Chapter 53: HUNTRESS
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"Surely, you jest," Jon stammered. "You wouldn''t."
"It''s the only way," I insisted. "We negotiate Kyra''s release in exchange for the girls."
It was dawn, and the Amazon daughters were still asleep. Jon paced the edge of the courtyard, gazing out over the cliffs. I peered over the ledge, watching the ocean crash against the rocks below in a constant, thunderous rhythm.
Jon''s face darkened.
"That''s pure lunacy, Ember. These are innocent children you want to bargain with. They''re not old enough to know that our factions are at war."
"You told me to focus on reaching the next tier. This mission could do that."
Jon''s eyes widened in disbelief.
"I meant train," he hissed. "Not exploit the innocent!"
"It''s not exploitation. It''s a strategy. We''re not actually going to hurt them."
"And what happens when the Amazons see through the ruse? This isn''t you, Ember."
Our voices rose as we argued, neither willing to back down.
A whistle cut through the air.
AUTO DODGE: SUCCESSFUL
Card Discarded [4/4] 100%
AUTO DODGE: FAIL
Card Discarded [4/7] 57%
AUTO DODGE: FAIL
Card Discarded [2/4] 50%
Three arrows whistled toward me as my auto-dodge notifications lit up my interface. One missed by inches, but another struck my shoulder while a third tore through my side. The impact sent me stumbling backward.
The ground disappeared beneath my feet. I fell through empty air for a heart-stopping moment, too stunned to blink into the Jingozi arena.
IMMUNITY TO FALL DAMAGE [PASSIVE]
Ninja Armor [Elite]
My Ninja armor absorbed the fall, and my water-walker ability prevented me from being dashed against the jagged stones below the water''s surface. Still, pain coursed through my body—the arrow in my shoulder shattering upon impact. My vision blurred as I fought to stay conscious.
Jon lay on the rocks beside me, his body broken and twisted.
* * *
Frantically trying to revive Jon, my heart pounded as I pressed Zii coins into his body and performed chest compressions with shaking hands. Relentless waves crashed around us, threatening to sweep his broken form away. An arrow, its shaft slick with blood, protruded from his chest, mere inches from his heart. His hair was drenched crimson from a gash above his ear.
"Come on, Jon!" I shouted over the deafening roar of the surf. "You better not... I swear..."
I channeled more Zii coins into him, my breath ragged as I desperately focused on healing his injuries. To my horror, nothing happened. Jon remained still and pale beneath my trembling fingers. I began to panic. My powers weren''t enough.
AUTO DODGE: SUCCESSFUL
Card Discarded [4/5] 80%
AUTO DODGE: SUCCESSFUL
Card Discarded [6/6] 100%
AUTO DODGE: SUCCESSFUL
Card Discarded [2/6] 33%
TIducked and twisted instinctively, barely avoiding the three arrows zinging past my head.
Eyes hurting from the sea spray, I blinked into the Jingozi arena. After catching my breath, I scanned the reflection on the obsidian floor toward the ocean.
A gigantic snapping turtle adorned with runes—a terragrym—approached our position. Three Amazon warriors stood proudly atop the terragrym’s shell, armor, and spears gleaming with blue accents and sapphire inlays.
Their fierce presence matched the beast beneath them, but none more so than the archer with the drawn longbow at the center. The darkest of the three, the archer''s skin and bald head were smooth and decorated with intricate black tribal tattoos that curled and twisted across her body like living shadows. Her glowing blue eyes, sharp and piercing, were focused with the precision of a hunter—alluring yet terrifying.
I blinked back to the edge of their line of sight, away from Jon, activating my invisibility and water-walker ability. Standing on the water''s surface, I watched the terragrym crawl onto the rocks, allowing the Amazons to hop off and reach Jon''s motionless form.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Name: Huntress Zeryn [Divine Dealer]
Tier: IV [Cobalt] Rank 2
Faction: Amazon [Archer]
"Surrender yourself, or taste my wrath!" Huntress Zeryn bellowed, her voice fierce as a storm.
