Cade and Maya stood side by side, watching the blood-red serpent thrash in agonizing pain. The floor trembled with each violent movement and loose coral fragments scattered beneath their feet. Dark ichor dripped from the ruined socket of its eye, but even half-blind, the creature was far from defenseless.
Maya was barely keeping her balance. Her vision swam as her broken body strained to remain upright. Cade turned to look at her battered form. He was obviously worried. There was no mistaking the fact that Maya was in no condition to fight.
But that didn't mean that she wouldn't.
No, she owed this monstrosity a debt, and she wasn't someone who liked being indebted to another.
But even with her resolve, even with the overwhelming desire to rip this abominable thing apart, it still wasn't enough to keep her body upright, let alone in fighting condition.
The only reason she was even standing right now was because of the last remnants of her icy augmentation that clung to her in a thin, flickering layer of frost.
But Maya knew that that was neither here nor there. She could feel her augmentation weakening, the frost sloughing off in uneven patches. The cold that had once empowered her, now felt distant, barely responding to her will.
Her breaths came sharp and ragged, and every inhale was a fresh stab of pain.
Pain.
So much pain.
The wound in her side burned, the blood frozen because of her augmentation. Beneath her shattered armor, her ribs ground against one another like shattered glass. And yet, she remained standing.
The cavern loomed behind the serpent, its mouth dark and yawning, like a wound in the world itself. Above the entrance, a particularly large, precarious stalactite hung in eerie stillness, as if waiting for the right moment to fall.
The evening sky bled into deeper hues, warning the two of them of time slipping away. Maya knew that if the Dark Sea returned, there would be no escape.
But despite the dire circumstances, despite the perilous situation, Maya refused to back down. No, she was hell-bent on making sure that this thing— this abomination in front of her never saw the light of day again.
As the bitter thought crossed her mind, the serpent reared back, and the world seemed to hold its breath.
The hum began— low at first, a reverberation in Maya's heaving chest, a crawling unease at the edge of hearing. It swelled into a resonance that rattled the very air. The ice barely clinging to her body came off completely, scattering like brittle glass. A strangled gasp tore from her throat as her legs gave out beneath her and she dropped to the ground.
Darkness surged toward her.
No— it was Cade.
She barely registered him moving before his arms caught her, his grip strong, unwavering. Even through the haze of pain, she could feel some kind of tension in his body. Maya focused on his face and saw that his features were twisted in a painful grimace.
Cade stiffened under some kind of invisible weight, gritting his teeth.
A... mind-attack? Maya thought tiredly, trying to push her exhaustion away.
And failing.
So, the humming of the serpent not only negated their Aspect Abilities but it also dealt some kind of mental damage. She hadn't known that before; she was immune to mind-attacks, after all. But Cade— Cade was not. He struggled under the insidious force of it.
Still, despite the weight of the mind-attack assaulting his mind, Cade tried to steady her. "Come on! Get up, Maya. We've gotta ge—"
However, before he could bring her to her feet— before she could even react—
The ground exploded as the mad serpent surged toward them.
Before its maw swallowed them, however, its tail came crashing down even faster, splitting the floor of the clearing in a violent eruption of coral and dust. It was as if every single part of the serpent had become sentient, every muscle thinking for itself instead of responding to the serpent's will.
Thankfully, though, Cade had just become a Monster. He was also in a much better condition than Maya.
He wrenched her away with brutal efficiency, hurling her clear of the impact as the world shattered beneath the two of them.
A blast of force sent Maya tumbling behind Cade. As she hit the ground, pain bloomed everywhere in her body. She didn't blame Cade though; in that situation, he couldn't exactly have been gentle.
Her vision blackened at the edges and somewhere beyond the chaos, she heard Cade move— his footsteps impossibly fast.
Then, a clangor of steel hitting scales, the unmistakable shift of something utterly in control.
A second impact.
Another eruption of force.
Maya struggled to rise, but her limbs betrayed her, heavy with exhaustion and pain. Blood started gushing out of the wound in her side. The augmentation wasn't there to hold it back anymore.
She was losing too much of it. If this continued, her body wouldn't be able to maintain adequate blood flow. The oxygen delivery to her organs, including her brain, would be hindered. Her body would shut down and the condition could even turn life-threatening.
She had to stop the bleeding. Somehow.
