A Fury of Fire & Ice E-Book

A Fury of Fire & Ice Sarah Massey

Abroxus wanted to try something different this time around.
He decided not to go to his “quiet place.” Instead, he went to a space he had only
ever gone to once before. He named it the “dark space” since no other name really seemed
to suit it.
When Abroxus was stuck in the lighthouse, his mind was sent to a dark area.
Everything around him was pitch black and he couldn't speak. He was alone, but he felt like
there was something there watching him. Because of his state of mind at the time, he didn't
think anything of it. But this time he needed to get there on his own and find whatever was
watching him.
Because it's possible that it was my galdur trying to speak with me. Though, I'm not
sure how that could be since I hadn't woken it—er, I mean, them yet. But I guess it's worth a
shot.
Abroxus attempted going into the dark space for two hours until he eventually went
to his last resort.
He was going to have to go back to the lighthouse and remind himself of everything
that had happened. When he mentioned the idea to Tutrix and Derry, they weren't
convinced that it was a good idea just yet. So as a replacement, he went there in spirit. In
his mind he took himself back to the lighthouse on May 13th. He could smell the smoke and
see the light of the burning houses through the tiny opening. He remembered what he had
been thinking when it happened, Why am I not down there helping them? Why am I so
useless?
He did it. Abroxus managed to bring himself to the dark space, as he had before.
There's that feeling again. Someone's watching me...
Abroxus stood up and walked around in the endless nothingness he was surrounded
by. He could hear footsteps that were not his own. He twirled to see from whom they
emanated.
Walking towards him was a tall and lean man. He was wearing a black, beaten, and
worn long coat that accompanied his tall black boots and dark colored pants. His shirt
underneath the coat was a dark grey. The most outstanding feature was his hair. Similar to
Takeshi's, it was long and white. The majority of it was pulled back in a hair tie, but the hair
too short to be pulled back dropped over his eyes, covering his expression.
He stopped in front of Abroxus. His presence was overwhelming. Abroxus would have
stepped back if he wasn't paralyzed by the pressure looming over him.
Abroxus didn't dare look him in the eye. He was afraid of the horrors that might await
him there.
But there was a voice. This man could speak in the area Abroxus could not. He told
Abroxus, “I've been awake for a while. Why is it that you haven't come to see me, old
friend?” his voice was steady, but somehow ragged.

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Abroxus didn't realize the man was talking to him. So he just stood there and took
note of the things he saw. The man wore belts across his chest—it could be that he once
hung bullets on them. He also saw that his hands were encased by gloves. However,
peeking through towards the top of his forearms, bandages were visible. Has this man been
through a war?

The man paused and looked down at Abroxus. “So,” he placed a hand on Abroxus's
head, “It seems you don't remember me, after all.”

Abroxus slowly drifted his eyes towards the man's face. When their eyes connected,
Abroxus was no longer afraid. He felt the warmth you would feel from an old friend. This
man's eyes were crystal blue and his skin was pale.

Abroxus opened his mouth to speak, he hesitated. The tall man knelt down and was
now level with Abroxus. “My-” Abroxus was having a bit of difficultly, but at least he could
speak, “My name is Abroxus.”

The man held out his hand, “My name is Fryst.”
Abroxus took Fryst's hand, “I-I'm glad I finally got to meet you, Fryst.”
“Yes, it's good to finally meet you, too, Abroxus.”
Abroxus shook hands with his galdur, and a promise of partnership, of friendship, was
sealed.

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Chapter 16

“You met him? Really?” Tutrix asked Abroxus in disbelief.
“I'm proud of you, Abroxus,” Derry told him as she finished preparing Abroxus's
favorite meal, potato soup.
“Yeah! He was kinda intimidating at first, but he's actually pretty cool, no pun
intended.”
“I see, well done, Abroxus. But how did you manage to do it?” Derry placed a bowl in
front of the guys and Tutrix picked up his spoon.
“Oh, uh,” Abroxus didn't want to tell them that he went to the dark space because he
thought that they might worry about him. “I just did like you told me, and I waited.”
“Is that so...?” Tutrix wasn't sure if he should believe him or not, so he just left it as it
was and began to devour his dinner. Abroxus followed along, right behind him.
That night, when Abroxus went to bed, he went back into the dark space, which
became much easier to enter, and started to seem less dark.
“Fryst, I'm here!” Abroxus called out into the emptiness.
The tall figure appeared out of the shadows. “Hello, Abroxus.”
“So, uh, Fryst?” Abroxus sat down, crisscrossed, already comfortable in Fryst's
presence.
“Yes?” Fryst joined him on the floor.
“You said I had forgotten about you, what did you mean by that?” Abroxus queried.
Fryst looked out into the void, “You could say I knew you in your past life.”
Abroxus was stunned. Me? Having a past life?
He was going to question it, but he decided he'd hold off until later. So instead, he
asked more questions about Fryst: “How old are you?” “How many people have you been
the galdur of?” “Is it possible for you to be the galdur of multiple people, not including past
lives?” “What happens to you when your host dies?”
“I've lost count of my age. Your years and mine are quite different. I have been the
galdur of one person, being all of your past lives. So, no, being the galdur of multiple people

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is not possible as far I'm aware. And when my host dies and there is no immediate
reincarnation, I stay in this space until the presence of my new host appears. It may be
different for others, however.”

