Atop the Second Wall of Arkhel...
no one said a word.
The white had reached the base of the fortifications.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!
The gust struck the wall.
Snow exploded against the battlements.
One of the sentinels turned his face away.
His hand rose over his eyes.
Another stepped back.
SCRRRT...
His foot scraped across the stone already covered by a thin white layer.
Farther ahead...
a third man remained leaning over the battlement.
His eyes narrowed.
His face pushed forward against the wind.
FWOOOOOSH!
Another mass of white crossed the wall.
He blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then brought his hand to his face.
Crystals had clung to his eyelashes.
Beside him...
Alina did not move.
Her cloak struck against her legs.
Her short hair whipped in every direction.
Her silver-blue eyes remained fixed ahead.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!
Snow crossed the battlements again.
A sentinel wiped his face with his forearm.
"I can't..."
The voice died beneath the wind.
No one answered.
Alina continued staring.
A few steps to her right...
CLINK...
CLINK...
the chains tinkled.
Her eyes moved.
Number Two remained motionless beside the battlement.
The long black robes whipped violently behind her body.
The hood had receded a few centimeters.
Golden strands crossed her face.
One of them clung to her black lips.
She did not move it away.
FWOOOOOSH!
Another gust.
Number Two did not even blink.
Her fingers rested on the stone.
Relaxed.
The black nails motionless against the ice-covered surface.
CLINK...
The chains moved again.
For an instant...
Number Two's golden eyes rose.
A ripple passed through the threads of the World's Flow.
Brief.
So subtle that it vanished in the next instant.
"Hm..."
One of her fingers slowly pressed against the stone.
Her golden eyes turned back toward the white mass covering the fortified passage.
"Seems it won't be this time..."
A golden strand crossed her face.
She did not move it away.
"that I will see how far your power truly reaches, little Wolf."
Alina narrowed her eyes.
Her lips began to part.
TOC!
The sound came from behind them.
Alina stopped the movement.
TOC!
TOC!
Footsteps rapidly climbed the staircase.
Metal scraped against stone.
Alina turned.
The man reached the top of the wall...
His breathing heavier than normal.
His chest rose and fell beneath the cloak.
He did not stop.
He only slowed his pace when he reached her.
His closed fist touched his chest.
"My lady."
Alina held his gaze.
"Speak."
The man took a single deep breath.
"Lord Oryn has left the lower levels."
A brief pause.
"He is on his way to the Second Wall."
Alina did not answer immediately.
Behind her...
one of the sentinels frowned.
The man continued:
"The prisoner is being escorted with him."
Alina's eyes remained on him for another moment.
"Warn the barrier priests."
Her voice came out firm.
"Leave the circles ready."
The man straightened his posture.
Alina turned toward the sentinels.
"Reinforce the lower accesses."
Her eyes passed quickly among them.
"And leave the path clear."
The men nodded.
"Yes, my lady."
"And you?"
Alina turned toward Number Two.
Her lips remained slightly parted.
The space beside the battlement was empty.
She frowned.
Her eyes swept across the top of the wall.
Nothing.
Inside the storm...
Roven remained motionless.
A thin line of blood ran down his right forearm.
It flowed between his fingers.
PING.
A drop struck the ice.
A few meters away...
Tazir did not advance.
The katana rested beside his body.
A small smile still touched his lips.
Roven rotated his right wrist.
SHIING...
The blade traced a short arc.
The blood followed the movement.
Then...
his single eye rose again.
The threads of the World's Flow crossed his field of vision.
Without a single fluctuation.
Ahead...
Tazir tilted his head slightly.
Roven's right blade lowered again beside his body.
For a few moments...
neither of them advanced.
The small smile did not disappear.
"I expected to discover what this eye would truly be capable of showing me."
"But it seems I arrived a little late..."
Tazir's eyes narrowed slightly.
"and I suppose it has already seen enough during the war."
Roven did not answer.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!
Snow crossed the space between them.
Roven moved his left foot.
A short step.
Diagonal.
His body partially disappeared behind the white.
Tazir did not move.
SCRRRT!
Roven's foot tore across the ice.
His body advanced through the storm.
Fast.
The left blade arrived first.
Low.
Driving toward the fist holding the katana.
Tazir rotated the sword.
CLANG!
The lower third of the steel received the blow.
Roven did not press.
SKRRRIIING...
He let his blade slide along the contact.
And advanced another step.
The right sword came in from below.
Straight for the ribs.
Tazir withdrew his hip.
The katana followed the movement.
It descended along the side of the left blade...
and met the second before it reached his body.
CLANG!
Roven's tip was knocked outward.
His left blade was already returning.
Horizontal.
Against the neck.
Tazir leaned his body backward.
SHIIING!
The edge passed before his throat.
It opened the collar of his overcoat.
Roven continued advancing.
He did not allow the distance to form.
The right blade once again occupied the center.
The left drew back beside his face.
Tazir stepped back.
Then another.
The katana remained between the two weapons.
The tip low.
