《Hot Guy Cold Guy》 Cold Fronts...and Mud Fronts The Star of the West: Chapter 1 By: J. Elias Epp Illustration By: Xu Zhang, Ubisoft Senior Concept Artist (I don¡¯t own any rights to the picture and am only using it for my hobby writing purposes) Skah stared at his ox in a half-crouch, sweat dripping from his bare chest. The ox stared back, muscles tense. Skah glanced at his goal, the large water jars the ox was carrying on its back. The ox glanced at the sword at Skah¡¯s side, even sheathed it still gave off heat waves that distorted the air. The ox took a step back. ¡°Nah.¡± Skah held up a finger. Steam rose off the puddles around him. The ox took another step back. Skah wagged his finger. ¡°Naahh,¡± he said louder. The ox wheeled away from Skah as fast as it could down the muddy path. ¡°Hey!¡± Skah took off after the ox, making no headway for a split second as his running feet slipped on the mud. The mud flung up behind him steamed like smoke. Though off to a great start, the heavy water jars slowed the already fat ox. Skah gained his footing and gave chase. Mud flew up behind him and spattered his back. Mud kicked up from the ox splattered his front. ¡°Blech! Chase you dumb ox! Get back here!¡± They passed a man leading a donkey who raised his hand against the spattering of mud as they passed by. A small village appeared ahead consisting of wood houses covered in thatch. Skah was gaining ground now. With one last spurt he leapt and grasped one of the ropes tying the water jugs. His feet slipped out from under him and he face-planted onto the road. He kept his grip though and was dragged through the muck. Chase lowed as he ran into the town, scattering everyone in his way. *** Meanwhile, on the other end of town a waist-high fog slowly preceded a walking figure. Despite the warmth and humidity of the weather, the figure wore heavy dark clothing. The only part that could be seen were two sharp eyes peeking out from beneath the heavy cloth. A slim white-furred sheath held an orange-handled sword at the person¡¯s side. Where the stranger stepped, the mud froze solid and ice crystals formed atop puddles. A light rain began falling, clouding the vivid green trees and crops with its gray mists. Where the rain fell over the stranger it turned to snow. The sparkling white drifted slowly, then melted when it touched the ground. A farmer saw the stranger approaching the town and he cried out in dismay and fell backward. ¡°Witch! Wizard!¡± He cried and scrambled to his feet. Other people of the town noticed and cried out in dismay as well. A few gaped in astonishment before running away, looking behind them as they ran. ¡°Wait!¡± The heavily clothed stranger raised their hand, then let it drop. ¡°I¡­I just want some food.¡± The stranger held a hand to his stomach. ¡°I won¡¯t get a meal at this rate.¡± After a moment the stranger continued walking into the town. The townspeople had called out their guards and were huddled behind them in the muddy town square by the time the stranger drew near. A cold breeze blew over them. The fog drifted towards the guards. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± The guard¡¯s spear trembled. He stepped away from the fog. The stranger irritably mumbled something under his breath. Then spoke up, ¡°Sell me food and I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± The voice came out muffled from the thick scarf wrapped about the stranger¡¯s head. The guard hesitated. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him! It¡¯s a trick!¡± A townsperson said. ¡°The trick of a wizard!¡± The guard nodded, his nerves steeled with a crowd at his back. ¡°You heard im! Get on your way!¡± The stranger threw up his hands in exasperation. He looked around himself but was unable to find any food left out nearby. His eyes turned back to the guard, then folded his arms in defiance.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The guard gulped. The rain pattered against the people there as they watched. Someone coughed. The guard took a cautious step forward and threateningly jabbed with his spear. He swallowed. ¡°C-come on.¡± He motioned with his spear. The stranger held his ground even though he was a hand span shorter than most of the women. The people tensely watched. The guard motioned to his two other buddies and took a breath as he prepared to advance. ¡°You fat-farting jerky! Stop I said!¡± The guard paused. People mumbled in the back of the crowd. The guard felt a wave of heat on his back. He turned as the crowd parted and an ox barreled its way through, dragging the form of a shirtless man through the mud. The ox stopped and the man let go of the rope he¡¯d been holding onto and slumped on the ground. ¡°A drink, that¡¯s all I wanted, a drink! Why does it have to be a fight every single time!¡± The man got up and looked around at the people. He was covered from head to food in mud and was a whole head taller than anyone there. The mud on him and around him steamed as did the rain that fell on him. Standing near him was like standing by a bonfire. The rolling fog curled away from the heat. The guard slipped on the mud and scrambled away. He brandished his spear. ¡°Wh-who are you? Get out of here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a demon!¡± A woman screamed. Pandemonium broke loose as everyone scrambled to flee. ¡°A wizard! A demon! We¡¯re dead! We¡¯re dead! We¡¯re cursed! We¡¯re cursed!¡± The people ran. With no crowd to back them up, the guards ran as well. Skah watched them go. ¡°Its like this everywhere I go.¡± He sighed. ¡°That sword¡­¡± Skah turned and finally took notice of the person standing about fifteen arm spans away. Chase was standing near the stranger and whisking his tail happily as he enjoyed the cold air. The stranger put his hand on the pommel of his sword. ¡°I am looking for worthy opponents. Will you fight me?¡± Skah¡¯s jaw dropped a little at the sight of the falling snow and fog wrapping around the person¡¯s feet. Skah glanced at the remaining townspeople watching from a distance. He looked at himself, covered in mud. He wiped it from his face and flicked it off to the side. He was dirty, sticky with sweat, and most of all, thirsty. ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll pass.¡± The stranger gripped his sword handle tighter. ¡°You would dishonor my invitation?¡± Skah raised an eyebrow and dried mud flaked off his face. ¡°You sound like you¡¯re no more than fifteen years old, don¡¯t look much taller either.¡± He calmly walked over to Chase. As Skah drew closer he felt a cool breeze on his skin. He turned to the stranger and pointed at the his sword. ¡°Is that-¡± ¡°Yes. This is Adhiam, the fourth sword of the Snow Ridge blades to be made. Among its brothers are-¡± ¡°It¡¯s the source of the snow? It isn¡¯t magic?¡± The eyes frowned at him angrily. ¡°It¡¯s from the sword.¡± Skah nodded and mud fell from him. He walked to Chase and lifted one of the jar¡¯s lids. He took a ladle hanging from the jar and splashed himself with water before taking drink after drink. When he was done, he nodded in satisfaction. The cold air and the drink had refreshed him. The heavily clothed person tapped his fingers on his sword impatiently. ¡°Are you quite done ignoring me?¡± Skah looked at him for a moment, then turned away and belched. ¡°Nah.¡± He could feel the glare on his back. ¡°Hmph, I¡¯m sure you couldn¡¯t beat a kid like me anyway.¡± ¡°Yah.¡± Skah checked the knots on Chase by trying to pry them apart with his fingers. They all held. ¡°I could stab you right now.¡± ¡°A kid like you who asks for a fight? Doubt it.¡± A pause. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid.¡± Skah rested his forearms on Chase¡¯s back facing away from the stranger and grinned. ¡°You¡¯re right, sorry, a child.¡± A foot step crunched on the frozen ground and Skah turned. The stranger had taken a step forward and had one hand on the sword as if to draw it. The stranger¡¯s eyes glowed with anger. ¡°Tsk, a noble warrior such as yourself being goaded into stabbing a man in the back? Tsk, tsk, tsk.¡± ¡°You would be dead if I didn¡¯t have to kill you in an honorable duel.¡± Am I the one looking for a fight? Skah thought. I need to back off before I do get stabbed. ¡°Nah, you won¡¯t find an honorable duel here. Hey, that sword of yours, where¡¯d you get it?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t recognized you as worthy. Only then can you ask questions.¡± Skah shrugged and smiled. The stranger waited for Skah¡¯s response. Skah waited in silence. ¡°Well?¡± The stranger asked. Skah looked side to side and waggled his eyebrows. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ahg! Will you fight?!¡± ¡°Oh! Ummm,¡± Skah stroked his beardless chin and looked the stranger up and down, ¡°nah. You¡¯re not worthy to ask questions.¡± The skin around the eyes turned red. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you leave?!¡± Skah motioned to the stranger¡¯s sword. ¡°The chill air feels good.¡± He cocked his head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting warm?¡± He patted his own sword. ¡°No! I¡­¡± The stranger looked away. Skah raised his eyebrows as if to say, ¡°and?¡± The stranger gathered himself and faced Skah again. ¡°You will fight me.¡± The stranger unsheathed his sword in a flourish and a blast of frigid air buffeted everything around him. The sword was straight and slender with one edge and an angled point. ¡°Ooooohh, oh that feels, oh¡­I think I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡± The stranger blinked as Skah and the ox slumped to the ground together. Skah rested his back on the ox and their eyes began to grow droopy. