Tension hung in the air like a physical weight, pressing down on their shoulders as their last hope vanished. Terror filled the vacuum in their hearts, replacing the defiance that had sustained them. Around the bridge, shoulders slumped and eyes that had once sparked with resistance now stared vacantly. Hands that had clutched weapons with determination now loosened their grip. Everything was over.
The monstrous surgeon positioned itself near the Captain as the Chosen Ones stood frozen in place, paralyzed by the inevitability of their fate.
Everyone had accepted death—everyone but Elias. In the Outer Slums, death had been a frequent companion, its presence as familiar as hunger. He alone among those still conscious had stared their unavoidable end in the face and smiled.
"Do not give up." His voice cut through the oppressive silence, firm and commanding as it echoed off the walls, reaching each helpless victim of the Maw's merciless trial.
The surgeon turned to face him, but Elias was no longer on the brink of collapse. No longer reeling from the blinding flashes of pain that had threatened to fragment his mind. His gray eyes were clear and focused now, quick-silver gaze calculating distances and angles. His feet settled into a light, ready stance, hands relaxed but prepared.
"Come and get me, you rot-filled carcass."
Sable Kiss pulsed against his palm with a hungry excitement. Finally, it was time to feed. Elias had bought himself enough time; the cost had been Rehala, the medical crew, and the injured, but their loss was worth his survival. Necessary sacrifices.
This was his best chance. He glanced at Maren, giving an almost imperceptible nod as the ghostly black stiletto rose to face the ghoulish limbs of the surgeon. Maris caught the exchange, her aristocratic features sharpening with understanding as a plan formed in her mind.
The crown on her head shone with brilliant radiance, a thread of light that only she could see branching from the golden band to connect Elias and Maren.
I hope she gets that I want her to push this monster right at me, Elias thought.
The next thought, however, was not his own.
WHAT THE HELL? A woman's voice invaded his mind.
MAREN?!
Yeah, I can hear you in my head!
Push the surgeon at me when it takes a step towards me. I'll strike while it's off balance!
Almost as if the hulking titan could hear his thoughts as well, it took a step forward, raising multiple limbs to strike.
Purple sigils appeared on the creature's back, pulsing briefly before exploding with force. The blast propelled the monstrous form forward as its limbs surged in every direction, attempting to steady itself.
Elias made his move, dropping low as he loaded his legs with his body weight, turning them into coiled springs. With calculated effort, he surged forward at maximum speed. Sable Kiss flashed through the air, a beautiful glistening arc of obsidian trailing from the blade's tip.
The crimson edge sliced through corrupted flesh with ease, meeting no resistance. A massive gash appeared from the abdomen to the neck of the lower body that formed the monstrous surgeon. Slick black liquid turned to smoke as it fell to the floor, only to be consumed by the pitch-black blade. Elias felt an additional surge of power flowing into him, and without hesitation, he reared back and threw Sable Kiss with all his might.
The others' eyes widened in disbelief. The knife whizzed through the air at blistering speed, spinning end over end before plunging into the back of the surgeon's upper torso.
As the monster arched its back, it reached around with one of its numerous limbs, removing the blade before Elias could consume a significant amount of essence.
"An excellent blade," it rasped, voice like stone grinding against stone. "Perhaps I will dissect you with it."
In the next moment, however, the blade dissolved into smoke and whispered across the room, reforming into solid steel in Elias's grasp.
A wicked smile spread across his face. Something he had realized when he saw Keldric manifest the Commander's Voice was that each artifact had two states of being; for Sable Kiss, that second form was a wisp of smoke.
The second thing he realized was that any time the artifact switched from one state to another, it returned to its master.
The momentary stillness in the room shattered as Elias faced the wicked surgeon. Tendrils resumed their barrage against the weakened Chosen Ones, although their morale had been significantly boosted by Elias's display. The burned-out ember of hope had been rekindled; while still weak, it existed.
Elias faced the Surgeon alone; he hated putting himself in harm's way, but it was his only choice. Without drawing the ire of this mammoth creature, the others would have succumbed to despair, which would have spelled certain doom for him.
The situation remained dire. Though he had wounded his enemy, he had lost the element of surprise. Finishing off the titanic mass of obsidian and flesh would be incredibly difficult.
Elsewhere in the room, Darius was being backed into a corner, the army of tendrils pressing in on him. Truth Seeker could reveal the true nature of things, but it lacked offensive power. He wasn't experienced with a sword, and the wounds were piling up. Blood flowed down his arm and dripped from his fingers to the floor. His back pressed against a door in the back left corner of the bridge. He wouldn't last much longer.
A mass of tendrils surged, targeting his chest. He turned as best he could, and the tendrils slammed into his arm and shoulder. The force ripped the door off its hinges, and he fell backward into someone's living quarters.
The corruption didn't pursue him through the doorway—an unexpected but welcome reprieve. Darius pulled himself off the floor using the desk on his left.
In the peace of the modest space, he felt a familiar pull—the pull of an artifact.
As the battle between humans and corruption intensified, the humans continued to find themselves on the losing end of it all.
