Chapter 37: Wind of Phantom
The glade erupted in chaos. Chants broke off, twisting into shrieks of shock and rage. The ethereal light over the water faltered and dimmed. Bows were drawn, arrows nocked.
Luc unleashed the power of the True Wind Rune. A blast of air swept out in a circle, tossing dirt and grass and bits of branches up into the air, sending it billowing out in a cloud around him. Arrow shafts that had been aimed at the intruders were snatched out of the air and hurled away.
Yuber's sick cackle carried over the wind, as did screams of pain as the dark knight's swords spun and scythed down the glade's defenders. Sarah held close by Luc's side, the True Earth Rune's power held in reserve against any threat. Luc stepped past the chaos and approached the altar, intent on the small girl that had been kneeling there. The girl had black hair and eyes as large as twin moons. How strange – she seemed sad. Not frightened, but sad.
"I knew you would come," said the sacrifice.
Luc managed a bitter smile, thinking of his time with Lady Leknaat. He allowed himself a twinge of sympathy for the girl. "Fate. It's cruel, isn't it? Knowing doesn't matter. It just makes it worse. Unless… you're willing to sacrifice everything."
The girl said nothing. She must have known what he would do. And yet, still there was only sadness on her face. No fear.
He clenched his fist, and a whirlwind spun into existence. It raised the girl into the air and spun her around in a tangle of limbs. Luc flicked a finger, and gale force winds howled above the shrine, twisting and tearing the girl in every direction. The girl's mouth wrenched open in horrifying agony, but her screams could not carry over the voice of the wind. The girl tossed and convulsed, and then went limp, her neck snapped.
The wind died down. Luc stared down at the pitiful form slumped at his feet. He knelt and touched fingers to her cold cheek, feeling the life drain from her body. The girl's large eyes stared at him, unseeing, but unsettling. He felt a stab of something like sorrow. It was like seeing himself reflected in her eyes. A sacrifice. A victim of the heartless True Runes.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "If there had been any other way…"
He pushed to his feet, conscious of Sarah's sympathetic eyes on him. The Sealing Rune still hung over the glowing waters of the pool. The life energy gathered within the shining globe were bleeding out again, dissipating into the air like water draining into sand.
Heart pounding with excitement, he started towards the crystal. The Sealing Rune, in his grasp at last! And with it, the power to change the ashen future.
The power to fight fate.
The wind shoved Chris back against a tree trunk. She hit with her side, smacking her shoulder and elbow against the bark, then spun and smashed her head against a fat branch. Her vision swam momentarily, and she saw stars. When she came to, she found herself on the grass.
Chris struggled to her feet against the beating winds. A numbing pain was at the back of her head. Her hair whipped in the gale. She held a hand up to guard her eyes against a hail of leaves and twigs and pebbles that pelted her.
Yun. Where is Yun? The girl had been kneeling at the altar. An unnatural whirlwind now sheathed the altar, whipping water from the pool into the air. Through the furious winds, Chris could see only shadowy figures moving. The Destroyers. They had come for the Sealing Rune, and for Yun. She had to save the girl.
Chris raised her hand against the wind and called upon her Water Rune. Icy crystals manifested around her, forming an intangible sphere against the wind and against the flying debris. Sheathed in this bubble, Chris snatched the sword from its sheath and dove into the wall of the whirlwind.
Stepping into the magical barrier felt like being inside a barrel being shaken by a dozen strong men. Every step along the way was gained against an implacable force pushing her back. Dust whipped around her, parting around her sheltering globe. The force of the wind made breathing impossible.
Then she was through. A scene from a nightmare faced her.
Yun lay on the grass. Her body was bent into unnatural angles, the limbs all wrong. Her face twisted impossibly away from her body, as if staring up into the sky, but with eyes that saw nothing.
A sick feeling rose from the pit of Chris's stomach. For a moment, she felt faint. Then a hot flash of anger surged through her.
Two people stood over Yun's broken body. A man and a woman. She knew the man's face. She had seen it on the Vessel, and on Bishop Sasarai. The Masked Bishop. And the woman. Her face was one she would never forget. Sarah. The Chimera who had stolen Chris's face in an attempt to lead Zexen to ruin.
Chris's fingers strangled the hilt of her sword. "You," she hissed, "Are dead."
She charged at the woman, slashing.
The Masked Bishop made a dismissive gesture to Sarah. "Get her out of here," he said. Sarah raised her staff, as if to parry the blow of Chris's sword. Chris shifted her blade into a thrust. Bright light flashed as Sarah ignited a rune, and the ground pitched beneath Chris's feet. She stumbled backwards, sword arm flailing uselessly through the air.
Sarah pounced upon her. Bending over her, the woman smiled softly, and reached out to touch Chris's shoulder. The rune atop her staff flashed. Chris pushed up on an elbow, twisting her sword arm around. Before she could move more than a few inches, she felt a strange force wrenching at her from every direction. The world grew dim.
When her vision cleared, dense woods surrounded Chris and Sarah.
They were no longer in the glade.
Luc became aware of the True Rune's approach as a tingling sensation of his skin, similar to goosebumps. Even so, the swiftness of the assault caught him by surprise.
There was a flash of light at the corner of his eye. Then lightning struck. The bolt hammered through his body, and for a moment, Luc's whole world was white-hot pain. His body seized and spasmed, shaking uncontrollably. Searing fire ran through his body from head to toe. The sensation dragged out into infinity.
When he came to, Luc felt the absence of the wind. His storm had been stilled. Looking around, he realized that the attack had flung him more than ten yards from where he had been standing beside the Sealing Rune. A new figure now stood before the altar, guarding the rune. He was a tall man with long black hair about his shoulders. One of his eyes was hidden behind an eyepatch.
Luc stretched his still-numb limbs, and fumbled to his feet. Now that the pain was fading, it gave way to anger – and fear. Bowstrings creaked behind him. Grimacing, he grasped at the power of the True Wind Rune and instinctively wove a spell in his defense. The arrows never found their mark.
Turning around, he saw two archers circling him. Kinese women, the shamans of the hidden village. Unless he missed his guess, one of them, a tall hard-eyed woman with her brown hair bound up at one side of her head, was the chieftain of Alma-Kinan.
The man with the eyepatch was first to speak. "I worked hard on this one, you know." He indicated the Sealing Rune with a shrug of his shoulder. "I won't let you have it. Spawn of Hikusaak."
