Chapter 18: Faith's Shield

Though it had only started a few hours ago, today was proving to be the longest day of Teyo's life. Up until now, his worst days had been ones where Abbot Barrez forced he and his fellow acolytes to perform extra exercises or redo chores that he felt they did not adequately complete. Now, he found himself running across a city that seemed both endlessly wide and tall, following a ghost assassin and an pale woman who controlled burning rocks, on their way to a church that held the spirits of all the dead, to convince them to help in their fight against a giant, evil dragon mage and his army of zombies. Compared to this, the thought of scraping the monastery grout with a wooden brush seemed oddly quaint.

For a moment, his thoughts turned back to Gobakhan and his friends at the abbey. I wonder what Retha and Vitor are up to right now? I think it's been a few hours since I got here, so they're probably back at the monastery after the trip to Oasis. It must be around lunch time. I hope they're not too worried about me, but knowing them, they're probably more focused on food right now. Today's lunch is gonna be stuffed cactus, so I can't blame them too much. Of all the days I had to miss, why'd it have to be stuffed cactus day?

Teyo's mind had been occupied ever since he arrived on Ravnica, fear and awe and confusion and surprise filling his brain to the brim. He'd basically been running for hours on end, and he'd been stretching his powers far past what he had thought he was capable of. So, when his mind finally shifted to the subject of food, it was no surprise when a raucous rumbling erupted from his stomach.

Suddenly, Nahiri stopped dead in her tracks. Teyo paused as well, and he saw her head snap back in his direction, eyes darting every which way. Her arms flew into an offensive stance as bubbling orange magic overtook her pupils. Kaya had moved a bit further ahead before she noticed her allies stopped, but she quickly turned around and rejoined them with a panicked look.

"What is it?" Kaya inquired, fingers dancing above her belt pouches.

Nahiri's brow creased as her eyes continued to survey their previously traversed path. "Not sure, but I heard something coming from behind us."

Kaya's stance immediately dropped. "What do you think, Eternals?"

"No, it sounded more ferocious. It was almost animalistic, like the baloths on Zendikar. You don't think Bolas has beasts like that at his command, do you?"

"Unfortunately, he might. He's got the entire Gruul behind him and all their beasts. Shit, we need to get off this path, hunker down until they leave."

Nahiri nodded. "Sounds reasonable. Can you phase through one of these buildings and unlock it for us?"

"Umm, Miss Kaya, Miss Nahiri? That won't be necessary."

Both women looked at Teyo, puzzled looks plastered on their faces. "What are you talking about, Teyo?" Kaya asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Teyo could feel a heat rising in his cheeks. He nervously ran a hand up the back of his head, fiddling with his braid.

"Well," he murmured, volume impaired by his embarrassment, "that wasn't a beast you just heard. That, uh, t-that was my stomach."

The confused looks on their faces instantly disappeared, replaced with a concealed laugh for Kaya and an annoyed huff from Nahiri.

"Sorry about that," he continued, "I haven't eaten anything since before I came here, and now would usually be when lunch was served at the monastery."

"It's fine," huffed Nahiri. She had already turned away from Teyo, but saw the light in her eyes recede. "C'mon, let's get a move on."

Teyo took a step forward, making sure that Nahiri could still hear him. "Actually, do you think we could stop and eat, just for a little bit? I know we need to keep moving, but all of us fighting at half-strength isn't worth it, right? We should all take a breather and recharge."

Without turning around, Nahiri answered: "Sorry kid, we need to keep moving. We don't have time to waste with distractions like that."

"But…" Teyo began to protest, but he was interrupted by Kaya.

"Nahiri's right, we should try and get to the Church as soon as possible. Besides, you're not really hungry, Teyo." As she said this, her and Nahiri turned away from Teyo and continued down the deserted alley. Teyo paused and cocked his head in befuddlement. Kaya's words scrambled his brain for an instant, pausing his entire body. He blinked, and once he saw his allies shrinking in the distance, he shook off any lingering questions and rushed to catch up to them.

Once Teyo returned to his position behind the two woman, seemingly endless queries started to push against the walls of his brain. It took him a moment to sort out his thoughts, and as soon as he did, he piped up. "Miss Kaya, what were you talking about?

"Hmm?" she hummed in response.

"You said that I wasn't really hungry, b-but my stomach…"

"Oh, that. That's probably just a bodily reflex. You said this is when you usually eat lunch, so your body is still used to getting food now. But that was before you became a planeswalker. Now, you don't need to eat as often, and you have more physical and magical stamina. Your brain'll catch up to that eventually."

Teyo blinked, trying to process this new and strange information. He wanted to protest further, but as he stood, he noticed that, despite the sonorous roar of his bowels, he did not actually feel hungry. Despite all the running he had been doing, he did not feel as tired as he knew he should. Instead, he could feel something new circulating through his body, a strange sort of energy that carried an ethereal hum from deep within his chest. He had not noticed this all day, but he guessed this must be the 'ignited spark' he had heard them mention earlier. Teyo's eyes widened with a brief understanding of what had happened to him. This self-reflection, however, was cut short by Nahiri, who sounded particularly stunned.

