Kingdom of the Nine: Hail (I)

Chapter 6

We step outside into the clearing just beyond the temple, where the air is cool and still. The sun filters through the trees, casting long shadows across the ground. I glance at Mia.

"Ready?" I ask, trying to hide my own uncertainty.

She nods, her expression set with determination. "Let's see what we can do."

I raise my hand, feeling the familiar rush of cold as the air crystallizes around me. With a flick of my wrist, I summon a wall of ice, the frost spreading rapidly over the grass. The structure stands tall, gleaming in the sunlight.

Mia steps forward, her eyes narrowing in concentration. She exhales slowly, and as she does, a flurry of snow swirls into the air, surrounding her in a gentle whirlwind. The snow dances around her fingertips before she directs it toward the wall. Instead of smashing it like I expect, her snow seems to wrap around the ice, softening its edges. The wall shimmers under her touch, not melting, but blending with her snow as if they were always part of the same whole.

"That's new," I say, impressed.

She smiles, though there's a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "I can do more. Watch."

She stretches out her hands, and the snow swirls higher, gathering into a thick cloud above us. With a swift motion, she sends the cloud spinning toward me. A gust of cold wind hits my face, and I struggle to keep my balance as the snow envelops me, cutting off my view of the world around me. It's not as fierce as my ice, but the disorienting effect is undeniable.

I push back with my own power, creating an arc of ice that clears the snow from around me. "Nice try," I say with a grin, forming a sphere of ice in my palm.

She grins back, but there's something in her eyes, something determined. I toss the sphere at her, watching as she raises her hands. Instead of blocking it with a barrier, she creates a swirling vortex of snow, absorbing the impact of the ice and sending a gentle breeze back in my direction.

Before I can react, she takes another step forward and directs her hands toward me. A cold wind swirls around my feet, slowing my movement, as if the ground itself were freezing me in place.

"Good one," I mutter, trying to free my legs from the icy grip. I concentrate, pulling the cold inward, and with a sharp motion, I release a burst of energy, shattering the ice around me. Mia staggers back from the force, her snowstorm scattering into the air.

She smiles, catching her breath. "That's about all I can do right now."

I walk over to her, noticing the snow she summoned lingering around her hands. "It's different from mine," I say, "but you have control. You can heal, right?"

Mia nods, her gaze steady. "I can try."

She kneels down, touching a small gash on my arm, one I hadn't noticed during the sparring. As her fingers brush the skin, a soft frost forms over the wound, and I feel a cool, soothing sensation. The pain fades, and when I look down, the cut is gone, replaced by a faint layer of snow that melts away in seconds.

"Wow," I say, rubbing my arm. "Wouldn't have thought we'd be doing this a couple days ago, but we make a good team."

Mia stands, the snow fading from her hands. "We need to be, if we're going to face Vermidia."

I nod, my mind already racing with possibilities. "Let's practice more. We'll need every advantage we can get."

We spend the next hour pushing our limits. The clearing becomes a field of ice, snow, and scattered frost as we test the boundaries of our abilities. Each time I hurl an ice shard, Mia counters it with a flurry of snow, either softening the impact or redirecting it into the ground.