Chapter 16: Toppled Tower
Silence.
Deep and overwhelming.
It was punctuated only by the rhythmic clinking of Lady Khullic’s blade as she tapped it against the side of her greaves.
Over… and over…
Formal hadn’t answered her yet, leaving the clinks of Pearlglass to echo through the helm. They reverberated off devastated walls, making the chamber sound as if it was vast and spacious. But to Cross, it did nothing to alleviate the tension pooling in his veins.
She was right there, the one who’d made a fool of him during Towerfall. Though it was Armel who gave him his name, it was based solely off of his complete failure to do anything to the Knight.
During their journey Cross had occasionally fancied the idea of besting her and claiming a name more suitable for a warrior. But standing before her, with the display of just how wide the gap between them was, he found himself turning to his companions for any semblance of support.
He found Misser glaring at Armel, as the latter was actively holding down the barrel of Fetcher’s Caster. Wristy kept glancing behind them for some reason, her hands clenching and unclenching as she looked to Armel expectantly. He didn’t respond at first, his gaze was fixed solely on Formal, his anticipation mirroring Wristy’s.
Lady Khullic wasn’t the only one waiting for him to do something. Behind her, Blast-Arm had peaked over the broken terminal she and Holst were using for cover. Though she had the barrel of her weapon locked on Formal, her hands trembled.
It was Holst who finally broke the silence, as they could all hear his voice in their heads.
“She’s in the helm!” he chittered “Only four slaves and their knight, my friends! With our Lady’s support, it will be nothing against our devotion!”
His voice was followed by cheering, joyful praise resonating from below.
It was just as Armel had suspected. The Blanken had been holding back, waiting specifically for their ally’s call. There was no telling how long they had, but any chance of escape would be gone if the Blanken swarmed them with Khullic’s help.
Armel had to know this, as the cheers finally spurred him into action. He turned to Wristy and nodded, which made her break away and run behind them. Cross’s gaze followed her, watching as she skidded to a stop next to the crumpled form of Cole.
With the pressure of Lady Khullic’s presence, Cross had completely forgotten about him. When Wristy slid her caster out of his grasp to mend his wounds, Cross could see that the recent fights had taken their toll. Even with the tank of ichor to slow it, the numerous wounds he’d suffered against the Dancer and the Knight had led the gray haze to travel past his shoulder, seeping down towards his legs while also creeping up his neck.
“Just lemme shoot ‘er!” Misser’s growl snapped Cross from the dismal sight of Cole, turning instead to the dismal sight of Misser yanking on Armel’s shoulder “You heard ‘em! Its now or never!”
Armel looked to him, only to curse under his breath.
“Hold on the Battlements.”
All of their heads spun towards Lady Khullic, who hadn’t moved from her spot.
“Ma’am?” Blast-Arm’s confusion was a perfect mirror of theirs.
“You haven’t answered me, my love.” Lady Khullic continued tapping her blade against her leg “What… happens… now?”
Whatever her play was, the repetition of her words led Armel to turn his gaze up towards Formal again.
“Boss, the swamp below us is massive enough to hide in!” he said “We’ll buy you time, Chance has the crew on the stranded plan, but with you they-!”
“I’ll admit it.” Formal’s words instantly silenced Armel “This whole smugglin’ gig? Figured it was a wash the second I heard it.”
“Boss?” Armel asked, only for Formal to stand tall and lower his spear.
He looked down at them. Being under the gaze of a Noirite with two eyes made Cross uneasy. He couldn’t figure out which one to stare at. Thankfully, Formal’s gaze turned to Wristy just as she finished stuffing Cole’s wounds.
“Ole’ Perignassi’s usually got this Quadrant locked down tight. Barely a gap between patrol routes and barely enough time to act before his response fleets roll in.” Formal reached up to tap a finger against his head “Been holdin’ us off for hundreds o turns, yet somehow we’s supposed to sneak a Rook through that? Nah, our bosses were desperate for this one. Guess they put a lil’ too much faith in my record, eh?”
He directed that last one back down to them, his mouth stretched into a smile as he casually pushed Armel aside. Though it was a gentle motion, Armel nearly fell back against Misser, who’s grumbles of annoyance became more frequent as Formal leaned his spear along his shoulder and gestured to Lady Khullic.
