The icy winds nipped at Koda’s nose and teeth chattered in the oppressive Winter climate of Dragon Realm Stratus and its northern territory. How could anyone survive such ferocious weather day in and day out was anyone’s guess. It was a sharp contrast from the tropic paradise of Dragon Realm Abyss and even though Long Whisper experienced its own Winter, nothing compared to the sheer freezing temperatures that he experienced right now.

“Here we are, Dawnedge,” said Triss. “Horizon Port”

Koda looked out at the oncoming landmass that made up the edge of the Northern Territory. Horizon Port sat snug in between the border of winding mountain pass and a vast pine forest. The village seemed small and unassuming to Koda, more like Wisp Haven’s size in comparison to a town like Sparrow Port. The majority of the Moonwave fleet anchored in the bay while three of her ships including the one that carried her guest pulled into the port. The sailors of the Tide Skimmer tied off the large clipper took count of any supplies that needed restocking. The quartermaster saluted the captain, who reported to his queen that all was in order.

Triss jabbed Koda’s arm. “Cold, eh? You and your crew should stop in town and pick up the proper clothing for this land. Else you’ll catch your death in a single night.”

Koda gave her shakey nod, unable to control the excessive shivering his body performed. “Indeed, but you will not be joining us? I was hoping you would be there for the meeting with Velduin and Rellethek.”

Triss shook her head in response to his question. “I ain’t one for mountains, Koda. I think they look great in books, but I don’t want to go far from my beloved sea.”

“I understand,” Koda said, his head bowed in disappointment.

Triss gave him a tiny smirk and slapped his back. “Don’t worry, Koda, I’m still coming to your little world leader shindig.”

A thin smile broke across Koda’s face at the word shindig. “Very well, Triss, and thank you for your escort.”

“According to my rearguard ships, we were not followed. So I am confident you will not run into this Raze.”

Koda gave her an elegant bow. “Until next time, Ocean Mistress.”

Triss let out a heft belly laugh so loud her boots quaked. “As to you Dawnedge, as to you.”

***

“No, no, Elucard,” Cade snickered. “That coat is much too big for you!”

Elucard’s eyes barely peeked over the collar of a large brown parka. His magenta eyes could hardly be seen if it were not for their elven glow in the deep pocket of the massive fur-lined hood. His sleeves drooped down past his hands and the trim of the coat sagged to his knees.

“I know, but it’s so warm!” Elucard said. Cade could barely make out his words through the muffle of the coat.

“Yes but how are you supposed to fight in that thing?” Cade picked up a thick, wool poncho. “Here, this will do.” He tossed it to Elucard as the elf hung the coat back on its peg.

Elucard caught it and slipped it on.

“Better?” asked Cade, already knowing the answer.

Elucard slid out his ninjato and slashed it in the air, testing the poncho’s give and how restrictive it was on him. He sheathed the blade and gave a satisfied nod.

Cade took a poncho for himself, choosing a deep blue color.

“SMO,” chirped Elucard.

“S-M-what?” Cade asked. He stared at the poncho, flipping it over and checking its color for the letters.

“The color, it was the shade of blue we had to wear in the Anti-Rogue Ops—my old army unit, when we were attached and trained by the Skyborne Military Operations.”

Personally Inle had known of Elucard’s exploits in the Dawnedge War from his Black Rabbit spies rooted in the Long Whisper military. Quartermasters, soldiers, medics, even administrators. Inle knew every move that Elucard made in his career as a soldier. However, Cade knew nothing of the Red Rabbits and their adventures overseas. He chose to raise a brow and give his friend an inquisitive look.

Elucard looked none the wiser. He laughed. “Think of harekin dragonriders as a special ops unit. Like the Black Rabbits, but belonging to the military instead of a clan.”

Cade grabbed the back of Elucard’s head and pulled him in for a kiss on the forehead. “Bless your wild heart, Elucard.”

Elucard blushed and pushed away from Cade, to place both items on the fur-trader’s counter. “These two, please.”

Cade pulled out his coin purse, but Elucard waved him away. “Please, let me.”

Cade gave Elucard a rueful wink. “Alright but when we get to Twin Cliffs, I’m buying lunch.”

Elucard handed him his poncho. “Deal!”

Cade and Elucard met up with Wildeye, Raine, and Koda. Each of them were dressed head to toe in parka’s, traveler cloaks, mittens, and scarves.

“Mhmf mmph hmf erf” Koda tried to say the many layers of clothing.

