Grey Spatium 33

Arthur didn’t teleport away again. Instead, he stood and conjured his weapon. I felt myself shiver at the intensity of his focus. He carefully adjusted his stance, his form, the angle of his blade.

I knew I could only hold the spell a few seconds total. Already, the aether was fighting me, time unwilling to be bound in this way. But I didn’t hurry him, didn’t break his concentration. It would be enough.

So complete was his focus that I couldn’t help but be drawn into it with him. Aether channeled into the God Step godrune burning on his back, and the aetheric pathways lit up in our vision, painting the sky with jagged amethyst lightning bolts. Beyond the barriers of mana cladding their skin, past clouds of poisonous mana vapor and burning soulflame auras, into the points between armor and skin—that’s where Arthur focused.

His concentration clicked into place, and the blade slashed from left to right. I felt it slipping into the aetheric pathways, first one, then a second and third, all within the space of the blade’s near-instant movement. Deadly, chaotic as a maelstrom. And the sluggish, oozing Wraiths flashed with violet light.

My spell released, and I wobbled back and forth, struggling to keep us in the air.

Three streaks of bright blood sprayed across the horizon ahead of us.