“Wow,” Abroxus could hardly believe what he was hearing. “How long did you have to
wait until I showed up?”

Fryst took a moment to think. “Around three hundred years.”
“Three hundred?!” How is that possible? Is that really how long it takes to
reincarnate? “So you were here all by yourself for three hundred years?”
Fryst nodded.
“Were you lonely?”
Fryst looked surprised. He wasn't expecting a boy he just met to be so concerned
over his happiness and well-being. Then again... He is your reincarnation, Trygg. The
resemblance between the two of you is uncanny.
Fryst looked over to Abroxus, to the naive little elf sitting beside him. It made him
wonder what was going on in the little boy's mind. How could a child who's gone through
so much hardship still have such a warm heart? He seemed to have grown quite attached to
the boy.
“Yes,” Fryst admitted, “I was.”

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Chapter 17

As the days passed, Abroxus learned the many techniques involved with mastering
magic with his galdur. Some involved sitting inside a waterfall with the heavy water beating
down on his back, while others had his nose shoved in a spell book.

Abroxus's favorite part of the learning process was being with Tutrix, Derry, and Fryst.
They kept him happy through the years. Abroxus learned about all the water spells and
most of the earth spells faster than Tutrix had ever seen before.

For most influencers, 10 - 15 years was the normal amount of time it would take to
master their easier elements, but Abroxus mastered them in eight.

It was early May, and Abroxus's seventeenth birthday was just a day away. He still
carried with him the scars of the past, but with his new family, Tutrix, Fryst, and Derry, he
managed to carry on.

However, his hatred for the tyrant Duke Wallis continued to grow as the attacks on
innocent people, his people, grew throughout the years. Abroxus was finally sick of it, and
better yet, he was strong enough to do something about it.

~

“Well, what should we do? He's not old enough to leave yet, is he?” Abroxus lingered
in the hallway, listening to Derry and Tutrix arguing. He was going to train, but he was
stopped when he heard Tutrix say his name in a very serious tone.

“Age has nothing to do with it. He's strong enough to leave, for sure! I've taught him
all I can about spells and his galdur, and you've taught him everything he needs to know
about hand-to-hand combat. And his archery is phenomenal! We should let him go out and
earn his way through the world. He'd make a mighty fine adventurer.” Tutrix seemed set on
letting Abroxus be independent, but Derry wasn't ready to let go just yet.

“No! He's too naive, the real world will chew him up and spit him out! He's just like
how he was eight years ago, I can't let him go!” Derry's voice changed to a whisper, “And

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besides,” Abroxus took a step closer. “You've seen that look he makes when he thinks no
ones around. He's still hurt we can't just-”

“I appreciate your compassion,” Abroxus stepped into the light, “But I can speak for
myself now.”

Abroxus was now six feet and three inches tall. His clothes now rimmed with gold
instead of silver, and his bow hung on a hook attached to his pants on his left hip. His quiver
rested on his right calf, even though Derry told him it do more harm there than good.
Abroxus seemed to have found a way to walk with it there comfortably without the arrows
spilling out.

“But-” Derry tried to protest, but she knew she couldn't win anymore.
“I'll be heading out for Ikenstroth tomorrow, if that's okay. So how about today, you
and I go there now to scope out the place?” Abroxus grinned his childish grin.
Derry began to cry as if her own son was going off to war. Abroxus didn't like seeing
her cry one bit. He walked over and gave her a sincere hug. He kissed her head, as any son
would do, and wiped away her tears. She nodded in agreement and Abroxus and Derry
started off to Ikenstroth. Tutrix didn't ever go because he was too noticeable, so he stayed
home and picked up the place.
While on the way, Abroxus reassured Derry that he'd visit whenever he was near. And
he promised to make it up to her by bringing her her favorite flowers every time. She loved
Nasturtiums as their meaning in the language of flowers is “Victory in Battle.”
As they walked down the small path that led to Ikenstroth, Derry decided to tell
Abroxus the meanings behind all the flowers they passed—which just so happened to be a
lot.
They passed by twenty-eight different species of flowers on their way to Ikenstroth,
which was odd since on previous trips, they had only counted ten.
They spotted: Magnolias, Poppies, Violets, and more. But the most frightful was the
twenty-eighth flower they saw as they made their way into town, Monkshood. Abroxus of
course thought nothing of it until he saw Derry's face.
“What's wrong?” Abroxus inquired.
“It's just that,” her voice trialed off. Abroxus never really thought of Derry to be
someone who'd believe in such superstitious nonsense.
“They're just flowers, Derry.” Abroxus tried to reassure her it was nothing, whatever
it was.
“Through all my years, the flowers around me have never lied. You should learn the
language of the flowers, they might just save your life one day. They've saved mine plenty of
times,” Derry put a hand on Abroxus's shoulder to stop him. “Abroxus,” her voice in a low
and warning whisper, “Do you know what Monkshoods stand for?”
“No. Are they bad?” Abroxus was very relaxed about the situation, since he never

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understood flowers or girls' obsession with them.
“They mean a dangerous enemy is near, Abroxus. Keep your guard up this time

around, okay?” Abroxus nodded in confirmation and smiled.
“Don't worry, you and I can handle anything that throws itself in our way!” His

confidence shone through with every syllable. Derry sighed and gave up trying to convince
him to be serious.

