Storms of Destiny
Chapter 22: Clash of Pride
The silence was almost sacred as the Embarkers pressed deeper into the frozen veins of FrostBane Isle. The further they ventured, the more the shadows closed in, the walls narrowing like the throat of a great beast swallowing them whole. Frost crackled beneath their boots. Breath turned to mist. Every step forward was a step into deeper stillness.
Then the passage widened abruptly, revealing a massive cavern carved by ancient forces. Stalactites hung like jagged teeth, and the walls shimmered with crystals of ice, refracting the torchlight into spectral blues and whites. At the heart of the chamber stood a solitary figure — tall, motionless, and regal. His silver-blue armor gleamed like a frozen waterfall, the plates etched with runes that glowed faintly beneath the frost.
The man turned.
His eyes were like polished sapphire — cold, unwavering, ancient.
"Ah," he said, his voice a smooth baritone that carried with the command of a monarch, "so the infamous FlameBorn and his crew have finally arrived."
Pol stepped forward, his fists tightening as embers sparked along his knuckles. Flames rippled across his arms, casting flickering shadows on the icy floor. "And you are?" he asked, his tone flat but laced with challenge.
The man Clenching His Fists, letting the gesture linger. "I am Vytherion EL Valdrake," he said. "Ice Captain of the Order of Eclipsia. And more importantly—" his smile was razor-edged "—a descendant of the EL Clan, the bloodline of the mighty SoulSnatchers."
At that name, Kaiden's hand fell to his sword. The creak of his leather glove was the only sound for a moment.
"The SoulSnatchers…" he muttered, his voice a whisper of bitter memory. "So it's true. You're part of that cursed race."
Vytherion's eyes narrowed.
"Cursed?" he repeated, the word curling in the air like venom. "You dare call us cursed?" He laughed — cold and hollow, like ice cracking underfoot. "We are the apex of existence. The EL bloodline is untainted. Refined. Divine. Compared to us…" His gaze swept across the crew with disgust. "Flamingers are flickering sparks — doomed to burn out."
Royuko's expression didn't change, but his fingers tightened around the string of his bow, drawing it just enough for tension to hum through it like a taut wire. His arrow shimmered faintly— ready, waiting.
Pol's flame-wreathed fists flared hotter, defiance radiating from every inch of his stance. "You talk a lot for someone who hides behind ancient names. If your clan is so superior, why not step forward and prove it?"
A slow smirk twisted Vytherion's lips. "Oh, I intend to, FlameBorn," he said, voice rich with malice. "But first, a lesson. One your ashes will remember — if anything remains of you at all."
As he spoke, the very air seemed to freeze. Frost spiderwebbed across the cavern walls, crawling down pillars and creeping toward the Embarkers. The temperature dropped like a falling blade. Vytherion's aura surged outward — a storm of razor-edged cold. The ground beneath him groaned as ice blossomed outward in jagged rings.
"You'll understand," he said quietly, "why the EL Clan is feared across continents. Why our reign is not a prophecy — but a certainty. You will beg before the end, FlameBorn."
Pol didn't flinch. Instead, he stepped forward, fire swirling around him like a protective storm. "We'll see who ends up begging."
One by one, the rest of the crew fell into position behind him. Kaiden's blade sang as it left its sheath, glowing faintly with a red hue. Royuko's arrow was nocked, his breath steady, eyes locked on the target. Lamin cracked his knuckles, Sonia stood still as a shadow, awaiting the perfect moment to strike. Even Sakani's lips curled upward in the smallest of smiles — the kind born before chaos.
Vytherion raised his hand. The moisture in the air solidified into jagged shards that floated around him, forming a crown of crystalline blades.
"Prepare yourselves," he whispered, the words a promise more than a warning.
Then the ice screamed as it shattered.
And the clash of pride began.
Next In Chapter 23:Shards Of Conflict