As Zeb, Pan, and Tecovis all made their way into the torch lit cavern they all stopped and stood agape at what they saw. A series of cages made of solid ice lined the walls, each held off of the ground by a series of what appeared to be roots. They heard voices from the cages but they had no angle to view the people they belonged to. Tecovis's comrades failed to suppress a shiver as the air hit them, though he himself wasn't particularly bothered.
Pan whispered, “I think we found our missing refugees.”
Zebulon responded, also whispering, “It would appear so. Stay sharp.”
Zeb signalled to the darkness behind him, then Slide and Rox to crept forward to meet the group. The five snuck along the walls, slowly making their way up to the cells. Zeb signalled Pan to check inside the one closest to the door. Pan peeked around the corner, then cautiously approached the front. Tecovis heard him shush whoever was inside.
Taking this as indication, he worked his way past Pan to the next cell. Rox and Slide both continued even further.
He quickly examined the cage. Scrapes on the ground indicated that he was standing in front of a folding ramp, but it seemed to be held closed by roots that laced themselves in the ice. The ice was thick, too thick to break without tools, and would take days to melt on its own, maybe longer considering the lack of direct sunlight. He wished he had a picaxe, or even a regular axe with the wooden support structure.
He peaked through a slit in the wall which was about a fist wide and saw that the inside had a large quantity of furs lining the floor. Sitting on the furs in blankets were two pairs of ukitu, a blonde lumanite teen with a tattered blue dress and freckles on her face pressed herself against a red haired, green skinned gurnian, and next to them were the two luminite twins who had been taken overnight sitting back to back.
The gurnian, who he realized was Azalea, saw him through the icy gap when Tecovis looked inside.
“Wha-? You!?”
"Tecovis!" One of the twins excitedly proclaimed.
“Shh! We're here to get you out.”
The teen stood up and Azalea sighed with relief before running to the slit and saying, “Thank the #^@%( Maker someone came. I was beginning to *&#%$^ worry we'd never- BEHIND YOU!”
Tecovis whirled around just in time to duck under a flash of bronze. He raised his shield and was shocked to see Rox had gotten his sword stuck in the ice cage at Tecovis's neck level.
"Rox!? What are-" he was cut off as Slide charged towards him, his eyes glazed over lifeless.
"Slide!? What's gotten into you two!?"
By instinct, he warded off Slide's strikes, trying to understand what was happening.
Pan tackled Slide as Rox freed his blade.
Rox turned to Tecovis, his gaze as empty as Slide's.
Tecovis couldn't make sense of what was going on. Why were they attacking? They were friends!
A blade glanced off of his armor, cutting one of the plates on his shoulder loose.
Tecovis saw something out of the corner of his eye while he was defending himself, or rather his eye twitched in discomfort as he tried to see it.
It reminded him of-
"'Ello %*$^#. 'Appy to see me again?"
He didn't have time to respond as his shield lurched under Rox blade.
The strange ukitu walked past the ice cages, his face looked as if thirty different faces were overlaid on top of eachother fading in and out of perception, each wearing a sadistic smile. He wore common clothes, not to dissimilar to what he was wearing the day Tecovis had originally captured him.
Zeb tried to run past the fighting pairs towards the ukitu, but with one unsettlingly fluid motion, Rox thrust towards Zeb forcing him onto the defense and kicked Tecovis hard enough he could taste his breakfast.
"Rattled my 'ead real good, you did. And I 'ave to say, I'm gonna enjoy watching your friends tear you limb from *&!^$*# limb.
Rox and Slide both said in uncanny unison, "Limb... From... Limb..."
Tecovis took a step back as shivers ran up his spine.
Zeb shouted, "Those aren't your squadmates anymore!"
"What-"
Rox slammed his blade down on Tecovis, even shielded the force knocked him to his knees. Zeb ran to his defense.
"Djurle told me this happened to- gnnh- to his allies when we first met!"
Tecovis stumbled backwards to his feet and asked, "Did he tell you how to stop it!?"
"Nothing you'll like!"
