Chapter 45: Allied Assault
Gideon Jura took in a deep breath as he looked to the ground below. Even with the altitude afforded by Sarkhan's flight, along with the sulfuric smoke that wafted from between the dragon-mage's razorlike teeth, the earthy, effervescent smell of Amonkhet's sunbaked sands still managed to tickle his nostrils. As he forced the breath back out, Gideon felt a familiar sense of calm manifest, one that often followed the mounting tension just before he leapt into battle. This time was no different, as he gazed over Sarkhan's red-scaled side to see they would be on top of their target in a matter of moments.
He temporarily pulled away from his surveyal of Naktamun to address his allies. "Does everyone understand their role in the plan?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard over the whipping winds.
Seating behind him, Saheeli looked up with a start, pausing her nervous fiddling with the filigree bangles around her wrists.
"Yes, I believe I understand," Saheeli nodded. She tightened her fist and raised it across her chest, laying the bangle over her heart. "I'm prepared to do what we must." Despite her obvious signs of unease, however, she managed to maintain a clear faith to their plan.
Gideon returned her nod before his eyes moved to Karn, whose silvery frame loomed over her shoulder with unnerving immobility. The golem had barely moved at all since they first departed for the Planar Bridge. Gideon knew that his mind was still on Ravnica, on the silver bastion he had raised on the outskirts to house the displaced citizenry and keep them from harm. Karn had designed it to protect against any wayward threats that might make their way past the city limits, but even that assurance was not enough to assuage his guilt in leaving it unattended. Though Karn knew that this mission would help ensure Ravnica's longterm safety, he could not fully overcome the sense that he had abandoned those left under his care.
At Gideon's question, the golem offered a precise nod, quick enough to not completely dispel the statuesque illusion. His eyes focused onto Gideon. "I am similarly prepared for the upcoming task."
Gideon had never known Karn's voice to rise or fall with any level of emotion, but he felt he could sense a solemnity in his expressionless words. A pang of sympathy echoed in his chest, and as their leader, he wanted to offer some small consolation, but he knew it would do nothing but distract Karn further. So, he simply repeated his affirmative nod to the golem.
Before he even turned away from Karn, the demonic snarl of their last teammate broke through the bluster.
"Do not mistake me for some groveling infantryman, Gideon," growled Ob Nixilis, who sidled up to them with several thundering beats of his leathery wings. The etchings of his craggy black skin were already beginning to glow with volcanic furor, standing out starkly amidst the swirling clouds of dust. "I follow no other orders besides my own. I am here not to fulfill some foolish role in your plan, but to grind my enemies to nothing and once again fly free across the Blind Eternities. That our goals are aligned should not be mistaken for my fealty."
Fighting against his desire to admonish Nixilis, Gideon took in another deep inhalation. This one scalded his nose with the faint sensation of brimstone that wafted from Nixilis' skin. He wrinkled his nose to shake off the irritation, which Gideon thought was an apt metaphor for his broader perception of Nixilis. Any other leader would have likely written Nixilis off as a nuisance at best or an internal threat at worst, and Gideon could not blame them. What he knew, however, was that Nixilis was not always a demon. He was once a man, but even more than that, he was a warlord, a man who understood the tenants of strategy, leadership, and before all else, loyalty.
Gideon kept this in mind as he regained his center after the burning breath dissipated from his nostrils. He met Nixilis' eyes with grave seriousness, the kind that they both knew only ever passed between a general and a soldier who was a step away from insubordination.
"I'll ask again: do you understand your role in the plan?"
Nixilis' eyebrows furrowed like tectonic plates, and his lip curled up to reveal his gnarled teeth. "Yes, I understand," he glowered.
Gideon fought the urge to smirk at Nixilis' reticence, instead offering a last nod to his temporary ally. Having received everyone's assurances, Gideon turned away from the demon's withering gaze to address them all.
"And for the sake of fairness, I also understand my role here. Alright, so we all know what the objective is, and what the plan is to achieve it. It won't be easy, but we can do it. Now's our chance to finally strike back at Bolas in a way he'll really feel. We'll show him that we won't let Ravnica, or the Multiverse, fall to him and his thralls. Not now, not ever."
Karn and Saheeli nodded at him with certainty, and even Nixilis offered a hefty plume of black smoke from his nose. No matter their differing levels of readiness, Gideon could sense their trust in him and his commands. His heart began to thump against his ribcage like a war drum, beckoning him to the battlefield. Knowing they must be reaching their target soon, he once again peered around Sarkhan's ridged back to the sands below.
Gideon's finely tuned militaristic senses were once again proven correct. They were just about to reach their destination, close enough now that Gideon could fully recognize the twisted form of Tezzeret, Bolas' ever-loyal artificer. He stood alone atop the rubble of a once-proud Amonkhetian monument, his metal claw held straight out as he guided the Dreadhorde by their bracers and cartouches through the Planar Bridge. From this distance, he did not look much different than the last time Gideon saw him, still sporting the same thick dreadlocks, graying goatee, and permanent scowl that plagued the only parts of his body that he had not converted to impenetrable steel. The first difference that Gideon noticed was that Tezzeret's artificial body now glowed fully with a vibrant purple light, matching that of the far-off portal. The second, and perhaps the more distressing, was the inscribed tattoo that sat above the artificer's brow, depicting a pair of curved horns.
Sympathy began to well up inside Gideon before being swiftly quashed as he tightened his grip on Blackblade's hilt. His hammering heartbeat pulsed against the blade, and he felt it pulse back against him in time, stoking his warrior instincts. He had raised the sword against many foes so far this day, but this was the first time it would be against one that was conscious, one that could think and feel. To his surprise, this no longer gave him pause.
Tezzeret has long since forsaken his chances at redemption. He has done anything that Bolas has asked, serving only himself and his master with no regard for those affected. His reckoning is long overdue.
After a beat, Gideon turned back to the others, his face hardened with conviction. He looked each of them in the eyes and saw it mirrored back at him.
"Okay, it's now or never. On my count. Ready? 3…2…1… JUMP!"
Moving without a trace of hesitation, Gideon ran to the edge of the dragon's back, took less than a moment to ensure his trajectory, and then bounded into the open air. The hot wind shooting up from the desert sent his hair flailing behind him, leaving his face exposed to its excoriating sting. His invulnerability absorbed most of the discomfort, allowing him to keep his eyes unblinkingly focused on Tezzeret's form that rapidly grew in his vision.
From his periphery, Gideon saw Nixilis approach his side. The demon's wings were pinned back, allowing him to generate enough speed to quickly pass Gideon and claim the frontrunning position. As Nixilis hurtled past, Gideon saw a wicked smile playing on his igneous lips. He knew that Nixilis would likely have overtaken his rightful place leading the charge anyway, so Gideon had simply made it part of the plan. Even knowing this, he could not help but shudder at the diabolical pleasure Nixilis seemed to draw from taking the reins.
I'm sure he really thinks he can take Tezzeret down on his own. If he does, I certainly won't be lodging any complaints. At the very least, though, his brute force should be enough to pull Tezzeret's attention. One strike from Blackblade would likely end this just as well.
Gideon felt the blade's dark presence surge at his mention, shooting up his arm to his chest with its unsatiable hunger. Sensing it immediately, Gideon did his best to brush it away, even loosening his grip on the hilt as much as he could without it slipping out from the force of the wind.
No. I will be striking to stop, but not to kill. Tezzeret has done much wrong, and there is still justice for him to serve in this world. There is more that he can repay to those he has wronged than simply his life. I know that is what you want, Blackblade, but you will not get it so easily. I will use you with all my might, but it is them who I hope will deal the final blow.
At his back, he could hear the wind breaking around his approaching allies. He had not looked back to confirm Karn and Saheeli had jumped, trusting them enough to follow his lead on this matter. The feeling behind him was all the confirmation he needed, and it bolstered his own reaffirmation enough to push Blackblade's creeping hunger back into the weapon's forged frame. Though Gideon could still sense it, it lay dormant enough for now.
His mind cleared up as much as it could just as, now high above them, Sarkhan turned back to the Planar Bridge, where he would rain enough fiery death down to staunch the Eternal flow into Ravnica. Once he was in position, the dragon let off a massive flap of his wings, enough to both send himself shooting towards the portal and unleash a torrential gust down on Gideon and the other planeswalkers. Even though it was just as they had planned, Gideon found himself instantly disoriented as the added thrust from Sarkhan increased his descent tenfold. The mild brushes of the searing crosswinds ratcheted in intensity, enough to make Gideon momentarily wince even through his aura. He quickly acclimated to both the speed and the sting by focusing his vision on Nixilis, who had similarly caught Sarkhan's backdraft to accelerate himself even further. Once he felt in control again, Gideon snapped his legs together, crossed his arms over his chest, and lowered his head. With his vision fixed fully ahead of him, he was ready to maximize his speed to give Tezzeret as little time as possible to react.
Thanks to Sarkhan's boost, Tezzeret did not notice Nixilis until he was only a few meters away. Gideon saw the artificer's eyes go wide with shock at the sudden appearance of the demonic planeswalker, whose splayed claws and sinuous wings must have given him the appearance of some grotesque angel of death descending to snap him up. As he approached, Nixilis let out a bellowing declaration to his awaiting prey. The wind was too deafening for Gideon to understand any of it, though the warbling bass notes still traveled strongly enough on the breeze to shake his internal organs.
Whatever Nixilis said, however, was enough to fully draw Tezzeret's attention away from the Bridge and Dreadhorde. The artificer swung his right arm, a coiled mass of metal and buzzing energy, towards a spot on the ruins surrounding his vantage. His taloned fingers suddenly sparked to life, with violet electricity arcing between the tips and gradually accumulating in his inset palm. As its brightness grew, Gideon saw light of the same color appear around a panel of inlaid decorative metal, tall and thick enough to serve as a house's wall, which adorned one of the overturned columns by Tezzeret's side. As Nixilis reared back his claws, ready for a sweep mighty enough to lop the head from a minotaur's neck, Tezzeret swung his hand to Nixilis, ripping the metal panel from the stone. It cut through the air, threading the dwindling gap between its controller and the demonic interloper. With a quick pulse of magnetic magic, Tezzeret thrust the impromptu barrier at Nixilis.