"Wait, kid, you didn't know any of that? How long have you been a planeswalker?"

Teyo thought for a moment, silently counting on his fingers before responding with a tepid: "I dunno, maybe a few hours. At least three, I'd say."

Nahiri shot a look back at him, her eyes filled with surprise. Teyo's eyes fell to the ground before him, her judging gaze filling him with embarrassment. Her head snapped back after only a moment, and then she spoke once more: "Well, you chose a hell of a time to join us. Sorry this had to be your first outing. Guess your luck ran out somewhere."

Teyo lifted his eyes from his feet. "It's fine," he muttered, "I've been told that I learn better through example, anyway." He wanted to change the subject from his own inexperience, so he quickly posited a question to both Kaya and Nahiri: "So, how long have you been planeswalkers?"

There was a pregnant pause after Teyo uttered these words. Silence fell hard upon the group, and their footsteps became the solitary sound along the path. Neither Kaya nor Nahiri turned their head to look at Teyo, so he assumed the worst.

Crap, I guess I shouldn't have asked that. Maybe that kinda thing is private for planeswalkers. There're so many rules I don't know. How am I ever gonna catch up?

He opened his mouth, an apology dancing on his tongue, when Kaya's voice cut him off. It was low and contemplative, much different than her usual cool detachment. "My spark awakened a few years ago, when I got caught in the middle of a job. The job itself was pretty straightforward: ghost of an old scholar mussing around in the Tolvada archives, stealing and hiding books he thought were unfit for the masses. It should've been clean, but I was distracted. That was the same day when Janah… and my parents…"

Her voice started to break up, clearly strained beneath the weight of her words. Even at a distance, Teyo could feel the discomfort that accompanied the parsing of her thoughts.

"Kaya, it's ok if you…" he began, ready to lead into an apology, but Kaya cleared her throat and carried on.

"Anyway, I got distracted deep in the archives. The spirit got ahold of me, took over my body and held my own dagger up to my neck. I thought I was done, but the next thing I knew, I had planeswalked to a brand-new city on a plane called Fiora. Nice place, glad I ended up there. So, yeah, it's only been a couple of years since then. I wouldn't worry about it too much, Teyo, you'll get used to it eventually."

Teyo did not know how to respond to Kaya's candidness, so he muttered a quick, "Uh, thanks," before silence returned. As their footsteps echoed across the nondescript building faces, Teyo's eyes shifted from one companion to the other. Nahiri still had not spoken since Teyo posed his question, but he did not want to press any further.

I know less about her than I know about Kaya, but I don't think she'd want me pestering her about personal stuff. She's a little too intense for me. Maybe after we finish this, I can…

"So," Kaya's voice burst through, shattering the silence and Teyo's train of thought, "what about you, Nahiri? How long have you been in the game?"

Teyo was relieved that Kaya was just as curious as he was. Nahiri let out a small sigh, seemingly resigning to answer. He braced himself, ready for whatever tale this strange woman was about to spin. This excitement was quickly tamped, however, as Nahiri uttered only a single sentence:

"It's been far too long."

Her words were glaciers, cold and hard and swift in sinking whatever conversation they were hoping to have. Both Teyo and Kaya picked up on her tone immediately. These were words of a weary soul, someone whose story could fill many books that people would be loath to read. Teyo's eyes shifted to Kaya, who eventually met his gaze out of the corner of her vision. She shrugged her shoulders, gestured her head forward, and turned back to the direction they were running. He sullenly nodded to himself, ready to carry out the rest of their mission without any more interruption.

The trio progressed in uneasy silence, and while Teyo knew he should keep his eyes forward, they were inherently drawn to the shifting architecture of the city. The plain buildings in between guild territories slowly gave way to grander estates as they drew closer and closer to Orzhova. Towering arches trimmed with gold and obsidian, windows that shone with every conceivable color, and black-tipped spires that threatened to rip the clouds from the sky all filled Teyo's vision. He craned his neck, but even he could not see the peaks of the Orzhov rooftops without taking his peripheral vision off the path before him. Instead, he saw translucent wisps and faceless winged gremlins encircle the shadowy pinnacles, low wails in the distance creating an eerie blanket of white noise. Everything culminated into a citywide experience unlike anything Teyo had experienced on Gobakhan. If not for that overwhelming sense of awe, he would have probably stopped dead in his tracks, paralyzed with fear. He continued, however, blissfully unaware of just how unnerved he should be.

Kaya warned me about this place, he mused, but I think she might've been overreacting. I mean, it's not the friendliest-looking city I've ever seen, but it's not any crazier than the rest of the city. Maybe if the whole plane wasn't overrun by zombies, this place would seem scarier by comparison…

Teyo's eyes and mind continued to wander, taking in the strange landscape around him. His body moved on autopilot, guided only by the solitary sounds of his allies before him. So, he did not notice that both Kaya and Nahiri had stopped running until he smacked right into the lithomancer's back.