As Maya tried to figure out a way around her grievous wound, Cade was suddenly there again. He grabbed her and tried to haul her up. His breath was quick but steady, his voice sharp.
"We need to get the hell out of here! That thing's gone completely berserk. It's not even trying to attack us anymore. It just wants to take down whatever it can. I don't know what happened— maybe some enchantment of the Voidfang..."
He paused, glancing back at the mad serpent who let out a sickening screech, its forked tongue flickering between the jaws. Cade continued in a subdued tone, "As much as I hate to say it— we've got to retreat."
Maya scowled, shoving his grip away. Then, using the last bit of strength she had left and leaning on a coral pillar for support, she forced herself upright.
"If you think..." she began, her voice strained, one hand holding her side as blood seeped through her fingers. "... I'm gonna let this bastard live, after it tossed me around... like a damn ragdoll, you're dead wrong, Cade."
She shifted her gaze to the flailing serpent. "I'll kill it... even if it's the last thing I do."
Cade hesitated, as if trying to find the right words to convince her. But before he could say anything, another impact shook the ground.
Cade pivoted— just in time.
The serpent's body lurched violently in its thrashing, and the world itself blurred in a bloody haze. Coral trees lining the clearing snapped like dry branches, raining jagged shards in every direction. The ground cracked under the weight of the abomination's undulating mass. Every single movement of the bloodstained serpent was reshaping the battlefield in unpredictable ways.
Maya had no time to complain as she was swept off her feet, Cade picking her up without warning. They dodged, barely keeping ahead of the serpent's blind, pained frenzy.
There was no rhythm, no calculation— just chaos.
Cade sprinted out of the serpent's attack range, carrying Maya in a princess carry. Reaching the other edge of the clearing, he put her down and looked back at the abominable serpent.
He gritted his teeth. He seemed to have acknowledged what Maya had already known. This abomination was too much for them. It was simply too vast, too overwhelming.
A wild strike from the monstrosity's tail came down with terrifying speed— unstoppable, crushing. Cade could have dodged, but that would've meant leaving Maya defenseless.
So, instead, he met it head-on.
His short sword snapped up, Darkness barely clinging to the blade's edge as he braced against the impact.
The world crashed around him.
Maya watched, helpless, as Cade skidded back under the force. His armored boots dug trenches in the broken ground. His arms trembled from the sheer pressure, but his grip on the sword held. The force should have shattered his bones, sent him flying, but Shroudkeeper refused to yield.
Then, just as the serpent recoiled for another unpredictable lurch, Cade moved. A flicker of motion, a sharp breath, and he was at her side again.
With out a word, he pressed something into her hand.
The moment the small orb met Maya's palm, it floated upward like a blob of darkness and... passed through her body, entering into her chest.
Maya watched, befuddled.
However, as the strange process took place, she felt the world sharpen.
A rush of clarity flooded through Maya— her fatigue, her pain, the suffocating weight of exhaustion all burned away in an instant. The wound in her side still ached, gushing out blood, her ribs were still fractured, but the weakness itself was gone.
She could move again.
Her ice flared back to life, swirling around her limbs in a thin, controlled frost. She stood up and exhaled, the air turning white with cold.
***
Cade met Maya's gaze.
It worked... he thought, relief washing over him as Maya got to her feet.
The Pearl of Breaking Tides had worked, and color returned to Maya's face which had been deathly pale only moments ago.
Memory Description: [The Pearl is mercy given form— but mercy like the tide, is fleeting. Holding the Pearl, they shall feel whole. But beware... for the sea does not mend; it merely washes away.]
Cade had gotten the Pearl during his first week in the Dream Realm, prior to his transformation. He'd tried using the Awakened charm on himself multiple times, but it had never worked on him.
Finally, Cade had concluded that it wasn't something that could be used by the owner. No, it was something that could only be bestowed upon others.
And he had been right. The moment he had given Maya the charm, she'd been reinvigorated. It hadn't healed her wounds, but it had given her a boost— a push just enough to stand on her own two feet.
However, Cade didn't know how long that would last.
Maya stared down at herself for a moment. Then, she looked up at Cade.
"Wha—" she began, but was cut off by a deafening, tormented screech from the serpent. Its agony tore through the clearing like a storm given voice.
Cade turned around as well. He had no idea as to why the serpent was in so much pain. Yes, he'd dealt its eye a grievous wound but that didn't explain its violent thrashing.