A reverberating CLANG filled the air as the metal sheet collided with Nixilis' claws. For a moment, Gideon prepared to take evasive action should Nixilis be pushed back into his path of descent. This thought did not last long, as Nixilis' claws proved stronger than the Amonkhetian metal. He pierced through the plate and ripped it in half with a wrenching screech. The two halves of the bifurcated sheet flew to either side as Nixilis pushed forward, his speed undaunted by Tezzeret's reflexive attempt. The artificer's hand began to illuminate once more, but its ability to gather power was not fast enough. Before he could do anything else, Nixilis was upon him, swiping at him with a claw fast and powerful enough to cause visible trails of wind to trace along his deadly nails.
This attack, however, would prove ineffective. What Nixilis, in his bloodthirsty superiority, had failed to recognize was that Tezzeret had not been gathering power for a secondary reaction, but to bulwark the strength of his own metallic frame. The trapped violet light that peeked through his gnarled bicep and flexor suddenly sparked as Tezzeret, rather than backing down in the face of the demon's attack, threw his artificial hand out to meet it. Their claws collided with another sonorous clash, but this time it was enough to stop Nixilis in his tracks. The two planeswalkers were now face to face, with Nixilis' bestial hand seized in Tezzeret's vicelike grip.
Gideon, who was fast approaching them, saw the immediate anger that cause his infernal etchings to flare. The demon beat his wings furiously, preparing to prove his strength against his foe by wrenching his hand free and hopefully taking Tezzeret's arm with it. Tezzeret, however, was no longer unaware enough to let Nixilis follow through with so brazen an attack. As he felt Nixilis began to twist his arm one way, Tezzeret swung his arm against it. Despite the considerable difference in their size, Nixilis could not stand against the sudden burst of strength from Tezzeret's bolstered physique, especially as the artificer anchored himself into the stone below versus Nixilis' feet which had yet to touch the ground. Their battle for supremacy did not last long, and Tezzeret seized control with enough definitive power to fully flip Nixilis and toss him aside.
This unexpected rebuke served to stoke Nixilis' fury even further. Gideon saw his etchings burn and muscles tense as he wrestled control of his midair movement away from Tezzeret's throw. He folded his wings in tight, then unfolded them as fast as he could once his back was aligned with the sandy bricks. The surprisingly muscular wing tips struck the ground, absorbing his momentum and upturning a cloud of yellow dust. It quickly dissipated when Nixilis launched himself off his wings, hurtling back at Tezzeret with his claws and spiked teeth ferociously bared.
Tezzeret turned on his heel to confront the incoming demon. His hand, now crackling with his fully realized power, cleaved through the air, once and then back once again, as he seized control of the split pieces of the panel lying in the sand. The first flew perpendicular to Nixilis' attack, appearing as if aimed to slice through whatever piece of infernal flesh it would find. Nixilis' aggression was not so tightly focused that he would ignore a threat in his periphery, and he swatted away the panel as if it were a common fly. Rather than fall to the ground, however, the gilded sheet of metal stuck fast to Nixilis' hand, magnetically attaching itself to the obsidian gauntlet on his wrist.
Clearly agitated, Nixilis attempted to shake it loose. It held fast, as the purple glow from Tezzeret's spell began to seep from the panel into the gauntlet. Agitation swiftly escalated to anger, and Nixilis moved as if to pry the panel off with his free hand. Before he could reach over, the second panel smacked into his other hand. It similarly snapped onto the black gauntlet, and whether by Tezzeret's manipulation or simply the growing magnetic force between the two spots, it knocked Nixilis' hands together. His gauntlets collided with a succinct snap, the magnetic aura instantly spreading across them. Then, as soon as they were together, Tezzeret's fingers curled, and the metal panel bent around Nixilis' wrists, forming into a pair of makeshift shackles.
Despite this sudden binding, Nixilis did not slow down. He continued to fly at Tezzeret, snarling at the humorless artificer's unaugmented face, but his focus now seemed momentarily split on trying to break free of the improvised cuffs. His massive purple biceps twitched and pulsed as he tried to pry the forged pieces apart. It was not until he was but a few meters from Tezzeret that a seam in the magical welding appeared. Tezzeret seemed to sense it immediately, and he aimed his hand back at Nixilis, sending out a renewed pulse of magic that slammed the metal pieces back together.
His strength rebuffed, Nixilis let out an aggressive roar that was loud enough to pierce through the turbulent winds around Gideon's ears. Tezzeret did not react to the ferocious display, his face unmoving as he unfurled his pincers and reaffixed his feet. The artificer's mind was meticulous, and Gideon figured he must have made a detailed sketch of Nixilis' mentality and abilities so far. It was not as if the demon was hiding his emotions from his opponent, and thus it gave him more than enough confidence to stand his ground against Nixilis' bullrush, his outstretched hand primed to intercept him and leave him at Tezzeret's mercy.
What Tezzeret failed to consider, however, was the raw tenacity with which Nixilis pursued his targets. Once he understood that he could not currently break free of the bindings, Nixilis returned his full focus to the robotically smug artificer. As Tezzeret reached out to grab the manacles, Nixilis swung them up as hard as he could, wielding them like he would a bludgeoning maul. He caught Tezzeret off guard, bashing his hand out of his path with a resounding echo. Now exposed, Nixilis reared back his clasped hands and hammered them into Tezzeret's chest.
The resulting noise sent a tremor up Gideon's spine, but despite Nixilis' considerable strength, even he could not dent Tezzeret's darksteel frame. The artificer bent slightly from the shock of the impact, dreadlocks falling haphazardly into his face, but he managed to keep his footing. When he straightened himself, he found that Nixilis had not released him. His exposed claw dug into the crevices of Tezzeret's metal body, holding fast with the assistance of the vising magnetism of the shackles.
Nixilis began to pull, trying to rip a piece from Tezzeret's torso with brutal determination. Tezzeret, unable to free himself, began to rain down heavy blows on the demon's forearms and chest, trying to force his grip loose. Nixilis bore down on Tezzeret with an abominable fury, while Tezzeret met his glance with rigid conviction. As the two combatants muscled for supremacy, it looked like neither would give an inch.
And that's just the opening we need.
Gideon, now mere moments away from joining his compatriot in the fight, stared intently at the battlefield. Whether by a stroke of luck or by some unseen ploy of Nixilis, Gideon's trajectory now placed him squarely on a collision course with Tezzeret's back. As he approached, his trained sight homed into his true target.
Before leaving for their mission, Gideon had collected as much intel as he could from the attendant planeswalkers who had dealt with Tezzeret in the past. They all spoke to his physical strength, mastery of all things artifactual, and the imperviousness of his darksteel-enhanced body, facts which Nixilis had now thoroughly verified. But, while these tales of the legendary artificer made him appear nigh unstoppable, they also revealed a vulnerability that Tezzeret did his best to keep hidden. An exposed strip of etherium, the original metal that comprised his modified body, ran down his neck, perfectly aligned with several key vertebrae. It was strong, certainly, but built more for its malleability in creating great works on Esper than the immovable darksteel of what was now New Phyrexia. Tezzeret often endeavored to hide it from plain sight, but to operate the Planar Bridge from his open, churning chest cavity, he had to keep himself uncovered, lest any garments be destroyed by the fluctuating magics. Thus, Tezzeret's only weak point now stared back at Gideon, a thin strand of polished blue glinting out from between an oppressive cage of black.
It's smaller than I expected, Gideon thought as he squinted through the sand-filled winds that blew overtop the ruins, but I can still hit it. A shame Blackblade was designed for flesh and not metal, but one thrust should still be enough to pierce through his shell.
He tightened his grip on the blade's hilt, holding it with both hands over his head. Though Tezzeret and Nixilis were still stuck in mortal combat, their movements had slowed enough for Gideon to line up his shot, ready to plunge the blade with all his might between Tezzeret's shoulder blades.
You have advanced Bolas' evil for far too long. Let this be your end.
A wave of vitriolic hunger flowed from Blackblade into Gideon, stiffening his already locked muscles. Gideon grit his teeth against the intrusion but was too consumed with focus for his upcoming attack to force it back.
He was almost upon Tezzeret, his freefalling momentum carrying him like a meteor onto the unsuspecting artificer. While Tezzeret continued to scratch and punch at the undauntable Nixilis, Gideon arched his back and reared the blade as far back as his gravitationally addled posture would allow. He waited for his vision to show him the optimal time to strike, and when he was mere moments away from a costly collision, the path opened before him. Without thinking, Gideon thrust the blade down with all his might, teeth clenched, content to let the sound of Blackblade cleaving lethally through the air supplant any battle cry he would utter.
Time seemed to slow as the blade's tip parted the wind on its way to Tezzeret's exposed neck. From the corner of his eye, Gideon watched the artificer, whose face was still turned fully to Nixilis and away from him. If the attack could land, Gideon was sure this piece of the mission would be over, and he could focus on the true threat that continued to loom wide over his thoughts. Before that could happen, however, Tezzeret's face moved slightly, allowing a sliver of his glowing purple eye to meet Gideon.
The artificer grit his teeth. "Another one, eh?"
With a series of mechanical snaps, several strands of darksteel, which normally mirrored where Tezzeret's ribcage used to sit, broke from their positioning. They bent unnaturally away from Tezzeret's core, wrapping around to his back. Then, like the teeth of a fearsome phytohydra, they snapped together. The indestructible metal reverberated against Blackblade's tempered steel, applying enough force to completely halt the blade's trajectory mere centimeters from Tezzeret's vulnerability.