The sudden impact sent him reeling back, and Teyo felt his feet give way from beneath him. Before he could fall, however, Nahiri's hand shot out like an arrow and grabbed a fistful of his robes. Her strength kept him from collapsing, instead leaving him dumbfounded in an off-kilter lean.

"Watch your step next time," she said as she unceremoniously pulled him back to a proper posture. Once his regained his footing, Nahiri let go of his robes and turned her attention to Kaya. "Why'd you stop? What's the problem?"

"Do you sense some zombies nearby?" Teyo added as he straightened his crumpled robe.

Kaya turned to them, an irked look leveled at Teyo. "First off, that's not how my powers work. I just kill the undead, I don't have a homing beacon in my head or whatever. But that's not the point. Look up there."

She pointed ahead of them, and the others followed her finger towards a monolithic spire that loomed over the horizon. It was bigger and more ostentatious than any of the surrounding buildings. Deeper black, brighter gold, and more luminous glass set the building apart from the subservient rooftops below it. While Nahiri's face remained stoic at the sight, Teyo's mouth fell open as he took it in.

"That's the fanciest building I've ever seen," he suddenly blurted out.

Kaya fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Yup, that's Orzhova for ya. The Church of Deals, as they call it, and technically my base of operations."

Teyo nearly balked at this new information. "Wait, that's a church? I know you said the Orzhov handle the religion stuff here, but I've never seen a chapel like that. How does a church have that much money?"

"No idea, kid, but that's the Orzhov. You sell them your soul and they collect the interest. Anyway, it's not the Church I'm interested in. Look out in front, just below the highest set of windows."

"You mean the thrull, right?" Nahiri asked coolly, prompting a swift nod from Kaya.

What's a thrull? Teyo silently puzzled, too nervous to ask the question aloud. Instead, he followed Kaya's instructions to see for himself. His eyes eventually focused on a winged figure hovering above the church's entrance. It was like the other flying creatures he had seen in the Orzhov sector today, a small humanoid body with fleshy wings and a featureless gold mask. This one, however, was much larger than the others, its musculature visible even from such a distance. It was also decked out in ostentatious jewelry, gold and silver catching the feeble sunlight to give it an unnerving glow. Teyo watched as it tightly circled in the air, seemingly entranced by the area below.

"Ok, I see it now," he announced. "What's so special about that thrull?"

"That's not just any thrull," Kaya answered, "that particular thrull belongs to one Teysa Karlov."

Kaya spat the name as if she had just bitten a rotten plum. Teyo did not know much about Teysa, but he did not want to meet someone who could provoke such a response. Kaya quickly swallowed he gut reaction and continued her thought. "I may technically be the leader of the Orzhov, but she's the one who's really in charge. That mangy beast of hers doesn't get sent out unless there's a hefty debt to collect or there's important information to gather. So, if we're seeing it now, something big is going on outside the church."

"Any idea what it might be?" asked Nahiri.

"Not sure, but I'd hazard a guess that the Dreadhorde made it to the Church. The thrull looks like it's steady over the Orzhova courtyard. Teysa's probably scoping the scene to see if she needs to pack up the coffers and wheel herself out of there."

Nahiri's brow furrowed as she thought for a moment. After a few seconds, she responded: "I guess it'd be safer if we all avoid the courtyard then. They can fend for themselves for now, we just need to get to Teysa so she can rally everyone else. Are there any alternative routes to get us to the Church?"

"Sure, I know a few routes that could get us in without coming into contact with any of the Eternals."

Nahiri nodded. "Good, then we should start on that immediately. We really don't need to waste any more time."

"Wait, we should go and help!" Nahiri and Kaya both turned to Teyo, all three of them shocked by the sudden interjection.

Was that my voice just now? he asked himself. Teyo did not know what came over him, but something about Nahiri's plan tugged at his chest. Even more surprising, he felt another spout of words coming, and he decided to let it flow rather than try and dam it.

"The city's not gonna be able to fight back if we don't get rid of all the zombies around here. My powers can't do much, but the two of you can really help them. I know you don't like the Orzhov, Miss Kaya, but we can't just leave people to fend for themselves, right?"

Teyo felt a rush of relief as the flood of words finally dried up, but this was quickly replaced by an intense awkwardness as the silent stares of Kaya and Nahiri bore into his soul. His entire body tensed, ready for the verbal assault he was sure to get for openly disagreeing during such a dire time.

Images of Abbot Barrez leering over him flashed into his mind. He saw the stoicism of his face that barely masked his anger. He heard the shouts, inarticulate in his memory but clear in their intent. He could feel the echoes of long-past sensations as they split his face in two. The red-hot sting of an open palm on one cheek, the unforgiving coldness of the abbey floor on the other. He saw Retha and Vitor's faces, neither one daring to look at him for fear of sharing his fate.

He reflexively closed his eyes, and he waited for the silence from his allies to finally break. It seemed to drag on for minutes, but eventually Kaya's voice rang out.

"I agree with Teyo."

Wait, what?

