Kyron pulls the reins on his horse and raises his fist. "Primary unit, we dismount here," he calls to the army behind him.
I slide down from the saddle, and my teeth clank together when my feet hit the stone ground. Placing my hands on my hips, I stare up at the enormous snowcapped mountain hovering over me. Since crossing the Stigian border, the land transformed into a flat, treeless wasteland void of all wildlife.
"Why would anyone want to be here?" I mumble while a member of the secondary unit ushers my horse away to the safe zone.
All the stories I grew up hearing of Stigian are nothing more than lies. Despite seeing the map of the capital and all the impressive structures, this land is desolate. Are the people who abandon Lucent for this place so desperate for something different they happily resort to this? I can't imagine trudging on and believing this land will give way to something better.
"We will march through the mountain pass in twos," Kyron says.
The soldiers pair up and move between the narrow split in the center of the mountain. I slide into the formation and a hand curls around my bicep, pulling me back.
"You're with me, princess."
I step to Kyron's side and patiently wait for his next order...I long for it. Until this moment, he hadn't spoken a word to me since this morning. I can see the worry in his eyes and the stress carried in his tense shoulders. He focuses on every passing face like he's logging them to memory, making sure we leave no one behind. When only a few soldiers remain, he takes my elbow and guides me into the line. And we enter the dark chasm.
Kyron holds out his palm and a small ember globe forms in the center, lighting our way. The flame flickers over the sharp lines of his face, making him appear hauntingly beautiful.
I can't help but to take advantage of the dark passageway and slide my hand into his. He stiffens, his fingers rigged inside mine.
"There is no need to be so tense, General. I'll be at your side to protect you the entire time."
He spares me a glance from the corner of his eye, and I flash him a grin. My attempt to keep things lighthearted flounders when he releases my hand.
"You must remember to keep to the plan no matter what happens, and everything will be all right," he says.
I move my face in front of his, lining up our eyes. "Are you saying that for my sake or yours? Because you don't need to reassure me; I know you have thought this through, and everything will work out."
His Adam's apple bobs, and he whispers, "It will."
The next hour marching through the mountain is silent, leaving me to wrestle with my thoughts. It's difficult to keep a clear head when so many lives are at stake. What if we didn't foresee something crucial?
What if the entrance we chose is guarded better than we thought? What if we can't find my father? What if this mission fails? I want to unleash my worries, share them with the man beside me. The fears are so clear on his face as well. I open and close my mouth several times when my anxiety mounts, but I choose to say nothing. Kyron has taken risks, put the lives of himself and his soldiers on the line before. I'm sure this is all part of his routine before a battle. I just wish it wasn't so quiet.
With every step closer to the Stigian capital, my heartbeats turn erratic and terrified trembles vibrate through me. I clasp my hands together to stop them from shaking. Every single one of my nerves is on edge, bouncing together like bubbles in a boiling water. I feel like the walls are closing in, trapping us between the troop's stretched shadows scaling up the mountain sides. Every flicker of light or unexpected sounds has me jumping and gripping the pummel of my sword. I might explode if the mountain pass doesn't come to an end soon.
Everyone speeds up their pace, and low murmurings erupt at the front of the line. The mountain is giving way, and the relief washes through me, and just as quickly vanishes. We are getting our first glance at tonight's battleground.
I step out of the mountain's shade and my breath hitches, trapping sea salted air in my lungs. Even from a distance, it is easy to make out the sleek, symmetrical buildings made of glass and steel. They tower well above the massive wall protecting them. Beams of multi-colored lights shoot toward the clouds, reminding me of each of the Statera's gifts—fire, ice, water, earth and so on. The Stigian capital is the most magnificent city I've ever seen.
The unit commanders corral their troops, and Kyron's voice cuts my wonderment short. "We move swiftly toward the wall and keep your eyes on the guards perched on top. The southeast gate faces the sea." He points to the crashing waves in the distance. "We have the chance of them spotting us before we reach it. No matter what, listen to your commanders and don't let up on the gate. Tear it down." Kyron holds Greer, Ulirc, and Terro's gazes for a moment, and his three closest friends each give a curt nod before lowering their helmets.
Dropping the visor of my protective headgear, I follow our soldiers through the open land in a tight formation. The closer we get to the wall, the more details I can make out. The Stigian didn't construct it of the crude river rocks like the one in Lucent. It's smooth metal that would be impossible to climb. The only way in is through one of the handful of gated entries stretched along the wall.
The Stigian must feel safe inside. Their impressive wall surrounds them and waves crashing against the rocks beyond the dunes drown out the sounds of a threat. They have a strong army and a ruthless queen. Unlike my people, they know peace in their city. These people don't fear that Lucent's will set their fields on fire or harm their children. They don't fret about hundreds of soldiers attacking their city and war reaching their homes. Tonight, that will change.
