7. Dead Zone

seven

Adrian's practice sessions with Heartrender came in handy as he flickered in and out of partial melds with Trailseeker. Seymour's scent permeated the camp and surrounding woods, making it difficult to discern one trace from another. Eventually, however, Trailseeker stumbled on a fresh path accompanied by a muskier scent that had to be Tremorfist's. They followed its erratic trajectory, heading mostly to the east.

Toward whatever aetheric disturbance Seymour sensed there.

Adrian checked his shroud, ensuring he'd cloaked his aether. His recent training also meant a corresponding increase in the strength of his aura, and while he still couldn't maintain a shroud indefinitely, he now only had to drop it a minute or two out of every ten to recover. Hopefully, that would be enough to make him and Trailseeker a less enticing snack.

His aethersense pinged constantly. The trees and air out here lay thick with aether, and daemons shifted all around them. He tensed whenever one drew too close, but Trailseeker avoided what it could, and the rest left them alone.

Even with aether enhancing his vision and Trailseeker's glow, he could barely walk for fear of tripping over a root or smacking into a branch. After a nasty stumble that left him bleeding from a shallow cut on his hand, he gave up and melded his body fully with his daemon. His improved aetheric control reduced the strain significantly, but his reserve wouldn't hold up forever. He urged Trailseeker to quicken its pace. Without him slowing it down, the daemon burst into a run.

They staggered to a halt a few minutes later when an aura of wrong swept over them. Adrian scanned the forest through Trailseeker's eyes for any signs of danger. Branches swayed and creaked. Dried leaves rustled along the forest floor. All was quiet. And yet…

As Trailseeker crept forward, Adrian struggled to identify what felt so off. Then, it hit him. For the first time since they'd entered Overlin Forest, not a single daemon lingered nearby. In fact, aether in general seemed weaker here, as if something had drained it from the very air. Was this the disturbance Seymour had warned him about?

Heartrender's concern throbbed in the back of his mind.

Don't worry, I'll be careful, he mentally replied.

She didn't seem convinced.

Gathering his courage, he urged Trailseeker on anyway. He didn't relish the thought of entering an aetheric dead zone, but they couldn't turn back now. Not without Seymour.

The aetheric drain worsened with every step. Stripped of their lifeforce, the surrounding trees drooped, their leaves black with decay. His own aether felt even more sluggish than usual, and he rematerialized beside Trailseeker with a groan, propping an arm against the daemon for support. Its azure glow had dimmed, leaving the forest darkly impenetrable to his eyes.

Catching his breath, he squared his shoulders and forced himself onward. He kept one hand pressed to Trailseeker's back, trusting the creature to guide him around any obstacles. For now, the aetheric drain only made him a touch woozy, but who knew what would happen if he remained in it for an extended period? The withered plants suggested nothing good. He tightened his jaw at the thought of Seymour suffering a similar fate.

Don't you dare die on me before I can rescue you, you arrogant jerk! I need you out here.

He reached a clearing and stared, his mouth falling open. A mangled mess of splintered trees littered the space. At its center, a muscular daemon shaped like a scaled boar circled around a rocky outcrop jutting from the dirt. His aethersense identified the creature as Icetusk. Every few seconds, it gouged tusks almost as long as Adrian's body into the ground near a small hole in the natural stone formation. Each attack left behind a fresh haze of crackling ice.

Icetusk shuffled back, and Adrian glimpsed a form shifting within the gap. His heart skipped a beat. That had to be Seymour, hidden from the daemon in a crevice too narrow for it to enter.

A thought fluttered through his bond with Heartrender. He translated her intent as best he could: how did it drain the surrounding aether?

Good question. Icetusk's technique appeared to involve frost. Perhaps it had chilled the plants to death? Whatever the explanation, he didn't intend to get close enough to find out.

He glanced down at Trailseeker. "See if you can get that thing's attention. Then, draw it as far from here as you can. If you're able to slip away, loop back to rejoin me. Otherwise…"

Swallowing a splash of shame, he left the rest of the command unspoken, watching as Trailseeker loped across the clearing. Somehow, his plans involving the poor daemon always seemed to end with noble sacrifices.

