Viriya wasted no time. She looked down once, noting the way she was sheathed in a film of gold. Then she moved her limbs to see the restraints. Finding nothing hindering, she looked up and fixed Wenster with a deadly glare.
Riven and his would-be killer were both staring at Viriya, though with significantly different expressions. He had a silly smile on his face, which only grew wider and sillier when he saw the twist on Wenster’s face. The Firstmarked was afraid. He might try to bluster his way past and it and put on a false bravado as befit his rank and station, but no doubt about it—he was scared about facing Riven and Viriya.
Taking a deep breath, she charged at him. Wester didn’t hesitate either. He rushed forward as fast as his legs would allow, which made his whole body blur as he met Viriya. Thankfully, Riven didn’t have other distractions. He could focus solely on keeping up the armour around Viriya thanks to the fact that all the soldiers were dead.
Viriya and Wenster met with a titanic clash. Riven nearly forgot to keep his Essence flowing, so enthralled was he by their brutal fight.
Wenster bowled into Viriya, his incredibly greater momentum sending her flying back again. But she didn’t crash into the wall this time, despite begin thrown even harder than before. Viriya had managed to land a punch before she’d been blasted back, leaving a glowing green patch on his chest, clearly Locking herself to the spot for she slowed down rapidly.
By the time she reached the wall, she was able to cushion herself with her feet, then propel herself back at Wenster. His fist blurred forward, striking Viriya hard again, but this time she clung to him somehow.
Wenster tried to shake her off, but she had Locked herself to him. He lifted her up by raising an arm as high as it would go, seeking to ram it down in an effort to break through Riven’s shield and shatter her too. Viriya was too quick. Just as he was about to bring his arm down, she let go and slipped to one side. Wenster’s own momentum made him stagger forward, giving her the perfect opening.
Viriya rammed a fist forward right into his armpit and the Firstmarked squawked as he dashed away from her. She didn’t let up, jumping at him far faster than she normally would have been able to. She had Locked herself to Wenster again.
The Firstmarked righted himself quickly, clubbing one hand down just as Viriya reached him. Normally, she would have been crushed under that kind of force and weight. But Viriya had Riven’s armour. She raised an arm to ward off his blow, bending down as the weight of the strike settle down on her, but she didn’t give way. Instead, her free hand threw another glowing golden-green bullet high in the air, and Wenster’s arm lifted off Viriya’s, infected by her glowing green Essence. When he used his other arm, Viriya took the blow and grabbed it between her free hand and her side. Then she rammed her free fist into his guts over and over mercilessly.
Wenster kicked her and she went flying back. Viriya scrabbled on the ground, getting back to her feet quickly.
She exchanged glances with Riven. There was a hint of gratitude there, and Riven smiled at her. He needed to focus on keeping up the stream of Essence. The golden armour kept popping cracks everywhere every time they exchanged blows and Riven’s hands were full trying to keep it maintained. Thankfully, Wenster was too busy dealing with Viriya’s relentless assault.
Or was. Viriya’s bullet had landed back down again, and Wenster had descended too.
He stared between them, his gaze inexorably pulled to Riven. No wonder. Riven was the source of all the trouble he was facing. Killing him would ensure there was no more golden Essence protecting Viriya from certain death, and she’d be easy pickings once that was gone.
Viriya saw it too. She stepped in front of Riven, adopting a protective stance to keep him safe from Wenster.
Wenster took one step forward, then grimaced and pressed one hand to his guts, right on the spot where Viriya had hit him with her fists. Riven gasped. Of course. He hadn’t noted before, but Wenster’s torso was weaker than his limbs, so her blows must have dealt much more damage there than she could have ever done on his limbs.
With a curse and a shout, Wenster charged anyway. Viriya rushed forward to meet him, but the Firstmarked jumped. No, vaulted outright, well beyond Viriya’s surprised reach upwards. He sailed through the air, the end of his airborne arc aimed straight for Riven.
