Chaos.

Everywhere. All at once.

I stumbled through the thick haze of ash and smoke. Every step was more difficult than the last. My lungs burned as well as my side with every shallow breath. Every part of me ached, and a splitting headache pounded against my skull. My feet caught on something, and nausea rolled through me. Despite my attempt to turn, my body continued on the path, preventing me from getting a better look around. What is happening? I screamed, but no sound came out.

I glance down at my hands. My white robes torn and caked with dirt. The emerald trim dull and singed in places. Everything was burning. I stumbled through broken beams and charred remains of things I didn't want to think about. Women and children ran past me, screaming and crying. One small child stood alone in the street. He wailed, calling out for his mother. Tears brimmed my eyes as I scooped him up. Mumbling soft lullabies I didn't recognize. I spotted a woman running with her daughter, both covered in ash. The woman saw me wave at her and rushed to take the frightened child. He would be okay now. I hoped.

"Elric!" The scream tore from me in a voice that wasn't my own. The clashing of metals and echoes of screams broke my heart in two. "Elric!" her voice cracked as she called out again. The realization hit me—I was looking through the eyes of someone else. I could feel her heart pounding in her chest, the sharp pain with every inhale, and the overwhelming fear—not for her own life, but for the lives around her. Flames licked the fallen houses and storefronts. Bodies lay scattered and the smell of burning flesh saturated the air. So many families, so many lives. Extinguished and for what?

Two soldiers tumbled out of an alleyway, swords clashing. One was like the one I'd encountered earlier—clad in silver armor, blue skin scuffed and scarred, their white hair whipping around them like a storm. They moved with deadly grace, each attack narrowly dodged, their blades glinting in the firelight. The other soldier had cream-colored skin and brown hair, looking almost human, except for the long pointed ear. These were Fae, I realized, from the woman's frantic thoughts. Spring and Winter.

And they were at war.

My heart raced. This wasn't like watching from a safe distance; I could feel the heat of the battle, smell the metallic tang of blood. The blue skinned Fae conjured a shimmering dagger from thin air, its blade made of ice, cold enough that the air around it crackled. My breath caught in my throat.

But the woman I followed didn't miss a beat. Her stance shifted and her right leg reared back, foot digging into the loose soil. She reached toward the ground as a warmth spread through her, cackling energy amplified by the hum of the earth. A thousand connections lit up in our minds' eye, buried beneath the soil. A steady breath and a whip of her arm, she clasped the invisible threads and threw them at the ice-wielding soldier. The ground trembled. The fae hesitated, his widened gaze sweeping behind him. Our eyes met, and she smirked as twenty roots erupted from the earth. They followed the motion of her arm, like an extension of her will. I watched in awe as the roots coiled around his neck, arms, and torso, yanking him to the ground.

The other fae did not pause. With a single fluid motion, they plunged their sword into the enemy's eye, the sharp squelch of steel piercing flesh echoing in the alley. I flinched. Even though the woman remained unfazed, I couldn't shake the horror of what just happened.

Her knees hit the ground, limbs weighing like bricks as the warmth faded. Sharp, burning pain erupted from her side and she hissed. Blood bloomed across her robes—too much blood.

"Your Majesty!" He yelled. The soldier sheathed his weapon and rushed to her side, his eyes wide. His hands hovered over her wound as if afraid to touch her.

Majesty?!

"Where is the king?" she groaned, clutching the fae's arm. "Where's Elric?"

"Your Majesty, you're wounded! Why haven't you healed yourself?!" He pulled the torn fabric away to reveal a deep gash in her side. The edges where her skin peeled away looked frostbitten and black.

"Other's needed me more." she strained. "I need to find Elric."

He pressed a shaky hand to her head. "You won't find him in this condition. You've nearly drained yourself completely. Let me help you. I'll tell you where the King went, but you need to heal yourself! Take what you need." he pressed his hands over her wound and a warmth spread slowly. She groaned and reluctantly placed her hands over his. The warmth grew too near burning and a bright light engulfed their hands. I could feel her wound closing, almost like a zipper beneath the glow. Her head cleared as the fae's energy seeped into her, filling her soul, until it was light and airy.

