He scanned the horizon, the eerie red mist curling around the edges of his vision like tendrils.
"And if I die," he added quietly, "it's going to be while fighting. Not starving to death like a trapped rat."
"As expected of you, guildmaster," Marcus growled, resting his massive blade against his shoulder. Blood—old and new—streaked across his armor. "Just give the word. I'll clear a path even if I have to punch through a wall."
Jarek groaned as he pushed himself back up. His shoulder popped. "You're starting to sound like Naomi…"
"Naomi is brave, but wouldn't have gotten us this far, the guildmaster has saved us multiple times already." the silver haired woman, Gina muttered, her voice raspy from overuse.
She reloaded the core crystals on the side of her twin speaker cannons—massive black devices shaped like gothic megaphones mounted on gauntlets along her forearms. The wires wrapped around her spine flickered with violet pulses, reacting to her mana.
