The Mythos Trials

Chapter Eleven, Part Two

They reached the intended spot by nightfall. Though she could no longer see them against the black backdrop of the sky, Gwen could still hear the crows, the frantic flapping of their wings and their sharp warbles sending a thrill of fear down her spine.

When Forneus rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder, Gwen squeezed his fingers, letting him know she was okay. To prove it, she focused on the task at hand, willing her Magic Sight to lead them on while she picked up on both their surroundings and whatever other creatures were nearby with Sensory. It was difficult, splitting her attention between them and keeping pace with the others, but she managed well enough.

The mental map sputtered in and out of existence around her, startling Rem and Cienna the first time she called upon it. For the most part, Gwen focused her attention on her Magic Sight, following the mental energy tendrils as they unravelled, flowing across the ground and over boulders, winding through trees and other plant life. Several times she tripped, so intent on the imaginary ribbons leading her that she didn't notice a tree root protruding from the soil or the sudden dip in the ground where something large had once tread.

It wasn't until her every nerve was alive with an electrified buzzing that Gwen knew they were there, her eyes sighting the greenish-white light emanating from one of the smaller trees a moment later.

"That's it," she said to no one in particular, gesturing toward what she thought might be an Ignisian Maple, its fiery red leaves veined with orange where the light struck them. "That's the Heart of Mythos' pure ether."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than they found themselves under attack. What seemed like a gossamer whirlwind soon became a screeching mass of sharp beaks and talons, beady black eyes catching the faint glow emanating to Gwen's right. The light grew brighter, though in her desperation to summon the ethereal armour into place, she barely took notice of the golden salvo Forneus released into the flock.

Distantly, she could hear Cienna's frantic cries, complemented by Rem and Phenex's shared expletives. Fire rippled through the air, causing it to shimmer between the pale, thin trunks of the nearby trees. Gwen felt the heat roll past her, her skin prickling in warning.

In spite of the discomfort of the passing flames, Phenex's efforts granted her the opportunity she needed to get her armour in place. The crows backed off, banking left and right to avoid the rolling fire while others used the hot air to lift them above the treetops.

Come on, come on! In an eruption of brilliant green light, the armour was around her, enveloping her like a second skin and casting its light in a wide circle until Gwen could see her surroundings clearly—along with the host of crows doubling back to attack once again.

The scent of burning tree bark and cooked earth assaulted Gwen's nostrils, making her cough. It was made worse by the next fiery onslaught Phenex released, flames tearing across the ground and flaring outward whenever they struck a solid surface. Embers ignited on dried-out patches of grass and on the twigs of neighbouring bushes, an acrid stench twice as bad as before filling the air from the berries that had gotten caught in the blast.

With her eyes stinging from the smoke, it was all Gwen could do to avoid the half dozen crows that targeted her, their caws echoing in her ears. She fumbled at her waist for the one ethereal blade she still had, allowing the armour to lash out with its energy-draining tendrils while she wrestled the short sword free of its sheath. She had just gotten the blade free when she was blinded by a flash of white light, bursts of photon magic stunning as many of the crows as Forneus could while deflecting others with partial force fields, each one shattering in a shower of bright-green sparks.

There was a splash of water somewhere behind her before Aquis came into view, releasing a deluge into yet another frantic group of crows. Many hit the ground with indignant squawks, their feathers hanging raggedly from them in wet clumps.