I shivered and pulled my cloak tighter around my shoulders as I approached the city walls of Iota. The early morning air wisped itself annoyingly around my ears and my hair. I traveled by the waning light of the moon; the sun had yet to rise.

The city of Iota was known for its beauty and ancient architecture. It had been built gracefully around the great Lake Iota. The lake was fed by an underground spring, which in turn fed the Epsilon and Omicron Rivers. The lake was vast; if you stood on the shore, you could hardly see the opposite shoreline. The wall that enclosed the city was as old as time; it was one of the oldest structures in Layrucia.

All the great intellectuals in history came from Iota. It was the center of all things smart and clever. I had gone to school there a few years back. I had been surrounded for months by geniuses, books, and all things uncomfortable for me. I wasn't built to be a genius. Still, I had enjoyed it. It's always nice to get away from the familiar once in a while.

I rode up to the main gate; two great doors that went twenty-five feet up into the sky and eighteen feet across. They were so heavy and solidly made that it took ten men to push them open and closed. They hung on large bronze hinges. Well, if you could call such a craft hinges. Engraved onto them were pictures that told stories that had been lost in time.

The gate had already been opened. I rode into the city and into the nearest stable. I called out and a young boy answered.

"Would you like me to care for your horse, sir?" he asked me.

"Yes, the best you can."

I dismounted and handed him the reigns. The boy looked up into my face; then his eyes widened with recognition.

"You - you are General Zano!" he exclaimed. "I'm gonna get my boss!"

He turned to run. I grabbed his wrist.

"Hold up kid," I said quietly, "I'm trying to keep a low profile. Tell me, though. I thought this place had been besieged."

"It was a hit - and - run, sir. As soon as they saw that they couldn't take our wall down, they retreated."

"Who's in charge around here?"

"A woman named Genevieve."

Of course. She was the Chancellor in charge of this region.

"Where can I find her?"

The boy frowned.

"Probably by the Lake," he answered. "She likes going down there first thing in the morning with her council."

I nodded and dropped a few coins into his hand.

"I'll come to get old Trailblazer soon," I told him, giving my horse a loving pat.

I turned to leave.

"Excuse me," the boy said timidly. "But is it true, what they say about you - about the fire?"

I looked at him, then surveyed the room. It was filled with lit torches except one. I snapped my fingers. Flames lit at my fingertips. I lit the torch, the boy's eyes were wide as he watched me. I winked.

"See ya, kid," I said, then left.

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *   

I walked through the city with a hood on so as not to attract attention. The people were beginning to wake up and go about their daily work. The sky was faintly tinted pink with the coming light. I still was able to slip by everyone without so much as a hello. I came to a place that was secluded by the water's edge. The air smelled sweet and fresh, different from the salty air that I was used to. I started to bend to touch the water.

"Beautiful morning, isn't it?" a woman's voice said behind me.

I stood up quickly and whirled around. The woman held a torch; the light danced off her snapping brown eyes. She smiled slyly.

"Uh, yeah," I said disconcertingly, wiping my face with the edge of my cloak.

"Are you looking for something?" she asked sweetly.

"Oh, well, I was looking for the Chancellor of Iota," I replied, regaining my composure.

"Ah yes. Chancellor Genevieve. I know where she is, she isn't far. Come, I'll show you."

We walked along Iota's edge. I was starting to be able to make out my surroundings a bit better. There were many green plants around, and the smell of early spring flowers reached my nose. I tried to get a better look at the woman ahead of me, but it was still too dark to see her very well.

I was again conscious of the persistent chill in the air.

"The Chancellor is just ahead," the woman told me.

We came to a pier - like structure. On it stood about twelve people, all talking in low voices. The woman who guided me handed me her torch, bowed, and stood to the side. I lowered my hood and stepped forward.

"Chancellor Genevieve!" I called out.

The talking ceased.

"Who's askin'?" a man called back.

"General Zano Etheron!" I answered.

A second later, a woman stepped forward.