Like a newly hatched chick, Teyo slowly opened his eyes to confirm what he thought he heard. He expected it to be wishful thinking, a desperate attempt from his brain to shield him from reality. But once his vision focused, there were no intense glares, no raised hands. There was only Kaya offering him her familiar wry smile.

"Are you sure?" Nahiri asked. "I'm all about stopping Bolas and these damn things. We're planeswalkers, after all. I've been prepared to take that risk, but are you ready to do the same?"

Kaya's voice held firm. "It is a risk, but it's one I want to take. Teyo's right, we're not just on this mission to talk to the guild leaders. We're also here to cut down as many of these zombies as we can. Bolas thinks his army can just run roughshod over this plane, and we need to tell him otherwise. If he doesn't have these mindless drones to fight for him, he'll have to come out eventually. Right, Teyo?"

Teyo looked up in surprise at the mention of his name. He could feel his cheeks redden. "Oh! Um, y-yeah, that's right," he eventually managed to sputter out.

Kaya gave him a slight nod of encouragement, and he sensed a smile creep onto his face.

"Plus," Kaya continued, "clearing out the zombies darkening the Orzhov doorway might make Teysa a bit more compliant. She and I already have our issues, and she doesn't know either of you, but if we can free the church, there's a chance she'll be more willing to help."

Nahiri let out a small sigh, but rather than looking dejected, a mischievous grin cracked through her marble-like features. "Well, when you put it like that, how can I argue?" Her eyes turned to Teyo, and he saw a surge of orange energy flash across her irises. "We're not gonna get anything done if we just sit around here all day. We'll clear the square as quick as we can, then talk to this Teysa character, and then we can meet up with the others from there. Time is of the essence, so let's go roll some heads."

Without waiting for a response from the others, Nahiri turned to the looming shadow of Orzhova and pushed forward with a burst of speed that was so sudden, Teyo swore he could see streaks of orange light dragging behind her. Flustered, he turned to Kaya for a response. All she did was shrug and start off after Nahiri, daggers drawn. As he watched Kaya advance to the Church, Teyo let out a light sigh before breaking out into a full sprint to catch up to his allies. Despite the frightening situation he knew was awaiting them, he felt a smile stretch across his cheeks.

If this is what being a planeswalker's all about, I think I can get used to it.

It only took him a moment to catch up to Kaya and match her pace, though Nahiri had left them far behind by then. Undaunted, they continued down the deserted alleyway towards their shadowed destination.

As they approached, the solitary sound of their footsteps was slowly joined by the indistinct sounds of the courtyard. At first, Teyo strained his ears to identify the distant clamor, hoping for some early clues about what threat they would face. Once he was close enough, however, the commotion solidified into two unmistakable sounds: the shuffling of metallic feet on cobbled stones and the harsh clang of metal striking metal.

He turned to Kaya. "Do you hear that?"

"Yeah, sounds like my hunch was right. I'm hearing a lot of weapons, so I guess the Orzhov guards are doing their jobs against the Dreadhorde. We better hurry so we can help them out."

Teyo nodded, and the two doubled their effort to speed towards the courtyard. With their increased velocity, they quickly reached the mouth of the long alleyway, where they saw Nahiri peering from behind a building's corner. They rejoined their ally, careful to keep out of sight of anyone in the courtyard.

"Jeez, took you two long enough," Nahiri commented with a facetious sneer. "You two need to train a lot more if you can't outrun someone as old as me."

Kaya let out a puff of air, a futile attempt to keep rogue strands of hair away from her eyes. "He's got no excuse, but I'd like to see you run with the weight of a thousand souls on your back. So, what do we have here?"

Nahiri stole another cautious glance out to the courtyard. "Well, you were definitely right about this place attracting Eternals. There's a pretty large clump sitting right outside the gates. I'd say there's about thirty there, maybe more."

"Hmm," Kaya mused, her lips pursed in thought, "that is a lot. If we work with the guards stationed outside the Church's doors, we should be able to pincer them. They'll either disperse or get mowed down."

"Don't think that'll work," Nahiri responded. "The guards haven't moved from their posts."

Kaya's lip curled in contempt. "Dammit! Looks like they aren't lifting a finger until the Eternals are literally knocking on their doors. These fucking Orzhov, only helping out when they're in direct danger. Cheap bastards…"

Teyo, seeing Kaya's frustration start to build, quickly interjected with a nagging problem. "Wait, if the Orzhov aren't fighting the Eternals here, then who is? I could've sworn I heard weapon noises."

"Good ears, kid," replied Nahiri. "It looks like there's someone in the center of the crowd. Can't see through the bodies, but it looks like they're keeping the horde well occupied without darkening the Orzhov's doorstep."

Kaya and Teyo peered over the corner, and they saw movement coming from the center of the crowd that was too agile to be an Eternal. Like Nahiri said, the view was obscured by the crush of bodies, but Teyo caught a glimpse of an impressive ornate sword clashing against the curved blades of the Dreadhorde.

While Teyo was transfixed by the sight of the battle, Kaya piped up. "If that person's confident enough to get in the middle of those things, they must be powerful."

