Broker

Chapter 158

There was a momentary stillness, a pause that hung in the air over the entire temple and surrounding plaza. For a heartbeat, all eyes were on the pair that stood atop the collapsed dragon. Even the massive black serpent that had the beast coiled in its grip could only stare in shock at the two. Lillian, Crusader, stood looking down at the enemies below. Her hair fluttered in the wind, one green streak and one red streak dancing like feathers amidst a sea of black. The red and green tattoo on her neck glowed brightly, petals dancing. Her avian eyes blazed with internal energy as she surveyed everything.

She turned her head and looked Marc in the eyes. His bright blue eyes glimmered in response, a golden crown on his head as his spun-gold hair fluttered around him. She quirked her lip a little, it was so strange seeing him. He usually kept to himself so she thought he just didn’t like anybody at the camp, if she was being honest. Perhaps even a little full of himself, “Looks like I get to fight at your side after all,” She said tentatively.

His lip twitched before he brandished a perfect smile at her, “Looks like it,” He said and looked up towards the entrance to the temple, “Injured?”

She glanced up at the top of the steps, reassessing her thoughts a bit. If he’s concerned about the injured, he can’t be all bad. Maybe he’s just a loner. She paused and spotted a small form behind some rubble and smiled, There she is, good. “A few,” She said with a nod before glancing down at the massive serpent head that stared at her from below. She smiled at it, “Hey Alex!” She laughed, “You look good! Put on some weight?” She turned to look at Cass and met her eyes, her smile turned a bit more gentle, “Thank you, for holding out for me.”

She clenched her unblemished fist, her muscles tensing in her arm as power coursed through it. The blockages that she’d felt through her meridians were gone, every cell in her body felt like it was soaring. She felt stronger than she’d ever been in her entire life. Stronger than she’d ever conceive of feeling. Around her, no one spoke, no one breathed. She looked back at Marc and exhaled, “I’d ask what you guys are doing here, but I just really appreciate it,” She said before nodding to him, “Ready to clean up, hero?”

He tilted his chin up a bit and met her gaze, his chest swelling a bit. “You know what? I’d be honored to help,” He said with a firm voice.

She couldn’t help it, she grinned a little at him. Now that’s the right attitude, she thought as the dragon began to rouse from its shock.

The beast beneath them writhed against the force that suppressed it and Crusader glanced at Alex, “Go help the others,” She said with a nod, “We’ve got this.”

“I’ll hold him down!” Another voice joined in from afar and the serpent whipped its head towards Greg, floating up the side of the temple before landing on the steps and making his way to the top. He casually gestured and the group of dire elves that had been ready to charge the top and attack Snow and Ollie were flung away, screaming as they fell to their deaths. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned around to stand stalwart in front of the opening to the temple.

As if his pose was the firing of a starting gun, a roar rose up among the dire elves. The dragon thrashed and Alex dislodged from the beast while Marc and Lily hopped into the air, Cass doubling back several paces and readying her weapon. It staggered to its feet. It could stand but its movements were sluggish. Dazed by losing its wings and suppressed by Gregs powers. Cass shot the two a look before brandishing her hammer and charging with a shout. Alex slithered down the steps to join Val and John who had resumed their fight.

Crusader could only smile as she took it all in, her power building, her internal energy cycling.

Val was like a machine of destruction, he darted from place to place, his body spinning like a top at times. He weaved and bobbed, each punch coming out with the force of a rocket. He crushed armor, smashed defensive spells, ruined weapons, and laid waste to anything that got too close to him. He laughed the entire time, throwing out hoots and whoops as if he was having the time of his life. He launched into the sky, “Faster!” She heard him shout, “Faster! Faster! Faster!” The air began to bubble around his body as he whipped back around and launched straight for the ground.

He let out a roar of triumph as he picked up speed in a matter of seconds. She felt his heart thundering in his chest even from so far away. Her breath caught as he hit the ground and broke the sound barrier at the same time, flashing every rocket in his body to stop himself. A shockwave that ripped out of the point of impact sent a mass of dire elves hurtling through the air. He staggered and fell forward for a moment but caught himself, throwing his fists into the air.