"I am the Chancellor," she said. I knew it; I had seen her plenty of times before.I walked to her and bowed in respect.

"What brings you here, General Etheron?" she inquired.

I could make out her face; a pretty woman in her mid - thirties, tall, dignified.

Very much like Zipporah, I thought.

"I came on authority of her Majesty," I answered. "I came to... to..."

I blinked as the first rays of sunlight reached my eyes. I glanced out across the lake, then looked back out again, closer, not believing what I saw. I walked past Genevieve and the group on the pier. The sun broke out from behind the horizon; the bright light glinted on the water. But - it wasn't water. I stood on the edge of the pier and stared out.

Lake Iota was completely frozen over.

"How long has it been like this?" I asked.

"A day or two."

Genevieve and my guide stood on either side of me.

"It doesn't make any sense," she continued. "It hasn't snowed; nor does it ever snow here. It was just - frozen. Like it was frozen by some unnatural source."

I didn't answer. My guide glanced at me.

"Do you know of something like that, General?" she asked me.

I shook my head slightly.

"I know a girl," I muttered, and jumped down onto the ice.

I stomped my foot here and there. My heavy boots barely scratched the surface. I took the Hammer of Fire off my back. I turned it around in my hand. It ignited with flames. Murmurs arose from the group on the pier. I gave a few slight swings, then slammed down on the ice with all my might.

Bong!

The collision created a loud and low noise that vibrated in my bones. Fire proceeded outward from me in a billowing semi - circle, and stopped about fifty feet away. The Hammer dropped with a thud as I gripped my aching wrists. I took a look at the ice I had hit, but I saw no change whatsoever. I sighed, picked up the Hammer, and rejoined the Chancellor on the shore. Genevieve couldn't speak. I studied her face.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

She looked disconcerted and looked at me like I was some dark creature from the woods. With a glance over her shoulder I saw that the council was uneasy.

"I - I thought it was just a rumor," she stammered.

"Huh? Oh that," I said, finally realizing. "No, it's not a rumor."

"But how?"

"No idea, really. I was just born with the ability, I guess."

She blinked and gazed out across the lake.

"But that means the stories from my childhood are true," she murmured. "That means -"

She looked back at me with wide eyes as the sudden realization and fear consumed her.

"War is coming," she whispered. "Not a normal war. A destructive war of conflicting - powers."

I nodded. I knew we were going into a war;and admittedly it was a war I wasn't sure we would be able to win. But I saw the distress on the Chancellor's face. I saw the terror in the faces of the council, even if only for a minute. They knew what was coming too; most likely better than I did. I knew I had to be strong for them, to show them that we had a chance. I searched for something to say.

"Yes, war is coming, "I said confidently. "but our job as leaders of the country is to protect our own."

I now addressed the group around me.

"We as leaders must always stay alert and have clear minds. We must not let distress keep us down. And we must always remember what we are fighting for. Layrucians, when you think of the war, think of this."

I swept my arm across the beautiful city of Iota. We could hear the bustle of life coming from the streets. The birds chirped sweetly; the air smelled fresh.The golden light from the sun was bathing the walls in its glorious array. The group smiled as they gazed up at their homes and the pride of our land was evident.

"Of course," my guide said, "we must not forget our inferiority to the North, General."

"We are not inferior to the North, we just haven't woken up to our opponent yet."

I swung the Hammer and put it on my back.

"But we're waking up," I continued. "one province at a time. And now it is the time to fight back. Alright Chancellor. Where am I going?"

She thought to herself for a moment. Then she pointed to the west.

"There are caverns carved deep into the mountains over there," she said, then frowned. "Be careful, though. There's something down there. Something powerful."

I bowed.

"I'm on it," I assured her.

The Chancellor and her council bowed.

"We must go," Genevieve said. "I must go and assure the people that everything is under control. And I trust I'll see you again, General Etheron."

They walked off toward Iota City, leaving me alone with my guide.

"So you will go down there alone?" she asked me.

