Nathaniel cleaned his glasses one final time as he approached Travlack. Slipping them back on he was able to clearly see the shambling mess named Lanon.
"Do not falter," growled Travlack.
Nathaniel tied his hair back as Travlack took point. The plan they discussed as they caught up to Chrissy had not changed. Travlack would do his best to keep punishment away from Nathaniel as he prepared a technique. There was no guarantee he would be able to pull it off, as he was out of practice, but it was the only shot they had to end it in one blow.
A lightning bolt.
He had only done this one time and it was during his formative years. Under duress, Nathaniel had called down a strike from the clouds to assist his father's final assistant, and his instructor, Mala. He prayed whatever miracle happened then would repeat tonight.
"Connection, Nathaniel," Mala's words bounced in his mind, "Connect the heavens and the earth. You've already grown adept at fire, but I believe you have a little more than that in you."
He placed his fingertips together. Lanon, prepared for a threat, sank into his stance and watched intently.
"Show me."
Nathaniel took a deep breath.
"Travlack, how much time can you buy me?"
He shrugged.
"Three minutes. But…"
Travlack sheathed his sword and shield before pulling out his mace. He then attached the handle extender on the end to wield it in both hands.
"I break him? Five."
"Heard."
Travlack ran forward, and leapt in the air. Lanon dodged with heavy movements, lagging behind himself as strands of skin broke from his legs. The offensive kept up, but Lanon remained untouched.
Nathaniel followed behind and tried to remain just out of range. Kneeling whenever he got the chance to keep his location hidden from Lanon. He separated his fingers for a moment. A tiny bridge of electricity bounced between his fingers.
"Good job, Nathan."
Mala's pale blue hand rested on his shoulder. They knelt together in the tall grass of the savannah, completely still. She displayed her fingers in the same pattern as Nathaniel's and demonstrated how the bridge grew.
First her fingertips formed a perfect connection, as if she had sewn them. Then she brought her palms together, took a moment to breathe, and separated them again. A small ball crackled in the center of her bridge. Slowly, she brought her palms out further and established the bridge with her arms. Cradling the energy with her chest, her face lit in brilliant amber light.
With a clap, it all vanished.
"Obviously your father would throw a fit if I finished it here," she chuckled, "Can't scare off the wildlife. But I figure we have a bit of spare time, so it's better if you at least practice."
Nathaniel smiled and continued focusing. A singular hair fell in front of his face. Mala's hand reached to move it–
Travlack hit the ground not too far from him. Nathaniel immediately repositioned before Lanon closed the distance. From the shrubs, he witnessed Travlack's counterattack.
A roll.
A jump.
The mace came down on Lanon's legs, snapping them. The terrible crack echoed through the forest along with Lanon's cry. Nathaniel squinted through the dim light of the moon to see Travlack was already bleeding. His stance gave no indication of fatigue, just annoyance. An ear flickered toward Nathaniel. Without looking, Travlack nodded. Both men watched Lanon's legs force themselves upright, the spiraling mass of blood sewing itself between blood and muscle.
Nathaniel's preparation fizzled in response to the sight. His stomach dropped as he fought the urge to regurgitate the food he had at the festival. Travlack simply shook his head and readied himself.
"Shit," Nathaniel whispered.
He had to start over. He prayed this would not be the cause of failure.
"You can't force it," Mala soothed.
The young Nathaniel muttered to himself as he pressed his fingertips together.
"I'm not!"
The veins in his arms betrayed him. Mala gently grabbed his wrists and separated his hands. She glared at him with all the disdain a teacher could muster before her eyes softened. Slowly, she escorted each finger back onto the other and let go.
"Just barely," she whispered, "They need the room to grow, Nathan. You can't physically make the bridge. Only your resonance can do that."
He took a deep breath. Seconds later he slowly extended his fingers to reveal dancing strands of light forming a connection.
"Good. Now let it build. Slowly."
Each fingertip's energy branched onto another.
Then another.
When Nathaniel opened his eyes again his glasses reflected a perfect bridge, holding stable.
Where his smile was a grimace appeared. Lanon kept reforming sturdier than the last time Travlack broke him. Nathaniel moved from his spot in the brush to take refuge on a boulder. From his vantage point, he had a clear read on Lanon's movements.