Luc said nothing. He kept his eyes on the archers. Both had arrows trained on him, and they circled with slow, calm steps, waiting for him to drop his guard. He noted that they had to step around the bodies of their fallen comrades to track him.
"The True Lightning Rune," Luc said. "I thought I'd have to hunt it down. Thank you for bringing it to me."
The one-eyed stranger smiled mirthlessly. "You've got it backwards, kid." He lifted his gloved hand, and the primeval power of the True Rune flashed into life. Luc responded with his own rune, weaving a shield.
The lightning bolt hit his protective barrier with the force of a thousand hammers slamming against anvils. The smell of burnt air filled the glade, and Luc's ears rang. But he was unhurt. Immediately, he gathered power for a counterstrike, and sent a savage tearing burst of wind at the True Rune bearer. The gale whipped through the grass and slammed against the man. The blast dragged the man back, his boots sliding in the dirt. Razor winds tore gashes in his cheeks and on his forehead.
Striding forward, Luc renewed his assault. The one-eyed man bent beneath the weight of the wind. His teeth were gritted, and a mask of anguished concentration twisted his face as he struggled to call upon the True Lightning Rune.
"I'm stronger," Luc said, advancing on the man. "You haven't lived with the rune as being a part of you. You've denied it. Tried to hide it. You've let your skill fade."
The rune bearer grimaced. "We all deal with our fate in different ways."
"Yes," Luc said, stopping before the man. "And now, you shall be freed of your fate. I will take the rune." He tensed, readying a killing blow.
Thwack. An arrow zipped past Luc's head. He froze, going cold. The ambient wind surging around him had veered the arrow off course. An inch more to the left, and it would have taken him in the eye.
He spun around in a cold rage, lashing out with whips of hardened air. Trees buckled under his assault, trunks snapping in a storm of leaves. He spun back and forth, searching for his assailants.
Thunder clapped. Everything turned white. When the agony struck him, Luc's mind went blank. It took him a moment, staggering and swaying, before he realized what had happened Only by the grace of his own rune had he been spared an agonizing death.
He came to his senses just in time to stare down the arrow nocked and aimed at his head. He sent a desperate burst of wind to meet the arrow, knocking it to the ground. In the same moment, he felt the power of the True Lightning Rune build to a climax, as the one-eyed man prepared his final blow.
Howling his rage, Luc raised a cyclone, hurling it at the one-eyed man.
The battle was far from over.
The sacred glade, the altar of the Sealing Rune, was proscribed. Within a grove of oaks as old as the forest itself, the sanctum of Alma-Kinan was said to shelter a glittering pond with waters so clear that sparrows and kingfishers would drown themselves, never knowing they had touched water.
Hugo had heard stories about the sacred glade since childhood, but he had never seen the oaks, the pool, or the altar. For a man to even glimpse the sacred glade was a crime punished by death.
So, when a murderous howl tore from the direction of the sacred glade, Hugo hesitated for several seconds before setting off at a run towards the sound.
Chris was in there.
The oaks swayed in a strong, unnatural wind. The path to the sacred glade was cast in shadow. With nothing but the distant light from the glade to guide him, he kept stumbling over roots and stones as he ran. Strong winds swayed the oak trees, strong enough to snap branches. Somewhere behind him, he heard a tree crash to the ground as its roots were wrenched from the dirt.
A mocking voice called out of the darkness ahead. "We seem fated to meet, boy."
Hugo stopped dead in his tracks, panting. He'd know that snake's voice anywhere. He slid daggers from their sheaths.
Yuber sauntered out of the shadows, long blond hair spilling from his gilt-edged onyx-black helm. His black armor still bore the scars of a fight. "How does the rune feel?"
Hugo's throat felt dry, and his palms sweaty around the hilts of his daggers. "What have you done to Chris and Yun?" The coldness in his own voice surprised Hugo.
The dark knight grinned, and pulled twin swords from their sheaths. He flicked the blades in a wide circle. "You may still be able to save them. Use your rune. Fight me. Burn me to cinders."
Lightning flashed from the sacred glade, illuminating Yuber in a halo of light. Sounds of violence carried from the glade, and the oaks swayed dangerously. It can't be too late. It can't be.
Hugo stepped forward. "Get out of my fucking way, monster."
The dark knight's smile widened. His face put the image of a snake about to devour its prey into Hugo's mind. He took up a fencer's position, body twisted sideways, leading with one sword, while he held the other behind his body. "Make me, boy."
The True Fire Rune pulsed on Hugo's hand. It pulled at him. It beckoned him to unleash it. He could destroy Yuber. It would be easy – just let it all go, everything. The firestorm would annihilate the dark knight. It would clear the path. It would cleanse the world.
Hugo pushed the True Rune's hunger from his mind. He felt cold. Cleanse the world? That hadn't been his thought. Had it? The True Fire Rune could destroy Yuber, but could Hugo contain its power? If he lost control, the firestorm could envelop all of Alma-Kinan.
He held no illusions about the outcome of matching blades with the dark knight. The last time they had clashed, the monster had nearly taken his head. But Chris was in there, in the sacred glade. She needed him.
What choice did he have? He shifted his daggers into a fighting stance, and charged.
Chris shoved Sarah away and pushed onto her hands and knees. Hurriedly she looked around, taking in the new battlefield. The glade had vanished, and in its place, stately pine and oak soared above Chris. They were deep in the forest, surrounded by trees dense enough to blot out the moonlight. Dense undergrowth covered the ground, which sloped downwards to one side.
A bright yellow glow rose from Sarah's staff as one of her runes flared with power. The strength of the rune thrummed in Chris's head. A True Rune? Chris dove behind a tree and crawled through the brush. Just as she threw herself clear, the earth cracked behind her, and roots snapped as the rune ripped a great chunk of dirt from the ground.
"Why hide, Silver Maiden?" Sarah called. "Why prolong the inevitable?"
Chris had no intention to reveal her location by responding to the woman. She could hear Sarah moving nearby, grunting as she pushed past branches. She was using the glow of the rune to light her way.
If Sarah saw her coming, she would be dead. But Chris still had her sword. If she could catch the woman by surprise, she could end it in a heartbeat. She set off slowly, creeping through the bushes, careful not to stir the vegetation too much. She circled Sarah's position, moving into position to strike from her rear.
The bushes rustled three feet ahead of Chris, as if something moved through them. The next instant, the ground erupted, wrenching the bushes from the soil. A solid chunk of earth lifted clear from the ground, raining dirt. Then the chunk was thrown clear.
"I'll find you, Silver Maiden."
