Chapter 199

Chapter 199

I drove my knife through a grimelings jaw, blade parting flesh and muscle as if it I was tearing through paper.

The second the blade was occupied, two of themdistracted with someoneimmediately wheeled and charged me. I pirouetted, keeping the blade in place without driving it home, pushing the wounded grimeling in front of me like a demented puppeteer.

Then I twisted the knife.

The grimeling screamed, and its fellows flailed, attacking the screaming grimeling instead. I freed my blade just as they tackled it to the floor.

I stared at them, flipping the knife and catching it easily. The weight differed from but it felt right in my hand, like itd always been there. This was what strength felt like.

Think carefully, before you deny who you are. Hastur will make you weak. A submissive dog in his sprawling kennel. Hell smooth out the rough edges, removing everything that makes you unique, significant. Hell strangle the warrior within you until only the child remains.

Someone was calling my name. My real name.

They were telling Myrddin to run, insisting that the grimelings were too strong. Someone grabbed at my arm.

I pushed them away.

The lanky grimeling with the loop of tongues advanced on me, two large companions flanking him on either side. One had a scar across his mouth that made it look like he was always smiling, while the other had a slight limpa broken leg that never healed right.

I cast on all three of them with a simple wave of my hand, feeling the distant throb of a headache as my mana drained to dangerous levels. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m

The repeated uses of my Ordinator abilities cost me. I was down to my weapons and physical prowess, a situation I was dimly aware would have terrified me in normal circumstances. But for maybe the first time in my life, I wasnt afraid.

worked best if your opponent made the first move. It was tacticalintended to create openings through careful advancement.

Without so much as a second thought, I tossed it away.

Instead, I relied on the pulsing drumbeat in my blood as I sprinted forward, directly at the leader. Lanks mouth twisted, and he opened his arms wide, bracing. I diverged at the last second, ducking low under his outstretched arms before he could catch me in a bear hug, and drove my dagger into the soft tissue behind Gimps knee-cap. Then pried outward.

Gimp fell, gripping his leg. He had to be in an excruciating amount of pain, but unlike the others, I slashed my dagger in controlled horizontal strikes up his arm, tearing veins open, lingering for just a second too long.

Smiley ran in front of Lank and swiped at me with a backhand. I rolled away, but even the grazing impact across the back of my head and neck was enough to send me sprawling across the ground.

A hard anger welled up within me.

Show them who you are.

I feigned weakness, staying on my hands and knees until Smiley drew close. Watched as he drew his leg high with every intention of stomping my lights out. I shifted at the last second, whirling to my feet and risking one last use of to staple his foot to the dirt.

Smiley roared, and I smashed the crossbows handle into his exposed teeth, feeling an unpleasant crunch as they shattered, and shoved him clear, his foot tearing free of the arrow.

The whole thing had taken seconds. But Lank had no intention of politely waiting his turn.

He gripped the hilt of his crude knife with both hands and drove it downward towards my chest. His movements were undisciplined, sloppy. But I was off-balance from shoving Smiley. Dodging wasnt an option.

I dropped both my weapons and caught his forearms. The impact nearly crushed me, slamming me to my knees. Every bone in my body creaked and threatened to snap. He tried to rip the knife free at first, then focused his entire weight on pushing it down until the point of the blade scraped against my solar plexus.

If we stayed like this, hed break me in half.

Instead, I let myself fall, back impacting the dirt. Lank fell on top of me, single-minded in his ruthlessness, and I felt the blade point punch through my armor and an outer layer of skin. But hed moved too close to my face in the transition.

I strained to remember the girls name.

Myrddin. The Ceaseless KniNicholas is hurt. The girl said.

Somewhere, a curtain fell, and the drums receded immediately.

As if a fog had lifted, suddenly I could remember her name perfectly. I lowered the dagger. Halima?

Yes. Halima swallowed, rubbing her throat. She pointed to where Keith stood over Nick, helping him stay upright in a sitting position. Blood matted the back of his hair. He protected us. Saw what you were dealing with and tried to help, but a grimeling struck him in the back of the head.

Shit. I slammed the dagger behind the Grimelings ear and left in there, in case its regeneration was still in play.









I swiped the notifications away, hurrying towards Nick. The codex dose him already?

Up ahead, Keith shook his head. Its saying its empty.

Probably when they caught him earlier. Halima said.

Yours? I asked

Used it. Halimas hands balled into fists. I wasntthey were so strong

Stay focused. I said, realizing with a flare of anger that I was projecting. Divine interference asideId totally lost my head, fighting the grimelings. And Nick was in a bad way as a result. The Realms of Flauros fuck with you by design. Tear away your defenses, literally and metaphorically. Stay present. Dont think about what could have happened. I may need you.

Halimas eyes widened, and after a moment, she nodded.

Mfine, Nick said. Tried to push Keiths supporting arms away.

I dropped to one knee and tilted his chin up. One pupil was pinprick small, the other blown to hell. No, youre not fucking fine. If he fell asleep like this, it was a one-way trip to coma town.

Nick tried to stand, and I forced him back down, swiped my codex against his.



I selected yes before the text could finish scrolling. The oily black band on my wrist pulsed, then dimmed.

I checked Nicks pupils again. The change wasnt huge, but it was there. After a few seconds he stopped swaying. His hand went to his mouth.

They they were gonna cut my fucking tongue out, man His eyes watered. For a moment, I saw the old Nick, gripping the parallel physical rehab bars.

I gripped his shoulders gently.

Ive got you, buddy. I got you.