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Huuuh?¡± Ice crystals were forming on the puddles up and down the street. Fog rolled out from the town as tall as one¡¯s waist, just above the knee if going by the local height average. If one didn¡¯t know better, the small town looked like it was in the middle of a strange winter snowstorm. However, around Skah everything was lukewarm and the snow dissipated into a fine mist. The stranger fidgeted angrily. He even made a few feints in attack toward Skah. Skah didn¡¯t respond to any of them. Skah let out a snore. The stranger made a movement to put his sword away but stopped. ¡°If you defeat me, this sword is yours.¡± Skah¡¯s eyes slowly opened wide. He hesitated a moment, then leapt to his feet and shook out his arms and legs and rolled his shoulders. ¡°Yah yah? You don¡¯t have any buddies around?¡± ¡°On my honor.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have much left after talking to me.¡± Skah rubbed his hands together. ¡°May I ask why you want to fight me so badly? Nah, that¡¯s right, it¡¯s a question.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll answer that. You have the right to know as my opponent. I have been sent on a mission to prove my honor. Part of that mission is to defeat one hundred swordsmen. I have defeated ninety-nine.¡± The stranger settled into a stance. ¡°You will be the one hundredth.¡± Skah grinned and lowered his chin, then drew his sword from its broad sheath. The air around him wavered from the heat and a cart near him started smoking as its wood started turning to charcoal. He held a glowing white blade almost too bright to look at. It was a strange shape, starting out straight, curving in a shallow half-crescent and ending in a point that hooked backwards. A strong wind suddenly blasted from behind Skah, whipping and snapping the stranger¡¯s clothes like flags. Above them a cloud formed that slanted upwards away from Skah and towards the stranger. Lightning arced through the cloud and a blast of thunder shook the homes around them. Skah pointed his sword at the stranger. ¡°I will be taking your sword. And when I do, I¡¯ll take a nap with it.¡± The stranger¡¯s brows raised. What have I gotten myself into? Fights Never Go as Planned Skah and the stranger circled each other. Skah twirled his sword by a leather cord. Two feathers were attached to the end and they fluttered in the wind. The stranger slid his feet across the ground, sword held ready. Skah smirked. ¡°Afraid to at-¡° The stranger leapt, stabbing. Skah grabbed his sword handle and blocked. The metals screeched against each other. His side was nicked and the skin frozen. Skah ducked and hacked at a passing leg. The blade set the pant leg on fire. The stranger rolled to the ground. The fire went out. Skah backed off. His side felt tight. He glanced at it. The heat of his blade melted the iced flesh. A drop of blood trickled down his side. The stranger stood up and patted his smoking pants. Skah rolled his shoulders and glanced behind him. Chase stood up and looked his way. The stranger leveled his sword. Skah held his sword up. ¡°You sword isn¡¯t for sale, is it?¡± He edged towards his ox. Skah¡¯s brows creased. Why isn¡¯t he intimidated? He thought. The stranger lunged forward. Skah blocked, twisted his sword and tried to hook. The stranger pulled their sword back and slashed. They exchanged blows. The swords screeching each time they touched. Skah hacked and pressed towards the stranger. Their swords grated together and screeched. Skah pressed harder, forcing his weight into the smaller stranger. The stranger¡¯s sword touched his hood. Ice crystals spread across it as the sword was pressed down. Each heard and felt a loud clicking from their swords. Skah¡¯s sword dimmed and starting becoming red. Skah jumped back. Each of them checked their swords. Skah¡¯s quickly turned white-hot again. The stranger ran a gloved finger along his swords length. He swung it about then settled into a stance. Skah looked back up at the stranger and grinned. He swung his sword about and copied the stranger¡¯s stance. His blood pounded in his limbs. Despite his sword¡¯s heat, a cold seemed to grip his heart. The cold eyes of his opponent gazed at him over a frozen sword. Lightning crashed above painting the world in white. Skah dodged instinctively. Something hissed past his head in his blindness. He slashed. His sword connected with a screech. His sight returned. He blocked a thrust. The stranger backed off. Skah¡¯s sweat steamed off him. He panted. He advanced and swept his sword at the stranger¡¯s limbs. The stranger parried each blow but was driven back. Skah hacked with the back of his sword and hooked the stranger¡¯s sword with the swing. The blow knocked the stranger¡¯s sword to the side. Skah pressed his attack. The stranger parried but was taken off balance and slipped on the mud, falling to his knee. Skah blocked a slash to his leg then lunged back as Chase charged from the side. The stranger rolled away to his feet. ¡°Chase! Don¡¯t get involved!¡± Skah turned back to the stranger and shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s getting impatient for his nap.¡± ¡°Your talk is cheap.¡± The stranger walked towards the center of the town. Skah took a hesitant step after the stranger. Skah took a few deep breaths. This isn¡¯t fun like I thought it¡¯d be. He thought. Each of this guy¡¯s attacks aims to kill. He looked over to where Chase was preparing for another charge. Thing is, he thought, that sword would make drinking easier. Skah looked up to the heavens. ¡°Isn¡¯t there an easier way?¡± A pattering of rain began to fall. Snow surrounded the stranger. The center of town had mud-covered cobblestones. The stranger let his blade scrape over them. The wet cobblestones became covered in ice.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Chase charged after the stranger. The stranger side-stepped and Chase slid past him on frozen cobblestones. Chase lowed as he crashed into a wagon. Water sloshed from the jars. Skah groaned and walked to the edge of the cobblestones. The stranger stood in the middle of the space. He motioned to Skah. ¡°Why do you carry that sword if it pains you so much?¡± Skah shrugged and a pained look crossed his face. He forced a wry smile through it and pointed his sword at the stranger. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy of questions.¡± ¡°If I give you my name, will you tell me?¡± Skah raised his sword. ¡°It¡¯ll take more than that.¡± Skah felt the pain in his side as the cut continued to warm. Perhaps a cool nap isn¡¯t worth it. He thought. He strode towards the stranger. Ice melted beneath him. He carried his momentum into his swing. The stranger ducked. Skah¡¯s feet flew out from under him on wet ice. He landed hard on his back. He rolled away as a cold blade stabbed down at him. The stranger kept his wide base and slid over the cobblestones, following Skah as he rolled. A slash narrowly missed Skah¡¯s neck. Chase bellowed and slipped as he charged. His sliding body hit both Skah and the stranger, sending them tumbling. ¡°Chase! I told you! Don¡¯t get involved!¡± The stranger let out a grunt of frustration as he stood up. ¡°This is supposed to be between me and you! Not your ox too!¡± ¡°Do you want a tissue?¡± The stranger glared at Skah. Skah grinned. ¡°If it¡¯ll be too much for you¡­¡± The stranger raised his sword. ¡°Just die.¡± ¡°Oh! Waitwaitwaitwaitwait!¡± Skah held up his hand. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t decided what you get if you defeat me.¡± ¡°Victory.¡± The stranger lunged. Skah stepped to the side, blocked and backed off. ¡°Really. I mean it.¡± The stranger rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. Victory and your soul.¡± He slashed. Skah jumped back. ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, can¡¯t give you my soul.¡± He ran down the street. ¡°Aaargh!¡± The stranger chased after. ¡°Just tell me why you carry that sword then!¡± Skah ran through the rain and into the brush and trees outside of the village. The stranger followed after who was closely chased by the ox. The ox snorted, the stranger glanced behind him. He was only allowed a gasp of surprise as the ox butted him into the air. The stranger landed on the Chase¡¯s back. Chase bucked and threw the stranger into a thicket. *** The stranger shook his dazed head. He found himself upside down, tangled in the branches of a bush. He wriggled and tried to pull his legs free. The blood had already gone to his head. He felt dizzy. Something rustled on the outskirts of the thicket. He froze. ¡°Somewhere around here?¡± A voice said. It was that big bare-chested boy. The stranger looked around himself. His sword was nearby in the branches. It had already frozen everything around it solid. ¡°Yeah, I can feel the chill. How about it Chase? Think a fire will root him out?¡± The stranger¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. ¡°Wait! Fight me honorably! I¡¯m stuck!¡± He forcefully pulled his left leg free and his head brushed the ground. ¡°Did you hear that Chase? Me neither. Too muffled.¡± The stranger¡¯s efforts were redoubled. ¡°I¡¯m stuck! I can¡¯t move! I¡¯m stuck you coward!¡± He felt a wave of heat wash over him. ¡°Hmmm, seems like it¡¯s too wet. It just smokes.