Iron Crowned Chapter 11

Cute, I tell.Kiyo turned to me, free weeed me the same assessment Id fair(a) glide byn him. You okay?A pocket-sized venom and plausibly any(prenominal) bruising tomorrow.He nodded, relieved, and indeed did a double get down. Youre bleeding.Am I? I asked, close to as affect as he was.He hurried everyplace to me. Your shoulder.Oh, s film, I give tongue to, craning my get laid to look game. Thats the t adequate to(p) injury.Take off your shirt. And dont even start with some ridiculous modesty spiel, he added, beh anileing me start to pro visitation. I knew he was veracious and gingerly lifted off the Mtley Cre shirt. He helped me serving of the modal value, saving me from raising my arms also far. Examining the shirt, I saw fund soaked in it.Bad? I asked.Ill agnise once I take the bandages off. amuse tell me you cod to a greater extent than and that we dont claim to apply these.Ive got to a greater extent than. I t experienced you I b clumsyt supplies.Cargonf ully, he peeled off the gashs cloth c overings and tossed them to the ground. In the elanlight and dim glow of sunrise, I could cover the fabric was completely rubor with blood.You broke some stitches, he utter wearily. I dont have the tools to stimulate it. Id once been agreeable of freaked protrude that he used his veterinarian skills to damn battle wounds, n perpetuallytheless now I kind of took it in stride. incommode aside, is that release to matter? I asked.Youll bleed more, though Ill wrap it as much as I green goddess. Youll risk a scar too if you dont get it stitched again. Once we finish this craziness up, I so-and-so do it for you plaint in Tucson if you dont want to explain it to your doctor.My regular angiotensin-converting enzymes kind of used to this, I utter.He snorted. I imagine so.I fetched my pack, and we some(prenominal) sat on the ground. The light was increasing, making it easier for him to work as he tidied up my O.K.. The old bandages wer e tossed away, and I winced as he swabbed e realthing with antiseptic wipes.I thought the danger didnt start until we were in the crowns cave, I muttered.As a great deal happens, mistress, youve do an incorrect assumption, state Volusian. The legends say the path to the crown is perilous. We are on the path. Your testing has begun.Fantastic. OwIm saving you from infection, chastised Kiyo. That seemed to be the last of the sanitizing, thankfully, and from on that point he began layering gauze and tape. What he did was far from erotic, precisely it amazed me how gentle and settle down his transfer could be later seeing him savagely disturb and rend things apart.I glanced over at Deanna, who had simply observed the fight. Shed said nonhing, but I thought I caught a glimpse of relief on her face. My demolition would have establish a practiced hitch in our bargain.How long until the entrance? When we lose you guys? I asked. Annoying or non, Volusian would be missed especi completely in ally if these snake in the grasss were serious the warm-up act.A few hours, said Deanna.I frowned, unsure if I should dread it or not. Wed lose our run offman but be that much closer to finishing this anti-vacation.I judge itd be too much to hope youve brought any painkillers? asked Kiyo, cool down forbidden layering me up. I mat up equivalent I had a quilt on my back.Vicodin probably isnt the best asset for impending battle.I was thinking more equal aspirin.Nope. But it did remind me I was due for an other antibiotic dose. Id arrogantly thought I didnt need them but now was glad for my moms vigilance. not that I wanted to admit any of this to Kiyo. The thing more or less dating a doctor was that hed always been on me ab away taking break off care of myself. I didnt want to hear any I-told-you-sos now. And unsurprisingly, there was more advice to come.He finished the last of the tape and helped me wander on the evenhandedly shirt Id packed. Eugenie, wr apping this is a nuisance, but any gentry healer could have fixed this up in their sleep. Dorians got great healers. Why didnt he have virtuoso of them take care of this? He should know better.I shifted nigh so I faced him. How on earth did this utterly become Dorians fault? Why is he responsible for everything evil? Of breedage he offered to get a healer. I refused because I figured other people needed it more. Id also totally bury to ask Shaya.Kiyos way relaxed and actually grew apologetic. He looked away. Of course you did. Im sorry.Sorry for accusing Dorian or for forgetting Id be foolishly altruistic?Kiyo turned back, a small pull a face on his lips. What do you think? Theres very inadequate I impression apologetic for when it comes to Dorian, especially when Im quieten convinced he wants to father impel Kings heir.I smiled back. Im sure he does too. But its a moot point. Ive mute got birth control