The platform hummed beneath Tomas's feet, its ascent steady now, the Etherstone chunk stabilizing its runes. Solvaris loomed above, a golden haze piercing the clouds, but the tether's length mocked their progress—hours still to go. The wind howled, colder with every mile, biting through his worn shirt. Beside him, Sereth shivered, her cloak flapping like a broken wing. Her wound seeped through Lila's bandage, a dark stain spreading slow.
"You're bleeding again," Tomas said, nodding at her side.
She pressed a hand to it, wincing. "It's fine. I've had worse."
"Doesn't look fine." He rummaged in his pack, pulling out a scrap of cloth—his last spare. "Sit. Let me fix it."
Sereth hesitated, pride warring with pain, then sank onto the platform's edge. Tomas knelt, peeling back her cloak. The gash was ugly, red and ragged, but not deep enough to kill her yet. He pressed the cloth against it, tying it tight with a strip torn from his own sleeve. She hissed, flames flickering at her fingertips, but didn't pull away.
"You're wasting your time," she said, voice tight. "A Gifted healer could mend this in seconds."
"No healers here," Tomas replied, knotting the bandage. "Just me. And I don't quit halfway."
She watched him, her green eyes sharp despite the exhaustion. "Why do you care, Kael? I'm nothing to you."
He stood, wiping blood from his hands. "You're my ticket to Solvaris. That's reason enough."
A lie, half-true. He didn't trust her, didn't like her kind, but leaving her to bleed out felt wrong. Hard work wasn't just about winning—it was about doing what needed doing, no matter who it was for.
The platform jolted, a grinding screech cutting the air. Tomas grabbed the railing as it tilted, Sereth sliding toward the edge. He caught her arm, hauling her back as the tether trembled beneath them. Cracks spidered across the stone ahead, a ledge buckling under some unseen strain.
"Hold tight!" he shouted, peering over the side. A cliff jutted from the tether's flank, its face crumbling, raining debris onto the platform. The runes flickered, the Etherstone chunk pulsing erratically.
Sereth coughed, clutching her satchel. "Etherfiends. They've been clawing at the tethers—weakening them."
Tomas cursed under his breath. The platform wouldn't hold if the cliff gave way. He scanned the damage—jagged stone, loose shale, a narrow path winding up the tether's side. "We climb," he said, slinging his pack tighter. "This thing's done."
"You're joking," Sereth snapped. "I can barely walk."
"Then I'll carry you," he said, already moving. He wedged his pickaxe into a crack, testing the stone. It held. "Move, or we're both dead."
She glared but followed, her steps shaky as they abandoned the platform. Tomas led, driving his pickaxe into the tether's face, pulling himself up inch by inch. The wind clawed at him, dust stinging his eyes, but he kept going, muscles burning with every swing. Sereth trailed, her Spark flaring to melt handholds where she could, though it drained her fast.
Halfway up the cliff, the tether shuddered again. A roar echoed below—an Etherfiend, its hulking form scaling the stone, claws gouging deep. Tomas glanced down, heart hammering. "Faster!"
Sereth slipped, her grip faltering. Tomas dropped back, catching her wrist as she dangled, the beast's snarls closing in. "I've got you," he grunted, hauling her onto a ledge. She slumped, panting, as he faced the Etherfiend.
It lunged, a mass of muscle and glowing hide. Tomas dodged, its claw raking the stone where he'd stood. He swung his pickaxe, aiming for its leg—metal met flesh, sinking in. The beast howled, swiping blindly. Tomas rolled, grabbing a loose boulder, and hurled it into the creature's maw. It choked, staggering, and he struck again, driving the pickaxe into its skull. The Etherfiend collapsed, tumbling into the dark.
Tomas leaned against the tether, chest heaving. Sereth stared, blood and awe on her face. "You're a lunatic," she said.
"Hard work beats talent," he replied, offering a hand. "Even theirs."
She took it, and they climbed on, the cliff's edge behind them, Solvaris's light a promise above.