The Storm Tower | Vol.4, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

34.

Makaela never expected to be fighting with Sebastian again. She never expected to join souls with a god either.

Her brain didn't have time to process the emotions trying to break through the hazy void that enveloped her mind, as she was still fighting for her life. If she thought Thorian was fearsome before, she hadn't seen anything yet.

The man was unhinged, and he fought like it too.

Every attack was laced with venom, every spell cast with malice. Makaela was in no shape to compete. Had she been on her own, the battle would've ended before it started. But she wasn't alone. Not this time. Sebastian was with her.

They took Thorian on together. Sebastian did most of the fighting, getting in close to his father and trying his best to deliver a fatal blow with his dagger. Makaela stayed near the perimeter and supported him with timely blasts of light. Each one made her stomach queasy. Her vision blurred and her knees quaked in the snow. She couldn't keep this up for much longer.

Fortunately, Sebastian was making progress. Either that or Thorian's stamina wasn't as infinite as he let on. His spell casting grew sloppier by the second, allowing his disowned son to dodge with ease.

Slipping past the dark lord's defenses, Sebastian drove his elbow into the man's jaw. Thorian staggered backward. He touched his bleeding mouth with two fingers before scowling. Before he could retaliate, Sebastian had his next spell queued. Black chains flew from his hands, wrapping around Thorian's arms. He struggled against the magical binds, but they were strong, each link in the dark metal fueled by Sebastian's imperious will.

Thorian was forced to his knees, his arms held out in either direction as Sebastian manipulated the chains. Right on cue, the white dragon swooped down from the sky, landing a few yards away from where she stood. Dorian, Karin, and Ismael sat on its back.

Makaela looked to Sebastian. His face tightened with concentration as he tightened his grip around the chains. Without moving his head, he told her, "Get on the dragon."

She didn't want to leave him alone to fight his father. She'd already left him too many times before, but she was useless right now. She still had an Eldenarian artifact on her person as well. They couldn't allow Thorian to get his hands on it. Swallowing hard, she followed his command and hobbled over to the dragon.

Dorian jumped down from its neck and extended his hand toward her. His crimson eyes stood out against the snow dotting his dark skin. She took his hand and nearly collapsed against his body.

The last time she saw him, she thought he died saving her from Thorian. But, somehow, he survived. And here he was, again, saving her. She almost laughed.

"Are you alright?" His words were overflowing with concern.

"I will be when we get the hell out of here."

Dorian picked her up with ease and carried her jumping up the dragon's side. He placed her in between Karin and Ismael before looking Sebastian's way.

"Go!" the black-haired magician shouted. "I'm right behind you!"

Nodding, Dorian took a seat closest to the dragon's head, tapped its skull, and held on to the groves in between its scales serving as makeshift stirrups. The beast flapped its wings a few times before taking off. Below, Thorian fought against the binds keeping him down. He hollered like a wild animal, desperately trying to free himself.

Sweat poured down Sebastian's face. Forced to drop his spell, he turned and sprinted away. He disappeared into a puddle of shadows, reappearing moments later atop the dragon's back. He took Dorian's spot at the front and leaned forward, coaxing their winged chariot to take them higher into the clouds.

As they left the ground behind, he turned to look at everyone. A line of blood trickled from his nostrils and sweat clung to his hair to his face like plaster. Still, he grinned triumphantly. "That went better than expected." Leaning forward, he coaxed the dragon to take them higher into the clouds. The world below quickly faded from view, morphing into a nondescript slate of white and grey.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her face to Dorian's warm back. She tightened her arms around his back. They sped upward, screaming through the white clouds. Makaela couldn't see the snowy mountains anymore. The thick mist swallowed them whole.

They had escaped. He might've destroyed Lumi's tower and merged fully with Mauvorin, but he was still short two Eldenarian artifacts.

That had to count for something.

As they flew through the sky, the Illumio on her hand strobed violently. Her eyes widened.

A warning.

Lifting her head, she looked around the stormy expanse stretching infinitely around her. There was nothing but the clouds. The air whistled in her ears as she searched for any sign of Thorian. Dorian glanced at her over his shoulder, his forehead creased.

"What—" His question was severed by a flash of scarlet.

Their dragon screeched in pain as a spell smacked into its scaly hide. Its wings stopped flapping. Makaela watched its eyes roll into his head. Her stomach dropped. Seconds later, the four of them were dropping through the cold air too.

She managed to turn her head enough to see Thorian standing atop the dragon's tail behind them. A wicked smile stretched across his bloodied face. His marked hand was pointed toward the creature.

Sebastian was the first to fall from the beast's neck. His arms flailed helplessly as the earth pulled him down. Dorian went after him, his screams fading as he fell through the air. Karin slid off the side but managed to hang on. Her satchel hung off her shoulder, causing the Andhis to tumble out. Grey eyes bulging, she stretched for it. Her fingertips missed the orb by millimeters. She fell after it, her free hand slipping from the dragon's body.

Ismael remained on the dragon's neck, his teeth grit and his eyes narrowed. He used one hand to throw a spell at Thorian, but the speed of their descent sent the magic wayward.

Thorian's attack was far more accurate.

A bright green spell hit Ismael's shoulder. Blood stained the white cloth of his robes. Breathing heavy, he pressed a hand to the wound and grit his teeth. He immediately looked to Makaela. "Keep Karin safe." Then he lunged forward, throwing his entire weight at Thorian. Taking the dark lord by surprise, the two men tumbled over the side of the dragon and fell through the sky.

Shock slammed into her as they disappeared. She was the last one remaining now. Her friends fell to the right of her while Ismael, Thorian, and the Andhis dropped to the left. Her hair whipped into her face, obscuring her vision. The speeding air dried the tears leaking from her eyes before they could even fall.

The earth below rushed into view as they broke through the clouds. Her throat tightened. Panic set in.

An impossible choice had to be made.

Her friends or the orb. Three lives versus the lives of millions that would potentially be lost should Thorian get his hands on yet another Eldenarian artifact. She bit down hard on her bottom lip as her head spun with the ferocity of a tornado.

Ismael's words echoed in her head. His kind eyes shone through the panicked haze that was her mind. Exhaling, she released her hold on the dead dragon. Her body tumbled through the sky, heavy with the weight of the entire world.

Her choice had been made.