Scions, Riven was never going to be safe was he? He dived away, but Wenster was too fast. The Firstmarked landed with a thump, grabbing Riven by his jacket and pulling him up.
Shit. Riven was caught. He swung the sword and the Coral blade bit into Wenster’s flesh, but the cut was too shallow. That thick arm was nothing short of a leather-wrapped iron pole, and when Riven pulled his sword back to strike again, there was no give at all. He struggled, spewing profanities left and right, but he was caught for good. Curse the Chasm. He couldn’t even use his Essen to shield himself, not when he needed it to keep armouring Viriya.
Viriya, who was charging in. Too slow. Sadly, his armour didn’t make her faster. Wenster threw Riven straight into her, and they collided. Riven cursed louder than he had before, pain blooming on his temple and chest at the impact. Crap, he hadn’t realized his Essence was this hard. Damn thing made it feel worse than crashing through walls.
Viriya pushed him off, not bothering to see if he was okay. Maybe his vociferous cursing was all the proof she needed. She tried to get up, but Wenster had already rushed in. The Firstmarked was too fast. Too strong as well, of course. Riven had been foolish to think he hadn’t figured out how to balance his speed and power in an equilibrium. That diamond pinned to his shoulder professed he was at the peak of his prowess after all.
Wenster’s fist blurred forward, the blow sending Viriya back again. “You two need to realize when it’s time for you to die. All your little tricks aren’t going to help you survive.”
“That’s right.” Riven pushed himself up faster than he thought he was capable of, stabbing his sword towards Wenster’s chest. The big brute’s body was weaker around his chest and stomach as Viriya had already proven. “Keep thinking that way, and die.”
The Firstmarked’s fists blurred in again and he caught the Coral sword. His moustache bristled in contempt, dark eyes merciless. “Die? You really think so?”
Riven tried to pull the sword away from his opponent, but it might as well have been glued for all his efforts. Wenster let go of the blade all of a sudden, and Riven staggered. A fist blurred in, and he barely raised his sword as some sort of flimsy defence. It worked about as well he expected, which was not at all. Wenster’s fist pushed the edge of the blade back into Riven’s own chest, his knuckles landing on Riven’s shoulder like a ram.
When Riven could see again through the haze of tears and agony, all he saw was the ochre ceiling high overhead. Scions. His shoulder felt as though it had burst like a ripe melon under pressure. He blinked back the tears and raised himself just enough to spot Wenster walking towards him, the promise of death written in his every step.
“That’s far enough.” Viriya’s growl was low, but it prowled in with the same kind of threat Wenster carried, so potent, it made the Firstmarked pause.
He looked up just in time to get hit in the face by a bullet. It bounced off his cheek, leaving another glowing green bruise. Then he got by a chunk of rock bigger than his head. Riven blinked as Wenster staggered back. No, not a rock. As it fell to the ground, Riven recognized it for what it was.
The floor. A chunk of the floor itself.
Riven looked back just in time to see the whole area going up in green, a carpet of glittering emerald spreading out from where Viriya stood like a jade sentinel. A tiny section was missing in front of her. must have been the bit she’d Locked to his face a moment ago. Shit, what was she planning now?
Wenster had righted himself, and he looked part curious, part troubled. The floor was already cracking, getting ready to shoot at him, or more specifically, at the bruise just above and beside his moustache. His face had been hurt by Viriya’s floor chunk—his lips were bleeding, there were several little cuts and bruises all over, and his moustache and hair were streaked with grey dust as though he had aged a few decades after that blow. Riven grinned. There was fear in Wenster’s eyes. Real fear. Of course, the only part of the Firstmarked that wasn’t glowing like the rest of him was his head. He thought Viriya had discovered his weakness.
What a stupid arse. Whether Viriya had figured it out already or not, she surely did now for he had just given it away. When Riven looked over, she had a hard set to her mouth. That, and the hint of a grin.
