《The Winterland Chronicle's-The Path to War》


 Proof of Power

    The jostling of the Skypirate''s ship startled Rowan out of his sleep, he turned as Iaden and Britt slowly managed to stand up in perfect combat stances. ''It''s envious that they could start so powerfully, when I am still a slug at this point in the morning.''Barely, he managed to get to his feet.


    Britt smiled at him, a brutal carved expression in her eyes. "Ready yourself, we won''t go easily."


    "No, we won''t." Iaden muttered, a fearful expression on his face, but the moment he saw Rowan he moved into a darker, more powerful expression. He was a warrior in full, and it was glorious.


    "Let''s get ready." And Rowan fell to the back, knowing all he could really do was heal, so he would leave the fighting to the others unless utterly needed...If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    But when the door to the basement like room opened, casting shadows over the barrels of who knew what, he saw a tall man, scrawny man with blue eyes looking at them earnestly. "Ahh, my new pets. Well, let''s see what you''ve got, my pets, show me your worth."


    And the man moved, with powerful, deliberate strikes, knocking Iaden''s inhumanly powerful body aside into the wall with enough force to disarm him. Britt blasted the man with a radiating shot of astral energy, who simply and literally blew it away. Rowan did not get the chance to move, a finger pinned itself against his forehead, freezing him in place.


    "Hmm... well, maybe you''ll do better in the arena."


    And darkness overtook them all once again in a cold wave of power.

 Awakening

    Iaden felt a rush of warmth over his skin, shaking him from the depths of unconsciousness. "What happened, oh that''s right... there was a man, he knocked us out." Turning, he saw his beloved Rowan and the lovely Britt also just waking from their own attack. "How are you both?"


    Britt, shaking, turned to him with a warm expression of pure disarming trust. "I''ve been better, he just dispelled my magic. I have never even heard of someone doing that before. My powers are rather specific, so that''s a bit extra scary."


    Rowan sighed. "I wish I could help on that front, but I know so little on magic, just the bare minimum on healing magics from one lesson. Is it really that scary?"


    "Terrifying." Muttered Britt. "I doubt even my parents could do that, and they are absolute masters of the craft."


    Iaden looked at his chest, only now realizing it was bare. "I am all bruised up, I heal so fast normally... we aren''t dealing with average people."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Glowing hands moved over his chest, Rowan''s warm magic soothing his wounds... for about a second before sheer agony shot through both, making them convulse on the floor. Britt''s screams of horror only barely pierced the fog of agony, and yet Iaden could not make out what she said.


    "A solid attempt to heal him, boy," The voice, the same as before, pierced the fog."- but I should have warned you that magic is outside of the arena." Slowly, the trio turned to the voice, seeing their blue eyed attacker from before smiling at them with sheer smugness. "You are trapped here, until we call you into the arena. Now be good pets, and settle down until you are called in for your examinations."


    And so he left fading away into nothing in a rush of cold magic.


    "So that was terrifying." Rowan crowed. "I really, really don''t want to deal with him again... but do we have any other choice?"


    No one had an answer, but Iaden made a vow in that moment. ''I will protect these two, with all I have, and allow no other to harm them if I can help it.''