Gary was yanked by an intense force the moment got a firm grasp around the chains, with he and Brandus letting out a shocked cry in unison as they lurched forward.
While Gary knew the chain had been under great stress, It was only now that Gary could truly respect the might that pulled at it. The shaking, pulling, and swaying resembled more the tail of a wild beast than an inanimate object, one that wanted nothing more than to free itself from its restraints.
He squinted his eyes as his body faced the mass of chain that had now appeared more and more like a miniature sun, and began to regret joining Brandus. Even as his hands bled and his shoes split from the force, the grating noise and periodic jolts had not eased in the slightest.
'At least-- ugh, at least it isn't getting worse.' He noted, finding a small silver lining. But that thought did little to ease the growing pain he felt in his sore arms and sill-battered foot. What he really needed was some actual help.
'Speaking of help,' He thought, giving a quick glance behind him. 'Where the hell are the others?' Turning his focus away for a moment, he saw Ed, Alfred, Shasa, and Gabriel gawking at the duo, no doubt confused by what they were doing.
Shasa seemed especially conflicted, her eyes seeming to view the use of brute force as a pointless task compared to using magic.
Not like Gary could blame her. But until she offered a solution, he was going to keep pulling.
No, They were going to keep pulling.
"You can stare at my handsome mug all you want," He roared, rousing them from inaction. "AFTER we get out of here alive. Until then, how about you help a man out?" If he was going to suffer, he was gonna make sure the rest did too.
Alfred was the first to come to and give aid, followed closely by Edwin, Shasa, and Gabriel. They each found a handhold and pulled back with every ounce of power they had.
Granted, the amount of help they gave was not equal.
With his large frame, Alfred was the second strongest in terms of strength, a little behind Brandus in physical power. If any contribution mattered, it was his.
Gary could still feel a noticeable change when Alfred began to pull, as the touch of the druid helped calm the raging chain.
Shasa and Gabriel were another matter though. While Edwin could hold his own, those two were the ones who suffered the most. Shasa focused on pure magical damage, while Gabriel played the strict role of support and healing. Asking them to play in a contest of strength was a tall order. Gary could even hear their strained cries coming from behind him over the grating that echoed in his ears.
But to Shasa's credit, she was still able to keep her hold on the chain, even if she didn't offer any substantial help.
Gabriel was... well, he was definitely a healer. That was for sure.
What was the saying? The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak? That fit Gabriel to a tee, who had grasped a link with burning conviction to help both the team and his perceived Goddess.
It was a shame that faith did not translate well to pure strength, otherwise he would have calmed the chain with a single hand. Instead, when he wrapped himself around it, he was immediately wretched about, slamming his body to and fro with each fit.
The poor fellow was holding on for deal life, fighting the dizziness that came with the sudden movement. Forget pulling, he could barely even keep himself from getting hurled off the chain!
And while Gary couldn't see the tragic sight, he could hear the screaming. That alone was enough to paint a picture of what was happening. It was a true shame he was unable to witness it.
"You can do it, Gabriel!" Gary sarcastically encouraged with a smirk. "Just a trial for the Goddess, no doubt." His grudge against the healer was still well and alive, as was the throbbing.
"AHHHHHH!!!"
"Hehehe..."
"Enough talking. More pulling!" Brandus ordered through his clenched jaw, veins taunt and pulsing with each pump of his heart. He believed they were close. The strength that flowed through the golden chain had abated somewhat, and he wanted to keep that trend going.
But as they got closer to success, the feeling of something give under the pressure could be felt, and the chain suddenly began to flash as it flew forward a foot before halting, throwing them off balance, their feet digging a trench as they skid across the floor.
The grating, which had already reached a deafening volume, increased yet another level, accompanied by the sound of popping. The light had also turned dull, and was losing more of its color every second.
'That can't mean anything good,' Gary despondently remarked. Today had been nothing but depressing, and he was getting tired of fate and its nasty sense of humor.
Things had turned sour within a span of a second, leaving them barely enough time to absorb what had happened, let alone fix it.
Unfortunately for them, time was not on their side.
For only a moment later, a new sound shot through the space, eradicating any chance they had.
The sound of metal being broken.
The chain had snapped.