I saw her. Her gargantuan form snaking through the mountaintops, I saw the Matriarch making her way towards the south, heading straight towards the Endless Desert. Avalanches of stones thundered down with each of her steps. I wonder, what has brought her out of her slumber?

Eyewitness report of the Matriarch, dated roughly 300 b.f, around the time of Al-Talash’s disappearance.

Vines shifted around Gnarly, his body growing until he was almost as tall as one of the goliath automata. Plates of black bark formed over his skin, covering his frame like armor plates. His eyes glowed with power, the silver patterns twirling with increasing intensity as he focused on one of the lesser automata.

Gnarly raised one arm at the machine. “Creak,” he voiced, an unusual deep rumble coming out of his mouth. A thick, deep green vine grew out of his arm to impale the automata. The metal ripped apart like a piece of paper, the automaton hanging from Gnarly’s arm a heartbeat later. “Creak.” Gnarly shifted his focus to the next machine. The vine moved again, eating through another automaton, only to immediately continue its way through the group of automata. Metal slashed at Gnarly’s enlargened arm in a vain attempt to cut the vine, the automata’s clumsy attacks doing nothing to the hardened wood.

“Creak!” With a mighty tug of his arm, Gnarly smashed the automata against the wall, their bodies broken as the vine retracted again. The machines momentarily halted their advance. The Sphinx’s eyes rested on Gnarly. The Spriggan stared right back. “Creak.”

The beast’s mouth twitched, and the automata resumed their attack as one. Two goliaths were coming at them from each side, the rest of the smaller automata in between.

Gnarly, staying right at the front, turned his head to look at Silas. “Creak.”

Silas threw a quick glance towards the approaching automata. “Are you sure?”

His friend smiled. Holding out his left arm, three vines, each as thick as Silas’ own weapon, weaved themselves into a massive spear that Silas’ wouldn’t even be able to hold properly. It had to be at least ten feet long. The shaft was made of a brownish-green, the three vines braided together to form a mesmerizing weapon. The tip seemed almost too bright to be made out of wood, giving off a chartreuse glow. Taking the new weapon with one hand, Gnarly pointed it at one of the goliath’s heads, his arm steady.

Silas looked in wonder at his friend. Towering over Silas by more than three feet, Gnarly resembled more a force of nature than the Spriggan he had bonded with a year ago. Covering within the Redwood tree like a cornered animal, Silas has looked into Gnarly’s silver eyes, knowing he’d found a friend for life. Back then, Gnarly had fit into the palm of his hand. Silas’ heart swelled with pride as he beheld Gnarly. This wasn’t the time to admire his friend’s new form, however.

“Gnarly says that he’ll handle one of the goliaths by himself,” Silas translated, shaking the exhaustion out of his arms, and gripped his spear in his hands. It looked so small, all of a sudden. “We only need to hold on for a bit before he’ll help us with the other one and the rest of the automata.”

Zaya joined his side. “Remind me to buy fruit for Gnarly next time we be in city.”

“Sure.” The automata were almost upon them now. Silas dashed forward, infusing his spear with energy as he stabbed at the one nearest to him. The creature tried to dodge, but it was too slow. Silas’s eyes widened as he felt the tip of his spear going straight through the machine’s head. Something felt different about his weapon. Sending his perception inwards, he noticed a web of light green energy coating the tip, making it way sharper than it used to be. Not for the first time, Silas wondered how much he actually knew about his wooden friend.

“Creak!” Gnarly’s ten-foot-long spear struck forward, completely obliterating one of the lesser automata. The machine collapsed to the ground, its metal clanging against the stone floor. Another automaton was destroyed by a second thrust from Gnarly’s spear. The goliath, having just arrived before Gnarly, swung its halberd in a wide arc as it aimed for his neck.

Holding his massive spear with both hands, Gnarly blocked the halberd before it fully descended. Both were temporarily locked in stasis as machine and Spriggan tried to gain the upper hand. Two of the smaller automata circled Gnarly and started cutting into his legs with their sword arms. Although they hardly chipped the wood, Silas could feel Gnarly’s pain as the automata continued to bludgeon into his frame. Leaning to the side, Gnarly let the halberd slide across his spear, ducking under the weapon to let it crash into one of the smaller automata.

Gnarly immediately struck at the goliath’s right elbow to make it unable to wield the large halberd. The goliath ripped the weapon out of its fallen comrade’s body, shifting its body to protect its hurt elbow.

“Attention, little boy,” Zaya panted as she sent an automaton reeling, a fist-sized stone embedded in its head.

