31. Lora
Lora
Erion pulled the blue waist-long cape over his shoulders and tugged the hood up over his head.
Beaming, he turned toward me. “How do I look?”
A smirk tugged at my lips. “Like someone trying to look inconspicuous while breaking into a museum.”
Caldera tossed another bundle of cloth to me. “You can use this one.”
The scratchy wool brushed against my palms. I pinched it between my thumb and forefinger, and the gray shawl unfurled before me.
I glared at the old woman. “Wool? It’s almost summer. Is this the best you’ve got?”
“I’m afraid so, dear.” She gave me a sweet smile, but her tone clipped short.
Even though her story had eased my suspicions, lingering distrust still colored my behavior and had finally worn down her patience.
Grunting, I wrapped the large shawl around my neck, instantly activating my cold magic to stave off the heat. At least the sodden thing would cover my face.
The three of us had spent the last few days planning how to break into the museum—and tonight was the night.
As we set off down the path leading to town, I whispered reminders about waiting for my signal before moving into position. But my words were cut short as screams tore through the evening air—a chorus of voices shrieking in sheer terror.
Erion and I exchanged a quick glance before breaking into a sprint.
As the main street came into view, we paused, staring at the chaos. People scattered in every direction, their panicked shouts overlapping.
On the other side of town, a creature towered over the cobblestones on two trunk-sized legs. Spiraling horns jutted from its skull in a twisted crown. The long arms ended in curved claws that scraped against the street as it sauntered forward beside the river.
Moon’s mercy, what was this thing? I’d fought plenty of monsters in my life, but nothing like this. And what was it doing this far from Blightlands?
Townspeople scattered around us, some urging each other to run, others screaming for loved ones.
The creature’s long arm flung out, claws slashing through a man trying to run past its feet.
“By the deep…” Erion’s hushed voice murmured behind me.
Panting, Caldera jogged up beside us, her eyes widening at the sight ahead.
I snapped my attention back to the creature just as a woman and two children emerged from a house beside it. The younger of the two girls let out an ear-splitting shriek.
The creature’s head dipped, its sunken eyes spotting the terrified family. The woman dragged her children away, running straight toward us. The creature pulled back its arm, about to sink its long claws into their backs.
Waving my arms in a wide circle, I drew water from the river.
A large wave swept over the monster, and it staggered back.
But before I could gather a new attack, the creature’s jaw unhinged—far wider than any natural thing should manage.
A screech tore from its throat, reverberating through the air like a physical force. It hit the running family in the back.
The woman and her children were ripped off their feet and hurled forward, as if struck by an invisible fist. They slammed into the cobblestones with a sickening crack, their bodies twisted at unnatural angles.
Nausea coiled in my stomach, crawling up my throat.
I glared at the beast, snarling through gritted teeth. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, you low-tide filth!”
Curling my fingers, I pulled more water into the air and shaped it into two large spears, launching them at the monster’s chest. They struck true, punching through its leathery hide.
The creature staggered back but remained standing, unbothered by the spears protruding from its chest. The large head swung toward us, its many horns slicing through the air.
Ebbs and darkness, didn’t this thing feel pain?
When its jaw unhinged again, I pulled a new wave from the river, shoving my whole body into the motion.
The water crashed into the creature’s open mouth, some of it gurgling down its throat, muffling the shriek before it could erupt.
I threaded my cold magic into the liquid, freezing it solid in the creature’s chest.
It swayed one way, then the other before plunging head-first into the river. A shuddering breath escaped me as the tension drained from my shoulders.
Erion’s hand brushed my arm. “Lora, that was amazing.”
“It’s not over.” Caldera’s voice was a hushed murmur beside us.
Her trembling finger pointed toward the far end of town.
A second monster stepped into view, with the same hulking frame and spiraling horns as the first. Behind it, a third emerged from between the buildings.
More townspeople spilled from houses, scattering in different directions, some stumbling directly into the monsters’ path.
Cold dread gripped my bones as I forced my arms up.
I sprinted along the river, dragging a wave with me. Thrusting my palms forward, I hurled it at the nearest monster, reshaping it mid-flight into one massive icicle. The sharp end punched through the creature’s chest. It staggered backward, colliding with the monster behind it.
