Chapter 150 - We Hunt in the Dark
The darkness... it was where Tave thrived.
Tave and Vanya targeted the demons’ weaknesses with precision. The hollow of the knees, exposed throats, vulnerable wrists. Their huge frames made it near impossible for them to move freely in the tight, jagged space of the tunnel, while Tave slipped between them like smoke.
And then there was Vanya.
Her arrows came from the dark, silent and unrelenting, striking from angles they couldn’t predict. Every time the demons tried to defend one side, another attack came from elsewhere. They were overwhelmed. Crushed beneath the rhythm of a coordinated hunt.
The fight didn’t last long.
One fell first, his roar choking into silence as Soul Fire ignited around his neck, searing through him and speeding his death. The other staggered seconds later, cut down with a final blow that severed breath from body.
Tave fell to his knees, gasping, a deep wound tearing across his left arm. His pauldron had shattered, and blood streamed freely down to his elbow.
Vanya rushed to his side, dropping to her knees. She lifted her crystal lamp with one hand, casting light on his injury. Kaelira’s flame was already at work, softly licking the edges of the wound, cauterizing, and healing.
"Tave..." she whispered, her voice a mix of worry and quiet steadiness.
"It’s okay," Tave said, forcing his breath into control. "I can manage my own healing."
Vanya nodded softly, but still reached out, her fingers brushing the edge of the wound. A faint green light sparked at her touch, flickering as it merged with the fire already working on his flesh.