Breaking Step (Dungeon Runner 3)

Breaking Step, Chapter 26

Tibs formed the ice wall as soon as he rounded the corner and saw the archer letting loose an arrow. Jackal ran around it as the arrow hit, grinning, and headed for the team of golem people. Tibs kept the others occupied with hurried jets of water until the fighter was on them. Then he formed a shield and sword and joined in, targeting the sorcerer, whose element Tibs sensed as... sparkles? Like multitude of small embers flying over a fire, but each connected to the other, and moving much faster.

The faceless sorcerer gestured, etching essence. Tibs couldn't tell the nature of the etching without knowing what the element was, but lines converged and spiraled; the hallmark of an offensive etching. Tibs thickened the ice on his shield as he raised it and readied himself for the impact. The attack passed through and around the shield, and detonated into Tibs before he got over the surprise.

He was on his back, his body twitching out of his control, water slipping away. What had happened? How? He thought he'd screamed, but he couldn't tell if his body reacted to his mind. Whose mind? Where was he? Why was he in so much pain?

He wanted to pain to end. He hadn't done anything to deserve being in such pain... had he? How could he? He'd never done anything. He hadn't been anyone until now.

Please make it stop!

There has to be—

Something. Right there. He didn't know what it was, or how he grasped it, but he felt it; this gray...ness? However he was doing it, he had it. He tugged on it hard and the essence fled around him and into the floor.

The pain in his chest eased, and he breathed again. He channeled purity, and the enduring pain finally ended. He channeled metal again in case the sorcerer attacked. He didn't know why it had protected him, but until he was certain that golem person was dealt with, he was sticking with this element.

"That," he snarled as he got to his feet. "fucking hurt!" He pulled the essence out and... realized he didn't know how to etch with it.

Fine. He didn't need anything fancy. He coated his armor with it and headed for the sorcerer. Metal was hard, and it protected him from the golem's element.

"Tibs?" Mez called, sounding surprised. He was looking over his shoulder, staring at him. "Don, keep them busy!" Then he was standing before Tibs, whispering, "What's with your eyes? How did you get metal?"

"I had an audience." Tibs pushed Mez out of his way. Jackal and Khumdar were fighting the rogue and archer. Tibs pulled his attention away as the fighter's punch connected with the rogue, only for the skin to ripple like water, and Khumdar was too busy deflecting arrows to step close enough to strike back.

He locked eyes on the sorcerer who was throwing lighting in Don's direction. The corruption intercepted it and they erupted into a sickly cloud of sparkles.

Mex caught his arm, forcing him to stop. "You can't do this now," he said. "How much training do you have?"

Tibs moved his gaze to the archer. "Let go of me, Mez," he replied and a low, menacing tone. "Or I will make you."

"So, that none." He let go, and Tibs resumed heading for the sorcerer.

"What is he doing?" Don asked as Tibs passed him. Another jet of corruption flew and exploded in sickly sparks as lightning caught it.

"A Jackal thing," Mez replied angrily. Arrows joined the attack, but lighting flew out of the cloud to break them apart, even those made of fire.

Tibs ignored the bits of essence that splashed out of the cloud. The corruption and fire that fell on him he absorbed, and the lighting zipped around and into the floor barely tickling him.