Chris pressed herself to the ground. Had Sarah sensed her approach? Had she somehow used the rune to pinpoint her location? She heard footsteps, slow and measured. The footsteps were close, but they were moving away.
She breathed a sigh of relief. For a time, there was silence. Sarah had stopped moving. Chris breathed through her mouth, trying to calm herself. All she could hear was her own breath. Her heart was beating so hard, she wondered if the other woman could hear it.
A frustrated grunt came from somewhere nearby, and yellow light flashed. With a loud ripping sound, another chunk of earth lifted free somewhere behind Chris. She carefully turned her head to peer through the bushes, and saw the excavated dirt hurled against a tree.
"You can't hide forever, Silver Maiden!" Sarah was spinning around as she spoke, throwing her voice in every direction. She raised her staff and called upon another of her many runes. A shaft of blinding light emitted from the staff's capstone, lancing out between the trees where she pointed the beam. "I'll tear this entire forest from the ground. Sooner or later, I'll find you…"
Chris clenched the dirt under her hands. The woman was right – she had Chris trapped. She could keep moving, but Sarah would move as well, and Chris needed the element of surprise. She had to move slowly and noiselessly, while Sarah could till the earth with her True Rune, churning the ground chunk by chunk. Eventually, there would no longer be anywhere to hide.
There was nothing to do. Gritting her teeth, Chris kept crawling.
The moon washed everything in shades of grey. Sparks flew when their blades met, illuminating Yuber's inhuman grin. Hugo wove his daggers back and forth, palms sweaty, fists aching from the effort. Where Yuber slashed, he parried, thrusting the slender swords aside in a shower of sparks. His arm hurt with each impact.
Yuber was toying with him. The dark knight swung wildly, feet planted firmly in one spot. He advanced only in calm forward steps, following Hugo's retreat like a dancer inviting a reluctant partner.
"Is this the best you can do?" The helmet hid his eyes, but Hugo thought the dark knight looked perplexed, even disappointed. Even after several dozen swings, his voice betrayed no sign that the monster was even winded. "The Flame Champion… Is this the extent of your skill? Is there no one among the clans that could give me a proper challenge?"
"You're not done with me yet," Hugo snarled.
Yuber swung again. This time, Hugo had anticipated it. He ducked below the blade and lunged, thrusting a dagger at the knight's armpit. Somehow, Yuber saw it coming. He stepped aside with a scornful laugh, and Hugo stumbled forward, his dagger piercing the air. The dark knight slammed a hilt into the side of Hugo's head.
The blow flung Hugo to the ground, head ringing like cymbals. For a moment, he was stunned. He looked up to see Yuber standing over him, watching dispassionately. The dark knight gave an exasperated sigh that sounded disturbingly human.
"This is no challenge whatsoever. Get up. Let's end this."
Hugo got to his feet, fighting off a bout of nausea as he straightened. His temple still throbbed where Yuber had struck him. He blinked away the stars in his eyes and took up a defensive posture with both daggers held out before him.
Yuber came at him, floating like a shadow. His swords flashed in the moonlight. His snake-like grin split his face. Hugo backpedalled with each parry. He ducked a sweeping slash, then sidestepped a vertical cleave that would have taken half his face off.
He searched for an opening. There were gaps in the dark knight's defense at times, when the monster got too careless or lazy to keep his guard up properly. It wasn't for lack of skill, but rather arrogance – the dark knight was toying with him. Yuber truly believed Hugo posed no threat to him. Not without the True Fire Rune.
But when Hugo did attack, he found the dark knight had protected his weak spots, leaving his breastplate, greaves, and arm plates to turn Hugo's daggers aside. With each thrust and parry, Hugo grew weaker. He knew it was just a matter of time before he'd tire, or Yuber would grow bored. He was running out of time.
Hugo waited patiently for an opening. Finally, it came. The dark knight leaned too far forward in his lunge, leaving his throat exposed. Desperate, Hugo stabbed for the opening.
The dark knight slapped his blade aside with the hilt of a sword. He followed the parry by planting his foot in Hugo's chest. The kick knocked the wind from his lungs, and he collapsed onto his knees.
He struggled to breathe. Yuber's greaves clinked as his footsteps crunched in the dirt. One slender blade descended, coming to rest on Hugo's shoulder. The gesture was almost ceremonial. Almost respectful. But when Hugo lifted his gaze, Yuber's face filled his view. There was nothing respectful about the serpentine grin on that monster's face.
"Time to die," said the dark knight, "Flame Champion."
Chris' fingers dug into the moist dirt. Brambles raked her back as she inched forward. She kept her head down, wincing as the thorns snagged in her hair. Hand over hand, knee over knee, she crawled closer to her goal.
Sarah paced back and forth restlessly. As the woman spun, the beacon of her fulminating staff threw its beam erratically about the trees and the undergrowth. Sometimes the light would pass over Chris, and she would flatten herself against the dirt, cheek burrowing into the dirt, holding her breath, certain that Sarah would spot her beneath the brambles. She was no more than ten, twenty feet away now.
But Sarah never spotted her.
"I know you're still here, Silver Maiden," Sarah said in her calm voice. The yellow light of the True Rune blossomed, and Sarah sent an invisible hand to churn the soil in a long furrow, no more than five feet from Chris's position. She was aiming blindly, but she was getting closer.
She recognized it now. The True Earth Rune, which Bishop Sasarai had wielded against Chris and Hugo in their failed assassination attempt. How in the Goddess' name had the woman obtained the rune? Was Bishop Sasarai in cahoots with the Destroyers? Or had the Destroyers stolen the rune from the Bishop? Was Bishop Sasarai dead?
Ten or twenty feet. If Chris pushed to her feet, she could cover the distance in a few heartbeats. If she got close enough to swing her sword, she could end this. But whenever she imagined how the scene would play out, the theatre in her mind would turn into a somber play. True, Sarah had not long controlled the True Earth Rune. A gifted rune sage she may be, but she had not mastered the True Rune, not like Bishop Sasarai had. This whole affair would have been over in a moment, had it been the Harmonian bishop wielding the rune against Chris. The true master of the primal Earth Rune had been able to sense their presence by the tremors their steps made. A prerogative of the master of the True Earth Rune. Sarah possessed no such mastery. But she was clever, and canny, and she wielded a True Rune. An advantage Chris sorely missed.
What Chris had was patience. Her training as a knight had steeled her against pain, fear, frustration, and boredom. She had endured all sorts of drawn-out affairs where discipline and concentration had been the difference between life and death. So she settled in, and waited for her chance.
