Just as Ethan was caught in the whirlwind, Yaya's startled voice rang out in his mind: "Brother, watch out! He's trying to escape!"
Ethan's stomach dropped. Damn it. He realized in that instant he had been played. Aldric the First had deliberately drawn him into this clash, only to use the momentum of his collision with the Crowling God to retreat at lightning speed, heading straight back toward the General's Hall.
Hovering above the ruins, the Crowling God lingered, its sharp black eyes full of suspicion as it stared at the gaping hole in the tomb. The hesitation said everything—it feared Aldric. And if Aldric truly meant to flee, he would not have left such a display of bravado behind. No, his retreat was a calculated feint.
With that realization, Ethan launched himself forward. He dove into the abyss below, calling out as his body shot downward like a comet: "Travel Form—Swift Flight!"