"Or stupid," Nahiri jibed.

"Either way, they're gonna need our help. Nahiri, we should split around the group, cut them off from both sides and work our way towards the center. It might help to alleviate the pressure and make it easier to cut more of them down."

Nahiri nodded. "Probably our best bet." Her hands suddenly became bathed in swirling orange energy, and she plunged them into the side of the building that acted as their cover. When they emerged, she held a broad sword, still glowing with molten heat. "I'll circle to the left, you two circle to the right." Without waiting for acknowledgement, Nahiri leapt from the building's shadow and darted in a wide arc towards the left side of the pulsating Eternal mob.

Kaya's daggers started to glow purple, and she poised to follow Nahiri's example. Before she took off, she looked over her shoulder.

"You ready to get in there, Teyo? You're gonna have to keep me covered while I take the Eternals down. It's not going to be easy."

Teyo met her gaze, his own features hardening to an unbeknownst resolve. "Yeah, I got this."

Kaya smiled. "Damn right you do. C'mon, let's get out there before Nahiri gets them all." With this declaration, Kaya sprang from her crouched position and, with head down and daggers out, she barreled towards the Eternal swarm.

Not missing a beat, Teyo followed right behind her. As they banked around to the right side of the Eternals, he started his low monastic chant. With his hands outstretched, he began to trace geometric patterns in the air. Two small circles of energy began to coalesce in his palms, a lattice of lines and dots imprinted on the shimmering faces. Once the circles solidified, Teyo encompassed each one within a white diamond. He grit his teeth and doubled the speed of his chant, forcing the spell out of his body. The diamond shape was then repeated, each new one branching from the old into an ethereal tessellation. He felt his breathing quicken, but he did not stop the outpouring of mana. In the blink of an eye, the pattern extended past his hands and engulfed himself and Kaya. The walls locked together at an angle in front and behind, enclosing the upper halves of their bodies within a diamond-shaped shield.

"This is as big as I can make it," Teyo called out, trying his best to not show his exertion. "Moving shields are hard, and I've never done anything this size."

Without turning around, Kaya answered: "Don't sweat it, Teyo, this is perfect. We'll wedge ourselves right into the crowd and make our way to the center. How long do you think you can maintain it?"

"Probably a few minutes."

"Plenty of time. Alright, you better brace for impact!"

While they had been talking, they rapidly closed in on the zombie crowd. Teyo took a deep breath through his nose and flexed his fingers, trying to ensure his barrier would be strong and flexible. Then, with his entire body braced, Teyo rammed the shield into the mob's perimeter.

There was a reverberant thunk as the lightshield's tip bounced against the hardened back of a minotaur Eternal on the ring's edge. The vibrations pulsed along the shield's surface, eventually travelling up Teyo's fingers. He felt it, not just in his stomach, but in his spark. The anti-magic property of the lazotep tried to dissipate the barrier, painfully twisting his chest so he would yield. Despite the discomfort, Teyo kept the mana flowing and his stance firm. He pushed forward, and the lightshield's angled surface shoved the Eternal aside. It wedged into the newly created gap and slid forward like a plow, carving a path for them to follow.

After feeling the initial bump and the subsequent scrape along its back, the minotaur Eternal turned its attention away from the mysterious person at the center of the circle. It pivoted on a single hoof and spun around, oversized axe reared back. It poised to strike, but before it could fully face the lightshield, it received a face full of Kaya's spectral dagger. The zombie dropped instantly, and Kaya quickly pulled her ethereal hand back through the barrier.

Though Teyo kept his eyes and feet forward, he heard the lifeless husk fall to the ground underneath the lightshield. Without looking down, he deftly maneuvered around the obstruction, stepping over the horned skull while keeping the shield steady. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but it stopped short as he watched Kaya pivot on her heel and deliver another swift stab to a humanoid Eternal menacing the other side of the shield. Instead, Teyo clenched his jaw and pushed their makeshift caravan forward, dodging the slumping bodies as they continued to fall at his feet.

The pair quickly fell into an almost comfortable rhythm. Kaya pirouetted from one side of the shield to the other, dealing clean strikes to the adjacent Eternals. Teyo's eyes followed Kaya, allowing him to step around the falling corpses while still pushing the shield through the gaps in the crowd. Their progress was meticulous, and Teyo could tell that Kaya was just as exhausted as he was from the constant use of their powers. The two kept moving, however, knowing that if they stopped this frantic dance, it could spell doom for them and their mission. That was more than enough motivation for Teyo to keep pumping magic into the barrier despite the low, dull ache across his body and soul.

