FENRER

'I can't leave him behind.'

Stars sparkled on silver lily pads, wet by the gentle rain over a moonlit lake. Compassion glittered in her aura of fire and ash, the inferno's scorching wipe. Adara bounced beside him as they crept closer to the battlefield, his bow at the ready. It fluttered in his eyes, and it soothed the tempest around him, but the cascade from the storm cell's core battered the ground. Icy mist pulsed and whipped with failing power and Yuven's blood magick. Fenrer choked at the sight and the way it tore through his aura — expending his own being to affect the flow. He stopped at the edge of the field, then checked the string of his bow. "Okay, Adara?"

He stopped at the embers when they fell at her feet, and she stared at the rooftop battlefield. Too many auras, but he recognized Yuven's. Crimson lightning drove deeper and revealed the corrupted thorn choking his Oathbound to the last edge of his life. Fenrer chewed on his lip, and whispered, "Adara."

"I don't... know if I can do this," she rasped. "I couldn't even do anything up there. They took us by surprise and I left Yuven all by himself."

He brushed the bow, then rifled through his small pouch. Wooden paws met him, and he tugged it out to rest the carved wolf in his palm. Days he spent trying to remember the precision it took to create an image out of nothing. He held it out to the rain, where it darkened into the depths he gave its mane. "You can," he said in the faith of the silver dawn, then held the wolf out to her. "Here. Take it."

"What?" Adara frowned, but she took it. Flames bit at his skin where they touched, but the aurora glowed around the moons. "Fenrer, didn't you carve this yourself? Why are you giving it to me?"

"I want you to have it." Fenrer tested the ground beneath his boots, then shifted into a proper stance. "You're not alone, Adara. I know we may not be the most tolerable companions, but you want to save Yuven? I do too." He tasted the spray of the sea, and drew a green glyph through the notch. It sharpened into a vine-wrapped arrow made from his magick, and he pressed his fingers against his cheeks. "I trust you. I have faith. Light it up, Adara." He smiled at her. "Let it ignite, don't stifle that flame of yours for anything."

Rain slicked through her waves and stuck to her face when she nodded. Fenrer held his stance when she shuffled to the end of the bow. "Do you even have a plan?" she whispered, and Fenrer breathed in the moonlilies when she held her two fingers to the point of the magick arrow. One ember. One spark in her aurora. He steeled his grip and resolve when she snapped her fingers. It chewed along the vines and spread the glow of a hearth to his fingers. One breath. Two. Calm, as Father taught him. Aim. He tilted back to point into the mist, finding a point of clarity. The arrow hissed with steam, and he loosed it.

It flew into the rain, a falling star.

Fenrer grabbed the last remnants of his magick when it whizzed into the ice. It tangled across his fingers, and he pushed through the glyph when it made a return. Vines wrapped around it, and created a bridge back into the fight, expanded by the opening she gave him. He rushed up it to return to his best friend — his Oathbound. Adara's footsteps pounded behind him. Closer. Fenrer leaped at a shape, kicking them to the side to force them out of the hazy edge. Wood pallets broke, but he ignored it to rush into the maelstrom.

Yuven struggled against one of the Iceshards, parrying a hit, but Fenrer readied his own blade when they lunged at Yuven's stumble. Metal clanged, and he pushed them through as Adara ran around the edge of the roof, grabbing onto Yuven, who snapped his head to her.

He kept himself in lowpoint when a thick aura of tar pushed the mist out of the air. It cascaded down the roof as Blackwall held both his hands downwards. In front of Yuven and Adara, Fenrer gripped the handle of his longsword, against human enemies instead of Derelict ones. Six in total, including Blackwall. We could make a retreat through the cliff paths, try and get around and back into the city — to the castle. Fenrer glanced at the shining lighthouse pulsing through the mist, though the tower itself was out of sight. They want these two... Fenrer prepared himself when one of the Iceshards came closer, and he elbowed Yuven in the ribs to push him for the staircase down, praying for him to understand his plan.

