AUTHOR'S POV
Nivara and Caelynn quickly ducked behind a wall, pressing their backs against it just as Reone turned in their direction. They held their breaths, listening with relief as Lyrian caught his attention and led him away, their footsteps moving farther away toward the funeral chamber.
"Damn it," Nivara muttered. "They beat us here."
"Well, it isn't surprising considering how much time we wasted being evasive," Caelynn replied.
"But how are we supposed to get the Trident now? There are ten of them and—"
"And four of us," a voice behind them interrupted.
Both girls jumped. Nivara almost gave away their location with a scream when she quickly realized the source of the voice. She let out a relieved breath when she saw two familiar cloaked figures standing behind them instead of temple spirits.
Seeing their faces, a painted smirk formed on the face of the closer one.
"Veyra," Nivara said, immediately recognizing her.
"I'm here too, you know, sweetheart," Damon added, pulling down his hoodie.
Nivara's gaze switched to him, almost visibly cringing at his words, but she resisted the urge and even managed a small smile.
"How could I forget, babe?"
Veyra rolled her eyes at the scene that was starting to play out, irritated to be ignored in favor of Damon for even a second.
"Where have you two been?" she quickly asked Caelynn and Nivara.
Caelynn opened her mouth to answer, but Veyra waved at her dismissively.
"Actually, you didn't find the Trident, so I don't really care."
Caelynn's mouth tightened unpleasantly.
Not noticing, Veyra continued.
"Though I suppose it's a good thing you're here. I'll need you two to help me get the Trident."
"How exactly are you planning on doing that?" Caelynn asked eagerly.
"All in due time, girls. For now, let's just focus on letting those idiots lead us to the Trident."
While she said this, Nivara and Caelynn exchanged uneasy looks.
"Are we going to keep talking, or are we going to do this?" Damon asked, moving past them.
Veyra immediately grabbed his shoulder, her eyes turning hostile.
"From now on, you're following me. Is that clear?" she said.
Damon only smiled.
"Of course, Veyra."
She then turned to Nivara and Caelynn.
"That goes for you two as well."
Their expressions remained grim, but the two nodded at her.
Veyra turned and walked ahead, satisfied, not noticing the scheming expressions of all three of her companions.
---
REONE
The Ancestral Funeral Chamber overwhelmed them with its size, its beauty, and what it represented for them if everything went as planned: the end of their search for the Trident of Axis.
Even Lyrian and Reone forgot about their problems as they stared around the chamber in wonder.
"Is this place built awesome, or what?" Nova said as they stepped inside.
"I can't believe we're finally here," Anika said, her voice filled with disbelief.
The design of the chamber was ancient but elegant in its simplicity. Murals covered the walls, telling stories of the Diviners who had come before them. Large statues of Diviners stood in the corners, their stone faces watching over the room.
The room had the general dark energy they were used to by now, but it was also slightly different.
There was something of life in it.
Maybe, Lyrian thought, this was because along sections of the walls that were not covered in writing were large sarcophagi cleanly imbued with preservation magic.
"Your ancestors, Anika?" Lyrian asked, looking at one of the sarcophagi.
Anika turned toward her, wonder filling her expression.
"I guess," she said softly.
Then her expression fell slightly.
"Oh. I hate to disturb their rest."
"I think they would understand our need," Mia said to her.
"Yeah... maybe," Anika replied, though she still sounded uncertain.
"Anika, I don't mean to be rude, but we're not here just to admire the place," Reone said in a practical tone.
His words snapped everyone out of their thoughts, and they all turned toward him.
"Does anyone see the Trident?"
"No Trident yet," Sire said, looking around. "But I do see what looks like a hidden section of the chamber."
Everyone followed his gaze.
On the right side of the room was a partially opened doorway.
The opening was so narrow and hidden that none of them had noticed it at first.
"The Trident has to be in there," Diamond said confidently.
"Looks like someone beat us here," Seren said, her expression becoming serious. "Or a bunch of someones."
She looked toward the doorway.
"Do you think it's still there?"
"It is," Anika said.
Her voice was certain.
"I can feel it. It's calling to me."
She immediately began walking toward the hidden room.
Primi watched her with a worried expression before following.
The others quickly did the same.
Inside the smaller hidden chamber, they looked around.
The room was mostly empty.
Except for two golden objects resting on a rectangular stone table.
Everyone's eyes locked onto the same thing.
"There they are," Anika whispered, sounding awed.
"The Trident pieces."
Lyrian stepped toward her and placed an encouraging hand on the diviner girl's shoulder.
"Go ahead."
Anika nodded and took a step forward.
But before she could move any further, a voice sounded behind them.
"She really shouldn't."
Everyone froze.
Then they turned at the same time.
Veyra stood at the entrance.
Beside her was an irritated-looking Damon.