She knew.
Wenster tried to rub off the green Essence from his cheek as rapidly as he could, but Viriya shouted and the floor shattered. Hundreds of chunks shot up and cannoned into the Firstmarked. He raised his arms to shield his face from the storm of debris.
“Come on, Riven!” Viriya shouted, charging at the Firstmarked with her fist glowing like an emerald maul.
Riven nodded, then joined her. Curse the Chasm, every little movement sent his shoulder crying out as though it was aflame, but he kept up his chase. Riven had no intention of slowing down. Not when Viriya was charging in alongside him, ready to kill the damn Firstmarked together.
“Wait for my opening,” Viriya said.
Rivne nodded.
Wenster had staggered back under the barrage of broken debris. He was fine. Entirely. The flying debris must have obscured him from vision enough that Riven hadn’t noticed the blue Essence flaring and Wenster changing into his fully hulking form. No matter. Riven knew that, even in such a seemingly indestructible form, Wenster was beatable.
Viriya went first. As the Firstmarked moved back into a defensible stance, Viriya lashed out with her fists. It did nothing, but it enticed Wenster to hit back. Which he did, though too slowly to hit Viriya. She flashed away, swerving away from his return blows to land strike after strike and wear him down. A gnat that was goading the horse it was annoying into making a mistake.
She bent and struck his legs, swerving past his attempt to push her back. His kick missed her by leagues. Viriya was in his blind zone. He wheeled around bending at an angle to compensate for his reduced vision and see her, and she caught Riven’s eye.
Now was his chance.
Riven shot forward. His feet flew over the ground, closing the distance between himself and Wenster as fast as he could. The Coral blade was already raised high. He swung, aiming right for his blind side.
Wenster caught him. Somehow, he grabbed Riven’s sword. Riven didn’t even bother pulling his sword free. The brute was far too strong in his current state.
“Use your Essence, you idiot!” Viriya shouted as the Firstmarked turned to face him head-on, lone eye filled with contemptible loathing.
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“I can’t,” Riven muttered.
“What?”
Of course Riven couldn’t. Not when he was focusing solely on keeping it around Viriya. She needed the armour more than him since she was doing so well in beating him back. Another rush, and Wenster would fall by her hands. Riven just needed to make sure his Essence took the return blows the Firstmarked landed on her.
Wenster pulled the sword towards him, jerking Riven forward. His massive fist charged in but Riven let go of his sword and ducked under the blow. Giving up the sword was a terrible mistake, and he couldn’t stay close in fear of getting severed in half, but he couldn’t run away in case he was skewered by the thrown blade too. So he took out his gun and jumped back from Wenster’s follow-up kick. At least the brute was slower this time.
Riven fired. The dead Sept bullet did nothing as it buried into Wenster’s arm. He swung the Coral sword, and as Riven jumped away, the blade struck the floor hard enough for the end to shatter off.
“Use your fucking Essence, Riven!” Viriya screamed as she charged into Wenster from behind.
The Firstmarked whirled around with the sword again, but she ducked under the blow and rammed her fist into the wound at his guts. Wenster grimaced and staggered back a step. His foot lashed out and Viriya dodged that too. Riven kept retreating, hoping she had Wenster’s full attention again. He was useless without his Essence, the lack of a sword making him even more so.
But he had his gun. Distractions were his greatest ally.
Viriya had engaged Wenster in a brawl again, fists flying everywhere. Even huge and hulking, the Firstmarked was fast. Viriya was faster still. She swerved around his blows, dodging his fists and his boots, turning direct hits into glancing blows, rolling, ducking, and twisting as she refused to let him land anything with his full power behind it, always keeping to his blind side. All the while, she kept up her own barrage of strikes, hammering away at him like a sculptor with a block of stone.
Riven’s sword was making things more difficult, but his armour gave her greater freedom to do whatever she intended or needed. Wenster was falling back.