¡± Smoke drifted over the stranger and he coughed. He tugged on his right leg and tried to pry the branches away from around it. His efforts became frantic. Rain pattered the bush leaves. The stranger let himself fall back, panting. Calm down, he thought, calm down. Something started hacking at the bushes. The pattering hiss of water on hot metal reached the stranger¡¯s ears. More smoke drifted over him. The stranger took a breath, then forced his body up through the branches. His clothes got caught. He struggled a little more and the branches let him go. He flipped himself up and over where his leg was caught and fell to the ground next to where his sword was caught in a bush. He thrust his hand into the bush and frozen twigs shattered off. He grabbed the sword and rushed through the thicket towards the smoke. To clear the last bush the stranger used a tree to jump off of. He landed and lunged at a prepared Skah. Skah grinned and blocked the thrust. ¡°Smoked you out like a fox, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°I was stuck.¡± Skah swung and the stranger parried. The stranger cut at Skah¡¯s legs and Skah dodged. ¡°What is your name?¡± Skah smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a question.¡± ¡°Fine, my name is Yuko. Yours?¡± ¡°Skah.¡± There was a crashing in the underbrush and Chase burst forth. This time Yuko didn¡¯t dodge but jumped off Chase¡¯s head at Skah. Skah blocked and fell back against the flurry of Yuko¡¯s fast strikes. The heat of his blade was wearing on him. Yuko felt the advantage and pressed his attack. Skah¡¯s sword felt like a large log. His blocks were getting slower. A feint jab from Yuko slipped past Skah¡¯s sword. Everything slowed for Skah. The cold blade screeched past his own. He felt the frigid blade¡¯s tip puncture his stomach. The sweat on his chest turned to ice. He felt his left stomach muscles freeze. The blade retracted as quickly as it came. Skah saw the realization of advantage in Yuko¡¯s eyes. Another thrust. Is this the end for me? Skah thought. The blade was coming for his heart. Something welled up inside him. He watched as the blade came for him. He angled his own sword and deflected the blade past his head. What little hair he had froze stiff. With the hook of his sword¡¯s tip he caught the small hand guard of Yuko¡¯s sword. He stepped and pulled back with all his strength. Yuko let out a yelp as the hot blade seared his hand. He let go as his glove caught fire. Skah panted heavily. He was slicked with sweat. He winced as he awkwardly stepped forward. Yuko had thrown off his glove. He eyed Skah. As if ready to begin fighting again. He glanced at his sword. Skah shook his head and shuffled backward. ¡°The sword¡¯s mine now.¡± Chase happily lumbered over near the frozen sword. Thunder rumbled through the sky. Yuko fell to his knees. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­you¡­¡± He covered his face with his hands. Skah carefully stepped away with both swords. ¡°I won.¡± He winced. The shallow wound in his stomach made it hard to talk. He held his own sword near it. He motioned with his head. ¡°The scabbard.¡± Yuko looked up at him and glared. ¡°We only agreed on the sword.¡± Skah clenched his teeth against the pain. ¡°It¡¯s part of the sword.¡± Yuko stood up and glanced about him. He started edging away. Skah stepped after him but stopped when pain lanced up through his chest. ¡°Yuko.¡± ¡°I honored my vow.¡± Yuko started walking away. ¡°I will defeat you again. Go ahead, take your nap, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± *** Yuko pounded the tree in frustration. ¡°So close,¡± he whispered. ¡°I was so close!¡± he yelled. He kicked the tree and bruised his toe. He hopped up and down and hissed through his teeth. ¡°Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!¡± It had been about an hour since the end of the fight. He looked out from behind a tree at the road leading out of town. The road he had gone into town on. Skah had been taking the opposite road. Yuko groaned. That meant he¡¯d be retracing his steps. ¡°They¡¯ll get me for sure without the sword.¡± A cow lowed. His head snapped up. Sure enough, Skah came from the trees and started walking down the road. His chest was bandaged and his walking was slow. Yuko watched until he was down the road, then followed at a distance. The Bumbling Idiot Yuko heaved deep breaths as he shuffled one foot after another up the hill. The heat and humidity beneath the canopy of trees was suffocating. The ever-gray sky could be glimpsed through the branches. ¡°I, I think I know how he feels,¡± Yuko gasped. It had only been thirty minutes since he had started following Skah and his ox. Already, Yuko felt like he was going to pass out from the heat. ¡°Stupid,¡± he said. Sweat trickled down his forehead. ¡°Stupid. All the more reason to get the sword back.¡± He whisked off his hood and the scarf covering his face. The humid air did little to cool him. He stumbled to the side of the road at the top of the hill and sat on a rock there. He undid his heavy cloak, his gloves and shirt until he only had his pants on. His pale skin was slick with sweat. His face was youthful, but bore the day¡¯s fatigue and a decade of travel. He looked out over the land. He could see the path as it wound through the trees. He couldn¡¯t see Skah. He looked further, towards the horizon. Nothing. In a panic he stood up. He looked to the sides of the path, near the rivers and streams, anywhere that the trees gave way. Nothing. A movement caught his eye at the base of the hill. There was Skah and the ox, slowly meandering their way down the path. Skah was holding Yuko¡¯s sword, Adhiam, and snow fell gently around him. Yuko slumped back down on the rock. ¡°Stupid. I could probably take a nap and still catch up.¡± He bundled up his clothes and slung them over his back. He made sure to keep a knife in his belt. ¡°I should kill him,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I should run ahead and ambush him.¡± He stood up with effort and started a slow plod down the path matching Skah¡¯s pace. Sweat dripped off his chin. ¡°I should wait till night, and¡­and¡­huff, huff, huff¡­kill that ox too.¡± He kept mumbling as he dragged his feet down the path. *** Skah stopped for the night in a clearing by a stream. Yuko didn¡¯t even wait, he circled around Skah¡¯s position and traveled upstream. When he reached the stream he threw aside his travel pack and bundle and let himself fall into the stream face-first. He burbled bubbles before pushing himself to the surface and gasping for breath. Then he took long gulps until he felt he would burst. He found a tree next to the stream and sat against it while letting his feet hang in the water. He re-filled his water skin and wished he had another one. He had quickly run out while following Skah. He relieved himself in the stream. Although not honorable, it made him feel a little better that Skah was downstream. His head started to clear as he sat in the cool shade and water. His anger returned and his thoughts turned to how he would get his sword back. If Skah continued on this path, he would eventually find himself in Ashmet. Yuko nearly lost his life there, more importantly his sword. He had made more enemies there than half of the places he¡¯d been before during his long travels. Even a street urchin would recognize Adhiam and himself. If Skah went there¡­Yuko closed his eyes as if in pain. He had to stop Skah at all costs. *** Yuko waited till night before creeping towards Skah¡¯s camp. He crossed the stream and approached from that direction where he would have the best view. He crawled the last few meters slowly, careful not to make any sound. Skah was obviously an Enden. Rumors told that they could sense the winds, speak with animals and scurry through the trees like squirrels. Yuko wasn¡¯t sure about that. He peeked out from beneath a bush. At first, he couldn¡¯t make anything out of the dark shadows. Then, he saw a shadow move as if someone were crossing their legs. There was a shadow leaning up against a tree. Yuko waited as evening light faded from the sky and the half moon gave its light. The shadow pulled something out of a pack, something long, then unsheathed his sword. Yuko quickly shut one eye against the bright blade. He watched as Skah¡¯s features and the clearing were brightly lit. The ox was lying nearby, flicking flies off with its tail. Skah was awkwardly lighting a pipe with the tip of his sword. In the middle of the clearing¡­in the middle was Adhiam, stuck in the ground point-first. The air around it glittered with ice crystals no bigger than specks of dust. The specks glittered in the blue moonlight like frozen fairy fire. The frost spread in all directions along the ground and over plants from the sword. It almost looked as if there had been a light dusting of snow. Skah sheathed his sword. Yuko switched his eyes. He ground his teeth. ¡°You bastard!¡± He mouthed, still afraid of Skah¡¯s rumored powers. ¡°Adhiam is no tool! It is a blade for generals and warriors! A harbinger of death! Because of me it is fea-¡± Skah, smoking his pipe, stood up and walked over to the sword. He drew it from the ground and took it over to the stream where he held the tip in the water. Yuko felt the chill spread around him. His hand grasped his knife. The stream froze. Skah smoked his pipe and gazed at the sky. After a few more moments he tugged on the sword and nodded in satisfaction when it didn¡¯t come free from the ice. He rocked it back and forth.