Further behind on the path, Jay, Zoe, Ema, Hathor, Kayla, and Kek kept at a reasonable distance behind their teammates. They reached the guarded corner, the trap door Axel had fallen through now back in place. A warning from Xix meant they knew where not to step. 

"Come on!" Jay called, rounding the corner. "We're almost half woah!" He jumped back behind, a round from the opposite side of the canyon missing his head by an inch. 

"What is it?" Ema asked.

"Someone is shooting at us!" 

"That figures. Shoot back!"

"With what? My charisma and good looks?" 

Kek sighed from behind. "And you are the people who foil my plans every time." He shook his head. "At least Amneris has half a brain to improvise with."

Jay and Ema exchanged glances. 

"No," Jay said, "we can't throw him at them. Queenie seems to think he has a purpose."

Kek's attention snapped to the pair. "Now hang on-"

Hathor pushed her way to the front of the group, a small pouch in her grasp. 

Wedging herself between the corner and Jay, Hathor peeked around the corner. She was met with sufficient gunfire and whipped back into safety seconds later. It was all the time she needed to get a close enough idea of where their opponents were and how many were holding them down. 

Reaching into her pouch, Hathor pulled out two small stones - one bright red and the other an almost transparent green. She grasped them in her hand with a nod. 

"I call upon the powers of Fye and Azity." 

Hathor jumped around the corner. She tossed the stones at the same time as their opponents opened fire. Jay grabbed her arm, yanking her back to safety. Together, they peaked out. 

Across the canyon the stones flew. With the help of Hathor's magic, they landed at the feet of the soldiers Aurelia left behind to provide cover fire. They glanced down at the stones, confused. Then stones begun to glow and hum-

BANG!

The very ground beneath them exploded in a firestorm. 

Hathor and Jay yelped, jumping back to safety. 

Jay nodded with pride. "Very impressive, Hathy. Nice to know someone has been paying attention to their studies." 

She grinned at the praise.

* * * * * * * *

Amneris, Xix, Axel, and Colt - who had just reached the final bridge at the end of the canyon a few metres ahead of Aurelia - were thrown off their feet. Seconds later, a resounding boom! followed. 

Amneris sat up first, shaking dust from her hair. "What the fuck was that?"

Xix coughed, pushing herself upright. She narrowed her eyes at the smoke and fire on the other side of the canyon. "Whatever it was, I have a feeling it was from your people."

"Does it matter?" Axel asked. "Aurelia is down. We can get to the other side of the bridge before she does!"

"Right," Amneris said. "Let's move."

* * * * * * * * 

The bridge ahead was long a thin, barely large enough for one person to run across without falling into the canyon below. It was made of dust-covered gold, leading to the joint end of the canyon. A decorated pedestal made of stone covered in a variety of gemstones was at the centre of a raised staged. 

Amneris went first. She danced across the bridge to the end with ease. "Yes!" She pumped her fists in the air. 

That was when it happened.

The bridge behind her exploded in a shower of stone and gold. 

Amneris was tossed to the ground. 

Pushing herself to her feet, she unsheathed her staff and spun around. No one in sight. No one excepting Xix, Axel, and Colt on the other side of the now-ruined bridge. Amneris frowned. Had she triggered another trap?

A high level zipping sound was coming toward her. Amneris turned toward it. Her eyes widened. She moved, feeling as though the world were in slow motion, to the side. An energy bolt zapped past a mere inch from the side of her head. Time sped up again. Amneris dropped to her knees, turning away as the stone wall behind her exploded. 

Amneris faced the source of the energy bolt. Aurelia was standing at the end of her own golden bridge, hands glowing with power. She took a few steps forward as Amneris stood. Together, they turned toward their target, the thing that would determine who won the race.

Aurelia and Amneris stood equidistance from the pedestal. 

The pair exchanged glances. 

They ran. 

* * * * * * * * 

Aurelia attacked with her power, sending golden bolts of energy toward Amneris. 

Amneris jumped their first, twisted under the second, and reflected the rest back with her staff. She grinned at the surprise on Aurelia's face, not breaking her stride toward the pedestal.

It was within her grasp!

Something whacked the side of Amneris' face. She went sprawling to the other end of the pathway. Her head spun, stars danced in front of her eyes. She couldn't move. All Amneris managed was a pain-filled groan. 

* * * * * * * * 

By now, the others had caught up. They frowned at the gap. 

"Hey, Hathy," Jay said. "Got any more magic stones in that bag of yours?"

Hathor, who had been staring at the unconscious form of her mother with rising anger, jumped to attention. "Uh, yeah. I think." She rummaged through the pouch. 

Moments of searching later, she held up a black-grey stone. Colt held out a hand. She passed it to him. 

Colt tossed the stone in his hand before dropping it onto the broken end of the bridge. "Disis. Repair."

The stone glowed and spun on the spot. It sunk into the ground. The pathway rumbled and the bridge grew back into place, rejoining the other side. The group ran across to where Amneris lay, Xix and Axel aiming for the pedestal.

It was too late.

* * * * * * * *

An all too familiar cackle came from behind. 

Amneris cracked her eyes open in time to see Nephthys place her hand on the pedestal. 

The world around them became blinding light. 

Nephthys had opened the final rift.

* * * * * * * * 

As Nephthys, Aurelia, and their soldiers entered the rift, Colt pulled Amneris into an upright sitting position. She groaned in pain, eyes closing again. Kayla knelt at her side, placing her hands on each side of Amneris' head. The Zer focused her energy with a frown. She pulled away seconds later.

Amneris' eyes shot open. She looked around, confused.

Jay whistled. "That must've been some hit to get her in that state."

"Ugh, you're telling me," Amneris said as Colt pulled her upright. "Did I win?" He shook his head. "Shit."

Ema braced her hands on her hips. "Well, fearless leader, the gang's all here and the baddies just went through the rift. Now what do we do?"

Amneris glanced at the still-open rift. "We follow."

Xix cocked her head in question. "We didn't pass the Trial. We can't follow."

Letting go of Colt, Amneris snorted. "Fuck the rules." 

The others gave her strange looks.

Amneris rolled her eyes. "Come on, guys! You have me, Guardian of the Photon Core, and Xix, Guardian of the Silent Core, with you. Also known as the holders of the two most powerful items in all of Creation. Instead of arguing about it and letting Nephthys and her gang get ahead, let's go stop them from claiming the Weapon!"

Without waiting to see if the others followed, Amneris ran through the rift.