Sorry for the delay! I was super locked in writing and missed the time...
Noah had never been happier to be squeezed into a room far too small for the people within it. Moxie, the other professors, and all of his students were here.
Everyone had made it.
But no matter how badly he wanted to drop everything and ask them what had happened over the past months and how they were doing, none of them were safe.
Not yet.
He needed to get them out of here. All the excited conversation filling the room as everyone caught back up with each other certainly wasn’t helping. Noah didn’t blame them for it. He’d have been right there with them if he had the liberty to.
Noah’s jaw clenched. He reached deeper into his soul, gathering more and more power. There was no way he’d be able to take everyone all the way back to the entrance of the Lost Citadel that he’d entered Obsidia through. It was too far away.
For now, he’d just settle for getting them all as far away from Aqua Terra as possible. That would have to be enough. There was a good chance that someone would come looking for them. He knew firsthand from Garina’s abilities that a powerful mage could cross a continent at incredible speeds. Vivian or another Rank 8 would be easily able to catch up… but Yoru had apparently handled things with Vivian.
And, with any luck, Vivian would make sure that the other Rank 8s remained here for long enough for Noah and the others to make it to the Lost Citadel and ensure they were safe and hidden.
I’m going to need both the Beyond and the Line for this. More of the Line than I’ve ever called on before. I need to bring everyone with me.
Noah tuned out the noise in the room around him. He could feel the Line all around them. Flashes of golden magic danced through his vision faster and faster, in greater quantities with every passing breath. He could see it even with his eyes closed.
Magical power roiled through his veins. A buzz filled the air. Dimly, at the back of his mind, he registered that the conversation had petered out. Every strand of hair on his body stood on end. He could taste magic like electricity racing across his tongue.
Golden light swallowed every inch of darkness until nothing but the Line remained.
Noah let out a slow, measured breath. He let the Line work through every single part of his being.
It wasn’t enough.
Noah couldn’t have said how he knew. He simply did. The amount of power in him was only a fraction of what was needed to bring this many people far enough away from a city as large as Aqua Terra. He needed more. Much more.
Shit. Where do I—
Something prickled against the back of his thoughts.
Then a stream of magical energy entered Noah. It was thin at first, but quickly grew into a rushing river. He recognized its source an instant later.
Grim?
You’re a greedy bastard, Noah Vines. I hope you know that. You’re going to have to pay me back for this.
Noah didn’t get a chance to reply. The flow of power pouring into him doubled, then tripled. It pushed back against the Line, weaving around Locrian Dissonance and reinforcing it. The extra pressure was all Noah needed. He drank deeper from the Line.
Some of the power escaped his body. It pumped into the air around him — but it didn’t escape his grasp. There was just too much of it to hold within his body. The power grew so thick that he could almost feel it condensing against his clothes.
Noah pulled on it until the stream of power from Grim dried up. He pulled until there was literally nothing more he could take, and then he pulled more.
There was a moment of complete stillness.
Then his eyes snapped open, and the world was gold.
Noah let his power envelop everyone within the room.
Then he stepped.
A shimmer of golden sparks flew up from his foot as it landed on the ground.
And then Noah and every other living soul in the room vanished. Nothing remained but plain stone and the memory of what had stood there a moment before. There was a faint woosh as wind rushed to fill the space where they’d all been standing a moment before.
After that was nothing but silence.
***
Mordred blinked.
He was having a bit of trouble reconciling what he’d just witnessed. Spider had somehow stepped right out onto the arena fields, grabbed someone that had clearly been working with him from the start, and vanished.
And he’d done it twice. All the defenses that Vivian should have had in place had done nothing at all to stop him and the haggard-looking man that had created the green portal they’d used.
A trill of excitement shot through Mordred’s heart.
That message was true. We’re watching the emergence of a new faction.
But any excitement Mordred felt faded quite quickly as two very sobering thoughts struck him. The first was that Lee was with Spider. And that meant his research subject had just up and vanished. After all the work he’d done to make sure he’d be able to ask her some questions… his efforts at the tournament had been completely wasted.