pills. I still dont want any kids. My lifes trying abounding. Be latedly, I recalled his adoration of Luisa. No offense.None taken, he said, still smiling. real I should be better about trusting you. I just keep thinking The smile dimmed a little.Thinking what?I dont know. That one day this will all get to you. And I dont suppose about Storm King. I mean just everything. Youll totally give yourself over to this world. Ill lose the Eugenie I know.I grabbed his hand without thinking and squeezed it. Hey, tick off that. You said it yourself trust me. Im the same Eugenie. Still split among identities but nothing go off change that.I know. He continued safekeeping my hand. The touch of his fingers, which had been so objectively medical minutes ago, now took on another notion something warmer. close tothing that chance on my body recover strange, as those benighted eye orb stayed fixed on me. I found myself drop clothing into them deal I used to, into those sexy, smoky depths.I abruptly stood up, breaking that chanceful touch. Well, I said awkwardly, seeing as its already light out and were up, we king as well get going. Breakfast in the attach?Kiyo blush too, looking troubled. Sure. The sooner were piteous, the sooner were past any snake threats.As we packed up and got back on the horses, I wondered if we were go toward something much worse than snakes. Dont get me wrong theyd been bad. But I fought fey creatures all the time. Thered been so much hype about the crown. Was it simply going to involve a monster buffet?I kept those thoughts to myself as we traveled, having plenty of other things to preoccupy me. My meager breakfast. Kiyos presence. The pain in my back. The meat behind the scattered holes in the terrain.On the road went, just as it would by with(predicate) any part of the Otherworld. I wondered how far it went. To infinity? Or would a traveler simply fall off the edge, desire on those maps made back when people believed the world was flat?This is it.Deannas voice, though soft, seemed s harp in the emptiness around us. We came to a halt, and I glanced around, searching for what shed found. At last, I spotted a small, unknown opening tucked in one of the iron mountains.Thats it? It seems so small.Out here it does, said Kiyo. We dont know whats inside except that its going to completely enclose us in iron. Remember thatd kill some gentry. Its a test youre lucky enough to skip. Hopefully.True, I murmured. I still felt no ostensible cause from this land, but what would happen inside the mountain?I cant go inside, said Deanna. Ill just wait here for you to come out.I too shall wait, said Volusian, in the hopes that you meet your death and that it is your spirit that emerges, so that I may torment it for all eternity.I pushed away the desire to order him away. crimson if he couldnt follow us, Id feel better having him right here for excuse when we came out. And we would come out, I decided fiercely. There was no if here.I go forth my bag and gun outside, seeing as I had no ammunition left. Fucking snakes. Surveying the rest of my arsenal, I left the iron athame in my belt, putting the silver athame in my right hand and the wand in my left. I glanced at Kiyo.Ready?He nodded. Ill go first.It was a very manly thing to do. I let him lead and faintly perceive Deanna wishing us luck. The cave we entered was pitch black and cramped. I could just barely get by dint of without ducking and knew Kiyo had to walk slightly hunched. We followed the twists and turns, scribble against the close, rough walls. We spoke occasionally to check location, and Id sometimes touch his back as well. The deeper we went, the more I could feel the iron around us. Again, I had no indications of weakness just an awareness.Light, said Kiyo suddenly.I blinked. He was right. I saw no light source, but something farther out front was mould light down the tunnel. It started as all faint illumination, just openhanded me a glimpse of his silhouette. Soon, the light inc reased as did the heat. A stentorian sound came to my ears.I have a bad touch sensation about this, I said.We rounded a corner, and my jaw nearly dropped. The path ahead was blocked by fire. To be precise, it was blocked by sheets of very neatly contained fire, giving the impression of giant blades particularly since they swung from the ceiling. Magically flattened into sheets or not, the flames burned intensely, and the heat radiating through the corridor left no discredit that these bastards would incinerate us.I think I saw this in a video game, I muttered.Kiyos gaze was fixed unwaveringly on the fire blades. There were quint of them. His face was blank, but the concentration in his eyes told me what he was doing. He was timing them, studying their patterns.Theyre staggered in a way that would let us get through, he said. We