It wasn't truly surprising. None of the Chosen Ones were skilled warriors, proficient with weapons, or tactically minded. Most of them hadn't even held a blade before entering the Maw's trial. In fact, it was a miracle that they had made it this far at all. The Maw had placed them into bodies that had undergone military training, and those bodies still retained their memories.
Elias had committed his fair share of violence in the slums, but even he lacked enough experience to really make a difference here.
Only two people were actually prepared for this, and both of them were lying unconscious on the floor.
Elias continued to slink around the surgeon, attempting to dodge the innumerable limbs as best he could. The wounds were beginning to mount, and he hadn't been able to land a single hit after his stunt throwing Sable Kiss.
The surgeon was too quick, its awareness too omnipresent, its strength too great for Elias to overcome. The end was drawing near.
He had managed to destroy a few stray tendrils that attacked him from the perimeter, but the numbers weren't enough to make a difference. However, something that did come from those encounters was a realization. The tendrils, when cut, receded back towards Markov before lashing out again, which is why the closer someone was to the villainous Captain, the faster attacks came.
Elias was slowly being pushed back toward Lyara and Keldric; their unconscious bodies had somehow slipped under the radar of the corruption's consciousness.
A suture plunged into his shoulder as a scalpel sliced across his chest. He already had several wounds on his arms and legs, slowing his movement.
Another cut to his abdomen, another puncture into his elbow, immobilizing his left arm completely.
Elias was slowly dying. He was going to lose.
This is it. I can't beat this thing. I only have one option left.
Elias threw Sable Kiss once again. It sailed straight past the surgeon with a whistling sound as it cut through the air.
The surgeon grinned, and Elias grinned right back. The surgeon wasn't his target this time; it was Markov. The creature turned and immediately moved to chase down the flying stiletto.
Elias had noticed something strange earlier.
The monstrous form had positioned itself between Markov and the rest of the cohort. There had to be a reason, and Elias's hunch turned out to be right.
As the monster turned its back, Elias did the one thing he had sworn he would never do in this trial, but it was the only option he had left. It was this, or death.
Go, heal them.
Mourning Coil moved like a flash of lightning, the tendrils of light covering both Lyara and Keldric from head to toe.
The pain was unbearable. Elias felt like his skull was splitting apart, his vision filling with white-hot light. His mind began to fracture. The pain wasn't as severe as when he had healed Maren, but it was still excruciating. Thankfully, it seemed their injuries weren't insanely severe.
Markov's face turned to Elias, its cocky grin transformed into a gruesome scowl.
"You!" she howled, the word more animal than human.
Tendrils shot from the walls, headed straight for Elias.
A golden glowing sheet covered his body from head to toe, intercepting the attacking barbs.
Lyara was on her feet, Guardian's Mantle radiating strength and resilience.
Keldric had already manifested Commander's Voice, blowing into the silent trumpet with all of his might.
Mercy's Edge shone with its brilliant blue bioluminescent glow as Oathkeeper, which was no longer chipped or cracked, flared with flames stronger than ever before.
Every Chosen One saw a marked increase in stamina, strength, combat ability, and coordination. The battle began to even out between the two sides as Keldric and Lyara stepped forward and joined the fighting.
Elias sat against the wall as Sable Kiss reformed into his right hand. The warmth of the Guardian's Mantle was soothing against his skin. He needed the corruption to subside. He needed to heal himself of at least the fatal wounds. He reached out to see if the miraculous barrier kept him locked inside, or if it just kept the malevolent attackers out. Sable Kiss passed through the golden light easily. Looked like he could leave the protection of the barrier whenever he wanted.
Markov's body convulsed, hunching over. It hung there for a moment before being thrown back, her head turned towards the ceiling. "Elias." She said, looking straight at him. Her eyes were still black, but there was something new in them. Humanity. Elena Markov was in control again.
But it only lasted a moment. With another violent surge, the corruption seized control once again. "Stay quiet, human!"
A plan began to form in Elias's mind.
"Maris!" Elias called out to the proud daughter of the Rayburns. "Do that thing again, tie me to Keldric and Lyara!"
Maris was whipping Mercy's Teeth wildly all around her, attempting to stave off the onslaught of onyx. She didn't turn to Elias, or even acknowledge him. However, the thin band on her head began to glow.
Lyara, Keldric, when Markov took control of her body, the corruption stopped moving for a brief moment.
So what does that mean? Asked Keldric.
Nothing on its own, however, the attacks by the corruption are faster the closer you get to Elena. Not only that, the tendrils that get destroyed seem to return to her before lashing out again. I think she's some kind of anchor.
Even if she is, what can we do about it?
I'm not sure, but we have to try something, and it needs to be focused on Markov.
Lyara was quiet and listened to the two men. Everyone in the room continued to move together, protecting one another as if they could all perceive every detail of what was happening.
The Chosen Ones were converging into a group on the far side of the bridge, Keldric's intent guiding them into formation to fight the surgeon while Lyara used Guardian's Mantle to protect them from the corruption that lined the walls.
I will use Mercy's Edge to purify the Captain of the corruption.
With that thought from Lyara, all hell broke loose.