Defense.
Each strike Lanon blocked or dodge his head swiveled around looking for another. Was he anticipating…?
Impossible.
Nathaniel slid from his place atop the rock and peered from the side. After he threw Travlack aside again, he sniffed the air. Just as his eyes shifted toward where Nathaniel was standing, Travlack threw another strike.
He was.
Lanon knew something was coming. Nathaniel cursed, damning the intelligence of their opponent. How could this monster possess the tactical facilities when its body could barely hold?
"Know if you ever use this," Mala warned, "You'll usually get one shot. At least, that is until you master it."
Young Nathaniel spread his palms. A steady bridge of lightning surged between the center of them. He looked at Mala, confused.
"What do you mean?"
Mala chuckled.
"This isn't like fire, ice, wind, or even water for that matter. Lightning announces itself. Whatever threat you face, be it man or beast, they'll know it's coming. At least, as long as we have to do it the long way. Smell the air."
Nathaniel gave it a whiff.
"Well?"
"It smells like…a storm is coming."
Mala pointed her thumb up. He looked up to see a small formation of clouds circling above him. They darkened each time Nathaniel exposed the bridge of electricity to the air.
"Even animals can smell when a storm is coming. Once it begins, they will know where it came from. One shot. After that? There's no more hiding."
The connection between his fingers and palms interlaced. A spiraling ball formed between Nathaniel's hands with strands reaching down to his forearms. The crackling of the energy increased in light and noise, forcing Nathaniel to stay hidden. He could no longer risk looking out from across the boulder. Praying that Travlack would endure, he continued with his preparation. He spread his hands further and further away, forcing the energy to expand. The light went from white to teal, illuminating the area around him.
The light nearly blinded Nathaniel through the glasses lens, but he kept focus. Cradling the ball as Mala did, he slowly rounded the corner, revealing himself. Lanon paused upon seeing him, wary of the power that lay within his hands. Travlack acknowledged it from the corner of his eye, and used the hesitation to land a critical blow on Lanon's chest. Travlack threw his mace aside and took out his shield.
"NOW!" he yelled.
The sky darkened. Light from the heavens surged as Nathaniel prepared to transfer the energy onto Lanon.
"And let go."
Mala watched as the clouds above them fizzled. Nathaniel fell on his back, exhausted and annoyed.
"What did I do wrong?"
"You weren't acting as a conduit, Nathan. We are the bridge, not the cloud."
Mala took off his glasses and cleaned them. The dust he stirred from the attempt had dirtied the lens considerably. After using her shirt she handed them back to him and smiled.
"The lightning will respond when you act as the conduit. At least, for how we cast it. Neither of us have learned enough to be the cloud yet."
"Is it possible?"
Mala mulled the question over while playing with her hair. Her face scrunched all sorts of ways, as it usually did when she was choosing an answer that befitted a child's dangerous curiosity.
"Promise not to try it until you're ready?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nathaniel nodded earnestly. His eyes came to life, anticipating an answer.
"Yes. But it's an advanced technique. One that can harm you if you're not careful."
He grinned, displaying two missing teeth. Mala could not help but melt at his joyful expression. She ruffled his hair and stood, pulling him up with her.
"But don't try it! Be the bridge, not the cloud. Understood?"
"Understood!"
The scars on Nathaniel's back surged in pain. He fell without a sound, short circuited and exhausted. He attempted to shake off the sensation of his resonance junctions forcefully opening. Akin to a muscle not worked, they cramped in unison and forced him to remain on the ground.
"Nathaneil!" Travlacked called, rushing over.
But Lanon was faster. He threw Travlack from his path with the sound of furious feathers. Nathaniel reached out in front of him, fighting through the pain to claw at the dirt. Lanon appeared above him and stabbed through his hand, pinning him. His face descended in front of Nathaniel's, observing his attacker.
"...more…food…"
Lanon put his fingers through Nathaniel's bicep, curling around the muscle therein. Just as Lanon opened his mouth, Travlack mounted his back. He used the extended mace to pull around the mass of muscle that formed Lanon's neck. Now freed, Nathaniel clutched the hole in his hand to his chest and used his knees to lean against a tree. Sliding himself upwards, he watched as Travlack fought to secure his footing on Lanon. Attempting to buck him off with wild throws, Lanon fought at the bar crushing his neck.
