CHAPTER XV #12
A full influx of Discerni bodies slams against the broken door, their strength overpowering Golem as his feet slide against the floor.
Six men move quickly into the room, arms raised with green agate broadswords as they look at the surroundings around them.
Both Holis and Mana angle themselves to opposite sides of the entry, with Holis’ arrows flying in a swiftness that catches two men before I can even blink.
Mana is also quick to lunge his kedge, piercing a man straight through the heart as he runs through the door.
He pulls the blade out and lunges again, repeating the process just as one of those swords swipes towards Golem in frantic defense.
The blades slices through my friend’s robes, cutting against his arm before Golem grabs the man by the neck and snaps it in two.
My eyes turn back to those cool grey ones in the staircase, smiling at our defense and the small entry that is well guarded.
Starc continues to send his men through, eyes narrowed and commanding as I lift a hand towards him.
He turns to me with a smirk and shakes his head, lifting his own fingers towards the room as the edge of the table immediately reaches out.
The wood wraps itself quickly around my outstretched wrist, yanking my hand down as another angles itself towards my free hand, aiming to do the same.
Stormfall dips low to Golem’s side, wings outstretched on another man who has just pushed through.
My eyes widen as his black wings dip towards his shoulders, the man screaming loud before the top of his body begins to disintegrate and fade into ash.
I’m so caught off guard by the sight that I forget about that second piece of the table moving for my other hand.
The wood wraps itself around my wrist and pulls me forward so violently that I fall hard to my knees.
Both table branches circle around my wrists, holding me tight as they begin to pull my body towards the blonde Discerni.
I try to fight against the summoning, thrashing with all of my might as I’m quite literally dragged along the floor.
The onslaught of Woodlands men continues into the room, moving singularly though both sides of the open door.
Half are pierced with Holis’ arrows and Mana’s kedge, the two moving swiftly to attack the aggression as best they can.
Golem takes another slice to his side, bowing low in pain at the tear against his shoulder.
His body is the first thing the Discerni see when they enter, so he’s taking the brunt edge of their swords as they come in.
Stormfall flies high above him, waiting to come down on the men to turn them to ash again, but the Woodlands Discerni are quick to angle their weapons skyward, tips pointing to the bird and daring him to come close.
Four more men make it into the room, eyes falling on Holis and Mana as the two move quickly against the other four that are already with us.
My eyes move frantically to the brothers from my pull on the ground, watching as the Woodlands Discerni surround them with menacing eyes and raised swords.
They’re surrounded, with more coming in through the door, and the sight makes me shudder in pure anger, knowing there’s too many for them to defend.
“ENOUGH!”
His loud voice rocks the tower, shaking every single man to the core. All of the Discerni still in their movements, eyes darting frantically around the room and looking past eachother for the sound, not understanding that they’re literally about to be greeted by Death.
I smile maliciously at the grey-eyed Discerni in the staircase, his summoning still dragging me to him. He eyes my smirk in cool curiosity before his glance moves to the man next to him, watching him drop to the ground as he clutches his chest in pain.
“You dare!” Hirovale’s voice consumes the room again.
His heavy boots hit the ground behind me, shaking us all.
“You dare try to take what is mine? My champion.”
The Ancient flicks his hand above me and makes the wood scurry from my wrists.
“My Human Reborn?”
Hirovale’s words vibrate within my bones, his voice so strong that I have to lower my head to the sound.
“No!” he continues, flicking his wrist again as his boots land at each side of my shoulders.
Tears begin to well in my eyes, my hands moving quickly to my ears to try to shut out his voice.
The power overwhelms me, as does the vague sound of bodies now dropping to the ground.
I tremble below Hiro, feeling the vibrations of boots fleeing down the staircase as the men try to run away.
His power consumes the full of the room, a dead weight on my body that can’t stop shaking.
Two strong hands take hold of mine, pulling them off my face before their thumbs move over my skin in a soft caress. I’m trembling, feeling those hands move up my arms before they reach for my shoulders and grip me hard, lifting me up from the ground.
“Look at me, Alexis,” Hirovale’s calm voice drips in pure power.
The sound alone sends another heavy tremble through my whole body, making me shake my head in response. Hiro turns me around slowly and pulls me into his chest, sighing at the sight of my tear-soaked cheeks.
I fall heavy into the Ancient and let his arms surround me in a tight embrace.
The power that seeps out of him is pure confidence, the feel no longer overwhelming as it calms me into deep and steadying breaths.
Hiro grips me even tighter, his strong arms holding me to the full of his chest as he embraces me as the being he is…
My protector, my Ancient.
“Yours,” Hirovale nods into my hair, hand coming to the back of my head as he draws me closer. “No one will ever take you from me, Alexis.”
“Golem?” I take a shuddering breath against him.
Hiro smells like the cold forests of Fumagalli, like the cool water that rushes through its woods. Calm and strong at the same time.
“Holis and Mana? Storm?” I nearly cry out.
“Everyone is all right,” he runs his hand down my hair, “you’re all right.”
My full body fuels to his words, lighting to fire as I turn my head up to his golden eyes.
“Tell me you got one of them,” I whisper, leaning against his hand holding my head.
“Two,” he nods down at me with his own fire, “the brothers.”
I sigh in his embrace, letting him hold onto me a little while longer before I turn around to the room.
Golem has retracted to his normal size, sitting on his rear for the first time ever as he hunches over in pain.
The sight is uncanny, but what’s worse is how he looks.
He’s tired and beat, robes sliced in two places with wide gashes gracing his clay skin, opening it up without any blood dripping down.
He sits still and unmoving, eyes closed as if he’s sleeping.
Mana moves through the room with his kedge in hand, delivering a final pierce to those Discerni still struggling.
Holis has the two Woodlands brothers handled by the back of their tunics, pulling them into the room from the staircase as both men look to be unconscious.
My eyes roam toward Storm, sighing at the sight of the Bird of Ash preening his feathers atop a chair next to Golem, seemingly unbothered.
“The city,” my heart pounds, stepping over bodies in my run to the large window.
The glow of red and orange has died down, flames contained to only a few portions of the city now. I glance down at the stairs summoned by Keane, grateful they didn’t have to be used.
Keane.
All of my want and need pushes out for him, the summoning filling my lower abdomen as I wait at the window in anticipation. But nothing comes back. No sure summoning of his own greets me in reply.
I look frantically at Hirovale, catching his small grimace before his gold eyes dart to the window as well. I push my summoning harder, willing Keane to feel me for all I’m worth, needing his want and need to consume me and to let me know that he’s safe.
But still nothing comes.
“We’re going to go out there,” I tell the men, “I can’t feel the King!”
“He ordered us to keep you inside, Alexis,” Holis shakes his head, dropping the sleeping men on the ground.
“I don’t give a damn what he ordered!”
I’m about to throw my first through the glass when an invisible barrier stops me. My eyes dart to my hand in confusion, not understanding.
“I can’t let you leave this room, Alex,” Hirovale states.
I turn slowly to the Ancient, my eyes narrowing in a death glare.
“Hiro,” I take an angered step in his direction, “you will let me out of this room.”
“No, Queen,” he holds my gaze hard. “Your King is okay. Just finishing up a battle of his own.”
“And you know this how?”
Hirovale lifts a brow.
I scoff and build up all the need I have for Keane-
“-Don’t,” the Ancient takes a step forward, “you’ll only distract him from the task at hand.”