Though the metallic spines were not strong enough to break the Soul-Drinker, Gideon felt the shockwaves radiate into his tensed biceps. He clenched his jaw against it before redoubling his grip on the blade. Blackblade may have been stopped, but Gideon had not. Using the now fixed pommel as a fulcrum, Gideon twisted his torso in midair, directing all his momentum into a fierce kick aimed at Tezzeret's head. His sandalled foot swung in a wide arc, maneuvering around Nixilis' writhing so that his toes would connect directly with Tezzeret's eye. It only made it halfway between the other two planeswalkers, however, when the ball of purple static in Tezzeret's palm unexpectedly popped.
The magnetic discharge surrounded Tezzeret for a moment, briefly bathing him in dancing violet lightning. It quickly jumped from his metal to theirs, spreading onto Gideon and Nixilis' armor like an electrostatic plague. Then, once his magic took hold, both Gideon and Nixilis found themselves flung away from Tezzeret, sent flying by the overwhelming surge of magnetism.
Despite the disquieting sensations that raced through his muscles in that moment, Gideon refused to let go of Blackblade. Luckily, his own strength won out, and Blackblade slipped out from Tezzeret's clutches, joining him as he was thrown across the pyramid's rocky surface. He skidded and bounced off the eroded brickwork, allowing his aura to absorb the blows while his senses returned. It took only a second, at which point he struck Blackblade into the ground below. It tore through the crumbling stone with little resistance, but it allowed him the leverage to plant his heels in the ground. This combined effort was enough to stop him before he fell over the pyramid's edge, where the Dreadhorde were invariably waiting.
Gideon stood up amidst the pluming debris he had raised, pulling Blackblade from the rubble as he did. As the dust started to settle, he peered through it to see Tezzeret staring right at him, his chin angled and glowing eyes lidded in a display of overt irritation.
"Gideon Jura," he scorned across the short distance. "Master Bolas figured that, if any of you malcontents were going to throw yourselves through the Bridge, you would be the first to volunteer. It's been a while since we last crossed paths." By his side, Tezzeret's claw curled into a fist. Though the electricity at its center had dimmed, it was starting to grow once more. "I've still yet to repay you and your team for your interference on Kaladesh. It's not exactly fair that Master Bolas is the only one who gets to collect from you all. Though it is rather fitting, seeing as you already lost against him on this plane once before."
There was no mirth in Tezzeret's voice, no indication of any mania or excitement at the prospects he proposed. Much like the lungs and throat through with they passed, his words were cold and unyielding, yet still cloaked in an air of assumed superiority. Gideon, however, could not be intimidated by this unflinching display. He hefted Blackblade up with both hands, assumed an attacker's stance, and matched Tezzeret's conviction.
"I will not fall this day, and certainly not to the likes of you. I will close the Planar Bridge, even if I have to cut it from your stomach myself."
Tezzeret sneered. "That you think you can best me, let alone my master, is nothing short of adorable."
Gideon offered no further response except to charge at Tezzeret with Blackblade drawn before him. His heavy footfalls kicked up a haze of sand and dust into the surrounding air, but Gideon's vision was too trained on his enemy to be obstructed. His reaction was fast, honed from years of harsh practice and regimen, but Tezzeret's own mechanistic reflexes were not so far behind. The artificer raised his claw, its churning energy now fully refueled.
"No, we'll have no more of that," Tezzeret muttered.
He aimed the violet core, not at Gideon, but at Blackblade. Seeing this, Gideon closed his fists with all the force he could, wincing as the jagged teeth of the quillon bypassed his invulnerable aura to bite into his exposed fingers. The ionizing sound of a discharge left Tezzeret's hand, but to Gideon's great surprise, he felt no pull from the blade attempting to escape his grasp. Chancing a glance to his side, he saw that, unlike his bracers a moment before, there was no purple glow around Blackblade.
It was instantly clear that Gideon was not the only one surprised by this. Tezzeret's head cocked to one side, and his brow tented beneath the dangling dreadlocks that fell over his face. "What in the…" This shock lasted only a moment on his face, as he regained his composure quick enough to convey to Gideon that he had not meant for his aloof façade to slip. "That must be quite the sword you have there, Gideon. Any metal that can resist my pull is no mere trifle. Perhaps this is where all your hope for success is centered?" Tezzeret held his hand at Blackblade for another beat, then moved his aim back to Gideon. "Well, if I can't defang you now, I'll just stop you in your tracks first."
Gideon ignored Tezzeret's threats, focusing everything he had on preparing Blackblade to rain down a flurry of blows upon what scant flesh and blood he still had. As he continued his headlong charge, another wave of magnetic magic erupted from Tezzeret's hand. The wave broke over him, bathing him in discomforting static. It swiftly dissipated from his skin without any effect, but he felt it soak into the armor that covered him from shoulders to toes. Instantly, all the metal surrounding him began to exert its weight against his progress. Caught off guard by the sudden shift, Gideon had to dig his heels into the stones just to keep himself upright.
This power is something else, he thought through gritted teeth as he applied all the weight of his muscular frame against Tezzeret's push. No wonder Bolas chose him to become his puppet. This raw strength, enhanced by Bolas' own manipulation, is truly frightening. But that is all the more reason why he needs to be stopped.
Tezzeret flexed his fingers with unnerving precision. "It seems you knew enough about me to aim for the one gap in my armor, and yet you failed to account for what I could do to yours. But I know all about you, Gideon, and that protective aura of yours. I may not have the means to pierce it, but it looks like you've brought that with you. While I've got you in my hold, we might as well see just what this odd blade of yours is capable of."
Tezzeret took a confident step forward, his claw still pointed at Gideon's chest and his face still a mask of unflinching cruelty. Gideon knew that he could not let Blackblade leave his possession. With a deep breath, Gideon reached into his spark, summoning forth all the hieromantic strength he could find and pushing it out into his arms, legs, and chest. White light began to shine beneath the silver of his armor and the purple of Tezzeret's spell. Though it could not remove the artificer's influence, it bolstered his might enough that he could do it himself. His feet pressed hard into the ruinous surface, enough to leave a clear indentation of his foot, and with an overwhelming exertion, Gideon began to advance once more.
His first steps were slow as he pushed against his own armor, but they gradually grew quicker and steadier. His strength built upon itself with each dust cloud created from a firmly planted sole. Though it felt like he was trying to bulldoze his way against the tide of an angry sea, Gideon refused to relent, and in only a few steps, Gideon had regained his pace from before Tezzeret's spell took hold.
That Gideon could overpower his considerable magnetism came as a clear surprise to Tezzeret. The artificer paused his movement as soon as he saw Gideon begin to advance, shock overtaking his grim features for a second. This brief stoppage was enough time for Gideon to take up his charge once more and close much of the gap between himself and Tezzeret. With only a few steps separating them, he raised Blackblade over his shoulder, gritting as his arms pulled against the restrictive magics. Tezzeret, sensing the impending danger, steadied his claw and focused his aim directly at Gideon's forehead. His talons suddenly snapped forward, and with a crackle of electromagnetic force, they launched from their sockets like a volley of arrows.
Gideon had no time to dodge the razor-sharp projectiles, but he also had no intention of doing so. He continued to charge, staring down the needles that seemed to perfectly align in the center of his vision. They struck faster than he could blink his eye, but even their railgun speed and honed tips could not pierce Gideon's aura. Flashes of golden light punctuated each attempted strike, five in total as each finger was rebuffed by the barrier and sent bouncing wildly off course. They clattered to the ground behind him, but Gideon did not hear them beneath the clamor of his own quickening footsteps.
Tezzeret's eyes widened as he saw his attack fail. He fell onto his back foot, clearly readying for a backup obstruction, but Gideon would not give him the time. With the charging force of a stallion-drawn chariot, Gideon was once again upon Tezzeret. He swung Blackblade with all his might, using as much of the magnetism as he could to propel the unquenchable blade. Without the proper time to craft a reaction, Tezzeret could only throw his darksteel arm up to meet the blade.
Sparks flew as metal clashed with metal, the immovable darksteel catching the unstoppable Blackblade. Gideon tried to force the blade through, but he could instantly feel that such an effort would prove futile. He withdrew the sword before Tezzeret's arm could morph into another trap to hold it, brought it back over his shoulders, and struck again from a different angle. At this range, however, Tezzeret's mechanical mind could react just as fast as Gideon's soldierly instincts. The artificer's posture shifted unnaturally, body contorting as it needed to so that his enhanced arm could spring up at just the right position to catch Gideon's attack once again. The impact sent acute tremors through Gideon's clenched fingers, but he pushed past it as he reared back for another strike.
Gideon unleashed a barrage of slashes and swipes, pouring his militaristic furor into each attack. Though any one of them would be capable of keenly separating Tezzeret's vitals from his shell, the artificer's defenses proved impregnable. No matter how swiftly or brutally Gideon swung his blade, Tezzeret could match his every movement and block every attack that came his way. It appeared to be a stalemate, with neither side leaving any opening for a counterattack. For Gideon, however, having Tezzeret on the defensive was a far more advantageous position.
It matters little if my attacks get through, he thought. Theirs will prove far more important in your undoing.
Gideon kept his full attention on delivering the torrent of attacks, not simply to try and breach Tezzeret's considerable defenses, but to give him no indication that he should not do the same. He held the artificer's own focus as tightly as he could, hoping that he would not notice the surprise attack coming for him before it was too late. Though Gideon held Tezzeret's contemptuous gaze, his spatial awareness of the battlefield told him exactly where they would need to be for Karn and Saheeli to intercept. By Gideon's own implacable timekeeping, he knew their descent would end soon, but he dared not chance a glance to the sky for fear of Tezzeret becoming wise to their scheme. It gave Gideon no pause, for he trusted the wartime acumen of both his artificer allies.
We don't even need a death blow. All we need is contact. If Karn can touch Tezzeret's body, he can disable it long enough for Saheeli to shut down the Bridge. I know they can do it, so long as I continue to give them their opening. These attacks may prove pointless, but I cannot relent!
Even as the stinging resonance of clashing metal spread painfully into the joints of his fingers, Gideon did not slow, did not pause, did not give his enemy any time to do anything besides block him. It would only take a few moments before Karn and Saheeli landed, but the time seemed to stretch with every glancing blow. Gideon bit it back, enduring everything so he could lead them all to victory. But before the next stage of their plan could commence, the ramifications of their first stage reared their heads.