Icetusk didn't notice Trailseeker until the daemon leaped onto its back, tearing into its flank with fangs strengthened by Bolster Body. Bellowing, Icetusk flared its own aether. Frozen energy erupted across its skin in a crystallizing wave. Trailseeker tumbled free with a pained yelp that twinged Adrian's heart. Icetusk stomped its hooves and howled, charging at the fallen daemon.

Trailseeker regained its feet in a flash. Then, it was off, dashing across the clearing with enhanced speed. Icetusk might possess the stronger aura, but so long as Trailseeker had aether to burn, Bolster Body gave it the edge it needed to compete. His daemon reached the treeline first. Icetusk followed a few steps behind, crashing through the underbrush.

Once the sounds of pursuit had faded, Adrian rushed from his hiding place and crossed the broken clearing. He dropped to his hands and knees by the crack, squinting into the hole. Lit only by faint moonlight from above, all he could make out were shadows.

"Seymour," he whispered. "Are you in there?"

A low groan came from below. "Adrian? What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you, by the look of it. Can you walk?"

"I…I'm not sure. My aether's depleted, and I think I broke my leg. I can barely move."

Spirits below. "Okay. Um… Let's start by getting you out of there." He held out a hand so Seymour could snag it. "What happened?"

Seymour hissed in pain, scrabbling feebly at the stone for leverage as Adrian strained to pull him up. In the dim light, he could make out the paleness of the watcher's face and the battered state of his typically pristine armor. That, more than anything, drove home their dire situation.

"The beast snuck up on me," the watcher said through gritted teeth. "I was following a hunt that brought me this way and decided to investigate the aetheric disturbance like a spirit-cursed fool. Before I knew it, my reserve was half-drained. I barely reached this outcropping in time."

Adrian dug his heels into the ground, dragging Seymour another hand's breadth higher. "You know, you could do more to help me here."

Seymour glared at him, half-in and half-out of the hole. "My apologies for not assisting enough with your heroic rescue. By now, you'd think I'd be used to your incompetence."

Flushing, Adrian tugged with every ounce of strength he could muster. "A little gratitude wouldn't hurt seeing as how I'm the one currently saving your hide."

Seymour flopped onto his belly and shimmied the last bit out of the hole. Rolling onto his back, he winced and closed his eyes. "That remains to be seen. What now, oh glorious hero?"

Adrian eyed the bedraggled watcher. With his armor on, Seymour had to weigh easily twice what he did, if not more. No way he'd be able to carry him all the way back to camp. Maybe if he had Trailseeker loop around to help?

"I'm surprised you're in this bad of shape," he said as he considered the dilemma. "Icetusk was a nasty piece of work, but its aura seemed comparable to your own."

Seymour cracked an emerald eye. "Icetusk? You mean that boar you scared off? It wouldn't have been an issue if I wasn't already so drained. It's the other one that got the drop on me."

Adrian paused, stomach sinking. "Other one?"

A rough, crinkling noise echoed from the clearing's edge. Adrian whirled just in time to see withered branches crumble to the ground as the trunks that had supported them split apart. Releasing its grip on the desiccated trees, a daemon as tall as two men lumbered into the clearing. Its body was all jutting angles, like triangles haphazardly stacked together, and its angular head bore a toothless maw. Its name sent a shiver down his spine: Souleater.

Perhaps Seymour had been right to hold his applause. Some heroic rescue.

Souleater paused a few steps into the clearing, its azure flesh giving off enough light to illuminate the area. Though it must have shrouded its aether during its approach, it was close enough now for the weight of its aura to press against him. It tipped its pyramid-like head back, its strangely angular body shuddering as it sucked at the air.

Grimacing at the slurping noise, Adrian glanced down at Seymour. "I get the distinct impression this thing feeds on aether. Make sure you're shrouded."

The watcher attempted a sneer, though his eyes remained fixed on the lumbering daemon as it took another step toward them. "Don't lecture me on proper battlefield etiquette when you're the one who abandoned your training long before reaching that point." His sneer morphed into a pained grimace. "Besides, I've barely got a drop of aether left to sense."

Slurp. Slurp.

