Sylvia Talgan's POV.
I watched the fire flicker as everyone slept. It was just mine and the professor's time to do guard duty, and he was patrolling around the surrounding caves to stop any of those monsters before they reached us. Over the last three days, we ran into a few of the curious bastards as we dug a sizable cavern where the Headmaster had his two large golems staged.
But we managed to get rid of them before they could cause any problems. I stared into the darkness and felt my skin crawl as I gazed upon those massive stone golems. They were like sleeping stone giants in a cave. The rather ominous feeling that they would suddenly wake up bothered me slightly, despite the fact that it was impossible since they were part of our team.
Our training for the assault on the bastion also had gone smoothly. I felt that my job was the easiest, or at least maybe that was because it wasn't as difficult to control my blood compared to the others with their magic. Forcing it into the cracks and expanding it repeatedly wasn't groundbreaking, and it only took me a few tries to get the hang of it.
Outside of that, my duty could be chopped up into three sections. Protect everyone on the approach, including the golems, use my magic to bring the wall down, then rush in and fight whatever came at us. It was almost too simple, but Kaladin said the simpler the orders, the better sometimes.
Less to think about or something? I'm not sure…
I worried more about what lay beyond the wall than the actual siege. I just had a gut feeling that we had missed something or that we weren't grasping the whole concept. Either way, it was still true that we had no choice but to get past the wall first before we could worry about what was next. It was also true that we needed to defeat the dungeon once and for all.
I wanted nothing more than to go home and see Mila, to sleep in a comfortable bed without the fear of impending doom over my shoulder. If I could wash my hands of all of this then I would. But life isn't so simple. And if we don't take the place down, then Luminar will not be guaranteed to remain safe.
And if I have to fight, it should be for my family. For their future and safety. Because for better or for worse…Luminar has become our home. And a home is something worth fighting for.
My resolve was firm for today. If I were amongst many people who weren't nearly as skilled as those here, perhaps I would be more worried. Even Tsarra and Varnir, who were comparably weaker than everyone else, were far from being a burden. And unlike most people, they offered to head into the unknown despite the danger. I heard rumors before we left that many had declined to come and decided to move with the main force. But those were just rumors, in the end, I suppose.
I sighed quietly to myself and rested my head on my hands as I continued to stare listlessly into the campfire. But I jerked slightly at the sudden gasp off in the distance. In the faint light, I watched Cerila jerk awake and sit straight up from her sleeping bag.
Another one, huh?
I've seen it happen a handful of times when I get assigned guard duty. She'll jolt awake from the dead of sleep. She doesn't scream, panic, or yell—just a single gasp to announce herself. I thought maybe she was having a nightmare, but that didn't seem to be the case.
There was no fear in her eyes or expression, no uneasiness in her surroundings as if she were confused about being awake and back to reality. If anything, it was more concerning to see her so calm. Her amber eyes focused into the distance, like she was seeing something no one else could.
From what I was told, it started to happen after our fight at the tournament. It was also a…confusing thing for me. We apparently fought for a long time, and my memory was gone after a certain point. I tried to recall it, but it was just a blank spot until I woke up after it all ended.
Which means I must have done something to her, right? But I can't affect people's dreams…and the blood magic I used was also beyond my normal limits…and something changed about her sword…
Honestly, I feel bad about it.
It wasn't that long ago that I could have confidently said I hated her guts. Finding something to like about her would have been impossible. Maybe I was jealous and vindictive, but I honestly didn't care. I just didn't like her, and the reasons were self-explanatory.
But recently, those feelings had gone numb somewhat. It was hard not to notice her hard work and the effort she put into whatever was asked of her. Cerila trained diligently and acted in the best interest of those around her, and she did so while never voicing a complaint—not that she could, but that was beside the point.
I don't think those are enough reasons for me not to dislike her for how she acted, but…Kaladin talked to her, and she had kept her promise to him so far. And I can sympathize to some degree about his…indecisiveness. It's also not like I don't understand that she can't control who she likes…not that I have to be okay with it, but it is what it is.
And she honestly does care for him. It's not some simple childhood promise but a genuine feeling. She was even willing to sacrifice her own life to save Mila…a child she barely knew.
"Ugh, I can't believe I'm feeling bad about this…" I grumbled as I brought myself up to my feet.
I walked over to her, and her eyes met mine. I sighed to myself and sat down next to her. I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I could at least try.
I've healed her plenty of times since the tournament, but I found nothing wrong with her. If it was an illness or damage I had caused via my own powers, I should have been able to find it.
Cerila looked confused, and I signed,
She ruffled her nose at me with a deeper look of confusion, and I sighed even deeper.
Is my Sign Language that abysmal?
I just grabbed her and sank my fangs into her forearm. She winced slightly but didn't fight back and I went to work checking her. I spread my senses out from her arm, up to her chest, and down to her toes, but nothing was out of the ordinary.