Despite the cacophony of metallic ringing, it would be impossible for Gideon or Tezzeret to not hear the demonic call that suddenly blasted over them from across the ruins, and equally impossible to not recognize its progenitor.
"Do not think I can be dispatched so easily!" Nixilis howled. He had regained his footing, and now hovered menacingly just above the sandy ground. He held his bound hands before him as if in prayer, but then, with a mighty flex of his arms, shredded the makeshift shackles into scrap. Now free, he glared at Tezzeret, bearing all parts of his body that had any amount of damaging edge. "You think you can flick me aside like some common flea!? Where Gideon's piteous attacks have failed, I will show you the meaning of true power!"
With another harsh bellow, one loud enough to shake the loose grains from the haphazard columns and buried proscenia, Nixilis launched himself at Tezzeret's back. A rush of air, heated by his magmatic carvings and stinking of brimstone, washed over Gideon and Tezzeret, preceding his frightening approach. Gideon weathered it as best he could, but the internal turmoil it stirred paled to the external.
Nixilis, what are you doing? This is not the plan! I knew an ego as warped as his might cause problems, but I didn't think it could override his battlefield reasoning. I need to…
In an instant, Gideon realized his mistake. Nixilis' sudden charge had been distracting enough, but it was his own thoughts that drew his eyes away from Tezzeret to look at his demonic compatriot. It was only for a second, but for someone whose senses had been as attuned as Tezzeret's, it was more than enough time to notice the miniscule gap in Gideon's swings and react.
"It was a worthy attempt, Gideon," he sneered, "but you should learn to keep your dogs on a shorter leash."
Tezzeret's wrist twisted, and Gideon heard a series of pinpoint whistles coming from behind. Before he could react, Tezzeret's dislodged fingers slammed into his back. He barely felt their impact beneath his aura and armor, but it was enough to briefly disrupt his footing. Gideon's steps stumbled, and Tezzeret seized the opening it provided to thrust his massive claw squarely into Gideon's chest. It struck with the force of a catapult's payload, not enough to break through Gideon's defenses but enough that he could not fully ignore it. A surprised gasp escaped his lips as his already displaced footing fell out from beneath him, and he crashed to the ground with a great plume of dust.
Luckily, Gideon's reflexes worked like lightning. Tezzeret's attack had not been substantial enough to muddle his senses, so the moment his arms touched the bricks, he caught himself. With every muscle braced, Gideon stopped himself from falling or skidding any further, and once his body felt secured, his instincts righted him, preparing him as they had countless times before to get up and return to the fight. He was slower to rise than usual, however, as Tezzeret's magnetic curse now pulled his armor to the earth. In this brief window, Gideon could do nothing but watch as Tezzeret, with fingers reattached, turned to face Nixilis' approaching assault.
"I did not think much of it," Tezzeret sighed, "but I assumed you had enough intelligence to know when you were outmatched. Consider that the second time so far I've overestimated you, fiend."
Nixilis's focused fury deafened him to Tezzeret's words. The demon offered no response except for the blistering speed with which he arrived in Tezzeret's range and the glint of Amonkhet's twinned suns off his honed claws. As the wake of stirred sand engulfed the pair for a moment, Nixilis swung both hands at Tezzeret in a ferocious X that carried the power to cleave hedrons just as easily as flesh. Tezzeret, however, proved more reactive and more resilient than either.
Nixilis had abandoned all subtlety in his attacks to accommodate his rage, leaving them more powerful but also more easily signaled. With an almost automatic speed, Tezzeret read Nixilis' choreographed movements. His torso partially unhinged, allowing his upper body to swing out of the way of Nixilis' claws, which cut harmlessly through the open air. Then, before Nixilis could carry his momentum into a second attack, Tezzeret reached up with his taloned hand and grabbed hold of one of the demon's gauntlets. His hand stuck fast thanks to the residual magnetism imbued in the armor. With this firm anchor, Tezzeret used his bent torso as a pivot and ripped Nixilis out of his own flight path. In a flash of violet light, Tezzeret's torso snapped back into place, and Nixilis, unable to pull himself free, was swung in a wide arc. His hapless limbs and wings fluttered like a ragdoll until, at the peak of Tezzeret's rotation, the artificer let go, launching Nixilis into the air.
Gideon watched the whole display, at first simply disheartened by Nixilis' brashness and its subsequent consequences. This grew to dread soon after when he saw just how calculated Tezzeret's rebuke had been. He had not thrown Nixilis in a random direction, but in a very specific trajectory, one that put the disoriented demon on a collision course with the incoming Karn and Saheeli. None of the three planeswalkers could react in time. Nixilis' hulking frame crashed into the golem, instantly disrupting Karn's preparations for disabling Tezzeret and dislodging Saheeli from his back.
The impact sent all three of Gideon's allies hurtling in different directions. Saheeli crashed wide to his and Tezzeret's left, splaying out painfully amidst the bricks, while Karn fell to their right, his silver body halfway embedded in the crumbling ruins. Nixilis flew further than them both, and though his wings were only now able to unfold against the force of Tezzeret's throw, he could not stop himself from plummeting over the pyramid's edge.
Nixilis, no!
Nixilis disappeared from sight in an instant, but Gideon knew just what was waiting for them all just out of view. He strained his ears, listening for the far-off clatter of the Eternals swarming below and the telltale signs of Nixilis' fiery rebuttal. Unfortunately, it was currently all too indistinct to make anything out. He could feel his sympathy urging him to listen further, to confirm Nixilis' safety or, if needed, rush to his aid. It pained Gideon greatly, however, that he knew he could not do so. With a deep furrowing of his brow, he ripped his ears away from the ledge and returned his full attention to the mission at hand.
As Gideon rose to his feet and reaffirmed his grip on Blackblade, he saw Tezzeret rise as well. With his malleable magics, the artificer had pulled several strips of darksteel from across his body and fashioned them into a small disc-shaped platform at his feet. Once it had a large enough surface, he stepped onto it. Purple energy flowed from Tezzeret's feet into the disc until it was surrounded by a halo of ethereal electricity. Then, with an inconspicuous flick of a finger, the disc began to levitate. It ascended into the air, lifting Tezzeret further and further from the battlefield. It stopped several meters above the ground, hovering stagnantly amidst the sandy bluster. Tezzeret surveyed the three remaining planeswalkers, his newfound vantage allowing every word and stare to drip scornfully down his nose to them.
"So, it would seem that my master's intuition has been proven right once more. Not that I had any doubt to the matter." The gravelly tenor of his voice sliced through the winds, echoing across the desolate landscape. "It only makes sense that these would be your allies in this endeavor, Gideon. And yet, even making all the most logical choices can never ensure one's victory. No, plots and schemes can only flourish when backed up by power. That is one fact that remains unassailable no matter the plane."
Tezzeret glanced behind him to Karn, who was extricating himself as quickly as he could from the rubble. "It is a shame to see how far you have fallen, Karn. When you were the Father of Machines, you knew what such power meant. Now, you're nothing more than a husk, one that should have been smelted and reforged long ago. To think I once envied you enough to want to usurp you."
His nose wrinkled in disgust, and he turned away from Karn with a dismissive shrug. Pivoting on the platform, Tezzeret stared down at Saheeli, who was in the process of recovering from her fall. "And then there's you, Saheeli. Don't think that I've forgotten what transpired on Kaladesh." His already sneering tone hardened further, and the violet light within his claw began to surge. "So much research and innovation lost because you and the Gatewatch could not leave well enough alone. But I suppose, even in the face of all that, I must thank you." He threw his arms wide, sending a shower of sparks into the breeze. "Without your work on the Planar Bridge, none of this would be possible. The deaths of all those piteous Ravnican citizens and weak planeswalkers are on your hands as much as any of ours. You've more than earned my recognition, Miss Rai." He paused, allowing his hands to fall to his side. "As such, I recognize that you're likely the only one here who knows enough about the Planar Bridge to dismantle it."
The churning electricity in Tezzeret's palm suddenly let out a thundering CRACK. Tezzeret thrust his claw towards Saheeli, who had only just risen to her feet, and unleashed a fresh wave of electromagnetic magic. Gideon stiffened as he watched the spell bathe Saheeli in sickening indigo. As the familiar magnetic sensations filled the air, every inch of the gold filigree that Saheeli wore became surrounded by purple light. The intricate bangles on her wrists, the pinnings in her hair, and even the threading of her dress, all took on the same hue that radiated tauntingly from Tezzeret's chest.
Clearly understanding the situation, Saheeli spread her feet and lifted her arms, adopting a delicate, stretching pose that helped guide her precise metallurgic craft. At once, the glowing strands of metal began to lift from Saheeli's body. Her delicately swirled hair fell around her face, and her flowing garments draped loosely on her shoulders as the filigree gradually spread out further with each movement. They bent and twisted, as if priming to take on some new form, undoubtedly one of the many beauteous creatures that typified Saheeli's craft. Her bright, mindful sculpting, however, was currently no match for Tezzeret's brutal domination.
With loose sparks of electricity streaking from his eyes, Tezzeret clenched his taloned hand into a swift fist, and Saheeli's infected metal followed his command. At once, the yawning strips of filigree violently clamped back into their previous positions, as if drawn unstoppably towards her core. Surprise flashed across Saheeli's face. She glared up to Tezzeret and threw her hands up to him in a flowing stance, but her filigree actively rebelled. Rather than loosen, it continued to grow tighter. The metal bands began to constrict her body and bite into her skin. In an instant, her body snapped into an unnatural posture against its will. A shrieking gasp escaped Saheeli's lips, and the surprise on her face was suddenly replaced by a look of excruciating pain.
"Saheeli!" cried Gideon, righteous anger filling in his features. He felt Blackblade whispering to him through their increasingly inseparable conduit, urging him forward so that his fury might bring the thirsty blade some satisfaction. Seeing his teammate in such agony, Gideon felt no desire to fight against the sword's miasmic call. He took a step forward, but he immediately paused before he could take another, stricken by a sudden indecision.