Sarah muttered under her breath as she stalked the woods, aiming her beacon of light. Her steps brought her nearer to Chris, and the light swung over the bushes that were her hiding place. The woman's face showed frustration, but as her eyes slid over Chris's spot, there was no dawning recognition. The woman turned, and started to wade through the thick brambles.
Away from Chris.
Chris seized the opportunity. The brambles rustled as Chris pushed onto her feet. Sarah froze in mid-step. One heartbeat, and Chris was off at a dash. Sarah turned, eyes going wide. Chris raised her hand and called upon the flashing azure rune imprinted there. A spout of high-pressure water sprayed from her hand. Sarah flung up her staff and invoked a rune, and the water split around her invisible shield.
Chris leaped forward and thrust her sword. Sarah grabbed her staff with both hands and conjured the might of the True Earth Rune. Dirt and rock burst beneath Chris's feet. A whip of roots shot up and wrapped itself about Chris's wrist. The roots squeezed, and her sword fell to the ground. Chris gasped in pain.
Sarah's eyes flashed in victory. "I have you, Silver Maiden!"
Inwardly, Chris smiled. The rune sage had underestimated her. She had thought that Chris would surrender if her sword arm were trapped. She did not realize that as long as Chris had limbs that would move, she would fight. She leaned in and grabbed Sarah's collar with her free hand. Again, the rune sage's eyes went wide, but this time, in shock. Sarah raised her staff to summon magic in her defense. Chris leaned forward and slammed her forehead against Sarah's face. The impact jarred Chris's skull, and there came the satisfying crunch of Sarah's nose cracking.
The rune sage shrieked in pain, but the sound was muffled by her broken nose. Chris wasted no time. She clawed her hand up Sarah's neck, got a good grip, and squeezed as hard as she could. Panic flashed in the woman's eyes. The staff quivered as she raised it. Light flashed from the capstone, and then Sarah vanished, her outline leaving a sharp afterimage in Chris's eyes.
Stumbling forward, Chris squeezed her eyes against the glare. She shrieked her frustration, then screamed "Come back and die, you coward!" Angrily, she grabbed at the now limp roots clutching her wrist, and wrenched them free. She stood, dusting dirt from her ruined clothes.
She had to get back to the glade. She had to stop them. She turned and twisted, looking for signs that would guide her in the right direction. The forest was unfamiliar to her, but they could not have gone far.
There – a flash of lightning behind her. Geddoe? It had to have come from the glade. She spun around and dashed towards the light.
When lightning flooded the night sky, Percival knew the hour had come. With a heavy heart, he rose from the bench where he sat conversing with a Kinese maiden. The girl gave a look of confusion, then began to pout. "Sir Percival?"
Percival strapped tight the belt around his waist from which his sword hung. It had never felt so heavy to him. He looked down upon those milky cheeks, the raven hair, and smiled sadly as he remembered the feel of her breath against his throat from last night. "Forgive me, my lady. My captain needs me."
The girl stood. Color flushed her cheeks and her neck. He saw in her deep brown eyes the longing for a parting token of his affections. It pained him that he had to disappoint her. "Until we meet again, my dear". He bowed his head, and had just enough time to see the crestfallen look spread on her childlike face before he turned away.
Crowds of Kinese and refugees from the other barbarians gathered in the village green, and the hush of many low conversations filled the place. The wreckage of last night's festivities had been cleaned up, but the colorful lanterns and other decorations still remained from last night's festival. Revelry had turned to quiet reflection, but there was a hum of excitement in the air.
They did not yet understand what was happening in the sacred glade. Looking up, Percival saw the moon's silver face reveal the savage whipping of the distant treetops, and again, a burst of lightning split the sky. Heads turned now, and worry spread like a tremor through the crowds. They were beginning to understand.
Percival gently pushed through the crowd, making for the path to the sacred glade. Some of the Kinese women threw dirty looks at him as he started down the proscribed path, but no one tried to stop him. He was glad for it. If it could be avoided, he had no wish to kill anyone tonight.
It was slow going, moving through the woods at night. Chris cursed the darkness each time she snagged her boot on a protruding stone or exposed root, or caught her cheek on rough branches. She moved as fast as she could, but that was not saying much.
When Chris finally broke out of the woods and onto the trail that led to the sacred glade, the sight that met her shocked her.
Two figures wrestled on the ground. One figure squatted on top of the other, straddling his chest. The dark knight, Yuber. His swords pressed down against his victim, like a butcher's knives against the block.
Hugo. A hand stained crimson with blood clutched at one sword, a dagger fending off the other. Both his arms shook with the strain. His mouth was stretched wide in a ghastly grimace, sweat glistening on his forehead.
Chris's heart froze. Yuber would kill him. Then she saw the faint red glow on Hugo's palm. She had missed it for the blood draining from his wound, but it was there. Without even intending to, Hugo was drawing on the True Fire Rune.
All this Chris processed in that moment when she stepped onto the trail. It was as if time had frozen. If Hugo unleashed the power of the true rune of flame, he might burn Alma-Kinan to cinders. If he did not, he would die.
With a roar, Chris threw herself forward. She did not try to surprise the dark knight. A single moment might be too late for Hugo. She needed Yuber distracted.
The black-armored man's head whipped round to take in the new threat. For a moment, everything hung in the balance. Then things happened very quickly. Chris charged with her sword raised to strike. Hugo let his bloodied hand slip down Yuber's arm, fingers curling around the wrist attached to the hand holding the black blade.
Yuber reacted with the swiftness of a serpent's strike. Seeing Hugo's hand close on his wrist to hold him there, and Chris's sword approaching, he released Hugo and backed off, sliding back into the shadows beside the trail. There he waited, black swords gleaming in the moonlight, dripping Hugo's blood.
Chris almost crashed into Hugo. She threw one arm around him and pulled him to his feet. He retrieved his dropped daggers and nodded gratefully at her. His hand was slick with blood, but he seemed not to notice. His eyes were on Yuber, but when he spoke, the words were for her. "Here I thought I was trying to save you."
"The ritual," Chris said. "The Masked Bishop is still in the glade. We have to stop him."
"Yun?" Hugo's eyebrows formed a question.
Chris felt a chill go through her body. She shook her head.
Hugo's cheeks paled. His jaw went taut, and he turned to Yuber. "You bastards," he said to Yuber. "She was just a child."