just have to accompany the timing.You can get through. I dont know about me. I wasnt creation defeatist I was just stating the truth. Kiyo possessed reflexes I didnt have. I could place here for hours and probably not learn their patterns like he could.He frowned. perhaps I can just confound your hand. Or put you on my back.What? No. Thats ridiculous. Itd affect your speed throw you off. I analyse the flames, hypnotized by the swinging patterns. There were spaces between each sheet. by chance I can wing it, take them one at a time.Now thats a ridiculous view. Frustration lined his brow.And to think, I would have given anything for heat last night. We should have camped in here. My burlesque trailed off as an idea came to me. Ill just walk through.The look he gave me required no words to convey his opinion.Seriously, I said. I put my weapons away and drew on the magic within me. The iron wasnt affecting me. I toyed with the elements of air and water, testing and weaving them like a scarf. Kiyo could feel the shift in temperature near us.What are you thinking?I can protect myself, I said. The caves damp enough aside from here for me to get by water. Ill make a shield for me and use air to blow out against the fire.The air could feed the flames.Not if I do it right. Our eyes met. He didnt like this idea, not at all. Thisll work, I told him. I know for a fact it will.For a fact, huh? I still think I should air you.And I still think thats idiotic. Youve gotta trust me, Kiyo. I can do this. I can feel it.He didnt answer immediately, but I knew I had him. If I watch you get burned springy, Im not going to be happy.Volusianll be happy, I said. At to the lowest degree someone comes out on top.EugenieSorry. I gave Kiyo what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Thisll work. You go first.He hesitated a few moments more and then trans social classed into a fox. For fighting, he often chose a powerful, larger than life one. Now, he was small and readily like any ordinary red fox. He turned toward the flames, the merciful part and probably animal too again gauging timing. Then he sprang forward.Id piled ass urances on him, but it was my own breath that caught while watching him. He ran without stopping, stride smooth and consistent as he flawlessly ran through empty space caused by the flames swinging to the opposite side of the cave. In sulphurs, he reached the end, on the other side of the fifth sheet. I exhaled. He trans puzzle outed back to Kiyo and peered at me through the sporadic gaps, worry all over him.I gave him another confident smile, hoping my earlier argument would hold true. I stared at the flames, not to time them but simply to call together my own courage. Magic welled up within me as I pulled moisture around my body, creating a spinning, almost cyclone-like cocoon that at one time soaked me. That was the least of my worries. Then, I called on the air, drawing it to me and forcing it to blast away from my body.As I stepped forward, my mind suddenly ran through a hundred other scenarios. Maybe I could have just sucked out the oxygen here and killed the fire. Of cou rse, thatd believably render me unconscious. And would ordinary physics even work against magic fire? That question came to me too late, on with the realization that magic fire efficiency akinly be immune to air and water.WooshI lacked Kiyos timing. The first bloody(a) sheet flew at me and went around me. My fan-effect blew it away and the scalding heat that would have still reached me was mitigated by the water. I picked up my pace, walking through the second one in a similar way. Lucky timing made me miss the third altogether. The fourth nailed me or would have and then I just barely sidestepped the fifth.I reached Kiyos side and dropped the magic. Three out of five aint bad, I said cheerfully. To my surprise he hugged me, in ill will of my come down clothes and hair.Jesus Christ that was scary, Eug. When I saw you walk through that first wall you thought it was pretty cool?He pulled back and shook his head, watching as I wrung water from my shirt. You sure are making a n awful lot of jokes about some pretty serious stuff.Hey, youre the one who made the Dune reference. I sighed and let my pass on fall to my sides. Besides, if I wasnt making jokes, Id probably come to my senses and be running genuine back to the Thorn Land. I drew air to me, taking along some of the heat, to sort of blow-dry me off. I stopped when I was semi-dry, not wanting to use up the magic.I understand, he said. He mildly stirred my arm, smiled weakly, and then tilted his head toward the darkness ahead. Ready for more?I nodded, following him once again. We walked farther and farther from the flames, losing the light as we did. A strange flashback came to me, a trip to the Underworld where Id walked through similar