Nathaniel ignited his free hand with fire before clamping it together, cauterizing the wound. He grit his teeth and repeated the procedure where Lanon's finger went clean through. The smell and smoke of burning flesh was not one he was used to. After it was done, he coughed incessantly and tried to trace where Travlack had gone off to.
He did not have to wait long. Coming from the sky, Lanon attempted to smash Travlack by placing his back to the ground. Lanon had his hands around the mace, preventing him from taking it with him as Travlack attempted to dismount. A decision was made to let go. Travlack abandoned the mace in order to hit the ground in front of Nathaniel, rolling to recover. Lanon, however, splattered across the ground with Travlack's mace in hand.
In a fit of rage, Lanon took the mace and snapped it in half.
Nathaniel swore he saw a slight droop in Travlack's ears.
After breaking the shaft in half again, Lanon threw it at them. Nathaniel attempted to raise a resonance shield, but his system was still shot. His energy flickered and failed as Travlack instead pulled him down behind his own shield. The shards of a broken weapon shattered against his guard, leaving his sword as his only option.
"He's bracing," stated Travlack, "Chrissy wasted his energy. He's getting it back."
Nathaniel gained enough of his motor control back to clean his glasses and set them back on his face. Orange flames sprang to life on his hands, causing Lanon to pace around them.
"No fizzle?" asked Travlack, "You sure?"
"Positive. I never could do lightning right anyway."
Travlack turned. His face displayed a soft betrayal.
"Then why try it?"
"Hoping for a miracle."
Travlack rolled his eyes and exhaled.
"No miracles," he grumbled, "Only sacrifice."
Travlack stepped forward and readied himself. Nathaniel stood as tall as he could muster and flexed his hands. The flickers of flight that danced from his fingertips reflected themselves in Lanon's opaque eyes. He took to the trees, stalking them through the rustle of the branches.
"Plan?" asked Travlack.
"We need to pin him down long enough to get a good burn. That should stop his regeneration for a little bit."
Lanon flew to another tree. A trail of bloodied feathers descended upon them.
"Pin. Got it."
Nathaniel stretched his hands where he suspected Lanon lay. Before the fire kissed the moonlit leaves, Lanon bolted from his hiding spot into another nearby tree. The top of the tree was now alight, illuminating their faces. Long shadows flickered in rhythm with the throes of the fire as Nathaniel fired again.
"I'm going to set a perimeter! If we corner him, he'll probably grow more aggressive."
Another tree burst into flames. Lanon scrambled to the ground, out of trees to seek solace in. He paced back and forth, anticipating the next surge of flame. Travlack charged forward, but no matter what he did, Lanon's eyes remained on Nathaniel.
The blaze circle started to slowly close. Nathaniel stepped with its outer edge, forcing all three of them to come closer. The distance between Nathaniel and Lanon had closed to thirty meters. Realizing this, Lanon started to attack Travlack in controlled movements. After scratching his ear, Travlack pressed harder. He pushed with his shield to force Lanon closer to the center.
Twenty meters.
A desperate charge toward Nathaniel was too sloppy to land. Lanon landed with his back against the fire, his skin hissing from the burn. He was forced to face Nathaniel and Travlack again, the flame coercing him to step forward.
Fifteen meters.
Lanon tore at his skin, surging with blood and fury.
"There it is!" Travlack called, "Forcing output!"
"I need you to keep him still! Do you have an idea?"
Travlack nodded.
"Wait for signal!"
The circle forced them to stand ten meters away from Lanon. His muscles deteriorated, reformed, and broke down again, attempting to rebuild stronger. Thick blood poured with every inhale as the muscles contracted at wrong intervals. Travlack led with his shield and ran in. Nathaniel extended his good hand forward and took aim.
Lanon's hand came down.
A scrape along the shield.
The sting of a sword.
Travlack lept over his side.
A cry of agony.
One braced movement of an ankle.
An attempt to move.
Pinned.
Travlack thrust his sword through Lanon's heel and pierced the ground.