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Yuko opened his mouth but he clamped his hand over it. He winced as the ice cracked and broke and Skah pulled out a chunk of ice on the sword¡¯s end. The sword bent a little under the weight. Skah whistled as he happily swung it back and forth before bringing it up to smash the ice on a stone. Yuko shut his eyes. He heard the smash of ice and he slowly opened one eye. Skah put the sword back in the middle of the clearing and shivered, rubbing his shoulders. He walked back to the broken ice where Chase was already licking at a piece. Skah warbled a merry bird tune and picked up a piece of his own to lick on. Yuko groaned quietly and hit his head on the ground. It was taking all his willpower not to rush at Skah in a rage. It would be suicidal. Skah had two swords of merit. Yuko only had the advantage of stealth and surprise on his side with a knife. Just a normal knife. *** Yuko waited. He breathed deep breaths and closed his eyes, trying to calm his righteous fury. He waited until Skah went to sleep, then he waited some more. He felt the day¡¯s fatigue settling on him like a heavy weight. He roused himself and drew back from his position. He circled Skah¡¯s clearing again until he was on the other side of where Skah was sitting. All he needed was the sword, then he could beat a hasty retreat even if Skah woke and attacked. Yuko crouched and slowly, very slowly, began to inch out into the open of the clearing. A breeze rustled the leaves of the trees. Please, he thought, let the rumors be false. Don¡¯t sense the wind, please, don¡¯t sense the wind. He inched closer to the sword. He could feel the chill seeping into his skin. If felt good. Patience, he reminded himself, patience. The cold air clouded his breath. I should have put my clothes back on, he thought. He saw now that Skah hadn¡¯t struck the sword in the ground, but in a log half-buried in the dirt. Yuko shivered as he came close enough for his sweat to begin freezing. He glanced at Skah. He was still sleeping. The ox too. He shivered again and quickened his pace. He was almost there. The air sparkled around the sword in the moonlight. It sparkled like the night sky¡¯s stars turned into slow flying fireflies. Yuko reached out a shaking hand. Sssssthump! A strange-looking knife struck the log. Yuko¡¯s breath caught. He jumped back instinctively and a knife flew past him. He jumped and rolled behind a tree. He waited a second, then peeked a head out for a moment. In the moonlight, he could see Skah pulling a knife stuck in the tree behind him. Yuko ducked back behind the tree. What was insulting to Endens again? He thought. ¡°Hey!¡± Yuko yelled. ¡°What do you want thief?¡± Skah yelled back. ¡°Have you given up on your honor? Bwahaha!¡± Yuko ground his teeth together. His face flushed hot. ¡°I¡¯ll salt your ancestor¡¯s graves you fool!¡± Silence. Yuko swallowed. That was stupid. Of all the insults for Endens, that one was the worst. A fiery light suddenly shone from the clearing. Yuko ran for his life. Skah laughed behind him. ¡°Come back thief! Fight me honorably for your insult! I accept! Hahahaha! Is running away honorable?! Hahahaha!¡± *** After that night, Yuko tried everything he could to get his sword back and slow Skah. He set traps on the path far ahead and Skah would walk around them. Yuko cut down a rope bridge over a river. Skah swam across. He set ambushes, Skah would ambush his ambush by sneaking up on him. One time, just for fun, Skah snuck ice down his pants and laughed as Yuko leapt into the air from the shock. It was the birds. Yuko knew it. They would sing when Skah approached and tell him what Yuko had done. The birds were on Skah¡¯s side. So, Yuko set snares for birds around his traps. Skah heard about it and took wide berths around those areas. Yuko tried sneaking up on Skah every night at different times. Chase flicked Skah with his tail and woke him up when Yuko approached. The breeze blew and whispered about Yuko in Skah¡¯s ear. An owl would land and hoot ¡°who, who?¡± As they traveled, the trees starting thinning and grew more scraggly. The rivers grew farther apart. After another day of traveling the forest suddenly gave way to sparse bushes and parched dirt. Yuko suffered more and more from the sun. On the third day of his attempts, Yuko sat on a low hill overlooking the path. The slope was fairly steep with many rocks. Skah came lumbering along with his ox. A bird flitted by him. He looked up and waved when he saw Yuko. Yuko shook his head and let his head fall to his chest. He was sweltering in the heat. He had his cloak over his back to protect him from the sun. His skin was already burnt red and peeling from the previous days. Skah continued walking down below. Yuko took out his knife and threw it at him. Skah dodged it and kept walking. Yuko¡¯s shoulders slumped. He saw a rock at his feet and kicked it down at Skah. Skah looked up at the sound of it falling and stopped. The stone started a small rockslide that sent stones smashing down on the path in front of him. The rockslide settled and Skah shook his head at the covered path in front of him. ¡°Hey!¡± Yuko yelled. ¡°Hey what? Is that the best you can do?¡± Yuko motioned to the direction Skah was traveling. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Down the path.¡± ¡°No, really.¡± ¡°Seriously, down the path. I don¡¯t know where it goes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a destination?¡± Skah shrugged. Then pointed at the horizon where a star still shone brightly in the daylight. ¡°The Star of the West?¡± Skah nodded. Yuko rolled his eyes. One of those dreamers, he thought. Skah started walking again. ¡°Don¡¯t go into Ashmet! Skah turned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t let you carry swords there. You¡¯ll be thrown in jail!¡± Skah raised an eyebrow and nodded. Yuko frowned. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Skah smiled. ¡°This from the guy who¡¯s been trying to kill me for the last few days. I wonder, what could be in Asmet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Skah turned to Chase. ¡°How about you? How does a straw bed sound?¡± Chase grunted and swished his tail. ¡°Skah!¡± Skah turned away and continued walking down the path. ¡°Skah!¡± Yuko watched in disbelief as Skah kept walking. He rested his head on his arms, exasperated. *** Yuko woke with a start. The sun was shining in his eyes. It was past midday. ¡°What?¡± Yuko looked around. He¡¯d fallen asleep. He jumped up. Ashmet was under a day away. Two days by Skah speed. He quickly gathered up his things and slid down the slope. ¡°Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!¡± He had to catch up. *** Skah approached the city gates. By now the terrain had turned into desert, sand and rocks. The sun had nearly set on the horizon. Skah had filled one of the jars on Chase¡¯s back with dirt and had stuck Adhiam in it. It didn¡¯t give off such a fierce chill that way. However, Skah had had to walk and sleep near Chase the past few days with his own sword so the poor ox wouldn¡¯t freeze to death. With the two swords together, the air was more or less lukewarm, though on the cooler side. Skah looked at the Star of the West over the buildings of the city. He patted Chase¡¯s back. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± His fingers absentmindedly touched the two soft black feathers tied to the pommel of his sword. ¡°Kangee¡¯s dream will come true.¡± When he came close to the guards they lowered their spears. ¡°No weapons are allowed in the city. Hand them over.¡± ¡°Huh, he was telling the truth.¡± Skah mumbled. ¡°Well,¡± he said louder, ¡°then I guess I won¡¯t be entering the city.¡± He turned to leave and Chase followed. The orange handle of Adhiam was sticking out of the jar. ¡°Halt!¡± Demanded one of the guards. ¡°That¡¯s! That¡¯s the sword!¡± ¡°Sound the alarm! Catch him!¡± Skah slapped Chase¡¯s rump and together they started running away. *** Yuko crested the ridge, panting heavily. He looked at the city he had left only a week before. What he saw made his stomach churn. Chase and Skah were running away from the city down the road. Behind them, coming out of the city gates were a group of horsemen. Yuko made a move forward but stopped. It was difficult as it was to take on horsemen with a sword, much less a knife. The horsemen quickly overtook Skah and Chase and surrounded them. Yuko sat on the ground and put his head in his hands. Skah raised his arms in surrender and laughed. Scene 1: Jailed Demon Skah was thrown to the floor of the prison cell. He stumbled and caught himself from crashing into the stone wall. The solid wood door slammed behind him. Skah winced and held his stomach where the bandages were from his fight with Yuko. It had taken a lot of effort not to show how hurt he really was while traveling. That crazed Yuko character didn¡¯t know when to stop. The sound of an angry lowing came from an iron-grated window near the ceiling of his cell. Skah pulled himself up to the ledge of the small window and looked through the gaps into the prison yard. The window was at ground level and a cart was parked in front of it, keeping the sun out of the cell. Two guards were attempting to pull Chase out of the prison¡¯s gate unsuccessfully. ¡°Chase! Just go lie down in the straw will you?¡± Skah yelled. The ox slowly turned, dragging the guardsmen with him to where a few horses were stabled. Chase found the empty stall, and still dragging the guardsmen, backed into it and lay down. Disgusted, the guardsmen threw the ropes down and walked away. Chase flicked his ear amusedly. Skah let himself down from the window after seeing Chase was alright. He inspected his new quarters. There was a wood board cot and a bucket. Oh, and the window. He nodded. ¡°Not bad.