Aegis

Chapter Thirty--Hunting Hector (Pt.1)

Four days left until the full moon.

Three days until they reached Altera.

Breathing heavily, Erianthe looked up at the cloudy sky above her and wondered if Kyros and the Rogues had arrived at Altera. It was a moment of rest during yet another training session with Eric.

As their deadline approached, Erik had switched to two short session, one in the afternoon and one at night. The group spent the rest of the time fighting small monsters and avoiding the larger hordes. As they approached Altera, the animals and the monsters became more and more aggressive.

"You're getting the hang of it," Erik said. "You can produce large sparks on your blade--"

"But I can do better," Erianthe finished. "I know."

Erianthe and Erik crossed blades under the hot sun again.

Four days left and they hadn't even thought of a way to counter the Rogues or the bolt. If the Rogues had constructed the bolt before they arrived, it would be too late. Erianthe had heard the legends about the ancient weapon. In every single one, the completed bolt had the impenetrability of Aegis.

Erianthe's future ordeal with Kyros didn't help her composure either.

With deft movements, Erik disarmed Erianthe. "What's wrong? You've been really distracted the past few days."

"I'm sorry. I'll do better next time," Erianthe said.

"You said that the last time I asked. What's wrong? Are you thinking about the Rogues?"

Erianthe nodded.

Erik half-smiled. "If you'd like to know, Raios is concocting a way to disrupt the bolt. After your story yesterday about gathering the pieces, he told me about this new idea of his."

This time, Erianthe grinned. It had been funny to watch Chris and Atalae's faces as she told them how she broke the metal pieces off the grid and how the grid glowed. Of course, Chris thought that Erianthe had done it with sheer strength. In reality, the girl had struck the grid's weak points. The impressive part had been bending the metal up, and even that act winded her.

"What is the plan?"

For some unknown reason, the smile faded from Erik's face. "Well, he's still working on it. He wants to study the piece you brought back a little more. That's why he has been so reclusive lately."

Erianthe thought back to the lively dinners and the man's polite greetings. If anything, Erianthe didn't think Raios had been recluse any more than Atalae.

"I haven't really noticed. Actually, I'm surprised that he brought the pieces with him."

"You risked so much bringing them for us. The least we could do is study them and find a way to use them. Now pick up your sword," Erik said.

Erianthe didn't have a chance to spar with Erik again because Atalae sprinted towards them as if a giant dog were chasing her down. The woman waved her hands in the air to capture their attention.

"Erik, we've found Mellion," Atalae said. "He's back with Raios and Chris."

After sharing a look, Erik and Erianthe ran after Atalae to meet this Mellion. Erianthe wasn't sure what to expect of him. If he were anything like Raios or Erik, the man would have been calm, polite, and reserved. In other words, the brazen, dark-skinned Mellion was not like Erik or Raios except for his politeness.

"So then Hector knocks my blade out of my hands, swipes it, and darts off into the cave system." Mellion gestured to the outcropping of rocks in the distance. "Actually, I cut him off from following your group a few days ago."