The hilt close to the body.
Roven attacked.
CLANG!
Tazir deflected the right blade inward.
The left came from the side.
He rotated his wrist.
CLANG!
The second strike was guided above his shoulder.
Roven followed the deflection.
His body rotated.
The right blade returned with the rotation.
Tazir let the tip of the katana fall.
The steel crossed the path of the blow.
CLAAAAANG!
The three blades met.
A spark broke through the white.
For a fraction of a second...
the inscriptions carved along the katana emitted a faint glow.
Almost lost among the sparks.
Roven rotated his right wrist.
SKRRRIIING...
The short blade slid along Tazir's steel.
Completed the arc.
Tazir pulled his face away from the trajectory.
SHIIING!
The tip passed before his cheek.
Roven advanced to follow it.
Tazir broke contact.
His foot slid to the side.
His body left the line of both weapons.
The katana returned with the movement.
Roven crossed the blades before his chest.
CLAAAAANG!
The impact pushed him half a step.
He opened his arms.
Forced the katana away.
The left blade sought Tazir's abdomen.
The right rose against his shoulder.
Tazir retreated.
Both tips cut through the snow before his robes.
FWOOOOOSH!
The blizzard closed between them.
Roven stopped his advance.
Both blades remained raised.
His single eye swept through the white.
A silhouette appeared ahead.
Tazir walked out of the snow.
Without haste.
The katana remained beside his body.
The open collar of his overcoat whipped against his neck.
The smile had not disappeared.
Roven moved before he completed the step.
He advanced low.
The left blade took the upper line.
Tazir raised the katana.
CLANG!
The blow was stopped above his shoulder.
Roven rotated his hand.
Caught Tazir's steel along the side.
And guided it outward.
The right blade struck at the same instant.
Straight toward the open space beneath his arm.
Tazir yielded to the pressure of the first sword.
His body rotated.
The katana broke contact.
It descended along the outside of Roven's guard.
The inscriptions passed before the cut on his forearm.
A glow traveled through the steel.
Brief.
SHIIING!
Roven's right blade advanced.
But the tip did not reach where Tazir had been.
The rest of his body advanced first.
The right arm came a fraction later.
The katana was already before him.
CLANG!
The long steel struck the side of the short blade.
Roven's right arm was thrown downward.
Tazir advanced through the opening.
The tip rose toward his chest.
Roven rotated over his forward foot.
The left blade crossed his own center.
CLAAAAANG!
The block deflected the katana to his side.
The edge scraped the armor.
SHRAAK!
A narrow line opened across the metal.
Roven did not retreat.
His shoulder drove into Tazir's chest.
THUD!
The impact interrupted the advance.
Tazir yielded a step.
Roven's left blade followed his body.
Rose against his jaw.
Tazir tilted his head.
SHIIING!
The tip cut through a few strands of his hair.
Roven had already withdrawn his right arm.
The short sword advanced again.
This time...
without any delay.
Tazir rotated the katana before his body.
CLANG!
The steels met.
Roven pressed from below.
His left blade came from the side.
Tazir broke contact before it arrived.
Retreated diagonally.
SHIIING!
The tip opened the sleeve of his overcoat.
Tazir lowered his eyes for an instant.
Roven advanced again.
CLANG!
The katana stopped the left blade.
The right came immediately below.
Tazir rotated his body.
The cut passed through his clothes...
without reaching the skin.
Roven changed direction before completing the movement.
The right blade returned against Tazir's wrist.
He withdrew his hand.
The tip passed close to his fingers.
Tazir retreated another step.
Roven followed him.
Then...
the long steel disappeared from before him.
Tazir had changed the angle.
The katana appeared from the side.
Roven raised his right sword.
CLANG!
The blades met close to his forearm.
For a fraction of a second...
the inscriptions glowed again.
Roven's wrist responded a fraction of a second too late.
SKRRRIIING...
The katana slid over his defense.
The tip advanced against his shoulder.
Roven leaned his body.
SHIIING!
The edge passed close to the armor.
His left blade came immediately against Tazir's flank.
He withdrew his forward foot.
The short sword found only the overcoat.
Roven rotated with the blow.
The left completed the arc.
The right should have followed.
It did not.
It remained low beside the body...
a fraction too long.
Then rose.
Roven did not take his eyes off Tazir.
The fingers of his right hand opened slightly around the hilt.
Closed.
He rotated his wrist.
The blade responded.
Without delay.
Ahead...
Tazir watched.
Roven advanced.
The right sword took the center.
CLANG!
Tazir guided it outward.
The left emerged from below.
SHIIING!
The edge passed close to his ribs.
Roven followed the movement.
Entered his range again.
"Over the years..."
The katana returned.
Roven raised the left blade.
CLANG!
The steels met before his shoulder.
Tazir tilted the sword.
SKRRRIIING...
Roven let the steel slide.
His right blade struck toward the abdomen.
Tazir withdrew his hip.
"You did not leave the Temple of Arkhel."