The strange ukitu laughed while the five of them traded blows. Every attempt by the three still sober warriors to get around Slide or Rox was met with stiff resistance.
"Go on, keep tiring yourselves out. It'll only 'elp me."
Tecovis was terrified that Rox could hold out so well against Zeb alone, not even including himself or Pan. He'd never known him to be a pushover, but it was plain to see their training worked to their detriment today.
"Maker, how do we deal with this!" Tecovis shouted desperately.
"Disable them! Go for their joints!"
"Fighting is useless 'umans! Your precious maker isn't 'ere to save you! 'E don't care about you!"
The strange ukitu leaned against the cage, smugly smiling.
"In fact if 'e was watching, I'd think 'e would be laughing at your miser-EOW!"
He grabbed at his arm.
Both Slide and Rox simultaneously shuddered.
The ukitu turned back to the cage that Azalea and the twins were in as a green hued arm retreated back through the slit. "You stupid HALF-BREED (&@^$," he shouted inside.
Zeb ducked under one of Rox's attacks and shield charged Slide to the ground. Rox tried to give chase, but Tecovis leapt onto his back and wrapped his arms around his friend's thick neck, twisting his weight to throw Rox off balance.
Pan lashed out at the ukitu whose unarmored form barely evaded the assault. He did manage to nick the ukitu's arm, but in that same swing he got too close and was grabbed by the throat.
"You didn't think I'd make it that easy now did you?"
Tecovis shouted, "Pan!" and tried to go help, only to have his arms grabbed. Rox allowed himself to fall backwards, crushing Tecovis under his full weight.
Acrid smoke filled the air, his lungs burned, his voice hoarse from screaming...
Pan's arms dropped to his sides. The ukitu released him. He turned to face them again wearing an identical blank stare to Rox and Slide.
Rox somehow managed to keep all his weight on Tecovis as he twisted in place, and before he knew it Rox's meaty arm was pressed into his neck.
The pressure of flesh quickly gave way to spine as the bandit was incinerated, leaving him holding a charred skeleton...
He struggled and strained against Rox, his vision blurred, shadows passed by in his periphery. He felt cold. Numb.
Papa put a wool blanket over him and mama as they sat by the fireplace...
His movements slowed, his ability to resist drained away from him.
Rox pulled him up from the road with a chuckle...
Pressure built up in his head.
This... this is it...
He could only close his eyes.
Papa...
I'm...
Sorry...
The air was peaceful in the mountains as him and Mama sat on the roof, the two of them together weaving a melody with the strings of their box zithers. Midway through their song, his fingers plucked the wrong string. The dissonance made him twitch.
"Blast it all! I'm never going to get this."
"Don't say that Coco. We still have plenty of time before your father's birthday to get these songs done."
"Is it always this hard?"
Mama smiled, "No. Honestly the pressure makes music easier for me. As long as I don't let myself get stressed out by the little things and keep my focus on the melody, it flows like water over the Cklusviin falls."
"What about when you make a mistake?"
"Simple. I don't make mistakes."
"Yeah, now, but-"
"No. I don't make mistakes in music because I don't let it be a mistake. The only wrong notes are the ones that are played without passion, everything else is an opportunity to improvise."
Tecovis thought about it for a moment. Mama set her zither aside and pulled him in for a hug.
"It's all in the recovery Coco. When you end up with accidents, you take what you end up with and make it better. Don't dwell on it or it will hold you back from your performance. Who knows, people may take it as the best show of their lives and you'd never know unless they told you."
Tecovis nodded.
"Alright Coco, let's try again on mine and then we'll switch back to yours."
He thought he heard his name. It was distant. Muddy.
"Coco!?" Papa shouted
Tecovis struggled against the currents of the river "Papa! Papa help!"
Mama pointed at him as he went over a small fall, "There!"
"Get a rope!"
Papa ran along the bank of the river faster than he'd ever seen him move. Tecovis tried to shout again, but instead found himself with a mouthful of water.
"I'm coming Coco! Swim towards the side!"
