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

32.

They were getting away.

Makaela zeroed in on the retreating scent of Sebastian, Ajax, and Siren. The trio of magicians was well ahead of them. Judging by the faintness of their scent trails, she figured they had already made it outside the palace. If she and Amora hurried, they might've been able to catch up with them.

She took another whiff of air. This time, she picked up on Thorian and Emile's distinct aromas. They seemed to already be on the sand with Sirus. Closing her eyes and focusing her hearing, she heard them dueling near the ocean.

Sirus was been in his element down there. While Thorian and Emile were brilliant magicians, they didn't stand much of a chance against a master water elementalist who had access to the power of an entire ocean.

Makaela and Amora rushed through the ruined palace corridors. The destruction was extensive. It reached all the way to the entrance. The doors had been blown off and holes riddled the walls. Magic hummed in the air, tickling her skin. Water dripped from the walls and formed puddles on the cracked ground.

Upon exiting the palace, she inhaled the sweet smell of spilled blood. The bodies of the soldiers they had killed earlier remained on the ground, still and lifeless. They teased and taunted her. She ground her teeth and ignored the corpses.

She had a job to do.

Resisting her urges was no easy feat, though. Now that her Nightling had assumed total control, everything from her instincts to her bloodlust was heightened. She had just enough willpower to stay focused on the mission at hand. Once they killed Sirus and took his gauntlet, she could feed for as long as she wanted.

She and Amora made their way to the back of the castle, which gave way to a cliff overlooking the beach. A shoddy looking staircase had been built into the rugged precipice. Amora shot her an apprehensive glance.

"Does this look safe to you?"

"No."

Without even waiting, she leaped onto the staircase and bounded down the narrow steps with the grace of a dancer. Each plant of her foot was calculated and precise. She heard Amora shuffling down the ledges. The girl cursed after she slipped on a pocket of loose gravel.

Makaela laughed while looking over her shoulder. "Need me to carry you down?" she asked, false genuity hiding behind her words.

"Fuck you," Amora yelled against the raging wind whipping around them.

Makaela's braided hair flapped in the salty air. Her black cloak floated behind her like a cape. As she traversed down the cliff, she scanned the beach below. She spotted Sebastian, Ajax, and Siren running along the sand towards the elder magicians fighting near the water. On the other side of the beach, Olivier, Remy, Imogen, and Siren's family were approaching the ocean.

She averted her gaze towards Emile. He directed a wide array of quick blasts of magic at Sirus. None of them made it past the man's water barrier. Thorian twirled his black scythe overhead, the blade shooting curved bolts of dark energy at his adversary. They, too, never made it past the watery shield.

Makaela narrowed her eyes at the gauntlet on Sirus' arm. Its blue gem lit up every time the man performed a water-based spell.

"We need to help my father fight Sirus," Amora said once she caught up with Makaela.

"What about the others?"

"He's our main priority."

Makaela rolled her eyes but nodded. Without another word, she jumped down from the stone staircase and propelled herself across the sand. Amora followed behind the Nightling, struggling to match her speed.