I can do this, I can do this, he repeated in his head. It was a simple mantra, one that gave his subconscious control over his shieldmage chants and batted away the sneaking tendrils of doubt that stood ready to ensnare his brain. His vision was starting to blur, Kaya's form reduced to a streaking blur of brown, gold, and purple against a shifting blue backdrop. His breathing was ragged, and his legs seemed to struggle with holding his weight. Still, his mind did not go silent. I can do this, I can do this, I can do this…

Then, just as he thought he was on the verge of collapsing, the diffused cobalt of the Eternals parted in his vision. The vibrations of neutralizing energy bouncing against the barrier ceased, replaced with a tranquility that slowly spread up the length of the lightshield walls. This sudden feeling of calm sent a shot of adrenaline into Teyo's weary bloodstream. Rejuvenated, he pressed his heels to the cobblestones and kicked off, propelling himself, Kaya, and the shield into the eye of the storm.

Teyo stumbled into the small carved-out circle in the center of the Eternals, nearly tripping from the sudden lack of force pressing against the shield. He temporarily dispersed the barrier, his free hands landing on his haunches as he stooped to catch his breath. He did not have time to do so, for as soon as he stopped moving, he heard the sound of a blade slicing through the air just above his head. His head shot up, and his hands reflexively followed, palms already aglow with shieldmage power. Though his vision was still unfocused, he saw the silver streak barreling down on his. Before he could react, however, the sword stopped in midair, the razor edge just inches above his face. Teyo's heart pumped wildly in his ears, but over the commotion, a voice spoke out.

"You'd do well to not get in my way, young one."

Though the sword wielder shouted to be heard over the shuffling and clanking of the Eternals, Teyo was taken aback by the dignified tone it carried. Before he could respond, the sword was lifted from his proximity, and he heard it cut through the air beside him, burying itself in an Eternal's neck.

The near-death experience instantly sharpened Teyo's vision, and he had to force himself not to gasp when he saw the person they had come to assist. He struck an imposing figure, nearly two heads taller than Teyo. Skin the color of volcanic ash, eyes that shone like golden coins, and wind-swept hair that was as white as driven snow. He wore a flowing black cloak over what appeared to be a shimmering breastplate beset with jewels. All of these details paled, however, to the splattering of bright-red blood that covered the man's hands, clothes, and, most unsettlingly, mouth. It was not the brown, decayed blood that coated the man's sword as he continued to mercilessly cut down Eternals. Teyo knew that, wherever that blood came from, it was a live source. He shuddered, unsure if he should stay so close to this stranger, but he was quickly snapped out of it by another voice to his right.

"Hey, Teyo," Kaya yelled, "we could use your help here!"

He followed her voice and gave a small nod of acknowledgement. With his senses returning, Teyo concentrated on his remaining mana and erected a standing shield to cover his and Kaya's flank. The Eternals crashed against the wall with increased fervor, but it remained stable with its connection to the ground. He knew he could not extend the wall all around the small epicenter this stranger had created, so Teyo spread his arms wide and blocked off the half of the circle from which he and Kaya had emerged.

This should hold, and Kaya can start picking them off over here. Hopefully that guy and Nahiri can take care of the rest.

He took a couple of deep breaths, and once he was sure the lightshield would not fold, he turned his head to observe the rest of the scene. To his side, Kaya continued to stab through the shield, each blow dropping another Eternal. He noticed a few scratches around her legs, probably from their initial push through the crowd. Despite this, not to mention the shallow breaths he saw escaping her mouth, she showed no signs of slowing her attacks. Her tenacity calmed his nerves slightly, and he decided to turn his attention to the unnerving man behind him.

From his periphery, Teyo saw the stranger violently swinging his sword in wide arcs, cleaving through multiple bodies in single swipes. Even with the brutality of his movements and his blood-splattered features, the man maintained a balanced countenance. It was as if he did not know he was in any danger, like the Eternals were nothing more than sparring dummies. He was efficient and precise with his cuts, and while this should have brought Teyo a bit of peace, he still could not help but shrink as far away from the man as he could.

I guess I shouldn't judge, but something about him gives me the creeps. With his skin, and all that blood, I would've guessed he was a zombie. But if he's on our side, I need to support him too.

Teyo planted his feet and redoubled his efforts to harden the barrier around his half of the circle. Myriad Eternals were pressed against the translucent surface, battering it with blade and claws to no avail. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an Eternal's hand extend past the edge of the barrier, the curved blade in its hand poised to strike the gray-skinned stranger. With a broad stroke of his hand, Teyo forced the wall to stretch over, knocking the Eternal's arm with enough force to make it lose its grip. The exotic sword clattered to the ground, and as soon as the man heard the sound, he lopped off the Eternal's head in a single motion. He looked to Teyo for a moment, offered a curt nod, then resumed his work.

Teyo reflexively smiled at the acknowledgement, but he quickly shook it off and readied to return his focus to maintaining the lightshield. Before he turned back, however, Teyo noticed a growing noise coming from within the ranks of the Eternals. It was an erratic clattering of metal, mixed with the faint sounds of sizzling blood and bodies falling to the ground. He tried to look through the throng to confirm the source, and though he could only make out a flickering orange glow, it was enough for him. Teyo slid his shield over a few inches, and with the path now cleared, Nahiri burst through the Eternals with a bloody flourish.