And behind them were Caelynn and Nivara.
Before anyone could react, the three girls raised their hands.
Dark energy gathered around them.
And they released it in blasts toward the shocked figures in front of them.
The explosion shook the entire chamber.
---
LYRIAN
As the blast tore through the room, Primi shoved Lyrian and himself out of the way at the last possible moment.
When the dust settled, Lyrian quickly looked around.
Diamond had managed to form a protective shield around Reone and Nova, but everyone else was down.
Lyrian then looked up.
Damon and the Sisterhood stood at the entrance, looking far too pleased with themselves.
Cunning bastards, Lyrian thought.
They had waited until they were all distracted, all vulnerable.
"Not exactly the result you wanted, is it, Veyra?" Damon said to her, noticing that some of their opponents were still standing. He then pulled out his knife.
Veyra's eyes narrowed, but other than that, she didn't react.
"It will have to do."
Her gaze moved from Damon toward the Trident pieces.
"Get them. We'll handle the others."
Damon nodded eagerly.
Lyrian's eyes remained fixed on him.
When she had saved Mia, she had thought her nightmare would never come true.
But looking at Damon now, she feared she had been wrong.
He, not Mia, was still capable of destroying everything.
The next moment, the Sisterhood attacked.
Reone immediately moved first, dodging the attack. Diamond and Nova followed a second later while firing beams of energy back at their enemies.
Damon ignored the fight and rushed toward the Trident pieces.
Reone noticed, immediately going after him.
"No, you don't!"
"Where did they come from?" Primi asked, still on the floor beside Lyrian.
"I don't know," Lyrian replied, forcing herself back onto her feet despite the pain. "But I know where we should send them."
All thoughts of mercy went out of Lyrian. These people were asking for it, coming for her and her friends like this.
She moved forward, raising her arms and joining Diamond and Nova in blasting the Sisterhood.
Primi was about to join her when he saw Anika lying comatose a few feet from him.
He immediately rushed toward her. Once beside her, he breathed her name, looking at her unconscious state. Primi immediately began sending healing energy into her.
Meanwhile, Reone tackled Damon before he could reach the Trident.
The two crashed to the ground.
Reone punched him hard, sending Damon stumbling back.
Before Reone could attack again, a stray blast from the battle struck him and sent him flying into the wall.
Damon fell down too, still disoriented from Reone's attack.
At that moment, Mia, who wasn't far from him, opened her eyes.
The very first thing she saw was Damon.
For a moment, shock filled her.
Then came anger, a pure and hateful rage.
After everything he had done, after everything she had suffered because of him, Mia finally had him right where she wanted him.
But then she saw Caelynn.
The girl had knocked Diamond aside and was moving toward Primi, who was still healing the now barely conscious Anika.
Mia froze.
She suddenly had to make an impossible decision.
Kill Damon.
Or save Anika and Primi.
But there wasn't much time for Mia to think.
In the end, she simply acted.
A fireball shot from her hands, hitting Caelynn and knocking her away from them.
Primi and Anika saw her fall down with shocked expressions.
For a moment, Mia felt relief when she saw Anika and the others were safe.
Then she looked up.
Damon was standing again, towering over her.
And he was smiling.
"You missed your chance, Sylph."
Before Mia could react, Damon struck and kicked her hard.
She hit the ground hard, her head crashing against the floor.
It was painful, but strangely enough, knowing that she had put her friends ahead of her revenge made her feel a little bit better.
Primi tried to turn to the Trident pieces again, but someone was standing in front of him: Mickey.
And he was pointing a blaster at him.
Primi swore viciously at the sight.
Across the room, Veyra and Nivara had much better luck using their element of surprise, managing to knock Lyrian and Nova out of the air.
Lyrian hit the ground painfully.
Damn it, she thought. Every part of her ached.
Still, she forced herself to move. This wasn't the moment to give up, no matter how much suffering she was in.
This battle was still not over until it really was over.
From the corner of her eye, she saw everyone else doing the same.
Even Sire, Nova, Seren, and Mia.
They were all trying to get back up. Mickey even had Primi at gunpoint.
Veyra gritted her teeth, watching as the group literally kept standing between her and her Trident.
Then her eyes landed on Anika and Primi.
They were close. Close enough.
Veyra moved quickly, blasting Primi across the room as easily as she would a fly before floating a protesting Anika into the air.
Lyrian's expression became despairing.
"No..." Lyrian breathed, but before she could do anything, Veyra had levitated Anika into her arms.
Her hand then wrapped around Anika's throat, her eyes glowing with barely leashed power.
Everyone froze at this sight.
Veyra smiled.
"I'll admit, you're all as stubborn as I remember. Maybe even more."
Her grip tightened slightly.
"But this ends now."
She looked at them all.
"Unless you'd rather watch one of your own die."