I sink into the ocean of oblivion and then almost immediately after my consciousness begins to fade, I reawaken.

The water is fading and I am being summoned once more, becoming bound to the physical realm yet again.

And this summoning is unfortunately a fast one, somethings happened and now she’s having to urgently summon me.

Did the trackers catch up to them?

If so I think I’ll be able to hold them off, they’re definitely better than the average Rover but so long as I face them in an enclosed space like a tunnel, I should be fine.

But what if my creator and her cohort have left the tunnels?

Those trackers are fast, not so much in terms of physical speed since I have seen other Rovers troops move as fast or faster than them but in terms of reaction speed they are only beaten by the elite guards and that Rover monster.

If I whip out a tendril to catch one of the trackers' feet and knock them over, then it’s pretty likely they’ll be able to dodge it or sever my limb.

I held them back for a fair while though, Coralet should have been able to get away, so the threat is likely something else.

It can’t be that humanoid monster, if it was she would already be dead and not in the process of summoning me.

Maybe they just got caught in an encirclement?

If that’s the case I should focus more on terror tactics than actually damaging the enemy, every second they keep us contained is a second that their possible reinforcements get closer.

And if we are being chased then I ought to just focus on killing as many of them as possible, if I get rid of enough of them they not even be capable of continuing to track my creator.

And even if they still tracked her down, they would have to deal with the cohort, two knight squires and a mage aren’t exactly at the top of the food chain but they should be capable of dealing with a depleted tracker force.

Right, so I’ll use terror tactics if we’re contained and I’ll be far more aggressive if we’re being chased that way I thin down our pursuer’s numbers.

That seems like a good plan, it’s not like I have the time to think of a better one, everything is starting to disappear since my manifestation is nearing completion.

Just after that thought passes through my mind the summoning is complete and my physical presence has finished being created.

Naturally, my gaze is first drawn to my creator, she’s far more exhausted than she was previously and looks utterly awful.

I can actually feel her weakness through our link and it honestly disgusts me, I’ve failed her.

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She should be strong and optimistic, not fearful and nihilistic, I can only hope that my efforts can bring back that better side of her.

As for the cohort, well there are only the two knight squires left, it looks like the other mage is either dead or preoccupied with something else.

And our surroundings are just desert, coarse sand and some small dunes are all that we have around us.

A little while away in the distance I can see what looks like a large hill and a forest that’s on fire but other than that there is nothing else of note.

“Uh, Thank you for earlier Phaeraxion, we managed to get away because of you.” Coralet tiredly says, I can just feel the lack of energy she has.

It’s so disheartening to witness her in this sorry state, I want to be positive back to her but that just seems like a dumb thing to do.

Rather than being loud and upbeat, I think I should just gently support her, it might be annoying if I’m too energetic.

However, before I can send anything back through our link she continues talking. “There’s a siege going on Phaeraxion, I was unfortunately right. I uh we just can’t break through, we don’t have the numbers or power. So it’s a bit embarrassing but could you carry us through the blockade?

I, what?

Turning my attention back to the treeline, I realise with some level of horror that it’s not a series of trees on fire but rather campfires and, the trees are just soldiers and fortifications.

And that hill behind them isn’t a hill it’s just an incredibly large fortress, a true castle.

I have no idea at all how I’m going to break through the siege and reach the castle but I guess at least she has faith in me?

She’s perfect and simply can’t be wrong, so I must be capable of it.

I guess it all just comes down to how fast I can run, if I truly push myself and disregard my safety it should be doable…

First I need to ask about the mage though, can’t leave him behind, he’s useful to keeping my creator alive, even if he’s a part of the reason why she’s in this mess.

Actually, where is the line drawn between involvement and innocence?

So many things to figure out and no time to do it. “What about the mage?”

Almost as soon as I say it, I realise it’s a dumb question to ask.

She just looks so defeated and small, barely managing to stutter out a sad. “He’s dead.”

I could and probably should pry further to figure out how he died but that would be insensitive, I’m meant to make her feel safe and secure not upset and unhappy.

I don’t get the chance to apologise since her remaining cohort starts to get even more fidgety, muttering to her a little bit too intensely for my comfort.

“Would you mind, uh, you know?” She cautiously asks me.

Not exactly the most coherent or descriptive sentence but I do indeed know what she means.

Slowly I bow down, lifting out my limbs to grab a hold of her and plop her on top of me.

I reach out to do the same for the squires but before I can Coralet speaks to them and before I know it a hushed argument is breaking out.

I just remain there, half kneeling while the unity between the trio devolves.

Eventually, they come to a resolution and with reluctance, the squires start casting aside parts of their armour.

Throwing off their gauntlets and actually even hurling aside their chestplate.

Then once they’re done, they start to clamber up on top of me, I really would prefer to just leave them but in the worst case scenario, I can always throw them off me to give my creator a better chance at survival.

Once they’re all firmly on top of me, I lift myself up with a bit of difficulty and begin the trek towards the Arid Sentinel.