Free Pyrus by Sean Watman

magii,” the ice Kreydur said. He was now sitting on a frozen tree, examining his fingernails. When he noticed me start to stand, he jumped out of the tree and landed gracefully as a bird.
    â€œNow, if you do not mind,” he said, walking toward me and pointing to his right shoulder, which had a gash about the size of my thumb. I immediately started breathing heavily again, and my knees wavered. Lyra instinctively caught me and sat me down.
    â€œHe has done enough already!” she shouted at him. “You cannot expect him to perform two major healing spells consecutively—he will die!” Death didn't sound too good. I had just escaped him not even five minutes ago; I didn't think he would be so forgiving a second time. How strongly she was defending me was also surprising.
    â€œEveryone is either useful or dead weight,” he replied in a steely tone, resuming checking out his fingers. “That is how our society functions, and the sooner you realize this, the better.” Lyra said nothing, but got up and started walking toward him.
    â€œBolt!” she called out. The man just stared at her and then started to laugh.
    â€œSo, you want to handle this the hard way then,” he stated after calming down. “Very well. Glace, show these fools your true power.” Snow from the cloud above him started to fall, and as it landed on his hand, it began forming into his weapon. I looked like a whip, but the lace had spikes protruding from every angle, followed by a blade-like point at the ends.
    Lyra was handling her emotions rather well, unlike me, since she could read me like an open book. I stared at Glace and thought, Oh we are dead, so very dead. Well, maybe not her, but I will be. She has Bolt. I have nothing! But all she did was tighten her grip on Bolt's handle. The ground started to shake as these two fighters powered up, and before I even knew what happened, Lyra was gone.
    The speed she was travelling at was phenomenal, because as I watched her disappear, not even a second later, she was behind him, ready to kill. But as she swiped, the man was able to see the attack and block it without even turning to face her. Both of them, I realized, were not playing around anymore, they were channelling all their magii into all seven chambers. This was a fight to the death.
    I wanted to help Lyra, but there was nothing I could do. She was still locked inside of Glace's lace. She seemed to be overpowering him, until he shouted out, “Extend!” Lyra instantly retreated. It was a good thing she did too, because the spikes started growing and becoming crystal clear, almost as if they were sharp blades made of …
    â€œIce!” I said aloud. He looked at me, as if amazed that I actually could speak, but then quickly returned his focus just in time to block Lyra's vertical slash. They clashed multiple times in those few seconds, I don't even think I saw half of them, but then the man pushed away Bolt, raised his hand, and shouted, “Tundriemoy!” or something like that. A wave of snow started flowing from his hand. Lyra appeared shocked by the ferocity of the avalanche, and before she had time to react, it buried her. I thought it was all over for her, and it was as if something broke in me, because I started to act as though I was in a trance.
    â€œWaste of my time,” the man said. “Magician! I need you to replenish my magii. Get over here!” My feet quickly marched over to his spot. I knew what I was about to do was wrong, but I didn't care. My mind was protesting, willing my body to stop, but I forced its influence back. Right now, nothing really seemed to matter. I saw one of the only people I actually liked in this place get killed.
    â€œHurry up! I'm getting impa—” He was cut off. Up until now, I've been avoiding eye contact with this man; I was so ashamed of myself that I couldn't bear to look at him, for him to know how pathetic I really was.