Abroxus and Derry toured around Ikenstroth, even though they had been there
hundreds of times. Abroxus bought her lunch in a small cafe and were heading home when
Abroxus felt uneasy.

Something's not right. I feel like we're being watched and not in a good sort of way.
Abroxus reached his hand out to Derry and was going to warn her, but it was too late.
The sound of thunder rang out through the city of Ikenstroth. Civilians scattered in all
directions as they saw the smoke drift up from the silver pistol.
Derry fell to the ground and her crimson blood began to blend with her scarlet hair.
The scene looked like that of a painting, but Abroxus was infuriated to find that it was
indeed real.
He was frozen in time. Abroxus stared down at Derry's beautiful and pale body now
being soaked by her own blood. He turned around with deathly stillness.
Abroxus's emerald eyes cut through the evil man standing ten yards away from him.
The man stood, staring at Abroxus. He had short, black hair and wore a Captain's uniform.
That man was working for the Duke.
Rage swept though Abroxus. His breathing slowed and his vision narrowed. His eyes
began to glow a bright green and he felt the air around him start to cool.
Derry, who was only half-conscious watched as petals from an abandoned flower cart
drifted through the tense air. They were variegated tulips meaning beautiful eyes and she
thought of Abroxus.
Abroxus had no thought. He felt the air change around him and he knew he was
going to kill the man standing in front of him. Abroxus was shaken from his reverie by a
strong hand squeezing his shoulder.
“Abroxus, get out of here. Right now.” Tutrix had appeared out of thin air.
Abroxus looked down at Derry and back at the man across from them.
“Now, Abroxus!” Abroxus wasn't used to hearing Tutrix yell, so he reluctantly did as
he was told.
The mysterious man said into the wind, inaudible to any creature even a foot away
from him. “We'll meet again, Ice Wizard.” Abroxus stopped in his tracks, he could hear him
clearly.
Tutrix was carrying Derry in his arms and turned back to find Abroxus still standing in
the same spot. He was going to yell for him, but stopped when he saw his eyes. There was a

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mixture of rage and agony. His eyes were glowing and ice crawled up his forearms.
Tutrix's suspicions were right, after all.
Abroxus whipped his head around, the man now inches from his face. “I know what

you are,” he smirked, “Those eyes of yours will give you away every time. You're more
human than elf, but you're more beast than human.” His body began to disappear into
flames, “If you really want to save your country, your people, and your family, then you'll
meet me at the Colosseum in East Elm's capital tomorrow tonight.”

Before Abroxus could react, the man was gone.

~

Abroxus grabbed the satchel that Derry made him and began to stuff only his
important belongings inside.

“Abroxus,” Abroxus rummaged through his room looking for one last item. “Abroxus.
Abroxus!”

Abroxus stopped and looked over to Tutrix who was giving him a concerned look. The
room fell silent.

“I can't allow you to leave with the way things are right now. It's too dangerous.”
Tutrix and Abroxus stared into each others eyes for a minute before another word was
spoken.

“I'm leaving,” Abroxus stated plainly, “He won't get away with this.” Tutrix lowered his
head.

“You stubborn child. I swear, if I don't kill you, you'll get yourself killed.” Another
silent moment fell upon them. Abroxus opened his sock drawer and finally found what he
was searching for, his sister's bracelet.

Abroxus wore Ellie's bracelet on his right hand until it cut off circulation to his fingers.
That was two years ago. Tutrix had to cut the bracelet off his hand and use magic to glue it
back together. Now Abroxus has a scar where the bracelet rested on his right wrist, and
stitches on his left.

Abroxus gently placed the bracelet into his satchel.
Tutrix handed Abroxus a spell book. It was a sacred book that Tutrix had forbade
Abroxus from reading. It was “too advanced” for him.
Abroxus hesitated.
“Go on, before I change my mind.”
Abroxus put the four-inch-thick book into his satchel and walked into Derry's room.
Tutrix had used magic to keep her from dying, but he said it would be best if she
healed on her own.

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It was Friday, May 13th, the date of Abroxus' birth. It was also the date his family was
murdered and his world changed forever. And now it was the day Abroxus left his
newfound family for adventure and vengeance.

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Chapter 18

Abroxus stopped at a bulletin board sitting in town square. His hood covered his face
and features, that was the compromise he had to make with Tutrix in order to leave.

On the board were help wanted, lost pets, and circus fliers. But three newly pinned
faces were on the board, covering over several posters.

