Nobilis Custos

Farewell [Part 3]

3rd person's POV

The trio engages in various fights, some are easier than others, but the fact that they're easily outnumbered doesn't change. Ahlstarr is used to brutal and endless wars, so he doesn't bat an eye to the situation, however, Arius and Jala are the ones to feel overwhelmed.

Elements rage everywhere, red and striking flames shaped like lightnings, unforgiving ice, submerging waters, winds that steal one's breath are still not enough to change the tides of the battle.
This no longer is a fight to see who's the best, it became a mental war. Whoever can withstand the pressure of not knowing when all ends, if it's a victory or a defeat, if their bodies will last till the end, will emerge from there alive.

-3 hours later-
As hours pass by, the sun is setting, Arius starts to lose his touch and gets hit, suffering his first injuries. Upon seeing that, Ahlstarr's fortress of a mind gets cracked, while Jala is near his breakpoint.

"Shit, Izel spoiled us rotten with his unbreakable shields." Ahlstarr dries his sweat and catches his breath with a jump once the majority of the enemies are gone.

This feeling is stronger.... Arius pants and falls on one knee, his human body reached its limit and cannot go on without sacrifices. His anxiety is making his heart pump harder, almost stealing his breath away which doesn't help during recovery.

"I'm...." Jala's also exhausted and struggling to speak. "I'mma try to fly through the hole.... I'm tired of staying here."

"Yeah, we don't know if time here is equal to Teyvat." Ahlstarr launches a spear made of fire and blood that once travels through the lands, the blood turns into deadly spikes that impale whoever is close.

"I'll be back with Izel." Jala nods and after one last deep breath, he jumps high in the sky.

Ahlstarr and Arius had faith in their companion since he's a very nimble and capable individual, but both did not foresee a turn of the events for the worst. A gigantic, metallic hand easily grabs Jala by his leg and drags him down like a little animal trying to escape.
The owl boy tries his best to break free, he even yells his companions' names to get help, but the plan does not work.

Is this a more advanced type of those guards I found around? How big is this one!? Jala thinks while he tries to freeze the fingers so he can frantumize them and fly away. He feels his bones giving up under the grip, but what the owl nor the others thought was that a machine could have a mind of its own. What!?

Thr ruin golem swings and Jala ends up smashed into the ground. The impact is so strong that he feels his brain vibrating inside his skull, he spits out a mix of blood and saliva as he busts his mouth open to scream but only a chocked sound escapes.

"Jala!!!" Ahlstarr and Arius sprint to push away the machine but they halt when thunders roar behind their back in so much number that they stumble.

Now the enemies they almost wiped out are back and some are powered up by some odd powers. They spot two more golems in the ways back, are corrupted by the Black Rot.

"The fuck is happening in this dimension!?"

Arius follows his instinct and looks up in the sky. So this will be my next grave? He thinks closing his eyes, fearing death for the first time but now is not the moment to panic, his royal trainings shine through when he steels his soul and prepare himself to perish. "Ahl, we need to get Jala out of here!" the man shouts pointing at the only way out they have. "The hole is closing up!"

"What!?" Ahlstarr wipes his head and witness the facts. Shit, fuck, shit! Should I go berserk and let them be free? But if I do so, Your Highness might also get hit in the crossfire.... Fuck, what do I do? Goddamn you Izel and your dumb ass shields!