What… what can I do? He froze in place, sword half-drawn by his side. He first looked to Saheeli, whose skin was now being pierced by the razorlike wires, with blood slowly dripping out to add a fresh coat of crimson atop the purple-tinted gold. Saheeli needs my help. That filigree of hers is strong enough to cut clean through flesh, and I'm sure it's only by her own manipulation that it hasn't done so already. That means it's too strong for me to rip through with my bare hands. Blackblade could cut it, but it's far too imprecise, and a single wrong move could prove just as fatal. I can't risk feeding Saheeli to the blade. Tenting his brow in frustration, he turned up to Tezzeret. I need to stop Tezzeret, but he's moved out of my range. Even my whips won't reach him that high. If I could have brought that pegasus, or if Nixilis hadn't been so brash, I could get up there and stop him. But now… there must be something I can do.
Gideon's eyes bounced between his imperiled ally and his merciless enemy, his irresolution mounting as he weighed the two impassible options. Saheeli's pained grunts, carried on the ionized winds, fueled his onset desperation. He scanned the nearby ruins, searching for a route to Tezzeret, but the remains of the ancient structures were either too short or too unstable to work. In the back of his mind, he could feel Blackblade's hunger trying to guide his steps. He adamantly refused to give in, but as fractions of seconds ticked by, he could feel his conviction waning in the face of this unsolvable problem.
Then, at once, he felt it harden again. His eyes had returned to Tezzeret, lording over them from on high. His floating disc had been glowing like a miniature version of the Bridge, but Gideon's eyes rounded as he saw the purple light recede. It dimmed and dimmed until, in an instant, it evaporated completely, replaced by a smothering layer of shimmering silver.
A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed Gideon's suspicions, as he saw Karn, now free from his impact crater, held his hand out at Tezzeret, his palm filled with silver circles and lines that shifted about like the faces of an astrolabe. Though his eyes were mostly obscured by the achromatic mana flowing through him, Gideon could see traces of deep-seated loathing boring into Tezzeret's back.
As soon as Karn's damping spell took hold, the disc began to fall, and Tezzeret along with it. His perpetual petulance gave way to shock as he hurtled through the open air, but it did not last long. Tezzeret ripped his claw from Saheeli's direction and aimed it down, reflexively trying to reclaim his disk. His electromagnetic magic, however, pinged uselessly against Karn's nullification, and the disc refused to activate. Eventually realizing the futility in this, Tezzeret shifted his talons away from the disc and towards the source of its inertness.
While the artificer fell, the golem had begun sprinting to intercept him. Despite Karn's bulky frame, he moved with haste, even as his heavy footsteps left profound indentations in the pyramid's façade. His silver was remarkably quick, and he closed the distance a moment before his falling adversary did the same. This gave Karn the time he needed to thrust his arm out, hand splayed in preparation to forcefully grab Tezzeret by the claw.
"You could not have Mirrodin," Karn rumbled, "and you will not have Ravnica."
Tezzeret let out a derisive snort. "Mirrodin is dead, Karn, and I will gladly help bury its last remaining relic."
With a flash of iridescent violet, Tezzeret's body once again contorted itself, this time reassembling so that he could face Karn head-on as he fell. As Karn reached out for Tezzeret's hand, Tezzeret moved to match him. Sending a surge of crackling mana into his palm, the artificer pushed it into Karn's, threading his talons between Karn's blocky fingers. His claws dug into the back of the golem's hand, sending discharges of mana into the fresh perforations. Karn let out a low grunt, but he maintained his rigid posture, even as Tezzeret leveraged their grappling hold so he could land firmly on his feet and keep their eyes locked.
"You've grown weaker than I expected," Tezzeret hissed. "Without all that oil bolstering your strength, you're little more than an animated lump of refined ore. I'll have to figure out what to do with your body once I've subsumed it. I would incorporate into my own work, but I'm afraid the silver would clash horribly."
With a derisive sneer, he pushed his arm forward, a clear attempt to seize control of their tug-of-war. Though his fingers dug further into Karn's argentum flesh, and distorting magic flowed freely into the wounds, the golem did not shrink away.
"You've always fancied yourself above all else, Tezzeret, but I will no longer humor such illusions. You and your master have taken far too much from this world for far too long. It is time that stopped."
Tezzeret smirked. "And what will you do about it, hmm? Or have you forsaken that silly pacifist oath of yours?"
"I do not need to fight you to stop you." Karn dug his heels into the ground, cracking the dry bricks with his tremendous weight. "Your mastery over metal is in mere infancy compared to mine. Darksteel is no different to me than clay to mold. While I have no intention of harming your flesh, Tezzeret, I will see your profane work undone." With his feet planted, Karn pivoted, whipping his free hand around and clamping down around Tezzeret's exposed forearm. Silver light streams from between his fingers as it poured into the open cage of his arm.
Karn's spell did not get far, however, before it bumped violently against Tezzeret's own magic. Silver and purple collided between the two metallic beings, throwing deep shadows across the pyramid's pockmarked surface.
"A valiant effort," said Tezzeret, "but lived experience is the only metric by which you succeed me. Your power has grown stale, Karn, without a greater source feeding you. I have Bolas. You had Phyrexia, but now you have nothing."
"I have all that I need to defeat you. Once I have stripped you of all your dark trappings, perhaps you will see what your quest for power has wrought."
"And once I smelt you to your basest components, perhaps you will see the benefits to furnishing Master Bolas' headquarters on whatever plane we will destroy next."
Though the planeswalkers' words traded jabs and blows with palpable impact, neither of their spells could find an obvious opening. Magic pushed against magic, their struggle for domination leaving them both frozen in place. Pops and sparks of reactive mana filled their immediate radius, but neither Karn nor Tezzeret could be distracted from their intimate battle.
While this scrimmage raged, Gideon watched only from the corner of his eye, catching the faint silhouetted images bouncing and cutting in the furthest space of his vision. His focus right now was on running to Saheeli and making sure she was not gravely injured. He raced as fast as he could to her position, and she was already beginning to stir before he approached. By the time he reached her, she was already on her feet again, doing her best to compose herself against the pain that made itself obvious with every clipped movement and wrinkle of her nose.
Her skin was covered in deep lacerations, warm brown split open to reveal oozing red, like rivulets of molten lava sluicing down the side of a volcano. Gideon breathed a sigh of relief that he could not see any bone or hanging ligament, that Saheeli had repelled Tezzeret's hold enough to prevent any serious threat besides loss of blood. Saheeli was already moving to remedy that, unspooling several of her servos, rendered inert by Tezzeret's electromagnetic pulse, and carefully threading the filigree strands into her skin as improvised stitches.
Seeing the pain seared into her face, Gideon rushed to her side. "Saheeli, are you okay?" He offered his hand to steady her feet, which had been cleanly sliced by the thongs of her sandals. She held out a hand in refusal, straightening herself decisively on her own weight.
"I am well enough. We mustn't waste any more time in stopping Tezzeret. I do not believe Karn can hold out for much longer."
Gideon turned to where Saheeli gestured with her nose, and he saw that, while Karn was still holding his own, his ability to combat Tezzeret's might was beginning to fade. His silver light was gradually being outshone by the crackling violet, and though his face could show only the barest emotions, it was now tightened in anguished concentration.
"You're right," he said, turning back to Saheeli. "Are you sure you can walk?"
She smiled. "No, but that is why I build things that can."
Surprised by her sudden warmth, Gideon nodded in understanding. "I'll help Karn clear the way. You get at the Bridge by any means necessary."
Saheeli returned his nod, then began to wave her hands above her head in swirling arcs, utterly spiting the clear pain it brought her injured limbs. Her filigree gathered around her, then started to shape itself into a fresh batch of servos. Small skittering things, with oversized cyclopean eyeballs seated atop curling thoraxes of chrome, all propped upon a set of insectoid legs. They gathered at Saheeli's feet, looking up at her with blinking lenses like a baby bird looking at its mother. Despite her suffering, she smiled to them as well, her fingers imperceptibly twitching to communicate her need for their assistance.
Gideon did not wait for the servos to tuck themselves beneath Saheeli's tender feet before he bolted off to help Karn. With each step, he saw the bright sheen of Karn's magic recede further and further back into the golem's heart. As the violet light grew, Gideon could see a trickle of melted silver creeping up Tezzeret's claws, his darksteel already beginning to coat itself in Karn's conquered hull. He knew he would have no time to second guess his first attack on Tezzeret, as a single misstep could mean Karn's complete dissolution into the artificer's heart. The war table of his mind assembled, situating the scant pieces of the battlefield for him to maneuver. He began to plot out a best course of action, but his concentration was soon tickled by the insistent, nudging hunger stemming from his hand.
Gideon tried to silently ignore it, focusing on moving the imaginary figures of this fight. Despite his efforts, he found his burdened hand consistently moving his own piece to the same ends. Whether by diverting himself to Tezzeret's weak point or charging straight ahead to his vulnerable flesh, Blackblade urged him towards a singular solution. Gideon, however, fought back against the blade's directions.
No, he shot back as he belayed its advances, killing Tezzeret is still not the only path forward. He is not like the Eternals. Though his mind is corrupted, it is still a mind, one that could see reason, or face punishment. I will kill no sentient beings unless there are no other options left, let alone to sate your hunger. You move by my will alone!
He could feel the blade hiss at him like a feral beast, but his righteous resolution could not be overridden. Coming up quickly on Karn and Tezzeret's embittered struggle, Gideon transferred Blackblade to his off hand, which he held tight by his side. He flexed his fingers a few times, needing a moment to readjust to not holding the infernal sword. Once they recovered proper sensation, Gideon balled his fist and, with a swift thrust, unfurled the trio of whips hidden beneath his gauntlet. The brown leather unleashed a hearty CRACK as it reached its fullest extension, loud enough to carry over the howling winds. As soon as he heard this cue, Gideon let loose the floodgates of his spark. His hieromancy poured into the whips, causing them to fill and glow with a brilliant golden light.