“WANTED”
There were wanted posters of Tutrix, Derry, and Abroxus. There was a picture of all
three of them and the amount each of them were worth. Tutrix was worth 700,000 gold
coins, Derry's bounty was 500,000 gold coins, and Abroxus 's bounty was 100,000.
What awful deed did those two do to get such a hefty price put on their heads?
Abroxus's mind wandered back to Fireball.
Has it really been eight years, already? His head drifted up to the sky and Abroxus
took in the fresh air. I wonder what you would've done if you were in my place back then. I
wonder what you would do now, what you would say was the right thing to do?
“Well,” Abroxus accidentally said aloud, “I guess there's no use in just standing here.
On to Keenoru!” He started to draw a crowd.
Abroxus strolled out of Ikenstroth with all eyes on him and walked by the road that
led to East Elm's capital, Keenoru. On his way, several wagons and caravans passed him. On
the side of the leading caravan, in big bold letters, read “Magical Circus.”
Magical, huh? I wonder if they're real wizards hiding in there.
The very last wagon passed him and Abroxus saw three children sitting inside through
the open back. One girl with a crow, one loud boy, and another boy sitting nearby laughing
at them.
The last boy, no more than twelve years old, looked at Abroxus. Out of courtesy,
Abroxus pulled back his hood and waved at the kid.
He just gave Abroxus a half smile and a tiny wave as their horse drawn wagon
continued on its way.
A few miles down the road Abroxus heard the rattling of armor and chain mail. He

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threw his hood back on and kept his head down.
The Duke's—no the King's—lower patrol unit. It was led by a fuller old man wearing

dozens of sparkly jewels and medals. He must have been the captain. Behind him to his
right was a young woman.

She's gorgeous!
She wore a stern look and the uniform of a lieutenant. Her hazelnut hair draped over
her shoulders and her violet eyes glimmered like amethysts. She was well built and had a
pistol on either side of her swaying hips.
Abroxus looked away when her eyes connected with his. He was blushing! He
couldn't let her see him, anyway. If she was as serious as she looked, then she might
recognize him from the wanted poster.
The sun started its decline behind the mountain top. Abroxus drifted into the woods
for shelter. He climbed up into a tree and stayed there for the night.
One more day. I have to get to Keenoru in one more day. I should probably keep
walking, but the weather isn't looking favorable.
Abroxus looked to the skies as they became clouded and dark. Little by little, rain
drops hit the earth, washing away the pain inflicted upon it from the days prior. He sat
there contemplating what he would do when he caught up to the man that he was going to
kill. The warmth of vengeance and the lulling of the rain put him to sleep.
However, his rest was short lived.
The ground began to shake and thunderous sounds filled the air. Abroxus, being a
heavy sleeper, only woke up after the vibrations rocked him out of the tree and flat onto his
face.
“Ow, ow, ow, ow!” Abroxus clutched his nose with his two hands as blood dripped out
of it. Abroxus turned to where he believed the ruckus was coming from, “Hey, what's the
big idea!?”
Emerging from the deeper part of the forest was an orc twice the size of Abroxus.
Abroxus stood up and dusted himself off with one hand, the other holding his bloody
nose.
The orc didn't seem too pleased with Abroxus's attitude towards him. His skin was an
olive green and he had short black hair. His eyes were brown and his shorts were torn and
ruined. Across his ugly, bare chest were two straps which held the two battle axes that hung
on his back.
Abroxus gathered his belongings that were scattered after his fall and looked to the
beast. “Listen, I get you can't help being so loud, but do you have to be so obnoxious about
it?”
The orc took one of his axes and swung it at Abroxus. Abroxus easily ducked out of
the way.

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“Hey, hey, hey! I'm not looking for a fight! Just some sleep.” The orc took his other ax
and began to swing them both back and forth, trying his darnedest to chop Abroxus in half.
“Alright, fine. If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!”

Abroxus took his short bow off its hook and grabbed an arrow from his quiver. He
drew back his bow and started circling the orc. He released it and it pierced the beast's
forearm.

Still running, Abroxus drew back another arrow. The orc, trying to anticipate
Abroxus's liquid movement, swung it's ax at his head. Abroxus jumped, landing on top of
the ax, which the creature then jerked upwards, throwing Abroxus into the sky. Perfect.

Abroxus drew back his bow once more, now loaded with two arrows. He aimed as his
airtime was at its peak.

Takeshi's voice echoed through Abroxus's head. Slack. Draw. Release!
Abroxus released the two arrows. One hitting the orc's other arm, and the other
arrow binding its foot to the ground. Abroxus never shot to kill.
The orc fell to one knee and Abroxus almost had a perfect landing. Abroxus landed on
a tree limb that snapped after he landed on it.
The orc wasn't finished, though. He took two axes and threw them together, with
Abroxus in the middle. To the beast's dismay, the two axes turned to ice and shattered.
“We're done here.” Abroxus said in a calm voice. He grabbed his satchel and headed
back towards the road, leaving the orc stunned.

~

Abroxus had planned on spending the next day walking to Keenoru, but his plans
were changed for him.

Abroxus felt their presence too late. A gun cocked and was pressed against his carrot
head.