He threw his head back and let out a whoop, “I’m a fuckin’ superhero!”

John twirled the knives between his fingers and moved with a steady rhythm, his body swaying and dipping. Those stiff and jerky movements that he had always used began to melt away as he darted between blades, arrows, and spells. He pivoted and twisted, his body moving at strange and impossible angles. She felt his heart thundering in his chest even as she heard something else, something she’d never heard from him before. A low humming and the occasional chuckle. He swayed and danced and if she didn’t know better she could have sworn she was watching Sonya fight.

He dodged a sword that screamed through the air in his direction as a large dire elf darted towards him. His movements went faster and faster as he engaged in his dance. He threw himself into a backflip before landing on another blade that lashed out at him from behind. He… grinned? His foot snapped out with a kick and caught one dire elf in the head as he threw a knife at its throat. It fell and he hopped atop it, pulling the knife out and rolling before stepping left and right with a casual grace, dodging another pair of swings.

He was so… alive.

Just past him, Alex came roaring in with a titanic movement, his entire bulk slamming down on a dozen dire elves before rearing back and whipping his tail out. He coiled and struck, slammed and crushed, wreaking havoc and creating space for his two friends. Val launched over his head and joined in while John moved between and beneath his coils, using Alex’s armored body for protection against incoming fire. That was when a series of explosions splattered against the line of dire elves, sending more of them scattering. Crusader whipped her head up to see Snow standing next to Greg with her pistol pointed out. She lowered the weapon and drew her hands back before pushing outward in a forceful gesture.

Shouts and confusion rang out, the dire elves below slipping and sliding atop ice that they didn’t know wasn’t real. The tide turned, it all happened in just a few heartbeats. She grinned wildly, it felt like she could feel their momentum inside of her, pushing her further, harder, she wanted to match them, wanted to surpass them, wanted to be at their side and bring all of her might to the table. Out of the corner of her eye, Marc had drifted up to hover in the air briefly next to her as they began to fall back down. The dragon threw its head up in a roar as light billowed in its mouth. It spread across its body in a brilliant barrier, preparing for what they had in mind.

A flash of long blonde hair and silver metal slammed into the beast. Cass letting out a bellow of challenge as she collided with it, her hammer crashing into the barrier it had just formed and shattering it with a single blow. Crusader drew her sword back and it exploded with golden flames, more burning from her lips and catching on her brows. It was an impromptu move, but she didn’t care. She was feeling creative. Her eyes sparkled as she threw herself forward into a spin, mimicking Cass’s own favored move. Alongside her, Marc drew his weapon over his head and let himself fall, yellow-white light blooming from it.

So much energy! She thought, feeling the power rippling off of his weapon as he plummeted with her. So this is what a mythic’s power is like? I’ve felt teacher’s power but she’s always kind of held back around me.

The next instant, she was standing on the ground, her weapon burning bright as the massive weight of the dragon's head landed on the stairs with a resounding boom. She glanced over her shoulder at Marc and Cass and nodded before they turned their attention on the horde below. The three of them charged.

We’re all getting out of here, alive! Crusader swore and threw herself back into the thick of it. Her steps came easier, each movement was almost enough to build momentum for First March. She barreled through the dire elves, each swing releasing enough heat and fire to blast any behind those who were up close away. Beside her, Marc brought his weapon down and sent a streak of light in a line ahead of him, clearing a path. He turned and punched one of the monsters in the face, crushing its head with a single blow. A hoot of elation rose up over them and Cass collided with the crowd just past them. She stood to her full ten feet of height, golden scales glistening on her skin as she raised her hammer and swung, knocking more and more of them away.

