The Prodigies: The Return of Equinox

Chapter Nineteen - By the Grace of Those Above

Celesta could feel a lot of magic happen. Oddly enough, magic without an energy source. It could mean only one thing: it wasn't Nano that was performing magic. She didn't know if she could fight the Shade if it had access to magic. Especially after it was allowed to live for so long. This was meant to be a quick fight, and for later. Not this drawn out affair right now.

If she were competing in an arena all eyes would be on her. What happens now has major consequences for the future. All the players on her team are either dying, or gone. One bleeding out, and three nearly dead. Even worse still, she couldn't understand why there so much magic being used. And yet, it didn't matter.

When she entered the room she found the Zorfec she was so excited about fighting the Shade that Nano had worked so hard to create. Core's skin was glowing red between the plates of various stones and rock ze created as armor. The Shade had only one working arm and three working legs. Its skin webbed with cracks. And still, it was mostly winning the fight. Even so, the Shade was exactly as Celesta had imagined it. Nearly perfect. It truly was a testament to Nano's namesake and prowess as a summoner. She quickly saw Nano lying on the floor, and Seilan bleeding out near the fighting.

"Etyüta purt." And with those words Seilan's bleeding stopped and Nano regained some sort of consciousness. She hurried over to Nano only to hear him say "next floor"

She darted towards the second floor as Core struggle with the Shade. The Zorfec clearly hadn't been in many fights and relied on zis strength to overpower any potential human opponent. But this was no mere human, or living thing for that matter. It was equal in strength, faster, and a little better with fighting sense.

As Celesta reached the second floor she found Noromac lying on the ground completely disoriented from his blood loss, Winter knocked out from the pain she had gone through, and Jasper lying barely conscious taking in raspy breaths of air. Rather than a look of worry, shock, or panic, a look of disappointment overtook her face.

"Pitiful, you all could have done so much better. Etyüta purt." And as the silky smooth magic left her lips she could see everybody's condition get better. Noromac went from looking paler than usual to his more regular gray. Jasper could breathe again with no struggle, and Winter awoke from being unconscious gasping for air and gagging. "Get up peasants. Watch a Queen of the witches show you how it's done"

Noromac looked up towards the Queen with cold steely eyes. "Took you long enough to notice something was wrong."

...

"Make your choice."

"No!"

"Save them and die, or save yourself."

"I swear to the Mother that I will save everyone in this room. Even you!" Tora held a shield spell over herself, Garvhoz, and Svetra. Giant tendrils made of plant material smashed against the shield taking up all of Tora's concentration to stop them from breaking through.

"Observe them. The toxins coursing through those individuals' veins are lethal. In approximately one minute you'll find them no longer alive." Tora stood in between the two soldiers. She saw Garvhoz and Svetra struggle to breathe and clutch whatever they could hold onto. She could almost feel their pain.

"You will pay for this." Said Tora through her teeth

"Oh, I fully intend to. I expect they'll execute me for killing those two. Not that the outcome is undesirable, I have many reasons to not live. I'm sure you don't want to quarrel with a demigod, I'm sure that you know that as long as you're alive that they will make go through many conflicts. Even so, I know much more about our situation than you do."