The Last Knight (An Awakening the Lightforged Novel)

Chapter 3: Broken

"They're dead."

Estingai's voice was quiet, the silence it left in its wake, deafening.

Koruuksi's legs trembled.

"They're all gone," Estingai said, voice just as quiet and empty as before. "She killed the Remnant before we even had a chance."

"Who did?"

"The Deathknight."

Koruuksi's heart pounded, chest tight. He looked to Uuchantuu and winced at the pale shade of red her face had taken.

Estingai snatched his wrist.

Koruuksi flinched, gaze snapping to her.

A storm flashed in Estingai's gaze for a moment. Then it was gone. Her grip slackened.

"I don't know what to do," she breathed, barely more than a whisper. "How do we...?"

She let go of his arm then, squeezing her eyes shut, then looked at him again.

She wants me to tell her how to move on; that it's going to be okay.

Koruuksi hated when people assumed he could just do that. He made a point of trying to find something positive when he could. Sometimes things were too screwed up for him to even try.

Looking to Uuchantuu, Koruuksi saw the same despair in her gaze.

Taking a deep breath, he squeezed his eyes shut, running a hand through his hair. He tried to think of what Svemakuu would do. He always found something good in the bad.

"We can—"

He stopped.

We can what? This was our last chance.

"There's no point," Estingai said, as though she could read his thoughts. The defeat in her voice made his blood boil.

"That's just the after-effects of lightlessness talking."

Estingai's eyes flared.

She grabbed one of the healing georaurals and closed her eyes. Koruuksi watched as the gemcrest at her collarbone shone brighter. He frowned. Estingai shivered, then removed her hand from the healing georaural, showing its dull, lightless biogems.

Koruuksi gritted his teeth.

Now no one can use that for a week unless we refill it with light from something else.

"There's no point," Estingai said, voice stronger, louder. She brightened her greynodes and pushed herself up from the blankets and slab of stone that served as a pallet.

Koruuksi didn't back down as she glared at him.

"Don't you get it?" she growled, voice raw. "They're dead."

Koruuksi set his jaw even as he felt himself start to grow numb. He would not shut down. Not now.

Darkness, they're really gone. He's gone.

"Estingai," Uuchantuu began. "I know it's—everything is awful, but you're—"

"Don't!"

Estingai whirled on Uuchantuu, then glared between her and Koruuksi. She was a terrifying mess. No armor, the clothes she wore tattered and cut away where Koruuksi had needed to peel off dirty, bloodsoaked strips of fabric. She still bore sweat stains on the faded black shirt and undershorts. Where her clothes didn't cover her, bandages or bruises did.

"I'm nothing," Estingai snapped, voice like a whip. "I'm a failure. I couldn't protect them. I couldn't even die along with them. What could I have done against the Deathknight? Even Matsanga couldn't beat her! We can't do anything. We're all—"