The katana returned diagonally.
Roven deflected the tip to his side.
Entered with the movement.
His shoulder struck Tazir's chest.
THUD!
Tazir yielded a step.
Roven remained before him.
"Why now?"
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!
Snow crossed between them.
No answer came.
Roven advanced through the white.
CLANG!
The right blade met the katana.
The left came before Tazir could recover the center.
CLANG!
The steel stopped a few centimeters from his neck.
"Heh..."
Tazir broke contact.
"Interesting."
The katana's tip descended.
Roven followed the movement.
"Even now..."
Tazir changed the angle.
The sword rose against his right hand.
Roven withdrew his fist.
SHIIING!
The edge passed close to his fingers.
His left blade answered.
Tazir deflected it.
CLANG!
"you're still looking for what exists behind the sword."
Roven advanced with his knee.
Tazir left the line.
The katana returned against his shoulder.
Roven rotated.
SHRAAK!
The edge scraped the armor.
His right sword was already returning against Tazir's ribs.
CLANG!
The katana received the blow.
The left entered from the other side.
Tazir yielded a step.
Roven pressed.
Another.
The tip of his blade pierced the white shirt below the tattoos.
Tazir moved away.
This time...
Roven did not follow him.
The two swords remained raised between them.
Tazir's smile took a little more shape.
"Now I understand why Alaric made a point of mentioning you."
Roven advanced.
He did not answer.
The left blade came first.
Tazir rotated the katana.
CLANG!
Roven allowed the deflection.
Entered with the movement.
The right sword struck toward the open space beneath the ribs.
His shoulder advanced.
His hip rotated.
The arm...
did not.
The blade remained beside the body.
Roven's eyes narrowed.
Tazir withdrew the katana from the contact.
The tip came directly toward his chest.
Roven tried to raise the right.
Too late.
The left hand crossed his own center.
CLAAAAANG!
The defense met the katana at an incomplete angle.
The long steel slid along it.
SHRAAAK!
A diagonal line opened across Roven's armor.
He rotated with the impact.
Left the trajectory.
CLANG!
The left blade struck the katana and opened space.
Roven retreated.
One step.
Two.
He planted his feet.
His right hand still held the sword.
He rotated his wrist.
The blade responded.
Late.
This time...
his single eye lowered.
To the fingers around the hilt.
Ahead...
Tazir did not advance.
"Seems you noticed."
Roven raised his face.
The right blade rose slowly.
"The delay does not interest you."
His eye remained on Tazir.
"My reaction does."
Silence.
Then...
Tazir's smile widened.
Almost nothing.
"In a few moments..."
The katana tilted beside his leg.
"this arm will stop obeying you."
Roven did not answer.
CRACK!
The ice broke beneath his feet.
He advanced.
The right sword struck first.
CLANG!
The katana met the blow.
Without delay.
Roven rotated his wrist.
The blade slid beneath the long steel.
His left advanced against the neck.
Tazir tilted his head.
SHIIING!
The edge passed before his throat.
The katana returned from the side.
Roven raised the right.
CLANG!
Again...
the arm responded.
At the correct instant.
The left descended against Tazir's wrist.
He withdrew his hand.
Roven advanced with it.
Right.
CLANG!
Left.
CLANG!
Tazir retreated.
Roven remained over him.
The left blade attacked the center.
Tazir deflected.
The right emerged against his flank.
He rotated too late.
SHIIING!
The edge cut through his clothes.
This time...
blood followed the cut.
A thin red line appeared below the ribs.
Tazir lowered his eyes.
Roven had already withdrawn the right sword.
Without delay.
His single eye met the gray eyes of the man before him.
Neither spoke.
FWOOOOOOOOOSH!
The storm crossed the space between them.
Tazir disappeared into the white.
Roven kept both blades raised.
His eye swept across the snow.
A shadow appeared to the right.
He turned.
The katana came against his neck.
Roven raised his right arm.
Nothing.
His shoulder moved.
The elbow remained close to his body.
The sword did not leave his side.
For a fraction...
Roven only felt the weight of the hilt between his fingers.
The katana continued advancing.
His left hand crossed his own center.
CLAAAAANG!
The short blade received the blow a few centimeters from his throat.
The impact bent his arm.
Roven tried to raise the right.
Nothing.
Tazir pressed.
Roven abandoned the resistance.
He rotated.
SHIIING!
The katana slid before his face.
A line opened across his cheek.
Roven escaped to the side.
The steel returned against his back.
CLAAAAANG!
The left blade intercepted the blow over his shoulder.
The force launched him forward.
Roven followed the momentum.
One step.
Another.
Then rotated.
The left sword remained before his body.
The right...
low.
Tazir did not pursue him.
Roven closed his fingers around the hilt.
The shoulder moved.
The sword did not.
He tried again.
Nothing.
His single eye lowered.
The fingers still held the weapon.
For a few moments...
they remained like that.
Then the first gave way.
Then another.
The hilt slipped.
CLANG!
The right blade struck the ice.