“Even knowin’ all that, I’ll admit.” He shrugged as his smile disappeared “Seein’ you and yours speedin’ towards us up there? That scared me, and I didn’t even know that was possible for us. It wasn’t even about dyin’ or the mission. It was my record.”
The clinking stopped, with Lady Khullic tilting her head at Formal. Cross found himself similarly transfixed as, despite his words, Formal’s smile had returned. In fact, it was growing as his shoulders began trembling.
“Imagine,” he fought against the rumbling chuckle rising from his depths “The goddamned thing gets us stuck in this mess, yet my blood runs dry at the thought o’ losing it!”
He held back no longer, tossing his head back in a rumbling laugh that had even Brother Holst poking his head out from the terminal in confusion. For once in his life, Cross felt as though he understood his Blanken counterparts with perfect clarity. Both of them mirrored the confusion of him and his allies, yet their Knight had nothing of the sort.
Khullic joined in, a slight giggle growing until the two knights were laughing uproariously at Formal’s words, as if he’d laid bare a joke of unrivaled quality.
“What joy you must have to find it intact, then!” Khullic declared in-between laughs, pausing only at the loud cough from behind.
“Ma’am?” Holst asked, his uncertain tone devoid of the usual glee he radiated.
But once she stopped, Formal followed soon after. His laughs died slowly as his shaper reached down to his side and glowed as they pressed against his bulky armor. A panel in his side slid open, and the Shaper retrieved a small blackstone pad that it quickly passed down to a still-frozen Armel.
He barely even reacted to it. His eye was locked on Formal until the shaper jabbed the pad against his chest.
“Boss,” Armel mumbled as he wrapped an arm around it “ain’t this-?”
“Gonna need that to finish the mission, comrade.” Formal grunted with another chuckle “I’ll cover you all best as I can, but I gotta focus on indulging the lady here.”
“Truly?” Lady Khullic spun around at that with a joyous laugh, cutlass already raised as she stared Formal down.
Formal didn’t answer, merely opened his mouth wide as a purple glow slowly emerged. Before their eyes, a jagged looking Obscuris Crystal emerged from his throat and settled between his teeth.
“Ain’t that Crystal raw?!?” Armel’s hesitance was overtaken by dismay at the sight “Boss-!”
“Target the small slaves only!” Khullic’s voice echoed through their heads as the pearlglass shards behind her began linking together “Formal’s mine and mine alone!”
“Orders, Captain?!?” Cross demanded, but Formal merely moved away as he sank his teeth into the Obscuris crystal.
It shattered in his jaw, sending arcs of purple traveling down his form. All across his bulky armor, glowing purple lines brightened and new ones emerged as he raised his shaper. The arcs traveled along his spear as he gripped it in both hands and adopted a stance.
“Damn it, do I shoot or not?!?” Misser spat in Armel’s face.
The Runes on Lady Khullic’s shoulder plates glowed brighter as the Pearlglass shards formed the shape of wings, a golden aura spreading along her entire form.
“Cole’s up!” Wristy called out from behind “But… the haze it-”
“All in, my brothers and sisters!” Holst cheered, having recovered from the shock “Grant them her mercy!”
Armel whipped his head back at that before cursing as he clutched the blackstone pad.
“Into the forest!” he shouted just as Formal’s shaper reared back and dug into the floor.
That was all Cross needed to hear before turning towards the open entry hall and booking it. He heard the sound of blessed beams and blackstone rending behind him, with one tearing through a blocked entry nearby just as he reached Wristy and Cole.
No words, only action.
He tried not to focus on Cole’s increasingly grey shell, instead helping Wristy by wrapping his free arm under Cole’s and helping her carry him as Armel rushed past them.
There it was again it again, the sound of clashing blades too fast for a Pawn to respond to. He had to place his faith in Formal defending them, as they were well and truly surrounded. He raised his Caster as footsteps echoed from the newly opened entry hall.
But before he could shoot, he saw the purple lights spreading along the floor under him. They traveled to the walls just as the first Blanken emerged. And before either could let off the first shot, they felt the floor jerk beneath them.
Harshly.
