Blood of the fallen star: Spawns of the Devil

She pulled him towards a narrow path that led up the side of the mountain, behind the Citadel. "Where are we going?" Agor asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Lirien grinned. "You'll see," she said. "It's a surprise."

As they approached the Citadel, Lirien motioned for Agor to follow her quietly behind a large stone statue. He didn't quite understand the secrecy, but from the look in Lirien's eyes, he knew whatever they were doing, they mustn't be caught.

Gradually, they crouched low, their hearts pounding in their chests. From their vantage point, they could see into the training grounds, a vast expanse of open space surrounded by towering walls. It was the training ground of the Summoners.

It stretched wide beneath a sky streaked with the soft glow of dawn. Scorched patches of earth and jagged ice crystals marked past battles, a testament to the relentless training that warriors endured here. Dust swirled in the morning breeze, and in the heart of the field, two figures stood poised for battle.

One of them was Iska Frostborne, the Ice Summoner—her robes flowed like woven mist, shimmering under the light as if made from the very frost she commanded. Her pale eyes, cold and calculating, locked onto her opponent. Around her, the air crackled with tiny flurries of snow, gathering at her fingertips, waiting to be unleashed.

Opposing her was Ovarx Stoneclad, the Earth Summoner—a tower of muscle, clad in reinforced leather and chainmail, his stance rooted deep into the ground like an unshakable mountain. His hands, scarred and calloused, flexed as the earth beneath his feet trembled in response to his command. Unlike Iska's chilling presence, Ovarx exuded the smoldering intensity of a dormant volcano—patient, but capable of untold destruction.

A sharp gust cut through the silence. Then, without warning, Iska moved.

With a flick of her wrist and a few inaudible words, a wave of jagged ice shards erupted from the ground, streaking toward Ovarx like frozen lances. The earth summoner's response was instant—he slammed his foot down, and the ground buckled and surged upward, forming a towering barrier of rock that shattered the ice mid-air.

Iska's eyes narrowed. Not bad.

Ovarx wasted no time. He dashed forward, each footstep leaving cracks in the hardened dirt as he swung a massive stone fist toward Iska's chest. But Iska was faster.

Her form blurred—like mist parting before a blade. She sidestepped the attack effortlessly, her breath visible in the frigid air. In that same instant, the frost around her solidified into twin spears of ice, which she launched with terrifying speed.

Ovarx roared.

With a sweeping motion of his arms, the earth rose at his command, twisting into a rotating wall of boulders that absorbed the spears before they could reach him. He then stomped the ground, sending a shockwave rippling outward.

Iska felt it beneath her feet, a vibration that threatened to steal her balance.

But she was already airborne.

The moment before impact, her body lifted, carried by an updraft of snow and ice. She twisted in midair, arms outstretched, and the moisture in the air froze into a swirling vortex of razor-sharp frost.

A blizzard descended upon the battlefield.

Ovarx shielded his face, his armor groaning under the biting cold. The frost clung to his skin, seeping into his joints. His strength meant nothing if he could not move.

Iska landed lightly, breath calm. This was over.

Or so she thought.

The ground beneath her exploded.

Ovarx's massive fist tore through the ice, emerging from below like a burrowing beast. Iska barely twisted away in time, her robes slicing open at the shoulder as a chunk of frozen dirt shattered against her arm.

Ovarx's deep laugh boomed across the battlefield. "Not so fast, Frostborne."

Iska exhaled, frost spilling from her lips. This wasn't enough.

She raised her hands, and the temperature dropped again, this time violently. The wind howled, ice forming in dense spirals until the battlefield itself became a frozen wasteland.

Ovarx's smirk faltered. His armor froze over. His breath became labored, ice creeping up his limbs.

Iska stepped forward, her expression unreadable. "You should surrender."

Ovarx gritted his teeth. His mind raced. He had one chance.

With a final, defiant roar, he threw his entire weight into the earth.

The ground collapsed beneath them.

A massive, gaping chasm opened, swallowing both combatants in a landslide of ice and stone. The battlefield vanished in an avalanche of destruction—and then, from the dust and debris, two figures emerged, battered, yet still standing.

But before either could strike again—

A third figure descended upon them.

The air itself shuddered with the weight of her presence. A blur of silver and steel.

Kaelis; the vice commander.

Her armor gleamed like molten iron, her piercing gaze colder than Iska's frost. The moment her feet touched the fractured battlefield, the shattered earth froze in place, held together by an unseen force.

She didn't speak. She didn't need to.

With a single motion and a few words, she raised one hand—and the scattered debris of broken weapons, shattered blades, and dented armor responded.

A thousand shards of metal twisted into jagged spears, hovering above her shoulders like a storm of iron.

Ovarx and Iska froze.

"Enough."

Her voice was neither loud nor angry—but it was absolute. The metal spears trembled, waiting for her command, ready to strike if they so much as blinked the wrong way.

Iska slowly straightened, the frost around her melting under her sheer presence. Ovarx clenched his fists but said nothing.

Kaelis lowered her hand. The spears fell, embedding themselves harmlessly into the dirt.

She turned away. "That was impressive,both of you.

Again!!! But this time against me. "

Both warriors smiled as their eyes beamed with excitement.

"Are you going to come out or are you waiting for me to drag you out" - kaelis spoke out loud , turning toward Agor and Lirien, who were still hiding behind the statue.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" she demanded, her voice stern.

Agor and Lirien stepped forward, their hearts pounding. "We're were just passing by…just tourists," Lirien stammered.

The woman eyed them suspiciously. "Tourists?" she repeated.

Now looking at Agor "Did Garrick know that you are here?" "In the middle of a training session?"

" Do you know how dangerous it can be just by staying too close?".

Agor hesitated, then decided to be honest. "We… we were just watching,pls don't tell him....we promise not to disturb" he admitted .

The woman's gaze softened slightly. "So you're now interested in the affairs of Summoners now yeah?" she asked.

Agor nodded, his face flushed with excitement. "Yes, we are," he said.

The woman smiled. "Good," she said. "I'm glad to see there are still young people with such zeal as you both.

I'm Kaelis, by the way. Second in command of the Summoner, but I assume Agor knows that already."

Agor and Lirien exchanged glances, their eyes wide with surprise. They were standing before a real Summoner, one of the most powerful warriors in Eaglestone.

"It's an honor to meet you again, Kaelis," Agor said, his voice trembling slightly.

Kaelis smiled. "The honor is all mine," she said. "You two seem like bright young people. Perhaps one day, if you are lucky, you could join our ranks, but for now stay afar and watch....let me show you how it's done "

Agor and Lirien exchanged glances again, their hearts pounding with excitement.

"Thank you for letting us watch," Agor said, his voice still trembling.

Kaelis nodded. "You're welcome," she said. "Just remember to keep your distance.

"Now let's begin" ....as shards of steel began to materialize behind her.