“They heard a deep murmur of voices, and this time not in their heads. Thousands of the ancient Spirits of both Realms swirled above them in anticipation of what was about to happen.”

“She heard a low murmur of the far-away voices: a chant repeated over and over.”

“There were tens of thousands of them; white and dark-skinned, adults and teenagers, some looking scared, some simply curious, the others—completely in awe, seeing the Summer Realm for the first time.”

“Your Spirits will choose the best weapons and tactics for the battle. Rely on the Spirits, trust, and embrace them. They will lead and protect you. Their ancient knowledge and skills are unparalleled to anything you know. They will give you courage and power. Now look inside you, let the Spirits guide you.”

“She opened her hand, and a ball of fire blasted from it toward the cloudless sky of the Realm. It whirled above the Shifters, growing and stretching into a huge flaming disc. It moved down, forming a spinning inferno wall around them.”

“All the Spirits of the Winter Realm, that just a moment earlier hustled around the Shifters as small balls of fire, were now in their ghostly forms, gray and transparent. Their ethereal bodies stretched parallel to the ground, huge eyes wide open, their wispy, long hair streaming in the air behind them”

“She reached back with remarkable speed and, raising the weapons above her head, slid them out to the sides. The swords made a high-pitch metallic screech when their surfaces glided against each other”