The dark knight gave a bored shrug. "You're all children to me. But this… this could be interesting." His eyeless gaze slid over Chris and Hugo. "Yes. Let us dance, children." He came towards them at a saunter, holding his blades in a ready position.
Chris gauged his movements, searching for a weakness in his stance. She saw none, but she noticed that unlike last time, when Hugo had faced the dark knight at the altar of the True Fire Rune, Yuber's movements were now filled with tension. Arrogant he may be. Powerful he may be. But his steps were the measured steps of one who at least entertains the possibility of failure.
Chris met Hugo's eyes and she jerked her head to one side, indicating for Hugo to take the other side. They began to circle Yuber, moving to flank him from two sides.
"You are powerful, demon," Chris said, "But you are outnumbered. You shall not find us such easy marks."
Yuber smiled. "I pray that is true, girl. I've been itching for a good fight." He turned to present one side to each of them, pointing a sword in each direction. Waiting for them to strike.
Chris obliged him. She lunged, aiming a thrust at his shoulder. Yuber easily swatted the sword aside. But the blow had been meant to distract the dark knight, and it had its intended effect. Hugo struck from the other side, daggers flashing.
Yuber turned at the last moment. He responded with inhuman grace, parrying the two cutting daggers and sweeping his own sword in a wide arc to force Hugo back. Chris pressed the attack from her side, jabbing her sword at the joints in the dark knight's armor. On the opposite side, Hugo danced in and out of Yuber's reach, cutting and thrusting, feinting again and again to keep the demon occupied.
The dark knight fought with unbelievable skill, but he was slowing. Little by little, their blades found gaps in his defense. Thrusts that had been turned aside started striking home. Blows that had glanced off dark-polished armor began biting through joints and chinks in the unnatural metal. Yuber snarled like an angry dragon with each wound, but no blood flowed from his demonic form.
Frustrated, Yuber spun his blades in a wide arc, forcing them back. With the space created, he leaped back and out of their reach. "Enough!" he roared. Thinking they had the dark knight on the back foot, Chris pressed the attack.
Then she saw the flash of a rune's glow through the gaps in Yuber's armor.
"You amuse me, mortals. You deserve something special. Witness the tyranny of the Eightfold Rune! Witness the power of King Crimson, as I drink your blood!"
As the rune's power manifested, the dark forest path seemed to dim even further. Shadows spun out from Yuber's form like dancing ribbons. He began a slow walk towards them, and the shadows churned about his form with each step.
Chris hesitated. Yuber's mysterious 'Eightfold Rune' possessed great power, that much was clear. But what manner of power? More than one warrior had been cut down by unfamiliar runes. She retreated step by step, keeping her distance from the dark knight, staying out of reach of any sudden lunges he might make. At her side, Hugo did the same.
"One," Yuber counted. His voice burst like a cracked bell.
Chris raised her sword in defense. But Yuber did not move.
His shadow did. The dark tattered form slipped from the belly of the dark knight and lurched forward. Its edges were indistinct, its body like a deep onyx mist. It had embers for eyes, and its mouth had been torn open in a ghastly howl. Wispy arms of black smoke coiled from the shadow's body, each one closed about the hilt of a sword made from the same dark mist as the shadow itself. The shadow raised the swords to take Chris's head.
So fast! Chris threw her sword up defensively. She deflected the first blow, then slapped the other aside. The shadow dissipated, vanishing into thin air.
Yuber laughed. "Two!" he continued.
A second shadow leapt from Yuber's feet. It surged over the ground, then manifested at her feet, rising up with swords ready to strike.
Chris backpedalled, sweeping her sword in a warding arc. One blade of shadow hammered her sword with a heavy clank, then turned to mist and evaporated. But the second blade, Chris did not see in time. The edge of dark gray mist flashed across her eyes. Chris flung her head back, but felt something sharp bite into her flesh. Her cheek stung with pain. For a heartbeat, she held her breath, feeling her cheek with her hand. A shallow cut, thank the Goddess.
Yuber marched onward. Shadows raced from his black-clad form as he counted down the attacks. "Three! Four!" Shadows tested Chris and Hugo separately, black blades thrusting and throwing their defenses into disarray. Their blades cut the shadows into ribbons, but they were being pushed back. "Five! Six!" Now the shadows came faster, circling around to strike from the rear. Whirling about, Chris and Hugo met their assailants. Hugo shouted in pain, turning Chris's blood to ice, but she had no time to see what had happened. With a desperate, she dispatched her shadow with a thrust at its midsection, moments before its misty blades cut her throat.
"Seven!" Yuber roared.
Chris turned sluggishly, like a wounded beast. The shadow that surged towards her seemed more material somehow. Hugo was on the ground, clutching bleeding hands. He made to rise, but there was no time. Chris leaped over him to intercept the shadow. Twin swords of dark mist rose high, then scythed down. Chris stepped aside to avoid one descending blade and raised her sword, turned the other away. Only in that moment did she realize why the shadow seemed so material. She saw Yuber's demonic grin. The dark knight had followed in the wake of his shadow, swords raised.
"Eight!" the monster shrieked.
There was no time to form a defense. Yuber's left blade cut through Chris's shoulder. Fire exploded through her body, took her breath away. She had turned her sword to defend the second blade, but now her sword arm turned from iron to jelly, sagging down uselessly. Chris saw Yuber's right blade seek her heart.
Something hurtled past Chris, straight at the dark knight. It took a brief moment for her to recognize Hugo's form. The Karayan had risen to a crouch behind her. Now he flung himself past her, slammed shoulder first into the dark knight's side, like a bull goring a wolf. Yuber staggered, blades going awry. That stumble saved Chris's life. The sword about to plunge into her chest twisted sideways, cutting only air.
Hugo threw his arms around Yuber, trying to pin him. The dark knight straightened with the grace of a dancer and ducked under Hugo's grasp, then retreated out of reach and recovered.
Hugo backed off, searching the ground for his dropped daggers. He glanced at Chris, his eyes filled with concern. Chris clutched her throbbing shoulder, feeling faint and woozy. She needed to dress the wound, but there was no time. She tried her sword arm. It felt numb, leaden.
Yuber raised his swords, and the angry red glare of the Eightfold Rune flashed in the night. "One," he repeated.
This time, there was no finesse, no subterfuge. One by one, Yuber summoned his shadows, and sent them racing against Chris and Hugo. Their strokes crashed against Chris's weary sword arm, each one following a heartbeat behind in the other's wake. Chris and Hugo fought like cornered lions, slamming shadow blades aside, dodging thrusts of black mist. Some blades they thrust aside. Some they threw themselves back to avoid. Others left nicks and scrapes, drawing blood but just barely.