The second creature’s jaw split open, and the familiar shriek tore from its throat—but this time aimed at its companion. The first beast let out a raging wail and slashed its gnarled fingers through the air, claws ripping the second monster’s hide wide open.
I staggered back, staring in disbelief as the second one lunged forward, retaliating with its own twisted claws. They were tearing each other apart.
But behind them, another monster approached, unbothered by its fighting comrades.
Drowning stars, how many were there? Another rift must have opened nearby, it was the only explanation.
A few townspeople stepped forward, waving their arms in trembling motions as they shaped water into half-frozen barriers. Good, moon wielders. But none of them moved like experienced fighters.
“Get those people out of here,” I roared, pointing to the chaotic mess of people running around.
One of them nodded and shouted instructions to the others about organizing an evacuation.
The creature in the back sent a shrieking blast toward fleeing townspeople. Several were knocked into the river, others slammed into a stone wall.
The two battling beasts stumbled through town, one of them still with the icicle jutting from its chest. Their clawed feet smashed through market stalls, sending crates and broken wood across the cobblestones. They were almost upon me.
A woman crazy enough to dash along the street beside the creatures took a flying plank to the shoulder. She collapsed, sprawling across the cobblestones just as a massive foot slammed down, crushing her head into the stone with a sickening crunch.
I yanked another wave from the river and shaped it into a jagged spear. Thrusting my arm forward, I sent the ice hurtling toward the nearest creature’s skull. The spike punched straight through its eye socket with a wet crack.
The beast roared and ichor streamed down its face, but it continued raking its claws across its companion’s hide.
Silt and rot, why wouldn’t it die?
More people streamed from buildings, some of them stopping and staring at the creatures. Or rather, at me, fighting them. I wanted to shout at them to run, but Erion appeared at the edge of my vision, waving his arms at the river.
The water rippled and splashed, but not even a trickle rose to his beckoning command.
One of the creature’s feet surged toward him, sharp claws pointed straight at his frame.
“Erion!” I flung my arms out, smashing an ice block into the massive leg.
The ice shattered into pieces, spraying across the street, but at least the creature’s foot crashed down a few paces short of Erion.
He stumbled back, panic flashing across his face.
Caldera stepped up behind him and grabbed his hands. “He’s the Dual Wielder!” Her voice boomed across the street, loud enough for everyone to hear. “Oh great Dual Wielder, please, protect me!”
My jaw dropped open. What in the twisted deep was she doing?
Fire erupted from Erion’s palms—no, from Caldera’s palms—as she manipulated his arms like a rag doll.
The flames roared toward the monsters, engulfing them in a blazing storm.
They stopped fighting each other, their deafening shrieks piercing the air.
Twisting and squirming, they flailed their long arms, as if trying to douse their burning skin without knowing how.
Around us, people pointed at Erion.
“Did you see?”
“It’s the Dual Wielder!”
Brilliant. Caldera couldn’t reveal herself as a sun wielder, so she’d used Erion as a cover.
The two creatures swayed like drunken giants. Their hides glowed with heat, as if the flames had seeped beneath the surface.
“Get back!” My voice cracked as I shouted the warning at nearby townspeople.
I grabbed Erion and Caldera, pulling them away.
One of the monsters tipped sideways into a building, flames flaring from its chest. Timbers splintered and walls caved inward with a deafening crack.
People screamed and scattered.
The other burning monster swayed in our direction.
My fingers clamped around Erion’s and Caldera’s wrists, dragging them into a sprint.
Cobblestone blurred beneath our pounding feet as we ran from the toppling monster.
Heat flared against my back as a deafening crash erupted behind us, the impact shuddering through the ground beneath our feet.
Panting, I turned. The creature’s curling horns had ripped through the building beside us, missing us by only a few paces.
My stomach dropped as my gaze lifted. Behind the smoldering corpse, not only one, but three more monsters stepped through town.
My gaze snapped to Erion and Caldera. His eyes were wide with shock, hers narrowed with determination.
She glanced at me. “Fire seems to do the trick.”
“And ice in their lungs,” I said.
We exchanged knowing smiles. She grabbed Erion’s shoulders from behind, whispering something in his ear. He nodded.
She raised her voice to a loud wailing. “Please, oh great Dual Wielder, don’t let them get me!”