Kael and Lira sprinted through the rough terrain, the glow of the Skybreaker camp behind them getting farther away.
The shattered device's lingering hum still vibrated faintly in Kael's ears.
"They're coming!" Lira shouted, glancing over her shoulder.
Kael didn't need to look. The sound of boots stomping behind them was unmistakable and so was the hum of their fragment-powered weapons.
"We need to lose them in the rocks!" Kael yelled, his voice strained as he pushed his legs harder.
The rocky terrain became a blur as they ran through narrow passes and leapt over scattered debris.
The people following them, Skybreakers were fast and relentless, their glowing armor and weapons making them impossible to miss even in the darkness.
"Split up!" Lira called out, quickly turning to the right without waiting for a response.
Kael cursed under his breath but followed her lead, darting left and ducking behind a large boulder. His fragment pulsed wildly in his palm, warning him of danger before a streak of energy zipped past his head, scorching the rock.
The Skybreaker rounded the boulder, his weapon, a long spear, glowing with energy. Kael barely had time to react as the man lunged, the spear's tip crackling with a burst of light.
Kael ducked low, feeling the heat of the weapon as it sliced through the air above him. His fragment flared in response, sharpening his instincts and sending it's energy throughout his body.
He quickly turned, his blade striking the Skybreaker's armor with a metallic clang.
The Skybreaker staggered backwards but recovered quickly. Kael realized this wasn't like fighting bandits—these opponents were trained, disciplined, and deadly.
The Skybreaker thrust his spear again, but Kael sidestepped, using the uneven terrain to his advantage. The man overextended, and Kael seized the opportunity, slashing hard at the exposed joint of his armor with the back of his blade.
The strike landed, and the Skybreaker let out a grunt of pain as his weapon faltered. Kael didn't wait—he delivered a swift kick to the man's chest, sending him sprawling onto the rocks.
Kael wondered why he was suddenly able to fight so well, but all his questions were answered when Astraea explained that his fragment can produce miracles.
And miracles were what he was doing.
Lira, meanwhile, was a whirlwind of motion. She had drawn two of the Skybreakers away, her agile movements keeping them from catching her.
The first Skybreaker swung a heavy mace, its glow casting shadows across the ground.
Lira ducked under the swing, her daggers flashing as she struck the man's unprotected wrist.
He howled, dropping the mace, but the second Skybreaker was already closing in. He slashed his blade at her, but Lira flipped backward, landing gracefully on a higher rock.
"You're going to have to do better than that," she taunted, her voice full of confidence.
The second Skybreaker growled and lunged, but Lira sidestepped effortlessly, kicking a loose stone into his path. He stumbled, Lira took that opportunity to hit his neck had with the back of her blade.
He fell to the ground unconscious. wasting no time Lira turned to the first Skybreaker, who had recovered his mace.
"Round two, then?" she said, twirling her daggers.
Kael rejoined Lira just as the remaining Skybreakers caught up. The area was filled with the hum of fragments and the angry shouts of the Skybreakers.
"This isn't sustainable," Lira said, her back against Kael's as they squared off against their opponents.
Kael gritted his teeth, his fragment pulsing in warning. "We just need to hold them off a little longer then find an opportunity to escape using the terrain and..."
Before Kael could continue, the Skybreakers charged.
The battle exploded into chaos.
Kael ducked under a swing from a glowing axe, his fragment guiding his movements with uncanny precision. He countered with a strike of his own, aiming for the exposed joint in his opponent's armor.
The Skybreaker blocked with his gauntlet, the impact sending a jolt through Kael's arm. Before Kael could recover, the Skybreaker's knee shot up, hitting him in the ribs and knocking the wind out of him.
Kael stumbled but rolled with the momentum, narrowly avoiding a follow-up strike. His fragment flared again, and he spun on his heel, slashing at the Skybreaker's leg. The man cried out as he fell, his weapon slipping from his grasp.
Lira, meanwhile, moved around so much it annoyed the Skybreakers. She leapt onto a boulder, then used it as a springboard to launch herself at a Skybreaker wielding a glowing whip.
The whip moved quickly through the air, but Lira twisted mid-leap, narrowly avoiding it. She landed behind her opponent and drove the opposite end of her dagger into the back of his neck, forcing him to his knees.
She was getting used to this.
As teenager, they naturally did not plan on killing anyone in this battle.
Another Skybreaker charged at Lira, his sword raised high, but Lira spun, using the first Skybreaker as a shield. The sword struck his comrade instead, and Lira took advantage of the confusion to deliver a swift kick to the second man's chest, sending him sprawling.
The tide of the battle shifted as more Skybreakers joined the fray. The narrow pass became a tight arena, the glow of fragment-enhanced weapons lighting up the darkness.
Kael and Lira fought side by side, their movements synchronized in a way that showed their trust in each other.
Kael's fragment pulsed rhythmically, enhancing his reflexes and guiding his strikes, while Lira's agility and precision further improved by her fragment, which ability seemed to give her a physicality boost, kept their enemies off balance.
But the Skybreakers weren't ordinary foes. Their fragment-enhanced weapons and armor gave them strength beyond that of any bandit or corrupted they had faced before.
Kael blocked a strike from a glowing halberd, the force of the impact nearly driving him to his knees. He gritted his teeth and pushed back steadying himself.
"Lira, we can't keep this up!" he shouted.
Lira ducked under a swing and delivered a brutal slash to her opponent's leg. "I'm open to suggestions!"
A sudden roar cut through the chaos, and both Kael and Lira turned to see a figure emerging from the shadows.
The Skybreaker captain was an imposing presence, his armor larger and more complex than that of his subordinates.
A massive sword crackling with fragment energy rested on his shoulder, and his eyes glowed faintly with an unnatural light.
Kael's fragment pulsed violently, a warning unlike any he had felt before.
"Well," Lira said, her voice nervous. "This just got a lot worse."
The captain pointed his sword at them, his voice a low growl. "You've meddled long enough. Time to end this."
Kael tightened his grip on his blade, his heart pounding. The captain's presence was overwhelming, but Kael forced himself to stand his ground.
"Lira," he said, his voice steady despite the fear coursing through him. "We'll handle this together."
Lira nodded, her daggers at the ready. "Of course."
The captain charged, his sword cutting through the air with a deafening whoosh.
Kael and Lira braced themselves, the battle far from over.