Chapter 83: Give Me Your Sword!
The forest along Eleanor’s path had thinned considerably, the sunlight filtering through gaps in a canopy that grew sparser with every mile, and the walking itself had settled into a quiet, slow pace that left her mind free enough to wander.
’Mark’s fine,’ she thought, imagining Mark holding his own against a beast. ’He’s always fine. Ridiculous, but fine. His skill will provide the protection he needs...’
The thought settled with her as gave a quiet exhale.
However beneath it, a colder more persistent worry kept surfacing no matter how many times she tried to push it back down.
’But Lucas.... His skill isn’t something he can exactly depend one. What if f something happens and [Ignition] fails him at the worst possible moment—’
"He’ll be alright."
Callum’s voice pushed right into her thoughts, dragging her back to the present. It was quiet and certain taking whatever thought she was having and pushing it straight out of her head.
Eleanor glanced over to find him walking a beside her, his expression calm as he walked.
"What?"
"Lucas," Callum said simply. "You’ve had that look since we left the path. I figured you were thinking about him." He said the second part with a shrug.
Eleanor blinked, caught off guard by how easily he had read something she hadn’t said aloud. "It’s that obvious?"
"A little." Callum replied with a smile. "If saying this helps, I don’t think you need to worry. He’s survived worse than anything that path’s likely to throw at him."
Something in his certainty eased the knot in her chest, even if he couldn’t possibly know the full truth of exactly how much worse Lucas had survived.
"Thanks, Callum." She said.
"Anytime."
She turned her attention back to the terrain ahead, somewhat grateful for the small comfort even as her mind kept wandering—the Gateway, the clearing and whatever waited for them was just a few steps away from encountering.
They climbed a low hill a short while later, and Eleanor stopped walking entirely.
Ahead, through a break in the trees and across a cliff with a bridge connecting both sides, the Gateway itself stood. Twin spires reaching skyward, faint blue energy already crackling between them despite the distance. It was unmistakable even from here.
"There it is," said Finn, the younger of her two companions. He’d awakened two abilities during the last Edgewalk — a burst of enhanced speed called [Fleetfoot], and another skill that let him read the general strength of anything he focused on for a few seconds, which had made him invaluable for scouting in this kind of nightmare.
"Confirmed visual," said Wren, walking a step behind him, blade already loosened in its sheath out of habit. Her single ability, [Piercing Thorn], let her throw daggers with unnatural accuracy and force, each one capable of punching clean through armor that should have stopped a normal blade. "Should we move closer, or hold here and report back?"
"Closer," Eleanor said. "We need to confirm the terrain’s actually clear before—"
The ground beside her erupted.
A Bora tore free from beneath the earth in a tight rolling ball, and Eleanor barely got her blade up in time, as she deflected the strike.
However, the sheer force of the impact still sent her skidding backward several feet, boots carving into the dirt.
"Bora!" Finn called, already backing up, [Fleetfoot] flaring in blue arcs of energy around his legs.
"On me," Eleanor called, resetting her stance, blade steady despite the pain still coursing through her arms. "We handle this fast. That Gateway’s too close to lose time here."
***
Back at the river, Mark’s fight had narrowed down to a single window opened wide enough for one decisive blow.
[Time remaining: 0:30]
Sera’s blade still hummed with enhanced strength, the power up burning down toward its final seconds, and she surged forward, aiming a clean, decisive strike straight at the widening wound along the Makara Golem’s flank.
She roared as she vaulted herself into the air, coming down directly at the wound as she prepared to strike...
She missed...
The creature twisted at the last possible instant faster than anything that size should have managed, and Sera’s blade made only a shallow graze instead of the killing blow she’d aimed for.
"Shit—" The word tore out of her in frustration and the Golem’s tail whipped around in retaliation, catching all four of them in a single brutal sweep that sent them sprawling across the muddy river side.
"Argh!"
Bertram hit the ground hard groaning, machete skittering from his grip. Kai rolled twice before coming to a stop against a fallen log, wincing as he clutched his ribs.
Sera herself landed hardest out of all of them, breath knocked from her lungs entirely as the blade’s enhancement finally guttered out as the timer hit zero.
However, Mark alone was still smiling.
He pushed himself upright, gauntlets scraping against the floor, and turned toward Sera with an expression far too calm for someone who’d just watched their entire plan fall apart.
"Sera," he said. "Throw me your sword."
She stared at him, dazed and breathless. "What?"
"Your sword. Toss it."
"What are you—"
"Just do it! Trust me!"
She threw it, more out of confusion than actual faith with the last bit of energy she was able to gather.
Kai looked at his with confusion visible on his face as Sera threw the blade with a grunt.
The blade shot through the air toward him, and Mark caught it clean by the hilt, gauntlets still glowing faintly as the blade itself began to shimmer.
The Makara Golem reared back for what looked like a finishing charge, it’s jaws wide and water streaming off its armored body as it prepared to end it...
Mark planted his feet, sword raised, and gauntlets flaring brighter than it did all this time.
"Hope you don’t mind me borrowing this," he said, grin sharp despite the blood dripping from the crner of his lips.
"Didn’t want to do this, but I guess it’s time I stopped holding back..."
[Ding!]
[Your Evolved Skill: Aegis Gauntlets has begun to take effect.]
[Your weapon has been enhanced....]