¡± He told himself. He gently sat down on the cot and unwrapped his bandages to look at his wounds. The one on his side wasn¡¯t much more than a small cut. The one in his stomach, however, was the real problem. When he had moved to pursue Yuko, he felt his wound spread. It felt like his stomach was cracking. When he looked down after Yuko ran off, he found that was actually true. Cracks had spread out from the puncture point like a crumbling stone. Chips had even flaked off. He had spent almost an hour thawing himself before he felt he could move again. He had used his sword to speed the process and had burned himself as well. Then he had to steal some clothes in town as the cracks and puncture point started bleeding.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. He shook his head. Yuko had landed a more critical blow than he thought. He removed the last bandages and revealed the healing cuts and burn blisters. He pursed his lips, then grinned wide. It would make one awesome-looking scar. There was a clacking of keys at his door and it opened. Two guardsmen came in with swords drawn. ¡°Lie down!¡± Skah raised his hands and complied. The guards glanced nervously at the bizarre wound, then advanced into the room. A man followed after them. He was dressed simply, but fashionably. He had graying hair and was carrying a bag. Skah eyed the man. ¡°Here to cast demons out of me?¡± A guard came in with a stool and then left. The man put his bag on the ground and sat on the stool. ¡°You¡¯re no demon.¡± He said simply. ¡°I¡¯ve helped burn demons before and you don¡¯t look like one.¡± A light came into Skah¡¯s eyes. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m a demon in disguise!¡± The man thought a moment, then nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡± He took something from his pack, a smaller bag, and took out a pinch of powder from it. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± ¡°Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.¡± ¡°I could put this in your eyes, ears or nose if you prefer.¡± Skah opened his mouth. The man reached out his hand. Skah clamped his mouth shut. The man sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t be a child. Take your medicine.¡± ¡°I can smell what that is. Its poison.¡± The man sniffed it. He glanced at the guards and cleared his throat. He put the pinch of powder back in its bag and rummaged some more in his sack. Finally, he pulled out another bag, much like the first. He mumbled something about labeling them. Skah grinned. ¡°If I were a demon, raasdom weed would take care of the problem, but we¡¯re trying to find out if I really am one, remember?¡± Skah eyed the new bag. ¡°That had better be dried thut-ajen sap. Sap doesn¡¯t make my stomach hurt.¡± ¡°Thut-ajen! I only reserve that for the worst cases!¡± Skah shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll be doubly sure then! Both me and you.¡± The man nodded sagely and returned to his sack. He brought out a glass vial with a cork stopper and a translucent amber powder inside. ¡°Hold on!¡± Skah looked at the man. ¡°How do you know all this?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been accused of being a demon many, many times. I¡¯ve become an expert!¡± The man shook his head and took a pinch of the powder out. Skah opened his mouth and let him sprinkle some in. He swished it around in his mouth a little, then nodded. ¡°You have some good stuff.¡± The man grunted and started cleaning up Skah¡¯s wound. Skah winced. ¡°Why am I getting treatment? Normally-¡± ¡°We don¡¯t care if you die in prison.¡± The man finished. ¡°However, the royal family has requested to see you, so, we keep you alive by necessity.¡± Skah grinned. ¡°Oh, this sounds like fun!¡± The man shook his head. ¡°Do I get to-¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°When do I-¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say.¡± After a few moments of silence, Skah looked at the man. ¡°Can I call you Raas?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sneaking and Entering Yuko paced back and forth in a grove of dried-up trees near the city. ¡°What am I going to do?¡± he asked no one in particular. He paced for a bit longer then kicked a dried stick out of his way. ¡°I just ran from this place! Now I¡¯m back?!¡± He sighed and sat down on a dry stump. ¡°I must be cursed.¡± The sun was setting, painting the sandstone sides of the city into an orange-red shade. Far off in the hazy distance near the horizon, rain clouds drifted lazily over the western side of the city. Near that area was a vibrant green stripe across the landscape where trees hugged a large river. Yuko searched the length and breadth of the city¡¯s walls and buildings. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can face you again Kalia.¡± The sun slowly fell below the horizon, its light brushing the tops of the buildings for a few minutes before leaving the city in shadow. Yuko stood and carefully approached the city. Dusk was the best time for sneaking. It pained him, but he knew exactly where he was going. The city¡¯s springs used to flow into a now-dry streambed not two weeks ago. Those springs were the only reason the city came this far out into the desert. Yuko picked his way along the streambed. Drifts of sand obscured parts of it but he found his way. A cool night breeze picked up and rustled his hair. He crouched and crawled along the ground out of sight of the wall. He never tried to peek out at it. A guard would surely see the movement. Yuko made sure to keep his bearing, using the light of the Western Star to guide him through the many offshoots of the rambling streambed. By the time the sky was fading from blue to purple and the second star could be seen in the night, Yuko crouched at the streambed¡¯s turning point under the city wall. He was lying down behind the streambed¡¯s bank. The wall was only a sprint away at this point. It wasn¡¯t a very tall wall. At this point in the city it was about five arm spans. Still too tall for Yuko to climb but that was beside the point. He was a horrible climber anyway. The faint scrape of guard¡¯s feet on stone reached his ear. Two of them. They spoke in low tones and then started walking again. If only he could sneak through the stream¡¯s iron grating in the wall, he could deal with anything else in the city. It was the way he had escaped the city, he should be able to make his way back through. Yuko allowed himself a single, quick peek. The guardsmen were walking in opposite directions. He waited until their footsteps grew distant, then crawled as quietly as he could over the sandy parts of the streambed. He could almost feel their eyes. Any guard on the wall looking down would be able to see him right now. He stopped and listened. His panting was too loud so he held his breath. He could hear the footsteps stopping just over the sound of his heart beating in his ears.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He frantically looked around. He should be in shadow, but he didn¡¯t trust it. There, just a short ways away, only twenty paces from the wall was an overhang the bank of the stream created. He scrambled for it and slid under. As he did so, he accidentally kicked a stone and it clattered across the other rocks of the streambed. Yuko pushed himself as far back under the overhang as possible, but too late he realized how shallow the overhang was. The shadows of dusk had played a trick on him. ¡°Hey! I think I saw something!¡± Footsteps came towards Yuko. He stayed as still as possible. Movement now would only confirm the guard¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Yeah? You sure it wasn¡¯t a rat-dragon like last time?¡± ¡°It looked bigger, down there, in the dry streambed.¡± Silence. Out of the corner of his eye, Yuko could see the two guardsmen with their torches atop the wall. ¡°Hmmm, I don¡¯t see it. Where did you see it?¡± ¡°Eh, hard to say. About thirty paces from the wall.¡± More silence. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go get a torch to throw down there.¡± ¡°Here, I¡¯ll just use mine.¡± Yuko held his breath. The flaming torch was thrown from the wall. It sailed through the air and Yuko lost sight of it for a moment. He heard it land somewhere on the ground behind him. Yuko let out a tense breath. It hadn¡¯t landed in the streambed. ¡°You dolt! I oughta smack you.¡± ¡°What?! I¡¯d like to see you throw half as good!¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to go get us two more torches is what I¡¯m going to do.¡± Footsteps leaving. Yuko risked moving his head. One guard with a torch was leaving, the other without a torch was walking after him. Yuko took the chance and quickly started crawling on his belly in the shadow of the streambed. ¡°Come on! Just throw your torch down there!¡± Yuko scrambled to all fours, pacing himself in a low jog so as to not to make too much noise. ¡°I¡¯m not going to stub my toe like you do all the time! Stay and watch will you?¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Footsteps walking back. Yuko tip-toed the last few steps to the small grate. He resisted a sigh of relief. Not moments later, the other guard came back and landed a torch smack-dab into the streambed. Yuko shook his head and turned to squeeze his small frame through the grate. He was awarded with a bump on the head. He gritted his teeth against yelling an obscenity. He felt between the iron bars, confused, then realization dawned on him. The iron grate had been blocked up with rocks. There was no easy way into the city anymore. Austere Princess, For Good Reasons Safira walked slowly behind the richly ornamented sarcophagus that sparkled in the sun. Her brother¡¯s body was not in it. It would be prepared for the afterlife for another year in the care of the physicians. The sarcophagus was carried on the shoulders of royal servants dressed in fine gold ornaments and linens. In front of them walked two rows of thirty mourners. Their wails carried through the air. In front of them walked the royal prophets with their tall staffs. For once, their voices did not cry out to announce the coming of royalty. The procession walked through the green palace gardens full of fountains, trees, flowers and white marble and gold. The streams of water and polished gold leaf sparkled and shone. Servants shielded her face from the sun with large fans made of colorful feathers. It was only mid-morning and the sun was already hot against Safira¡¯s skin where it touched at her heels. She wore her face uncovered so all may see the tears of her grieving. She didn¡¯t feel like it, but it was expected of her. She wore a richly ornamented headdress, a broach necklace made of linked plates of silver, and a brilliantly white sheath dress. Her light golden hair had been glued stiff so it laid down to her shoulders in the shape of a bell. The procession was long and stretched all the way back to the palace behind her. Her mother and father walked at her sides. Many more relatives and officials of the city followed. The palace gates opened before them and immediately the people of the city began to wail. Guards were already posted along the road on either side. As they walked through the gate, guards fell in beside the royal family and officials. She let her tears go. They ran down her face and dripped to the ground. Just in case, tears were painted on her face in black to resemble tears she could no longer shed. The sounds of people wailing was a cacophony of noise around her.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. For an hour they walked through the city, then out past the walls and into the desert. Her brother¡¯s throne for the afterlife was far from complete in the Halls of Ohuros. Someday, she would see him again. The procession walked along a white marble road to a building in the desert sands. Green trees were around it. White pillars capped with gold stood along the path with linen strung between them to give shade. This path led to a hall with a ceiling just as tall as the pillars outside. Wide steps led down into the bowels of the earth. Torches lit the darkness. The long rites of passage were completed in half-darkness. It was evening before the procession made its long walk back to the palace. *** Safira changed, then proceeded to her throne room adjacent to her father¡¯s. She would accept only the most pressing business if there was any. Eight servants were waiting with bowed heads as she took her seat on her throne. ¡°Tell me, which of you has the most pressing news?¡± One of the servants stepped forward and kneeled without looking up. ¡°Princess, the sword Adhiam has been found.¡± She sat forward. ¡°How? ¡°A traveling swordsman had it in his possession, however, he did not have the sheath. He was found trying to enter the city yesterday evening. The sword has been secured, but not before a guardsman clutched it in his hands and its curse killed him. Even now it is still in his frozen hands.¡± Her heart pounded in her chest. ¡°Do the people know?¡± ¡°We kept the sword and the body under a tarp, but the chill couldn¡¯t be contained. The cart that took it to the armory passed by many commoners. I¡¯m afraid rumors have already spread that the masked swordsman has been finally killed, and many others.¡± ¡°Where is the swordsman?¡± ¡°Waiting in the palace jails princess. He¡¯s been there for most of the day. Shall I send for him?¡± ¡°No,¡± she felt her anger burn against the man, even if he wasn¡¯t the swordsman who killed her brother. ¡°He can wait. How did he not fall to the curse?¡± ¡°He is under an equally powerful curse. He carried a sword with him that burns like the sun. No one has attempted to draw its blade for fear of it. He also bears wounds like those the captains suffered before they died at the hands of Zaim.¡± She sat back in her throne. This could mean that the swordsman proved greater than Zaim. He wielded a sword like the sun and bore wounds like the ones that had killed her city¡¯s captains. The words of prophecy painted on the stone on the pillars of the room caught her eye. With growing dread she read the painted scenes. Nine stars crowning the head of Akhumet fall From the east comes a man He bears a sword like the sun And a sword of stars He comes to the city In ten days it is ruined by flame from the night sky Is the Bumbler a Boon or Bane? Two soldiers drug a shackled Skah through the glimmering halls of the Ashmet palace by his arms. Skah didn¡¯t mind, he simply stared slack-jawed at the enormity of the pillars, the majesty of the art, the beauty of the cloths, and the prolific amounts of gold lining white marble. ¡°You know,¡± Skah said as he stared at the height of the ceilings, ¡°I could¡¯ve used more than just a bath and new clothes. Heck, with a palace like this you could have afforded me a better bed than that wooden bench.¡± The guard on the right shook his arm. ¡°Quiet you, you¡¯re lucky to get a wood bench. I personally requested them so you prisoners would quit yapping about cold stone. Now you complain about hard wood. Never should have done it.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Skah tried to shrug but only achieved a head bob, ¡°That changes things. I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t like the bench, just that it looks like you guys could afford something better. I¡¯ve been sleeping on sticks and stones recently, the bench was actually rather nice compared to that.¡± ¡°Oh, you hear that?¡± The guard nodded his head at Skah to the other guard. ¡°This prisoner has a modicum of respect, I¡¯ll actually be sorry to see him stoned.¡± Skah snapped his gaze away from the tall ceiling. ¡°Wait, what? Stoning? I don¡¯t want to get stoned, stoning is bad, very bad.¡± He wriggled in their grip and tried to look up at them. ¡°Shh, shh,¡± The guard shook his head, ¡°I should say that there is a possibility.¡± ¡°That¡¯s still bad, you can take me back to the prison now.¡± The guard shook his head. ¡°Too late, we¡¯re here.¡± They rounded a corner and three great rectangular arches stood before them. The largest was flanked by two smaller ones to each side. Large gilded reliefs of men standing with staffs stood on the sides of the doorways. The stone was painted with brilliant blues and greens and bright white cloths were draped across openings in the ceiling that allowed shafts of light into the grand hall of pillars before them. At the end of the rows of pillars was a golden throne with the iridescent blue-green tail feathers of the Oasha bird overshadowing it. No one was sitting in the throne. Instead, the guards drug Skah to the arch to the left. They passed through the arch and Skah could see that it was still a part of the main throne room, the only thing that separated the two were the rows of large columns. Scenes were painted upon the columns and walls depicting scenes of workers in fields, soldiers at battle and rulers sitting upon thrones. Attendants were gathered at the other end of the hall where a woman with light yellow hair sat in a brilliant white sheath dress. Skah thought her hair was oddly shaped on her head, but the guard¡¯s comment about stoning reminded him it would be better not to say anything about it. ¡°You know,¡± Skah said out of the corner of his mouth, ¡°this long hall makes it kinda awkward when we¡¯re walking towards them. They¡¯re just staring at us.¡± The guard squeezed his arm. ¡°Shhh.¡± Despite his feeling of awkwardness, Skah survived being dragged the length of the long hallway. Someone had been kind enough to lay out a long rug to save Skah¡¯s sore feet.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. About a stone¡¯s throw away from the throne, the guards lay Skah upon his face and kneeled in reverence themselves. ¡°Princess, the one who came to the city in possession of Adhiam and the flaming sword is the one lying before you. Do with him as you deem just.¡± The rug tickled Skah¡¯s nose. He tried to stifle the sneeze, but he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°Achoo!¡± The guard on the right grabbed a handful of Skah¡¯s hair. ¡°You dare sneeze in front of her majesty?!¡± Skah suppressed a chuckle. It came out as a snort instead. ¡°Guardsman.¡± The man bowed low. ¡°Yes my majesty?¡± ¡°Let the man stand.¡± Skah was hauled to his feet. Since his face wasn¡¯t buried in the rug, he could see the princess more properly. In a word, she was more vibrant and beautiful than he had imagined, despite how her hair was fashioned to look like a basket plopped on her head. ¡°You¡¯re very baskety, I mean, beautiful miss.¡± He blushed a deep red. She arched an eyebrow. The guard jabbed Skah in the ribs with his elbow. ¡°She didn¡¯t say you could speak, cur.¡± ¡°Oh, right, sorry, sorry.¡± Skah bowed at the waist while holding his side. Safira eyed Skah with a level gaze. ¡°Warrior, how did you come by the sword of Adhiam?¡± ¡°The cold sword? I fought a guy for it. He said his name was Yucko or something.¡± ¡°Describe him to me.