One by one, the shadows wore them down. One by one, they staggered Chris and Hugo, and Yuber drew closer and closer. Until, with the seventh shade weathered, Yuber's wicked grin loomed huge over their exhausted bodies, readying to deliver that final strike.
"Eight!" Yuber said, a triumphant cackle on his lips. His swords flashed. Chris felt the moment stretch into eternity. She saw the dark knight tower over her, his black armor edged with gold that glinted in the moonlight. The Eightfold Rune's glow flared within his armor. She saw his blades rise, then fall. She felt her own arm struggle to rise, the strength of her sword arm spent in her defense. Hugo moved to shield her, but he was off balance, and his movements sluggish. This time, he would not be able to save her. They were finished.
"Nine," came a voice like gravel.
The woods shrieked with the clash of steel on steel. The air flashed crimson red as if rejecting a powerful spell. Then came silence.
Chris had braced herself for the killing blow to pierce her heart. Now she saw that death had not come. But something dark had. Interposed between her and Yuber stood a tall man clad in night-black plate mail. A horned helmet encased his head, its back plate hiding tresses of silky black hair. He was a twin to Yuber, and yet seemed utterly a contradiction of the dark knight. Where Yuber's armor glinted with golden trim, the newcomer's armor was edged with dull gray. Where Yuber's mouth twisted in a look of disgust mingled with rage and glee, the newcomer's face seemed carved from stone. Where Yuber shivered with uncontrollable battle lust, the newcomer stood as a stone statue before his foe.
The stranger had thrown up his great two-handed sword as a barrier, and now held the hilt in one hand while he the other was braced against the flat of the blade. Yuber quivered with impotent rage. He pressed his twin blades against that indefatigable sword, sawing the blades against the edge of the newcomer's weapon. Sparks struck between the blades, glowing darkly red like mystical embers.
"Found you," said the stranger.
Recognition dawned on Yuber's shrouded features. All rage drained from his sneering, twisted mouth. There upon his face, Chris now saw only fear. "Pesmerga!" he gasped.
Yuber retreated, stumbling in his haste to put distance between himself and the stranger. "You're…"
Pesmerga thundered forward, swinging his great sword as if it were a twig in his hands. The stranger pressed Yuber hard, forcing the dark knight to use every ounce of his skill to parry the massive blows. Pesmerga's strikes came supernaturally fast for such a heavy sword. Their blades clashed and quivered with a keening wail of twisting steel, throwing up showers of dark sparks. A disembodied whisper passed between the trees, making the fine hairs on Chris's arms stand. Something alive was turning its attention on the fight between the two black-clad knights. Something vast and terrible.
Yuber spun and fled. Pesmerga followed hot on his heels. In a moment, the two dark knights had vanished into the shroud of night cast over the forest. In the distance, Chris heard the clash of steel, saw the flash of sparks. Their battle continued. And the whispering entity followed them.
Chris made to help Hugo to his feet, but something faint came over her. She almost fell to her knees. Hugo hoisted her up, put her hale arm around his shoulders. His hands bled, but the cuts seemed shallow.
"Your shoulder…" Hugo said.
"It is… fine," Chris managed, but she had to grit her teeth and fight off a wave of nausea when Hugo pressed probing fingers at the gushing wound.
"Don't be a fool," he said. "Here, I'll bind the wound." Hugo slipped out of his shirt and tore the garment into bandages. When he finished, Chris's shoulder still felt numb and cold, but she thought herself strong enough to go on. She had to.
"To the glade," she said.
Hugo nodded.
For over fifty years, Geddoe had wielded the power of the True Lightning Rune. Years of practice had earned him mastery over the primeval force of the True Rune. But Geddoe had also jealously guarded the existence of the rune, to keep it hidden from those who desired its power.
Luc had done no such thing. For the thirty years that had passed since his creation, Hikusaak's clone had worked tirelessly to bend the True Wind Rune to his will. He had lived in close symbiosis with his rune. He had never known a moment without the rune. To him, using the rune was as natural as breathing. The rune had been the heart that beat within his chest, the pulse that carried lifeblood to his limbs. A mortal could never truly master a true rune, but if anyone could have, Luc was that man.
In short, Geddoe was fighting a losing battle. An unnatural wind whipped through the sacred glade, carrying hurtling twigs and leaves. The Masked Bishop had raised a cyclone to keep anyone from interfering, and Geddoe now faced him across the hollow center of that cyclone.
Geddoe held one fist up, focusing his concentration on the pulsing pale-violet glow of the rune that hovered overhead, bright against the night sky. The True Lightning Rune strained at the power he forced out of it. Strained against the assault of the True Wind Rune. His legs quivered with effort, near exhaustion. Cuts and bruises stung his cheeks, his throat, and his arms. Shallow wounds, each one a reminder of how close he had come to death.
The Masked Bishop, no longer masked, resembled little more than a boy. And yet Geddoe knew that Luc's appearance belied experience and world weariness to rival the ancients. His face twisted in concentration. The True Wind Rune hovered before him, as Luc wove from the strands of its power a tapestry of destruction.
Geddoe's head ached with a throbbing insistency. His breast burned with each breath. Luc had begun their duel by pummeling him with fists of air, then attempting to decapitate him with blades of razor-thin air flows. Geddoe had faltered at first, but then he had learned how to manifest his own rune's power in its raw form as a shield against Luc's attacks.
Now Luc changed his tactics. He gave up trying to hammer Geddoe with direct attacks, and instead went about it from another perspective. He sucked the air from around Geddoe, trying to asphyxiate him. Geddoe gasped for breath, each delicious mouthful coming slow and thin. He reversed the power of his true rune, struggling outward, seeking to pierce Luc's magic. He was strong, and the rune formidable, but he was tiring. Even a True Rune needed a master strong enough to wield it.
Geddoe began to weaken. His vision swam, and grew blurred. To keep his attention, he focused his eyes upon the form of the True Lightning Rune. He tried to etch the complex shape of its symbol into his mind. Even with his vision wavering, the light of the rune glared through the slits of his heavy-lidded eyes. He gathered up its strength, prepared every ounce of his power. He needed one final blow, one master stroke. One blow was all Luc would give him.
The True Lightning Rune flashed bright. Geddoe unleashed the focused power of the rune into a final blow. For an instant, the sky burned bright as the sun. Then there was utter blackness, as if the world had inverted itself. A tremendous roar of thunder exploded through the glade, deafening Geddoe.
