The Sage's Vow [COMPLETE]

26.2 || Perfect Son

It didn't matter that Cale had been lost in his own haze of anger only moments ago. Right then, he wanted to throttle his brother. They had more important things to do than attack each other.

Thankfully, he didn't have to worry about the fire spell Peter sent his way. Another wave of mane pellets rained down, forcing Peter to redirect his spell toward those.

Cale didn't escape the onslaught. He dove out of the way of one glob, but another nearly sent him to the ground when it hit his shoulder.

The creature's cry reverberated through the room when a Shadow Knight's earth spear pierced its eye. The chimera thrashed. Its mane and spikes undulated liked boiled water, and glops splattered on the ground. Even when it landed, the substance didn't still. Thorns shot out from it, uncontrolled, sometimes reaching as long as two meters before rebounding back to the main mass.

Panicked shouts rose from the various Soul-Bound in the room. Cale used an earth pillar to shoot himself over the chimera's tail sweeping tail. The Shadow Knights continued their attempts to fell the beast, and more attacks got through, but that only enraged it further.

Cale reached Jonathan with multiple fresh cuts, but none deep enough to do more than seep tears of blood. Jonathan stood in front of the pedestal holding the seal. The energy field shimmered around the gem. All it would take was a swipe of the daggers to shatter the barrier and grab the ruby.

Eliyana had yet to reach them, torn between dodging the chimera's rampage and dealing with the water-wielding Shadow Knight. That wasn't even touching upon their other comrades, still in a whole other chamber.

Jonathan watched the chimera's movements, his gaze cold and calculating. "If we kill that thing, we risk it splitting. Even if it's in a weaker state, I don't think any of us have the reserves to fight it." The more he spoke, the deeper his brows furrowed, his frustration growing evident.

"It won't," an unfamiliar voice huffed out. Gamal limped toward them. Much like the chimera, he'd taken a blow to his eye, and energy drifted from it. More particles streamed from his left leg, almost hiding it. Those were the worst of his injuries, but he'd sustained many other minor ones.

"What?" Cale asked, then repeated himself when a cry from the chimera drowned him out.

Gamal jerked his chin toward the creature. "That abomination. What she was thinking, dragging those things in here, I'll never understand..." He shook his head, dismissing the train of thought. "It won't split," he went on. "The conglomeration of all that energy altered it so much that it won't be able to split if you defeat it. And you will have to defeat it. It's the final line of defense for the seal, and as such, its life force is tied to the seal's barrier."

Jonathan nodded. "Thank you, Guardian, for your assistance. Cale, I have an idea if that's the case. I need a clear shot, so if you can stop that trashing for a few seconds..."

Cale asked nothing, simply dropping to one knee and placing his palms on the ground. That spot of emptiness yawned wider open as he latched his magic to the earth. He watched for the moment the chimera had both feet on the ground before casting. "Terrath achazi!"

The earth beneath the chimera shot upward, clamping down on its legs. The creature wobbled before it roared and tried to rip its limbs free. Cale gritted his teeth, forcing the earth to hold through will and magic.

Cale spasmed as the cold nothingness expanded its roots. A few seconds. He only needed to last a few seconds, and then hopefully they would be free.

"Terrath spiraco!" Jonathan threw his arm forward, and a giant earthen spike flew toward the chimera. Just in time, because with a last roar, the creature wrenched a leg free from Cale's hold. Before it could move, the spike slammed into its head, the force so great the chimera flew backwards.