As Evesian crested the ridge he punched through a hardened berm of solid ice where the snow had been pushed out of the wide bowl shaped valley below, clearing it down to bare rock. Large blocky forms of ice encrusted stone in their dozens aimlessly wandered around a blue glowing crystalline pavilion of ice.

Placing her hand on his shoulder Toixnae said, “Hold creature, I want the first attack.”

Evesian grumbled a bit and growled at her but stood aside.

The taste of magic filled the air and her already impressive musculature swelled even further as small flames ignited on the ice that formed into plates of thick armour over her body. Glinting in the light a pair of lances with razored edges and winking points formed over her arms and extended far past her fists.

She grunted as she squatted, her thighs bulging and with a roar that echoed from the far peaks she leapt into the valley trailing flames and freezing sleet.

Her target never knew what hit it as it was driven into the ground and with two economical sweeps of her lances she tore it in half.

The Daemon of Flaming Ice screamed her battle-lust to the skies as she charged another golem, impaling it on both of her lances. With a shudder, her bulging shoulders tensed, the wrenched it apart just before parts of the golem rained down across the valley.

The great cat leapt over Evesian’s head, Marloff brandished his long heavy spear with it’s head of bronze coloured mnheam. Rays of shimmering desert heat flashed from it, melting ice to steam wherever they struck. The half dozen golems that fell thinned the swarm in the bowl shaped valley barely at all.

With a blood curdling howl of anger and excitement Evesian sprinted into the hollow, aiming toward one of the largest knots of golems remaining. They’d barely begun to turn toward him when the hurtling grey juggernaut that he now was slammed into them, a few were simply thrown to the ground and smashed underfoot but one was grabbed and torn asunder. It’s parts were hurled at the pavilion making it tremble and chime.

Continuing his rampage Evesian joyously tore golems apart and flung their parts every which way.

A flurry of small stone spikes coated in iron hard ice flew across the hollow like a shotgun blast, Toixnae and Marloff’s shields flashed into visibility as the spikes bounced off and several dug deeply into Evesian’s dull grey hide. He howled in rage and turned to glower murderously at whoever had dared to interrupt his fun.

Lynoba. A thin, robed, High Fae Chanar with white streaked pitch black hair, he stood outside the pavilion with his hands still flung out in their direction.

Spinning on his toes Evesian burst into a charge, within a few thudding steps he was not much more than a grey blur.

The deep thump as he hit Lynoba’s shield vibrated in the air.

A surprised and worried frown contorted the High Fae Chanar’s face as he was flung backward into the pavilion. His shield flickering and flashing through the colours of a bruise as the huge grey form of the Goblin followed him in, shovel like hands held wide trying to grapple the slippery shield and drag the High Fae Chanar toward his vicious gnashing metallic teeth.

Thick roiling darkness filled the bowl until a flare of intolerably bright light from Marloff’s spear drove the darkness away revealing Ireen standing lightly on top of the deep snow behind the camp.

Frowning he gestured and rippling waves of force tore toward the mounted man but they broke around the golden glow surrounding Marloff and Sunfire.

A wide beam of brilliant sunlight struck down from the sky as a huge cloud of steam erupted around where Ireen was standing, before settling into a bank of glowing wispy mist.

As the mist cleared Ireen was standing on nothing the snow having been melted away in a perfectly circular area centred on him and his chaotically swirling shield of silver streaked black was fully visible.

Crisscrossing in insane patterns blades of solid darkness surrounded the golden shield, slowly grinding their way through it until with a rising shriek it failed and the blades touched flesh.

Sunfire yowled in distress as creeping ice spread rapidly across his golden coat where the void blades almost gently licked at it.

Marloff screamed words of deep power and a blazing dome of light blasted outward melting the blades to mere wisps of darkness that faded away. When the dome in turn faded Marloff’s shield was fully restored, thick and golden.

Ireen sighed, then with an expression of slightly irritated boredom a pillar of pure force slammed down on cat and rider.

The mud and snow around them crunched downward in a circle with them at it’s centre.

Ireen floated over and said, “You are beaten, surrender and leave or I will kill the beast.”

Marloff gasping for every breath said haltingly, “You… forget… I… am… not… alone!”

Toixnae who had just come around the corner of the pavilion after finishing off the last of the golems broke into a dashing charge toward Ireen’s exposed back.

A faint flicker of surprise twisted his features before he sneered and a second pillar slammed speeding High Fae Chanar woman into the ground, leaving a rut.

