Page 200 of Unbound

"Try me one on one and I'll tell my friends to stay out of it," I shout to the earth. "You and me. Unless you think you can't take me?"

He hesitates. "Fine." With a gesture, he signals for his two friends to back off.

I pretend to motion to hidden allies in the trees.

"Clever,"Typhon notes."He is a fool for believing you, but it's clever nonetheless."

"Shocker. Malakai's people aren't exactly known for their intelligence."

And then I rush him. He fires more shards of rock my way, but I dive to the side and roll. It hurts like hell landing on tangled roots I can't see through the mist, but it's better than the alternative.

I sense Typhon battling the boar elemental through the tether, but can feel that he's toying with it and in no danger, so I put it from my mind.

I use the mist for cover, crawling on my belly toward the earth who shouts in annoyance, firing more magic blindly all around me. Dirt sprays and rock punches into the soil, but none of it finds me as I get closer.

Finally, I jump up from the mist, rapier blurring as I slip inside his guard. I could've put him in stasis, but that wasn't my goal. I just wanted to get closer. To...

I hook my arm around his neck, pressing my entire body to his back and urging as much of his earth essence to flow into me as possible. He was burning through it as he sprayed magic, but I feel power rushing into me anyway.

"What the... fuck are... you doing?" he gasps, barely able to get the words out around the crush of my arm on his neck.

"Winning." I give a hard jerk, wrenching his head to the side. Thankfully, I feel him go completely stiff and cold before any real damage can be done.

Stasis.

His body falls to the ground as I turn to face his two allies. They exchange a look, and then I point to the trees. "My friends are impatient. You two can run if you want. It would be the smart thing to do.”

"Get her!" the air shouts.

I don’t give them time. I use the stolen earth essence to lift a huge spike of earth from the ground and aim the point at the water affinity. He’s knocked aside, blue stasis flaring to life around his body instantly.

And then the air is on me with his short sword.

Behind it all, I can feel Raith's worry for me warring with his confidence in my abilities. He's terrified I'll get hurt, but he also believes in me, and he's using that belief to keep as calm as he can.

I dodge the first two slashes of the air's sword as Typhon handles the elemental. I raise my rapier to block the third attack and the air's weapon clatters against my steel, crumbling to pieces.

The air stares at his broken weapon in shock, giving me the perfect opening to stab at his throat. There's a flash of blue magic and then he's locked into stasis with his elemental.

And then it's over. Three down. I fall to one knee, gasping for breath as I look around, making sure there aren't more enemies coming.

"Gods... This is fucking brutal."

"I am enjoying it,"Typhon says.

The sound of footsteps makes me groan and raise my rapier again. That spike used almost all the earth essence I managed to steal, and healing my wounds has drained the rest of my magic. If it's another fight, I'm going to have to hope I can steal more essence or handle it with my rapier.

My throat goes dry when I see the size of the figure stepping out of the shadows. They're huge, and I know it's not Raith. I can still sense he's trying to reach me, but he's not this close.

"Ah! I find you," a familiar voice says.

I lower my rapier a few inches, squinting into the shadows. "Brunhild?"

She comes closer and I finally make out her face.

I let out a heavy breath, relief washing through me.

The northerner doesn't smile, but her eyes show recognition. Dora clicks her massive claws as it scuttles behind her.

---