He guessed that maybe it was an enchantment of the Voidfang.
He'd pierced the creature's eye with it earlier, hoping to cause it as much pain as possible for almost pushing Maya beyond death's door. Somehow, the Voidfang had answered his plea. The serpent seemed maddened with excruciating agony.
But still, that did not necessarily work in their favor. A smart enemy might even have been a better opponent under these circumstances.
An agonized horror in a maddened frenzy?
No, this snake was nothing to scoff at.
Cade adjusted his grip on the Darkness-coated blade in his hand, his knuckles turning white around the hilt. His voice was steady, but there was an edge of tension beneath it.
"Maya, we need to retreat!" He kept his gaze locked on the clobbering serpent.
Maya exhaled sharply, her reluctance apparent.
"Like hell we do..." she shot back, her voice louder than before.
Cade gritted his teeth in frustration. Just what was going on with her today? Why was she so insistent on killing this abominable thing?!
Of course, he already knew the answers to his questions. Hell, he himself wanted to send this thing into an early grave. Normally, he would even have found himself on Maya's side. Gods knew how many murderous tendencies he had...
But the thing was— the mad serpent wasn't their only problem.
Cade looked up. A kind of dim, reddish hue was bathing the starless sky of the Forgotten Shore. Sunset was approaching steadily. It was an hour, maybe two hours away. If they didn't get back to their camp by then, the Dark Sea would swallow them whole.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the serpent's body coil again. Its grotesquely oversized head twisted toward the two of them with unnatural speed. Its ruined eye still bled thick, black ichor, but its remaining one burned with unrestrained fury.
Then, its maw gaped open and it moved with a burst of speed.
Cade's Battle Master instinct took over. He moved immediately as the serpent lunged, avoiding the elongated fangs by inches. However, Maya, behind him, was not so swift. Even though her exhaustion was gone, she was still reeling from her wounds and fractures.
Cade acted instinctively once again.
He breathed out his Darkness and dissolved into it. Then, forcing the Darkness to move, he— or rather, the Darkness— curled around the serpent's maw. If Cade had a body right now, he would have staggered and fell onto his knees. This facet of his Ability— driving the Darkness while being a part of it— was extremely taxing. It felt like his consciousness was being ripped apart like pieces of paper.
However, the agony didn't last long.
Because he didn't stay one with the Darkness for long.
As soon as the black fog covered the serpent's maw, the creature hummed its resonance once again. Cade was expelled from his Darkness. Dropping in a low roll, he felt a hundred nails pierce his skull. His mind screamed in protest as his Darkness dissipated.
The serpent lunged again, but Maya'd had enough time to move by now. She grabbed one of Cade's arms and pulled him out of harm's way. The serpent's massive head collided with the crimson coral, sending fragments of it flying through the clearing.
Cade didn't linger. He got to his feet beside Maya.
"Thanks," he said, looking at the serpent moving its enormous head from side to side, as if trying to shake off the damage caused by its own lunge.
"Don't mention it," Maya muttered, her exhaustion less apparent.
Both of them broke into a sprint, crossing to the other side of the clearing. It was like they were playing hide and seek with the abominable thing.
Cade gritted his teeth, shifting his gaze toward Maya. She was looking ahead at the thrashing monstrosity. Her determination, her murderous intent were almost palpable.
He considered trying to convince her to leave, but quickly discarded the idea. If he'd learned one thing about Maya in these past two weeks, it was that if she set her eyes on something, really set them, she would get it no matter what.
Despite not being suited for a sword, she had worked extremely hard to overcome that barrier. She had set her eyes on becoming a swordsman and she had achieved it, even if she was still but a novice.
And right now, what Veil of Ashes had set her eyes on was this abominable serpent's life.
And she wouldn't stop until she took it.
Cade sighed, coming to a decision. "I would crack a joke at how the tables have turned but our current situation is completely devoid of any humor."
He paused before continuing. "Alright. We'll kill it. But we still need to make a few preparations. Let's just retreat into the labyrinth for a second. This thing's too far gone to be chasing us."
Maya tore her gaze away from the thrashing monstrosity. She looked at Cade, a hint of a scowl twisting her features. After considering him silently for a moment, she gave Cade a reluctant nod.
Cade nodded back, and they escaped into the crimson, coral jungle beyond.
***
Crouching behind an especially large coral, Maya sat down. Her wound was still open, her ribs were still fractured. However, her exhaustion was gone. That, she supposed, was something.