The entire helm tilteded viciously, nearly making Cross drop Cole as he fought to steady himself.
“Keep moving!” Cole shouted whilst firing Wristy’s Caster past them towards Blanken stumbling out of another blown open entry hall.
It was advice Cross took close to heart, as Wristy was already pushing forward. He hurried to keep pace as they made for the battlements. After the darkness of the helm, the unexpected light outside had nearly blinded him as they stumbled out.
The Helm jerked violently again, compounding matters as Cross had to push against the nearest wall to keep from falling.
When he opened his eyes, he found that the dark clouds had parted.
In their place were the white clouds of two undamaged Brighthomes circling the top of the tower.
They hadn’t opened fire, but one was already depositing more Blanken onto what remained of the Battlements. Cross was quick to pull away from Wristy and Cole, sliding behind cover next to Armel and opening fire on the Blanken. He was only able to put down one of before the others scattered behind cover again, making him curse as Misser slid to another pile of rubble nearby
“Are the Knights shaking the whole tower?!?” Misser asked as he peeked out of cover.
“It don’t matter!” Armel spat before nodding towards the forest “We trust the captain and get in the green!”
“But Cole ain’t makin’ that jump!” Wristy said as she sat him down next to the others “He’s gray enough as it is, leave us here to cover you and-!”
“Still got the King’s blood.” Cole wheezed out “Ain’t slowing nobody, let’s-!”
“Careful!” Holst’s voice called out “He’s dropping the helm, my friends! Grab hold of something before-!”
The Helm jerked violently once more, sending Cross face first into the rubble he’d been using for cover.
The floor was too slanted to find purchase anymore. He and the rest of the Pawns found themselves sliding as the entire helm of the tower tilted off of the structure towards the side of the mountain facing the forest.
“Like I said!” Cole pulled free of Cross and Wristy before rushing Armel “No Slowing!”
He tackled Armel, sending them both flying off the edge of the Battlements and plummeting to the rocky mountainside below.
“Damned dull-headed bastard!” Cross could hear Wristy snapping behind him as he raced to the edge as well, sliding down as the incline decreased and looking back as a screaming voice approached rapidly from behind
He had only a moment to see Blast-Arm flailing, falling head over heel before she slammed into him and sent him off of the battlements.
Suddenly he was over the mountainside, watching Wristy and Misser speed away with the battlements as he fell. He held his Caster tightly as he flailed, trying and failing to steady his descent as he passed the dark walls of the tower rapidly. He was just barely able to turn around, just in time to see Blackstone rushing up to greet him.
He smashed against a flat Blackstone surface, grunting as he scrambled to stand. The blackstone shifted dangerously as soon as he tried, so he froze, casting his gaze around to see that he’d smacked against a chunk of the Battlements that had been lodged in the side of the mountain.
Carefully pushing himself towards the jagged rock wall, he found a good number of similar pieces of the tower had been scattered along the cliffside.
But he wasn’t given a chance to marvel at the sight, for there was still Blackstone falling. Turning his attention upwards, Cross was given only a brief moment to recognize the Helm plummeting towards him.
He practically threw himself off of the piece before it was crushed into the mountainside. The helm rocked forward before continuing its descent, ripping out the side of the mountain as it went.
Cross saw the avalanche forming, saw the blackstone and the Helm riding the wave down.
But most importantly, he saw the gleaming grin of Brother Holst as he clung to the edge of the Battlements with one hand.
He wasn’t alone, several more Blanken were either clinging to the helm or being dragged along by the avalanche. Cross saw one’s head explode in a spray of vitae and purple sparks, recognizing that Wristy and Misser were also still hanging onto the Helm.
Holst ignored several pieces of his ally that coated his arms and legs, merely rose before pushing away from the Battlements.
In another hypnotic spin, he practically flew towards another piece of Blackstone before leaping downward.
Not to let the opportunity pass, Cross hefted his caster and sped towards the edge of his own piece before leaping off as well.
The entire side of the cliff was collapsing, there was no telling if there was something stable to land on below. But Cross focused only on Holst. Far below he could just barely make out the form of Armel skidding down a slope with the pad clutched tightly to his chest.
Holst had to be aiming for him.
