Awakening the Lightforged

Estingai tried to quiet her breathing as she limped along through the darkness with Kozasana. The Natari woman supported most of Estingai's weight, but she didn't complain and kept up a quick pace despite the burden.

They hadn't been able to stop for a bandage, and though Estingai didn't feel woozy like she might from blood loss, the exhaustion was getting to her. She'd had to dim her gemcrest to keep the Lightforged from tracking them, which meant no more quickness in her step, no more little boost of energy or balance to keep her from falling on her face when she stubbed her toe on something unseen as they made their way through the blackness.

"Shouldn't we be close by now?" Estingai said into her shoulder, trying to muffle the sound. "It didn't take that long to get down here."

Kozasana was silent for a moment.

"We went the wrong way."

Estingai's stomach tightened.

No.

Her palms began to sweat. The walls pressed in on her, choking her. Her heart began to pound in time with the throbbing in her thigh.

No!

Somehow, Estingai shook off the panic attack. She still felt sick and sweat dampened her underclothes, but she could think again, at least.

A part of her wanted to snap at Kozasana for pulling her the wrong way. She knew it wasn’t her friend's fault, however.

There must be another exit. Or we can just hide until it leaves or runs out of Auroralight.

That was the one weakness those monsters had. While most people only needed Auroralight to keep them from the depression of lightlessness, Lightforged needed it to survive.

"Can you see anything?" Kozasana asked.

Estingai took a deep, quiet breath, and tried to focus through the throbbing.

"Barely."

"You lead, then."

As they moved deeper into the caves, Estingai noticed more signs of habitation here. Some, she and Kozasana nearly tripped over. Most dampened the sound, making it less risky to talk.

It still wouldn’t be entirely safe, however.

"Can you do anything to sense where it is or if it's following us?"

Estingai winced at the fear in her friend's voice. They were soldiers, but they were being chased by a demon.

"No. It would sense me."

She wished she knew more about the Lightforged, but they'd never been able to successfully capture and detain one for interrogation or study. What would it matter? You can't fight like this. You're wounded, losing blood, and it doesn't even have to meet you in a fight.

"Any ideas on how to get out of this?"

There was a bit of mirth to Kozasana's tone, but it fell flat with Estingai. She shook her head.

"I don't think we will."

Kozasana stopped, nearly sending both of them tumbling forward with Estingai's momentum.

"You can't just give up like that. You're the Last—"

"The Last Knight died back in the cave with Svemakuu," Estingai hissed. "He was what kept me going after I lost everything again and again. I'm just the broken wretch that managed to crawl out from the rubble."

Kozasana was silent for a moment. When Estingai glanced at her, she saw the faint outline of the woman's hand, feeling around in the darkness. A moment later, Kozasana moved them forward, then helped Estingai down behind some crates.

"The way I remember it," Kozasana whispered, "you stole a weapon from Suulehep and Kojatere herself, and threatened Svemakuu with it when he followed you."

Estingai was silent as Kozasana rifled through one of her pouches. She winced when Kozasana pressed a piece of cloth down over her laceration and started wrapping something around her thigh.

Estingai pressed down on the cloth and let Kozasana work in silence for a while.

"I'm not sure if I can be that person again."

Kozasana paused for just a moment in bandaging Estingai.

"You must still have something in you that wants to fight."

Estingai gritted her teeth.

She wished she knew where Kozasana and Koruuksi and Svemakuu got this stupid hope they always managed to cling to. She'd yet to see it turn out the way they thought, but it would be nice to have that delusion for a bit, at least.

"I want to," she told Kozasana, "but it's just so hard."

Estingai's friend said nothing as she finished wrapping up Estingai's thigh—it didn't do much for the pain, but knowing there was some pressure on the wound was a small comfort. She would need stitches and a few healing georaurals if she ever—

Something echoed through the tunnel behind Estingai. She scrunched herself down ever further behind the crates, slipping a hand over Kozasana's mouth.

All Estingai's effort went into slowing and quieting her breath, but she worried the demon could hear even that, or smell her blood or sweat with its enhanced senses.

