Sentinel

Chapter 13 - Mob Mentality

Dedicated to CrosSs for being an awesome fan.

---

Chapter 13 - Mob Mentality

---

Night was nearly upon the Silverborn when they reached their chosen clearing.

The stars clung to the sun, holding it above the horizon and buying them precious seconds to prepare. The Silverborn dismounted and assembled, wasting no time to get their assigned tasks completed for the stand with the largest stakes they'd ever had balancing on its success. 

Minutes passed by in a flurry of activity. 

The white-flamed torches were lit. Any unneccessary gear was packed around the centre in rest stations or organised to form small barricades to divert the smaller demons. Weapons were sharpened and charged with what little energy the etherstones still possessed, armour was donned and the horses fed. 

Tayne found Luke standing at the edge, discussing a defensive strategy Wrain had suggested, apparently an improvised version of what the Silverborn of old had once used. Knowing he'd only hinder the explanation if he were to join in, Tayne turned to make his way to where the group of relief Silverborn were stationed and ran straight into Verdrana. 

She recovered her balance quickly and didn't waste words on apologising. 

"Nissa sent me over," she said, glancing back over her shoulder. "Something's wrong with Skye."

That was all Tayne needed to get him moving. "Where?" 

"In the centre, where we set her up," said Verdrana, already leading him there. "She was fine, just kept touching her head, shying away from the lights we were setting up like they hurt her eyes but then she nearly fell over." 

Voices came into range over Verdrana's explanation, brushing against the edges of his hearing with fragmented sentences overlapping all at once.

Nissa. "--breathe, let it out--"

Jesse. "--c'mon! Just--"

Skye. "--there's too much, I can't--"

"And now?" asked Tayne. 

Verdrana's tone said it all. "And now she won't let us near her." 

They rounded the corner into the barricaded area they'd set up for Skye to heal the injured to find Nissa and Jesse facing Skye. Though Nissa's weapons were sheathed, Tayne recognised the look on her face. She was ready to do whatever needed to be done. 

"Skye," said Nissa. "I need you to take a deep breath and tell us what's wrong."

"It's just a headache!" said Skye. She clutched her head with one splayed hand, the other held out as if to keep the Silverborn at bay. "I'm...I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." 

Nissa tried again. "We can't help you if you don't let us."

Skye scrunched her face. "I don't need help. Keep preparing things, I just need a minute to sit down and..."

Tayne didn't realise the teal streaks in Skye's hair were glowing until they picked up intensity. Whatever caused it coincided with the cause of Skye's headache, because her outstretched hand flew to join the other at her head while her knuckles turned white under the pressure. 

Skye sank to her knees with a noise pressed into her lips. Jesse leapt forward to steady her but a flash of emerald, borderline golden light forced him away, flinging him off his feet. With her neck bent down over her chest and elbows digging into the dirt, Skye managed to twist and find her voice.