Despite the sudden sound and scene, neither Karn nor Tezzeret could afford to look away from the other. This was exactly as Gideon had hoped. In their distracted state, Gideon swung wide to Tezzeret's left, away from the imposing claw that was now obviously feeding on Karn's body. Summoning all the force his bulwarked musculature contained, Gideon swung his hand forward, driving the triumvirate of whips at Tezzeret like the snapping heads of a starving hydra.
Tezzeret must have seen Gideon's attack coming, as he raised his unenhanced hand in response, suffusing it in sparking shades of lavender as if to block. The attempt, however, proved futile. Gideon's whips, emanating the full power of his hieromancy, snapped forward with little regard for the artificer's abilities. One whip hit Tezzeret's raised arm, wrapping around it several times to smother his magical output. The other two bypassed this obstruction and went straight for Tezzeret's throat. At this distance, they could each only wrap around the exposed neck once, but that was more than enough to anchor themselves in a tight stranglehold.
A slight smile sprang to Gideon's lips, the kind that builds up only within the delirium of combat and is never truly felt by its triumphing owner. Tezzeret's demeanor also underwent a slight shift, though rather than the shock one might expect from suddenly finding their throat and arm ensnared by power-dampening leather, it was simply a deepening of his brooding irritation. Without breaking his eye contact with Karn, Tezzeret glowered to Gideon out the side of his mouth.
"You're beginning to look desperate, Gideon. You don't honestly think that these whips around my neck can stop me, do you? Eliminating the need for a pesky respiratory system was one of my first great feats as a metalsmith."
Gideon adjusted his stance, lowering his center of gravity and digging in his soles. "I figured as much from you. Luckily, I'm not here to stop you. I'm just here to slow you down."
Tezzeret's eyebrow arched, but then they fled up his forehead in understanding. He tore himself away from Karn's eyes to where their hands met, finally seeing the renewed influx of silver light combating his violet tide. With the help of Gideon's hieromancy, Karn could exert enough strength to clench his fist tight around Tezzeret's and extract his sunken talons. As they slid from the back of Karn's hands, the stolen sliver began to flow back to its home. It was only when Tezzeret saw the imperfections within the returning silver, the dark flecks swirled within that glittered faintly with dying purple, that his face twisted into a tight grimace.
"Don't think for a moment that you can overpower me with such cheap tricks. You must have no idea who it is you are dealing with, so allow me to show you."
Gideon could feel the tendons in Tezzeret's neck strain as he gritted his teeth. He wrapped his wrist around his end of the whips, bringing him a step closer and further securing his hold, but Tezzeret did not even seem to notice. The electric light that filled his eyes began to spark with greater discharges than before, long strands of lilac lightning that lashed out in all directions. Both Gideon and Karn braced themselves as Tezzeret brought forth a crashing wave of invigorated force. The artificer pushed back against Karn's affirmed hold and pulled against Gideon's restraints, displaying a strength neither knew him to possess.
Gideon could feel his hold being tested, and it took a full flex of his biceps to maintain it, along with a full dose of his magic for his hieromantic suppressions to match Tezzeret's power. He glanced to Karn, who seemed to be holding on as best as he could as well. The golem could not carry any momentum forward from his earlier push, but he was not relinquishing any of his reclaimed ground either. Though, as Gideon seemed to be in the same position, he knew how tenuous this hold must be.
"Is this all you can muster?" said Tezzeret through clenched teeth. He glared at Gideon, eyes clouded with storming magic. "Even combined, all the power you two possess pales to that which I have accumulated."
Gideon had to work to keep his own jaw from tensing up against the sheer force his hold required. "It's a good thing… then… that there are three of us here… to stop you."
Though both Gideon and Karn were struggling adamantly to maintain their control over Tezzeret, they had at least succeeded in holding his attention long enough for Saheeli to arrive. Carried by a fleet of servos scuttling beneath her feet, the stitched-up woman managed to slip between her allies by crouching low to the ground. This left her unnoticed, while aligning her perfectly with Tezzeret's open chest cavity, where the control for the Planar Bridge burned like a caged sun.
She wasted none of the precious time afforded to her by Gideon and Karn. Shifting her balance, Saheeli allowed a few servos out from beneath her feet and sent them into the belly of the beast. They clambered up Tezzeret's legs, their scythe-like claws hooking in and out of the intricate darksteel latticing. He did not try to shake them loose, for he lacked the sensation in his metallic frame needed to provoke such a response, instead relying on the magic that coursed through him. Electromagnetic discharges leapt hungrily at the swarming servos, striking with enough force to blow out their lenses or lock up their motors. They fell motionless to the ground, no longer fit to even be salvaged for parts.
It was here that Saheeli's indomitable spirit of invention showed its true power. While Tezzeret's subconscious defenses were strong, they were unfocused enough that they could be overwhelmed. No matter how many servos he repelled, Saheeli did not stop sending them. Her hands worked fast to rejuvenate the fallen creatures, pulling the working pieces from among them and crafting them anew. Her brow was slicked with perspiration and limbs stiff with dried blood, but she was relentless, and it was not long before the first few servos pushed past Tezzeret's implanted minefield and reached the Planar Bridge's control.
The small mechanisms stopped at the chest cavity's barrier, bracing themselves against Tezzeret's darksteel ribcage to give Saheeli a clear path. She spun her wrists like gyros, allowing her bangles to flow up to her hands and reshape into a pair of conductive gloves. The second they were securely fashioned, Saheeli plunged her hands into the abdomen, bringing forth all her magic to seize the Planar Bridge. Her flowing red and blue aether closed around the haptic violet core, causing a miniature shockwave that rocked across the pyramid's surface. The planeswalkers held their footing, but Tezzeret was the only one to truly react.
He pulled his gritted teeth apart, allowing a roar of frustration to explode out. "Don't you dare get your disgusting flesh and blood near that! You and your trinkets do not deserve to even witness what I have built. You may have spawned the idea, but it is I who perfected it, and I won't allow the meddling of inferior minds."
Snorting like an enraged bull, Tezzeret summoned another surge of magic into his frame. Gideon had to lean his weight even further to maintain his grip against the sudden uptick in Tezzeret's strength. Casting a quick glance to his side, Gideon saw that, as much as Tezzeret was funneling power into fighting back himself and Karn, even more was being used to combat Saheeli. The interlocking plates of his torso were moving to close his chest cavity. The sides were quickly shut out, and only the space where Saheeli worked still burned with exposed purple light. Her servos whirred and clicked as they tried to keep the aperture from closing, but it was obvious they could only slow it down.
"Saheeli, hurry!" Gideon yelled over the cacophonous crackle Tezzeret had wrought. "You need to shut down the Bridge now, while Karn and I are holding him back!"
"I'm doing what I can, but this design is far different than what I envisioned. It's been integrated into his system, and with the power fluctuations, I-" A servo by Saheeli's hand suddenly popped from Tezzeret's force, sending the darksteel plate crashing into her forearm. The length of her bangle-turned-glove caught the sheer blade before it could completely cleave through her, but it hit hard enough that her words were stifled by a sudden yelp of pain.
Gideon's eyes went wide. "Saheeli!" he cried, voice strained from the tautness overtaking his body. He tried to leverage his whips to pull Tezzeret away from Saheeli, but he instead found himself being dragged forward by the artificer. Though Gideon's hieromancy was still taking effect, he could feel the mana he could pour into it was approaching its maximum. Tezzeret, now burning with blind hatred, seemed to only be growing stronger by the second, with no zenith in sight.
No, it can't end like this! We must shut down the Bridge. We must stop Tezzeret. But this power… it's unlike anything a single planeswalker could achieve on their own. Even against the three of us, he's holding his own. Gideon ground his teeth in frustration. No, not even that. He's surpassing us. It's slow, but he's gradually overcoming everything we're throwing at him.
Despite the domineering sensations from maintaining his hold, Gideon suddenly felt a twitch of hunger shoot through his off hand. He did not need to look away from Tezzeret to know where Blackblade's tip was attempting to guide his arm. While such a pang would normally be met with measured revocation, it now brought forth a roiling infuriation.
One swing from Blackblade could stop him, but am I even in a position to do so? My off hand may not be strong enough to finish him in a single blow, and it would require reeling myself into a suboptimal position. But to wield it properly, I would need to release my whips, which might allow Tezzeret to immediately overtake both Karn and Saheeli. I even put myself at the furthest distance, so closing that gap might give Tezzeret enough time to defend. Gideon shook his head. Even if I feed him to Blackblade, there's no guarantee that the Bridge will shut down, and without Saheeli or Karn, I can't do anything about it. I can't risk their lives on such a gamble. But then, what else can we do?
Gideon searched for a solution, frantically moving the battle pieces in his head to test every stratagem that he could imagine. As the four planeswalkers remained locked in their struggle, the air around them began to twist with the excess energy they all continued to pour out of their bodies. The only sound audible above their animalistic grunts was the determined creaking of metal as Tezzeret's chest cavity continued to pincer Saheeli's hands as it closed. By the heaviness of the metallic scraping, her gloves and servos would not hold out for long.
Even amidst the chaos, Tezzeret found the conviction to speak. "You will not succeed. The Bridge will remain open, the invasion will continue, and my master will take his rightful place at the Multiverse's center."
Gideon was too inwardly focused to hear him. There must be another option, another way to stop him. His mind worked at a frenzied pace, but there was no solution he could find that wasn't fraught with risks. No, there must be something. I refuse to give up.
"It was a worthy effort," Tezzeret continued, "but I've grown quite tired of your interference. Master Bolas will be disappointed that he could have your sparks for himself, but at least take solace that you will never have to return to Ravnica to face your failures."
Tezzeret flexed his entire frame, muscles and metal rippling as if they were a single contiguous system. Electricity began to jump from every open space in the darksteel lattice, lashing out at the planeswalkers' exposed skin. The crunch of metal at his core resounded, burying Saheeli's muffled grunts. Beneath his ironclad grip, Gideon could feel Tezzeret breaking free, and he knew, soon enough, there would be no time to act. His mind became a flurry of desperation, his strategizing drowning out the surrounding din into a distant whine.
