Looming Shadow: Journey to Chaos book 2 by Brian Wilkerson Read Free Book Online

the
mountain and inside a tent, Kallen thawed her arm with a thermal spell. Abyss
take that elemental... If I wasn't so tired, I – She hissed as her
arm regained circulation. At least I'm awake now.
     For hours, she
wandered, looking for new specimens. This was the last day; her last chance. If
she didn't find what she was looking for, her presentation would be incomplete,
and she would be scrutinized by other researchers and heckled off the stage.
Then she ran into that elemental and incurred its wrath. She didn't notice the
spell until it impacted on her arm. She would have loved to fight it, but she
was in no shape for such a battle. She barely got away.
    Once her arm finally
thawed, she shook it a few times. Suddenly, she was breathless and lightheaded.
She grabbed a bottle of Mana Juice and shook the top over her mouth. Only a
drop touched her tongue. It was just enough to remind her how much mana she'd
lost. A part of her said she was over-extending herself: not enough sleep, not
enough food. Her hands were aching and the cold made it worse. I can do
this! She clapped her hands and pulled her crystal from within herself. The
orange light within shined alongside the grey. I have the power!
    She left her tent and
saw someone standing about eighteen feet away. The sight was such a morale
booster that she laughed. It was an avian woman – tall and very pale with
purple hair, purple eyes, and white-blue earflaps. She cloaked herself with a
pair of wings resembling a snowdrift and about her waist twisted a water eel
glowing with divinity. She raised a taloned hand and beckoned. Kallen took one step
forward and, all at once, the world changed.
    The wind grew stronger,
the snow grew deeper, and the cold penetrated to Kallen's soul. Snowflakes
deliberately blew in her eyes and the chill made them sting. A gust came out of
nowhere and nailed her in the gut. Kallen gasped and fell backwards into the
snow's cold embrace.
     Gritting her teeth,
she clapped her hands and drew them apart to reveal a staff. It was made of
white rowan, had a pommel stone at the butt, and a head shaped like a crescent
moon lying on its side. Inside the arch, her crystal was attached with amber
sap. Two lights glowed from within. She jammed it into the snow and pulled
herself up until she walked above the snow. Brandishing her staff like a plow
and forming a barrier of light at its tip, she pushed forwards.
    The pale woman stood in
the distance, staring impassively at the struggling human. She was as far away
as ever and getting further with each step Kallen took. Snow and ice obscured
her from view.
    With a deep and chilly
breath, Kallen shouted, “Snow's Tool! I want your power!”
     Tehehe, foolish
child, a silky cold voice said in Kallen's mind. You cannot handle my
power.
    “I can take anything
you've got!”
    Hail the size of
boulders fell from the sky. Kallen pointed her barrier at the assault and
braced herself. It pounded on her barrier like the bolts of an army. Each one
cracked it until one finally shattered it. She fell to her hands and knees and
the last boulder struck the ground behind her. It completed the circle the
others made as they recoiled off her barrier. As one, they grew into
full-length mirrors. See yourself and despair. Kallen looked up and her
knuckles turned white: a chimera stared back at her. She looked away, eyes
stinging, and came face to face with another mirror: herself bullying a younger
girl. She shut her eyes and plunged her head into the snow.
    Behold the power you
seek. Show me someone worthy of it.
    The cold and silky
voice was accompanied by one deep and rumbling. Kallen stared wide-eyed at the
power rushing towards her. A mountain's worth of snow bore down on her.
    When Eric heard the
avalanche, he turned around and ran away. Winged Feet gave him just enough
speed to stay ahead of cold, crushing death, but his spell was flawed. It
improved his lungs and legs but didn't account for cold air. Each breath