“I’ll do it, Ilain,” he interrupted in a brusque manner.
She clamped her mouth shut and turned away.
Deckard and Evylin shared a look. Whatever the pair wanted to claim, the end of their betrothal clearly hadn’t been as amicable as they made it sound. There was a clear layer of underlying anger and hurt between them. But it wasn’t his place to question them on it.
Or was it?
Ethenn had requested that Deckard be his advocate in their betrothal. He’d wanted Deckard’s advice. And since that first day, Deckard had failed to check in on the couple. He’d been so focused on each day of travel, on staying ahead of Blount, andon learning to control the magic within that he’d barely given it a thought. Perhaps he should have been more attentive to the young man’s request.
Regardless, now was not the time to resolve this problem. They’d have all the time in the world once they recovered the Relic and stopped Blount.
The Terrae Chamber spread out before them as a forest brimming with life. The entire room glimmered with verdant growth. Emerald tiles peeked through swirls of grass. Vines twisted up the columns. And a glowing dais awaited them at the far end.
Taking their first steps into the Chamber, the Wind Relic pulsed in Ethenn’s hand. It morphed into a sword, glowing with an inner silver light. He hesitated, then held out his hand to Ilain. “Stay close,” he said.
Reluctantly, Ilain’s fingers slipped through his, but she said nothing.
“Be fast,” Thom advised, keeping his sword raised. “And don’t die.”
Weapons at the ready, they moved into the giant hall. The grass under their feet remained docile but gripped the soles of their boots, making each step sluggish. A gentle rumble vibrated along the ground, harkening the Guardian’s arrival.
Deckard scanned the space, alert and ready for whatever creature might come at them.The Living Land, he remembered,from the children’s book.Was it possible that such a creature existed?
The rumble grew louder, and the ground began to shake. They widened their stances to steady themselves as the quaking intensified. Once, Thom had to reach out, catching Brea’s shoulder to keep his footing.
Suddenly, even the tiled floors began to shift. They watched as it gave way, morphing with the grass to form a massive beast.Brutish in build and bearing two bulging limbs with its trunk affixed to the terrae, the Guardian rolled back its thick shoulders to stand at its full height. Its head scraped the ceiling hundreds of feet above them. Fierce green eyes landed on them with far more intelligence than the terrae should own.
The Living Land, indeed.
Then the Guardian raised its two massive fists.
“Move!” Deckard ordered, and the team immediately sprang into action.
The fists lashed out in a sweep from right to left, forcing them all back and away. Ethenn pulled Ilain to the left around the pillars while the rest of the troop leaped out of the Guardian’s range. Deckard dove, rolling to his feet beside Evylin. Together, they engaged the beast.
From the back of the troop, Vayden fired arrows while Isla propelled huge gusts of Wind in cutting swipes. With Brea in the lead, Rafferty and Thom dashed forward, slipping under the lumbering creature’s guard to hack at its monstrous trunk, but only funneling more grass and stone into its form.
Evylin charged ahead, the Space sword drawn and glittering, and Deckard summoned his magic. He didn’t care if it consumed him now. Faced with this ginormous Guardian, he knew it would take all the power they had to keep them alive.
The Living Land struck out, causing Evylin to drop into a slide as she approached. With ease, she hopped to her feet again. The Space sword spun in a luminescent arc as she twirled her wrist, slicing into the creature’s base. It bellowed a low growl. Dirt poured from the cut.
Deckard planted his feet and raised his hands. The onyx shards trailed up his arms and across his torso. His vision turned dark. The glittering magic soared past Evylin, Thom, Rafferty, and Brea to plunge into the Guardian’s form. They twisted theirway through the marble and terrae torso and out its back, then rotated to repeat the process.
Together, Evylin and Brea cut giant slashes into The Living Land’s trunk while Thom and Rafferty needled it with their mundane weapons. Vayden’s arrows sank into the creature’s form only to be sucked away. Isla’s magic sloughed off chunks of dirt and stone. Great rivulets of soil poured from the punctures left by their assaults.
Maddened, The Living Land bellowed a thunderous cry. It swiped at them with greater fury and swelled in size. The ground shifted again, knocking Rafferty from his feet. Thom stumbled back, but Brea caught him, tugging him to the side. Evylin fought on, seemingly oblivious to the difficult terrain.
A great fist came at Deckard then. He spared it a momentary glance, his magic whispering steadily in his mind. He flicked one wrist toward The Living Land’s oncoming blow. A crystalline band shimmered to life, pinning the fist to the ground.
The Guardian howled, and its anger shook the air around them. But the trap lasted only a second. The fist sank into the terrae to reform and free itself of the Space magic.
Evylin darted forward before The Living Land could rise from its stooped position. She leaped onto the arm and charged up its length. She’d barely scrambled to the shoulder before it resumed its full, towering height.
Deckard’s stomach clenched, but he refused to worry about her. She was a Warrior. Battle was what she was made for.
While Evylin slashed at the Guardian’s shoulder, neck, jaw, and ear, Deckard riddled it with holes. Colossal mountains of dirt began to crumble onto the tiled floors. Thom, Rafferty, and Brea scrambled away, unable to draw near without putting themselves in danger of being buried.
Enraged, The Living Land bellowed, swatting out furiously. Its arms sailed through the air. Brea shoved Thom down,avoiding a blow, but the fist landed in the center of Rafferty’s chest. He flew back, slamming into a column. Then the Guardian convulsed in on itself, dissipating in a sudden shower of grass and terrae. And from the great height, Evylin began to fall.