Even his deafening concentration, however, was not enough to block out the sudden blast of noise that swept over them.
"INSIGNIFICANT FLEA! YOU DARE TO THINK THAT YOU HAVE WON!?"
Gideon's eyes shot open as wide as they could. Can it be?
He dared not turn away from Tezzeret, but he strained his peripherals with all the energy he could spare to follow the furious howl. He followed it across the pyramid's surface to its far edge, where it overlooked the procession of the Dreadhorde. This unholy sight, however, was now completely blotted from their view by a tremendous, glowing, winged shadow.
Nixilis!
Like a bat escaping from the depths of the underworld, Ob Nixilis emerged from beneath the pyramid's side, cutting through the air with furious speed. Gideon had to check his vision several times, not simply from how unexpected the demon's appearance was, but because there was something different about him. It was not until Nixilis came fully into view as he rose, spreading his sinuous wings out and draping the whole battlefield in shade, that he realized what had changed. While Nixilis had always struck an imposing figure, he now utterly dwarfed them all, having nearly doubled in size.
Nixilis looked as he had before, with obsidian spikes jutting from ashen purple skin, all outlined by fiery engravings that now burned brighter than either sun he barred from view. He showed signs of his fight below, with heavy gouges and burns peppering his body, but even those appeared to match the normal size of the Eternals' attacks. Instead, the rest of his body had grown out proportionally, stretching his demonic presence to the size of a maturing dragon. The transformation was enough to turn his naturally intimidating presence into the stuff of nightmares, casting a chilling energy over the battlefield like some arisen specter.
As he ascended, Gideon saw that an Eternal had managed to hitch a ride on Nixilis' tail. The jackal-headed soldier wielded a khopesh in one hand, readying to slice at its escaped prey. Before it could strike, Nixilis flicked his tail upwards with enough force to dislodge the Eternal's grip. As it flew up helplessly, Nixilis plucked it from the air. Holding its head in one hand and both ankles in the other, Nixilis slammed the Eternal down upon his raised knee. Its torso caught on a spine, which split clean through the lazotep shell and allowed Nixilis to rip the Eternal in two. As he held the motionless halves of the Eternal to his sides and let them fall to the sands, Gideon could see Nixilis' frame expand out another few millimeters.
Before the rended Eternal had even hit the ground, Nixilis altered his upward trajectory. With a defiant howl, he pulled his wings out and leaned back into a tight loop. His enormous frame did not seem to slow him down. To Gideon, it actually looked like the added power had increased his speed. He fell through the loop like an orbiting comet, then straightened himself just as his chest was parallel to the pyramid's surface. Then, with a mighty beating of his wings, Nixilis rocketed forward. He carried enough speed and power to meet the bifurcated Eternal once more, splattering the corpse into a fine brown mist against his claws. As he emerged onto the ruinous battlefield, however, it became instantly clear that the Eternal had not been his target.
In the blink of an eye, Nixilis crossed the pyramid to where Tezzeret stood. He was barely pinned by Gideon and Karn, likely to break free at any moment, but he would not do so in time. His allies held out just long enough for Nixilis to draw all his accumulated power into a single claw, rear it back as far as it could go, and unleash every ounce of demonic fury into the artificer's comminatory scowl.
Gideon braced his arms as the tremors from Nixilis' attack shot up his whips, making it feel as though his muscles were being quartered. The pain was acute, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, along with the tension of the whips pulling at his wrist. Gideon was confused, thinking that Tezzeret had somehow managed to slip free in the middle of Nixilis' brutal attack. He did not understand the situation until he heard a sickening series of metallic snaps vibrate up his arm.
Nixilis had aimed his newfound strength entirely at Tezzeret's head and neck. While his unenhanced flesh took the full brunt of his bullrush, his darksteel frame was rooted in place by Karn, Saheeli, and his own abilities. It remained immovable, but the rest of Tezzeret did not. Guided by the oppositional pull of Gideon's whips, the impact tore the artificer's flesh from his construction. Head, neck, shoulder, and arm, they were all ripped from atop his torso as a singular chunk of meat, sheerly cut at the bottom as if Nixilis had sliced him through with a sword.
The light instantly left Tezzeret's eyes. A guttural scream erupted from his mouth, but it was partially muffled by Nixilis' palm, and by the time the last strand of connective machinery wrenched itself free, he had fallen completely silent.
Gideon was not prepared for this sudden lack of resistance. As Nixilis followed through with his attack, Gideon's built-up strength snapped the detached upper body out and away from the planeswalkers' huddle. It went limp in midair, allowing it to finally extricate itself. Now free, Tezzeret's top half flopped to the ground a few meters away, the impact barely enough to kick up a cloud of dust. Gideon managed to keep himself from losing his footing as he stumbled back, even while his mind reeled as it tried to understand everything that had just happened.
Clarity came soon enough, as his attention was immediately drawn back to Tezzeret's abandoned body. A shower of purple electricity sparked from the ravaged top, draining the color from his remaining extremities as they stiffened in place. His chest cavity, however, still shone as bright as before. Whatever Tezzeret had done to integrate the Planar Bridge, it appeared that he had taken every precaution to ensure it remained operational in any circumstance. Fortunately, the power going into the Bridge did not extend to its defensive measures. The plates no longer threatened to slice through Saheeli's outstretched hands, but she was still painfully trapped.
"I require assistance," she said, the stress in her voice partially receding now that she did not have to contend with Tezzeret's push. "The Bridge is still active, and I am still stuck. I believe I can still deactivate it, but I cannot work quickly within such restraints."
Gideon moved to take a step forward, ready to try and pry Saheeli loose, but he paused when he heard Karn speak up. "Now that Tezzeret can no longer oppose me, I think I can help with that."
Karn's hand filled with silver light, peeking out through his clasped fingers. With the deliberate press of a blacksmith's tools, he closed his fist around Tezzeret's taloned claw. It now offered no resistance, and the indestructible darksteel folded against Karn's magic as if it were nothing but pig iron. As the formerly menacing hand crumpled and creaked, Karn's silver mana spread into the vacant shell. It worked its way down the arm and into the chest, where it spread out to fill every inch. When it reached the Bridge controls, it did not shrink away in the purple light as it had before. Now, Karn pierced through it, sending his magic into every crevice he could find. With his influence secured, Karn slid back the plates that pinched Saheeli's arms, drawing them back even further than they had been before.
Saheeli gasped as the pressure was alleviated and the splintered remains of her servos showered the bricks between Tezzeret's unmoving feet. She quickly recovered, a renewed flash of energy in her eyes. Bending out her wrists, Saheeli grabbed hold of the Planar Bridge controls. Steam billowed from her grasp as the aether flowing through her gloves combated Tezzeret's potent mana. The eddying red and blue of her spell began to engulf the purple light, casting severe shadows across the haggard planeswalkers. Then, with a firm twist and jerk, Saheeli pulled the Planar Bridge's control from the chest cavity.
Still crouched low in the sand, she held the glowing purple sphere gingerly aloft. It pulsed angrily, but she quickly moved to cover it with her gloved hands. A rush of mana flooded the woven filigree, smothering the dislodged control mechanism. While her mana worked, the gloves began to unwind, removing themselves from around Saheeli's hands and accumulating on top of the Bridge. The metal crunched and sizzled as the strands reforged themselves within the hearth of Saheeli's magic. Gideon had to shield his eyes for a moment at the blinding flashes that emerged, but when he looked back, where the Planar Bridge control had sat in Saheeli's palms, there now stood a newborn servo. It was far larger than the others, and a dim glint of darksteel flashed behind its oversized lens.
The servo looked at Saheeli, then clicked excitedly as it crawled up her arm. Saheeli smiled a weary smile as it came to rest on her shoulder, incorporating itself into her thick metal collar.
"There," she sighed, "it should remain safe for now, until I can return to my lab for further examination. I don't know exactly what Tezzeret did to the design, but I feel it's my duty to find out."
"So you were able to deactivate it?" Gideon asked, slightly unsure at the meaning of what he had just seen transpire.
Saheeli took a moment to lift herself from the ground, nearly stumbling on her legs that were still riddled with improperly tended injuries. Gideon caught her with his free hand, offering his own tired arm for support. Once she was steady, Saheeli answered his question, though silently, with a simple nod and a point of her chin towards the horizon.
Gideon's eyes followed her past the pyramid, out to where the Dreadhorde's procession marched. Though it had been omnipresent throughout their battle with Tezzeret, Gideon had been far too focused on his objective to remark on the constant glow of the Planar Bridge that engulfed the whole of Naktamun. He had grown accustomed to the gigantic portal, but now, to his amazement, he could see its power diminishing before his eyes. The Bridge began to retract into its center like a stimulated iris. Its bottom, which had been buried, and was now partially blocked by an impressive wall of smelted flesh and lazotep, broke free from its restraints with a thunderous boom, dredging up a desert's worth of sand and tossing it into the air. Amidst the swirling grains, the portal continued to shrink down onto a point before the condensed energy collapsed into itself with a crackling pop.
The yellow light of the twin suns flooded the city, bathing the Eternals and the ruins in the native warmth of the plane. While Gideon's eyes awkwardly adjusted to the sudden shift in brightness, a wide grin spread across his face. He looked to Saheeli at his side, who was looking out to the horizon with a serene wonder on her face.
"Good work, Saheeli," he beamed. "We couldn't have done it without you. Perhaps we'll make a warrior of you yet."
Saheeli shook her head, pushing an airy chuckle through her nose. "Thank you, but I don't think I'm quite ready to retire from inventing. Especially now with what we have lost. Tezzeret may have been corrupted by Bolas, but he was a genius whose abilities could have been a great benefit to society. If anything, he is even more inspiration for me to keep up my work and encourage others to do the same." She turned to look up at Gideon. "Besides, from what I have seen, these worlds have more than enough warriors to keep them safe. You led us well, Gideon. This victory is yours as much as ours."
Gideon opened his mouth to thank her, but he was cut off by a flapping of wings behind him, followed by a gravelly snarl.
