Chapter 47: Mirage II

Leo leapt to the side, barely managing to get out of the way of a swift punch. He stumbled a little, still fighting to get the feeling back in his cold limbs. Sonia followed through the blow by slamming a kick into his stomach.

The [Fragmentholder] felt the breath leave his lungs from the force of the impact. The Hound moved to grab him, and he only barely managed to duck down in time.

He swung out at her legs with his dagger. The blade pierced skin, but Sonia didn’t even flinch.

Instead, she aimed a second kick that Leo rolled out of the way of. He felt his skin scraping against the rough stones of the shore and staggered back up to his feet. Sonia wasn’t using [Lifeline] anymore, he realized. She was probably too low on mana.

Hazel eyes scanned their surroundings. The tree line stood several feet away, Sonia standing between him and the forest. He’d have a much better chance fighting her there than out in the open like this.

Beneath his feet, stray loose pebbles rolled around as he shifted his weight. He still felt a bit light headed, and he squeezed the dagger harder to try and force his limbs to steady.

Leo bolted forward, knife reeled back as though to strike. Sonia raised an arm to block.

At the last second, the [Fragmentholder] swerved to the side, side stepping the Hound entirely. His shoes dug into the earth, kicking up a spray of rocks as added cover. The forest was so close, Leo thought. He was almost there. He—

A hand shot out and yanked him backwards, hurling him back towards the shoreline.

For a moment, he was suspended in the air, caught between sky and earth. Then his reflexes kicked in. Leo gritted his teeth and jerked his legs around, maneuvering in the air and managing to land roughly on his feet.

The Hounds leader didn’t give him a chance to think or catch his breath before she was lunging again. Leo barely dodged her next left hook, which was followed by Sonia ramming her right hand straight into his dislocated shoulder.

Leo screamed in pain, vision blurring. He swung his dagger blindly, feeling it cut something, but a knee colliding with his gut stopped him before he could make another strike.

Temporarily stunned, his fingers loosened. He distantly heard his dagger land on the ground with a clatter.

The next thing Leo knew, a hand gripped his throat and slammed him down onto the shore. He choked, hands flying up to try and loosen the hold, but Sonia didn’t budge. She loomed over him, immovable, those piercing eyes staring down at him.

This was nothing like fighting the other Hounds on the lake or the warden, Leo realized. The gap in levels between them was too large, and he’d foolishly assumed that because Sonia usually attacked from a distance with her [Lifeline] skill, she wouldn’t be proficient at close combat.

He was wrong.

“Now then, where is the fragment?” the woman spoke coolly.

The pressure around Leo’s throat lessened just enough for him to speak, but he remained pinned in place.

He could feel the spray of the lake on his head; a single push would be enough for Sonia to throw him into the water, and this time there would be nothing to stop the lingering fae magic from yanking him under for good.

“I don’t have it,” Leo gritted out. Sonia stared at him for a moment, then moved her free hand and ground her knuckles into his wound.

For a moment there was nothing but blinding pain. Black dots appeared in his vision. He couldn’t think or speak, the world reduced to only the shooting sensation coursing through his shoulder.

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By the time Leo finally felt aware again, his throat was hoarse, his chest was heaving in ragged breaths, and Sonia was still holding him in place, perfectly patient. Her other hand remained hovering above his shoulder in a silent threat. Leo swallowed.

Even as he spoke, his mind churned, moving a mile a minute. He tried to think of a way, any way, out of this situation. If he could just manage to get Sonia into the lake, the fae magic would take care of the rest, but he had so little stamina and mana left that he couldn’t afford to mess up.

“I’m not lying,” he managed to gasp out. “It’s not on me.”

If he could just find a way to distract her, get her to loosen her hold, then maybe he had a chance. He had [Visual Illusion], but its scope was still limited. What was small enough for the spell to manage, but would still catch her attention for long enough?

Sonia raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?” Her right hand shifted away for a moment and she pulled out a dagger. The same dagger, Leo realized, that he’d thrown at her earlier.

His heart beat faster. Maybe a system notification? That would be small enough, and his personal skill allowed him to see her perspective on system notifications so he could make it look authentic. But what would be enough to distract her?

Sonia spun the dagger around once in her hand, pale eyes cold and sharp.

“I heard a rumor that the fragments can be absorbed. It would make sense, given what they are.” The pressure around Leo’s throat grew heavier.

“The question is whether or not they maintain a solid enough form in the body to dig out.”

Leo’s mind skimmed through every interaction he’d had since arriving in Clearside, every little piece of information he’d gotten. His conversations with Irving, his first encounter with Sonia, even her most recent question about the fae in the lake.

The Hounds leader’s eyes narrowed. She seemed to be scanning him almost clinically, searching for the best place to begin carving. The dagger gleamed in the fading light.

Think, think. There were only so many things a notification could say without being immediately recognizable as fake. What would catch his own attention, Leo thought desperately.

Hazel eyes flashed in his mind.

And then, it hit him.

“She is. She and her sister used to live here. Sylvia, her name was. Never the most extroverted, but they were fairly well liked I’d say.”

“We’ve both lost loved ones to the lake.”

Sonia raised the dagger. Leo exhaled, casting [Visual Illusion] just as the blade plunged down. The fake notification appeared in an instant.

[Sylvia has joined your party]

Abruptly, Sonia’s hand stilled. Her hold around the [Fragmentholder]’s neck loosened.

Leo yanked himself up, activating [Sprint] to aid the motion. Every muscle in his body strained, his shoulder screaming at him as he threw the Hound off of him with all his strength.

The weight atop him lessened slightly, but Leo didn’t stop there. With a final heave that sent another piercing pain shooting through his shoulder, he managed to shove Sonia off far enough that her hand touched the lake.

It was enough.

The moment her skin brushed against the waves, a sharp force jerked Sonia downwards. Her eyes widened slightly, and she wrenched herself back, pushing against the force of the magic.

Her expression shifted into something sharp and fierce. Her normally calm, pale blue gaze blazed with fire as she fought against the lake, mouth twisting into a snarl.

For a second Leo thought she would succeed, that the Hound would manage to win out.

And then as another wave crashed onto the shore, the magic gave a final tug and pulled Sonia down into the depths below.

Leo stared down into the clear waters, chest still heaving as he gasped for breath. Like the Hound from earlier, Sonia had completely vanished from sight.

He wondered distantly if she was seeing the same fae corpse or if the magic would pull her somewhere else. He didn’t know. His mind still felt fuzzy, his whole body utterly drained and his shoulder aching so much that his arm didn’t even feel like a part of him anymore. His stamina was at 6%.

Closing his eyes and taking a moment to collect himself, Leo gritted his teeth and forced himself up.

He didn’t move his gaze away from the water, half convinced that Sonia would suddenly appear again. Was she really dead? Was it over?

His vision flashed in answer.

[You have gained experience! Experience shared with [2] other party members]

[You have leveled up! 300 points awarded]

[You have gained a new skill: Dagger Proficiency]

[You have gained bonus experience! You can now select how to distribute your bonus experience among your party]

[Progress towards next level: 31%]