And the second was that he could no longer feel Fist’s presence.
She wasn’t in Aqua Terra anymore.
A spike of panic shot through Mordred. He shot to his feet, face going pale, before he realized the connection was still there. She was just far. Much, much farther than she should have been. They weren’t even at the range where communication was still possible.
But she was alive.
Mordred blew out a slow, relieved breath.
Then a grin split his lips.
Fist somehow tagged along with Spider.
“Ace,” Mordered said, rubbing his hands together. “Fist has been kidnapped. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“No?” Ace said. “What do you mean, kidnapped?”
“It seems Spider has taken her along with him and his people during their departure of Aqua Terra,” Mordered said. He stretched his arms over his head. “Whether it was voluntary or not… I am unsure. But, either way, it seems we know how we will catch back up to them. Prepare yourself, my good man. It is about time for us to abscond as well.”
“How exactly are we going to do that?” Ace asked wearily. “I don’t know if you’ve realized, but we are also within the tournament. We can’t just walk out on it. And is pissing the Prophet off by abandoning her really the best idea?”
“It is not abandoning anything,” Mordred replied. “We were given a task to locate the creature terrorizing Ice Wretch Mountain. We are simply continuing that mission. I see no issue here. Not to mention one of our own has been kidnapped. It is only natural to seek her back out.”
“You sound altogether far too happy about the fact that Fist was kidnapped,” Ace said.
“Nonsense,” Mordred said with a chuckle. “I have no idea what you are talking about. Come, now. We can figure the rest out later. It’s time to find out how we can get…”
And then he trailed off.
His senses — which were too sharp for even Aqua Terra to fully mute — prickled.
There was someone just on the other side of the wall from them. Mordred took a step back. His eyes narrowed. Ace caught the change in his composure in an instant. The other man lowered into a fighting stance, falling silent.
A faint snick reached their ears. Another one followed after it. And, with the sound of what could only be described as scissors through fabric, a line cut itself into the wall before them. There was a shimmer of magic. Then, as the two watched in surprise, the stone rippled like the surface of a disturbed lake. A woman stepped right through what should have been solid wall and into their room.
She bore a giant wooden staff easily two heads taller than her over her shoulder. It looked more like a club than anything else, but it was much too large for someone her size to wield as any manner of weapon. But it wasn’t the staff that held his information.
Ace let out a curse beside him. Mordred’s eyes widened.
He never forgot a face — and he knew who this woman was.
“You,” Mordred said, accusingly.
“I prefer Elania,” the woman said with a wry smile. “I have a name, Mordred. Use it."
“I'm well aware. But what are you doing here?” Mordred asked. “ And seriously, can literally everyone travel around the tournament? There are supposed to be wards protecting this.”
“Cutting through things happens to be my specialty,” Elania replied.
Then she glanced over her shoulder. The wall rippled, and a second woman stepped through it, this one younger than the first. She looked around the room uncomfortably — clearly uneasy with whatever was going on. Judging by the blade at her side and her armor, the newcomer was probably a competitor at the tournament.
“And why exactly is it that you've tracked me down?” Mordred tilted his head to the side. "That's typically my role."
“I just happened to be passing through,” Eliana replied with a small shrug. “My friend and I will be on our way shortly enough. It just struck me that we may have similar goals. You’re in pursuit of Spider, are you not?”
Mordred’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”
“I don’t believe that is relevant.” Elania smiled. “But if you want any chance of catching up with Spider… you’re going to need help. You’re a competent tracker, Mordred. But not even you’re good enough to follow Spider where he’s going.”
“And you are?” Ace asked.
Elania cast a look back at the rippling wall behind her. Then she shrugged. “I make do. So… are you coming?”
Mordred and Ace exchanged a glance.
Then Mordred shrugged. He’d made dumber choices before.
“Suppose we are,” Mordred said. “But what’s your stake in this whole thing?”
Elania didn’t reply. She just winked, then turned on her heel and strode through the wall. Her young companion hurried after her.
And, after a moment longer of hesitation, Mordered and Ace followed after them.