Their Essence was failing though. For all of them. Wenster’s blue flickered just a little less, Viriya’s green a touch lighter than it used to be, and Riven’s gold fainter than before. They had been fighting for too long without any surcease. Chasm, maybe it was Riven’s continuous flow of Essence that was causing all of their Sept stores to drain away. But at least it was affecting all of them.
Riven turned. The dead soldiers. They had to have a ton of spare Sept in store in their extra ammunition. Those bullets they’d shot him with had been made with Sept after all. He was about to run forward when Viriya screamed.
She had stumbled to one knee, Riven’s shield shattered to nothing on her right side as blood flowed from a vicious wound to her midsection. Shit. It was all Riven’s fault. Why did he have to get so obsessed over Sept at such a crucial moment? With a quick swoop, Wenster reached down and pulled Viriya up by the legs. She tried to bat him away, and when that failed, did her best to stifle her screams as the blood from her wound crawled up her upside-down torso and clawed along her neck to streak her face.
Cursing, Riven focused, reforming his Essence armour around her. If he concentrated hard enough, could he recreate the shield around the wound itself, close enough to staunch the blood flow? He was about to step forward when Wester raised the Coral sword.
The Firstmarked was staring straight at him.
Despite everything, Viriya was still able to shout. “Use your Essence before you die, you fucker!”
Wenster threw the sword. There was no other option. Riven froze, within and without for a fraction of a second as the golden armour disappeared from Viriya. The Coral sword shot straight at him and the pressure from within built up in the next millisecond, creating a golden sphere around him. Just in time. The Coral sword stabbed right through. Riven jerked back and hit the rear curved wall of the orb. The blade’s hilt hit the shield and stopped before it hit him.
Thank the Scions a small section at the tip had broken off. Riven would have been pierced straight through otherwise. As it was, there was barely enough space between his chest and the broken tip of the sword for him to pass his hand through.
Riven didn’t let his shock last too long. Viriya was still dangling dangerously, and Wenster raised an arm to strike her. She’d die from one blow. One. Riven focused, catching the hilt of his sword as his Essence reformed into the armour just over Viriya’s skin.
“Hey!” he shouted.
Wenster glanced at him with distaste. “Watch, boy.”
“Let her go.”
“Soon.”
Wenster struck Viriya. He was too strong and the blow was too powerful, the golden armour cracking and caving in as she cried out in agony.
Riven shouted and charged forward as fast as his tired legs would carry him. It couldn’t be too late for Viriya. He’d reach her soon. Every step felt like lead, too heavy to take him where he needed to be as fast as he needed to be. Scions, he needed more speed.
When Wenster rammed in his fist again, Riven jumped at the Firstmarked. He aimed the blade straight at the brute’s face. Wenster blocked it with his free hand, but Riven wasn’t paying attention to that. With a second’s focus, he shifted his Essence from Viriya and back onto him, recreating it into a shield. One he expanded as fast as he could. Standing this close, the sphere shot outwards and slammed into Wenster, slapping Viriya out of his grip. She screamed as she fell back, but at least she was safe from the Firstmarked and his awful strength.
Riven wasn’t though. Wenster rammed both fists down on the expanding golden Essence that was pushing him back, shattering it easily and charging at Riven like an enraged ox.
No problem. It was his turn to deal with Wenster, just as he had done before.
He dodged the Firstmarked’s rush, going to one side and swiping his Essence-cloaked sword in the crook of the back of Wenster’s knees. It was a sensitive spot where there was no burgeoning muscle to protect him, just as Viriya’s blow to Wenster’s armpit had been. The big brute fell to one knee. There. Riven had his chance. He pivoted on his feet, swinging his clublike sword in one giant circle, aiming for Wenster’s head.
The Firstmarked rose too fast, Riven’s blow bouncing off his broad chest. Shit. Two fists shot at Riven from either side and he instinctively jumped. His Essence formed a plate in mid-air, and he used that to jump even higher. The bastard couldn’t take every blow, right? There had to be a threshold of force even Wenster couldn’t survive, so Riven jumped even higher with the help of another Essence plate, now closer to the high ceiling than the floor.
