A loud screech fills the darkness, and something hits the leather plate on my back hard enough to push me to the ground. I roll forward, spinning mid-roll and ending up on my feet. Another loud screech rings through the night, and I turn, seeing the silhouette of the beast coming toward me.
It’s as large as an eagle and covered in leathery skin like a pale lizard. It’s eyeless, with a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth meant to rip and cling to prey. Wings as long as my arms stretch out as the creature breaks from its dive. Its sharp talons are outstretched toward my face. Without hesitation, I raise my hand, and dragonfire sweeps over it.
The flames light up the area around me, and I realize that there are hundreds of the creatures surrounding me. They flee the light immediately.
And the charred remains of the creature hit me in the face. Little more than ash is left, but it smells like burnt human flesh. It’s overwhelming, like being thrown into the burn pit after a battle, and I can’t help but fall to my knees and begin retching.
I stay in that position for several long moments as I both catch my breath and settle my stomach. I try to ignore the smell that lingers before getting to my feet.
“Burn it all to ash,” I mutter as I look back up at the moon that’s beginning to get far too close to the horizon. I take one more gulping breath of air and begin running.
Then I see it. Not only a white bench, but a lantern glowing with moonlight. It’s just like the beginning, and my hope surges at the sight. I’ve never felt so exhausted, and the Tortoise hasn’t even worn off.
The lantern gets closer by the second, but the moon seems to move faster. The steady thud of my boots on the stone has the same rhythm as my bow and quiver rattling against my back. That’s all there is in this cold, dark world. Just the sounds of me pushingmy body beyond its exhaustion and the two lights, one being my salvation and the other, my failure.
Then, I hear another screech. There’s only time for my heartrate to spike before I’m thrown to the ground with my back exposed. Its talons get tangled up in my cloak, and I’m lucky they only managed to hit the largest plate on my back. Immediately, I activate the Mark of the Phoenix again, and the creature turns to ash.
The Phoenix can be used regularly, but there’s a difference between regularly and constantly. The power inside the Mark is drained, and it’ll be several minutes before I can activate it again. Until then, I have to depend on my skills, Infusions, and other Marks, none of which can be used nearly as often as the Phoenix.
I scramble to my feet, quickly down an Infusion of the Cat, and I draw my daggers. Almost immediately, the Cat takes effect, and I can hear the creatures flying around me if I focus. It’s reminiscent of a swarm of very large bats—hundreds of soft, leathery wings flapping. Then the sound changes ever so slightly, and I tense. Another screech pierces the night from behind me, and I turn on my heel, my dagger thrusts upward.
The creature skewers itself on my blade and begins shrieking constantly. I can’t hear anything over its death cries. I feel trapped. I know I need to get to that lantern, but if I turn my back against the swarm of creatures, I’m sure they’ll knock me down again.
Try to kill your opponent. Don’t try to survive. Eventually, every fortress will fall to a siege, and it’s only by attacking that we can end the fight. Waiting and defending attacks is only useful if time will give you an advantage.
They’re Cedric’s words when I was ten, when he’d taught me the lessons my father had learned in our war with Averna.
I can’t win if I stand here and try to fight a never-ending swarm of creatures. I have to get to that lantern. That’s the only way I winandthe only way I survive. I take a deep breath and attune my mind to the Mark of Chains. It takes a moment to pull myself into that state of mind, and fear that they’ll attack while I’m not able to defend myself lingers.
It’s only slightly unwarranted, though. I reach the state of peace and calm that’s necessary to use Chains, and without a second thought, I draw the stone from the ground over my body.
It flows like water over me, becoming a series of interlocked stone plates that are like armor. It’ll make me slower since it’s heavy, but that weight will keep those damned creatures from knocking me over.
Every part of me is covered save my eyes and mouth. Another shriek comes from in front of me, and I can’t react quickly enough. It hits me hard, but instead of knocking me over, the creature falls beside its dying brethren. That’s all I need to see to know that this is the safest I’m going to get.
I turn and run. The monsters attack me, and while some of them make me lose my balance, none of them hurt me. None of them make me fall. The lantern grows brighter, but the moon has minutes before it touches the horizon.
Every muscle in my body is on fire. My breath is a raspy hiss as I push harder than ever before.
Then I’m there. Once more, even though it seems impossible, I channel the peace that’s necessary to activate the Mark of Chains. The stone that had protected me from those creatures would reveal me if I were seen in it. I force it to flow back to the ground, leaving me looking like an ordinary human once again. Without another hesitation, I sit on the bench.
And the world disappears.
Chapter 13
“Why did you kill her, Pet?”
“She was cracking, Lady. She would have broken before they came. You ordered me to be ready to command all of Nyth when the enemy arrived. She would have been a weakness.”
“Nyxthos is furious.”
“Good.”
~Conversations between Lysara and the Prince of Bones
Fiona
I’m standing in the Great Hall again amongst the other competitors, the champions, and a great number of people in court attire who obviously aren’t competing in the trials. There’s drinking and laughing, and yet, I just want to breathe for a moment.