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s sunburnt, has black hair, on the small side, about this high¡­and he has a temper.¡± Safira nodded. ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Oh! He has beady eyes like he wants to stab you with them.¡± Safira leaned her head towards one of the attendants standing by her. ¡°Majesty, that lines up with what we know so far.¡± She nodded and turned back to Skah. ¡°What was he wearing?¡± ¡°Um, he had his face and head covered like this,¡± Skah put his hands over his face so only his eyes showed, ¡°and the rest of him is covered too. But then he took it all off after I took his sword from him.¡± ¡°Oh? And what does his face look like?¡± Skah thought for a moment. ¡°Well, his face is kinda¡­¡± he stroked his chin, ¡°Its kinda¡­like¡­young-looking.¡± Safira thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Why did you come to this city?¡± The corner of Skah¡¯s mouth twitched upward. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to walk the rest of the way into your city so I hired your guards to drag me the rest of the way.¡± Safira blinked. ¡°That isn¡¯t the case your majesty!¡± The guard to Skah¡¯s right protested. ¡°He lies and makes a mockery of you!¡± He grabbed ahold of Skah. ¡°Wait.¡± The guard stopped. ¡°I¡¯m sure it was all in jest.¡± She looked at Skah, expecting an answer. Skah grinned. ¡°Ya got me. I¡¯ll tell you why, because it was on my way to the Star of the West. But you guys don¡¯t allow swords here, so I was just going to go around.¡± Safira contemplated this. If what he is saying is true, she thought, we may have invited destruction upon ourselves. The prophecy of the Swords of the Heavens wasn¡¯t a well known one. In fact, it was only the mention of a man coming with a sword of fire and a sword of ice that jogged her memory of it. The painted scenes were just barely visible where she had seen them last night. They were in a shadow on the ceiling between two pillars. She regarded the man before her. The guardsmen had dressed him in a simple white linen skirt. There were wraps around his torso where he had been injured in his battle, but she could still see the musculature like that of one of her soldiers. A man familiar with the rigors of battle and fighting. Skah fidgeted under her gaze and at the silence. Why am I even here? He thought. What could that annoying idiot have done where the simple sight of his sword gets me brought before the rulers?! Safira stood and walked over to the place beneath where the prophecy was recorded. Skah turned his head to follow her movement but met the eyes of the guard next to him. The man¡¯s eyes said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at her, you cur.¡± Skah batted his eyes at the guard but kept his eyes forward. Safira read the prophecy again and the scenes around it but didn¡¯t find anything new. The prophecy did not say anything about if the man brought the destruction or if the swords did. But perhaps it is implied the man brings the destruction. She thought. What should she do? Keep the man in prison? Send him away from the city? Kill him? He seemed nice, how could this man bring about disaster upon the city? This man could be an enemy or a possible strong ally. She needed to know more. She walked back to Skah and patted him on the arm. ¡°Come, let¡¯s talk more in the gardens.¡± Skah looked into her crystal blue eyes and blushed. She smiled, ¡°Where did you last see the man you fought? We call him Zaim, and he brought both a blessing and a curse upon our city.¡± What Goes Up Yuko tied the taut rope to the stump. The palm tree it was attached to was bent far to the ground. Yuko wiped the sweat from his brow and huffed from the exertion. He glanced from the rope to the nearby wall, then back to the rope. It looked like it would work. He had spent most of the night making his way along the bottom of the wall, trying to find a weak point. The best one he¡¯d found was this one. A makeshift catapult. He¡¯d had the idea before he had drifted off to sleep. In the morning he¡¯d perfected the idea. He tied another rope to the tree at a specific length so it would stop the tree at an angle. The tree would suddenly stop and he¡¯d go flying into the city. He checked around himself again. There was grass under his feet and more palm trees around him. By his estimation, he would land somewhere in the palace gardens. From there he could find out where his sword was being kept. No doubt by now, there was quite the stir in the city with the arrival of Skah and the swords. The royalty would be involved too. Yuko pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming on. He took and breath and slapped his face with his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t give up yet! I¡¯m almost there, I¡¯m almost there, just do, don¡¯t think, do.¡± He climbed onto the top of the palm tree and rooted his feet onto the sturdy trunk. Deep breaths, deep breaths, let the tension drain from the body, go with the flow, feel it, relax, you¡¯ve flown a glider before, this is just like that, I know how to land, like a cat, like a cat, don¡¯t worry, cats don¡¯t die from falls, I won¡¯t die from falls. He stretched his neck and pulled his knife from its sheath. He twirled it around a few times, the familiarity of the movement calming to him. Then, he reached back and cut at the cord until it started unraveling itself. He briskly sheath the knife, shifted his feet, crouched tensed his legs and looked to the sky. The moment the cord broke, he would jump to increase the height. The cord snapped, and he felt the tree trunk heave him skywards. His legs took a little of the shock, bending, but he had been prepared. His legs started rebounding into a jump as the angle of the tree shifted, as it did so, he shifted the angle of his jump directly upwards. He heard the air whooshing past him build to a frightening roar. The palm branches above him were suddenly next to his face. His legs powered off the tree like a giant springboard. His jump finished just before the tree¡¯s whiplash was stopped short by the other cord. He felt his feet leave the trunk of the tree. He could see over the trees like a bird, there were soldiers patrolling the wall, but none near him as he¡¯d timed it.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! A thought struck through his mind. Am I stupid? *** Skah walked beside Safira in the gardens. He marveled at their beauty and of all the flowers gathered together. Even in his wanderings he hadn¡¯t see anything like it. Fountains burbled and there were plenty of trees to give shade from the sun. He also marveled how twelve guardsmen could move so easily behind them when the path was so small. Obviously, they suspected he might try something. Safira looped her arm through his and smiled up at him. ¡°Is that really all you know about Zaim? You fought him, didn¡¯t you? You scar certainly proves that.¡± She poked at it and Skah grimaced, but also blushed a deep red at the same time. ¡°Heehee.¡± She drew closer to him. ¡°Come now, what is his weakness? How did you defeat him? You have to tell me that much.¡± ¡°Ah, um¡­¡± What is she doing? She was acting so cold before, now she¡¯s holding onto me with her soft arm. I can smell her perfume this close too. ¡°Well, he almost got me, ya¡¯know.¡± She poked him in the side teasingly and laughed when he winced away. Skah didn¡¯t know if she was being flirtatious or enjoyed seeing him in pain. ¡°I disarmed him with my sword, okay? Its hot enough that it likely burned his hand a little through his glove. You know, even with it in its sheath I still get pretty hot just carrying it around.¡± Safira poked his side again. ¡°I think you¡¯re pretty warm even without it.¡± Skah was all too aware of the sweat that was building where their arms met. He made to pull his arm away but she resisted his movement. ¡°Um, er, I¡¯m pretty thirsty, can we stop by one of these fountains for a drink?¡± She glanced up at him. ¡°I guess.¡± She led him to a fountain that was in the shadow of a grove of palm trees. Skah felt the air grow cooler instantly when they entered the shade. Safira let his arm go and he picked up a golden bowl from the edge of the fountain. He studied its intricate etchings before dipping it into the water and slurping from it. He turned his back to the fountain as he drank and gazed over the green lawns of the gardens. They were near the wall at this fountain. Vines crept up its sides and some of them sported flowers. The guard that had been to Skah¡¯s right in the throne room stood about three steps away and glowered at Skah. The other guards had fanned themselves around him and the princess in a half-circle. As such, all of their backs were to the garden. As Skah gazed at the scene he saw a person fly through the air, tumbling end over end sideways in an aerial cartwheel. Skah splurted all of the water in his mouth into the face of the guard in front of him and dropped the bowl. ¡°Hahahahahaha! Hahahaha! Ow! Hahaha!¡± He clutched his stomach in pain as he doubled over in laughter. The guard face that was now dripping wet in front of him was beet red in anger. Safira looked at him confusedly, then out at the garden, but the person had already landed by then and was out of sight. The other guards looked about too and placed their hands on their hilts. ¡°What?¡± Safira snapped. ¡°What is it that is so funny?!¡± Skah took deep breaths. ¡°That¡­has to be one of the funniest things I¡¯ve seen. Hah hah!¡± Safira took a handful of Skah¡¯s hair and turned his tear-streaked face up so she could look at it. ¡°What is so funny?