may as well be the smartest thing you've said this entire time."
Kai gave the smiling Fae prince a jokingly pissed look but allowed a small smile to grace his features. "She'll be fine. She's strong, even without her magic. She won't fail."
Then the ground began to rumble.
"For the love of gods now what?" Taron huffed as his body glowed with fire, ready to defend. Kai pressed a hand to the ice fortress and his eyes went wide.
"RUN!" He bellowed as the ice fortress began to crack and crumble. The Harlequins bolted as the princes watched with wide eyes, the ice break of and crash into the ground. Kai sprinted past them and grabbed both by their collars. He hurled them away a safe distance and raised his arms, a shield of ice erupting from the ground, blocking and falling ice.
"Kas is still in there!" Taron yelled and ran around the shield. Ren was the first to act, his hand flashed and thick vines speared through the ice and blocked off Taron's path, "Stop it Taron! You'll get yourself killed!"
Taron roared and slammed a flame encased fist into the vines, scorching them to ashes. He jumped through the hole he'd created and ran towards the falling fortress.
"TARON!" Ren hollered and whistled sharply. The steady beat of wings followed as Aspeth, in full battle size, descended upon the tundra and locked his talons around Taron' arms. The Fire prince struggled against the giant hawk as it flew back to the other princes and dropped him quite unceremoniously to the ground.
Taron scrambled to the ground and brushed off his armor plates, turning is glare onto the bird perched above, the beat of his giant wings helped to keep ice fragments from spearing through Kai's ice shield.
"You giant feathered fool!"
The only reply was a deafen screech that forced Taron's hands over is ears.
"You idiot! Do you realize you could have died?" Kai demanded, moving into Taron's personal space.
"You seem to be awfully content with letting Kas be in danger, I thought you had a heart, but I guess I was wrong Kai. You cold-hearted Icicle!"
"Check yourself Taron!" Kai growled as ice formed at his fingertips. Taron grinned wickedly.
"What, getting cold fingers Kai? Never want to do anything that doesn't benefit you. It's not the Fire clan or the Demon clan who is heartless, but the Ice clan. You're going to let Kas be crushed. She has no magic!"
"Um. . . Guys?" Ren called unsure as he peered around the ice shield. The earth had gone quiet and the only sound was Taron and kai arguing.
"Who are you to judge me Flame-head? If we had gone charging in there we all could have died! Then what? The clans perish? If we has acted irrationally and cost our people, Kas's own mother, the cure; Kas would never forgive us!"
"Guys!" Ren called a little louder stepping out from behind the ice and into the light.
"WHAT?!" Both red and blue princes yelled at the same time, magic dancing in the air around them. But the argument died in the air as they followed Ren outside the ice. The fortress was nothing more than a pile of fragments now, but even in the distance I could see something. A light coming from the pile.
Without warning, a ray of black light burst through the pile, incinerating the ice instantly. Three jaws dropped as the black light grew bigger and consumed the ice fortress in a swirling vortex of power. A familiar smell laced the air and eyes went wide as the light converged on the center and exploded in a blast of energy, throwing the princes to the ground.
As they struggled to sit up, the black light died and Taron's eyes went wide. From the midst o the heavy smoke, a dark figure came into picture, only when the smoke cleared did Taron manage to make out the wisps of silver hair and the amethyst eyes
****
I strode away from the epicenter of the blast, stepping out of the smoke and into the light. The scent of hellfire was thick in the air; I felt my full power coarse through my veins, firing in every cell in my body. I was most relieved to feel the bond with my hounds reconnect, I could feel their excitement.
"Kas!" Taron yelled as he got to his feet and ran, the other two following in pursuit. They slid to a halt in front of me and waited. I was silent before holding up the vial with a grin. "I got it."
"YEAH!" Taron cheered and hugged me tightly. Ren pried me from Taron's grip and hugged me briefly.
"You did it Kas," he smiled and inspected the vial. I turned to Kai last, he approached me slowly and wrapped his arms around me; his arms for once did not feel as cold. "I am glad you are safe."
"Kas, you power?" Ren asked, taking my hand. I smiled and tilted my head back. Black hellfire shot from my mouth and filled the sky in a shower of black flames.
"Returned stronger than ever," I replied with a grin. A relieved smile crossed his face and he nodded.
"Now we have to get back, we've been gone for so long. I don't know if the Harlequins will make it back in time," I frowned as the demon horses trotted back to the group. Vergis nudged my arm and I scratched his ear to comfort my war horse.
"I think I can help with that. I took the liberty of getting us a ride home." Taron smirked and raised his hand. A flare of fire shot into the sky and exploded into sparks. It was silent in the tundra and doubtful looks scorned Taron's smile. But then we herd it.
"Are those . . .?" Ren asked, his voice small as a deafening roar filled the air. Taron's grin only grew wider, "Oh yes."
From the ridge of the mountain, two massive dragons emerged, their leathery wings beating the air, scaled bodied weaving through the clouds.
"Wow, they've grown," I smiled and came to stand next to the Fire Prince who beamed in pride. "Yeah a little bit."