If it's dreams, wouldn't it be in the brain? Dreams are just imaginary thoughts when you are asleep, right? So the problem should be there.
I focused on her brain and scoured it for any issues. Although the brain was complex, it was easy enough to determine whether it was bleeding or injured. However, another pass revealed the same result as all the previous ones—nothing.
I released her arm and scratched the back of my head in frustration. Dreams? What are they exactly? Just tricks of a sleeping mind? Recalling distant memories, good and bad? But I've had nonsensical dreams that had no bearing in reality.
But Cerila's recurring dream was very vivid to her, almost akin to a memory. So, was it really all just in her head after all? But how can someone have a memory about a place they've never been to?
…
What if it's something else? Something beyond the physical body?
It made sense, right? If Kaladin can see souls with mysterious powers from Dragons and even be reborn from another world, why can't Cerila have life-like dreams of a place she has never been to? And if it were something like that, perhaps it would have to be her soul. Something like a long lost memory…
That still doesn't explain how I had something to do with it, but it also made sense. If memory or dreams can be affected by a soul, doesn't that mean a memory could be removed or added if one could affect souls?
Well, this doesn't help…I can't sense, see, or know anything about souls to begin with, and I sure can't "heal" a soul. I'm right back to where I was at the beginning.
Or…can I?
I shook my head. There was no point, and no way should I go around digging through someone's body to find their "soul" right before a major battle just to stop them from having a dream. The amount of damage I could unwittingly do before I even realized it could be catastrophic. That was, if I could even do something.
I pushed myself up and dusted my legs off. I signed back.
Yeah…
—
I was a tad nervous. I had never sieged anything in my life, nor had I ever planned to do so. If someone had asked me a few years ago if I had been in such a situation, I would have called them insane. But in that same time frame, I've fought an adult Wyrm, nearly died from a Dragon, and even killed one myself.
This…is far more normal than the life I've been living recently…
"Is everyone ready?" Kaladin asked.
We were gathered around for the first stage of the attack. Those of us gathered gave firm nods and Kaladin looked down to the Headmaster.
"Begin," Kaladin ordered.
The alchemical firebombs were laid out in neat rows, with a few tiny shards of dungeon core scattered among them. I expected the Headmaster to form a golem to pick them up like a bird with its prey and send them out, but instead, the magical creatures formed around the bombs themselves.
The little golems took on the shapes of birds made of wind. Once they were all created, they shot off from the cave and headed straight to the bastion. The Headmaster sat quietly for some time as we heard the undead release their magical attacks against the golems.
"Halfway," Headmaster Taurus said calmly.
"Sylvia, we are up," Kaladin said as his spear appeared from thin air into his hands.
I nodded, and he knocked down a small section of the wall, just enough for the two of us to stand side by side. I already had blood prepared and brought it up to shield us. Magic was scorching the area around us as a myriad of random spells flew in every direction. I was to hold the barrier up until Kaladin gave me the signal to drop it.
"About to reach the wall," Headmaster Taurus said.
"Release, Sylvia," Kaladin said coolly.
The blood, acting as a wall, crashed down to the stone floor, and I watched as streams of fire flew high into the air. I had seen Kaladin use that same spell before and knew just how powerful it could be.
Once the orbs of fire nearly reached the cave's ceiling, they exploded into what looked like hundreds of small streaks of flames. Those streaks arced toward the fort, and many just helplessly crashed against the stone walls. However, through sheer volume, some hit their mark.
Boom.
Boom.
The cave shook violently, knocking rocks free from the walls, ceiling, and fort as the chain explosions ignited the bastion. Torrents of flames shot out from murder holes as the entire bastion was engulfed in flames. Not even the top battlements were spared from the inferno.
It wasn't difficult to imagine what would have happened to them if a living person had been inside those walls. A quick death would have been better than the alternative to living through that blaze, that was for sure.
Would…Kaladin use this tactic against people?
…
No point in thinking about that now.
"Bowen, golems forward," Kaladin ordered.
"Stay safe, okay?" I said to Kaladin.
"You too. Keep everyone alive. I'll be right behind you guys," Kaladin said with a firm nod.
I ran forward and gathered my blood into a giant curtain that covered our direct front and our heads. Everyone rushed to be beside me as the cave shook again. The giants were waking up from their slumber, and as they stood tall, they brought down the walls of the cave with them, strutting forward.
Rocks collapsed on top of us, but my barrier kept us safe from the debris. Once the giant golems passed us, I brought my blood out in front of them, and we had to jog to keep up with their long strides. Varnir was protecting Kaladin at our rear, and when I looked over my shoulder, I could see the hot white inferno warping the air.
The golems marched forward, but I started to feel the impacts against my barrier. At first, it was just a few spells, then, like a flood, it struck against my blood wall. The overwhelming amount of spells started to break down my wall, and I was spread too thin to maintain all the places.
"They've already started to attack!" I yelled.