Cross landed on an outcropping of rock which shifted under his weight just enough to make him stumble forward. He fought to raise his Caster and caught himself at the edge, trying to take aim at Holst who darted along the falling debris.
Before he could fire, he took note of a gift the newly emerged sun had granted.
He could see shadows falling behind him.
Cross spun around and fired before either of the two Blanken could land. His arc ripped through the leg of one Blanken and sent her spinning into the falling debris as the other fired down.
Cross darted forward under the beam and fired again, but the Blanken landed in a roll that skirted just under his own cast as well. Seeing the Blessed Blaster swing up towards him, Cross thought quickly and flung himself off the side of the outcropping right before the beam tore through the air beside him. He fired his next cast into the Blanken’s chest piece right before he smacked into the side of the mountain.
He desperately tried to orient himself again, only to smash into another chunk of Blackstone and go sailing down.
He caught sight of white on black, a single Blanken form darting across a larger piece of the battlements wedged into the mountainside below.
It was Holst, dancing and swerving as his shards spun towards Armel. Even with only one arm and his other devoted to holding the blackstone square to his chest, Armel was somehow managing to dip and dive out of the way of the speeding shards.
Cross immediately took aim as he fell, trying to line up his caster despite his ragged descent. He fired, only for the purple arcs to race along the blackstone next to Holst instead.
Holst immediately spun around, twirling away from Armel briefly as Cross lined up his second shot. But Holst began to spin, his shards already moving to intercept Cross the moment he landed.
Realizing the play, Cross angled his legs downward. The moment he landed he lunged to the side as the shards swung towards him. Two carved into his leg as he stumbled against broken railing, but he fired before the next could reach him.
Though Holst was already moving to dodge out of the way, Armel charged into him from behind and rammed him into the way of the arc.
Vitae and broken pearlglass flew as the two crashed into the blackstone below, but Holst had somehow managed to maintain his momentum even with his other arm dangling off. With quick footwork he had even more shards ram into the gaping hole in his shoulder, sealing it up before even a handful of vitae had flown free.
But he barely had five shards left, not nearly enough to keep Cross from sneering at the sight.
He whipped his Caster up, eager to finally silence the cackling preacher, only for a massive impact to draw his attention back to the helm.
The Helm had wedged itself into the decimated mountainside, debris raining down on them as rock began to give way under it.
Cross saw several Blanken along with Wristy go flying from the impact, several more barely holding on. One of those pawns was Misser, struggling to aim Fetcher’s caster at the dazed Blanken only for Blast-Arm to charge into his side and ram him off the Battlements with Wristy and the others.
“Sister!” Holst called out as he darted back from Cross and Armel “Assistance, please?”
He didn’t even wait for an answer, Holst’s eye immediately locked on Armel as he was pulling himself up using the broken rail. He leaped for him, Shards swinging, only for an arc of purple to make him leap towards the rail instead. Armel practically shot back to avoid the shards as Holst ran past him along the rail.
Cross took aim, only to notice where Blast-Arm was pointing her weapon. He raised his Caster right before her blessed beam tore through the upper barrel of it, throwing his aim off and leaving him struggling backwards as those shards sped towards him again.
Only one direction would save him, so he darted through the shards. He swung his busted caster, stumbling on his injured foot and just barely managing to send it smashing into Holst’s torso
Shards tore through his shoulder as Holst spun back from the impact, new cracks in his torso sending Vitae flying as he fought to maintain his footing.
But before he could steady himself fully, another figure leaped from the falling debris.
It was Cole, stumbling down the mountain with a large chunk of Blackstone in his grasp. Before Holst could even turn, Cole rammed that large chunk straight through his damaged torso, the jagged tip emerging from the other side of his shell as Blast-Arm’s cry of alarm rang out from above.
Cole stumbled past Holst on gray legs, but Cross wasn’t taking any chances.
He moved to finish it, only to spot a large chunk of the helm plummeting as the mountainside began to give way again. It crashed onto the edge of the piece they all stood on, levering the entire chunk away from the mountain.
Suddenly he was falling away from the mountain, spinning head over foot as he sped towards the forest below. His eye darted around, but wasn’t able to catch sight of the others before his vision was filled with green.