Cade unraveled his long scarf and freed Koda’s mouth. “Come again?”

“I said, let’s get moving while it’s still morning,” Koda repeated.

Cade and Elucard took point up front with Raine and Wildeye each flanking Koda’s sides. Together the group hiked up the snowy mountain pass. As they moved further and further away from the village, the rocky cliff walls grew taller and taller and the road became more narrow.

Elucard nudged Cade. “Stay alert, this would be a prime spot for an ambush from bandits.”

“Or Spellbreakers,” Cade added.

“Definitely.” Elucard charged his emerald spell arm, preparing for any unseen danger.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Cade gripped his ninjato’s hilt as they continued to trudge through the knee deep snow. He kept his eyes sharp and his ears perked, concentrating on any distant sound that his elven senses might pick up.

Loose gravel sifted over a passing ledge. Cade reared his head backwards and unsheathed his blade. “Ambush!!!” he cried to the others.

From the cliffs leaped down at least ten Spellbreakers, with more popping from shallow trenches, each wearing snow covered, white ghillie cloaks over their long red leather coats.

Each Spellbreaker held batons and staves surging with green electricity as they charged into Wildeye, Raine, and Koda.

Elucard and Cade sprang into action, cutting off the Spellbreakers from their respective sides. Cade slashed a wide arc across the Spellbreaker ranks, while Elucard plunged his green arm into the ground and summoned a row of roots and vines to entangle and trip the converging enemies.

Koda and Raine nodded to each other and faced either side of the pass. They raised their hands in the air, with it, walls of snow and ice lifted upwards. Then the two elves pushed their hands forward creating an avalanche to pile on top of the Spellbreakers, momentarily neutralizing the threat.

“Koda, run!!!” Wildeye yelled.

“Cade, get Koda out of here, the rest of us will take care of this garbage!”

Cade snatched Koda by his wrist and yanked him forward. “Come, my king. We have to get you out of this ravine!”

“Wait, I can’t leave my friends!” pleaded Koda.

“This isn’t up for debate!” Cade growled. With a single motion, Cade ducked down and pulled Koda’s body over his shoulder and made a mad dash.

Koda struggled and kicked, but Cade was too strong for him.

Soon the commotion of the battle was a mere whisper as Cade saw the light of the canyon’s exit. The noon sun broke the veil of the mountains and Cade knew they reached safety.

Or so he thought. The shadow elf halted in his tracks and looked up just as a shadowy figure leaped from the highest cliff. The shadow screamed his warcry, calling for Erzathen to grant him might.

Cade dropped Koda at his feet as a metal staff cracked across his back. Cade tumbled head over heels into the snow. He stretched his neck to see an upside down Raze reaching for Koda. Cade snorted, rolled to his stomach and sprinted to Raze.

The elf threw his shoulder into Raze’s gut and swept up Raze’s legs with his arm. With power and determination, Cade lifted Raze up and slammed him down into the packed snow with a thud!

Cade sneered and slid out his sword. He twirled it and caught in a reverse grip. Grabbing the hilt with his other hand he drove the blade at Raze’s chest, but the man parried it with his staff. Raze kicked Cade off of him and rose to his feet.

Cade and Raze squared off. Taunting one another with their weapons for one or the other to attack. Finally, Cade made his move! He dove forward, slashing downwards, catching the stiff staff in a blaze of sparks as steel met steel. Cade once again gripped his sword with both hands and pressured all his weight onto the staff.

Raze grunted as the ninjato’s edge inched closer and closer to his shoulder. They were locked in a test of mettle. Both’s strength were equal. Raze roared as he struggled to push Cade away and Cade let out a long hiss through his teeth to maim Raze.

Cade and Razes’ faces were close enough to see their own reflections in each other's pupils. The elf lifted his feet onto his toes, just to edge more leverage on Raze. He snarled as his muscles torqued and burned. His teeth grinded as he pumped more and more energy and adrenaline into his arms. So close now. His blade pressed down into Raze’s leather jacket, folding under the ninjato’s weight. Cade held his breath, focusing every drop of his might into his blade and with a gasp of air, he ripped across Raze’s chest sending the Spellbreaker sliding backwards.

Cade collapsed to his knees, exhausted from the clash. “You’re—you’re really strong,” he panted.

Raze patted his hand on his wound. He examined the blood and scowled. “You’ll pay for that, elf!”

Cade’s eyes widened a large boulder careened from the sky. Raze whipped his head around and yelled and swung his staff, cracking the stone and exploding it into shards and fragments that scattered at Koda’s feet.