"Golem one has sustained minimal damage. Keep pressing forward," Headmaster Taurus said as his wife carried him.
More and more holes appeared in my barrier, and I could see the magic raining down on us from the bastion. Then, a gaping hole opened up, and the lead golem took a ballista to the chest. From the hole, spells rained in and struck the golem, blowing it to pieces as Fireballs, Earth Spears, and various other spells devastated it.
"I'm losing control of golem one. Abandoning it now," The Headmaster informed us.
The lead giant took a sharp turn and took a step off the bridge directly into the abyss as it was falling apart. The second golem was slightly smaller than the first, so I bit down hard on my lip and let the blood flow out from me. I reconsolidated my barrier as we marched forward. The bastion's defenses continued to pile onto us as the order came from behind us.
"Now Sylvia!" Professor Garrison yelled.
I opened a hole in my wall, and a few spells made their way through. Lord Vasquez sprinted forward and, with a single swing of his flaming axe, destroyed a bolt of water and a blade of wind. There was a loud crack followed by a flash and I felt the heat at my back. In a blink of an eye something shot past us, to the side of the golem, and out the hole I made.
I closed the hole in my barrier before the explosion rocked the dungeon. I could hear the bastion crumbling from the powerful blow of Kaladin's magic. The enemy kept their attacks up, tweaking my barrier and getting through in some places. The ballista only managed to fire another two shots before we reached the end of the bridge, the second golem taking little damage in the process.
I willed the blood of my barrier to come back to me and form around our small group instead. The golem stepped forward with its massive body and punched directly into the stone wall before my sight was blocked again.
Some spells hit our position, but most seemed to have focused on the golem bringing down their fort. It was a slow process, but every thundering boom of the golem punching the wall brought down more and more of the bastion's gate.
Headmaster Taurus opened his eyes and said, "I've lost control of golem two."
At the same time, Kaladin, his mother, and Varnir ran into my barrier from behind. Kaladin gave one last command, "Bring down that gate!"
Together, we ran forward, and I felt my barrier push the fallen rock out of the way. Even with all the magic exploding around us, we didn't stop running until I was forced to; we had reached the gate.
Varnir's roots snaked out from his shield and burst out, spreading above us. I brought the barrier down, and Tsarra and I took two halves of the giant gate. Its size dwarfed us, but it was clear significant damage had been done. I placed my hand on the stone and willed my blood into the cracks and crevices as Tsarra did the same.
The barrage of magic never stopped but neither did we. Once I had spread my blood out, I stepped back, and Cerila thrust her sword into the stone. Ice spread across the surface and up, freezing everything in one go. The stone cracked and creaked, and then it all thawed at the same time.
I put more blood into the wall and reached the unfrozen blood, expanding it, making it explode even further, even deeper into the rock. Tsarra grunted as she forced more mana into the wall, and we repeated the process again and again. I could hear the magic making its way closer to us, and Kaladin and Headmaster Taurus stepped up as the fallen rock broke apart and reformed into a ceiling to protect us.
I felt something behind me, and as I put my hands on the wall, I looked up at a new giant creature. It was made of pitch-black metal and stood taller than any man. It had the face of a monster but the body of a person. It raised its fist and continued to pummel the wall.
Every one of its punches had tremendous force, and I could feel more cracks open with every strike. After many tries I could finally sense my blood on the other side, dripping down and not through any crack or crevice.
Finally.
As the ice overtook the wall again, the stone began to fall apart, and with another mighty punch, the golem knocked a sizable hole into the gate, and we could see the other side. The golem ripped the hole wider until it was big enough for it to climb through.
"Push into the bastion!" Lord Vasquez roared as he led the charge.
The golem blew through the stone, and a small group of undead were waiting for us. They brought their spears up, but the golem smashed into them, sending bones flying in every direction. It even grabbed a rusty and rotting shield, and threw it, with such force, it disintegrated an entire line of Skeletons.
We followed behind Lord Vasquez, whose flaming great axe cut down dozens with a single swing. I also used my blood to burst into their ranks and easily destroy the monsters. Their resistance was futile as we crushed their numbers with sheer force. We had completely wiped out their defense force in a matter of minutes.
As the last monster perished, I took a deep breath as fear gripped my heart. An immense bloodlust washed over us. It was nothing but pure malice and hatred.
In the distance, slowly strolling toward us across the stone square, was a small group of short undead. Most of them wore bronze-colored armor and wielded shiny hammers, axes, swords, and shields. Atop a ghastly mount, dragging what looked like a cart with a glowing pale crystal, a single undead peered down at us.
Its armor was a beautiful, pristine sky blue trimmed in gold accents. An equally impressive blade was held in one hand as it carried a bearded skeletal head in the crook of its arm. Its eyes, a shiny gem-like blue, glared at us, the source of that immense bloodlust.
"That is no normal, Dullahan," Lord Vasquez growled.