The dragons circled above before landing in the tundra with a sliding halt from the air. They were massive, larger than a battleship, covered in fiery red and orange scales. They wore saddles around their torso and plates around their head.
Taron approached them, raising a hand. Two very large snouts leaned down to smell and they gave a gentle hurring sound when the recognized their master.
"Jyka and Hades are the fastest dragons in the Fire clan. They can get us home in time and they can carry the Harlequins if you can convince them to comply.
"I can give them a sleeping tonic, how long to get home from here?" Ren replied and produced a vial from his own pouch. Taron shrugged his shoulders, "A day."
"Perfect because that is all we have, we're cutting it very close, so we best leave now," I stated and approached the large retiles without stretched hands. I was surprised that they still recognized my scent after so many years. I had played with them as hatchlings when I went to visit Taron.
"Ren how long for the sleeping potion to take effect?' I turned to see the demon steeds already asleep on the ground. I gave him a small nod as the dragons lowered themselves to the ground. Taron climbed up to the saddle and swung his leg around.
"Kas?" He reached his hand down and after a moment I smiled and took his hand, pulling me behind him in the saddle.
"Hades will let you two mount him, be careful of the wings and the teeth," Taron called to the two princes who approached the dragon uncertainly. Kai finally took a breath and seated himself in the saddle with Ren tucked on behind him.
"Jyka, Demon clan palace, askathasus," Taron whispered to the dragon in their reptilian tongue. The beast nodded its huge head and flapped his wings. Hades following in similar suit, they both let out savage roars before taking to the sky
I griped Taron's waist as we leapt into the air and the ground got further and further away. A rush of adrenaline coursed through my veins, this was like nothing I'd ever experienced before, racing a hound at full speed is incredible, but this, this was a whole other deal. The wind pricked my skin as the seed increased and I held onto Taron with all of my strength, pressing my body fully against his.
"Amazing right?' he shouted over the wind racing past my ear. I could only nodded.
"Don't worry we'll be back in time."
I nodded again, but that was not what was getting to me. Something was starting to bother me, why after all this time was my sister suddenly rising up in my life? It had been decades since I'd seen her after her exile; she was in my past. So why had the water's guardian had taken her face? Why not an enemy? Why not myself even, why her?
"Kas, what happened in here? You were gone for so long," Taron asked, his head turned just enough to watch my face. I huffed and looked at the ground hundreds of feet beneath us.
"I faced the guardian, I won."
"Kas, we both know you're not telling me everything. What happened in there?" he asked again, his voice gaining a dominant edge. I scoffed and gripped his waist tighter.
"It was a shape shifter; when it saw me, it took the shape of my biggest resentment."
"Which was?"
I shook my head, "Don't worry about it. I won and we have the water; that is enough."
"Why are you so closed about this Kas?' Taron grumbled and rotated further in the saddle, almost turned around to face me.
I folded my arms and frowned, "Perhaps I don't want to speak of it Taron; I suggest you do not pry, I have been without magic merely 24 hours and I'm itching to satisfy my craving for a fight."
I didn't feel bad, Taron knows better than to push me, but deep down I knew he was just concerned. But at this moment all I cared about was getting home. The dragons had lived up to their speed reputations, the wind froze my fingers and ear tips in the high elevations, but Taron's body heat kept me warm. I felt a twinge of pain for poor Ren who was with the one person you don't want to have around when it's cold; an Ice clan member.
Taron handed me a canteen which I drank from gratefully, I was testing my limits on how long I could go without food and water and still be functioning properly enough to fight. Chewing on dried strips of meat kept my mind occupied as we watched the sun travel from our place above the clouds. Every so often I'd look down to make sure the dragon had not dropped any of the harlequins, who slept clutched in their massive claws.
As the sun set, my eyes began to feel heavy. I'd have to pinch my skin between my nails to reactivate my senses and wake my mind. Flying may have been exhilarating, but after a full day, I was ready to be on the ground again riding Vergis.
Taron peered over his shoulder and noticed my failing posture, "Sleep Kasdeya, you've endured a lot. By the time you wake, we'll back in Demon Clan territory and we'll get the water to the healers. Please try."
I nodded and let myself fall against him, the warmth radiating from his skin easing my tense body. Sleep did not take much time to swallow me into its depths and before I knew it, I was out.
When I woke, up the sun was settling over the horizon and the dragons began to descent towards the ground. We passed through the hazy barrier of clouds and broke through, the sight filling me with relief. My home looked unscathed, but it was void of movement, not a single soul appeared to be active in the town below.
"I pray we are not too late. Get us down now!" I demanded.
Taron grazed Jyka's scales with his hand, whispering to him in the dragon tongue. The dragon made a chortling sound and dove towards the ground with a sudden flap of his giant wings. I grasped Taron's waist as the rush of thick, hellfire infused air brushed my face, the scent of home awakened all of my senses at once.
