Chapter 73: Shadow Fen Meshes Mission 5
Their trial was far from been over, but their bonds were forged in fire, shadow, and earth held them steady, a beacon against the coming storm.
Kelvin coughed and the sound was painful in his throat as he waved a hand to clear the haze.
His left arm vibrated where a zombie’s claw had grazed him during their desperate escape, a shallow wound that pulsed with each heartbeat, but he shoved the pain to the back of his mind.
His focus was narrowed down to his companions, Lyra and Darius, the other two pillars of the Tide’s Crest.
Lyra emerged from the shadows with her silver hair filled with mud. The gauntlet on her right hand glowed faintly, the runes she had woven to collapse the tunnel still shimmered with residual energy.
Her sharp eyes scanned the cramped space and a sign of concern broke through her usual composure. "Is everyone alright?" she asked with her voice steady but edged with strain.
Darius pulled himself up from where he had been flung against the wall. His dark hair was plastered with dirt, but he flashed a crooked grin that did not get to his tired eyes.
"I am good," he said, though his tone betrayed the effort it took him to stand. Rhoam, his massive iron-plated beast, loomed over him, the clink of his metal plates was a reassuring sound as the creature nudged Darius with a broad snout.
Kelvin exhaled, a relief that cut through the tension that is coiled to his chest. "Good. We need to keep moving. That collapse took us time, but the den is close now and we can not stop now."