Chapter 455: The Divine Cycle
The roar of the flames intensified as we advanced, their lingering tongues of red and yellow licking at our feet. Adaptive Resistance shielded us from the heat, but nothing could protect me from the sickening crunch of charred bone and armor beneath our feet, or the acrid scent of scorched flesh mingled with blood. I coughed as acrid smoke filled my throat and squeezed my eyes shut, as much to keep back tears as to shield them from the gruesome sight.
"Easy," Luxxa said, running close to me, her voice a steady anchor in the chaos. "Don’t get squeamish on us now. The hard part’s still to come."
I nodded, attempting to swallow past the dryness in my throat. Gritting my teeth, I steadied myself and urged Fable faster. The ashes of hundreds of soldiers swirled in the wake of our passage, leaving a gray cloud of embers in our wake.
"Gayron’s something else, isn’t he?" Jenna muttered, glancing back the way we had come.
At the origin of that first inferno, Gayron and Korra were locked in a fierce battle. He’d assumed his infernal visage, though he kept his Volcanic Aura in check, likely out of respect for Korra. The clash was so intense that no ordinary soldier dared intervene; anyone who got too close was instantly blasted away by the sheer shockwaves of their attacks.
Fighting against them were two seventh-level warriors, both masters of sun magic. Billowing white cloaks trailed from their shoulders, and their armor gleamed with the light of the midday sun—high Inquisitors.
"What are they doing here?" I whispered, hunching lower over Fable’s back.
The presence of two High Inquisitors was more than alarming. Combined with the sheer number of mana cannons, it was a clear sign the Church was heavily invested in the Circle’s experiments with the Heart Crest.
Several times, the Brithlite army attempted to converge on us to at least slow our charge, but Gayron’s incarnations were everywhere. He’d strategically placed a dozen of them along our path, and after flashing us cocky grins, they proceeded to annihilate anyone who dared approach. They disintegrated into ash as we passed, likely allowing Gayron to draw on more of his soul for the battle against the inquisitors.