Silas dashed forward to finish the machine. “Not my name,” he grumbled under his breath.

The other goliath stumbled towards them, its metal feet screeching over the stone. While Silas and Zaya could handle the smaller automata, the goliath was much more dangerous. Its weapon was too big to try to block with his shield or spear, so he could only rely on his dodging. Even though he still had one last arrow left, Silas knew it wouldn’t be able to pierce the goliath’s armor. With Gnarly’s energy infusing his spear, however, he might be able to hurt it.

The goliath’s halberd suddenly struck forward, coming straight towards Silas’ stomach, who twisted his hip to the side and tried to get closer to the goliath. The halberd’s tip bounced off the stone with a sharp clang. At close range, the large halberd would be too unwieldy, while Silas’ comparatively short spear would be much more flexible.

Crouching low, Silas used the power in his legs to lunge forward. His spear thrust upwards as he ran beside the goliath’s arm, hitting the machine right in its elbow. At the same time, Zaya bombarded the goliath with fist-sized rocks to keep it distracted. But the machine didn’t even react to her attacks. Abandoning the grip on its weapon, the goliath slapped Silas, who desperately raised his spear. He was too close to dodge. His wrist flared with pain as the heavy metal hand collided with his spear, the wooden shaft bending so far he was afraid it would break.

“I can’t get near that thing, its strikes are too powerful,” Silas panted as he got back to Zaya.

“I fight machine from distance. You kill small metal creatures,” she said, nodding towards the approaching automata.

Silas reached into his Inner Landscape to cycle energy into his lungs. The mist in his Landscape was growing precariously thin, and the exhaustion was getting to him. While his remaining energy would probably be enough to finish the automata and with Gnarly’s help maybe even the goliath, he’d be completely empty by the time the Sphinx decided to stop healing its wounds. Best not to think about that now.

To his left, stones crashed against metal as Zaya fought the goliath. She kept dancing around the massive halberd, using her stone spikes to force the goliath to keep its already damaged elbow protected.

Two automata approached Silas, one coming from each side. Dashing to the right, he ducked under the swing, legs pushing him up as he struck out with his spear, the tip puncturing deep into the machine’s neck. He pulled his weapon out with a sharp yank, immediately striking again to finish it. A blade swept through the air from his right. Silas twisted his torso to dodge, but he wasn’t fast enough. His face twisted in pain as the metal blade cut into his shoulder, immediately soaking his shirt with blood. Stupid metal creatures. His spear was barely able to penetrate their armor, even with Gnarly’s help.

Three automata left. Singling one out, he crippled its weapon arm with a quick jab, rendering it useless. Eyeless metal slits regarded him as the two remaining automata, one armed with a scimitar, the other with a rapier, approached him. Despite the wounds he’d suffered, he was surprised to see that the cuts weren’t as deep as he had first thought. In fact, the first had already stopped bleeding. Seemed like the old man’s weird body-enforcement technique finally paid off. Silas grunted.

Nevertheless, he wouldn’t last much longer, considering the state he was in. His vision swam before his eyes, his muscles hurt from the constant strain, and he had already lost too much blood. Nurana and Zaya wouldn’t have much energy left, either.

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The rapier shot towards his throat, its thin blade glinting in the dim light. Silas jerked to the side just as the scimitar slashed at him from above. Taking his spear in both hands, he blocked the strike, pushing the weapon along the shaft as his spear’s tip glided towards the automata’s head. With a grunt of effort, he plunged his spear deep into the machine’s neck and almost severed its head, a handful of wires the only thing keeping the head connected to its shoulders.

But the automaton wasn’t dead yet. Hot pain pierced through him as the rapier stabbed him in the left shoulder. A slash of the scimitar soon followed, cutting a gash across his chest. A scream of pain escaped his burning lungs. Fueled by his rage, he slashed his spear in a wide arc, finishing the automata, its head bouncing off the ground.

Putting one hand on his knee to catch his breath, Silas wearily kept an eye on the remaining automaton. He had trouble distinguishing its form from the weapon in its hand. He forced his eyes to focus. Near the other side of the chamber, heaps of broken metal were scattered everywhere. Gnarly was still clashing with the other goliath, although the machine seemed to be almost done for. One of its arms hung limp, and the strikes with its halberd were clumsy. Silas sent a bit of encouragement through the bond.

Even together with Zaya, he doubted he’d be able to kill the other goliath. It all depended on Gnarly, now. But something seemed off about his friend. His energy was burning too bright, like a flame that scorched him from the inside. Suddenly, it dawned on Silas. There had to be a payoff for such a transformation.