He tried to do as he was told but no matter how hard he kicked, the banks kept getting further away. Papa's movements were wild as he sprinted towards one of the bends ahead of them. He pulled off his shirt, leaving it behind in the mud and dove headfirst into the river. He surfaced and shook the wet hair out of his eyes, his beard still half submerged.
"Papa!"
"I'm here!"
He paddled over and grabbed ahold of him as they rounded the bend and both of them saw the rocky rapids fast approaching.
Papa held him tight and kicked against the current. It wasn't enough however, and they continued to drift down the river.
"Yorlan!?"
"Here! I've got him, hurry!"
Mama came sprinting down the path, rope in hand. With a mighty toss, the rope landed right on top of the pair, Mama holding one end tightly and laying down for leverage as she pulled them to shore.
Tecovis coughed all the water out of his lungs as they crawled up the bank. Papa rolled onto his back, breathing heavily.
After taking a moment to rest, he shouted, "Maker's breath Coco, what were you thinking!? You could have died!"
"But I- *coff* -I didn't. It's like Mama always says, it's all in the re-*coff* *coff* -covery."
"That's for music Coco, not drowning!"
Mama muttered, "I don't know Yorlan, I think it still applies."
"Don't encourage him!"
Tecovis looked back to the rapids and the weight of how close to dying he was hit him like a boulder.
Tears began to mix with the water still on his face. "Thank you..." he said.
Papa turned to him, his face immediately softened when he saw his son was crying.
"It's why we're here Coco."
Mama added, "it's why we'll always be here. One way or another we'll always be there with you."
Always...
Air flushed into his lungs as the weight came off of him, the world coming back to light with it. Above him was a woman's silhouette, wielding a spear and shield. For a breif moment of confusion he thought it was his mother before the armored hand of Ezkutu Lantza yanked him to his feet. His head pounded like a hammer on nails as his body tried to to rebalance itself.
"I got you."
He leaned against her as he rubbed his throat. The other three members of Charm squad rushed past them towards the fray.
He tried to ask, "Why..."
"Was about to ask you the same thing."
His eyes darted around the room while his headache faded. Rox was unconcious on the ground with a bootprint on his helmet. When his eye twitched as something moved behind one of the cages, he broke off at a dead sprint, and said hoarsely, "Him!" hoping Ezkutu followed.
Tecovis, his lips curled in anger, was able to cut off his escape. The strange ukitu tried to reverse course only to be met with Ezkutu's spear pointing at him.
"Don't let him touch you Lantza!"
She nodded. Tecovis pointed his sword at the ukitu.
"Let them go!"
The ukitu laughed, "Not a chance in the pit 'uman. The mission is too important to 'ave you *#&^@ interfere-"
The ground shook violently throwing everyone off balance. Taking advantage of the confusion, he grabbed Ezkutu's spear and tried to pull her in close.
Not this time.
Tecovis slashed the ukitu's back, hip to shoulder, he yelped, but pushed through to Lantza. He grabbed at her helmet in a last attempt to convert her, but was swiftly thrown to the floor and had his arms pinned. With no hesitation, Tecovis leapt towards the struggling pair and buried his sword into his opponent's heart.
He shouted to the heavens as flames roared around him.
Ezkutu and Tecovis both pulled away from the corpse, each with heaving breaths. The air hitched in his throat as he layed on his side, sending him into a coughing fit. She sat up and asked, "You alright Teco?"
He nodded, "Yeah I'm- coff -I'm fine. Just... need a minute."
Zeb and Pan came running around the corner of the cage. Zeb saw the scene and looked back to Pan who seemed to be in control of himself again.
After Zeb made sure they were in good condition, Tecovis grabbed his sword and they regrouped in the central area. Rox was still unconcious on the floor, Brave squad knelt by him trying to wake him up.
Every cage had faces poking through the seams and openings. Looking to the one Azalea was in, Tecovis said, "Thank you for distracting that guy."
She smiled and said, "You can *&@!#^$ thank me by getting us all out of these (&@^ things."
