The Stonehearted Knight

Hex watched in awe as the two giant figures clashed against each other.

The feline figure released a rain of silver needles. The golden fox shot golden spears, trying to match the incoming needles.

Their attacks encompassed the entire sky. Suddenly Hex saw a spear flying toward them. 

'Shit!'

Oron was too busy keeping them safe from the shockwave. He didn't see the spear coming their way.

In a reflex, Hex activated his glyph, ready to intercept it. But the moment he activated the glyph, a change occurred. The purple light shone brightly. A white dome appeared above them.

Bang!

The spear struck against the dome, shattering it. The spear passed through but deviated thanks to the dome. It hit the ground, missing them by an inch. 

Ice Shield!

The fragment of the Kobold's soul sent a string of information, giving the technique's name. The technique lets the user create a shield. The hardness and shape of the shield could be enhanced based on the user's power.

"You are awake?" Oron asked, clearly relieved to have Hex off his back. 

Hex nodded and observed the dissipating spear. The spear disappeared but the ground remained damaged.

"That is the manifestation of energy. Knights at the Transformation stage can mold their energies into tangible objects," Oron explained.

He pointed at the figures and continued, "Those giant figures are nothing but manifestations of energies. That Ronan guy should have the Sunfire Fox constitution and the priestess Silver Feline."

Only now did Hex realize that the massive figures were wrapped around two specks. 'Those should be the Knights then,' Hex thought as he created more shields while they continued forward, ducking behind broken walls and boulders. One misstep and they might die.

"You mean to say the old priestess is comparable to the baron in power?" He asked confused. The old lady had never struck him as someone impressive. 

"Apparently," Oron said, using his fist to slam through obstacles. "Listen, I am trying to find Adgar and Orvyn. Will you come with me or leave for the castle?"

"Let's find those two and then leave for the castle," Hex replied immediately. He didn't see the point in splitting up now. Numbers could make up for a lack of strength. 

Hex couldn't believe the state in which the plaza was now. The once lively place was destroyed beyond recognition. No structure, not even the Temple, stood unharmed. 

The fire had spread all over the place. Tents, wooden pillars, corpses, all were burning. It was pure chaos.

They crouched and crawled. As the battle in the air intensified, more projectiles landed on the ground. The pillars and structures that had survived the first explosion, were being destroyed. They worked together to remain unscathed. 

Hex used his ice shield, getting increasingly familiar with the technique. Oron used his massive strength to move or destroy anything barring their path. 

The closer they got to the location where the Temple had been, the more stray attacks landed near them. Hex had some near misses. But he was wounded when one such attack landed on a pillar he was passing. The debris landed exactly on top of him.

The ice shield was destroyed but he had a second layer of defense. The scales on his skin. They were convenient and proved to be sturdier than a shield. 

Oron wasn't faring far better. He found himself as the target of a silver needle, followed by a golden spear. Even the wayward attacks from the Transformation Knights required his complete strength to withstand. Hex noticed his knuckles were bleeding.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached the Temple. Hex sighed at the sight. 

The golden dome was in shambles, the walls had deep cracks, all windows were shattered, and the steps were broken. 

"Adgar!" 

Oron's shout made Hex stop lamenting and turn. Tens of meters from the steps, he saw a man struggling to walk toward the Temple. Oron's shout made him stop and turn back.

Hex hurried toward the Knight. His face was burnt and in some places, the skin was gone. His wounds were extreme. 

"What are you doing?" Oron snapped at his friend. "We need to leave at once."

Adgar smiled and patted the boar-like man. "Not yet. Orvyn is already inside the Temple. We need to secure the monolith. I am sure the enemy will come soon to take control of it. We can't let that happen."

Hex remembered the baron saying that the monolith might be one of the targets the Dawnbringers were after. 

"Then let's do that before they arrive," he said, supporting the Knight at one side and signaling Oron to do the same. Arguing at this moment wouldn't help.

Oron realized that too and together they stumbled toward the entrance. Even this short distance was fraught with danger. The rain of silver needles and golden spears was denser in front of the Temple.

And if that wasn't enough then they also had to be cautious of falling pieces of walls and columns.

"The monolith," Hex exclaimed upon entry. It had been only a day since he had used the structure.

The black-colored stone stood intact. But instead of the tranquil state, it always had been, it was buzzing loudly. A man with a round shape was near it, putting up some kind of barrier.

"Yes. The guy above used his technique to detonate all the beast crystals," Orvyn explained when he saw them enter. "The sudden influx of chaotic energy has destabilized the monolith." 

"We were too close to get away unharmed," Orvyn said with a grin, noticing Hex's gaze on his burnt head and missing brows.

"We are trying to contain the energy but it's a matter of time. It will explode. The hill we are on now, won't be able to withstand the destruction. It will collapse," Orvyn continued with a serious tone.

All four fell silent. Only the faint sounds of explosions occurring outside could be heard. And even that felt less dangerous than the situation they were in now.

"How long before it explodes?" Hex asked suddenly. 

"A few minutes maybe?" Orvyn chuckled. 

"Damn," Oron cursed. 

"I can do something…maybe," Hex said with a scrunched brow. 'I don't like this. But there is no other choice. None of these fuckers have a heart like mine.' 

Hex knew that he was the only one who stood a chance to control the chaotic energy. He didn't know whether he could handle it but no one else stood a better chance than him.

The others looked at him, suspiciously. They weren't eager to put their fate in the hands of a young boy.

"Are you sure?" Orvyn asked nervously.

"No," Hex was upfront about it. "But we don't have a better option, do we? So, just trust me?"

Before the others could reply, they heard someone come up the stairs. They turned towards the people entering.

As soon as the people became visible, Hex readied to attack. He didn't know both, only one. Herman.

"Avery, it seems we aren't the only ones after the monolith," Herman said with a chuckle.

The smaller built Avery didn't reply. He stared at the group with snake-like eyes.

"Hex, you take care of that. We will take care of these two," Adgar said resolutely. 

It would be a desperate struggle. It might look like it was two against three but Hex looked at the wounded Knights in his team, feeling a bit worried. The opponents looked fresh and ready for battle.

But the Knights took their stance. Seeing their resolve, Hex didn't dawdle. He hurried towards the monolith. It was time to see whether he would end up saving the town or be the destroyer of it.