The Secrets of Lore Seymour

101. Seeing Things

A mighty tremor forms great fissures along the ceiling and walls. Olere and I narrowly made it to the steps prior to the ceiling collapsing. Gusts of dirt fill my lungs and blurs my vision. We hurry to reach safety, barely escaping the crumbling of the stairs. The ground continues shaking. I grasp Olere's arm to prevent him from stumbling. He leans his weight against me, coughing violently. I almost don't hear someone approaching us. Their steps quicken, hidden behind the cloud of dirt. Clutching Olere's sword, I wield the blade in time to defend against Holland's hammer. The metal rings out louder than a train bell.

As the dust settles, Holland's wicked grin comes into view. His dark green eye peers at me, the other a milky white and long since lost its ability to see, and yet I feel as if that is the eye peering through me. Olere did manage to get a few good hits in. Gauze peeks out of the top of Holland's shirt, informing me that there's a chest injury of some kind. He battles with his right hand rather than his left; the left has swelled, bruised and was probably much worse prior to a healing session. He appears to be favoring his right leg as well, but that doesn't mean this will be any easier.

"Seren," Holland says, his voice a guttural growl. "I've heard that you left the church. It's a shame that you've taken one as great as Olere down with you too."

"We've chosen to see the truth, Holland. You would be smart to do the same," I reply.

He scowls, deepening the long scars across his face. "As warped as you have become, I am glad to say that I can at least let you die together."

Holland slams his full weight forward. My heels dig into the dirt. He shoves me aside anyway. I stumble. My sword swings up to catch the handle of the hammer before it smashes Olere's chest. Olere swings the dagger I gave him. Holland retreats, slamming his hammer against the ground. That's what causes the earth to shake again, trembling as if a meteor hit. The surface shatters. My hand slips off Olere and his off of me. Broken pieces of earth trip me until I stumble through the debris and fog.

"Damn it," I hiss, having lost sight of Olere.

Holland managed to separate us in an instant, completely altering the battlefield with a swing of his hammer. This is exactly why I didn't want to run into him. I couldn't take him on my own, especially not now with Olere's injuries. Though I've yet to see anyone with Holland, there's a chance he hurried ahead and a small militia isn't far behind. My priority is to find Olere as soon as possible and run.

Casting aside the debris, I search through the rubble while keeping my head low. Holland could be anywhere. The moment I call out, he'll be on me, but that's when Olere's anguished cry echoes around me.

I skid around an upturned boulder to find Olere shielding himself from Holland's relentless strikes. When the shield doesn't break, Holland launches himself into the air. I conjure a wave of fire. The flames dance over Holland's shield, glimmering gold. Olere narrowly has time to evade. Holland's hammer strikes the ground so hard that the earth shatters again. The blowback sends Olere tumbling. My heels dig into the ground, keeping me relatively stable.

Holland rushes towards Olere. I throw my full weight at Holland before he gets any further. Our bodies collide in a mess of curses and spells. His fist meets my cheek, cold as ice. The cold slithers up to my eye, blurring my sight. I grab his wrist, burning the skin to burst with blisters. Holland swings his hammer at my head. I release him, swinging my sword to meet the strike. The shrill ring of metal makes me flinch.

Holland doesn't hesitate, beating against the sword over and over. Every hit makes my very bones sing. The pure power reminds me why Holland is number one, why I'm terrified of him, and why I can't let him get his hands on Olere. He doesn't stand a chance like this, but it seems neither do I. The sword shatters. Holland's hammer hits my chest so hard that my ribs crack. The breath is knocked from my lungs. My eyes water. I can't even scream. He sends me soaring through the air, plummeting to the ground where I heave desperate breaths. I can't breathe for a long moment, then the air rushes in and it feels like too much. I cough and hack and grasp at the ground, desperate to steady myself.