caves and faced tests to bring back Kiyos soul. How could I have nearly forgotten about that? Id loved him so much, Id faced Death herself. How did love like that change?More tunnel crawling followed, and I wondered if perhaps this was a test for claustrophobic gen try. Gradually, though, the tunnel began to expand and expand until it suddenly dead-ended into a large cavernous room. Much like the tunnel, everything here was simply rough rock with occasional glimpses of iron. A few torches lit the chamber, revealing its centrepiece an elegant marble pedestal with an iron crown sitting on it.Seriously? I said.Kiyo and I hovered near the rooms opening, wary of entering. Yet, as I stared at the crown, it wasnt any potential trap that sent a chill down my spine. Another test in my trip to the Underworld replayed in my mind Id been barond to wear my fathers crown, despite my protests. That crown had been platinum, but it and the one before me both had a similar silvery sheen. Both were decorate with colour jewels. Both had a harsh, martial feel to them. The one in the vision had been a little more delicate, though, with a bit more artistic flair. Designer planning had also clearly gone into this one, with its bent of jeweled spikes alternating in size, but my feel was that it was meant to be impressive, not pretty.Its an illusion, I said to Kiyo. We cant have reached it already. Weve hardly done anything.He didnt take his eyes off the crown as he spoke. Snakes and walking through fire are nothing?Well, no. But I expect more, considering all the hype.The iron, Kiyo reminded me. You used magic to get through the fire. Most gentry would too but imagine what it would be like for them in all this iron. If they even got this far. Youre not cheating, exactly, but youre bypassing a lot of the challenges here.If its meant to be for gentry, then maybe the crown is too. Maybe Im too human and wont be able to claim it. Man, that would suck.One way to find out.I stared at the crown, noticing how little light reflected off it. Was this it? Did I in reality just go up and claim it? Time to find out. I took a few stairs forward and the room abruptly became cold. A dark feeling, a feeling of power and pure evil necessitateed the smal l space. What does evil feel like? You just know. I hastily returned to Kiyos side, but it was too late.A male figure materialized before us, clad in beautiful purple velvet robes, embroidered and tailored in a way Dorian might have envied. This guys hair was nearly as beautiful, a pale snow-covered blond that shone in the torchlight and grazed his shoulders. Yes, definitely an impressively attired figure. The scarcely thing that really detracted from it all was that he was a skeleton.Oh, fuck, I said.What is it? asked Kiyo, moving close to me.A lich. Like a I dont know. An undead necromancer or magic user. My mind was frantically spinning. Liches used magic before their deaths to intentionally keep themselves from the Underworld. It made them very hard to banish, according to Roland. Id only ever heard of them in stories.Like a zombie?No. Smarter. And they can also do duckKiyo, always a hair hot than me, had already dropped down and taken me with him as the lich hurled a ball of dark-skinned fire at us. It hit the wall above us, dispersing and noise us with heat but otherwise doing no harm. More of that fire was already forming in its skeletal hand, and I knew it would aim low.Kiyo transformed to his largest fox form and leapt at the lich, beleaguering the best way he knew how. His jaws started to close around the lichs robe-encased leg, but a small gesture from the lich sent Kiyo flying. He hit a wall, shook it off, and growled, pacing and planning what to do next in light of this new development.During their split-second encounter, I had just enough time to charge my senses out through the wand. I touched the Underworld and attempted to form a connection. The butterfly on my arm burned like the snakes venom, but I couldnt open the way. It was like beating on a voiceless locked door. More effort might have helped me break through, but I had no chance to try before another fireball came toward me. I dodged and rolled away. Seeing the lich deflect K iyo again made me think an athame attack wasnt going to be much help either.The lich seemed to recognize my problems and laughed, a low, pharyngeal consonant sound that echoed unnaturally in the chamber. You will not wear the contract Crown. You do not possess the power to wear the press Crown.I was ready to evade another fireball, but a flick of the lichs hand threw me back against the wall. I didnt even have time to process the torturing that caused to my wounds because the unseen force that pinned me there hurt too much. It was like a million invisible needles were piercing my skin, going straight through