A flash of heat whips across my face and barked orders fill the night. A warm hand grips mine and presses me to the sleek wall. A small group of our soldiers—all Ignitas—blast the gate with their fire, while the rest of us wait in the shadows. The Cyffreds behind us hold out their arms, ready for orders to charge forward and unleash their flames when ordered. The rest of us wait with bated breath to see if the Stigian will open the gate and send out warriors to assess what's going on.
Bile rises in my throat as a shower of frozen daggers slice down on the Ignitas from above. The attack is enough to knock a few of them from their feet, but they recover, protected by their armor. A few soldiers in the shadows take aim at the Stigian on the wall, slamming them with gusts of wind and using the water from the ocean to knock them back.
Kyron pulls a small hourglass from his pocket. Five minutes is all we have to make this work and hope the warriors who don't fear our forces stupidly open their city to us. Anything beyond that will be enough time for the Stigian to assemble regiments, and we will fall back.
Kyron flips the hourglass for a third time, and the Stigian remain fighting us from the safety of their wall. They continue to rain down their elemental powers, but they have little effect on the armor. If they haven't opened the gates by now, I question if they ever will.
I open my mouth to tell Kyron I don't think it's going to work when metal meshes against metal. The red-hot gate rises.
Without a second thought, I grip Kyron's hand and rush forward, but halt at the sight that greets us. Hundreds of Stigian Khiros stand in formation, their powers on full display. They couldn't have rallied their forces so quickly; we made sure of it.
"It's an ambush. Fall back," yells one of our soldiers.
"What? No!" I scream, panic-stricken. This is our only chance; the gate is open.
The Stigian sprint forward, clashing with the Lucent army. Screams and clanking metal blend in a battle's symphony as heat swelters around us. The Cyffreds fight back with their flames; on equal ground for the first time.
"Shadow," I gasp, weaving with Kyron through the colliding bodies.
The first tendril of his gift leaves his fingertips, and I yank it forward, covering us as we draw closer to the entrance. A body rams into me and jars my grasp from Kyron. I slam to the ground as boots beat the dirt, kicking up plumes of dust. I cough and scramble to regain my footing, fretting I'm moments away from the soldiers trampling me to death.
Fingers curl into the back of my uniform and yank, hoisting me to my feet. Kyron grabs my hand, and we slither in along the edge of the gateway, past the warring bodies.
Inside the city, Stigian warriors line the street, waiting for their turn to join the battle. None of them wear a worried expression. In fact, they look eager to join the fight. They were created for moments like this, to rush into battle and win.
We travel along the warrior formation and around a corner, where more Khiros wait. They are endless. I tuck my lips between my teeth, fighting the urge to ask Kyron if he thinks our soldiers will be all right. This was a possibility, one I considered as we walked through the mountain. All I can do is pray the Statera delivers as many of us as possible this terrible night.
My emotions overwhelm me and my control of Kyron's power wanes. He pulls the leather face covering of his uniform over his jaw and yanks me in front of him. Without warning, he rips the helmet from my head, tossing it behind us. Holing my hands behind my back, he steers me through the street as his prisoner.
A Stigian snarls as we pass, hissing, "Kill the Lucent traitor," and spits at my feet.
Let them hate who I am; it doesn't matter. I am proud to call Lucent my home and nothing they say or do to me will change that.
Kyron holds firm, discreetly maneuvering me further away from the hostile warriors. He pries open the door of a single-story marble building and pushes me inside. Three Stigian guards stand tall in their dark uniforms, their eyes trained on us. We don't slow walking past them.
We did it; we're inside the prison.
"Where are you going, warrior?" asks a guard.
I stiffen against Kyron's chest, and he answers, "I found this Lucent roaming the streets. I'm containing her until she can be brought before the queen."
"Orders were to kill on sight," says a slender woman with a bald head. She pulls a dagger from her belt and steps toward us.
Kyron releases my hands and pushes me. "Run!"
I stumble forward, watching him over my shoulder. He unleashes his fire, setting the woman alight. I stand stunned in place, my mouth agape, and stomach turning. As one warrior dowses her with water, the other, a man with stark-white hair, sends a bolt of electricity through Kyron's chest. The general falls to his knees, convulsing and clenching his stomach. I split my attention between Kyron and calling the powers around me with the Eporri.
As Kyron scrambles to his feet, catching his breath, I take hold of the Electro's gift and turn it on him. He shakes, smoke billowing from the contact point, and slumps to the ground.
The door to the prison shutters, and Kyron scurries across the room and throws his body against it. His gaze burns into mine, and he gasps, "I'll hold them off. Now fucking go, Raelle!"
It takes every ounceof my willpower to turn away from him, leaving him to fend for himself, but Ido. I bound through the doorway and descend into the belly of the prison.