Marc turned next to her and spun his sword once, slamming into the ground by its point with a grunt, he bore his teeth and a sheet of golden light rushed up from the spot, spreading out and blocking a volley of arrows and spells that were aimed at the two of them. He hunched his shoulders and whipped his head to the right, swinging hard again and releasing another arc of gold that cut clean through a pair of sword wielding dire elves that were racing towards Val in the distance, already engaged with a small group. Val glanced at him, surprised, and shot him a thumbs up before rocketing into another group.

The massive shape of Alex launched past her, crashing into more and even swallowing a few whole. He reared his body up and stood tall, wrapping his long body in a ring. Val landed on his head, John flipping over to land on one part of his body. Cass joined them, standing with the others as Crusader charged, shouldering her way through the thinning crowd of enemies. She hopped onto the tail as well, Marc joining her a moment later. They stood together, looking around at the remaining army of monsters that had finally, finally, started to turn into a trickle. She felt a lump in her throat as she pointed her sword towards a cluster of them. Snow falling around her head. She smiled to herself just as a bright purple glow washed over everything.

She looked back to see Greg at the foot of the steps, his hand on the ground. Illusory copies of snow standing around him with knives in their hands. From her feet, the world began to change. The breath caught in Crusader’s throat as the false ice on the ground began to jut up in hundreds of spikes that spread out in a wave. The snow fell faster, harder, it whirled around them, making visibility for anyone not on the composer’s side even more difficult. The spikes stretched and morphed until dozens of copies of snow rushed out into the mass of enemies, crashing into them. Some shattered on impact, but many landed on their targets and brought their knives down with ruthless precision as Snow sowed even more chaos.

At the foot of the stairs, Greg looked up and nodded to her in gratitude. The violet light that had begun to blossom across the field built and built and built. What came next, he threw his entire being into.

WHOOSH!

Screams and cries of anger and bewilderment spread across the field. The dire elves floated into the air, kicking and flailing about. Next to her, Marc held his sword over his head in triumph, “Heroes!” He shouted, “Let’s finish them off and get out of here!”

–

Ewen hurtled through one of the remaining walls before another block of stone launched up from beneath him and struck him in the chin. He was thrown up into the air just as a large rock caught him in the gut. He let out a cry of pain, catching a bit of air before hurtling back to the ground. He tried to right himself only for Axel to be in his face in an instant, a stoic look in the heroes eyes. Axel brought his fist forward and struck, a burst of force sending Ewen straight back to the ground and embedding him in the topsoil. He crawled out and spat on the ground, red light building on his fingertips.

“I should have killed you all sooner!” He snarled, “Make a show of it my ass!” He tried to get to his feet but a blur of off-white crashed into him. He staggered as a foot collided with his chest and then another with the side of his head. His vision spun and he whipped his hand out to fire off a blast only for it to get knocked to the side. Why is it so fast? I can’t even see- a metallic leg whipped down and crashed into his ankles, driving him back down to his knees. He let out a sharp breath, panting and snarled, drawing on his power for a volley just as a blade pressed against his throat.

His chin, swelling from the earlier blow, jutted up and he glanced to the left to see one of those doll-things standing over him. It’s cold eyes watching his every move. He set his jaw, “Fucking doll,” He muttered before looking at the trio that approached him. Axel stood in front of him, his shirt torn and covered in blood, but his skin undamaged. A pair of green glowing bugs crawled on his arms, ready to heal him if necessary.

Ewen glanced past him towards the man in armor that had come out near the end. Someone new, I need to tell Liberty.

“Sir Ewen,” Axel grunted and he looked back up at the man as a cold eyed Bedrock approached and stood at his side. Bedrock’s muscles flexed beneath his shirt and several blocks of stone shot up to hold Ewen where he knelt. “You are under arrest,” He said as Madame Rouge started a new song.

–

Ellis tried to get some space, teleporting again through the sound waves. He reappeared a few meters away only for a falcon to screech past him. The birds were even faster now, something was pumping them up. Their eyes all glowed with a golden light as a shriek of some massive bird of prey carried through each of them. One flew past him after another, crashing into him. He waved his hands and tried to bring them together in a clap, one landed at his feet and he whipped his head down to see the chain of his ankle chime get torn.

