Ice-Bound Promise [Wattys 2023 Shortlister]

27

27

The spear passed into the image, the figure, of Frianchenzer. It did not pierce the fallen Patron. It entered. Únik felt a heat rise within the shaft of the spear. She saw the tip begin to glow, as though dipped into the heat of a forge and a feeling of happiness and contentment radiated out from the figure. Únik felt the gaze of the Fallen One come to rest upon her and Únik could swear she saw the featureless figure smile.

She felt the tip of the spear release from the form before her and she fell backwards. The hole that the spear tip had made now began to grow and widen. A gaping black maw within the image of a chest. And then the maw began to collapse in upon itself, drawing light and air into it, like a whirlpool upon the ocean.

A wind arose as the hole sucked more and more air into itself and a keening howl erupted around them all. Únik stumbled, falling to a knee as she felt the vortex grow and pull her towards it. She felt hands clasp her. Holding her shoulders and arms, pulling at her, trying to drag her away from the hole that threatened to devour her.

And then, a sudden silence fell upon the cavern. All light disappeared. The light of the figure of the former Patron, Frianchenzer, the light of the spears of Essence. Everything became sucked into the gaping, black wound. In the silence, she could hear herself making fast, grasping breaths. She began to relax, thinking it finished.

Then a low, deep rumbling began to ripple outwards, in the dark, before an explosion of light and force erupted from where the vortex had hung in the air. She found herself thrown backwards a great distance. Rolling and tumbling in the maelstrom of the explosion, crashing into Hatyara and Shihiri, becoming a tangle of arms and legs.

A silence fell once more and Únik lay within the pile of herself and her companions. She did not know if that final explosion was the end of it. She hoped and prayed that it was as she tried to control her breathing. After a while, she felt the others extricating themselves. Arms and legs pulling away while Únik dared not move.

Light flashed in the darkness and Únik jumped, ready to scramble backwards away from the next onslaught, but, as she watched, she saw only Shihiri lighting a torch, her flint and steel sparking against the threads of the torch's head. After a few strikes, the torch caught, flaring into life and Shihiri held it high, searching around her.

"Listen!" In the light of the torch, Hatyara looked upwards, turning in a circle. Únik followed her eyes but saw nothing. "The waterfall. The crashing. The rushing. It's stopped."

Looking up towards the roof of the cavern, Únik tried to see where the waters fell through the crack in the land, down into this underground lake. She could see nothing. Hear nothing. Something touched her arm and she jumped once again, her heart still racing, until she saw Barsa's head nudging her hand. His tail wagged in furious movements, his hind legs moving with the force of his enthusiasm.

"Are you feeling better, boy?" She clutched at the fur upon Barsa's neck, kissing the hound's big head and didn't bother to avoid the affectionate licks Barsa ran across her face. "Did you climb over the bodies?"

"He didn't need to." Holding out the torch, Shihiri shone the light upon the ground and then towards where the circled wall of bodies had lain. They had all disappeared. "They've all just ... gone. No sign that they were ever here. No glowing weapons. Nothing. Except the ones we picked up."

Shihiri's other hand fell to the quiver of arrows at her hip. Hatyara's hand touched the pommel of her strange, thin sword as though it might break. When it didn't, she wrapped her fingers around the handle, gripping it tight. Únik didn't bother searching for the black-shafted spear. She didn't want the cursed thing. Didn't want the reminder of what she had done.