He activated the portal through dimensions, energy from the sword pulsing into the floor below them. Kalista wailed in rage, the room behind her disintegrating as she shot herself forward. Her hands clasped the sword the instant the transfer happened.
Everything went completely still, then sensations flooded back into them.
The five adventurers fell to the ground, landing on soft grass in the middle of a cemetary that sprawled over a series of rolling hillocks. Pain wracked Gavins body, it felt like the world itself was sapping handfuls of his power directly from his soul. Waves of distortion washed off him as his body leaked itself out into the magical desert that was his homeworld. He felt his vision close as a throbbing headache punched its way into his skull.
The other four were in no better condition, with Kalista being the worst affected of all. She glowed with effervescent energy, it fell off her in torrents that burned and withered the grass she writhed on.
Gasping for air Gavin crawled to the sword, his fingers finding the razor sharp blade. Instantly he felt a flood of energy pulse into him, he fed that energy to his team, feeling them recover as he rolled onto his back panting with the exertion of the past few seconds.
Kalista pushed herself to her knees, lunging at him with inhuman speed. Panicked he pulled himself out of her reach with a jolt of force to the side.
A cage of red hot iron appeared around him, encasing his body in white hot iron. He could see in his peripheral vision that similar cages had appeared around the team, and that Kalista was staggering towards him trailing a cloak of effervescent light. It was all he could do to stay conscious through the pain as he sucked energy from the sword and fed it to the team, feeling Sam, Val and then Judy feed healing magic back to the team.
Gavin struggled against his bonds, certain that if Kalista reached him he would die and she would gain a relic of unfathomable power. He watched as a screen of strobing light wrapped around her head, snarling she brushed it aside and continued on undaunted.
Gavins cage suddenly evaporated and he leapt back out of reach, teleporting a short distance before stumbling over a gravestone. He summoned a portal between himself and the team who were also rushing to retreat as Kalista sent a wave of light streaming out over them. The portal filled with light, then winked out a moment later as it too evaporated into tendrils of light.
The three women seeing their line of escape had failed turned to face kalista, brandishing their weapons in a unified front against the commander of the Wardens guild.
Val struck out first, her animated swords like missiles that shattered off Kalistas armour. She followed it up with a flurry of harmless attacks that bounced off the commander as if they were no more effective than toys.
Sam transformed into her awakened form, took three running steps and slammed her radiant sword into kalistas face before her sword and animated body crumbled and she sprawled to the dirt, rolling to leap to her feet with the moentum.
A string of arrows exploded off kalista's face in a series of detonations. Thunderous indignation radiated from her and she shot out waves of light that pummelled Sam and Val through a line of grave stones, leaving them bloody and broken.
âGet out of here with that sword Gavin.â Judy growled as he sprinted back into the fight, sword in hand.
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âFuck that. I can take her.â
âNo, we've got this, if she gets the sword, we're done.â Judy commanded, not stopping her flurry of attacks, âGO!â
Gritting his teeth, Gavin jumped back out of the fight again, hating that Judy was right. They could all see Kalista was falling apart and that outlasting her was their best shot. His best contribution was to keep his team topped up as best he could and let them distract her for as long as they were able.
Sam struggled to her feet and pulled Val up with her, each slugging back a healing potion as Judy harried the commander from the flanks. Cages appeared around the three of them as the two swords women made reckless attacks.
Kalista stalked over to Judy first, a short iron sword appearing in her hands. She plunged the sword into the cage, and screamed her frustration as it blinked out as her fist collided with her spell, shattering it and punching Judy square in the chest.
Judy crumpled where she stood, though Kalista was unable to finish the job as Sam scooped her up and blurred out of reach, pouring her own health into her to get her back up. Val leapt on her back, summoning her soulbound swords directly into kalistas neck, the two blades sticking out either side before vanishing themselves.
Kalista reached behind her and tore her assailant off her back, she held Val by the throat and squeezed, crushing flesh in her fingers before punching her across the cemetery. Sam's sword punched through her back, the attack finally breaking the commanders armour. The rune covered plate shattered into mist, leaving the commander in only her regular clothes.
Sam caught a backhand, flattening her just as surely as Val and Judy had been health with. Kalista looked around for signs of Gavin and the sword but he was out of sight.
âYou gods damned-â The commander began before she fell to a knee.
Gavin watched from the woods in the distance as the commander crumbled to ash, her body that had once been essentially a magical construct held together by her soul had stripped away to nothing. In her place, a single round crystal of smokey grey light fell to the patch of withered grass.
Gavin rushed back to the team, dosing them all in turn with healing potions as they pulled themselves together. Val stumbled over to Sam and Judy before slumping to the ground, exhausted. They sat there in stunned silence for a good long while unpacking the consequences of what had just happened.
âGavin, what is this place?â Judy asked, breaking the silence as she regained her composure.
They were in a field, hundreds of mismatched tombstones lay in ordered rows, running off into the distance. Nearby an ancient totora tree shaded them, obscuring the sun's afternoon glow.
âCemetery. It's where we bury the deadâ
âAnd why are we here?â
âI needed a connection to my world, this is the place that holds the most meaning for me here.â
âWhy, who is buried here?â Val asked, looking at the stone closest to her.
Gavin stood beside her, following her gaze. The headstone was heart shaped, it was carved with fine flowing letters, the silhouette of a bird flying into the sun surrounded by flowers stood prominently above the inscription.
Tom Pene & Hinemoa Ratu
2021-2021 1994-2021
Survived by a loving father and partner.
Gavin slumped to the ground, tears welling up. The pain was back. Fresh and raw.
He felt a warmth flow into him, his three friends standing behind him sharing their feelings of compassion and reassurance as they witnessed his past laid bare.
With their help Gavin pulled himself together, standing slowly, with purpose.
âCome on guysâ he said, his usual upbeat demeanour a little greyer than usual âlet's go find a proper steak and cheese pie and a V.â