¡± Still suppressing his laughter, Skah pointed a finger in the direction he¡¯d seen Yuko land. ¡°If, if you¡¯re looking for Zaim, heeheehee! He¡¯s over that way! Hahahaha!¡± Chapter 8: Freezing Bane Skah cackled and held his stomach. ¡°What?! Where did you see him?¡± Safira asked urgently. ¡°Heehee! He flew over the wall!¡± ¡°Guards. Search out the gardens and raise the alarm! Do not let Zaim escape!¡± The guards rushed away with three remaining to protect the princess. *** Yuko landed in a splash. For a few moments, he flailed about, trying to find which way was up. His head was spinning from his fall. He gulped in water and he grew frantic. He saw light sparkling through the water and he swam towards it. His head broke the surface of the water and he spat up water and gasped for air. He shook the water from his head and looked around. He was in a small pool. He had been fortunate that he hadn¡¯t landed on his head. He coughed again and wearily swam to the edge and grabbed hold of it. For a moment, there was only the sound of the breeze in the palms, the soft lapping of water, and the quiet song of a bird. There was a shout from further in the garden. Did they see me? He thought. His stomach churned and he winced. Another shout, this time from up by the palace. He sank his head lower in the water and blew bubbles. Did they really see me? ¡°Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± Yep, they did. He tried getting out of the pool but his vision swam. He hadn¡¯t recovered from his fumble yet. He took a breath and let himself sink into the depths. He could hear the muffled shouts grow louder. They neared and he saw shadows cross the light. His lungs begged for air. A shadow blocked out all the light above him. Its head looked this one way, then another, then it looked down. The shadow cried out and jumped away. Ah, that¡¯s right, he thought, the water is clear. Yuko twirled in the water, planting his feet on the bottom of the pool in a crouch. He whisked his knife from his sheath. He heaved with all his strength and sliced the water in front of him with his knife. He burst out of the pool and sliced the man¡¯s wrist in one motion. He felt his feet land on the pool¡¯s edge and he struck with his other palm into the man¡¯s chest. The soldier tumbled backwards, dropping his sword. Yuko ran as other soldiers cried out to their fellows and raced after him. Yuko¡¯s head whirled a little and he narrowly avoided running into the trunk of a tree. If his hunch was right, they would have put the sword into the armory. His wet feet slapped against stone as he ran up a path along the edge of the pillars of the palace. Two guards came rushing at him from the front. He brandished his knife in a backhand hold. The first one swung at him, he sidestepped and diverted the sword with his blade. Then he jumped up and kicked the guard behind the first with both feet. As they fell together, he caught the neck of the first guard in the crook of his elbow. The rear guard fell to his back and Yuko rolled as the first guard fell on top of the rear one. He gained his feet again and ran. He turned into the pillars suddenly and into the palace. He took a roundabout way as he caught glimpses of running guards through the gaps in the pillars. He rounded the last corner that would take him to the armory and was met with two lines of soldiers blocking his way to the door with swords drawn.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He hesitated in his run for an instant. Behind the guards, the wall had frost all over it and the door. Even a hundred feet away, Yuko could feel the biting cold. The door, he knew, was made of solid wood. It was a gamble, but he picked up his pace into a dead on sprint. He swerved to the side and grabbed a spear from its rack. With it held in front of him he charged the soldiers. In their haste, they only had swords, one of them would be impaled before they could land a hit on him and the captain in charger knew it. And Yuko knew the captain knew. At the last moment, the captain yelled out an order and the guards parted in front of Yuko. The guards on the ends retreated and cut off escape from either side. Yuko charged through the gap, raising the spear like a staff and deflecting the sword swipes at him from the side. Then, he was through their ranks. He quickly lowered the spear and struck the metal lock as hard as he could with it. The frozen lock shattered and Yuko barreled into the armory room. The guards shouted at him, but he didn¡¯t pay attention to them. Something was covering a tarp in the middle of the room. Yuko¡¯s quick breathing came out in a fog. He hurriedly approached the tarp and struck it with the butt of his spear. The tarp fell away like ice and revealed the blade of Yuko¡¯s sword and a man holding it. Yuko shattered the man¡¯s hands in its death grip and snatched up the sword before it fell. He tossed the spear aside and strode out of the armory. The guards backed away. Yuko smiled. ¡°What? No one is willing to challenge me?¡± The guards watched warily from a safe distance, but didn¡¯t seem afraid. A numbness started to creep into Yuko¡¯s toes and fingers. The sweat and water on his hand had frozen to the sword¡¯s handle already. He quickly sheathed the sword, but couldn¡¯t pull his hand from the handle. The guards watched him. He took a step forward, towards the line of soldiers. They didn¡¯t budge. He took another step. They brandished their swords. Yuko gulped. Three of them rushed him. Yuko waited until the last moment, then lunged forward and slashed, drawing Adhiam and sheathing it just as quickly. The guards tried to turn, but their stomachs were already frozen stiff. They toppled over and light cracking and crinkling could be heard when they struck the floor. Their flesh giving away like ice before a hammer. Yuko felt the hand clutching Adhiam¡¯s handle grow stiffer. His wet skin frosted. A couple more soldiers edged closer while some of them fetched spears. Yuko took a deep breath and the frost on his skin fell away like snow. With a glance he took in the faces of the soldiers surrounding him. There was a couple of them close together that kept their position, but kept glancing at what Yuko had done to the first three. Yuko turned suddenly and charged them before the others could return with the spears. The guards blanched, but their training kicked in and they blocked the first few of Yuko¡¯s blows with their swords. Yuko felt twinges of pain in his hand with each blow. The sword felt clumsy in his grip and he had to bring both hands to support his frenzied strikes. The two guards backed up from Yuko¡¯s onslaught. Their swords sustained many blows before, with a great heave, Yuko struck them and shattered the now-frozen blades. Before they could react, Yuko slashed through their stomachs and pushed past them. In the few seconds that he had fought them, the other guards had closed in behind him and had swung at him in the very moment he pushed past the two guards. He quickly sheathed Adhiam. Now both of his forearms were feeling stiff. It had been too easy for him to forget how much he had relied on his thick clothing to stay warm, especially when the blade was uncovered. He ran past pillars with guardsmen closing in from every side. Some were running at him from the front, he turned to the side and met some coming from that direction. He stopped and planted his back against a pillar as guards from all over the palace surrounded him. He feinted in one direction and they backed away, widening the circle. The circle didn¡¯t weaken though. More soldiers from the back filled in the gaps. Yuko¡¯s breathing came heavily. He was trapped and running out of time. His teeth chattered. It was now or never. He would risk breaking the sword like so many before it, but he had to test its level of strength sometime. He charged at the line again and swung Adhiam in an arc. Instead of shattering, like he had expected, Adhiam¡¯s blade held as it cut halfway through the blade of a soldier¡¯s sword. Yuko gave a sharp yank and the soldier¡¯s sword shattered. Others came from the side and Yuko blocked their strikes. He felt his arms grow stiffer with each passing second. Yuko¡¯s clumsy strikes could be parried by the soldiers now. They felt the advantage and pressed their attack. Yuko shattered sword after sword but had to give ground as he was pressed back to a pillar again. Soldiers with spears took the places of those whose swords had broken. Yuko cleaved the heads off the spears as they were jabbed at him. The chill spread through his limbs slower as the exercise warmed him. Then, suddenly, the spearmen parted for soldiers bearing¡­buckets of water? Too late, Yuko realized their plan. He dodged to the side as the first one threw their load at him. He cut the spears blocking his way as another spray of water landed on his back and instantly started to freeze. The spearmen backed away as Yuko struggled to detach his bare feet from the water frozen on the ground. His breath came quicker as he panicked. It fogged and drifted slowly away. Another splash of water soaked him and froze solid, as effective as irons around his legs and arms. More water was splashed on him. He struggled with all his might against it. The ice cracked and shards fell off him. The ice was immediately replaced by another splash of water. His vision was icing over now. He stared as the guards parted for Safira and she leveled a cold gaze upon him as if she were freezing the ice herself.