"Working on it. Seriously though, that makes it twice that you-"
The ground shook again just as violently as it had before, causing the ceiling to crack. Light poured in from above, diffused by the dust and a massive mat of roots.
One of the caged refugees shouted, "Blessed ancestors!"
"What's going on!?"
"Why is the ground shaking!?"
Looking from cage to cage, Zeb said, "Everyone, stay calm! The Spirit of Earth is dealing with the other poachers, all of you are perfectly safe!"
"The Spirit of Earth!?"
"A living ancestor is here to save us!"
"He's going to get us killed!"
Zeb continued to reassure the refugees as Rox began to groan.
"Rox!"
"Ugh... what happened..."
Pan asked, "What's the last thing you remember?"
"Last... my head..."
"Sorry about that," said Ezkutu.
Rox leaned up to his elbows. "About... what?"
"Rox."
"Sorry Pan... the last thing I remember... getting my face grabbed while trying to figure out how to open the cages."
Slide said, "Same here. Zeb said we got our minds taken by one of the poachers. He made us attack our team."
Rox looked at Slide like he was out of his mind, then to Tecovis who was still massaging his neck.
"Did... Bossman, did I-"
"I'm gonna stop you right there," Pan said, "You had no control of yourself, and you have no reason to be upset. You just got surprised."
Slide scoffed, "Easy to say Pan."
"Hey, I got grabbed too! It's not our fault these poachers are all possessed!"
"BOYS!"
Zeb's yell caused everyone to jump.
"Less arguing, more cage breaking."
"Yes sir!"
Tecovis snap-turned as the echos of running came from the cavern's entrance.
"Incoming, form up!"
Shaking off their disorientated states as best they could, Brave squad took positions alongside Charm squad's members leaving Zeb at point between the two.
Weapons raised, they watched the opening.
The echos grew louder.
Tecovis's heart raced in his ears.
"Steady," Zeb muttered as torchlight brightened the walls.
When Tecovis saw Chamile Fern turn the corner, his jaw dropped as fast as his shield arm.
"Chamile? What in the pit are you doing here?"
She said nothing as she stood in the entryway, her red hair hanging loosely and blue eyes full of shock.
"You can't be here, this is a battlefield!"
She looked off to the side behind the cages.
Zeb was the only one who's guard was still up.
Tecovis looked to Ezkutu and said, "Lanza, get her out of here. We'll hold this post until you get back."
She nodded and went to escort Chamile out of the cave.
"Teco."
"She's a civilian Zeb, why is she even here?"
Chamile's fists clenched.
"TECO!"
"What!?"
Ezkutu jerked to a stop as her foot was caught in something mid-stride.
From over his shoulder, Slide said, "Uh, I think I know why."
Horror filled Tecovis's heart as he saw a trail of frost had formed directly between Ezkutu and Chamile.
Chamile said through gnashed teeth, "Which one of you... killed Kish..."
Everyone's guard came back up.
Ezkutu said, "Chamile, let's think about this for-"
Chamile's hand flexed and the ground erupted in a wave of ice.
"SCATTER! SCATTER! SCATTER!" Zeb shouted as he dove to the side.
Tecovis felt extra weight on his shield as he too rolled away from the winter wall.
He lost view of Charm squad but glipsed a pocket of air, barely visible behind Ezkutu's raised shield, her body otherwise seemed frozen solid.
She wouldn't last long.
Rox's voice cried out from elsewhere, "Zeb!? ZEB HELP! I'M-" His words were cut short by the sound of an avalanche as more ice careened towards Tecovis.
"ROX!?" Pan shouted from Tecovis's left when his back hit the cage wall. His mind raced with a hundred strategies, each as unfeasible as the last. Pan quickly peaked around his side of the cage.
Tecovis asked, "Any ideas?"
"You're the idea guy bossman."
"I've got nothing."
Tecovis heard a shout from Charm squad and looked at them just in time to see two more of them charging the grixovite, only for them to get cocooned by another ice wave. Movement caught his eye behind another cage. An armored hand making silent signals.
