1 Chapter One

Elliciara's eyes fluttered open, it has a unique shade of azure. The elemental magics, frozen bloods and corpses gave her a form of an alluring human. Her ivory skin was covered of frost, and her hair was white as snow. As she gently rises from her knees, memories of violence rushed through her mind, and at this something flickered into life in her eyes, it was justice and revenge.

Elliciara's let her gaze drifted around, she saw the remains of the buildings, most of them timber, which had all rotted away over the long years since the place was inhabited, but her attention came to a rest a she strained to hear the drumming of hooves which filled the forest.

A short moment, Elliciara saw the knights which emerged from the trees, hauling their horses to stamping halt. They were clad in polished plate of armor, and each armed with a blade at their hips.

Aviel, the youngest, pulled off his helm. He was calm, the fire was the color of his hair and has a scar that furrowed the right side of his face, cleaving through his eyelid.

He shifted his eyes from Elliciara to his foster-brother, two years older than him, at twenty-one, he mastered the art of protective spells.

"Heisath? Are you certain that this is the right place?" he asked.

"Yes, I can see the magics clearly lingering on her."

Heisath has a deep and tired voice, as though a restless man who gave a long written speech. His hair was a rich chestnut and has the eye that stared guardedly of his oval face. The hood of his green cloak had slipped back miles ago, although soiled from travel, it was well-tailored.

He dismounted, and gestured to the knights. The mood of the company shifted, they were becoming silent and watchful.

"Lower your swords!" Aviel ordered, as he watched Heisath expression change, his face flood with fresh alarm.

"Aviel!" came a warning cry.

As he was turning to see what had startled him, something slammed into his shoulder, and he was flung violently from his saddle by a lance made of ice.

"Witch! Slay her!" A knight yelled.

Points of snow gathered itself and eight lances of ice were drifting alongside of Elliciara. As the knights came for an attack, she reacted quickly and straightened her arm, the crystalline spears launched forward, punching through the knights armor, taking them by surprise.

"Fraeis." Her faint whisper, and the knights that was struck with each lance, was turned into sculptures of frozen human.

One was snarling with effort, he caught Elliciara off-balance, he pressed down on top of her, and pushed the tip of his sword down hard, over Elliciara's heart. As the blade pierced through her body, Elliciara turned into dusts of crystal, it passed through the knight and his chest was turned into ice. Elliciara appeared behind few paces from him and she casted a spell. Beneath the knight's feet, rune of words drew itself, encircling him. A freezing gust of wind surrounded the knight and he was encased by the ice.

"Sehil, es. Valth, dein!"

At almost the same instant, Heisath recited an incantation of sealing, it weakened Elliciara and the spell forced her to slid into darkness.

Heisath strode to Aviel, he crouched over him, and saw that the wound was deeper than he'd expected. Still, he could save him. It took the most potent healing spell at his command. He cupped his hands together, and recited the incantation. His hand glowed emerald, as he pressed them to Aviel's wound.

"Heisath, heal the others." Aviel whinced.

"It's no use, even their armor turned into ice." A pained expression cross Heisath's face.

The magic had closed Aviel's wound, halting the flow of blood. Heisath took few paces towards Elliciara, he placed a sigil on the palm of her hand to restrain her magic.

"Is she a Daecashan?" Aviel asked, pushing up from his knees.

"I don't know. We can't leave her, she's far too dangerous." Heisath slowly backed away, breathing hard.

- Gasalia, Kingdom of Verdel -

Verdel, a mighty castle, heavily garrisoned and well-defended. The clanking noise had come from the portcullis which was now being opened.

The wagon slowed, the interior darkening. The wheel spoke scrapes against the gateway, then it went through, sunlight brightening once more. As the wagon came to a halt, Elliciara came fully awake. Outside of the thick cloth covering, men called to one another, as the flaps were hauled back and Heisath's face appeared.

"We're here."

The air was cold and sharp as if winter had return, as Elliciara let out a breath, and shackles which held her was frozen, threatening to break.

"The seal. It's not working." Heisath's gaze was fixed on the frail glow of sigil on her hand.

"Please, tell me your name." Aviel steeled himself and looked at Elliciara, sharply.

"I have many names." For a long moment, he didn't think she was going ro respond.

Three men appeared, two of them was guards, and at their centre was a sorcerer, he looked to be in his sixties, full of unmitigated arrogance of a man of rank and power. He wore a sumptuos cerulian mantle, embroidered with the crest of Verdel, a griffoenix.

"Heisath." The sorcerer greeted curtly, his eyes moving to take in the rest of the company.

"I judge you are quite different, child." The sorcerer attention came to rest on Elliciara.