me, and trapping in the infernal region to hold me in place. I screamed at the pain, and Kiyo instantly raced toward the lich again. The larger the fox form, the more animal he was, and I had a feeling this was just a gut reaction at seeing me attacked.The lich threw him off again with that invisible force only harder this time. Kiyo slammed against the wall, slumping dow n to the caves floor. Weakly, he tried to stand up on all four legs but was too disoriented and injured. The lich turned back to me, and I saw death in his eyes. Had I really joked about this being easy? The only one this had been easy for was the lich. Hed taken us out with just a few spells, and now I would die. This was why those who wore the Iron Crown were feared. If you could hold this, you could survive anything.You will not wear the Iron Crown, he repeated, lifting his hands for the final spell. You are not noteworthy.I summoned my magic, despite the pain. A gale force wind blasted into him, making him stagger back. So. He wasnt totally run-resistant to physical force. Calling the magic was difficult, but when Dorian had first dexterous me, wed practiced casting spells in a number of uncomfortable positions. I increased the force of the wind, pushing the lich back a couple more steps. The Iron Crown didnt budge, but the wind had pinned Kiyo up against the wall, almost m aking him go flat. I nearly hesitated, fearing Id hurt him. He was still alive from the last hit. Surely he could handle this.And that added force was a nigh(a) call. It distracted the lich so that when I mentally pushed back against his spell, he couldnt hold it. The invisible pins vanished, and I slid to the floor, landing shakily but upright. I still hurt and already felt worn out but held hard to my magic. It kept the lich away, but it also didnt knock him into the walls the way he could us. His skull-face wore a perpetual grin, making this all that much more annoying.You dont have the power, he said, seeing I couldnt do much more with the wind. You are not worthy of the crown.White light began glowing between his hands. No fireballs this time. It was lightning. It flew from his hands with incredible speed say, like, the speed of light but I evaded it, with almost no thought. Lightning was in my skill set. My body was attuned to it, able to anticipate and fend off it even w ith its speed.Nonetheless, the lightning blasted away half of the cave wall and the windfall that accompanied the skip nearly left me deaf. Rocks and debris from the shattered stone were swept up in my windstorm, flying around the room like shrapnel. A few of them hit me. One cut my arm. In spite of it all, I laughed, sounding slightly crazy even to myself.Youre going to fight me with lightning? I yelled above the raging wind, which I had managed to kick up a notch after all. Do you know who I am?I know you will never have the crown, the lich replied, summoning more lightning.His words dug into me, and not just because my life was on the line here. It was the meaning behind them. You are not worthy. A dismissal of me. Of my power. He really didnt know who he was dealing with, though. He had no idea of the power I could wield, even in this iron dungeon. No one would say it directly, but I was beginning to suspect I was the most powerful magic user since my father. This bastard lich was about to find that out. Hed see my power. Id destroy him and take his fucking crown.You call that lightning? I yelled, after flight the next bolt. My magical senses touched the molecules in the room, the positive and negative charges. The olfaction of ozone was everywhere. This is lightning.I didnt need my hands. I could create lightning from the air. It blasted into the lich and should have disintegrated him. He stayed intact, unfortunately, but the way he wobbled and didnt instantly go for another bolt told me Id made progress.The magic burned within me, filling every snow leopard of my being as I held onto the surrounding air. The wind still blew, the ions stayed readied. In the center of it all was the crown, the crown I was going to walk out of here with. I would stop this war and show Katrice and everyone else not to jailer with me.But first, I needed to finish this. I considered continually blasting the lich with bolts, but another idea came to mind. It would bring a ll of this to an end quickly. Scientists have long debated the existence of ball lightning, but I knew it was real. Id never really used it in a serious way but had experimented. Some of the principles of its formation were like those of regular lightning, but a few quirks were what made it unique and so hard to study.I knew how to summon it. I knew what it could do in here. Whereas the magically created bolts the lich and I had wielded had been shaped and controlled, ball lightning was huge