Chapter 110: Frost Walker Magic
"Fountain. Flow. As I will," Hauke intoned, his iridescent horn glowing with a brilliant blue aura.
What happened next was a demonstration of sorcery almost as impressive and exquisite as the mist raven that Nyrielle had conjured when Ashlynn began learning sorcery. A thin rivulet of crystal clear water rose up from the hole in the ice like a serpent, tentatively looking around before becoming thicker and flowing in a circle around the young Frost Walker.
"Amazing," Andrus breathed, his hazel eyes wide with wonder. Despite Hauke’s warning to stand clear, he edged closer to watch, reminding Ashlynn of an excited child at a festival performance. "I’ve seen Sir Thane shape the mists in the vale, but this is..."
"Mind your position," Virve said, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder and gently pulling him back to a safer distance. Even as she spoke, she found it difficult to keep her focus on their surroundings while Hauke demonstrated his sorcery.
Compared to the humble blocks of ice she’d seen other Frost Walkers conjure in the past, the scale of Hauke’s work alone was enough to take her breath away to say nothing for how skillfully he guided the water into the shape he wanted.
"Frozen. Dome," he intoned once the water began to flow rapidly. The color of his horn’s aura shifted, brilliant white mixing with the deep blue as the water began to freeze, building up layer by layer until it formed a large dome more than twenty feet across and ten feet tall at the center. The ice was so thick and frosted in texture that Ashlynn couldn’t see more than a vague shadow of Hauke’s figure within the dome.
"Lady Ashlynn," Andrus whispered excitedly as the dome took shape, "do you think you could learn to do this in the Vale? If you could freeze the mists solid in a dome like this, I bet you could trap Lothian soldiers under it or..."
"Don’t forget yourself, little one," Virve hissed, placing a hand on Andrus’ shoulder and squeezing firmly. "We’re here to protect Lady Ashlynn. If you can’t remember your duty, you won’t be allowed to serve as her guard again."
"It’s fine," Ashlynn said softly, never taking her eyes off the glittering dome of ice. "I would forget my place too the first time I saw something this impressive." Thankfully, the first time she’d seen sorcery on a large scale had been with Nyrielle who enjoyed seeing Ashlynn become absorbed in the sight of her magic, but she could understand how mesmerizing a powerful demonstration could be.