The bunker was still almost an hour away, and right now, that seemed like an eternity.
‘I don’t understand,’ said Hector. ‘Why couldn’t she stop the lightning? I mean, she could stop those crystals and... weren’t they stronger?’
‘No,’ said Garovel. ‘It has to do with the nature of soul-strengthening techniques. Karkash’s soul power is clearly much more potent than Andres’. If I’d realized, I would’ve had you warn her.’
‘I still don’t follow...’
‘Soul-strengthening techniques only increase the physical attributes of something, so even though Karkash’s lightning is made more powerful, that still doesn’t prevent your metal from conducting it. Andres’ crystals, on the other hand, have no such interaction, so they can plow through your metal despite being objectively weaker.’
‘Gah...’
‘That’s what makes these fights so volatile,’ said Garovel. ‘When soul power is thrown into the mix, it’s difficult to predict how abilities will react to one another.’
He spent most of the ride back in a state of punishing anxiety. He tried not to relive the battle, to not dwell on what he might have been able to do differently, but it was impossible. And gradually, all of his confusion and worry evolved into anger. That familiar feeling, boiling in his chest. His physical enhancements wore off after a while. Garovel held back the pain, so only the exhaustion hit him, but he was still more pissed off than tired.
‘You need to call Gina as soon as we get back,’ said Garovel. ‘A lot has just changed, and we’ll need to act very quickly.’
When they arrived, they found the King waiting for them in the garage. The look on his face was of relief until he saw the state Lynnette was in. “Is she okay?”
Hector annihilated the metal around her and said, “Lynn, can you hear me?”
Her eye opened slightly, and she took a long breath. “Yeah...” She tried to get off the bike by herself but tensed up too much.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’ve... got you.” With a little more help from Garovel, he lifted her off the motorcycle. He carried her into a back room and rested her on a bed there.
A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every day at noon PST by ~400 words.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Page 465 -- LIV.
He fell back again, grounded and smoldering. He struggled to raise a fresh spire, but his arms fought him, still buzzing with electricity. He knew the next lightning strike was imminent.
And then Lynnette was there, standing over him. She took the flashing blue bolt in his place.
But the lightning broke through her violet shield.
She shrieked in sudden agony and crumpled to the ground.
“What?!” said Hector, eyes widening. “How did--?! No!” He finally raised another spire, stopping a second bolt from reaching her.
Garovel floated behind him. ‘Get up, Hector,’ he said. It wasn’t encouragement. It was a command. No room for refusal or excuses. ‘Get up and get to the bike.’
His body wanted to argue. It wanted more time to regenerate. But it wouldn’t get it. He climbed to his broken feet, ignoring his shifting spine, and scooped Lynnette up in his unsteady arms. She was still conscious but looked in too much pain to know or care what was happening.
He didn’t want to look at her wound yet. It wouldn’t help anything now. He merely stomped onward, creating more spires as he went, and finally left the immobile Karkash behind.
The crowd outside the castle fled at the mere sight of him, which was handy enough as he made his way to the motorcycle. He mounted it and made sure she fit snugly behind him with a body-fitted metal seat.
They roared out of the city.
Chapter Fifty-Four: ‘Fierce blade, be well...’
Click to display entire chapter at once -- (mobile link)
‘Just focus on the road,’ said Garovel. ‘It won’t do her any good if you crash the damn bike.’
Helmetless, clothes in blackened rags, blood all over him, Hector tried to take the reaper’s advice. He knew it was the intelligent thing to do. But he couldn’t tell anything about Lynn’s condition. Over the wind in his ears, he couldn’t even hear her. ‘Just... Garovel, please tell me...’
‘She’s still breathing. I can’t see the wound. It’s obscured with your metal. Don’t get rid of it, though.’
‘Where do I go?’ he asked. ‘Can we really just take her back to the bunker?’
‘For now, yes.’
And then Lynnette was there, standing over him. She took the flashing blue bolt in his place.
But the lightning broke through her violet shield.
She shrieked in sudden agony and crumpled to the ground.
“What?!” said Hector, eyes widening. “How did--?! No!” He finally raised another spire, stopping a second bolt from reaching her.
Garovel floated behind him. ‘Get up, Hector,’ he said. It wasn’t encouragement. It was a command. No room for refusal or excuses. ‘Get up and get to the bike.’
His body wanted to argue. It wanted more time to regenerate. But it wouldn’t get it. He climbed to his broken feet, ignoring his shifting spine, and scooped Lynnette up in his unsteady arms. She was still conscious but looked in too much pain to know or care what was happening.