Then he crashed down, reforming his Essence into an enormous club around his sword. Scions, Wenster had better be buried after this blow.
The Firstmarked dodged. Riven hadn’t counted for Wenster’s Essence, which flared bright and turned him into that misshapen monster again with the thin body and the long, thick limbs. He swerved away, Riven’s club-sword strong the ground hard enough to make both the marble tiles and his Essence shatter.
Wenster’s foot lashed out like a whip, Riven barely managing to draw in his armour before he was thrown back by the blow. Pain bloomed and he gasped on the floor.
He’d suffered the same thing once before hadn’t he?
Wenster came at him too fast. Riven barely managed to get back on his feet, before the Firstmarked swatted aside his sword and grabbed him by the throat. What was it with Wenster and necks? Riven stabbed in with his sword but Wenster grabbed that with his free hand. He’d kick, but the brute was holding him too far back. Worse, Wenster did the kicking instead, ramming his big leg into Riven and pounding away at his armour over and over.
“Enough!” Viriya shouted from somewhere behind him. The agony racing down Riven’s side made it difficult to hear anything. “Stop and face me!”
She was nearly dead with her wound. No, Riven couldn’t allow that. He concentrated harder, forcing his armour to expand. It worked, Wenster’s grip on his neck loosening just enough for him to slip back to the ground and stumble away.
But the Firstmarked hit Riven in the face with his fist. Riven fell to the ground for a moment, then hastily forced himself back up, face stinging hard. Another blow cracked the armour in his guts, making him feel as though the acid in his stomach was eating through him. He crumpled to his knees.
Viriya ran towards him. “I said, enough!”
Riven tried to swing his sword, but exhaustion made him slow. Wenster blocked it easily and his boot crunched into Riven’s shoulder, right where Wenster had cut him before. Riven howled. Shit, the pain was making him black out. He saw just enough to take note of Viriya rushing in, glowing brighter than ever, the green like emerald spikes over her wound.
The next kick shattered his armour and sent him flying back. When he stopped tumbling across the ground, Riven’s legs were propped against the wall, and he was wet all over.
He blinked. Still alive. How? His Essence was gone, his shoulder nothing but agony and he was lying among the very soldiers he had killed, soaked in a mixture of their cold blood and his sweat. Riven should be one of the corpses here. Survived. He had survived. Just as that broken god from before had.
Just as Viriya had.
His tears died and the spots of darkness faded enough to show him that Viriya had returned with a vengeance. There was something strange about her. Something new. Her green Essence covered her all over now instead of just being localized on her fist, and it was jagged instead of simply gleaming. It glowed bright as before, if not brighter, but little spikes had erupted all over as though emerald needles were piercing out of her pores.
It was the fight that kept Riven’s attention though. Viriya wasn’t just holding her own against Wenster, she was winning.
Wenster’s limbs flew in a flurry of jabs, punches, and occasional kicks, all of which Viriya turned back. Her fist was there, ready to block Wenster’s every attempt at striking her. Somehow, she was mostly keeping up with his speed. Once or twice, Wenster landed a blow on her but something about those green spikes repelled him quickly as though he had touched fire. His hands were glittering green too, infected by Viriya’s Essence.
The Firstmarked threw a blow from his left, and Viriya ducked under it. Her fists rammed forward to strike his weaker body, but Wenster threw himself backwards. But that made him airborne for just a fraction of a second.
It was all that Viriya needed. She capitalized, using the momentum of her missed right punch to pivot around and throw a lashing kick with her left foot.
Wenster blocked it with his arm, but it was infected green. There was a sharp invisible tug and he flew towards Viriya, who raised one arm overhead, drawing the Firstmarked’s hands to her own. With his arms locked away from being able to protect himself and his legs useless as he jerked forwards, Viriya had the perfect opening.
