The Ocean Siege | Vol.2, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

7.

Sebastian dove down towards grey bricks, narrowly dodging a purple stunning spell. He rose to one knee and chucked his dagger at a Shade. The black blade sunk into their chest, dropping them to the floor in a heap. A blasting spell shot out of his casting hand and caught another Shade, sending them flying across docks and into the water.

Out the corner of his eye, he spotted Ajax taking on Igor while Olivier fended off attacks from the other Shades. Imogen was trying her best to help, but none of the magicians let her get close enough to do any real damage.

Makaela stood away from the fight. She wore a horrified expression while yelling for everyone to stop. Sebastian watched her curiously.

Off to the left, his sister shouted his name. He rose to his feet and faced her. She stomped towards him with three Shades behind her.

"I've been waiting for this," she told him.

He kept quiet. All of his brainpower was going towards figuring out a plan to defeat four capable magicians all by himself.

Amora gestured at her brother with her chin. The pair of mages behind her stepped forward. A crackling, green bolt of magic zipped past Sebastian's shoulder and crashed into a nearby storefront. The plaster corroded and melted into sludge. Terracotta roof tiles slid to the ground, shattering upon contact.

He gawked at the smoldering hole behind him.

What spell is that?!

His body was rife with adrenaline. He quickly recovered from his shock and aimed his palm at his attacker. "Noiceris!" A streak of black energy hurtled towards them.

A shriek left their mouth. It stopped after they crashed into a nearby wall.

The familiar rush of dark magic invigorated him. His muscles tightened and he resisted the urge to grin. While he didn't particularly enjoy using the dark arts, they did come in handy. Though, they did use up more vitalae—his magical energy—than normal spells.

Sebastian sidestepped a fiery incendis spell before hitting the caster with a killing spell. They dropped to the ground, their mask thudding against the cobblestone.

"Hmm," Amora said as she looked at her fallen men. "You've gotten better."

"Or father's men have gotten weaker."

"That could be true." Amora stepped forward. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not them."

The two of them ran at each other, fists flying. Amora caught Sebastian on the jaw. He staggered backward and ducked under another punch. He kicked her in the side and blew a few straggly hairs out of his face.

His sister winced with a hand pressed against her midsection and shuffled backward. "Fuck you."

"That's no way to talk to your big brother."

"Sentis!" The maroon spell struck him in his chest. Red-hot pain spread across his sternum like wildfire. It burrowed into his skin, piercing harder than sharpened knives. His head spun from the pain.

Amora cackled as she watched him drop to his knee. "Didn't see that one coming, huh?" Before he could get back to his feet and retaliate, her foot connected with his face. Blood filled his mouth, the metallic-tasting liquid spilling past his lips.

"Aww," Amora cooed as she crouched in front of him. "Poor little Sebby is bleeding. Don't you wish mother was here to wipe it up for you?"

Sebastian clawed at the stone beneath him. A low growl rumbled in his core.