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uddenly, Alanna turned her back on Ranko urgently. Kishi had seen enough. The big cat was fairly certain the Warrior of the River was not supposed to be attacking her friends like this, and he had crept close enough to the battle to interfere. Alanna wasn’t used to being on the defensive, and she also wasn’t fully prepared for a second opponent. The big cat lunged and Alanna darted back. Kishi roared and inhaled a growl, batting at the Quarterseeker with an enormous paw. He backed away to avoid Alanna’s threatening weapon.

Kishi hissed, and his whiskers bristled as he bared his fangs. He slunk sideways and growled, whipping his tail back and forth. He didn’t want to hurt Alanna, but at the same time Shannon’s pet knew instinctively that Ranko had reached her limit, and a standoff, especially here, would be more dangerous than the fight itself.

The Warrior of the River anticipated Ranko’s next action so flawlessly that against a lesser opponent, Alanna’s choice of defensive moves would have been both devastating and decisive. She dropped and turned, and Ranko’s hammer thrust missed her completely.

Had the Crimson Champion failed to set her feet correctly, Alanna’s attack would have torn her feet out from under her. As it was, the Warrior of the River’s sweeping leg slammed into the solid metal greaves hard enough to make Ranko wince, but her balance was not broken. The Winterdancer recklessly turned opposite and swung wildly at Ranko’s head with her fighting staff once again, but the Warrior of the Storms ducked and solidly gained the initiative. A strong thrust of Thundercaller crashed against Alanna’s shoulder and knocked her back. Kishi moved away, since his only attack options against an off-balance opponent would likely have injured Alanna.

The Winterdancer dove to one side as the Warrior of the Night suddenly appeared behind her. Alanna only had time to take one step in retreat before Shannon’s snare snagged her sandaled foot. The Warrior of the River pitched forward, landing on her arms with a grunt. The Huntress pulled the snare tight as the Quarterseeker rolled just out of Alanna’s reach.

“Alanna, listen…” Ranko said with some effort through the pain in her side. The Winterdancer hid her face in her hands and suddenly her entire body was encased in bluish solid ice! Both of the other girls jumped back as the ice shattered along with Shannon’s snare.

Alanna flipped feet-first over her staff and cartwheeled back into a defensive position facing all three of her opponents. Ranko grinned. Somehow, she thought, The Boss got all the cool moves in this Ajan Warrior deal.

“You stay back!” Alanna snapped, her eyes darting back and forth among the two girls and the huge cat. “I’m through playing with you. The next one of you that tries anything is going to get hurt!”

Ranko coughed again. The pain in her side was getting worse. She started to wonder if the Quarterseeker had done more damage than she thought.

“Alanna, we’re not going to hurt you,” Ranko said in a strained voice. “It’s us! Shannon, Cici and Ranko!”

Alanna hesitated for a moment. Their voices sounded so sincere, but that’s what she thought the first time too.

“Whatever you say, minion,” Alanna replied in a hostile tone. Ranko’s eyebrows rose. That was it!

Alanna thinks we’re illusions! She thinks we’re Jarthius’ minions disguised as her friends! Ranko thought for a moment. But how do we prove we’re who we say we are?

Then her mind clicked.

“I’ll prove it. Ask us a question about band,” Ranko said.

Alanna’s expression blanched. How could our enemies know we’re in marching band together?

“How many bass drums in a field percussion formation?” Alanna asked, still maintaining her defensive stance.

“Five,” Ranko smiled.

Alanna blinked. Sai Jarthius might be able to use dark magic to make fiendish creatures look like Alanna’s friends, but he certainly didn’t know how to march percussion in a halftime show.

“You better not be messing with me,” Alanna said as she relaxed her defenses.

“Believe me,” Ranko coughed as she hunched over holding her side. She moved towards a spot near where Cici was sound asleep next to her Lantern. “I’ve had enough Snow Girl fighting for one day.”

Continue to Chapter Ten

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he Warrior of the Rocks finally reached her Lantern after scrambling off the small platform of ice Alanna had conjured under her feet. She gathered the handle in both hands and stood up just as Ranko managed to get far enough away to avoid Alanna’s relentless offense.

The Winterdancer heard Cici’s voice and turned to face the new attack. Alanna began to move her hand in a circle before her as if brushing raindrops from a window.

Cici’s teeth chattered in the sudden chilly breeze, but she persisted long enough to call upon the power of the Chronicler’s Lantern. Her right eye flashed brilliantly and the light from all eight lenses shifted to a deep, luxurious violet color.

“By th-the power of the Crystal T-T-Terrane! The Amethyst L-L-Lens of S-S-Sleep…”

The Warrior of the Rocks shivered as she stared at her own reflection. She realized too late that the mirror-like disc of ice Alanna had conjured in mid-air between them would protect the Winterdancer from the Lantern’s attack.

As the soft purple cloud surrounded her, she also realized the same disc of ice had reflected Cici’s sleep spell back at her! Her eyelids suddenly became so heavy she could scarcely stand. If she could just call upon the Emerald Lens, she could heal… stay awake…

The Warrior of the Rocks sat with her Lantern in front of her and yawned mightily, then fell over and drifted into unconsciousness as she exhaled the word “Emerald” too quietly to summon the power of the Green Lens of Life.

“Hey! Snow Girl!”

Alanna snapped back to face her only remaining opponent. This time, however, there was no hesitancy in Ranko’s bearing or determination. The Warrior of the Storms’ attitude had changed completely. Before, she was fighting to save her friend. Now Ranko was fighting to win.

The Crimson Champion slid her helmet back on and brandished her warhammer before quickly approaching the battle again. Her heavy plate greaves clanked against the hard-packed Earth and visible arcs of electrical energy began to circle the head of Thundercaller.

The Warrior of the River charged, sprinting a half-dozen steps before cartwheeling into a series of hand-over-hand spinning flips. Ranko timed her parry perfectly. Alanna somersaulted forward and brought her weapon down in a blinding-fast power strike, the Quarterseeker and Thundercaller slammed against each other, violently blasting pieces of ice and discharges of lighting in all directions.

This time, however, the Warrior of the Storms had the initiative and the balance to counter. She drove the flat edge of her warhammer’s head down, narrowly missing Alanna’s dodging right foot. The impact of the hammer disrupted the rocky ground and a tremor shook the Earth.

The Winterdancer flipped backwards to avoid the explosion of sonic energy, and a deep rumbling sound echoed under the ground. Pieces of clay and broken rock showered both of the combatants as the Warrior of the River landed lightly, spinning her staff and snapping it into both hands behind her back. Alanna knew that the Warrior of the Storms was like a block of iron when she fought defensively. She would have to find a way to get her opponent off balance again.

Continue to Chapter Nine