Abroxus smelled the air. Perfume?
“You're coming with me,” the woman behind him demanded.
“Normally I at least know the girl's name before she wants to take me home,”
Abroxus sassed, a few soldiers snickered.
“Good work, Lieutenant Evangeline,” a sickening sound to say the least. This man's
voice was arrogant, deep, and bellowing.
Evangeline replied with, “Thank you, Captain Ganjo.”
Her voice was like silk, smooth and elegant. Abroxus recognized her scent, too.
“Hey,wait a second! You're that girl I saw yesterday!” Her familiar smell reminded
Abroxus of the lovely woman that made his heart skip.

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The air became tense and all twenty-eight soldiers were shocked stiff—including
Evangeline.

“H-How did you-?” Her captain cut her off with his disgusting voice.
“You are just like how Duke Wallis said you'd be. Lieutenant, he is too important for
me to trust him with you,” Abroxus was infuriated with the way he treated his lieutenant,
“I'll handle this scumbag.”
“Talk about the pot calling the kettle black,” Abroxus mumbled to himself, making
some of the soldiers chuckle.
The captain scoffed, “Scum like you should be killed on the spot. But, the Duke wants
you served on a silver platter, just for him. No idea why, you're dumber than all the worms
I've caught!”
“That so?” Abroxus slid his hands into his front pockets, still unable to see the captain
or lieutenant standing behind him.
“We've been following you since yesterday! We even sent an orc after you, and you
just thought it was fate. What a fool!” Captain Ganjo snatched the pistol out of his
lieutenant's hand and kicked Abroxus to the ground. He aimed the gun at him. “My orders
were to bring you to the Duke alive, but he didn't say you had to be in one piece..” The fat
man laughed at his own evildoing.
He called to his soldiers to “rough him up.” They did just that, and Abroxus let them.
If he could get through that, they'd bring him straight to the Duke.
After they were finished beating Abroxus to a pulp, they threw him into a cage on
wheels and continued down the road.
Abroxus was laying flat on his back with his hands bound by rope. He spit up the
blood that was in his mouth and asked to no one in particular, “So, how come you beat me
up and threw me in here if I was going this way on my own? Wasn't I saving you this
trouble?”
“Don't bother asking. Captain Ganjo answers to no one except his own higher-ups.”
Lieutenant Evangeline told Abroxus. He didn't need to turn his head to see her, her scent
spelled it out for him. And she was beautiful.
“Then he should have no problem answering to me,” Abroxus smirked, finally turning
to see this Evangeline again. She was staring at him as if he had just insulted the Devil
himself.

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Chapter 19

Abroxus spent the rest of the day staring up at the sky and attempting to make small
talk with Lieutenant Evangeline, who thoroughly rejected him. His bruises healed nicely,
and to everyone's amazement, in two hours.

Abroxus was bored and lonely, so he decided to visit Fryst again.
Fryst hadn't changed at all since Abroxus first met him, and Abroxus was nearly
certain he never would.
“Abroxus,” Fryst sounded angrier than normal.
“Hi, Fryst.” Abroxus looked at his body. “I've been meaning to ask you, why isn't my
body in here the same as my body out there?”
“The body you see in this plane is your soul formed into a body. The only time you
would see an injured body in this place, would be if your soul or mine was injured.” Fryst
became stern, “Do you know what you're getting yourself into?”
Abroxus paused, returning the intensity. “I do.”
“Are you sure? I don't believe you do.” Fryst strode closer to Abroxus.
“I'm going to kill the man who takes innocent lives for no reason.”
“Then what?” Fryst's expression never changed from blank.
“Then I'll find the Duke and-”
“And then what?” Fryst stopped not even a step away from Abroxus, sharing the
space with him. “What will you do then, Abroxus Westfall?”
Abroxus stuttered. He was so sure of his plan, but Abroxus felt like a child again. He
could feel Fryst's intense pressure consume him.
Fryst closed his eyes in a disappointed manner and turned on his heel. Fryst strode
back into the darkness whence he first emerged.
When Abroxus returned to the real world, he wasn't happy. However, his mood was
soon lifted when he saw that he was inside the Colosseum.
He looked up and saw the stands were packed and they were all cheering—for the
Duke?

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Abroxus was confused as to why they were chanting “Duke Wallis,” so he looked to
his opponent on the other side of the arena.

He was sitting on a throne with his legs crossed. He threw out his arms and yelled
into the crowd, “Welcome to my Colosseum, Maldra!” The Colosseum erupted in cheers.

It finally clicked and Abroxus realized who that man was. The man who shot Derry
was Duke Logi Wallis. He was an influencer with a fire galdur. A tyrant. A hypocrite. A
murderer. Even worse, he destroyed his real family, and his home town.

“What are you talking about?” Abroxus reached for his bow to find it was gone. All of
his weapons had been taking, but the Duke didn't have any either.

“You mean you don't even know what you really are?” Wallis chuckled that turned to
giddy laughter. “You are priceless, Mr. Westfall. Priceless.” He stood up and burned his
temporary throne without so much as looking back at it. “The 'guardians' of this world? The
Wizard Saviors?”

Wallis began to slowly circle Abroxus, and Abroxus followed along, keeping his
distance from the Duke.