He didn’t want to look at her wound yet. It wouldn’t help anything now. He merely stomped onward, creating more spires as he went, and finally left the immobile Karkash behind.
The crowd outside the castle fled at the mere sight of him, which was handy enough as he made his way to the motorcycle. He mounted it and made sure she fit snugly behind him with a body-fitted metal seat.
They roared out of the city.
Chapter Fifty-Four: ‘Fierce blade, be well...’
Click to display entire chapter at once -- (mobile link)
‘Just focus on the road,’ said Garovel. ‘It won’t do her any good if you crash the damn bike.’
Helmetless, clothes in blackened rags, blood all over him, Hector tried to take the reaper’s advice. He knew it was the intelligent thing to do. But he couldn’t tell anything about Lynn’s condition. Over the wind in his ears, he couldn’t even hear her. ‘Just... Garovel, please tell me...’
‘She’s still breathing. I can’t see the wound. It’s obscured with your metal. Don’t get rid of it, though.’
‘Where do I go?’ he asked. ‘Can we really just take her back to the bunker?’
‘For now, yes.’
Page 464
By the time Hector completed the trap, his spires were both shredded, and he had to eat another lightning bolt. It sent him toppling backward with a smoldering chunk taken out of his neck and shoulder, very nearly decapitating him. Fleeting sparks leapt across his flesh as he fought the muscle spasms throughout his body, still struggling to stand and keep his eyes on the enemy.
Karkash received the surprise with a scowl. The shirtless man couldn’t stop the spike, but he still managed to slightly alter its trajectory. Instead of crushing his entire body, it tore his legs off. The spike’s impact made the ground bulge up around it, flipping Karkash into the air.
And Hector had a few moments to breathe. As he recreated his lightning rods, his gaze turned to Andres and Lynnette. Huge pieces of twisted iron littered their battlefield, but that didn’t seem to have slowed them down any.
Andres had built a tall, crystal platform to elevate himself out of Lynnette’s reach. She was busy trying to destroy its foundation while having to avoid a constant barrage of crystals. So while Andres’ eyes were on her, Hector encased him in metal. It was enough of a surprise to make the man have to pause before crystals could tear him free again. It was only an instant, but Lynnette didn’t need any more than that. She smashed one of the platform’s legs, making it tilt over. Andres tried to rebuild it, but Lynn just smashed another one, and he fell. His crystals couldn’t protect him as her violet sword cleaved him in two.
Hector, however, had turned away by then, having to deal with Karkash again. The stalemate had more or less returned, but Hector had his legs back, while Karkash didn’t, so he was trying to press closer and making slow progress.
‘Behind you!’ came Garovel’s warning, but it didn’t matter.
Hector turned in time to see his own iron boulder hurtling toward him but not in time to annihilate it. It barreled into him, and again, he was sent bouncing across the ground. When he tried to stand up again, he was greeted with more lightning.
Karkash received the surprise with a scowl. The shirtless man couldn’t stop the spike, but he still managed to slightly alter its trajectory. Instead of crushing his entire body, it tore his legs off. The spike’s impact made the ground bulge up around it, flipping Karkash into the air.
And Hector had a few moments to breathe. As he recreated his lightning rods, his gaze turned to Andres and Lynnette. Huge pieces of twisted iron littered their battlefield, but that didn’t seem to have slowed them down any.
Andres had built a tall, crystal platform to elevate himself out of Lynnette’s reach. She was busy trying to destroy its foundation while having to avoid a constant barrage of crystals. So while Andres’ eyes were on her, Hector encased him in metal. It was enough of a surprise to make the man have to pause before crystals could tear him free again. It was only an instant, but Lynnette didn’t need any more than that. She smashed one of the platform’s legs, making it tilt over. Andres tried to rebuild it, but Lynn just smashed another one, and he fell. His crystals couldn’t protect him as her violet sword cleaved him in two.
Hector, however, had turned away by then, having to deal with Karkash again. The stalemate had more or less returned, but Hector had his legs back, while Karkash didn’t, so he was trying to press closer and making slow progress.
‘Behind you!’ came Garovel’s warning, but it didn’t matter.
Hector turned in time to see his own iron boulder hurtling toward him but not in time to annihilate it. It barreled into him, and again, he was sent bouncing across the ground. When he tried to stand up again, he was greeted with more lightning.
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