Thunder roared, frost raged, and storms howled!
Three elemental powers erupted at once, shaking the entire platform. The ordinary soldiers staggered backward under the terrifying pressure. Several who failed to dodge were almost riddled with flying icicles-fortunately, the Great Serpent swung its tail over in time, shielding them with its body.
Tarnished narrowed his eyes as he studied the three warriors.
All three wore finely crafted armor and wielded identical Horned Warrior's Great Curved Swords-rugged weapons with a primal beauty, their blades covered in intricate runes. But what truly drew the eye was the elemental power surging around them.
The one on the left was wreathed in frost, his breath condensing into ice crystals in the air. Lightning coiled around the one in the middle, arcs dancing across his armor with every breath. The one on the right was the strangest of all-the very air around him distorted, as though an invisible storm were brewing.
Frost, lightning, and storms.
Three utterly different elemental powers, each wielded with consummate mastery.
A trace of gravity flashed in Morgott's eyes. "There's something wrong with that power."
Ranni lifted her head slightly in Tarnished's arms and said softly, "They didn't cultivate that power themselves."
"Then what is it?"
"It looks like it was forcibly infused into them." A hint of amusement colored Ranni's voice. "Something like the 'divine possession' rituals of certain primitive tribes-temporarily housing a deity's power within their bodies. Except theirs... seems permanent."
Tarnished scratched his head. "Permanent divine possession? Since when did we start mixing Eastern and Western traditions?"
Even so, these three warriors were formidable. Their storms, lightning, and frost all covered vast areas, posing an enormous threat to ordinary soldiers. The Great Serpent, meanwhile, was so large that it took the full brunt of every attack, howling under the