“Your eyes, your magic, you hair, even! It's so obvious! You look exactly like Trygg!”
Wallis shot towards Abroxus, hands ablaze.

Abroxus raised his arms in front of his face, making a shield with his ice. The impact
was stronger than Abroxus expected and sent him sliding backwards, leaving skid marks in
the dirt.

“I couldn't care less what you think I am!” Abroxus was growing angry. Flashes of his
burnt home town flew through his head and then pictures of Derry covered in blood forced
its way into his mind, as well.

It seemed that the Duke wasn't anticipating Abroxus to blow off such an important
detail so quickly, but that didn't matter to Wallis much. “All right then,” He wanted Abroxus
angry, “How's that woman you were with?” Abroxus felt something snap. “Last I saw, she
was pretty beat up. And that village. What was it called? Iron Forest? No, that's not right.
Silver Log? No.”

“Silver Wood...” Abroxus could feel himself slipping away. Abroxus was becoming a
monster.

No! I won't be like him...
Duke Wallis chuckled. What next? There was a long, unadulterated silence, even the
spectators were still.

“I honestly wanted peace with you. I wanted to forgive you for your

crimes, but I see now, that's just not possible.”

~

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Abroxus looked up and his eyes were glowing emerald.

He extended his arm out towards Duke Wallis and a bright blue light filled the arena.
The ground was now covered in a thin coating of ice and a beam of ice shards and
snow were flying directly at Duke Wallis.
The Duke easily avoided it and began another charge at Abroxus. He was almost on
top of him when the Duke fell and slid on the ice. Abroxus pivoted, using a shard of ice on
the bottom of his heel as a stabilizer.
Abroxus took two steps forward and created a giant hammer out of ice. The hammer
hovered over Abroxus head and followed as Abroxus swung his arms down in a smashing
motion. The Duke used his fire to propel himself out of the way, but sharp pieces of ice
from the shattered ground dug into his right arm.
“Nice trick,” the Duke taunted, “But I've seen better.”
The hammer disappeared, leaving behind a pile of snow.
The Duke felt himself tremble in anticipation. He had been waiting for this fight for
seventeen years.

The Duke got up and used his fire to help him slide across the frozen ground towards
Abroxus. Abroxus was adept at ice skating, since Tutrix told him he needed to be if he was
going to be an ice influencer Abroxus added blades of ice onto the bottom of his boots and
slid out of the way of the Duke.

“Quit running! You want vengeance, right?” The Duke was becoming a bit impatient,
but he would be willing to deal with it if he could force Abroxus to use his real power.

The Duke lashed out with a wall of fire that quickly drew closer to Abroxus. Abroxus
created yet another shield of ice, and all though it held, the sheer intensity of the fire was
beginning to wear out him and his ice.

Abroxus countered with a blade of ice tossed at Wallis. The Duke must have been
tired as well, as his reflexes were lagging.

The blade slashed his back as he ducked out of the way. Duke Wallis staggered back
as the aching sensation throbbed along with his heartbeat.

Duke Wallis spun on the ice and created a fire cyclone. The ice on the ground melted
instantly and nearby spectators started to back up a few rows, but only a few actually left
the Colosseum.

The heat was extraordinary. Abroxus could feel the fierce and hot gust pound against
his face. It felt like his skin was going to peel off.

The cyclone drew closer and Abroxus tried his hardest to stay as far from it as
possible. However, he was stopped by the wall behind him. Abroxus created a bigger and
stronger shield of ice. It only lasted a few seconds. Even though his ice is stronger than

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naturally found ice, it could still melt.

Abroxus quickly found his arm trapped in the pillar of fire.

Abroxus screamed out, hoping someone would save him, but he was on his own this
time.

He could feel his arm burning, and in a desperate attempt to free himself, he used all
of the magic he had left at the person in the cyclone. After dousing him with water, the
pillar shrank back for only a second. In that second, Abroxus manipulated the rocks
underneath him to throw him far away from the barbaric column.

Abroxus landed flat on his back. He shriveled on the ground clutching his right arm.
His breathing became rough and ragged and he couldn't conjure anymore magic.

The fire cyclone dispersed and the Duke strutted towards Abroxus in his pompous
manner.

“You've lost, Mr. Westfall.” He stopped in front of the withered and scarred body of
East Elm's maldra. “You've lost.”

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Chapter 20

“Abroxus,” there was an echo in the room, “Abroxus.” No not an echo, a plea,
“Abroxus, wake up.” The voice was cold, but familiar and comforting.