As the echoing—the steps—continued forward, Estingai's breathing grew harder to control. Her heart beat faster and faster. Harder. Until she was certain the Lightforged could hear that, too. Her palms began to sweat again, throat tightening. The crate behind her and the tunnel wall to her right pressed against her, trapping her here in this dark pit.

Swallowing hard, trying to force back her fear, Estingai looked to Kozasana. She could barely see in the pitch darkness of the tunnel, but her half-Samjati blood allowed her some night vision, at least. Her friend looked terrified. She wasn’t an Auroramancer, yet she held her rifle ready. Brave, even when facing a demon she couldn't hope to fight.

"I know you're here, Knight."

Estingai's entire body tensed. Not just at the Lightforged's address, but at how close it sounded.

"I have great plans for you," it continued. "Plans that will see you off this dying world."

Estingai took Kozasana's wrist, trying to draw even a drop of strength from her friend.

Maybe she can get out, even if I can't. The thing wants me. It won't care about her.

Kozasana turned to her, somehow meeting her eyes in the darkness.

"Your goddess betrayed you," the Lightforged said, only a few paces away. "Why die fighting for her when you can join the Redeemed and fight the true Enemy? The two you left to distract me no longer have that chance.”

Estingai squeezed Kozasana's wrist, the other hand going to her torch. Her friend nodded, jaw set.

The demon's steps drew closer. It had to be just on the other side of the crate.

Estingai tapped three fingers on Kozasana's wrist, taking a deep breath.

Then two.

Kozasana tensed.

One.

Estingai leapt out from behind the crates, switching on her torch.

She'd been right about the demon's position.

For a moment, seeing it illuminated like that against the darkness, tall and imperious, made her resolve falter.

Even as it turned its gaze on her, cocking it's head, Kozasana sprang to her feet and opened fire.

Her rifle was a combination prototype they'd stolen from the Imaia. Instead of firing bullets at the Lightforged, it used a magnetic coil to fire a superheated piece of metal at the monster.

The blow dented its armor, knocking it back. It straightened, but by then Estingai was in the air, violetnodes and rednodes bright. Her torch was on the floor now, but between its ambient light and the glowing georaurals on the demon's armor, she could track her target just fine.

Estingai came down with a needle-sharp dagger of hardlight—something she doubted even this monster could manage—wreathed in white-hot flame. Her searing blade landed where the Lightforged's shoulder met its neck, right between the plates of armor.

For a moment, the demon staggered back and a brief spark of hope flared to life within Estingai.

That vanished as the Lightforged grabbed her by the waist and flung her back against the wall.

Estingai hit with a crack, drawing in a ragged breath. She didn’t think anything was broken, but her back would be one massive bruise if she made it out of here.

"I guess we're doing this the hard way," the demon said, sounding almost annoyed, as Estingai struggled to regain her feet.

"I've completed my mission here, but I'm not leaving without my prize."

The low hum of Kozasana's rifle charging for another shot reached Estingai's ears, and she grinned.

Moving with enhanced speed, the Lightforged whirled toward Kozasana and ripped the rifle from her hands, then bashed her in the face with it.

Or it tried to.

Kozasana's quick reflexes allowed her to duck, just in time. She rolled to the side, then drew her sidearm, firing at the Lightforged's neck.

The Lightforged staggered back as a few of Kozasana's shots landed, but it took only a few seconds for Estingai's friend to empty her magazine.

Even as Estingai flared her violetnodes, sending bolts of lightning toward the Lightforged, the demon conjured a hardlight shield before it.

Still, Kozasana pressed it, drawing the short sword from her side. Many saw it as an archaic weapon, but in close-quarters fighting and tunnels like this, it often proved far more useful than a firearm.

Not against Lightforged, though.

As Kozasana ducked under the hardlight barrier, swinging at the demon, it sidestepped her blow and swept at Kozasana's legs.

For a few seconds, Kozasana matched the demon blow for blow.

Then it moved too quickly, and caught her by the throat.

Estingai's stomach knotted.

It had been playing with them.

Of course it was.

Even if Kozasana had landed a killing blow like Estingai, the demon would have merely shrugged it off.

The Lightforged studied Kozasana for a moment as it held Estingai's friend in the air. Then it turned its masked gaze on Estingai.

A wet crunch echoed through the tunnel, and Estingai screamed.