The shockwave of the blast shook the trees, breaking off thick branches and tearing apart smaller shrubbery. It upheaved the earth, sending chunks of dirt and small rocks flying through the air. Blood splattered against the ground and the thick, sturdy tree trunks as the students, the enforcer, and the young man who attacked him were thrown in different directions.
Searing pain jolted throughout his body as Midhir flew in the air and plummeted into an unfamiliar body of water. The frigid waters immediately numbed his body, doing away with the pain, and forcing his mind to recover from what had just happened.
He opened his eyes to see the blurry depths. Lumps of seaweed reached up from the lake floor, all the way towards the surface. Sunlight easily pierced the clear body of water, allowing him to see at least a little. Holding his breath, he swam up. His lungs began to burn, but before long, his head broke through the surface of the water.
Gasping for air, he coughed and looked around for the nearest shore. Summoning his strength, he swam towards it, pulling himself up onto the rocky surface as soon as he reached it.
Bright rays of sunlight pierced the forest canopy above him. They warmed his body slowly, doing away with the numbing cold. While some of the pain he felt before falling into the lake returned, he was still glad to have regained finer control of his muscles.
Getting up on his hands and knees, he coughed out the last bit of water he swallowed, then grabbed onto the nearest tree trunk and pulled himself up on his feet. “Lord Aulorn?” He shouted, then held his breath and suppressed the urge to cough as he waited for a response. Moments passed in silence as a lump settled in his throat. “Arwen? Willow?” He shouted again, this time looking around with narrowed eyes. It was difficult to keep the mounting worry at bay.
Something glimmered just a few steps away from him, hidden amongst the leaves of a broken branch. “Alistair?” He shouted as he stumbled towards the branch and crouched.
What he saw was a piece of metal, clearly shattered from a bigger whole. It was silver coloured, and perfectly smooth on one side, no larger than the nail on his thumb. He scowled before getting back up. What was that even from? “Lord Enforcer!” He shouted again, this time turning towards the lake.
Where was the sword-spear? He was holding it when the tear just exploded and sent that shockwave that separated them. He must have dropped it at some point, but he wasn’t sure when. With a tight jaw, he circled around the lake, looking for his weapon, and trying to figure out where he was at the same time.
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He spied a few more pieces of shattered silver coloured metal, but there was no sign of the sword-spear, and it was difficult to see far into the forest, so he wasn’t sure which way the tear in the veil was.
His gaze turned towards the lake. The clear waters glimmered, reflecting the bright rays of sunlight. Despite his best attempts, he couldn’t see if it was down below the surface – he would need to dive down to look, and the lake floor was too deep to be able to reach without some sort of resonance to aid him.
He hesitated. He needed his weapon, but he didn’t have any more time to waste looking for it. The explosion was powerful, and it likely damaged the veil further. Lord Aulorn and the others hadn’t made a sound yet. Fearing for the worst, he turned his back to the lake, and hurried uphill.
The further he walked, the more damage he noticed around him. Thick, sturdy branches had been torn from the trees, and the earth itself had been upheaved. Tree trunks carried signs of damage, and there were more than a few dead birds and small critters around.
With clenched fists, he continued uphill, only to stop in his tracks as he noticed a lump of twisted flesh on the ground. Black goo slowly oozed out of it, and it reeked of decay and mold.
He covered his mouth and nose with his still dripping bet sleeve. “Lord Aulorn!” He shouted again, relieved that this didn’t belong to a human, but disgusted still by the smell and look of the flesh plant. There was once again no response – the forest remained eerily silent.
Suppressing his worst fears, he rushed past the lump of twisted flesh. Leaping over the broken branches blocking his path, he made his way up the hill, only slowing down once he arrived at the top.
Reality was torn apart – the tear stretched from one side of the opening to the other. It was as wide as the main streets of An’Larion, and as tall as a small building. It throbbed, letting out small waves of silver and blue power that dissipated nearly immediately. The edges of the tear were shrouded in silver fog.
His heart sank as his gaze landed on an object stuck against the ground just in front of the tear – the upper half of a silver sword, once elegant and powerful.
His gaze darted around, looking for even of a sign of Lord Aulorn and the others. “Lord Aulorn! Willow, Arwen! Alistair!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, his desperation and fear palpable. He listened, but instead of them, he heard something from behind him.
From the other side.
Holding his breath, he turned around to face the tear in the veil once more.
A field of crimson flowers stretched before him. A shape moved amidst the flowers – it almost looked human. Almost.
It’s claw like hands reached forward as its ghoulish mouth opened, and a hostile grunt sounded, somewhat distorted as it passed through the tear. The creature stepped forward. It’s hands touched the tear – the thin, invisible barrier between him and it started to fall apart.
It was passing through – with its own physical body. Without possessing someone from this world. Its power could be unimaginable. No matter what, he couldn’t let it pass through.
As the creature stepped through the tear, Midhir broke into a dash his hands reaching for the broken sword stuck in the ground.