Chapter 348 - Wardens at the gate
Fynn shot across the chamber like a bolt of green lightning, trails of viridescent wind spiralling in his wake. Shin stepped forward, sword and shield raised to guard the others. Beside him, Allyssa pulled a glowing yellow vial from her bandolier with one hand, fingers steady around her crossbow with the other. Scarlett donned the [Crown of Flame’s Benediction] and [Eternal Flameweaver’s Athame], the artifacts sharpening her focus.
A sharp crack echoed as Fynn’s fist crashed into the warden’s stone body, but neither he nor the construct moved. The impact was like striking a mountainside. The warden responded first with sluggish, deliberate motion — then, suddenly, its head whipped towards Fynn like a hammer swinging on a pivot. He leapt back just in time, landing in a low, tense crouch a few metres away, arms ready for another strike.
A lilting, melodious tune floated across the chamber as Rosa’s charms got to work. Scarlett felt her awareness sharpen even further, a surge of energy and clarity pulsing through her and focusing her senses like a lens.
Next to her, Kat gripped her claymore with both hands and drove its tip into the floor. Red veins of fire spiralled out from the golden rod embedded in its base, and nearly a dozen darts of blazing flame materialised in the air before her. The fire cast her features in flickering crimson, glinting off her sun-bleached golden hair. The Shielder blinked, looking genuinely surprised by her own magic.
She stared at the hovering darts, then turned to Rosa. “Wow. You weren’t kidding. This is…seriously strong.”
Rosa gave her a playful wink. “And that’s just the prelude. The real treat is getting to hear my encore.”
Kat chuckled. “Guess I’m a lucky gal today, then.”
“Oh, most assuredly.”
Scarlett ignored them. She raised her hand, conjuring a fresh volley of fire arrows above her. Her gaze swept the chamber, scanning it carefully. Another dull boom reverberated as Fynn traded a rapid flurry of blows with the warden, but she paid it little mind. Bluish-white flames—the fires of Itris—climbed the Flameweaver’s hilt and blade, twining upward to merge with each fire arrow, tinting them pale azure.
She spotted a shimmer high above.
Without hesitation, half a dozen fire arrows streaked through the air. Where they struck, a defensive rune flared into existence, radiating a bright light. The arrows punctured the rune, leaving pinprick holes that spidered outward — until the entire glyph shattered and vanished before completing its spell.
A short while later, another glimmer appeared across the chamber. Scarlett launched another volley, disrupting the rune before it could activate.