She took advantage of it, ramming her spiky green fist into the Wenster’s kidney area. The brute staggered back, though not before kicking Viriya back. She only fell back a few steps, jumping forward to punch her opponent in the crook of his elbow. More blows came in, and Wenster seemed to be actually suffering from them this time as though those glittering green spikes were tearing through his skin and flesh.
With a shout, Wenster launched himself backwards into the air, his blue Essence spluttering out like a candle in the wind. All that was left was soft cerulean embers glowing fitfully within.
He’d suffered. Somehow, Viriya had now hurt him. His skin was a tapestry of wounds, the crimson blood all the brighter for the green that she had left at every spot she had hit him. They pulsed, skin torn so bad Riven caught glimpses of flesh and more underneath. What in the Chasm had Viriya done with her Essence? Locking, but what was she Locking? Or rather, what was she Locking the bits of Wenster she touched to?
Viriya stood tall, breathing a little hard. Her stare was undaunted as ever, severe as a blizzard and just as overwhelming. Riven tried to smile, for victory was no doubt assured, but he couldn’t. The set on her face took away any thought of that.
Steps sounded from the back. “Wenster! I’ve brought them.”
Shit. Riven knew that voice. He stood, going cold all over, and not for the blood of corpses covering him. Lacelle had arrived, and with her had come Vorellick.
“Lacelle. Finally!” Despite his wounds and the slow realization that he was about to be defeated, Wenster laughed outright. “Better late than never. As you can see, I’m in a bit of a bind at the moment.”
“Children giving you trouble?” Lacelle asked.
Viriya turned to face Lacelle. “Tall words for someone who nearly died.”
The other Firstmarked noted Wenster’s condition, and the smile she had come in with died. Even that didn’t make Riven feel better about any of it. Vorellick wasn’t being compelled in any way, standing a little to the side of Lacelle, though he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
“You don’t look so well, Wenster,” Lacelle said, concern creeping out of her throat. “I have no idea what you were trying to do, but I did warn you. These two are known Essentier-killers. I didn’t think you’d become their next victim.”
Wenster scoffed. “Just hand over the Sept, Lacelle. I’m getting tired of holding myself back.”
Lacelle threw a pack at Wenster who caught it and opened to check. A faint glow went up, bathing his face in golden light. Damn it all. He had just been refuelled with a lot of Sept.
“Now about this man here.” Lacelle grabbed Vorellick by the arm and gave him a good shake. “I suggest you two stand down before he starts to lose fingernails. One at a time.”
Viriya shrugged. “They’re not my fingernails.” She turned her back on Lacelle, facing Wenster who was slowly starting to glow bluer. “Don’t get your hopes up. A little more Sept and a little more Essence, means nothing. You’re still going to die.”
“Don’t ignore me, you bitch!” Lacelle raised a hand as though to strike Vorellick, but Wenster shot her a quick glare. She put the hand down, though her expression stayed murderous.
“I’ve got the girl,” Wenster said. “She just wants to die and I’ll give her that with no trouble from my end. The boy is yours however you want to handle him.”
Riven stared between all of them, gaze finally settling as Lacelle faced him. She didn’t look happy. In fact, she was going to take out her frustration at Viriya on Riven, no doubt at all.
For a moment, Riven was torn. Was he supposed to deal with Lacelle all on his own when he hadn’t been able to do it with Viriya alongside him last time? Worse, was he going to have to leave Viriya alone against a rejuvenated Wenster? She had the upper hand, but the brutish Firstmarked now had more Sept, while Viriya was still left with what little she had.
But Viriya met his glance for a second before staring at her opponent. A glance filled with warning and with a promise. She was going to be victorious.
All Riven needed to do was believe. Have faith.
Besides, he had his own problems to take care of. Lacelle was facing him, face swearing his death. Riven had to focus on himself for now. He had to survive.