When the giant beast finally dragged to a halt, I jumped out of the saddle and slid down the dragon's shoulder, it hurred at me but I paid the beast no mind. As soon as my feet hit the ground I was already running up towards the grand palace. I sent a wave of energy into the sealed doors and they blasted open.
I slid to a halt, the princes stopping not far behind, a number of white tents had been set up and I stepped towards the closest one. I peered in and gasped, the number of sick had increased while we were away. I leered over one victim, a young male, hardly an adolescent and ran my fingers along his neck, a pulse was there, but terrifyingly faint.
"We have to get the water to the healers, now." Ren nodded and we trooped out of the tent.
"Where on earth is everyone? Don't tell me they've all fallen ill?" Kai questioned as we jogged up the stone stairs before the castle doors; I shoved them open, ignoring the pounding they hit the wall with, and marched towards the throne room.
I stopped into the grand hall, the air felt heavy with sickness. My eyes shot open when I recognized a long figure seated at the throne.
"Father!" I shouted and sprinted towards him. His face was deathly pale, his eyes shone with no familiar glimmer. He made no sound as I approached which made me slow myself to a cautious walk. "Father?"
"Kasdeya."
"Father what happened here?" I asked, kneeling by his throne. Before he could speak, he coughed and dark blood dribbled out the side of his mouth, I frowned as he continued his fit before taking an uneasy breath.
"I feared you were dead, my daughter."
"No, father we found the water, everything will be okay."
"Kasdeya, she caused this, it was her spell!" King Azazel started hacking again, red spattered his royal robes and my eyes grew wide, "Who is it? Tell me who father?"
"Yes, tell her father," an all too familiar voice mimiced in the grand hall.
My eyes wasted no time in narrowing into deadly slits. I stepped back from the throne as it vanished from sight, an illusion? My fingers reached for Neimuriya.
"So you have returned," I growled as the figure stepped from around the second thrown, gold sword dangling in their grasp.
"It seems the old arts, Skinwalkers with fatal herbs, and the danger of the journey to retrieve the Water from the Endless Abyss was not enough to occupy the great Demon Princess Kasdeya for 10 days. I'm embarrassed to say I underestimated you. My calculations resulted that you should have died before making it to the Water's fortress"
I let out a savage chuckle, "I was wondering why it s your face the Water guardian wore. It seems you need to be reminded of whom you are challenging. After all, you went through all that trouble of attempting to remove my magic, how did you convince a Skinwalker to help you, an immortal, what did you promise him?"
She laughed and swung the swords casually. "You of course. Well, if you failed that is. What a fitting end that would have been for you Kasdeya? The sole heir of the Demon clan dying as a mere Skinwalker, without an ounce of magic to her name."
"It seems I have taken my own path in this insane plan of yours Elvira," I smirked at my twin.
She looked much different that she had when we dueled all those years ago. Her long white hair was cut short, just above her shoulders; she wore a miss-matched set of armor covered by a simple cloak, nothing like my royal armor plates. She had new red ink lining her old clan tattoos and extending to mimic mine, as if she was still a part of my clan.
"You always did spoil everything better than anyone I ever knew Kasdeya."
"Yes I did, didn't I? I stood in front of the Otherworld portal to imprint with the Hellhounds, not you. I was named sole heir to the throne, not you. I won the dual for the right to the royal name, not you"
"Does that infuriate you Elvira? That I now stand with the crown, a proud family, and 9 Hounds?" I asked and raised my hand, as if called, my pack stepped forward, out of their own nine portals, barking and growling at my sister who took an involuntary step back. They took their true shape now, giant bodied hounds with flaming fur and massive jaws that could crush bones like twigs.
My wicked grin reflected on my twin's, "So it shouldn't be too hard to beat me again hmm sister? No one will interrupt us. My spell not only spread virus but also a much longer-lasting sickness such as that our dear father is experiencing. The Water will heal them all, but not before my blood is spilt. To save everyone you must first defeat me."
I gripped my sword and swung her from her sheath. The hounds growled and opened their mouths, a ring of hellfire blazed to life around us, leaving me alone in the ring once again with my twin.
"KAS!"
A sudden shout pulled me from my battle trance. I reached into my pocket and withdrew the vial. I threw it over my head to Ren. "Take the water and find the rest of the Royals, I'll handle this."
"Kas you aren't back to full strength. If you die . . ." Kai shouted, his cold voice edging close to almost fiery.
"If I die then you'd better do whatever it takes to see her head roll, the water won't work until then!" I shouted back. Elvira laughed at my threat as I kept a steady, maintained eye contact with her beady ruby eyes. She reached behind her and withdrew ad crude-looking dagger.
"You will fail!" She screamed and threw the blade across the ring right at the unsuspecting princes.
My blade lashed out and disrupted the dagger in flight. It clattered to the ground and I managed them a half look, purple eyes flaming, "Go now!"
I waited until they had left the grand hall before turning to Elvira, "So here we are again little sister. I guess Neimuriya and Aemyrass had not finished their fight. I guess now we'll finally see who the true heir is; the Kinslayer? Or the Cursebringer?"
Elvira laughed and lifted her gold sword, "I guess so big sister."