Calathus

Chapter 9 - The Unseeing

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Bottom picture is Lycin. (created on heromachine.com)

9.

The Unseeing

Sianna stared at Aldermeck's frayed cloak, the swaying threads of gold and red caressing her sheathed longsword across her back. With her battle–high gone, the combat aches were nagging, pulsating pangs that spread throughout her body, but the swish of the Leitnant's cloak helped Sianna push down the pain. Most of it at least.

Her chest was still in throbbing agony. Sianna could feel the bruise on it all the way down to her bones. It hugged her ribs with squeezing fingers that made it painful to breathe. How stupid for the wound from yesterday's scrimmage with the Magus scout be the injury bothering her now. Though Sianna had to admit her injuries from today's battle were a blur in her head.

There was an angry abrasion through her armor that started from her left wrist up to her shoulder where her strapped plate piece had been scrapped off. The scratch cut deep and wide enough for her to see her boiled leather and fur cuffs underneath. There was a similar gash on her right thigh and she just noticed the ice that covered her left, but if asked how she received them all, she wouldn't have been able to tell.

She could, however, for Aldermeck. The slash that had hacked off her cloak and dented her armor had come from a Magus claw swipe. The hundreds of tiny scuffs and nicks decorating her entire body were from the flying icicles that sliced open her wooden wall cover.

Sianna also knew the reason the Leitnant was missing her right hand gauntlet. It was because Brye had pulled it out during their battle with one of the Magus. Aldermeck had grabbed a hold of his hand in an effort to yank him out of the way of the beast's jaws, but she hadn't been quick enough. He was lifted up above her head, taking her gauntlet with him. Brye was bitten in half, raining blood and gore on those below.

The Magus bent down again before the Leitnant, Brye's intestines and blood shining on its blue fangs. It had snapped at Aldermeck but she ducked and slid under its head, thrusting her sword into its lower jaw. The Armadura metal pierced through the golden, magick skin and erupted inside its mouth. She pulled the blade out halfway, angled it, and stabbed it again so her sword threaded through its chin like a pinned brooch on a lady's dress.

"Behead it!" she called out while she struggled to keep its head down.

Sianna and the others rushed at it, ducking and blocking the barrage of claws. A scream reached her ears as the talons found a target. An ice crystal exploded somewhere and the smell of blood followed. It had taken four of them to saw through the Magus' neck since only two of the four swords they had were enchanted Armadura blades meant for magick combat. When the beast was dead, Sianna noticed out of the ten set out to kill this Magus, only half of them survived.

Only half of us when countless other times we had prevailed. But those times were different. Those foes did not tower over us, wielding incredible ice magick.

"Sianna?" Aldermeck cut through her thoughts. "I have been calling you. Are you alright?"

Calling me?

Sianna looked up to see Aldermeck standing before her. When had the Leitnant turned around and walked back to them? Hadn't she been staring at her cloak only moments ago?

Sianna shook her head. "Yes, ssss—Meryl?"

This time she smiled at hearing her say her name. "I said allow Iari to heal you. He should heal Deneck as well. I may have been too hasty to push us forward on our trek, short as it may be. I would not want another death."