Chapter 595: Inquisitors
After crushing the final soldier, the elemental shed some of its bulk, leaving a heap of rubble and bloodied glass on the street. I looked up at the sky, searching for the skyship, and found it on the horizon. It hadn’t moved, and its cannons were still dark. There was no sign of powerful spells or magic circles, so I sighed and nodded.
"Good, they didn’t notice," I breathed, slumping against the crumbling brick of a derelict bakery. "Come on, let’s move."
The elemental had shrunk somewhat, towering over me by a few heads. It was large enough to conceal me in its shadow but no longer loomed over the rooftops. In the darkness of the abandoned city, it would be invisible to anyone not directly before us.
Its footsteps were deafening in the silence of the desolate streets, and I winced each time a chunk of rubble crunched under its foot. As we pushed forward, I found myself glancing back nervously, gripping my staff with white knuckles. Even if the noise didn’t attract attention, a missing squadron of soldiers would certainly warrant investigation. The only question was how long before someone else found us.
Several streets later, I stumbled, color flashing before my eyes. Nausea gripped my stomach, and I fell against the elemental, bruising my shoulder against its side. Ghostly shouts and screams filled my ears, and phantom soldiers materialized mid-charge across the street, their spectral forms shimmering. I bit my lip, stifling a squeak, as one ran straight through me, his spear passing harmlessly through my chest.
"It’s down! Grab the girl!"
A woman’s voice, sharp and close, made me jump. I whirled around, but the phantoms had vanished. The alley was empty.
The disorientation passed, and I scrambled back to my feet. I scanned the street, my pointed ears twitching, straining for any sound. Nothing.
"Let’s go," I whispered, instinctively reaching for the elemental’s hand. It hadn’t formed fingers, the stone cold against my fingertips, but its solid presence calmed my racing heart.
The clash of steel echoed through the streets, and I instinctively pressed closer to the elemental. A blast of sunlight erupted over the rooftops ahead, followed by panicked screams. The voices died in wet gurgles as a shockwave ripped through the houses, slamming against my wards.
My wards flared before I even realized it had hit us, and I shrieked, diving behind the elemental, my tail trembling. After a moment, I peeked between its legs and gasped. The row of houses had vanished, reduced to rubble and splinters. A thick cloud of smoke and dust obscured the street beyond, but another shockwave blew it apart, revealing a graceful, seventh-level woman with long black hair and piercing golden eyes. Her cloak was a brilliant white, unstained by the ash and grim of the ruined city, with a familiar golden sigil emblazoned on her breast. A High Inquisitor.