Chapter 298: Fire and Steel
Korra was hurt.
That one thought penetrated the lingering haze in my mind, driving me into a state of panic. She’d taken on two fifth-level demons on her own. Why hadn’t she let me protect her?
While remaining mounted on Fable’s back, I thrust my hand forward and cast Earth Wall, aiming to cut off the demons. The demon’s focus shifted as the ground trembled, their piercing gazes locking onto my soul, before rock and stone erupted between us, cutting the dreadful visage off. I shivered but didn’t hesitate, urging Fable forward toward Korra.
As we skidded to a stop beside her, she looked up, lips curled in a slight, teasing smile. "What took you so long?"
The bright, playful smile looked out of place on her blood and grime-streaked face, but I let out a sigh of relief. If she had the strength to tease me, she couldn’t be hurt too badly. "I’m sorry. We managed to hunt most of the scions, but the villagers were reluctant to trust me. Not that blame them," I replied. It came out a touch more bitter than intended, but it had hurt, after all.
Her smile faded. "I’ll have to have a chat with them later," she muttered. Before I could respond, she winced, clutching at her burned arm. "But never mind that now, let’s take these demons out first. That Blade Demon is the one causing that horrible sound, so be careful."
"I’ve got it sorted out," I replied, gesturing at the slight distortion in the air around us. "I modified the Sound Ward to only suppress any noise above a shout, so we can still talk if you get out of range."
She shook her head. "Amazing. Other than that ability, it seems identical to the one we fought in Westfall, so be careful of its charge attacks."
I unconsciously pressed a hand to my chest, feeling the smooth, unblemished skin. She flicked her short brown hair out of her eyes with a swift jerk of her head.