A Shield of Faith (BOOK 4)

Chapter 13

NEVEN

Vaunted ancestor, grant me the strength to sing over the chorus of night. Hear my song on the wind. Our connection, our names through history. Upon the glaive, I shall give you my resplendent melody. He threw himself up his magick to land on the shoulder of the large statue at the familiar ripple of power in Irimount the moment the wyvern banked and found itself trapped underneath the barrier made out of the city's still beating heart. Hand on the side of Atoran's stone head, he pushed all of might through the smallest of cracks, into the magick crystal within. "Give me your strength, and I shall give you my movement." Neven glared over the stone when the wyvern broke through several of the protective barriers as Yuven and Adara's shapes came closer to get out of his way. He used his glaive to send himself onto the solid glyph growing above Atoran, settling himself as light coursed through the stone limbs. I need but a moment for an opening, and it cannot crush me so easily.

His glyph mirrored the one he stood on in counter movements, until it matched the speed and grace of the crystal which brought the statue to life. Chains clanged through the air, and he sighed, sending one last whispered note to the ancestors far above the moment the wyvern slammed to a stop, stuck in his trap. For the moment of truth. He took a step, using the flow of the glyphs to keep him motionless as the statue's eyes glowed with sharp, blue ferocity. Heatwaves danced around him, and he released an excess of energy through his nose, to keep his lungs free to sing. Hands on his glaive, he straightened himself out, legs full of the same stone beneath him as Yuven and Adara scrambled out of the way of a rotting blast of flames.

On each point of his glaive, a barrier spread out and caught the sweep of death into it as he moved forward. I need to give him an opportunity. He met the wyvern facefirst, Evyriaz, when it lifted its head with a snarl, but Neven held his ground when it died and its third eyelid fluttered with its withdrawn teeth. Its scaled hackles raised as it drew itself to full height, dragging its claws through the buildings. He ignored his twinge of terror for his fellow Wardens as it dragged itself forward, pulling the golden weight with it as it let out a different sounding moan.

"... Atoran... hear your voice..."

Neven narrowed his eyes when it came to a stop, then let out a rocking bellow of pain. He tightened his grip on the shaft, and the statue responded in kind. Its neck snaked and cracked against the taller barricades, its teeth wide in intent and on the hunt. It snapped back into socket, and its bellow turned into a singing screech. It dug its claws in, and Neven held his ground, ignoring Yuven's own screech of concern as the wyvern broke through his defense. He swung his glaive through the particles before the wyvern's teeth tore through his own golden wings. Its horns lodged into the side, and it growled with apprehension as it dragged its head through the windows and swung debris over the streets. Grip switched, he slammed his glaive downwards into the crown of its head, piercing the carapace of pitch. Tendrils of crimson slammed upwards, and he avoided the slice of death by tearing the glaive through its nose.

Give me a sign.

Evyriaz hissed, a response through the nose as it bared its teeth and reformed the broken pieces of the husk. Misty plumes left between the clouds of crimson rot made of its teeth, and Neven stepped backwards when Evyriaz went for another strike into his body. I need to incapacitate it long enough... Neven grunted when the wyvern sent a wing forward, causing him to stumble backwards from the impact the statue took. Another expulsion of excess magick left through his own teeth as he braced himself for the charge, wrapping his glaive around the cracked horns when Evyriaz lifted himself on his hindlimbs, and Neven scowled when the claws dug into his ancestor's shoulders. Infernal— He let one hand free of his weapon, sending it to grapple onto Euron's maw when it widened, pulling it shut on its own hinges.