"Molvisaliz—" Yuven rasped.

Another elbow made Yuven step back.

"If you break the Auric Law here, Blackwall," Fenrer growled and kept himself a shield. "There is no turning back. You know this. Even you wouldn't risk the wrath of the Elder Convocation." He shifted backwards to match the stride of the Iceshards, a wolf against the shepherds.

"Who said I had any intention of breaking the Auric Law, Pyren?" Blackwall asked. "This doesn't involve you. I advise stepping aside if you don't want to get hurt."

So close to the staircase, a smaller jump and straight to the cliff paths. Fenrer readjusted his grip against the dampness on his palms. "No."

"Ever a slave to your duty and conviction." Blackwall sighed. "I understand... but I pity you. Very well, Pyren. If that is your wish." He stepped back to let the Iceshards approach. "Remember, I want Yuven Traye and Adara Sazaka alive," he said with a cold, empty tone. "Whatever it takes."

Auras cracked.

Fenrer shoved Yuven and Adara, who gasped when they tripped down the stairs, but Yuven grabbed her to shimmer into nothing but mist. One Iceshard sped forward, but Fenrer slammed his blade against their smaller one. Energy cracked and ice sang in his ears. He grunted when another came from around their friend, and he kicked out their foot as their dagger sliced through his sleeve and over his shoulder. Blood bloomed over his skin, a pain of a thousand heartbeats. He scowled and threw his fist into the mask. It shattered, but he took his chance.

It pulsed in his veins when he leaped off the top of the staircase, tumbling to the mud below. "The paths!" he snapped, and Adara ran for it. Yuven hesitated, but went after her. He dodged another ice whip, swinging his sword to his side. An Iceshard flipped out of the attack, and he sent vines through the ground to trip their feet. Nothing more than a retreat, he caught up to Yuven and Adara when they slid down the stone steps into the paths. Water cascaded over the outcrops and slipped to the floor. His foot slid against the stone, but he used it to swing himself around when an Iceshard raced for him. Glyph held out to take their block, he frowned when it flickered, and retracted into his palm.

Forced to duck out of their thrust, he scowled and kept distance from them. "Up!" he instructed. "Go up when you can!"

Down just goes to—

He sent another glyph into the Iceshards face, but he gasped when it burned his arm. One more dodge, his heartbeat slammed in his ribcage. He tilted back when their dagger slammed into the rock. Lightning screeched with the thunder, and he prayed for safety, for home, and most of all, for answers. Fenrer sent one last puff of wind to force the Iceshard to stop.

Too dangerous.

Fenrer ran for Adara and Yuven, to protect them, to be a shield — like he promised.

Ice whispered.

Pebbles cracked. Metal groaned.

In a blink, the water froze beneath him, the entire path a slip. He gasped when the edges shattered, and the metal railing fell when both him and the Iceshard lost their balance, and careened for the slope.

He heard someone scream his name.

Fenrer gasped when he caught a rock, clinging on tight with vines, though the Icehsard disappeared into the mist below. Further up, Yuven and Adara glanced over the edge. "Fenrer!" Yuven screeched, and rushed not for the staircase going upwards, but going to the second level, motioning at Adara to flee.

Yuven, no!

He reached for one rock above his head, but bit his tongue when his fingers slipped. Vines wilted when he kept himself against the cliff, unable to see the ocean below. It roared all the same. Waves drove themselves into the rocks, and other Iceshards ran onto the path. He fought for tranquillity, but it slithered against his ribs when pebbles clattered below him.

Adara had followed Yuven.

It chilled his blood when another cloaked figure swung from around a small crevice to grab her around the mouth when Yuven reached the edge closest to him.