“I may have forgotten but it makes little difference, neither of you on your best day could hope to challenge me. So, I will take that surrender now.”

The crystalline pavilion tolled like a funerary bell, deep and mournful before it collapsed in fading shards of ice. A gore streaked Evesian stood there, panting with a wide grin on his blood coated face and Lynoba’s head hanging from his hand by it’s hair.

While all three gaped in shock, Corvus, bleeding from a gash across his cheek drove the battered Twins into the valley, followed by Valard looking as fresh as he had before this started.

Looking disgusted Ireen shouted, “Valard! Your beast has slain one of our brethren, you know our customs as well as any and even if on different side of this conflict Marloff and Toixnae are witness to your crime. I will enjoy seeing how you try to weasel out of this.”

Valard scratched at his wispy beard and looking thoughtful said, “I could just kill all of you and extract oaths from Marloff and Toixnae, as far as anyone else would know you simply encountered whoever it was that killed Harran.”

Sneering Ireen said, “I’d like to see you try. I have Toixnae and Marloff defeated and I very much doubt you could kill me in any case, I am and have always been your superior in magical strength. Besides I also doubt Toixnae would stand for further flaunting of our customs, though Marloff might if it was me who was on the receiving end.”

“I believe I could destroy you, Corvus and Evesian would easily make the difference. But this is all merely a thought exercise because although you malign me I do hold to our customs, I will allow you and the Twins to leave freely and with no prejudice. Lynoba was killed by, as you said, a beast.” Valard gestured, Evesian shrieked piercingly and fell to the ground as still as the corpse he was, “And now a beast who has paid for that killing. It is hardly my fault he was weak enough to fall at the hands of the likes of him. You should have some care yourself, as the leader of this ill fated expedition you would share the blame for supporting his idiotic vendetta against me in my place of power. Or I believe our brethren will see it in those terms, do you really wish to push and find out?”

They could almost see the gears turning as Ireen calculated the odds and the outcomes then he nodded and said, “I can still destroy you but it would cost me more than I care to expend. More I believe you right in that our brethren will see things your way, make no mistake though one day soon there will be a reckoning for your continued insults to me. But it will not be this day, release the Twins and we will depart.”

Valard nodded to Corvus who prodded the Twins forward, once they were beside Ireen a veil of blackness covered them all and they were gone.

Toixnae and Marloff stood, groaning loudly now that the pressure was relieved. Sunfire immediately bounded away yowling it’s displeasure, Marloff’s groan turned to a sigh as he trudged after the fleeing feline.

As the ice that coated her melted away Toixnae said, “We are done, Valard. I will not support you again, for all that he opposed you Lynoba was one of us. His death is on your hands whatever fancy words you used to weasel out of it. You know why our customs exist and you should never have created anything that was able to threaten a High Fae Chanar. Only our previous relationship prevents me from immediately bringing a full Hunt to investigate what else you have squirrelled away in that Tower. I will give you some time to get your house in order because I will be returning with that Hunt.”

Marloff returned leading a nervous looking lion and instantly picked up on the tense atmosphere, Valard said, “Corvus, take our good friends to the Summer Court and return swiftly, we must put my lands in order.”

“At once Master.” Turning to Marloff he said, “Let me know when your mount is ready for the teleport, Master.”

Marloff’s eyes narrowed dangerously at the reminder and he took a half-step forward raising his spear.

Toixnae held her hand up against his chest and said, “Later. Valard needs him for now…”

Knocking her hand away he hissed out, “Fine. We will discuss this later, Fae.”

Smiling brightly Corvus said, “I look forward to our discussion, Master.”

As Marloff surged forward Toixnae held her hand up against his chest again and said, “Just get us to the capital Corvus, before your smart mouth gets you killed.”

“At once, Master.” They disappeared with a muted crackle.

*******

Valard smiled as soon as Corvus was gone, exercising his will small snapping bolts of power crawled across the ground and a skeletal figure tore itself from the earth. It stood twice Valard’s height with a lumpy, misshapen and snaggle toothed skull on top of stout bones.

Pointing to Lynoba and Evesian’s bodies he instructed it to pick them up, as it did he picked up Lynoba’s head himself. Turning it around he inspected it, smiling happily. He’d never had a fresh High Fae Chanar body to experiment with before.

Evesian’s loss had been a bit of a blow, the brute had been extremely useful but he was the culmination of old experiments and wasn’t all that interesting any longer. Whole new vistas of experimentation had just opened up and Valard couldn’t wait.