The fire closed in. The raven dropped at Ike. This time, it kept its claws curled close to its body, preparing to extend them at the last second. It opened its beak at the same time. Fire flickered in its throat.

Ike knelt. He leaped high into the air, slicing upward with his sword at the same time. The leap carried him up to the level of the bird. His sword swept deep into its feathered underbelly. Only the very tip scratched the bird’s skin, but drew blood nonetheless.

The raven shrieked. It unleashed its claws. Two vicious strikes swung at Ike’s shoulders, slamming down toward his heart.

Lightning crackled over his skin seconds before its claws hit. It jittered up into the raven’s body. The raven flinched back, retracting its blow mid swing. It cawed again, frustrated.

It had already swooped to attack Ike, putting it right within his swing range. He struck again, aiming for its ankles.

He swung with all his strength. Lightning flickered over his body, all the power of Lightning Clad put into this one blow. Cut through!

His sword cleaved bone. Blood sprayed. One of its feet fell away, dropping into the forest.

The raven shrieked. Flapping its wings hard, it climbed back into the sky.

Ike laughed. He pointed at the raven. “That’s right. Get out of here.”

“It’s probably going to get its friends,” Wisp said from nearby. “Plus, that fire’s still closing in around us.”

“There’s more than one of those things?” Ike asked, startled. Leaning to the left, he located Wisp up a few branches and behind a nearby trunk. She leaned forward, her eyes on some distant item on the horizon.

“There’s a whole flock,” Wisp confirmed.

“Shit,” Ike muttered. He jumped down from his branch, sprinting to the forest floor. Picking up the raven’s foot, he slung it into his bag and jumped back up. “Okay. Let’s go.”

“What are you going to do with that?” Wisp asked.

Ike shrugged. “I dunno. Seemed like a high level beast. Someone’s probably willing to buy this.”

“Humans. Honestly,” Wisp said, shaking her head at him. She bounded off again, and Ike chased close behind her.

Smoke clouded the air. Fire danced in the treetops. Ahead, a small window opened in the smoky darkness, a small patch where no fire burned before them. Wisp raced toward it. Ike followed her, sprinting with all his might.

They grew closer, close enough to feel the heat of the inferno against their skin. Smoke choked Ike, burning his lungs. He coughed, struggling to draw air. Wisp charged on, her eyes dead ahead, a grim clench to her jaw.

The ring of fire closed in. Only one single tree remained unlit. One single tree through which they could escape. Wisp darted forward. She shot a thread of spider thread to the other side.

Ike raced after her. He locked his eyes on their safety, pushing himself to run even as his whole body rejected the horrible smoky air. Lightning darted around his ankles. He closed in on Wisp as she swung through the air.

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Fire surged in the air. It caught on Wisp’s cord. In a single instant, her spider thread burned up. Wisp fell out of the sky, as the tree below her caught on fire.

“Wisp!” Ike shouted. He pushed himself even faster. Darting from branch to branch, he lunged toward Wisp.

Wisp extended her extra limbs and caught herself on the trees. She looked over at Ike. “I’m fine. It didn’t reach my spinneret.”

“Oh… your what?” Ike slowed a bit. That’s right. She is higher Rank than me. Even if she fell to the forest floor, she’d be fine.

“The organ that makes thread…” Wisp fell silent. She waved a hand. “No time to waste. Let’s go.”

“Go where?” Ike asked.

A wall of flame raged ahead of them. The gap had closed. There was no longer a safe way through the flames.

Wisp looked at him. “You have that ice armor now, don’t you?”

“Right… yeah,” Ike said. He activated the skill. Ice covered his body, but only for a split second. Between his unfamiliarity with the skill and the volatility of aether, he could only activate it for a split second before it dissipated.

He looked at the wall of fire. I’ll have to time it perfectly.

“But what about you?” Ike asked, glancing over at Wisp.

“A few seconds of fire won’t kill me,” she said, gazing at the wall before them. She paused. “Probably.”

Ike eyed the fire wall as well. This close, the heat charred his skin. The wall grew thicker with every passing moment. If he stood here and waited for more than a few seconds, the wall would grow too wide for him to cross. They had to cross now, or they’d be completely stuck.

He glanced at Wisp. Spiders are weak to fire. She won’t be able to use her thread in there, either. Even though she’s higher realm, I don’t know if she’ll be able to make it on her own.

He grabbed up Wisp and sprinted toward the wall. “I’ll use the armor on both of us!”

“Hey, hey—are you sure you can do that?”

“Nope!” Ike activated the armor as he ran. It surrounded his body, then broke. No. I need to push it outward. Cover Wisp as well. Grabbing the construct as it formed, he pushed it over Wisp.

Ice crackled over Wisp’s skin, but not over his. It shattered after a split second.

Okay. Progress. He activated the skill again, trying to hold both the skill on himself and the construct over Wisp at once. The skill fizzled, refusing to activate.

He wrinkled his nose. Come on! He charged at the fire. As the heat washed over him, he quickly activated the skill twice. His aether drained, but ice appeared over him and Wisp alike. He leaped through the fire.

The ice armor melted in an instant. He ran on over glowing branches. Flames raged around his ankles, and embers rained down all around him. His skin crisped. Pain ached into his body. Salamander Healing worked to close his wounds, and his aether continued to drain. Wisp curled up in his arms, and he wrapped them tighter around her. Better if I take damage. I have a healing skill. Again, he activated Ice Armor. Again. Again.

Everything hurt. His whole body burned. Sweat dripped down his body from the parts of him that weren’t burned to bits. Over and over, he activated Ice Armor. Just a few more steps. Just a little further.

Sunlight shone through the smoke. The fire faded away. He leaped through, onto solid branches, still unburned.

Ike stumbled. He fell to a knee. His whole body hurt. His vision darkened. He clung to consciousness, refusing to pass out. “Wisp… Are you…”

“Yeah, I’m fine, you crazy boy.” Wisp climbed out from his arms. Spinning some thread, she hefted him up onto her back. “Let’s keep moving.”

Ike grimaced. Every touch of her thread hurt, every jostle ached. He grunted, struggling to bite back screams. I just need to let Salamander Healing kick in. I’ll be fine. But for now, it hurt, more than anything had ever hurt before.

“Stupid humans. I can’t believe… why would you do that?” Wisp muttered as she leaped through the forest.

“Because… we’re friends,” Ike managed. She’d done so much to help him. In his fights. In gaining power. How could he not repay her kindness.

Wisp grunted. She ran on.

The pain grew too intense. Ike’s awareness faded. He passed out, going limp in Wisp’s basket.

She glanced up. Shadows circled overhead. Cawing filled the air. She put Ike down gently in the hollow of a tree. “That’s right. We’re friends.”

With a few quick movements, she tied thread between two trees. Wisp touched the thread, and it thrummed, completely taut.

Wisp looked back. “I’ll see you in a bit, Ike.”

She jumped into center of the thread and sling-shotted herself into the sky, baring her claws at the birds.