Adrian could practically feel the aether draining from his body into Souleater's open maw. He studied the horrific creature, searching for a weakness they might exploit. "It doesn't have any eyes. Or ears, for that matter. Maybe it won't realize we're here."

Seymour cocked an eyebrow. "It didn't have any trouble finding me earlier."

As if on cue, Souleater stepped toward them. Adrian's first instinct was to flee, but that might only inspire the daemon to quicken its gait. Besides, he couldn't abandon Seymour.

He rolled his shoulders. "Get to the trees as fast as you can. Crawl if you have to."

"What are you doing? Adrian, don't be an idiot!"

Seymour's cry followed him as he dashed away from the rocky outcrop, waving his hands in the air. "Hey, over here you ugly brute!"

Souleater paused, drawing in a deep breath. That's it. See how tasty I am? The daemon remained still a moment longer. Then, it resumed its inexorable march toward the clearing's center. Adrian's heart plummeted. If he couldn't give Seymour time to escape, the watcher didn't stand a chance.

A thought from Heartrender flared in the back of his mind, and he slapped his forehead. Of course! He'd forgotten the most important part. Bracing himself, he dropped his shroud and unveiled his aura.

Souleater's head snapped to face him, and it let out a low, high-pitched keen. He barely had time to gulp before the daemon charged. Its bulk shook the earth, dead branches snapping and cracking underfoot.

For such a large creature, Souleater moved with astonishing speed. It took everything Adrian had to stay one step ahead of the daemon's grasping hands. If it could drain his aether through proximity alone, he didn't want to learn what it could do with a touch. He couldn't even spare a glance to see if he'd bought Seymour enough time to escape.

He threw himself to the side, narrowly evading a blow, and his foot caught on something, sending him sprawling to the ground. Souleater loomed over him in a heartbeat. The pull on his aether intensified as the daemon stretched a spindly claw toward him. He crawled back, eyes widening with panic.

Something thumped against Souleater's back. The daemon jerked its head around before blessedly pulling away. Adrian released a shaky breath and peered past the creature's legs to see Seymour standing there, a broken piece of stone in one hand.

Adrian swore softly to himself. "I thought I told you to run!"

"And I ignored you." Seymour hefted the chunk of rubble and hurled it at the daemon. His years of watcher training paid off, the stone striking Souleater's forehead with a solid thunk.

The daemon's mouth stretched wider than seemed physically possible. Its inhuman wail echoed through the clearing, rattling what few leaves remained on the withered trees. Adrian winced and covered his ears. As the terrible sound faded, Souleater stepped toward Seymour. It opened and closed its mouth, tasting the air.

Adrian took advantage of the distraction to search the surrounding ground. His eyes fell on the stone outcrop where Seymour had hidden. That must've been what had caught his foot. He'd been so focused on evading Souleater, he hadn't realized they'd circled to the clearing's center.

Apparently deciding Seymour wasn't worth the effort, Souleater turned back to Adrian. Terror gripped him, and he did the only thing he could think of, scrabbling into the narrow crevice. The monstrous daemon eclipsed the opening as he pressed himself as far back as he could. Souleater's claw grazed the air in front of him, its arm too large to get a good angle.

Adrian let out a shaky breath. Maybe Seymour would be able to slip away and return once he'd recovered. Yet, at the rate Adrian was losing aether, he doubted he'd survive that long. Picturing the blackened trees, he shuddered at the thought of suffering the same fate.

Heartrender's soothing presence pulsed within him, and he nodded to himself. She had a point—he didn't need to solve this problem on his own. He reached out to Trailseeker through their bond and found his other daemon so distant now he could barely sense it. It must have taken Icetusk on a merry chase.

Come back, buddy, he ordered. If Trailseeker led Icetusk here, maybe they could give Souleater something else to feast on. All he had to do was hold out long enough for—

Souleater suddenly withdrew its hand and retreated from the opening. Adrian frowned. Trailseeker and Icetusk were still a ways off. Had it given up on him so easily?

Then, he heard something ricochet off the daemon's skin, and his stomach sank. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" he shouted.

Seymour's voice echoed from across the clearing. "I will not let you outdo me!" Souleater vanished from Adrian's line of sight. "Though, I wouldn't say no to a better plan."