"NOW"
A brilliant torrent of flame shot from Nathaniel's fingers, consuming Lanon. Travlack, at the last moment, had raised his shield to part the offshoot of the attack. The abomination's silhouette turned black as it raised its hands in agony. Its cry attempted to pierce the air, but was drowned out by the pressure of rushing fire. Lanon's head popped out from the flame pyre, half charred and full of violent fury. Forcing himself to move forward, he let his ankle become separated by Travlack's blade. Free, he started to swim through Nathaniel's attack.
Nine meters.
Nathaniel forced more resonance into the flame, but his heart was afraid. He could not move or his base would falter, shattering the potency of the attack.
"Nathan, it's alright."
Seven meters.
He raised his wounded hand and forced more energy into his palms, praying to slow Lanon's pace. For a moment, the whirlwind of flame sent Lanon's head back. But his feet were rooted in the ground. The next step he took was only forward.
"The pain you feel, it will all be worth it."
Five meters.
Travlack could not progress either. The flames had grown too powerful now, enveloping every area that his shield did not cover.
"That's how we know we're alive."
Four meters.
Nathaniel's left lens started to crack under the pressure. His eyes widened in terror as the charred monster loomed over him, reaching for his hands.
"That's why we keep living."
Three meters.
His sight was growing blurry, but still he pressed on. Teal sparks started to shoot from his fingers. Nathaniel fought against the sensation as the scars on his back tormented his body.
"Feel it."
Two meters.
The crack in his glasses developed further. The flame only covered Lanon's torso as his legs broke free from the inferno. In his eyes was only hunger, desperate to satiate his pain.
"Aknowledge it."
One meter.
"And let it go."
The left lens shattered.
A brilliant teal flame spouted from his bleeding fingertips, engulfing the forest in front of him. The ignition spiraled wildly before crashing in on itself, like a wave upon the sand. Nathaniel's eyes went blank as he poured his soul into his hands, a single tear dropping from the pain he could not express. The scars on his back convulsed and ruptured, dribbling blood down the back of his shirt.
Lanon skidded back, covering his face with blackened arms. Travlack dove out of range before the impact hit him, singing the tips of his ears. He rolled away and clung to a tree, witnessing Nathaniel's limits.
After ten seconds, the teal inferno broke. All the fire in the forest faded with Nathaniel's focus. All of them stood frozen in place. His body felt hollow. Nothing in him responded except his pupils, which shook on the verge of unconsciousness. Travlack, injured from Lanon's earlier offense, held his breath. He waited for the charred statue of Lanon to respond.
A single scab fell from him.
Then another.
And another.
All at once, Lanon flexed his body and flung the cauterized bits of skin and muscle into the air. Like snow, they fell down to the ground as parts of his skeleton exposed itself to the air. These terrible cords of muscle tied themselves through and over again, creating another layer.
Then again.
And again.
Finally, a verdant coat of feathers sprouted from the pores of his body. The last flecks of charred viscera hit the ground as he finished.
Nathaniel gave no reaction.
He could not.
The terrible hum of feathers filled the air, alerting Travlack. Desperately, he started to run over to Nathaniel. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the attempt.
But he knew in his heart Travlack would not make it.
Nathaniel's perception warped into a haze. The blurry mess of violence grew larger. His eyes closed, prepared to feel Lanon's furious embrace.
"Mala…"
Nathaniel did not hear it, but the air in front of him contracted. The space Lanon occupied just a moment later exploded, throwing the monster through the wood with terrible speed.
Fitz, Hoga, and Jay charged past, each a force of beast more than man. Travlack made it over and placed a hand on Nathaniel's chest, beckoning him to fall forward.
"Go…"
Travlack's ears flickered.
"Go…," sputtered Nathaniel, "Finish him."
"You need–"
A drop of water hit Travlack's forehead. Rain?
"Please…go…"
No. Not rain.
Travlack nodded. He took off into the darkness, following behind the others. Once more, Nathaniel reached for his glasses. They fell from his face and hit the smoldering ground unceremoniously.
Mala knelt down and picked them up.
"You see it now?"
Young Nathaniel smiled.
He reached for his glasses.
And hit the ground without a sound.