Abroxus opened his heavy eyes to see Fryst knelt down beside him. “Fryst?”
“Get up, Abroxus. You'll die if you don't.” Fryst didn't touch Abroxus, didn't give him a
hand or a pat on the head. Just a warning—an appeal.
“I thought I wasn't supposed to hurt when I was here.” Abroxus's voice was weak and
tattered.
“You're not,” Fryst orated, “So get up.”
“I don't think I can,” Abroxus's body—his soul—was starting to fade away.
“Yes you can. Get up,” Fryst stood and held out a helping hand to Abroxus, “I can't let
you die, Abroxus. You're my friend.”
Abroxus could barely believe it. That was the first time in the eight years they'd
known each other that Fryst ever called Abroxus his friend.
Abroxus lifted his hand and linked it with Fryst's. He rose to his feet.
Fryst put a hand on Abroxus's shoulder. It was the arm that was burnt. Fryst started
to freeze Abroxus's arm. The ice trickled from his shoulder to his fingertips.
“Don't fight him, Abroxus,” Abroxus lowered his head, “Win.”
Abroxus looked at Fryst with eyes full of wonder and hope and joy, and a light
consumed the dark space.
A blinding tower of light shot into the sky. The entire continent of East Elm dropped in
temperature as snow fell from the sky and covered the ground. The Colosseum was entirely
frozen.
Abroxus had changed as well. His once bright orange hair had become as white as
snow and his previously sun kissed skin had turned pail. His green eyes had a new glimmer
to them and his burns were healed.
The spectators were unharmed, but terrified. The Duke was stunned and disoriented.

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As the light blinded the arena, Abroxus conjured a bow and arrow of ice and shot it through
the Duke's heart. The Duke's skin turned blue then white. His body was turning to ice. Then
the ice shattered with a loud explosion, leaving nothing behind of the once great fire
influencer. The man who had haunted Abroxus's dreams was dead.

The ice bow shattered and Abroxus looked to the snow that now filled sky.

Abroxus had fused with Fryst. In all the worlds of magic, that had never happened
before. In the span of a heartbeat, the most powerful wizard the world has ever known
came into being.

All of the masked spectators fled the arena with one name buzzing through their
heads, “Abroxus Westfall.”

He had completed three nearly impossible tasks that day. One- He killed the Duke.
Two- He fused with his galdur. And three- He manipulated a naturally made element.

Magic... The ability to conjure elements and then manipulate them to your will. Most
wizards can only control the elements they create, but it is possible to manipulate a
preexisting element. Only the five legendary guardians—the Maldra—have that ability.

“I am the Maldra of the East,” the new Abroxus mumbled to himself, hardly believing
his own words.

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Chapter 21

Across the continent, every creature could feel the shock wave from Abroxus's blast.
And with every step he took, the planet was reminded of his presence. Ice formed around
his feet as he walked. It would linger, but not for long.

When Abroxus returned to his home near Silver Wood's remains, there was nothing.
The house he stayed in for eight years with Tutrix and Derry, had disappeared along with his
foster family.

“Did I scare them away?” Abroxus asked himself as he stood outside where he used
to live. He lost the happiness and enthusiasm in his voice.

Abroxus had been meaning to do something for a while, but he could never bring
himself to.

Abroxus returned to Silver Wood for the first time since it was raided by the Duke.
Everything was ruined. There were still some ashes, but most of it blew away with the wind
years ago. It was a truly sad sight to see.

Abroxus wandered around, remembering it as it was once before, until he finally
made it back to his old home.

Abroxus stood over his home's ashes. He saw the skeletons of his mother and father,
but his sister's bones were nowhere to be seen.

He spent the next hour digging three graves: For his mother, father, and for his town.
He placed the remains of his family in their respectful graves and the ashes from his house
in its own.

After placing a headstone on all three graves, he picked three flowers and put one on
top of each headstone.

Abroxus didn't believe in any sort of deity, but he did want to properly say goodbye.
Abroxus closed his eyes and looked away from the graves, it was still too painful for
him to accept.
“I hope,” Abroxus took a breath, “I hope you made it to the heaven you dreamed of. I

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loved all of you so dearly. Goodbye.”

Abroxus left through the archway that was still partially standing and he suddenly felt
lighter and happier.

His hair returned to its original state, and his skin became tan once more. Abroxus
was extremely fatigued, he thought he might collapse right there.

Abroxus managed to walk two more miles into the woods until his body would take
him no further. He slumped against a tree and fell asleep.

When he woke up he was being hung upside down by a Wood Giant. Although
usually friendly, after smelling Abroxus, this Giant became angry.

I guess it doesn't like my snow.

The Giant threw Abroxus into a tree, nearly snapping his back on impact.

Abroxus fell to the ground and rested a hand on the tree. He stood up hesitantly.

“Crud,” The Giant threw a fist at Abroxus. Abroxus jumped out of the way and
attempted his escape through the woods, but his clumsy nature prevented him from
making it too far.

His body was still exhausted from his fight a week prier, so a couple more hits could be
his last.

The Giant was upon him once more and Abroxus could no longer keep his balance. He
fell and tried throwing an arrow at it without using his bow. The Giant slapped it to the side
and ripped a branch off an Elm tree.

The Giant threw the tree at Abroxus. He rolled out of the way, but he was still hit. His
left shoulder was sliced by the shredded side of the branch.

Abroxus gritted his teeth, trying not to show pain.

He thought to himself that it was a pretty lame way to go out after that epic battle a
week prior.

The Woodland Giant raised his arms and was going to crush Abroxus. Abroxus closed
his eyes, expecting the worse.