The soldier pulled away and helped her stand. He looked exhausted, his brown eyes dull, as if the light had been stripped from them. "Last I saw..." he panted. "The king was headed toward the Temple of Ishal."

"You gave too much!" The queen said and reached for the soldier, but he was already backing away.

"I'll be fine. Go! Find the king." He gave her a weary smile and ran. She watched with wide eyes as he disappeared into the smoke. Torn between running after him and continuing her search. She prayed he would be okay, without his magic.

The world shifted. In a blink, we were in front of the temple. Except instead of a crumbling ruin, it stood intact. The white stone glistened in an ethereal glow and I could hear chanting coming from within, beautiful and melodic. Our gaze followed the glow as it wove through the land all the way to the giant tree. My breath caught.

A giant cherry blossom swayed in the wind. Its glow permeated the haze of smoke and ash that threatened to consume the whole place. A beautiful dome of light sheltered any within its radius from the raging war outside. At its base, a man stood with his arms raised above his head. The queen smiled and ran.

"Elric!" she cried, as she stumbled through the tangle of roots and grass. The chanting from the temple swelled, and the glow flashed a brilliant white.

He turned, his bright blue eyes widened. The king, dressed in emerald and white armor. His wavy blonde hair tousled to one side and in his hands was a small, wiggling bundle.

"Aaliyah! Thank the Mother. You're alright!" He crushed her in a massive hug. "I thought I told you to stay in the temple!"

"Our people needed me..." a cry interrupted her, and she looked down at the small baby in the king's arms. With a gasp, she embraced the child tightly. "What are you doing?! Why did you take Rosella from her crib? It's not safe!"

"Aaliyah, listen to me. You need to run." he clutched her shoulders.

"What?!"

"I need you to run, take our child and run. Go to port, get on a boat and sail to Summer. The king will provide safe harbor. Winter will not dare to anger King Alexis."

"But—" a massive explosion rocked the earth, heat blasted through the air, knocking over the king and queen. They coughed as the smoke invaded the once clear space. The ethereal glow from the tree flickered. A strangled cry ripped from the queen as the giant cherry blossom went up in flames. Charred petals fell around them and the tree groaned as wood snapped from above.

The king shot to his feet, scooped the queen and their child up, and ran toward the temple, just as a massive branch fell, kicking up plumes of dirt and ash as it hit the ground.

"No!" she cried. "Great Mother!" she screamed, her voice cracked and raw. Her whole body wracked with sobs as fear and grief weighed down her heart. Her child screamed at the commotion. Aaliyah looked to the King, her eyes welled up with tears. "Elric... What... what are we to do?!" she choked back a sob.

The king's fist clenched as tears rolled down his face and when he turned to his wife, I saw the fear in his wide eyes. "You must go! Now!" he yelled.

"I... I can't leave you! What about our people? What's going to happen!? The...the World Tree!" she cried.

"Aaliyah, you must run. I need you and Rosella safe. Please." He pleaded and cupped her cheek. In an instant, the perspective changed, and I was hovering above the two instead of watching through the queen's eyes. The king mumbled something and kissed her. Tears ran down her face as she backed away slowly, clutching their tiny child. The way her face scrunched in anguish as she turned away broke my heart. Air rippled around her, and with one last step, she turned to mist.

The towering tree pulled my spirit higher, drawing me towards it. Below me, the battlefield raged on, flames licking the sky as the war unfolded in chaos. The Spring King stood tall even amidst the devastation. His gaze swept over the land and then he turned, eyes locking with mine.

A heartbeat passed.

And everything stilled. The air itself seemed to hold its breath. My chest tightened as energy gathered at the base of the tree, crackling like distant thunder. The air around the tree shimmered, growing dense, and then—it burst.

A shockwave erupted from the tree, radiating outward like a ripple through the still water. The ground trembled beneath its force and the very air vibrated with a deep hum. The magic hit like a tidal wave—cold, ancient, and absolute. It tore through the battlefield, a blinding light sweeping across the land.

I could feel it, sharp and heavy, like stone settling over my skin. Bodies stiffened mid motion, swords frozen mid swing, and the screams cut off one by one. All the Spring fae became statues, frozen in time, their once vibrant forms now nothing more than cold, unyielding stone.

© Copr. 2024. Jessica Powell. All Rights Reserved.