"Yuven," Fenrer whispered, and bit down on a whimper when the rain dragged his fingers off the rock. His Oathbound stopped and checked on Adara, then at the Iceshards approaching them.. His feet slipped when he tried to find a solid piece of ground in the storm. Bubbles sloshed. Waves chewed and eroded. He shivered, then dragged himself with his wilting vines. What's wrong with me? He held on tighter when the rock he tried to grab tore itself out of its eroded container.

"Kah'mai," Yuven hissed when Adara thrashed with the Iceshard. "Fenrer!" He knelt to the edge, and held his hand out. Flashes of light lit up his eyes. Beads of flames stretched through the violets when he stretched. "It's okay! Just come! Come to me! I'll help you!"

Yuven...

Fenrer climbed, forced to battle nature itself. Each step he took broke pieces of rock at his heel, but he caught himself each time. Water soaked through his garments. Closer to Yuven's outstretched hand, he let go of the vines and hopped to grab it. He stuck his feet into the rocks, but he winced when they sagged. He held on tight to Yuven, though their fingers slipped with the water. Fenrer winced at Adara's screech when she freed her mouth after chewing on their arm.

"Fenrer," Yuven hissed and used his other hand to grab his forearm. "It is okay! I can do this!"

It sank his heart when blood spotted his lips when he coughed, and his grip slipped. Fenrer scrambled to steady himself against the sheer drop. It coiled in his stomach, and he drove his teeth into his lip. Yuven hooked his fingers into his sleeve, and set himself back.

I... can't pull myself up. I'm only dragging him with me.

Yuven came too close to the edge whenever he tried to pull him, but the ice left on the rock made both their jobs difficult, and reminded him of his short life.

"Yuven—"

"No! Nex!" Yuven whipped around to Adara when the Iceshard dragged her along. "We can do this! I'm sorry, Molvisaliz—"

The other Iceshards closed in.

"Please forgive me for how foolish I've treated you," Yuven begged, the same white-haired boy who hid behind a standing stone. "Forgive me, Fenrer. I need your help!" Tears streamed down Yuven's cheeks. "Come on! I. Am. Not. Going. To. Let. You. Fall." He lunged backwards, and Fenrer tried to grab onto the edge, but they both gasped when he slipped. Shoulders straight, Fenrer rested his brow against the cliff, but kept his grip on Yuven's. Below him, the hungry mist, the jaws of a different beast, one he couldn't fight with his golden crescent blade.

"Yuven..." Fenrer whispered.

"I'm sorry," he rasped.

The warmth of home.

It washed out of his head at a pulse from the lighthouse. He released the fearful laugh in his chest when he met Yuven's eyes, the shadows closing in. "I'm sorry, too," he whispered and let the three whittled spheres fall into his other hand, connected by a thin string of magick twine. "It's okay." He breathed deeper, and squeezed his hand, causing Yuven to frown. "You have a duty to protect her. We both promised." He swallowed on pain and fear, and readied himself to face the jaws of nature.

Kon's voice rang out from the other side of the spirit world, "Little Wolf, think about what you're doing! I cannot help you like this! There's poison in the connection!"

I already did.

"I have to," he whispered.

"Have to what?" Yuven demanded, ignoring the attackers coming closer, blades at the ready.

Fenrer smiled up at Yuven and cracked the first sphere. "I am a son of the sea," he whispered the mantra of his home, then squeezed Yuven's hand. "Don't let them get away with this, Yuv."

"What?" Yuven whimpered.

Fenrer released one last sigh to the world, then pushed the sphere into the weak rocks. It cracked with the magick he injected into them.

He slipped out of Yuven's fingers when it went down the twine.

Worlds of fatal slow motion.

Emerald explosions shook the auric flow and up the cliff to prevent the Iceshards from lunging at Yuven, and he spread out the bubble as Yuven's last scream of his name echoed into his ears.

Jaws of mist caught his barrier.

I am a son of the sea. Sea to sea.

It cracked.

Always home.

Dad laughed in his ear, and the dark bubbles drove a wedge through his soul, and all went silent in the Echo Obscura.