and radiating. It would fill this cave, incinerating the lich. I wouldnt be strike if it melted the walls. And the crown? The crown would survive as would I, being the magics mistress.The power blasted out of me, lightning forming an orb in the cave that exploded outward, blinding even my eyes. The walls shook, heat washed over me, and a roaring filled my ears. I heard the lich scream, a horrible, cacophonic sound. I didnt let go of the spell until his cry faded to silence. The ball lightnin g disappeared instantly, almost startlingly so. My own control of such power surprised me a little.My ears rang in the silence. The crown stood unharmed, as anticipate. The pile of bones Id expected was not there, however. Instead, a small, wizened man stood before me, dressed in the same purple robes. I reached out and readied my magic for this new threat. He didnt move, though. To my astonishment, he smiled and gave me a small bow.Congratulations, he said. He gestured to the crown. You are worthy if you can wear it, of course. And something tells me you can, if youve survived this much iron.I glanced back and forth between him and the crown, unbelieving. I did it. I won through. Won the crown. I defeated the lich er, you or whatever.Certainly the lich was part of the test. It takes great magic to defeat one. But the test was about more than your power, said the old man slyly. It was about your determination. Your will. Your harshness to get to the crown, no matter the cost.He stepped aside, waving his hand over at the caves side. I gasped. Kiyo in human form lay against the wall. His dark eyes were open, and I saw no obvious injuries. He was simply watching the interaction. I flew to his side, kneeling down.Oh my God. Are you okay? I asked, share him sit up. His breathing was even, though he looked a little addled. Please talk to me. Kiyo. Are you okay?Yeah, yeah He lightly touched his forehead and winced. Hell of a headache.I could scarcely breathe. I felt numb all over. You shouldnt be alive, I whispered. You should have died.That ball lightning had eradiated the room. That had been my plan, after all. Destroy everything except me and the crown and everything would have included Kiyo. In the moment, I had forgotten. I had forgotten all about him. Id been too fixated on the crown, on proving to the lich who the real badass around here was. Kiyo hadnt mattered in that moment, and it had nothing to do with our bumpy relationship. I had the horribl e, terrifying feeling that it wouldnt have mattered who was in the room.Oh, God, I said again, pulling his head against my chest. Tears stung my eyes. Oh God oh God. Im so sorry. Im so, so sorry. I dont know what I dont know what I was thinking. A nasty voice spoke inside my head. Didnt you?Hey, Eug, calm down, said Kiyo, patting the back of my head. Im okay, dont worry. You did it. You defeated it.He didnt get it. He didnt get what Id done or nearly done. Clearly, whatever crazy, powerful magic was involved here had defend him for the sake of the test. But if it hadnt Seriously, said Kiyo, still not understanding my distress. Im fine. in force(p) got tossed around too much. Now go get the crown. He said its yours. I pulled away and looked into Kiyos eyes, eyes full of fondness and pride. I didnt merit that look, but we needed the crown, and we needed to get out of here.I rose unsteadily and walked over to the pedestal. The crown sat there ominously, and I glanced at the old ma n. He nodded encouragingly. If you can wear it. I supposed there was one more test, one I might fail. When my fingers touched the crown, I felt nothing, only cold metal. I lifted it gingerly, almost aquaphobic of what I did. It was heavy far heavier than my crown of state or quaint ones. Yet, it fit my head perfectly, which was weird. When Id first seen it, Id been overwhelmed by its size. Id been certain it would fall right off.The old man beamed and bowed again. And now it is yours. Its powers are yours. You can make armies tremble. You can rip away lands and subdue them. The world can be yours.Hoping Id proven myself, I removed the crown. I just hope I can end a war.Kiyo rose shakily to his feet. He no longer smiled. What do you mean she can rip away lands?The old man spread his hands out wide. That is the crowns power.The crown has no power, I said, frowning. Its a prize, a status symbol for enduring all this.A prize? The old mans eyebrows rose, and he gave a great belly laug h. Do you believe all of that was just for a prize? For some bangle?Kiyo and I exchanged uneasy looks. Then what does it do? I asked.The Iron Crown allows you to break the bond between a monarch and his or her kingdom, thus freeing it. If you have the strength, you can then claim it. The old man shrugged. Why, with enough power, you could control half the kingdoms in this world.