I stood silent, torn between revealing myself and keeping Jon safe.
Without hesitation, Zeryn nocked another arrow and released it with deadly precision, striking Jon’s leg. My resolve crumbled, and in a heartbeat, I appeared in front of his fallen body, hands raised in surrender.
"Enough!" I cried. "I surrender... please, help him."
Zeryn’s gaze was as sharp as a blade.
"Who speaks before me?" she demanded. "Where are the younglings?"
"My name is Ember. The children are safe, resting at our camp just above us. We were waiting for your return."
She turned to her companions, giving a curt nod.
"Secure this one, and let none take their eyes off her," she ordered. "Her words will prove themselves, one way or another."
The other two Amazons moved closer. Spears pointed at my chest. Their stares dared me to try anything.
Zeryn loaded a Jingozi card into her hand, its edges glowing blue. She fitted it into her bow, drawing it to materialize an arrow of light attached to a magical rope. She aimed upward and released. The arrow soared toward the cliff face, trailing the ethereal rope behind it. Once the arrow embedded itself in the rock above, Zeryn gripped the rope tightly.
She gave it a sharp tug, testing its strength. Satisfied, she leaned back almost to the ground, her muscles tensing. She sprang forward, catapulting upward like a reverse bungee jump, disappearing over the cliff''s edge.
My attention snapped back to Jon. His skin grew paler by the second, and his chest''s faint rise and fall became more labored.
"Please," I begged, "let me help him."
I reached out to Jon. A searing pain exploded in my arm. One of the Amazons had driven her spear into my flesh, the tip piercing clean through.
I cried out in agony, clutching the spear shaft as the blade sank deeper. Blood seeped between my fingers, hot and sticky. The Amazon yanked her spear free, ripping through my palm and eliciting another anguished gasp from me.
Gritting my teeth against the pain, I blinked into the Jingozi arena. The familiar obsidian floor materialized beneath my feet, and I collapsed, my arm throbbing mercilessly with phantom pain.
Please let this work.
"Jon?" I called out.
"Yes, Ember?" he replied.
"Do you know where you are?"
"Why, I''m right here, standing in front of you. We''re... hmm..."
"Jon, I''m using my gift to speak to you—in your mind, remember?"
"Ah yes, the arena."
"You''re hurt bad, Jon."
"That''s funny. I don''t feel like it. But I trust you. If I am, that''s most troubling. What happened?"
"Amazons. An archer sniped us while we argued. You fell off the cliff."
"How bad is it?"
"You''re... dying, Jon," I quivered.
"Most troubling indeed," his voice softened.
"I don''t know what to do."
"Well, if I''m going to die, then it''s my time. We elves live too long anyway."
"That''s not funny."
"Sorry, I know. You must do whatever you can to save yourself."
"No way."
"What choice do you have?"
I slammed my fists onto the Jingozi floor. There was no way I was going to let Jon die like this—no way.
"I know you''re there," I called.
"I am, Ember," he replied softly.
"Please... help him."
"I will."
"How?" My voice cracked with surprise.
"I promise I will."
"Hey," I said, turning my attention back to Jon. "You''re going to be okay, please. Just hang on."
"I will, Ember."
Rising to my feet, my mind raced as I studied the two Amazons guarding my physical form. Their spears glinted menacingly, poised to strike at the slightest provocation. I could probably take them out quickly with my cards. But then what? Jon''s broken body lay between us, and moving him in his condition could be fatal. And Zeryn was one tier higher than me—I wouldn''t stand a chance in my condition. But I had to do something. Jon needed healing and fast.
I loaded a [Warp] power card from my hand into the reserve slot. That was a start. But then, what next?
Frustrated, I paced the obsidian floor, my footsteps echoing in the vast silence. I needed a plan that didn''t involve violence. These Amazons were here for the children, after all. Maybe if I could explain...
I scanned the cliff top. There—Zeryn''s distinctive silhouette stood against the sky. She''d already found the children, their tiny heads peeking over the ledge, no doubt confused and scared.