While Gnarly was certainly powerful for his size, he was still barely a year old. He shouldn’t be able to increase his size by that much. His friend used more than just the energy from his Inner Landscape— he drew directly from his core, the origin of his very being. And he wouldn’t be able to continue for much longer. They needed to end this.

The goliath fighting Zaya suddenly took a long step forward, its halberd swinging at her in a wide arc, seemingly oblivious to the stone spears shooting at its chest. Silas’ heart skipped a beat as he watched the weapon descend. Rocks gravitated towards Zaya’s arms, forming a shield to block the incoming strike. Her stone shield shattered into pieces as Zaya was knocked away. The high-pitched scream from her brought back unwilling memories. Her face was scrunched up in pain, the fingers of her left hand bent at unnatural angles. Emerald eyes shone with fury.

With Zaya out of the way, the goliath went straight for Nurana. The Drakh stood frozen as she saw death approaching.

“Gha!” Zaya screamed in defiance, thrusting her remaining good arm forward. A thick slab of stone formed in front of Nurana, the base firmly set into the ground. Finally, the Drakh seemed to come out of her stupor as she ducked to take cover. Gravel spewed everywhere as the halberd crushed the slab of stone. Nurana’s body tumbled over the ground, her hands moving weakly as she tried to get back up.

“Creak!” Gnarly’s massive spear pierced straight through the already hurt goliath. The machine went still in a heartbeat. Pulling the weapon back out, Gnarly didn’t waste any time as he lumbered towards the last goliath. The vines around his body had started to shrink again, his body not able to maintain his form any longer.

Silas’ focus was turned away from his friends as the smaller automata lunged for him, its rapier seeming faster than ever. In a desperate exchange of blows, he managed to sever the machine’s head after it struck him in the leg. His vision blurred, his hand slipping on his wet pants as he tried to stop the bleeding. He didn’t even feel the hard stone as he collapsed. Lungs gasping for air, his shaking hand went towards his still bleeding leg.

Gnarly clashed with the last goliath, his spear intercepting the halberd that swung at Nurana. A thick thorn shot out of Gnarly’s shoulder, catching the goliath off-guard and causing his balance to shift. Pushing the halberd to the side, Gnarly landed a quick jab at the creature’s torso. With each heartbeat, Gnarly’s form shrank, the vines of his body contracting to get absorbed back into his body.

Silas needed to get up. He needed to help Gnarly and Zaya fight the goliath and defeat the Sphinx. But his body didn’t obey him. His spear rolled out of his weak hands. He focused on the pain and tried to keep his breathing steady as he fought against the blanket of exhaustion that sought to cover his mind.

“Stupid. Metal. Creature!” Zaya’s left hand formed a claw, her face scrunched up with concentration. Veins popped on her bare arm. The ground shook as a massive stone claw emerged from behind the right automaton’s leg, its rocky fingers clutching onto the metal. A fierce scream echoed through the chamber as Zaya pulled, her whole body straining with the effort.

The goliath stumbled.

Gnarly, his form almost reduced to his regular size, used the opportunity to send a quick strike into the machine’s head, sending it toppling over.

“Creak!” Gnarly’s spear struck again, sinking deep into the creature’s head as it collapsed, the fall sending debris flying everywhere. The goliath lay still. Gnarly stumbled towards Silas, now back to his original form. How small he suddenly looked, barely reaching up to Silas’ hip. His heart ached as he saw his friend’s battered body. Severed vines hung loosely from him, deep gashes revealing the soft wood underneath. Orange, almost golden sap dropped to the floor, mixing with the dark red of Silas’ blood. A finger was missing from Gnarly’s right hand. His eyes, normally so vivid with silver threads, were now dull, the patterns in them barely moving. Gnarly knelt beside Silas to lay a hand on his chest.

“Creak.”

Silas cried.

He cried for Gnarly, he cried for Zaya, he even cried for Nurana, whom he’d met barely a moon ago. All of their efforts, all of their sacrifice, for nothing. This couldn’t be it. There had to be some way, there always was. The hero didn’t just die, forgotten in some ruin no one would ever discover. Silas reached out to Gnarly through their bond, cursing himself for his weakness.

“Creak.”

Silas didn’t listen to his friend. If he’d been stronger, then Gnarly wouldn’t have needed to burn his essence to fight against the goliaths. Back when he’d first bonded with Gnarly, Silas had sworn to himself that he’d protect his friend. Now he lay on the floor, consciousness slipping through his feeble fingers, with his friends protecting him.