The pressure on his lungs softened. He could breathe again. Geddoe sank to hands and knees, gasping for air, drawing the sweet source of life in great mouthfuls, like a drowning man clawing to the surface.
As his vision slowly returned, he became aware of something moving out of the corner of his eye. A form shifting upon the ground some distance from him. As his ears adjusted, his own breathing filled his eardrums. Then he heard coughs, groans, the shuffling of movement.
Luc had been thrown to the ground. His hair stood in all directions. His clothes were smudged and partially seared. He swayed as he pushed to his feet ever so slowly.
Geddoe forced himself to stand. He tried to gather the strength of his True Rune, but nothing would come. He did not have the strength to manipulate it. The rune might as well have been a tattoo on his hand.
Luc's arm trembled as he raised it. The True Wind Rune flashed into life and glowed faintly, and there was a breeze. No more. Luc gave a pained expression. He fought to muster something from his rune. With each step, Geddoe drew closer and closer to the Masked Bishop. The bishop staggered back, conjuring stronger and stronger winds. Winds buffeted against Geddoe's chest, almost strong enough to push him back. Walking into the wind, he closed the gap and reached out to grab Luc.
As Geddoe's hand closed upon Luc's wrist, bright light flashed to one side. Geddoe turned his head to see a woman standing where before, there had been no one.
The Masked Bishop's pet rune sage.
The woman raised a staff capped with a brilliant crystal. That crystal now shone as the woman manifested a complex pale-yellow rune. The True Earth Rune. Confusion rolled through Geddoe's mind as he saw that the True Rune appeared not to be affixed to the woman's hand. Then all thought vanished in a wave of pain as the earth burst around him, gripped him in churning dirt, and squeezed hard.
Geddoe's slack hand released Luc, and the Masked Bishop stepped back. The True Wind Rune flared back to life. "Now," Luc said. "Let's see about that rune of yours…"
In the sacred glade, utter devastation greeted them.
Ancient oaks lay tumbled about the glade, their trunks snapped like twigs. The earth had been churned as if by hoes and ploughs, and debris was everywhere. The altar had crumbled, its stonework pitching into the once tranquil pool.
In the midst of the chaos stood the Masked Bishop. He was flanked by Sarah, and before them, Geddoe seemed to be standing defiantly, until Chris saw that his lower body was buried in hardened earth raised by the True Earth Rune's new master. Luc and Sarah stood over the incapacitated man, speaking in low murmurs. The capstone crystal of Sarah's staff flashed intermittently, its light growing stronger and stronger.
"The woman," Chris whispered to Hugo. "Do not let her touch you. She carries a powerful rune that can transport a person over great distances in the blink of an eye."
Hugo nodded, then frowned at the scene before them. The Destroyers had not yet seen them. "What are they doing to him?"
Chris turned to Hugo and pushed him down beside the tree. "The True Lightning Rune," she said in a breathless voice, "They aim to sever the rune from Geddoe's hand!"
Hugo groaned. "I'll have to use it."
"What?"
Hugo turned his head slowly. "The True Fire Rune. There's no other way out. We can't let them steal another True Rune." Before Chris could protest, Hugo rose from cover and raised his hand to invoke the fury of his rune. Fire leaped to life and wreathed Hugo's arm, gathering into an inferno at the tips of his fingers. "Whatever happens, get Geddoe out of here." Then he sprang into the sacred glade and unleashed a wave of white-hot fire at the Destroyers.
The two figures standing over Geddoe swung around to face the assault. Chris saw surprise register on their faces, but not for long. Runes flashed, and the wind sprang to life, if weaker than before. The wind struck the flames in the middle of the glade and dispersed them. Then the earth sprang up before the fire, creating a barrier of damp and loose soil against which Hugo's fiery wave impacted with a tremendous crack. Sparks flew in every direction.
When the dust settled, the Destroyers stood unharmed. Poised to strike back.
A strong wind renewed itself. Chunks of hard-packed earth and rocks tore free from the ground, as two True Runes worked in tandem. A hail of stone and dirt missiles launched at Hugo.
The Flame Champion raised a wall of fire, sending it toppling forward in waves of living flame. Soil, clay, even stone impacted against this immaterial wall and burned to ashes, so hot was the flame. Chris saw Hugo's face reflected in the firelight. He was fighting against the Destroyers, but more than that, he seemed to be fighting his own rune for control.
Chris could not help him now. A battle of True Runes raged in the sacred glade. The Destroyers had him outnumbered, and they were accomplished rune sages. But they were exhausted, and Hugo remained strong. And the Flame Champion drew upon a cataclysmic power of destruction with a will of its own. The Destroyers no longer paid any attention to Geddoe. All their efforts were now focused on keeping the Flame Champion at bay.
Chris ran. She wove through the trees, circling the glade, following the lake. She sprinted as fast as she dared among branches cracked and trunks toppled by the gale-force winds. She made her way around the outskirts of the glade to a position from which the Destroyers would not spot her. Her shoulder ached with each step. Every other step, she could not help but glance back at Hugo, each time fearing that when she looked back, she would see him consumed by the flames of his own True Rune.
The Destroyers still had their backs to her when she crept up from the other side of the glade. A battle of titanic powers unveiled itself before her. True Runes clashed against True Runes. Thundering explosions rocked the glade, punctuated by great cracks of breaking stone. Chris hurried over the debris strewn grass, never unconcerned that her footfalls would give her away.
Geddoe looked up when she came to his side. His legs and belly were still encased in earth. His head lolled dizzily, his eyes struggling to focus as he took her in. He blinked, but did not give a reaction.
She thought of using her sword to break the earthen prison apart, but decided it would take too much time. She laid a hand on the hard-packed earth and channeled the power of her Water Rune. Hoarfrost spread across the surface of the earth, as moisture dug into the hard-packed soil and froze. Chris let the power of the rune spread throughout the clay-like mold. Then she started cracking loose fragments of Geddoe's prison, piece by piece.
Sarah must have sensed the flow of a rune behind her. Chris had nearly freed Geddoe when the woman turned to look right at her. The woman frowned, and turned her staff towards Chris. A rune flashed atop the crystal.
Chris yanked Geddoe from his prison. The cracked earth around his feet broke loose, and Geddoe toppled from his bonds. He sagged into her arms. Chris threw up her hand and channeled the power of the Water Rune into a shield.
With one concentrated blow of the True Earth Rune, Sarah smashed her shield.