I finally got a good look at her. Her pale skin was strikingly set off by her long black hair and dark eyes.She was tall and slim; beautiful but...

But what? I thought. I wasn't sure.

"Yeah... sorry, what did you say your name was?"

She smiled.

"I'm Azariah," she replied.

She bowed slightly. I followed suit.

"Good luck, General," she said, and began to walk after the council.

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *   

  It was even colder by the caverns than it was by the lake. I pulled my cloak closer to my neck as I stood by a great door that  was built into the mountain face. The hinges were frozen over. I touched it with my fingers and the ice melted instantly. I shoved it open. It gave out a loud, disdainful creak. Cold air rushed out; a sharp, biting, fresh wind that shouldn't have been coming out of a cavern that hadn't been opened in a long time. I lit a fire in the palm of my hand and cautiously stepped in. The wind blew up in my face and slammed the door shut. I whirled around.

"Okay, that's not creepy at all."

I turned slowly and walked on. Using the Hammer as a torch, I examined the walls, which were all frozen over. I walked along a great tunnel, that eventually let out to a great open room, lined with icicles. It was bright in there, which was strange. There was no place for the sun to shine through. It was beautiful, in a way, all shimmery and light. Not to mention almost unbearably cold. If it weren't for the Hammer's fire it would be too cold to be there. There was also a sense of... power. I stood still. Yes, power. It conflicted with mine, but also felt somewhat unified with it. My power felt paled in its presence. I  eventually noticed a small opening in the wall. I crawled through it. It was a small chamber that was completely empty.

Well, almost.

In the direct center of the room, sitting on a pedestal, stood a crystal. It was white; the purest white possible, like a great field of snow that was never touched by human hands. I could feel power emanating from it, making the power within me almost feel nonexistent. I almost couldn't breathe. I had found the problem of the frozen water. But I also had no idea what it was. It sort of reminded me of a girl I had met  a while back...

I reached out my hand to try to take it. The Crystal glowed, then shot freezing fragments of ice at me. I fell to the floor as it flew past me and collided into the wall. Before I could think, it struck again. I rolled away. I pressed my back against an icicle coming out of the ground. I could almost feel it searching for me. I closed my eyes.

"Think, think," I kept telling myself.

Running out from behind my protection, I made myself obvious. It honed in, then shot another freezing blast. I slammed my fists up in the air, creating a fiery dome around myself. The ice clashed into it - I was barely strong enough to block it - then it stopped abruptly. The power's presence went from unbearably strong to a soft, steady pulse. I felt my own power creep back to normal. Strange. There had never really been reason to notice a difference, but now I knew that my power could, in fact, be strong one moment and weak the next.

  Cautiously I approached the crystal, waiting for another attack, but none came. I reached out to touch it, thought twice, then pulled on a leather riding glove. Holding the stone in my hand, I could still feel power. What was it?

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *   

"General Zano! General Zano!"

I was standing outside the caverns when the stable boy ran up to me, leading my horse Trailblazer.

"What is it?" I asked him."

Big news sir. Big news!'' he said excitedly. "First, Lake Iota has thawed, and the water is flowing again."

"Really? Do you know if the Chancellor has been informed?"

"Yes sir. In fact, she sent me to give you your horse so that I could tell you."

"Thank you; what was the other thing?"

"The volcano, Mount Perilous, is on the verge of exploding. The news just came in."

thought for a moment. I could feel the Crystal in my pocket; I knew it would be powerful enough to stop the volcano.

"Thanks, kid," I said. I mounted Trailblazer and rode off toward Santilon.

*    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *   

When I arrived at the foot of Mount Perilous, I was coughing over the ashes and smoke. The volcano was belching out black clouds that darkened the sky. I knew I had to get to the top quickly. But how to get past the smoke...

Suddenly, I could feel cold air starting to circle around me. The ashes started to move away from me; I could feel the Crystal in my pocket starting to get colder.

The Crystal was protecting me.

I pulled my cloak back over my head and started the trek up Mount Perilous.