How many?
Tecovis signaled back.
Two friendlies.
Three friendlies on me. Need distraction.
The voice of the grixovite shouted, "COME OUT HERE YOU *&!^(&@ COWARDS! IF YOU SURRENDER I'LL ONLY FREEZE YOUR LEGS!"
"Pan, get to the others. I'll draw her attention."
"Seriously?" Pan hissed
"Would you rather be the bait?"
Pan immediately took a running position.
"That's what I thought. Stick to cover, try to advance without getting seen."
Tecovis took a deep breath, then stepped out of cover and shouted, "That the best you got!?"
The grixovite's head whipped toward him.
Blast it all!
Another torrent chased him to an alcove between a pair of cells.
"What's the matter human!? Can't handle a bit of FROST!?"
"HEY (&!^ FACE!"
Tecovis was surprised to hear Azalea's voice shouting towards the grixovite.
"You've got some serious *&!^#%$ balls to call them cowards when you're too (@&^$& busy hiding behind that prissy mask of yours! You heartless two-faced (&!^$! Putting us in *@&^$' irons while you prance about town pretending you care about any *&@^#)$ thing other than your own *&@$ self!"
"Shut your (&^!@$# mouth!"
He looked up from the alcove and in the faint torchlight found a path over the ice to the other side. He sheathed his sword and crawled up while Azalea continued to berate and curse her captor. Refugees from the other cages began to join in around the time he reached the top. He wished he had a sling. Or a bow.
The top of the wall was rough and jagged, misty tendrils whisped up from a number of spots. Keeping low, he made his way across the wall, the ice crunching with every step.
The burning wood snapped under his feet as he ran...
Tecovis shook the image out of his head.
From his vantage point, he saw Zeb, Slide, Pan, and one of Charm squad coalesce behind a cage opposite him.
What have I gotten myself into?
Tecovis looked around trying to find anything he could use as a makeshift throwing weapon. He briefly considered throwing his sword, but he dismissed the idea. Ezkutu's spear was frozen with her. The armor plate that Rox had cut loose clanked against the ice as he shifted his-
Wait...
He looked down at the plate, hanging by a single leather strap and then back to the grixovite right as she shouted, "ENOUGH!"
With a swing of her fist, she sealed all of the cages with even more ice.
"NO MORE *#&^#)' GAMES!"
Tecovis tore the plate off his shoulder and threw it like a knife towards the grixovite, it faintly whistled while it spun towards her head.
She must have heard it and was able to narrowly dodge, retaliating with ice spears. He ducked under them and dove off the ice wall behind another cage.
It was enough. He heard his companions charge the grixovite as he recovered and rushed out to meet them, blade back in hand.
The grixovite evaded the deadly blows of the remaining men, Zeb, Pan, Slide, Tecovis, and Charm squad's last remaining member. Every step was a risk of slipping. Every swing a freezing wind.
But she was just too fast.
She slipped under and away from the chaotic attacks, kicking off of the side of Charm squad's last member, and freezing him to a cell wall before he even realized where she'd gone.
With a mighty roar, the grixovite blasted all four who remained with frozen malice.
Tecovis couldn't move. He could barely breath. All he could do was watch as the grixovite caught her breath.
"You *&@^# actually gave me a run for my money," she stood straight and chuckled, "You had me worried for a bit."
Tecovis could see Zebulon across from him, his left side was free along with his head but the rest of him was frozen solid. He heard Slide and Pan struggling behind him.
Tecovis glared at the grixovite, a single question burned inside him. So he asked it. "Why!? Why Chamile!?"
The grixovite looked at him, her brows furrowed and all hints of her smile disappeared.
"You really think I'm in the *&!^ mood to answer anything you have to say? I've had enough pretending to care about you humans."
Behind her, Zebulon quietly reached for his belt, his shield blocked the view, but Tecovis remembered the eminite that Djurle had given him before they came here.
Dire emergency, huh?
The grixovite's eyes narrowed. She followed Tecovis's gaze to Zebulon, and raised her arm towards his half frozen form.