Alright, now that we're all here, we can really start…

Teyo's thought trailed off as he looked over to his reemerged companion. He had expected Nahiri to readily return to chopping down Eternals. Instead, she was stock-still, standing with her back to the ebbing swarm of zombies as if they had faded from her consciousness. Her sudden immobility was concerning enough, but what truly gave Teyo pause was the look etched on Nahiri's face. Teyo could find only one word to describe it: hatred.

He had seen plenty of angry faces before, but nothing like this. Pure, unadulterated hatred poured from Nahiri's dagger-sharp eyes and severe mouth. Confused, Teyo traced the path of Nahiri's intense glare across the narrow battleground. On the other side, he saw the gray-skinned stranger, who had ceased his attacks on the Eternals and was meeting Nahiri's fiery gaze with a bone-chilling one of his own.

An unparalleled rage radiated from the two, amplified by the taut silence between them. These emotions simultaneously pulled Teyo's attention in and caused him to drop back in worried expectancy. He did not know what was going on, or why, or how long they would simply stand there while the Eternals closed in. All he could do was wait and hope something would break the unbearable tension. Luckily, he only had to wait a few seconds before Nahiri's steely tone cut through the air.

"I see you're out of the wall."

Her voice rumbled across the courtyard like a magmatic landslide, inescapably audible even in the face of the Eternal's constant attacks. Though Teyo did not understand what she meant, the thinly veiled rage behind her words was clearer than blown glass. His eyes shifted to the stranger, unsure how he would react to such brazen hostility. The man did not back down, and a menacing snarl parted through the blood on his face, revealing a set of ivory fangs. The sight sent a shiver down Teyo's spine, which was only amplified when the stranger responded.

"Yes, I'll have to give my thanks to whomever pulled me from your prison. But that can wait. Now that you're here, Nahiri, I can properly celebrate my freedom."

Her scowl deepened. "From the look of your face, you've been celebrating plenty. How many innocents have you drained since you arrived?"

"Your self-righteousness is pitiful. Every moment within that stone was torture. I was dropped on this plane as a husk, barely able to walk. My powers were weakened, but not permanently. I did, as I always have, what I needed to do to survive. The blood of these innocents is on your own hands."

"Fuck you!" she spat, eyes flaring with orange wisps. "I shouldn't be surprised. Your faced with another planewide threat to the Multiverse, and all you can think about is yourself. That's all Sorin Markov cares about, and everyone else is just another bag of blood to suck dry and throw away when you're done!"

Sorin's stance aggressively shifted, and his golden eyes suddenly shone like a lighthouse beacon. "Do you think yourself above whatever is causing this? What these zombies are doing to this plane is no different than what your cultists did to my home, to my family. As far as I can see, you and this 'planewide threat' are two of a kind."

"Don't you dare compare me to Bolas." Nahiri did not back down from Sorin's posturing, matching his body language with an assertive pose of her own. "I did what I did for justice, to set the Multiverse right. After what happened to Zendikar, your home deserved to burn."

"I should have sealed you back in the Helvault to rot."

"And I should have lopped off you head when I had a chance."

The air was thick with their animosity, and it grew stronger and stronger with each incendiary word and hostile movement. Teyo's entire body was tense, a mixture of anticipation from the confrontation happening behind him and weariness from the Eternals around him. Though Sorin and Nahiri had paused their weapons, the Eternals cared not for a momentary ceasefire. They continued to push in, and the already small perimeter steadily diminished. Teyo wanted to say something to the contentious pair, but he was too afraid of accidentally igniting the powder keg of their feud. Fortunately, Kaya did not share his reservations.

"Nahiri!" Her yell, equal parts concerned and annoyed, sliced through the din of her surroundings. She had moved across the circle to stop the advance of the Eternals that Teyo was not shielding, but her efforts seemed inconsequential against the crush of bodies. "I don't know what the fuck you and this guy are talking about, but you need to focus up. In case you didn't realize, the Eternals are still attacking. Teyo and I can't hold them off on our own, so put aside whatever bullshit is going on and help us!"

Kaya's words hung in the air for a moment, garnering no reaction from either Nahiri or Sorin. Then, without taking her glowing eyes off her adversary, Nahiri spread wide the fingers on her free hand, holding it by her side. Her palm began glowing a vibrant orange, and as Teyo watched, he noticed similarly colored circles of light appearing on the ground beneath the Eternals. With a violent swing, Nahiri raised her outstretched hand to eye level, and an explosive crack erupted from the street. A freshly hewn sword burst from each of the orange circle that dotted the cobbles, flying into the air and bifurcating an Eternal on its way. In the blink of an eye, the entire swarm fell to the ground, split bodies spilling their rotted guts into the gaps of the courtyard bricks.

Silence reigned before the Church of Orzhova. Teyo deactivated his lightshield, utterly dumbfounded by this display of power. He stared in awe at the swords suspended above his head, an armory's worth of weapons trickling down drops of fetid blood.

Wow, so this is what a planeswalker can do…

He turned back to Nahiri, ready to congratulate her on a job well done. Before the words could escape his throat, however, he watched Nahiri turn her glowing palm over and point all five fingers directly at Sorin. Immediately, the floating swords pointed to Sorin, their tips bearing down on him from every angle.

