Elegy for a Star

CHAPTER SUMMARY - SPOILERS

After sending Tess away to safety, Mairaela spun back around to face Joyona. The armored woman was dug into the ground up to her knees, trying to keep this blast at bay. “Tess is safe!” She shouted above the rush of wind.

Joyona twisted her body and slammed the blast into the ground beside her. It unleashed with explosive wrath. Mairaela hid behind the giantess’ back and Joyona braced against the explosion, flame and fury rushing around her body. Eventually it died down, and Joyona let out a tired breath. The large woman dropped to the ground, her body sizzling. Mairaela didn’t dare flip her over to look at her. She could smell burnt flesh. The only thing that could save Joyona was to end this fight and get out of the Void, which was the ultimate goal anyway.

For a moment, Mairaela cursed Tess. If only she had a capable partner here with her. Gwendolyn missing doesn’t help, but if Tess were able to do something to assist, then perhaps they wouldn’t be in this position. The feeling faded, and Mairaela began to blame herself. She’d been the one to get Tess worked up about a gift, only to have that hope ruined by Ulrich’s ritual.

The bitterness began to build in her chest and swell. Mairaela could feel a heat radiating off of her arms and legs.

Another blast had been launched in the air. It streaked across the sky in Mairaela’s direction. Joyona was in no shape to withstand another. Mairaela took a knee, drew back an arrow, and aimed into the sky. She concentrated her soul into the bow, into the arrow, enhancing it with as much power as she could in the short time she had. 

As the blast angled downward, Mairaela fired her shot. A golden, beaming light shot from her bow with rippling golden waves in its wake. The arrow of light pierced the blast and ventured far into the sky beyond Mairaela’s sight. The incoming projectile exploded in the air, filling the sky with light and flame. Mairaela had to crouch as the wave of force washed over her, tossing her hair and skirt about in the frenzy.

“Joyona!” Mairaela shouted, but there was no response. Was she really dead? Mairaela didn’t have time to check with the incoming attacks, couldn’t carry Joyona, and couldn’t leave her lying there to go deal with a faraway threat. Rage filled her body, and Mairaela’s soul burnt around the exterior of her body. Fire exploded around her form and Mairaela felt a strength in her heart.

Remaining on her knee, she scanned the surroundings. With her archer’s eye she found the culprit; a fleshy creature on four legs. Its cannon, made of some organic, pulsing material, readied another volley. Mairaela took careful aim and watched. She pulled the drawstring tight. As the glow in its cannon built to a crest, Mairaela fired. The arrow soared through the air, and just as the creature fired its next shot, the blast was pierced by the arrow, exploding directly in the four-legged beast’s face.

Two more arrows followed, one for each of its front legs. The arrows carried the same burning essence around them, detonating after finding their target and blowing a massive hole into each until they were useless and broken. The creature toppled forward, twitching, trying to get back to its feet, but unable. Its cannon was split and mangled, but aimed directly at the Fey.

The last arrow went straight down the cannon, exploding upon impact, detonating whatever it was creating those blasts and setting off a chain reaction that erupted both the creature and a good portion of the hillside. The world in the void was illuminated by the explosion.

Mairaela was panting, shaking out her tingling hands. She was exhausted. Every miraculous feat tired her soul, and she’d done too much. Still, there was more to do.

She dug her hands into Joyona’s armor and turned the woman over. The giantess was scorched along the forearms, shoulders and neck, but after a quick check, Mairaela could see her breathing. “Thank gods,” she sighed, confirming it with Joyona’s pulse. She rose to her feet once more, deciding to wait out Joyona’s unconsciousness. She looked to where she transported Tess and saw that the woman was on her way back, about halfway by this point. Mairaela wished that Tess would just hide, but she knew that wasn’t the best option either. It was stressful to have someone she needed to protect, especially someone naive like Tess. She didn’t know better, Mairaela thought.

“Tess! Mairaela? Joyona?!” The shouting was familiar. Gwen’s voice was echoing from just behind the ridge.

.“Gwendolyn!” Mairaela shouted in response, just as the knight ascended the hill and came into view. Mairaela waved her hand back and forth in wide arcs above her head.

Gwendolyn and Tess ended up getting to her about the same time. Gwendolyn was looking to be in rough shape. She was bleeding upon the brow, crimson mixing with her argent hair. However, her outfit was distracting from the wound.

The Dame wore what appeared to be a black leotard covered in armor. Her hips and legs were protected, but the top of the thigh to the bottom of the bottom of the abdomen was bare, except for the bottom of the leotard covering her sex. The rest of her body was covered with sleek, lightweight plates, though she had no gorget or helmet.

Mairaela felt her heart flutter for a moment.

Tess’ outfit was scandalous enough without help from the knight. It was hard to keep Tess out of her sight, and the Fey did everything she could to not look at her at all. Especially the bulge she could see between Tess’ legs, just beneath the skimpy panel of that loincloth. That girl just became more and more interesting.

Oh, right, Joyona was hurt. Mairaela turned to see that the giantess had actually awakened. With a rattle of her armor, Joyona sat up and shook her head to push away the dizziness. It was of course Joyona that was the first to ask, “You alright, Mairaela?”

“Of course. Thanks to you,” she replied.

“Sorry, I ran into some trouble,” Gwendolyn explained to the group.

Tess nudged at Gwendolyn’s hip, “Where’s your sword?”

Gwendolyn patted her sheath and cursed. She held her hand out toward the hill top she’d arrived from, and in a matter of seconds, a whirl of steel soared through the air and Gwendolyn caught her summoned longsword in her hand.

Mairaela scoffed, “Showoff.”

“Don’t be jealous,” Gwendolyn laughed, “I saw that explosion you made. Or was that Joyona?”

Joyona shook her head, rising to her feet. With a flex and a surge of golden essence about her body, her armor flew and reattached to her form.

“Should we rest?” Gwendolyn asked.

Mairaela shook her head, “The longer we stay here, the more time there is for us to be hit again.”

“We’ll be more ready to take a hit if we give our souls a little time to restore themselves,” Joyona advised.

Outvoted amongst those with gifts, Mairaela relented, “As you like. Where?”

“There are buildings over there,” Tess pointed behind the Fey, and Mairaela nodded in agreement.

“That’s the plan, then.”