The mage clawed his hand against the mountain wall and pulled out another large chunk of rock.

“Your magic won’t work on me, brat!” screamed the Spellbreaker.

“You are surrounded, Raze,” Koda sneered. “You can’t win this fight. Sooner or later we will overpower you and your quest to rid the world of mages will end with me!”

Raze narrowed his eyes and then glanced at the encroaching shroud. He slowly reared his head back to Koda and tightened the grip of his staff. In a flash, faster than Cade anticipated, Raze jabbed Koda in his gut. The mage winced and grunted, dispelling his magic. Raze lashed his staff up, connected with the elf king’s jaw with a serious crack! Then he batted Koda’s sailing frame into the cliff wall.

The wall gave way as the impact shoved Koda completely indented in it. His head rolled forward.

Cade stiffened face, Raze hid a hidden level of dexterity and prowess that he didn’t see before. Raising his sword leveled with his face, Cade bolted for Koda. Ina flash of movements, Cade deflected the lightning staff away from Koda’s throat, and with heightened speed, chambered his leg and lashed a furious kick at Raze.

The Spellbreaker jumped back, just narrowly dodging Cade’s attack.

“You fight well, better than the vernal shroud, but you will find me more skilled than yourself,” Raze chided. “It is as your Dawnedge lord said. Sooner or later you will be overpowered.”

The sounds of marching and chants for the death of Koda neared their position. Cade bared his teeth.

Razed looked back to see his Spellbreakers had overcome Koda’s bodyguards. “Your death seems to be sooner rather than later, shroud.”

Panic set into Cade’s mind. Given the time, he could have held off Raze until Elucard returned, but the Spellbreaker leader was right, he was stronger than Cade. He was faster than Cade. He was more resilient than Cade. Now with his reinforcements, Cade stood no chance. Should he flee? Would Wraslyn understand that he could not protect his precious Koda? That Raze was a stronger threat than himself. No, Wraslyn did not accept failure. He needed to buy time. He needed time to plan!

Cade held out his hand and concentrated on the snow resting on top of the cliff ledges. With a tug of his hand, the snow slid in a small avalanche into the ravine below, blocking off the Spellbreakers from them.

Good, that should hold them off long enough for me to dispatch Raze and get Koda out of here! Cade thought to himself.

Cade tugged Koda from the wall and put him back on his shoulders. The hydro shroud grunted under the dead weight. He stared at Raze and then shifted a quick glance for the open fields outside of the mountain pass.

“Where do you really plan to run, Shroud?” taunted Raze.

Cade sighed. His enemy was right. Even if he had a lead on the Spellbreakers, he couldn’t keep such a pace carrying Koda’s unconscious body. They would catch him and they would both be slain. No, Cade had to end this now.

Cade gently sat Koda against the stone wall and turned back to Raze. “You. Me. To the death.”

Raze’s wicked smile vanished from his face. He looked at the ice barrier that Cade had placed.

“Your cronies can’t help you,” Cade spat. “You know how dangerous I am. I have nothing to lose now that I am out of options. You, on the other hand, have everything to lose.”

Raze sneered and tapped his staff on the ground. He paced back and forth as Cade continued to talk.

“You cornered your prey. You don’t think I wouldn’t fight back with everything I have?” Cade balked his face forward and watched Raze step back. “I have teeth too, Raze. Claws ready to scrape every bit of your flesh from your face to save my own life! Do you know the difference between the rat and I?”

Raze knuckles turned white as he tightened his hold on his weapon. Rage built up in his vein bulging face. His eyes glowered with hatred and his teeth clenched down harder than a vice. “What?” He hissed.

Cade placed one foot back and lowered his sword. He stiffed his wrists and narrowed his eyes. He gave Raze a coy smile. “I know how to fight!”

Raze poised his staff forward and bent his knees. “Wrong! You know how to di—”

A great blot of fire lighting crashed down between them, erupting in a brilliant flash of light. Cade covered his eyes with his arms, but he was a shadow elf, more sensitive to bright lights than the average elf. His eyes seared with a pulsing pain and he let out an agonizing scream. Cade collapsed to his knees and covered his face in his arms, now completely blinded. His screams rang long until his voice grew hoarse. As the light faded, he looked up. He saw only blurred shapes and colors. He concentrated his senses into only his sight. A technique that Elucard taught him as an adolescent. Slowly, very slowly he could see a figure in blue and a figure in…silver?