He couldn’t do anything right. Between the four of them, Silas was the weakest. Even Nurana had stood up again, hands on her knees as she stumbled towards him. Zaya, feet squared, faced the Sphinx with her head held high, seemingly oblivious to her mangled fingers. Meanwhile, the beast hadn’t moved an inch, staying directly behind the dome connected to the massive tube sitting at the back of the chamber. It had to be important, somehow.

Silas wasn’t sure, but he thought he could detect the hint of a smile on Zaya’s lips as she met the creature’s gaze. He wished he was that strong.

He had trained so hard to get where he was now. Every day, he’d worked to improve his knowledge of his Arts. He’d collapsed on his cot in Tom’s cabin in exhaustion, his muscles burning, knowing he’d do the same thing the next day. All of his efforts, all of his pain, it couldn’t just be for nothing. If he had to die, it wouldn’t be on the ground, bleeding out like a gutted animal. No.

Silas refused.

He needed more. Something. From his innermost depths, Silas reached out as only someone caught in his plight could have done. There was something that had always been with him, something that had comforted him when he had been at his worst and the days at their darkest, when the light had forsaken him to declare him an enemy of his own.

Like a long-lost son, it welcomed him, sheltering him in its tranquil embrace. Hiding him from unseen eyes, it had protected him from the barbarian on that fateful night. Even now, it was just beyond his reach, hiding in the shadows of the chamber’s corners, shying away from the dim light emanating from the orb of the ceiling, waiting for his touch, his invitation. It was there. All Silas needed to do was take it. Accept it, and make it his own.

Silas opened his Inner Landscape and reached out to the darkness. Shadows exploded from the corners, crawling along the walls to envelop the orb hanging from the ceiling and suck up the offending light.

The whole chamber dimmed. Thick tendrils of darkness spiraled down, congealing around him to form a writhing cocoon of black strings protecting Silas. This was it. This was the affinity he’d first sensed at Tom’s cabin, and later after fleeing from the Chimera.

For but a moment, Silas felt his mother’s arms embracing him. The smell of her hair in his nostrils, the sound of her voice in his ears. Silas paused for two heartbeats, letting the tears roll down his cheeks. Hugging his knees, he bathed in the darkness’s embrace, the cocoon slowly pulsing to the rhythm of his own heart.

Then, taking in a deep breath, he let it all go. The cocoon bulged once before abruptly getting sucked into Silas’ body. Letting it connect to his Inner Landscape, Silas fully awakened his second Affinity.

The Art of Shadow.

The previously brown mist took on an even deeper color as the two Arts merged. His Landscape was static with newfound energy, sending cool pulses of power through his body. Silas stood up, marveling at the tendrils of darkness circling his body. Violet flashes coursed through it, the Taint causing his new Art to bulge and shrink uncontrollably, almost as if it was alive.

While the Art of Wood felt vivid and steadfast, darkness was cool, soothing, and obfuscatory. The Taint now merging into his Art of darkness, however, reminded Silas of a malignant tumor that craved for nothing but uncontrolled and primal violence. The thought worried him, but he had given up on making it out of this cursed city the moment he’d heard the Sphinx’s voice. At least he could see what he was capable of.

“Thank you for healing me, Nurana. You saved me. Again.” The bleeding had stopped, congealed crust of blood now covering the spots where his shirt was torn from the wounds.

Nurana weakly smiled at him, sweat dripping into her eyes. She swayed as she stood, putting one hand onto Gnarly for support. “Thanks for the adventure, Silas. Could have ended worse, I suppose.”

Silas chuckled once. He knew just as well as she that they didn’t stand a chance against the Sphinx. This whole fight had been doomed the moment they set foot into this chamber. They had barely defeated the automata, and the only reason they had done any damage to the massive creature was because of Zaya’s makeshift bombs, which they had none left of.

This was it—their last stand.

Silas walked up to Zaya and Gnarly. Cool shadows tingled his skin, pulsing in an erratic heartbeat. Too bad the old man would never see his progress. Silas thought his master would actually be proud of him, for once. Gripping his spear one final time, Silas sent a silent thanks to the old man.

“Art looks good,” Zaya commented, not taking her eyes away from the Sphinx.

Silas took a deep breath. “Ready for one last round, little girl?”

Zaya smiled. “Of course, little boy.”

“Creak,” Gnarly raised his right fist, determination shining in his eyes.

Nurana swayed as she heaved herself up. “Let’s do this.”

Even if Silas couldn’t win against the Sphinx, he’d at least face it on his feet, with his friends by his side.