Fire exploded behind Sarah, pushing her onto her knees. Luc came tumbling past her and skidded to a halt on the grass. He got to his feet slowly, as if struggling to remember how to stand. Sarah shook her head furiously, holding up one hand to her ear and grimacing. The Destroyers stumbled to their feet.
It was enough for Chris to withdraw. Pulling Geddoe with her, she stumbled back, away from the scene. She kept her eye on Sarah, wondering at the limitations of her teleportation magic. When she had put some distance between them, she set the near-unconscious Geddoe onto the grass by the trees, and padded back to where the conflict still raged.
Hugo advanced on the altar. Luc swayed unsteadily on his feet, but his rune flared back to life. Sarah moved to steady him, holding her staff out wardingly against Hugo.
"My lord, we should retreat," she said.
Luc shook his head. "No. Not just yet."
Chris moved to trap the Destroyers between her and Hugo. She had her sword—his father's sword—in one hand, while the other gleamed with the Water Rune's promise of power.
"Surrender," she said. "Abandon this foolish path of destruction."
Chris heard a sword leap from its sheath. Her muscles tensed, but when she turned, she saw Percival stride up beside her. She relaxed.
"Milady," he said, bowing his head.
She nodded at him, gave a brief smile, then turned back to the Destroyers.
"What say you, Master Luc?" she said. "Surrender, and you two shall be treated with courtesy."
Luc shook his head sadly, as if feeling sorry for her. "I'm afraid, my lady, that we still hold all the cards."
Chris drew closer, sword at the ready. "From where I am standing, you do not." She motioned for Percival to flank them. She felt a momentary prick of irritation that he had not already done so without being prompted.
When the blade slid against her neck, Chris' blood turned to ice. Her mind reeled. For several long moments, all she could do was to stare at the naked steel flashing in the moonlight. Feeling the cold metal against her skin.
"Percival?" she breathed. She barely managed to speak the name.
"I'm sorry, milady," Percival said. "I truly am." He had his arm around her chest, pressing her against him, restricting her movements. He was stronger than her, but she may well have slipped his grip, were it not for the blade at her throat.
As the winds changed, so too did Luc straighten and almost grow taller, like an oak that had weathered a storm. "Hold her still," he commanded, then turned to Sarah. "The Sealing Rune."
Chris watched Sarah move towards the glowing Sealing Rune as if in a dream, the woman's motions slow and deliberate. She could hear the pounding of her blood within her ears. Her whole body felt numb as she stared at the blade. She could not move. One single movement and the blade would saw through her throat.
"Why?" she managed.
"This is the last thing I wanted," Percival said. "Believe me." There was pain in his voice. "They… they have my sister," he said. "They have Dindrane."
Chris heard shouts now, a crowd in motion. The Kinese had awakened to the disaster about to befall them, finally. They were coming.
Hugo, filled with the power of the True Fire Rune, pulsed like the sun. "Let her go," he demanded. "Now."
Luc beckoned with the fingers of one hand. "Come with us," he said, "If you wish to save the Silver Maiden."
"No, Hugo—"
Percival held her still. "Please, Captain. Don't get involved."
Chris held her breath as Hugo looked at her. She could see his mind spinning in his eyes. His arm quivered with effort. The True Fire Rune fought for control. Slowly, as if straining against taut chains wrapped around his wrist, Hugo lowered his hand. The True Fire Rune winked out. Where the glow of the rune had illuminated Hugo's face, washed it in crimson, now there was only the pale blue of the moon. Hugo sagged, his shoulders dropping. Deflated, he walked towards Luc.
"No!" Chris shouted. "Don't!" Percival held her firmly, but she bucked against him. Sword be damned, she would not stand there and do nothing while Hugo—
The blow took her by surprise. Her cheek stung, pain blooming there. Her vision swam, and she tasted blood in her mouth. The shock of the blow itself was not as severe as the fact that Percival had struck her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice tight. "I won't let you throw your life away."
The Sealing Rune glowed in Sarah's cupped hands, illuminating her face with pale blue-white light. Plucked from its rightful place, the rune's gentle light seemed to withdraw from the sacred glade and into the hands of the woman. She returned to Luc carrying their prize. She held it out for Luc, and the bishop accepted it almost gingerly, as a vassal takes a gift from his liege lord. With reverence.
The shouts from outside the glade had grown more insistent. A crowd was rushing towards them, armed with torches whose lights bobbed in the darkness.
Luc frowned past Chris, at Geddoe's unconscious form. "There's no time." He nodded at Sarah. "We're leaving. Bring the boy."
Sarah bowed her head, then placed a hand on Hugo's shoulder. Hugo's eyes met hers, and he smiled. Then they were gone. In the blink of an eye.
Hugo blinked at the sudden light. When he opened his eyes again, everything was dark. He heard the chirping of crickets, and realized they were still in the woods. They had not gone far – the agitated voices of the approaching crowd of Kinese and Grasslanders had muted, but he could still hear them.
Hugo heard movement in the undergrowth, feet rustling leaves and snapping twigs. He squinted to regain the use of his eyes. They adjusted slowly to the darkness, revealing the Destroyers watching him intently. Two True Runes glowed brightly where they hovered in mid-air between them.
"Yuber hasn't returned," Luc said.
"He's unpredictable," Sarah replied. "He can't be trusted."
Luc hesitated, then said. "He'll be back."
Hugo thought to gloat about Yuber's encounter with Pesmerga, but decided against it. He did not wish to give them any information if he could avoid it. "You're all monsters," he said. "You'll pay for this."
The Masked Bishop looked at him as if he were mad. "No. This time it's you who will pay." The True Wind Rune flashed to life. Luc made a slashing motion with his fingers.
The stroke was elegant, precise. The pain from the cut was so intense, it ripped a howl from Hugo's throat. His entire body froze from the shock. He did not feel himself fall. One moment he was standing up, and the next, he was lying on the ground. Groggily, Hugo looked down to where his hand lay. It seemed wrong, somehow. Dazed as he was, his head weaving, it took him a while to realize what was wrong with his hand.
It was no longer attached to his wrist.
The Destroyers shifted to stand over him. Their mouths moved as they extracted the True Fire Rune from him, but he heard no voices. He heard only the blood pumping in his head. The beating of his heart. He saw the rune's red glow float from his severed hand, into the hands of Luc. And just like that, they were gone. In the blink of an eye.
Leaving Hugo there, in the dark of the underbrush. Bleeding out.