Kaly's eyes darted over the churning mud, searching for any sign of Ivy as her fists clenched helplessly. Her heart hammered, the rhythm almost drowning out the roar of the rising sludge. She took a shaky breath, considering throwing herself in, even though every instinct screamed at her to wait.
A sudden pulse of energy crackled from above. She looked up, spotting one of Taber's teammates—a tall figure perched on a ledge overhead, an energy bow materializing in his hands. Without a word, he aimed down into the mud, his eyes narrowing.
A glimmer of blue light formed at his bow's center before he released it, the shot streaking through the canyon with a piercing hum. The arrow plunged into the mud where Ivy had disappeared; the energy wrapping around her like a cord.
Kaly felt her breath catch as Ivy's face emerged, gasping for air. The energy line held firm, guiding her back to a lower ledge just below Kaly. Without wasting a second, Kaly scrambled down to help, reaching out as Ivy's feet found solid ground again.
"Ivy!" Kaly grinned, "Are you alright? You're still in there, right?"
Ivy coughed, wiping mud from her eyes, "Yeah," she rasped, gripping Kaly's hand tightly. "But that guy…I know what we need to do."
The energy line that had pulled Ivy to safety dissipated, leaving only faint sparkles in the air. Kaly glanced up, spotting the archer from Taber's group, who had saved Ivy. He gave them a nod from his vantage point above, then turned his attention back to the rest of the canyon, readying another arrow.
Kaly's gaze hardened, already flicking to the shadows in the mud below. Making sure they weren't about to get ambushed. "Oh yeah? By the way, I just realized, I can't sense this guy whenever he's in this mud."
"I don't think he can control his ability if he isn't in the mud. Look over there at Pearson, if we get him in his circle, we can stop him there."
Kaly's eyes narrowed as she glanced over to Pearson, who was standing firm within his protective circle, bell-staff glowing faintly as he tried to stabilize the surrounding mud. His energy radiated in pulses, holding back the sludge, and creating a small, steady zone of safety.
"Okay," Kaly nodded, catching Ivy's determined look. "If we can draw him out and force him into that circle, he's dead!" A sharp grin crossed her face at the thought.
Ivy wiped the last of the mud from her face, her grip tightening around her trident. "We just need to get him in somehow."
"Yeah, I can't even see or sense him."
From above, the archer fired another shot. This time, it was a red energy arrow. It sliced through the air, illuminating the murky canyon as it streaked toward the swirling mud. Kaly and Ivy watched as it struck with a hiss, sending a ripple through the sludge. For a split second, the mud parted, revealing a shadowy figure just below the surface, flinching as the energy disrupted his hiding spot.
"There!" Ivy pointed, already moving along the long ledge. She called up to the archer, "Drive him towards the guy with the bell!"
Kaly stopped, pointing two fingers at the mud, waiting for her opening.
The archer above notched another arrow, focusing with fierce precision. The arrow struck just in front of the Ceda, splashing mud into the air and forcing him to move back.
Kaly's energy hissed and billowed around her fingers, her gaze steady as she tracked every twitch of movement beneath the surface. She focused all her will and intentions, "Ha!"
With a sharp motion, Kaly released a concentrated burst of energy that shot through the mud, parting it in a jagged line directly toward Ceda. He stumbled, nearly losing his footing as the shockwave forced him to backpedal, inching closer to Pearson's circle.
The archer above took aim again, his eyes locked on Ceda, calculating his every move.
Ceda's gaze flicked toward the glowing circle where Pearson held firm, as if realizing the trap too late. With a fierce surge, Kaly sent another ball of energy barreling at Ceda, who tumbled forward, completely losing his balance. He staggered, sliding helplessly, until he fell into the glowing circle where Pearson's bell-staff pulsed with contained energy. The circle flared, trapping him within its bounds.
Above, the archer didn't hesitate. He notched a final arrow, a sharp gleam of yellow energy, and released it with pinpoint precision.
The arrow ripped through Ceda's shoulder, momentarily pinning him to the ground, making him let out a roar in pain and anger. He struggled, but the energy pulsed from the arrow's impact, anchoring him firmly in place.
Pearson held his bell-staff high, slamming it back down, the vibration intensifying as energy poured into the circle, reinforcing it. "Now!" he called to Ivy and Kaly. "He's here!"
Ivy took a running leap, her energy bubbling around her as she flew through the air, landing inside Pearson's circle.
Ceda's face twisted in pain and fury as he ripped the arrow from his shoulder, blood seeping into the mud. He staggered, trying to rise, but the circle's energy kept him sluggish as if he were fighting against an invisible weight.
Ceda raised his fists as Ivy approached. His eyes met Ivy's, rage sparking in their depths.
She easily slipped out of the way of each punch, responding with thrusting the staff of her trident against his sternum, sending him to the ground.
Ivy's trident was planted firmly against his chest, pinning him down. She could feel his energy boiling beneath the surface, desperate to break free, but Pearson's reinforcement kept it firmly contained, draining his strength bit by bit.
Ceda's eyes flashed with defiance, but a hint of desperation lurked beneath. He thrashed, managing to knock Ivy slightly off-balance, but she corrected her stance immediately, pressing the weapon harder into his chest.
"Don't try it." Pearson warned. "She's crazy. She will kill you."
Ceda sneered, though his expression flickered with unease as he glanced between Ivy and Pearson. The weight of the circle's energy pressed down on him, pinning his movements as effectively as Ivy's trident. His fingers dug into the mud, clawing for a grip, but he was trapped. Ivy's gaze never wavered, her grip steady and unyielding.
Just then, an arrow whizzed by and lodged into the ground a few feet away, a rope coiled around its shaft. Moments later, Taber slid down the rope, landing firmly within the circle with a solid thud, eyes sharp and assessing as he took in the scene: Ceda pinned beneath Ivy's trident, He gave a curt glance to Pearson before his gaze locked onto Ceda.
His voice was level but edged with an unmistakable authority. "You can make this simple—cut this shit out, or we'll leave you in this circle with Ivy and her trident."
Ceda stared at Taber for a long time, his eyes eventually wandering from Taber, to Ivy, to the people looking down on them from the Canyon wall.
As he processed his options, the tan aura that surrounded him faded away, and he slowly raised his hands in a sign of surrender.
In that instant, the mud that had been surging around them seemed to pause. The thick, sludge solidified momentarily, losing its violent energy, as if the very ground was holding its breath.
Ivy lowered her trident slightly, her grip still firm, but the threat of immediate violence had dissipated. She slowly stepped off of him.
Kaly ran across the solidified mud, reaching the edge of Pearson's circle, looking down into the pit.
Ivy waved at her, smiling.
The vibration within the circle stopped as Pearson fell to one knee, exhausted.