Hope's arms trembled as he raised his sword just in time.
CLANG!
The scavenger's claw struck steel. Sparks burst as Hope's blade shuddered from the impact. His entire body recoiled, heels skidding against the dirt, shoulders jarred like they'd been hit by a truck.
The scavenger hissed, trying to force its way through his guard, its grotesque face inches from his. He gritted his teeth and shoved forward, twisting his blade to redirect the weight. The move worked—but barely. The monster staggered sideways with a shriek, and Hope stumbled back, panting.
He stole a glance to the left.
Massa.
She wasn't faring well.
She had tried to form a spell circle, hands glowing faintly with ether-light—but a scavenger had crashed into her before the chant could leave her lips. Her staff lay several feet away, half-buried in the sand. She was now rolling, trying to avoid the monster's slashes, her green cloak torn and stained, hair matted to her face.
"MASSA!" Hope shouted, but another scavenger lunged at him before he could move to help.
He ducked, feeling its claws slice the air above him, and countered with a thrust to its gut. His sword scraped off its carapace uselessly. No penetration. Just more wasted effort.
There was a sickening CRACK nearby.
Hope turned sharply—
Nefer.
She danced between the scavengers like a phantom, her movements fluid, her white armor gleaming like a shard of the moon. Her blade was a blur, trailing faint light as it slashed, stabbed, and parried in rapid succession.
One scavenger lunged. She spun past it.
Another swiped low. She leapt, twisting midair, and slashed across its face, drawing black blood.
But even she was being worn down.
Sweat lined her pale forehead, her breathing harsh. There were too many. They circled her like a pack of wolves, and for every one she injured, two more filled its place. Her strikes were starting to slow. Her foot slipped once—barely—but enough for a scavenger to land a glancing blow on her shoulder.
She grunted, sliding back, and raised her blade again, teeth clenched. Her white tunic was stained with filth now, streaks of red and black painting the cloth. Her expression stayed calm—but Hope could see the cracks forming.
They were all being pushed.
Hope ducked another swing, then charged, trying to help Massa. He lashed out with a horizontal slash, forcing her attacker back just long enough for her to crawl toward her staff.
"Get up!" he barked. "Cast something—anything!"
"I—I'm trying!" Massa rasped, hands shaking as she gripped her staff and began to draw a fresh circle in the dirt. "I need time!"
Time.
It was the one thing they didn't have.
Another scavenger barreled toward Hope, forcing him to intercept. Their blades met in a shower of sparks. He twisted his sword upward to deflect, then used his shoulder to bash the creature back. It reeled, but didn't fall.
He barely saw the second one lunging from the side.
CRACK!
A heavy claw caught his side—full force.
His armor crunched. He was thrown sideways, tumbling like a ragdoll, pain erupting in his ribs. The air fled his lungs in one violent gasp. He hit the ground hard, rolled, came up dizzy.
Blood was in his mouth. Maybe internal. He didn't know. Didn't care.
His vision swam as he forced himself upright again.
All around him, the chaos raged.
Massa screamed as another scavenger tackled her—she barely raised a shield, the translucent dome cracking under clawed strikes.
Nefer grunted as she blocked two blows at once, her feet grinding against the ground. Her sword flashed, but her strikes had lost precision—too many enemies, too little space.
Hope's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
They were being dismantled. Picked apart like scraps.
He clenched his jaw, raised his blade again, and ran back into the fight.