"Now that the distraction is taken care of," Nahiri growled, shattering the silence, "I can get back to finally finishing you off."

At this, Sorin let out a small smirk of bemusement. He raised his own blade, and in a flash, it was engulfed in a roiling mass of black mana. "I was going to say the same to you. Every second I was trapped in that wall, I dreamed of the day when I would exact my revenge."

"I haven't thought about you since I sealed you up."

"Pity. It doesn't matter, though. Even if you prepared for this fight, you'll never defeat me."

"I'm more than ready to take you down. I thought trapping you would've been enough, but I guess I was too soft on my old teacher. I hope you said your goodbyes to the family on Innistrad, because you're not leaving this plane alive."

Watching the standoff continue to escalate, Teyo was suddenly overcome by an urge. A familiar urge that he had already felt once today, not too long ago. The urge to say something regardless of the consequences. So, even as Sorin and Nahiri poised to attack at any moment, Teyo could not help but interject.

"Nahiri, we don't have time for this! Remember, we're here on a mission, a mission to save all the people on this plane. You told me that time was of the essence, and I know that Kaya and I can't do this without you. So, c'mon, drop the swords and let's get going!"

There was a beat after Teyo stopped speaking where the entire world seemed to come to a screeching halt. He could feel Kaya's eyes on him, but neither Nahiri nor Sorin looked up from their locked gaze. Nobody moved, nobody spoke. Teyo's emotions started churning as he waited for Nahiri to say something, anything that would indicate her agreement. Then, he saw her mouth open, and with a hardened tone, she said:

"Sorry, kid, but this is more important than your mission."

Teyo's heart sank, and before he could entreat upon her again, Nahiri closed her extended hand into a fist. The swords that were trained on Sorin now flew at him, whizzing through the air with a lethal velocity. He reacted with supernatural speed, bolting forward just as Nahiri closed her hand. With his own sword drawn, Sorin parried the few blades still in his way and let the rest crash into the ground where he stood only a moment before. He quickly closed the gap between himself and Nahiri, rearing back his mana-suffused blade for a devastating attack. With only a moment to react, Nahiri raised her own sword perpendicular to the incoming strike. She was quick enough, and as Sorin lunged at her, their swords clashed. Nahiri's lithomancy collided with Sorin's eldritch powers, and a furious explosion swept over the immediate vicinity with an earsplitting CRACK!

The force of the blast knocked Teyo off his feet, sending his bottom-first into a puddle of Eternal blood. His brain reeled, desperately scrabbling to process the sudden events. It took a few moments, but his senses eventually returned, the first being the uncomfortable sensation of rotted bodily fluids seeping into the seat of his robes.

He leapt to his feet, frantically trying to wipe his clothing dry. Once his initial panic died down, he surveyed the scene. The corpses were undisturbed, as was the pile of swords now buried up to their hilts in the worked stone of the courtyard. A few feet away, Kaya was standing back up, a hand pressed against the side of her head and a pained expression creased across her face. And, to his dismay, the spot where Nahiri and Sorin had been just a moment before was now empty.

Oh no! Did they vaporize each other with that hit?

As he pondered this, he heard Kaya's footsteps approaching. "Teyo, you OK? That was a hell of a blast."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. My robe got a bit dirty and my ears are ringing, but that's about it. D-did you see what happened to Nahiri?"

"Not exactly, but I think after that hit, they both decided to take their little reunion somewhere else." She gestured with a nod to the buildings behind them. Teyo turned and saw a meteor-sized hole though the building's top floor. Looking past the first building, there were similar impacts present along the row of homes, tracing out the destructive path of the combatants across the rooftops and away from the Orzhov section of the city.

"Do you think we should wait for her?" Teyo asked.

Kaya frowned. "I don't think she's coming back. Guess whatever business she has with that Sauron guy is more important than stopping Bolas."

A frustrated sigh escaped her lips, and Teyo internally nodded to its sentiment. He had not expected to lose any of his allies, let alone have them up and abandon their mission. He felt betrayed and hollow.

"Well," Kaya continued, "no use crying over her. C'mon, let's go talk to Teysa." She clapped an enthusiastic hand against Teyo's back, nearly sending him back to the ground. He looked to her face and saw her signature smirk beaming back at him. He did not know if it was earnest or a façade, but it brought him enough comfort that he did not care. He offered a halfhearted smile, which she seemed to accept, and the two made their way to the front door of Orzhova.

Kaya rushed ahead of him to intercept the guards. Alone for a moment, Teyo took another glance behind him at the scene they had just witnessed. The innumerable bodies, the pile of weaponry, the torn buildings above them, all hit him at once as a complex, violent portrait.

Being a planeswalker is more complicated than I thought. Maybe I'm not ready for this stuff after all.

He let out a heavy sigh as he took in the scene. Then, he turned back to Orzhova just in time to hear Kaya exclaim: "Holy shit, I think someone drained the guards' blood!"