"Master…" Vex whispered, her voice shaking now for a different reason than mere physical pain. "I need your help… Please!"
There was a beat of silence.
Then a cold, robotic voice answered.
"Okay."
The black fang pendant in Vex's hand flared one final time with an ominous glint. Then, it splintered like broken glass in her palm as shards of dark crystal scattered across my chest and vanished into mana wisps before they even touched the ground.
The little wind I could conjure gave out. My mind and magic simply couldn't keep up. Gravity reclaimed us in full.
We hit the earth hard.
My back slammed into the dirt with a pained grunt escaping my lips. But Vex kept me shielded, curling around me as the sounds of incoming steps thundered closer and closer.
The lionkin had caught up.