Also, now that she was away from that ugly snake, she could freely used her augmentation. Swirling her blizzard around herself, she activated her icy augmentation. She began to feel a little better and the blood oozing from her wound froze.
Cade was still standing. He looked through the chaotic coral jungle toward the horizon. It was getting really late.
Maya understood that she didn't have the luxury of resting. So, she stood up as well. Cade turned to look at her, a frown creasing his features.
She looked at him too. He didn't seem tired at all. If anything, he looked more energized than before. It figured— he had just become a Monster, after all.
Maya found herself feeling a bit bitter.
Shaking the thought away, she turned her focus back to the matter at hand.
"Alright, let's keep it short," she began. "What preparations were you talking about? We're running out of time."
Cade didn't bother trying to persuade her to retreat. It seemed like even a stubborn bastard like him had given in to her resolve.
He nodded before answering. "That thing is most likely a Terror. Apart from the ability to create minions— the Bloodless Shadecoils— it also possesses another ability. So, it's gotta be one. I have an idea as to what the other ability entails. Did you figure it out?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Maya replied. "Seems to interfere with my blizzard. And I think it messes with yours, too. Your Darkness, I mean— it just disappeared earlier. Twice."
"Oh, so that's what did it?" Cade asked, his eyes widening slightly. "I thought evolving into a Monster messed with my connection to the Darkness. So, that sound not only causes a mind-attack, but it negates our Abilities as well?!"
He clenched his hands into fists, his frustration apparent.
"Yeah, I figured that out too," Maya said, nodding. She narrowed her eyes at Cade. "Can you handle it? The mind-attack, I mean..."
Cade remained silent for a moment. Then, he sighed, saying, "I'll be alright. It's you we need to worry about."
"Don't I know that...?" Maya muttered. She shook her head. "Anyway, yeah, I can barely hold my augmentation. That humming— whatever it is— screws with even that."
Cade's expression darkened slightly. "So, that thing isn't gonna be easy to kill."
"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Maya scoffed. "Why do you think I look like hell? My armor's barely holding together, my blade can't even scratch the damn thing, and I can't use my Ability while fighting it." She touched her side, where the blood from her wound was frozen because of her augmentation. "Once my augmentation comes undone, blood is gonna start gushing out. I've already lost quite a bit." She looked back at Cade. "We're in some deep shit."
Cade looked at the grievous wound on her side, a deep frown forming on his face.
"It's like the universe itself is telling us to retreat..." he muttered, though there was little conviction in his voice.
Maya's expression turned dark. "Well, the universe can go fuck itself," she shot at him.
Taking a deep breath, she made a decision. "We'll cauterize it."
Cade's eyes widened and locked onto hers. "We'll do what?!"
"My wound," Maya said. "We'll have to cauterize it. I can't hold my augmentation while fighting the thing and as soon as it's gone, I'll start bleeding. If I keep this up, I'll die from exsanguination."
Cade narrowed his eyes. "You'll die from what?"
Maya sighed. "Excessive loss of blood. We have to stop the bleeding somehow. You got a better idea?"
Cade hesitated for a moment. "No... but it won't be pleasant, you know?"
Maya gulped. Cauterization was definitely not a pleasant process. But she didn't have a choice— at least, not one she liked.
She exhaled sharply. "Yeah, well, bleeding out won't be either. Come on, summon the Flameheart Forge." She moved to sit down, resting her back against the enormous coral pillar. Then, she undid her augmentation.
Cade hesitated. "I've got some basic knowledge on how to do it. Teacher Julius taught us. But Maya, are you sure?"
Maya was also aware of the process. Master Jesse had given her a crash course on survival skills, after all.
She exhaled slowly. "Don't beat around the bush, Cade. We haven't got much time. Go on. Summon the Memory, and also your blade." She took the cloth of the Skerrian Aegis's cloak, folded it upon itself and made a small ball of greyish blue cloth.
Cade nodded reluctantly and summoned the Flameheart Forge and the Voidfang. As the compact metal brazier dropped to the ground, its blue flame flickered into existence. Cade took a deep breath.
"Alright. So, first I'll heat the blade— red hot. It won't work if it's only slightly warm. It has to glow." He looked at Maya, as if expecting her to ask him to stop. When she didn't, he continued. "Then, I'll press it against your wound."
