The lava caused the wood to explode before it caught fire. The shell fell away and the mage emerged. Their skin glow red and as they smiled a small beam of red light came out of their mouth. Cutlery and Angela rushed them. Both of their hands fired three bolts at once. The spray of energy split for each woman. These arrows were faster, brighter, and larger than the previous single ones. Cutlery thrust sideways and felt the bolt pass through her cheek. Air whistled through the new hole. Angela's armor sizzled as the bolts sparked off.
A stray bolt streaked between them. Cutlery's cheek sizzled while her sliver continued to push down the pain. She breathed through the new hole in her mouth. With a thud that caught Cutlery's attention, their final ally bounced off the floor. A sizzling skull indicated the impact of the final bolt. The swordsmen turned to them.
Cutlery and Angela reached the fire mage. They unleashed another wave of bolts between the pair's strikes. As Cutlery stabbed into their chest, two bolts curved up from below. She jerked her chin back. One bolt plugged into the ceiling. The other blasted right into her crotch. She screamed finally. Angela delivered a heavy sword strike with the flat of her blade and the mage's eyes rolled.
They fell. So much for the Temple's power. Wait she was falling with them. Cutlery and the mage's head hit the lift floor. They lay there staring at each other, vision darkening. Cutlery blearily overheard a roar and a sensation of wetness. A large foot cut off her fading eye contact with the mage. It was a huge foot. Such a big foot. A huge sword was placed next to her. She had the sensation of rising. Glowing hands blocked her vision and she fell unconscious as her pain faded.
She awoke to the lift rising. The group of second slivers they had fought was tied up. The lift was packed with youths again. Their voices bounced around her head. She slowly looked around. She was high above them. She saw that the enemies were tied to some of the youths. She felt around and guessed she was on Talls back They had lived! Good, good, Tall deserved to live. Plus if Tall was alive, Cutlery would likely live longer. Tall was just so nice.
Youths noticed her motions and pointed to her. Faces swarmed near and their voices came in like water over a rock. She couldn't quite get anything. Air still came through her teeth. It felt like just a hole now rather than a torn-off piece of her face. The lift stopped and she was moving forward.
They came out to their floor. The rope's loosened and she was caught by two youths. They turned her around and threw her arms over their shoulders. She saw Haze beaming at her. She was gonna puke. She did, on his feet.
-
Cutlery was dragged off to be healed. Haze ignored the mess upon his boots. One of the soldiers bent in front of him and used their cape to clean it off. Cutlery heard fading cheers as passed through the infirmary doors. The short old dude came out of his glowing door in the wall again.
"What took so long doc?" Cutlery said.
"I am no doctor. Just a healer. You have no idea how many people get injured because of these stupid slivers." He said. He raised his glowing hands to her. Her pain began to fade.
"You would think it would be the other way. Slivers make you stronger, shouldn't you get hurt less!? No! Because of your greater power, you get hurt more! I have slivers and all I do is patch up other slivers all day." He said. He continued to grumble as he checked her over. Cutlery sighed in relief.
She was used to dealing with pain. There was something very satisfying about it disappearing all at once. The man lowered his hands and promptly left. Cutlery wasn't even up in time to see him go. She threw her legs over the side of the table and exited the small room. So simple! Healing like this was crazy. One thing to see it, another to feel it.
As she opened the swinging glass door she heard running. A blur of Rega began crying.
"Oy our euh died!" Rega said into Cutlery's chest. Chloe was behind her and smiled.
"That happens in this line of work. You get used to it. I have three friends who are alive that have died twice." She said. A mixture of sadness and playfulness mixed in her eyes.
"Yea, but not after bagging a baddie." Cutlery said. She puffed out her chest. Rega stood up. A string of snot trailed from Cutlery's leather to Rega's nose. Rega frowned.
"Look at you! Did they all see you like that!" Rega said. Cutlery looked down. Her armor was scorched and falling apart in several spots. She looked up and smiled.
"Oops." Cutlery said. Rega blushed for her. Nothing important was hanging out in the air but it was a bit flaunting still. Rega gave put her large supply bag on Cutlery's chest. The reverse turtle look was preferable to a shell-less turtle. Chloe beckoned them to return to their room. They came back towards the group to walk through them.
Heads were bowed and Haze had his head on the floor. A pose of prayer she had seen in the healing places down near Many Home. Haze's voice carried.
"We give unto thee. The original, the first, our font, and source. Return what you have given us so that you may again give it as you will. We thank you for what you gave, and may give again." Haze said. He paused for silence. Three bodies lay in front of him. It was two girls from the other group and Janet.
Cutlery stood quietly waiting for the respectful silence to end. Then the mouths of the dead opened. Golden ichor poured out. A gasp went through the youths, including Cutlery. The ichor went into the ceiling and seeped through the cracks, disappearing.
Haze rose and gave a small smile. Murmurs went about. Haze did not address the scene.
"They will be missed. I am sorry for those of you close to them. Let us not tinge their memories black. Let us tinge them in gold! The rewards shall now be handed out!" Haze said. Cutlery's emotions rose. She didn't have time to think. She sputtered. Rega looked at her. The words erupted from her.
"You fucker!" Cutlery yelled.
`-
Haze's rising hands stopped. His eyes traveled over the group. Following their turned heads he found Cutlery.
"What? Do you not want to celebrate them, or be rewarded for helping the tow..." Haze said and Cutlery cut him off,
"Fuck you bastard piece of shit goblin ass muncher! You sent a bunch of children to do a battle against other humans! I've seen grown men come back from shit like that unable to fucking speak even though they didn't get a lick of wounds on them! We ain't celebrate..." Cutlery said, then was caught off.
Haze disappeared in a puff of mist and reappeared in front of her. Then he slapped her across the cheek.
"Do no disrespect the will of the high races. Some may brake. Our spirit is indomitable in the end. You will thank me for forging you into weapons made of the hardest materials known to this world." Haze said. He stared her down.
She turned to look him in the eyes. She raged on the inside. What was he on about? Weapons? People? They were just people!
"I ask that you do not disrespect me again. I may want the best for you but at the end of the day, I am your commanding officer. Let that be known, in solid fact, right now. I will let this first verbal slip pass as that point has not been made so as to ease your transition into the tower easier. Be grateful for life, for the slivers we gave you, and for our continued hospitality and resources we pour into making you unstoppable." Haze said without breaking eye contact. He turned and walked back to the front of the group.
"It is true. You may feel like children. But that is the secret of adults, we all still remember when we were children. Becoming an adult means stepping up to do what needs to get done. It is not age, nor your body, that decides these things. Many of you have decided to become adults already here. Others will need time." Haze said.
"For now, your rewards Those of you who I have learned took down an enemy will come with me to receive new slivers and move onto the next stage of our training as second slivers. The rest of you will find an opportunity to advance soon enough. The rest of you are dismissed for the rest of the day. Meals will be served at regular times. Dismissed." Haze said. His face was stoic and unchanging as he watched the crowd slowly dissipate, leaving Cutlery, Tall, Angela, and the other two girls who lived.
"I see. Well if your words say one thing child, at least your actions say another. Your mind will soon catch up to your body. Congratulations to the rest of you. If you would like a second sliver, follow me. We will return to the vault." Haze said.
Cutlery's rage had cooled to a simmer. She would take this sliver. She would nurture it. But she would not forget Janet. Or how Tall almost died. She also wouldn't forget how that second, the one with all the firebolts, had powered up, maybe even gained a sliver, on their own, without this vault.
