Cardcaptor Sakura: The New Trials (Wish-luv)

Chapter 50: A Winter's Conundrum (2of2)

Hovering midair, Eriol spanned the mountain range, scoping for Miho’s aura, which had a distinct fiery radiance that he was so familiar with. It was a lot fainter than Syaoran’s and Sakura’s, but he could recognize it anywhere. He blinked through his snow-caked snow goggles, and the wind whipped across him, shedding white feathers from his wings. Flying wasn’t particularly his favorite pastime, and he had avoided if as often as he could. A white aura drifted from down below and enveloped him. Sakura and the others are there. They had found her quicker than he had. And even before they had, Mizuki Kai had reached Miho first. Really, there was no use for him anymore.

 It was getting difficult to fly through the snowstorm, as the wind blew him off course, and his sense of direction was diminished because of the heavy clouds covering the sky. Judging by the aching in his shoulder, the barrier he had set up around the log cabin at the top of the mountain was being pressured. It was a strong barrier, barriers being one of his specialties, but how long would it last under constant attack of the Snow Queen? Tomoyo was in danger. Miho was already in safe hands, but only he knew where Tomoyo was hidden. For he had not only put a protective barrier around the cabin, but a shielding devise to conceal her presence from ill-doers. At least he could be reassured that Tomoyo was safe.

Then, out of nowhere, a sharp ice shard, the width of an arm darted out from the snow, piercing through the center of his left wing. A sharp pain seized him, same as if the shard had pierced his flesh. Wings crumbled away, and he plummeted down from midair. Without losing time, Eriol released his staff and pointed it towards the snowy ground. Just in time, a huge mound of snow formed to cushion his fall.

“You were off guard, Clow Reed,” stated the Snow Queen, walking towards Eriol, pale lips curved into a smirk. In her domain, she could appear and disappear as she pleased. Her long, light blue hair whipped out behind her, and her white robes shrouded her like mist.

“I was,” Eriol said, ski goggles askew and his wings having disappeared. He picked up the sun staff and hobbled onto his feet.

“Your performance has been quite disappointing, once-called greatest of the East and the West,” the Snow Queen continued. “In that condition, you can barely look after yourself, let alone your comrades. How careless of you, to think that you can discard one girl for another. Poor thing, she shouldn’t have had so much faith in you. Your attention was diverted into too many directions.” Extending a white, long hand, she revealed a large block of ice, as tall as she was.

Squinting, Eriol realized that there was a person trapped in the ice. A deathly pale girl with dark, wavy hair spread around her. 

Tomoyo

. He had brushed off the thought that Tomoyo might be targeted also.

“I told you that you let down your guard.” The Snow Queen smiled maliciously. “You thought she would be safe with that mediocre barrier of yours, didn’t you? Well, you were mistaken.”

There’s now way she could have broken through my barrier. How did she...

 Eriol looked up at the Snow Queen, undiminished in her beauty even in her reign of thousands of years.