Adrian checked on Trailseeker's progress. Even sprinting with its Bolster Body, his daemon wouldn't reach them in time. He closed his eyes and struggled to recall Trailseeker's aether, but it was too far to initiate a meld. That left only one option to return the daemon swiftly.

I'm so sorry, buddy.

Wincing, he commanded Trailseeker to halt. A moment later, his daemon's disjointed aether flowed back into him. He bowed his head, trying not to imagine all the gruesome ways Icetusk might have struck the killing blow. No time to dwell on his remorse. Now that he didn't have an active daemon, he manifested Heartrender by the pit's opening and scrambled out to join her.

Souleater crouched a dozen paces away, its mouth agape as it sucked at the air. Seymour lay unmoving at its feet. Adrian shouted, trying to get the daemon's attention, but it didn't react. He sent a desperate command to Heartrender. A moment later, her aether surged into him until his body churned with a whirlwind of energy. If he hadn't spent the last couple weeks training to control such power, it might've ripped him apart.

Wisps of blue light leaked from his mouth and the cuts on his skin as he dashed forward. "Let him go!"

This time, the monster reacted to his presence, fixing him with its eyeless gaze. Its mouth gulped hungrily at the air as it lunged for him. He danced away from its grasp and spared a glance for Seymour. The watcher's body lay limp, his eyes closed and lips faintly parted.

Do what you can for him, he sent to Heartrender. Then, he veered to the right and bolted for the ring of dead trees.

He sensed Souleater at his heels, sapping his aether. Maybe he could lose the daemon in the forest and loop back for Seymour. It wasn't a brilliant plan…but it was all he had.

Heartrender's borrowed aether drained away, and he stumbled as his muscles flagged. Spirits below, had Souleater already consumed it all? He risked a glance back and found Souleater veering across the clearing toward…

Adrian blinked, then broke out in a wide grin. A copy of him stood on the opposite end of the field. Heartrender must've taken back her aether so she could pour it into her technique. The illusion shimmered with an overabundance of raw energy.

For a daemon like Souleater, the bait proved irresistible.

Souleater pounced on the Mirror Image, plunging its hands through the illusory doppelganger's chest. The illusion wavered but didn't break as the daemon stretched its mouth wide, guzzling aether like water. When the image finally lost its cohesion and shattered, a fresh copy immediately replaced it.

Nice work, Adrian cheered through their bond. Heartrender sent a tired affirmation in response, along with a gentle nudge. Right—she couldn't keep this up forever.

Indicating he understood, he ran over to kneel beside Seymour's prone body. The watcher's pulse was faint but still there. Wrapping his arms around Seymour, Adrian struggled to lift the larger man. After a few strained moments, he groaned and let the watcher drop. It was no use.

He eyed the watcher's golden armor and swallowed. Seymour would kill him for this when he woke up. Then again, if it meant he would wake up, Adrian counted that as a win.

While Heartrender conjured a succession of illusions to satiate Souleater, Adrian unfastened Seymour's armor piece by piece, discarding them on the ground. Extracted from his gleaming carapace, Seymour's athletic body appeared surprisingly frail, reminding Adrian of the lanky boy he'd once been.

Adrian tried again to lift the watcher and managed to sling him over his shoulder. He paused to gently pat Heartrender before rising. "You've done all you can, girl. We need to go."

Heartrender trilled, the sound exhausted but laced with determination.

Adrian frowned as he parsed the sensations she sent through their bond. Then, he nodded. "You're right. We need to keep the daemon occupied long enough for us to escape. And no!" he added, sensing the thought forming in her mind. "You don't count as acceptable bait."

He channeled his remaining aether to bolster Heartrender's technique. With both their wills invested in the effort, Heartrender manifested one last Mirror Image. She didn't bother shaping this illusion, leaving the formless mass of energy to roil in the clearing's center. Keening hungrily, Souleater plunged into the aether cloud.

Heartrender sagged. Adrian would've gladly cradled her in his arms if he wasn't already carrying a much heavier charge. Instead, he recalled her. Then, sparing a final glance at the terrible daemon still inhaling aether from the air, he turned and fled with Seymour in tow.