“No!” He gasped and snapped his arm down just as something hard struck him in the back of the head. He stumbled forward and sagged, the hook of Crowley’s cane pulling his leg out from beneath him. He rolled onto his back and opened his mouth to shriek at the man only for Crowley to burst into a cloud of birds and avoid it. His eyes whipped around, Where’d he go? He looked back down at his ankle and then tried to find his chime. My chimes, I need my chimes! He panicked, scrambling until a powerful hand grabbed him by the shoulders.

He was wrenched to his feet as a drum solo played. He looked up into a pair of burning avian eyes that belonged to a very angry Crowley. There were tears in the hero’s eyes. His lips thinned, “Well shit,” he cursed as Crowley pulled him close. Where the hell is that asshole Halloway? He glanced past Crowley to a prone figure on the ground and couldn’t help but smirk at the irate man. “Guess your bugs can’t heal the dead-”

He was cut off as Crowley's cane drove into his gut and he was thrown to the ground again. It didn’t take long for the avian wielding hero to secure him after that, delivering a crippling blow to his throat. Without his voice and his chimes, he was helpless. More birds darted past, charging into the scattering ranks of the cultists. Amidst the people who were supposed to be their attack force, Black Lotus moved like a wraith in the night. She danced and spun and flipped, glints of silver flickering through the air as each blow landed to incapacitate and disable. She landed in front of a small group and threw her hand forward, the force from the movement enough to send them all bowling over. She drew her weapon back, her blade aligning with her face as her eyes glowed. The scent of blossoms filling the air as she began to spin.

The wind picked up, and pink petals exploded into a storm that washed over the cultists in a wave. They fell in droves as she spun like a hurricane, dust and grass and dirt coiling around her. Lightning flashed overhead as she built up speed. She was like a force of nature, roaring through the ranks with nothing to stop her and not an ounce of reservation in her steps.

Kant watched all this from afar, on her knees, her hands at her sides. Three of the dolls stood around her, their weapons at the ready in case she so much as blinked. She chewed her lip and one of the blades pointed at her shifted. A few meters away, the man in armor held out his hands as more insects floated out from beneath his armor plates. They swarmed out, one even landing on her knee. It was made of metal and it was the stinger that glowed with that eerie green light. She wrinkled her nose at it.

They’re even getting ready to heal us, She thought bitterly. She looked up at the horizon, the color was starting to change. Damn it, Liberty would have come if things had gotten this bad, but she wasn’t there. She hadn’t come.

“We lost,” Was all she could say as the ground shook just ahead of her and something made of smooth stone began to rise out of it.

–

Halloway dragged himself across the ground. He had to get back, he had to get back to Liberty. He had to warn her, he had to deliver the information he’d acquired. He still wasn’t sure where the thumb drive had come from, but it was far less of a concern now. Every bone in his body ached, he barely had enough concentration to use a simple rift let alone suppress teleportation. What is that woman even doing here? I thought she was away! That’s what all our intelligence said, my spies! Idiots! He thought angrily, his ribs creaking. He leaned against a tree and let out a shuddering breath.

He grinned to himself, “At least I chased her off, after she got a swing in. I’m lucky to be alive, though,” He murmured and glanced down at his fingers. A bit of his power was coming back after expending it in the initial tussle. “She grew her head back, it was so fast,” He rumbled. First that Gravitic boy blocking my powers and now Handmaiden is practically unkillable. Why do I keep running into people who are functionally immune to me?

He felt his body go slack for a moment and he lowered himself to his knees, catching his breath. He grit his teeth and concentrated, feeling for Liberty’s presence. She wasn’t far. Just a few miles, he could manage that. He focused on his powers and ripped the largest rift he could open and fell through. He landed amongst trees as the ground shook beneath him. He whipped his head up, adrenaline giving him the strength he needed. He staggered forward only to see two figures clash in the distance.

He was too late. Liberty had been intercepted. There’d be no help for the others. Something was wrong, though. That wasn’t Handmaiden.

“Cassiopeia?”