Zeryn had to listen to reason. She had to understand we weren''t the enemy here. I couldn''t think of another plan.
"Show her," the Voice interrupted my thoughts.
"What do you mean?"
"Katorro''s ability is also yours—fire sight."
I checked my cards.
HAND: [2/0] [0/6] [Warp I] [Force Field I] 1/4] [4/0]
Reserve: [Warp II]
Discarding some cards with zero scores, I cycled my deck for a better hand.
HAND: [0/6] [Warp I] [Force Field I] 1/4] [Poison Strike] [Evolve]
Reserve: [Warp II]
All right. Here goes nothing.
I blinked back, the cold sea spray hitting my face as I returned to my physical self before the Amazon guards. Their spears twitched, but they held their positions. My arm was immobile, so I raised the other slowly, holding up an open palm to show that I meant no harm.
* * *
I anxiously waited as Zeryn descended the cliff using another magical rope that slowed her fall. She landed softly on the rocks, her piercing blue eyes fixed on me as water splashed around us. Drenched and shivering, I cradled Jon''s head to prevent him from being swept away.
"The younglings say you rescued them," Zeryn''s voice dripped with skepticism.
"That''s the truth," I replied. "The Emperor faction has been kidnapping your children."
"And why," she sneered, "would an enemy faction lift a finger to aid us?"
"I''m not your enemy."
Her gaze hardened, eyes narrowing like a hawk sizing up its prey.
I blinked into the Jingozi arena, her cold reflection still fixed on me, radiating disbelief.
"I''m not your enemy," I repeated.
Her voice echoed back, laced with wariness.
"What sorcery is this?"
"I''m... in your mind. Please, listen to me. Overlord Edric is our true enemy."
A long silence followed. FInally, her words cut through the arena air, chilling me to the core.
"Whatever game this is... it ends with your death."
My plan was clearly backfiring, and her psyche was much stronger than anticipated. I rechecked my Jingozi cards.
Blinking back and opening my mouth to explain, Zeryn''s hand moved in a blur before I could utter a word. She charged a card, nocked an arrow, and drew her bow. Time slowed as the arrow darted toward me, transforming into a blue metal cobra with its fangs bared, ready to strike.
[WARP I] ACTIVATED
Card [0/6] Discarded
Because of my [Warp I] power card in my hand, the snake arrow passed harmlessly through the space I''d been standing in a split second before. Without hesitation, she charged another card, drawing the string tight.
A small pebble struck her head from above, causing her to flinch. She looked up, and her eyes widened in horror. Instead of shooting me, she launched her arrow into the rocks at her feet, propelling herself backward, high into the air—fast enough to avoid the orange boulder that was about to crush her.
Cragmarr plummeted into the water, sending a massive spray like a bomb hitting the surface. The warrior women staggered but managed to steady themselves, brandishing their weapons. A heartbeat later, another impact scattered them—Kitty had rolled into a metallic cannonball and crashed down on their position, sending them all tumbling into the depths.
A blue flash of light streaked by me, embedding into the cliffside and trailing a glowing cord. On the other end, Zeryn used the tether to slingshot herself toward me, drawing another arrow.
I blinked directly in front of the Amazon huntress, catching her by surprise. Shoulder tackling her with all my strength, we both tumbled into the cold ocean water.
Plunging beneath the waves, I kicked hard, propelling us deeper into the murky depths. Zeryn struggled against my grip, but my momentum in the water locked her down, forcing her to lock eyes with me. I summoned every ounce of concentration, feeling heat building behind my eyes.
My vision erupted into flames. Zeryn''s eyes glowed in shock as the fire reflected in her sapphire irises. The water around us seemed to fade as our gaze remained locked in a hypnotic dance of flames. My fire sight ability showed me everything in Zeryn''s mind, revealing what I needed to know and something more.
We sank deeper into the ocean''s embrace, the world above growing distant and muffled. Zeryn''s struggles weakened as the fire sight took hold, her expression shifting from anger and confusion to a strange, tranquil state.