A dagger whizzed past Abroxus's head, piercing the Giant's skull. The Giant fell back,
dead.

Abroxus opened his eyes and his vision became blurry, so he closed them again.

He could hear two voices, one male, one female. Everything sounded angelic. He could
hear the man say that they should help him and the female voice saying it was the saddest
display she's ever seen.

Abroxus's eyes were heavy and he found that he couldn't open them or more his left
arm.

When Abroxus opened his eyes he was lying flat on his back with the warmth of a fire

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heating him.

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Epilogue

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A Fury of Fire & Ice Sarah Massey

Chapter 1

“He's awake,” Abroxus looked over to see the figure a young human man, and by the
symbol on his necklace, Abroxus could tell he was a cleric. He wore a large brown parka that
concealed any figure or weapon underneath.

Abroxus tried to sit up, but laid back down when a sharp pain shot through his
shoulder. He raised a hand to it and felt it had been bandaged.

“That was pathetic,” it was a young female voice. Abroxus tried to sit up again, this
time successful. He could smell cooked rabbit. Abroxus was starving.

He sat up and saw the woman. She was a thin elf and wore tight black rouge clothes.
Over that was a tattered cloak that covered dozens of blades. Her hair—“Derry?”—it was
the same color as Derry's. It was cut in a bob, but it was still just as beautiful.

“What?” she didn't seem to know the name.
Right, Abroxus remembered, she's not here. She's gone, maybe dea-
He shook his head, putting the thought out of his mind.
“Uh, never mind,” Abroxus crossed his legs and looked to the sky then back at the
woman sitting by the fire, “So, did you two save me?”
“Yes,” The woman sassed, “And myself from having to watch that pitiful display
anymore.”
Abroxus chuckled, “Yeah, it was pretty sad.”
The woman turned away, she didn't like his reaction to her insult.
“Knock it off, Arya,” The man next to Abroxus seemed fairly kind.
Abroxus smiled, he was glad to finally be around people again. The silent moment
was int erupted by Abroxus growling stomach. “Hey,” Abroxus laughed at his own
embarrassment, “Do you mind if I have a bite?” he gestured to the rabbit kebab.
The man was in the middle of saying yes when the woman, Arya, protested, “No. We
don't know anything about him, so as far as we know, he's working for the King.”
Abroxus tried to hold in his laugh, but he simply couldn't help the irony, “I'm not.

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Trust me.”

“Why should we?” The man behind Abroxus gave her a cold look and she tossed him
a kebab.

He smiled and started to drool. To keep himself from looking too stupid, he shoved
the rabbit in his mouth.

“What's your name?” The cleric asked kindly.

“Abroxus. What's yours?” Abroxus eyed another one and the woman handed him
another rabbit on a stick.

“I'm Archer, and that's Arya.”

Arya scowled.

Abroxus laughed again, he liked those two.

Abroxus sniffed the air. He caught the scent of another person, but it vanished a
second after it appeared.

That's weird.

The two travelers looked at him with an odd look. The two glanced at each other and
decided it was time they left.

“You should be fine so long as you don't move your arm too much,” Archer warned.

The two left the fire blazing for Abroxus to stay warm, but as they walked away,
Abroxus felt cold. The chill of loneliness shrouded his sad memories that rose from the fire
and he sprung from his comfortable seat in the dirt. Abroxus grabbed his shirt and poncho
and threw his satchel over his head.

He quickly, but carefully, snuffed the campfire and ran after his new friends.

“Hold on!” He said as he began to trot alongside Archer and Arya.

“What?” Arya demanded, giving him the evil eye.

“Where are you guys heading, anyway?” Abroxus asked lazily, putting his shirt back
on over his bandages.

Arya scoffed and turned her head. Archer's face became a shocked one when he saw
that her face was red. Abroxus was unaware of her blushing and asked Archer instead.

“Chrysanthemum Village,” Archer replied.

Abroxus's face lit up at the chance to stay with his newfound friends, “Hey! I was
heading there, myself. Why don't we go together?”

A lie. Abroxus had no clue as to where he was going, but he knew he wanted to stick
with Archer and Arya.

The couple shrugged and continued to walk. Abroxus asked them simple questions
and small talk, both of them were quite taken in with his charm. Abroxus learned they were
adventurers, they even said they'd consider themselves to be bounty hunters.

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Abroxus wasn't phased. Whether he had a bounty on his head or not, Abroxus felt
they would still be friends. Abroxus let his naivety get the better of him at times.

However, the warm and giddy moment was suspended when Abroxus sensed a
dangerous influencer nearby. He didn't mention anything to Archer or Arya, as it soon
vanished—like it had before—but when he looked in the direction he felt it come from,
there was only the letter “U” carved into an Elm tree.

The symbol chilled Abroxus to the core.

This doesn't feel right. Something's wrong.

The feeling lingered with Abroxus until the group made it to Chrysanthemum,
Abroxus thought it was a good idea to stick with those two. He wasn't sure why, but he
knew they were both capable of many things—probably good and bad.

“So, Arya, Archer,” Abroxus grinned widely, “Shall we be partners?”

~76~