The mana cannons erupted, sending five searing energy spears hurtling toward us. They descended like comets, too swift for the eye to follow, filling my vision with an all-consuming white.
Borealis reacted instantly, tucking in a wing and executing a graceful roll that flipped us out of their path. Time seemed to hang by a thread, suspending us upside down, the city a dizzying blur overhead. The sun hung low over the mountains, casting long shadows across the streets, while the first flickers of magical lights appeared in windows. The souls of the city’s inhabitants, twinkling like stars against the encroaching darkness, gawked and pointed as we cut across their sky.
Our flight righted itself again, my eyes flitting to the skyship. The hull cannons were powerful but clumsy, only able to adjust a few degrees in any direction. It made them effective only when the ship was directly above its target, and even then, only against something that couldn’t just fly out of the way.
My soul tingled, a gentle warning unlike before. A sense that I had missed something, that something was terribly wrong. I looked over the side, scouring the city below for any danger. But there was nothing, only--
A blinding flash of white blossomed on the edge of the city. Because of our previous position, the first lance had gone wide, landing on a stretch of farmland a few hundred yards from the city. The explosion devoured everything in an expanding sphere of brilliant light, stopping only as it brushed against the city walls. It faded almost immediately, leaving a dazzling afterimage concealing a crater over a hundred feet deep.
That first lance had forced us to flee directly over the city. It had been fired a second earlier than the others, but they should have known we could dodge! They must have seen our entire battle with the first ship from their position, but...
That meant they’d waited. They could have attacked at any time, but they let us do our scouting and lower our guard. When the first ship attacked, they allowed us to defeat it.
And then they’d waited until we were right above the city to fire.
"They wouldn’t..." I whispered, clutching a hand to my chest.
"Xiviyah!" R’lissea cried wide-eyed, pointing at the city. "They’re going to–"
Her voice was lost as the lances tore through the space we’d occupied a heartbeat earlier. They’d been fired at diverging angles, increasing the area their combined attack covered. But now that they’d missed, the city below would suffer the consequences. Just how many people were down there? Would any of them survive this?
Wasn’t Luke down there, too?
"No..." I whispered, my tail lashing. "I won’t let you."
Power flooded my soul as I drew on every drop of mana I possessed, activating the full extent of the Oracle of Eternity. The world turned gold, filled with shimmering stars, and everything ground to a halt. The five lances, frozen mid-flight, shone like pillars of sunlight hanging ominously over the city. They’d just missed us, yet the first was already a mere thousand feet above a densely packed city block.
Of the entire world, only our small group remained alive. R’lissea’s grip on my waist tightened, her breath catching in my ear. Borealis pulled out of his dive and hovered motionless, his head swinging from side to side, staring at the motionless sky.
"Xiviyah...? What is this?" R’lissea breathed, her voice trembling.
I whimpered, slumping against her as a shudder ran through me. Sustaining this state had been difficult enough when I was only fourth-level, but now, with the added stress of four seventh-level souls, every fiber of my being screamed in pain.
My hand shook as I reached out, pressing my palm flat against Borealis’s feathers. "Please..."
It was impossible. I lacked the strength and time to convey my intentions, and even if he understood, there was no way he would agree. What I was asking was no different than asking him to die. But it was the only way.
The demon hesitated before letting out an earsplitting screech. He tucked his wings, and affirmation filled my bond with Fable.
No, not my soul bond, but the Nexus itself.
And then we were falling, plummeting faster than when we’d dodged the lances. My heart lodged in my throat as the city rushed towards us, growing to dominate my vision. Mere seconds before we struck the ground, Borealis’s wings snapped out, pulling us out of the dive. The inertia held me against Fable’s back, twisting my stomach, the coppery taint of blood scorching my throat.
As we came below the first pillar, Borealis slowed to a hover. The jagged point of the energy lance crawled toward us in slow motion, moving like lightning crackling across the sky.
"Xiviyah, what are you doing?" R’lissea cried. "We have to get out of here! You can’t stop that many attacks!"
"I’m sorry, R’lissea," I said, staring up at the imposing pillars. "I-I can’t watch this happen. I want to protect them!"
The speed with which the Oracle of Eternity devoured my mana left my soul aching, but I still retained almost half of my pool. It wasn’t enough, not for what I planned, but I gritted my teeth and summoned my staff.
Pain exploded through me the instant the first runes appeared, a searing stab that penetrated the depths of my soul. I cried out, dropping to one knee, barely holding the nascent spell together. The Oracle of Eternity demanded much, and even though I had the spare mana, trying to slow the flow of time while casting a seventh-circle spell pushed me past my limits.
I screamed as I pushed on, burning my soul for the power to cast this spell. I didn’t know anyone in this city or why the church cared to sacrifice them, but I couldn’t let them do it. This city held tens of thousands of innocent lives, their only crime being born under a world dominated by the gods.
Perhaps, were it just that, I could have carried the burden of their deaths. But Luke might be there.
A full circle appeared, and then another. But by the fifth circle, I had fallen to my knees, coughing up blood with every breath. A thousand burning knives stabbed me from within, lacing my soul with a pain I’d almost forgotten.
Everything fell apart as I began the sixth circle. After only a few runes, I screamed, my mind going blank as a fissure ripped through my soul. The runes swam, and the world faded in and out as the spell and my control over time wavered.
Vaguely, through the haze of pain, I felt arms wrap around me. My tail lashed out, seeking an anchor, and found something soft and warm to cling to. I heard a faint, startled gasp before a hand rested on my tail. Through the tears, I could just make out R’lissea against me, my tail clinging to her forearm.
Her voice drifted through the fog in my mind, distant and indistinct.
"It hurts," I whimpered, burying my face against her.
The soft glow of Life magic soaked through me, clearing my mind slightly. Although each breath still caused searing pain, the metallic taste of blood receded, and I found the strength to crack open my eyelids.
"You’re doing great. Just a little more," she murmured, stroking my back.
I shook my head, gasping as I forced out a few more runes. "I-I can’t! I can’t do it alone!"
She smiled sadly, shaking her head. "You’re not alone, remember? Please, lean on me."
She tilted my chin, drawing my gaze from her. Seven magic circles orbited around us, the last runes slotting into place. I gasped as the golden light of Celestial Grace flooded the Nexus. Tingles raced through my body, and suddenly, I could breathe again. The weight on my shoulders vanished, and I gasped, sitting upright. The fiery lines in my soul faded, the wounds closed, and the pressure on my mana reserves lessened.
"You can do it," she whispered, squeezing me tightly.
Her warmth lingered on me as she pulled away. I breathed in, then out, and opened my eyes. "Thank you, R’lissea."
She offered me a smile, and I turned, focusing on the magic circles overhead. My magic flowed again, shining brightly with the power of Celestial Grace. The Oracle of Eternity continued to consume most of my concentration and mana, but now it was manageable. Soon, though, as I started the seventh magic circle, my legs began to shake, my tail drooping.
R’lissea drew close again, grasping my free hand on both of hers. She whispered something and smiled softly, looking up as the final runes slotted into place. As my mana ceased flowing, she stepped forward and laced her arm through mine, helping me keep my feet. I gave her a small, exhausted smile, and she nodded.
"Grand Aegis!" I cried, raising my staff.
Millions of golden strands materialized in the sky, weaving between the stars of fate and forming a shimmering curtain above the city. This version of the spell was similar to what the mage had cast above the city opposite Tormod’s Breach, creating a wall instead of locking onto specific souls. R’lissea and I basked in its light, resting against each other as the Oracle of Eternity consumed the last vestiges of my mana.
All too soon, the stars faded, and the world began again.