62. Sunder

sixty-two

Sunder

It does not take long to figure out where Malicryn and her little gang are. They aren't trying to stay hidden. Blowing up buildings and setting fires seem to be their main objective right now. The South side of the city is mostly made of low wooden buildings as it's the newest part of town. Eventually, only the timber frames are kept and stone will be added over generations.

"Ok, so when we find her, how are we going to isolate her from the others?" Bobble asks behind me as we creep through alleys towards the sounds of destruction. Each explosion, each scream, feels just like the knife she stabbed through my heart a lifetime ago. Someone else's lifetime.

Dan'thiel has given up everything in order for us to fix this and seek justice. My heart races with determination, urging me to move forward. I push myself even harder, my desperation to reach her growing with each step.

"I don't know," I confess, gingerly tiptoeing around the corpse of an elderly woman who, despite her current state, reminds me of a doting grandmother. Someone who would always be baking cookies and spoiling grandchildren with affection. My jaw tightens as I try to contain my emotions.

"Ok well, what if we try to lay a trap too? I could be a cat and try to lure her away. Everyone like cats."

Of course, Bobble thinks a cute cat will be enough to distract any crazed villain. Normally, I would kiss him and tell him how adorable he is, but at this moment all I can see is red. I respond with a noncommittal grunt and continue to focus on what's ahead of me.

The quiet between us is tangible, something solid in a world spiraling out of control. The hum of his support is a balm against my swirling rage, grounding me.

As we move deeper into the chaos, the fires seem to get hotter, the screams louder. The city that once represented so much promise now lies crumbled around us, and everything in it is dying.

A joyful, melodic tone echoes from around the bend. I recognize it instantly. "Not that one, stupid. The other one. Yes, her. Let's see what she's made of."

Every hair on the back of my neck stands on end, prickling my skin with an overwhelming sense of dread. My stomach twists and turns like a stormy sea, threatening to expel its contents at any moment. Bobble's arm wraps around me in a desperate attempt to provide comfort, but I am paralyzed. Gasping for air, I struggle to stand upright, my body trembling uncontrollably as I fight the overwhelming urge to collapse.

What is happening to me? Bobble rubs my back in soothing circles. His purring in my ear soothes me enough to push down the urge to vomit. Taking a deep breath, I push off my knees and force myself upright.

That fucking bitch.

I don't think. I just race around the corner with sword drawn. Behind me I hear Bobble groan, but I can't stop the propulsion inside me that says Run. Attack. Avenge. Save.

There stands Malicryn, her back to me as five members of her personal guard, The Ralvore, force three fae women on their knees in a line before her like an executioner.

Seeing her takes me back to the day she stole everything from me because of petty jealousy. My stomach flips on itself again, threatening to take me down. The women cry and plead as the heartless guards in their black leather armor and spears shove them to the ground. One of them lets out a wordless visceral scream as a knife is placed against her throat.

Then I'm moving again.

My growl reverberates off the buildings as I launch myself at Malicryn's back. I slam a blast of air into the open square. I don't register the crunch of bodies hitting walls or the sudden scream rent from Malicryn's throat as she's knocked off her feet. There's just the rush of blood in my ears and the burning need to end this.

I hear a powerful roar from Bobble somewhere behind me, echoing my own. The street lights up from streams of yellow light, splitting into two groups. The women lying in a heap against the bakery wall receive healing from Bobble's yellow Chroma. His remaining magic is bent towards destruction, not healing. It surges towards the group of five guards, ready to attack.

Two spear arms are severed clean at the shoulder. Another couple are left with gaping chest wounds that have them stumbling backward. The fifth guard, the one farthest from me, manages to sidestep the blast and channels his own Chroma to knock the stream aside. His gaze flickers toward me before snapping back to Bobble, a mirror of my fury reflected in his eyes.

Malicryn rises to her feet, seemingly unperturbed that she stands against us with only one guard now. That alone is enough to make me nervous. What does she know that we don't?

I slam a shield against her, but she easily deflects it with barely a flick of her wrist. Her red Chroma pulses around her in a slow, steady beat. Slowing my approach, the only sounds are the crunch of gravel beneath my feet and the wailing of her guards left to die from blood loss. The hostages scramble and disappear as quickly as a mouse scurries from the cat.

Bobble pauses beside me, and with the unspoken bond between us, a mutual understanding blossoms. Like four strikes of lightning, his Chroma punctures the hearts of the four suffering guards. A mercy, no doubt, they don't deserve.

He throws himself at the remaining guard, now leveling a spear at him and channeling a deep maroon chroma, lashing luck to himself and misfortune to us.

My eyes turn to Malicryn, with her long white hair streaming in the smokey wind and her lavender skin practically glowing in the firelight from the chaos around us. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch Bobble engage in a deadly fight, but I must keep my focus. Focus on her. She's the real danger.

"Still haven't mended that soul of yours, Danny?"

The curl of her lips is vicious, like a wolf baring its fangs. Still, her gaze flickers over me in a chillingly casual way, as if we're old friends catching up over tea. As if she didn't just have fae women dragged before her for some sick entertainment I can only guess at. As if she hasn't spent decades tormenting us and plotting our demise.

"I see your kitty cat broke his curse. I knew I should have made him something more disgusting, like a cockroach. But where's the fun in that?"

Beside me, Bobble locks in combat with the guard, their Chroma clashing against each other with tremendous force. His amber eyes flash with determination as he engages his foe head-on.

She raises one manicured finger slowly, pointing directly at me. "I'm going to take my time with you. I've been dreaming of this day for far too long."

Before I can respond, she lunges for me, a sharp dagger appearing in her hand as if by magic. My sword barely deflects it in time. The ringing sound of our weapons colliding slices through the air.

As the sun sets, the sky becomes a canvas of flickering colors. Sweat rolls down my forehead as I throw everything I have against her in huge columns of blue light, and I brace myself for a fight to the death.