"You speak falsely, mite. This victory is mine alone to relish."
Shifting his weight for Saheeli's ease, Gideon turned around to acknowledge Nixilis, who had just landed behind them. The demon loomed over them with arms crossed, and though his infernal etchings no longer glowed, he still exuded a thick air of brimstone heat.
Gideon met Nixilis' eyes, then took a moment to holster Blackblade so he could extend his hand out to him. "You're absolutely right, Nixilis. We definitely couldn't have done this without you. Thank you for your much-needed assistance."
Nixilis stared at his outstretched hand, immobile as a towering onyx statue. After a moment, however, he uncrossed his arms and met Gideon's grasp, squeezing far harder than necessary. Gideon squeezed back in kind, his lips curling into an acknowledging smile. Nixilis' features did not move, but Gideon thought he could see a hint of returned recognition behind his burning gaze.
The demon refused to let such a gesture last for more than a moment, and he quickly withdrew his hand, nearly prying Gideon's gauntlet from his wrist. As Nixilis recrossed his arms, he shifted his gaze to Saheeli. The two stared at each other for a beat, with neither moving to speak or gesture to the other. Gideon, rolling his wrist to shake off Nixilis' diabolic grip, could not discern the exact emotions conveyed between the locked gazes, and it was shattered too quickly for him to try.
"What is to be done about Tezzeret's body?" Nixilis inquired. "I have never been in the habit of taking trophies of those too weak to stand before me, but this darkened steel of his may prove worthwhile for my armaments."
From behind them, Karn's robotic voice piped up. "There will be no salvaging of this material. I know of its origins and the possible contamination it contains. As such, I will be disposing of it properly."
Gideon and the others turned their attention to the golem, who had now spread his silver magic throughout the entirety of Tezzeret's darksteel frame. Much as it had done beneath the artificer's command, the immutable metal was now bending to Karn's will. Under his mastery, the body began to collapse into the inscribed circles of light resting in Karn's palm. The plates folded into themselves, groaning and compressing as his spells encircled them tighter and tighter. The light did not dissipate until Karn held a smoothed, spherical ingot in his hands. Its pitch-black surface showed no signs of any remaining mana from either of its manipulators, simply reflecting the dual sunlight.
"And what will you do with that thing?" Nixilis growled.
"I do hope you don't have to dispose of it entirely," said Saheeli. "I feel this material could still be of some use."
Karn nodded. "I will be keeping it for now, until I can determine for certain whether it carries any contaminants, of which I am immune. If it proves stable, then I will use it to reinforce the bastion I established on Ravnica. Its defenses should still be holding, but with the loss of a powerful general, it is likely that Bolas will move to retaliate."
"I think that is a fine idea," said Gideon. "The people of Ravnica will be grateful for your dedication."
Nixilis snorted derisively. "It is a foolish use for such a prize. That bauble in your hand is the only useful remnant of our enemy. I doubt those discarded remains over there will…"
The demon's words trailed off. Gideon, confused by Nixilis' pause, followed his eyes to where the disembodied top of Tezzeret had been flung, and he immediately felt his heart skip a beat. They had all assumed that Nixilis' rupturing impact had been enough to decommission Tezzeret permanently, but they were mistaken. What remained of Tezzeret, nothing more than a head, neck, and arm connected by a loose array of frayed wires, were somehow still alive. His movements were eerily stiff, but there was no mistaking them for anything other than signs of persistent life.
Gideon's mouth fell open and his joints froze as he watched the sliver of a man brace his palm against the sandy ruins, push off, and flip himself onto his missing back. With his face revealed, now coated in grime and skidding abrasions, Tezzeret met Gideon's eyes. His shoulders still heaved as if he were drawing heavy breaths from invisible lungs, but his face held no less condescension than it had when it was still perched firmly on his body.
"Good work, all of you." His voice was raspy, with a hint of electrical interference to give it a disquieting tinniness. "With the Bridge gone, you might very well stand a chance."
Confusion held Gideon in place, his mind trying to parse the sudden change of heart in Tezzeret's words. Such understanding was thrown to the wayside, however, when Gideon saw a light begin to build behind Tezzeret's head. It was small at first, a mote of blue and silver that seemed to fray at the edges, but it quickly began to grow into a glowing portal in the shape of a circular sawblade.
Gideon instantly recognized it, and this was enough to dislodge his legs from whatever had stilled them. In a single fluid motion, he passed Saheeli, who was aghast as she continued to lean into him for support, over to Karn and took off for Tezzeret. He ran as fast as he could, his body suddenly forgetting how tired it was as it pushed itself to reach the vulnerable enemy. Panic seized his chest as he watched the azure portal grow, casting Tezzeret's reduced form in ghoulish shadow.
Gideon made it into Tezzeret's range, close enough to feel the odd magnetism of the portal dancing across his exposed skin. Face pulled in what he knew must be a fierce mask, his hands raised themselves over his head. He did not even remember drawing Blackblade, but he now felt the hilt against his palms, the hunger roaring all the way from his arms to his stomach to his head. It was ready to strike at the prone artificer with no hesitation.
As Gideon loomed over Tezzeret, his formidable presence was met with only a smug smirk. "I truly wish you all the best of luck in defeating Bolas. If you can get him out of my way for me, I'll be sure to come back to thank you myself. Until then…"
Tezzeret raised his remaining hand and gave Gideon a weak wave. Gideon hardly noticed, as his body was already in the process of following through on his attack. He plunged Blackblade straight down, the tip unconsciously aimed directly between Tezzeret's eyes. Before it could land, however, the sawblade portal swallowed Tezzeret in an instant, allowing him to planeswalk away. Blackblade plunged into the ground. The bricks cracked with ease, but its true target was now a universe away.
It took a moment for Gideon to wrest control of his senses away from Blackblade. He stood up, prying the blade from the rubble and sheathing it immediately. He turned to find Karn and Saheeli approaching, the latter still propped against the former.
"What happened?" Saheeli panted, clearly still exhausted from the mission. "Where did Tezzeret go?"
"He planeswalked away. I didn't think he'd still have enough energy in his spark after losing his body, but I guess he did." Gideon did not expect to sound so angry. He paused, taking a deep breath. As he let it out, he glanced at Blackblade's hilt protruding from his scabbard before looking back to his allies. "There's no telling where he's gone now, but I suspect he won't be coming back to Bolas after losing control of the Bridge."
"So, you believe he's been taken care of?" asked Karn.
Gideon nodded. "As far as we're concerned, Tezzeret has been neutralized and the Planar Bridge has been dismantled. We've done what we came here for. Good work, all of you. So, we should get back to the others as fast as possible. We need to help secure the space for the Guildpact ritual."
Karn and Saheeli reciprocated his nod, with Saheeli even stepping back onto her own weight as a show of her readiness. Gideon smiled, then looked past them to Nixilis, who had not moved from his initial spot.
"Nixilis, as soon as Sarkhan rejoins us, we'll be heading back to Ravnica."
The demon turned to him, pushing a hefty breath out his nostrils. "You all may do as you please, but I will not be joining you. With Tezzeret's defeat, my obligation has been fulfilled. I no longer feel the trapping of the Sun nor the pull of that infernal Beacon, and I hold no intention of returning to them. You all may continue to fight this war, but I will no longer concern myself with its conclusion."
Nixilis, still towering over them all, unfolded his wings and uncrossed his arms, adopting a fearsome posture. Gideon recognized it as Nixilis provoking him, daring him to try and stop him from leaving. Unfortunately for Nixilis' satisfaction, his cruel declaration of abandonment was just as Gideon had expected. He had been the one to broker the deal, and thus he was prepared for its dissolution.
In the face of Nixilis' challenge, Gideon simply heaved a good-natured sigh and raised his palms to the sky. "If you have a change of heart, you know where to find us. We could definitely still use the help."
"Yes, I'm sure you could."
Without another word, an inferno of blackened flame engulfed Nixilis. It burned for an instant, absorbing all light in the vicinity. When it dissipated, Nixilis was gone. Gideon did not know to which plane the demon had planeswalked, but he knew definitively one plane it was not.
Turning back to the others, he saw a loathsome grimace on Saheeli's face. "To think that he would forsake us at his earliest convenience. I try to not give weight to first impressions, but it seems my instinctual dislike was correct."
Gideon shrugged. "He did more than he needed to. He could have planeswalked away at any point after we went through the portal, but he stayed until the job was done. I'm no fan of it, but he did enough to earn his respite. I'd never ask the rest of you to keep fighting if you did not wish to."
"On my word as a Gatewatch member, I will see this through to the end," said Karn.
Saheeli's face shifted into a countenance of conviction. "Bolas is a threat to all of us. This is all our fight, and I will do my part."
In the light of his allies' affirmations, Gideon felt his hope bloom further, its unfurling petals and deepening roots pushing away the ichor of Blackblade's hunger. He relished it for a moment but was soon interrupted by the thundering sound of wings above them. Craning his neck, he watched as Sarkhan headed their way. The red dragon flew with haste, hovering just over the battlefield so he could torch whatever remained of the scattering Dreadhorde. When he reached the lip of the pyramid, he transformed back into his human form, landing deftly on his feet and skidding to a stop just before he reached them.
Gideon hailed him. "Sarkhan! Excellent job holding off the Eternals all this time. Without Tezzeret or the Bridge, we've cut off Bolas' invasion force. The ones on Ravnica may have the Elderspell, but if we can deal with them, then we can finally secure the streets."
"Yes," he growled, "I believe I've removed all but the last of the Eternals. It will take some time to extract their molten corpses from the sands, but that is not our chief concern now."
Gideon nodded. "You're right, we must return to Ravnica."
To Gideon's surprise, Sarkhan shook his head. "No, there is still work to be done here."
"What do you mean?"
"As the Bridge closed, I saw something off in the city."
Gideon cocked his head. "Saw something? What was it? More Eternals?"
"No. It was tall, with a massive jackal's head cast in gold, and it was beckoning me to come towards it. Gideon, do you have any idea what that could be?"