Maya's fingers trembled as she clutched her side. Now that her augmentation was undone, blood was seeping through her fingers. She swallowed hard, her breath hitching.
"Yeah... it'll burn through the skin and seal the flesh shut," she continued in his stead. "It'll hurt like hell, but if you pull away too soon, it won't work."
She sucked in a shallow breath, steeling herself for the agony to come.
Cade nodded. "Alright. Well, here I go, then."
He seemed convinced that there was no other way of keeping her from bleeding out except burning the wound. Even if they retreated now, Maya wouldn't be able to hold her augmentation forever. They had to do this.
Cade put the blade of the Voidfang on the grill of the Flameheart Forge and its black blade started to get hotter. As the process of heating continued, Maya took the ball of cloth she'd made from the cloak of the Aegis and bit down on it hard. It was either this or screaming at the top of her lungs. And though she was battered, she still had some poise and dignity left.
Finally, after a few minutes, the short, black blade of the Voidfang began to glow slightly orange. Cade took a deep breath, and picked the black blade up by the hilt.
Moving closer to Maya, he dropped to one knee. "Ready?"
With her mouth full of the cloth from her armor, Maya simply nodded, humming in affirmation.
Cade exhaled. "Alright then... one... two— "
He didn't count to three and pressed the searing metal to her open wound. The scent of burning flesh filled the air.
Maya's body arched violently, her breath vanishing in a strangled gasp. Agony, raw and blinding, erupted through her side, drowning out every other sensation. Her vision blurred, black creeping in at the edges as the unbearable heat ate into her flesh, burning through skin and muscle alike.
Her fingers clawed at the ground, and dug into jagged coral, but the sharp edges were nothing compared to the inferno in her side. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but no sound left her, blocked by the gag she had bitten down on.
Cade was saying something— his voice was low, urgent. But the words were drowned out by the roaring in Maya's ears. The world had narrowed to the fire eating through her body, the smell of charred flesh, the tremors wracking her limbs as she struggled not to thrash.
Then, after an eternity, the heat pulled away.
Maya barely registered the absence of it, her body still locked in the lingering agony, muscles trembling from the aftershock. The wound still burned, the pain seared into her bones, but the bleeding had stopped.
She forced herself to breathe— shallow, uneven but still breathing. Her throat was raw, her face slick with sweat and blood, but she was alive.
And she was still going to fight.
"Are you alright?" Cade asked, extending a hand toward her.
Maya looked up at him. He was standing in front of her. She took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet.
As she did though, something akin to a spark of electricity travelled from Cade's body into hers. At the same time, the voice of the Spell hissed in her ears:
[You have received a Memory, Oblivion Reaver.]
Maya's eyes widened. She let go of Cade's hand and looked at him. The Oblivion Reaver was an Awakened Memory of the Fifth Tier that Cade had gotten after killing an Awakened Tyrant, the Dread Revenant. It was a blade that carved directly into the soul, ignoring physical barriers like scales or armor.
Cade shot her a tired smile. "I did promise a reward if you managed to protect me."
Maya's own lips curled into a fierce grin, despite the burning pain.
"Well, what're we waiting for, then?" she asked, recalling her augmentation and summoning the Reaver. The lingering sense of fiery agony calmed and a serpentine blade carved out of gleaming ice materialized into her hand.
"Let's tear that son of a bitch apart."
______________________________________
Hey, sorry for the late, people! I know I was supposed to upload yesterday but it was Eid and I was very busy... family, friends and all that.
On that note, Happy Eid to all my Muslim readers. Hope you enjoyed it to the fullest!
Also, last chapter, there was a complaint that Maya and Cade were peacefully having a conversation while the serpent was simply ignoring them and how that didn't make sense.
I felt like that was a genuine mistake on my part. I didn't change the last chapter but I tried to incorporate the feedback into this one.
This one turned out too long— 4,119 words!! But I didn't feel like splitting it, frankly because I couldn't find a good enough spot to do it.
Anyway, earlier I had written another long conversation while ignoring the serpent but I changed that entire sequence completely to show how desperate the situation really is.
So, how do you think it turned out? If there are some other things that are bothering you or that you think I can work on, do let me know. Your feedback means a lot.
Also, because I didn't upload yesterday, I'll be uploading tomorrow instead, so that our schedule will continue unhindered.
Thanks for reading and hope you liked it! Until next time, people! :]