"Look out!"
Zeb yanked his shield to his face right as he was buried in an icy coffin.
The grixovite turned back to the three members of Brave squad who could still breathe.
We never even touched her! It can't be possible! It can't-
"All out of tricks."
Pan shouted from behind him, "We wouldn't need tricks if you faced us like a warrior!"
"And why would I do that? I didn't survive all this time by being stupid. I did it by using every advantage I could get my hands on to do what needed doing."
"The only thing a stricken like you needs to do is die for your sins!"
The grixovite raised an eyebrow and said, "My sins? Unlike you, I don't abandon others. My only sin is fighting to free the ukitu from the burdens you forced on us."
Tecovis retorted, "That's rich coming from someone who kidnaps and enslaves her own people!"
The grixovite hesitated.
Before she said anything more, the ice that encased Zeb cracked and shattered leaving everyone who could still watch dumbfounded as he broke free. A small kerchief fell to his feet. He was breathing heavily. His veins were a sickening black web across his skin which itself had a grayish cast to it that wasn't there before. He didn't seem to notice his condition however as he raised his sword and shield, charging the grixovite faster than Tecovis had ever seen him move.
The grixovite, caught completely by surprise, tried to freeze him in his place. Zeb evaded it while he closed the distance, his sword was a weightless glimmer as it swung in a furious flurry putting the grixovite on the retreat.
"YES!"
"GET HER ZEB!"
"TAKE HER DOWN LIEUTENANT!"
He chased after her and continued his barrage. But something was wrong. Tecovis had done enough practice bouts at home to know Zeb's form. As he watched the fight, he realized that Zeb was moving too fast. He started his swings before his blade could finish it's arc. In fact the longer he watched, the more he realized that all of his timings were wrong, as if he was thinking faster than he could move, and at the speed he was going, one bad swing would mean-
"ZEB! ZEB SLOW DOWN BEFORE YOU-"
Zebulon’s blade nicked a wall and was ripped from his hands, flinging itself to the other side of the room.
A rookie mistake. One Tecovis made a number of times before becoming comfortable with his own blade.
And it was all she needed to close the distance again.
The grixovite tried to tackle Zeb to the ground but he threw her over himself. He quickly got to his feet and tried to strike her with the rim of his shield, but a growth of ice stopped it dead in it's tracks and he broke clean out of it's straps before being knocked away.
Now with a second to breathe, she said, "What's the matter human!? Don't know your own strength!?"
She shook the frost off her arms and assaulted him with an onslaught of hailstones from all directions.
Without his shield, he was helpless. He was getting pummeled by as many as he evaded. But he wasn't done. Tecovis watched with awe as Zeb advanced towards her once more, like an ox pressing against it's yoke he powered through the bombardment.
Like many men before them, they were the guardsmen of Thruf.
And like his predecessors, Lieutenant Zebulon Thord would endure.
The grixovite doubled her efforts, but he stood fast. His armor flinging off piece by piece, until only the gambeson remained.
The grixovite's eyes darted around the area as if looking for anything that could be of use before looking to his feet. Right before getting into arms reach, she raised her palm and a pillar of ice suddenly shot up beneath both of them, knocking Zeb off balance and only stopping near the cavern roof.
From his angle Tecovis couldn't see what was happening until he saw Zeb being dangled over the edge of the platform by the neck.
Tecovis shouted, "Chamile wait! Don't do it!"
She ignored him. Slide and Pan both watched silently.
"If you had just let yourself stay frozen, you could have walked the (&@^ away from this. We were leaving. But no... Not anymore."
"Zeb!"
Tecovis raged against the ice that froze him in place. The poacher held Zebulon by the throat from her icy piller as he struggled in her grasp.
I have to save him! Think! Think blast It! What do I do!?
I can stop her. I can end this right now.
No, not after what happened in Erith! I can't control it! It's too dangerous.
I'm older now, more focused, more disciplined. I can handle it!
I'll hurt Zeb! I'll hurt my team, and all of the ukitu we're trying to save!
