Chapter 109 Rohak
Chapter One Hundred Nine
Rohak
The twin cries from the north and south overpowered any other sounds of battle.
Now, more than ever, it was evident that this was it: humanity’s last stand against the gods.
The Second Sundering.
I shuddered at the implication, at the value of everything riding on the outcome of this singular conflict as I retreated toward the tree line, Torin, Lex, and Ilyas following close behind.
As selfish as it was, we needed a reprieve—a moment of peace and respite in the battle that seemed to never end.
The arrival of both Ellowyn’s and Sasori’s troops was both a blessing and a curse, but ultimately gave us time to heal and formulate a new plan.
One we desperately needed.
“Ellowyn can’t use her powers,” Torin grunted as his back slammed against a tree trunk. Sweat glistened on his skin, dried blood smearing as he wiped his brow with his arm.
“How do you know?” I asked, falling to my ass next to Torin. “She used Pain and Pleasure when she first arrived.”
“Yes, but it no longer climbs up her arms. It was wispy at best. Less potent than normal,” he said, panting and gesturing to where Ellowyn was slowly making her way through Solace’s forces.
Her trajectory put her even with us in a matter of minutes, as if she and Torin were connected by some sort of string.
I grunted in acknowledgement, trying to save my breath and words for when they were needed most.
“What’s the plan?” Lex asked, inspecting Ilyas’ many wounds. The large Vessel hissed a curse of pain as Lex prodded a particularly nasty gash. The Mage’s eyes darted up to his Vessel, worry and love so prominently shown that it felt like a knife to the heart.
Torin turned to me with a shrug as if to say, “I’m out of options.”
“You’re the genius here, General,” Ilyas panted, finally swatting Lex’s hands away. “What is the plan?”
I sighed, running a dirty hand over my equally soiled face as I tried to think. Exhaustion, fatigue, and a general sense of worry ate at my mind, making it difficult to think clearly.
“We can’t continue like this,” Lex hedged. “We’ll all die if we do.”
His statement, while heavy, was packed with truth.
We had to pivot—or sacrifice not just our lives, but that of the rest of Elyria as well.
“We pivot,” I said finally. “Find Solace. Cut the head off the snake and—”
“It dies,” Torin finished, nodding to himself.
A soft thunk sounded behind us, but none of us turned to look. If an enemy soldier approached from the rear, we’d dispatch them together. When no one emerged, we all relaxed incrementally.
“You and Ellowyn stay out of it for the time being,” I continued, looking at Torin.
The godling opened his mouth to protest, but I held up a tired hand to still his tirade.
“You have no access to magic. Let Lex, Ilyas, and me do the heavy lifting for now. See if we can distract her enough that you and Ellowyn can come from behind and end it all.”
“It’s risky, General. If you fail, if we fail—”
“Then Elyria falls,” Lex finished Torin’s statement grimly.
I grimaced and pushed to a stand before helping Torin to his feet.
“What other option do we truly have?” Ilyas asked with a shake of his head. “It’s the only option. If we wait any longer, we’ll be too exhausted to even attempt it.”
I grunted my agreement, gripping my bloodied sword once more.
My muscles screamed in protest, shouting at me to stop, to rest. But I couldn’t.
I had to do this—had to save Elyria, my friends, Faylinn.
Or die trying.