The muscles of his bare chest were clearly visible. He could see the cuts and slices on his body. He was no longer cloaked by the runes.
Killian felt in the pocket of his trousers. The last cube was still there. There was work to do.
The scream of the beast sounded again. It seemed closer. Killian looked around. There was only one direction he could go.
A bright light came from a glowing archway, its stones covered in the flowing letters of an ancient script. Evrin had described this chamber. It was the refinery. Where the most precious substance in Merralya came into being.
He limped into the chamber. At one end of the vaulted room was a strange, pointed cylinder. A beam of light shone from the cylinder and onto a great crystal that buzzed and hummed. Light shone from its glittering facets, and focussed to a single point underneath. The light at that point was too bright to look at.
Killian stared in awe at the ancient relic of the Evermen. The energy in the room raised the hair on his arms, the air fairly crackling with power. It seemed a shame to destroy such a wondrous creation.
Almost reluctantly, he began to reach into his pocket for the cube.
Then he noticed it, a small pedestal in the corner of the room, a brown-covered book resting on it.
The Halrana Lexicon.
A figure in white stepped into view.
"It was no difficulty to determine where your next target would be," she said in a sibilant voice.
This time, she carried a silver dagger in each fist.
Killian looked about for some kind of weapon. The floor was white marble. The walls were bare.
He felt real fear.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Saryah. I am the High Templar. You are standing on hallowed ground. Your presence here disturbs the Evermen."
Killian fingered the cube in his pocket. It would kill both of them. If it came to it, could he do it?
Killian sighed.
Saryah raised her arms. Her eyes glinted with a dangerous yellow.
Killian’s skin tingled, but with nothing like the power of before. So many of the runes were dark. He had lost the advantage of invisibility. "Would you face an unarmed man?" he asked.
"A blasphemer like you? I would remove your head from your shoulders with pleasure." Saryah crept slowly forward, her daggers held in front of her. "And you somehow survived a fight with me. I think you are the first. I would hardly call you defenceless."
Saryah charged. Killian turned on his feet, attempted to move outside the whirling blades. His adversary responded too quickly, twirling and thrusting at Killian’s chest. A dagger stabbed a short way into his body before Killian managed to twist away. His skin sizzled. The pain was agonizing.
Killian tried to lash out with his elbow. Saryah ducked and swung at Killian’s legs. Killian jumped the stroke, but fell heavily as one of his ankles gave out. He rolled out of the way just as a blow came crashing into the ground.
Killian stood. He gingerly put weight on his ankle. His features contorted with pain. He was forced to put most of his weight on the other foot.
Saryah wasn’t even out of breath. Her gaze was venomous
Saryah charged again. She feinted at Killian’s head. As Killian tried to duck she changed her stroke to stab at his stomach. Bright sparks sprayed off as she was turned by the runes.
Killian took the opportunity to back away. He needed time. Time he didn’t have.
There was no other choice. He had to activate the cube, while he still could.
He withdrew the cube and spoke the runes. The cube came alive in his hand.
Saryah frowned.
"We will both die here together," Killian said. "The Primate will no longer be able to control the thousands of people he has turned to his will. It will all come down. One day we will reconstruct the machines. But never again will we give them to the control of a madman."
Saryah threw herself at Killian. A blade bit into his thigh and another into his shoulder. The room crackled and roared with the blows. Blood started running down from Killian’s body. Saryah was in a frenzy to retrieve the cube.
In the throes of pain Killian was pushed backwards, away from the jewel. He needed to get closer. If he didn’t destroy it he would be throwing his life away for nothing.
He was almost to the wall at the back of the chamber when he sensed something behind him. Risking a look, he realised it was the pointed cylinder, its beam of light continuously energising the crystal.
He suddenly had an idea.
He ducked Saryah’s next blow and kicked out, ignoring the pain in his ankle. Then, running to the cylinder, he grasped it in both hands.
The pain was excruciating. He could feel his hands melting away. He gritted his teeth and tensed his arms, attempting to move it. Little by little, the beam of light moved away from the jewel. Killian summoned all of the power in his limbs. He pointed the intense ray of light at the creature in white.
The beam was wide. Saryah had no way of blocking. She looked frantically around her, and then raised something in her arms, between her face and the light.
It was the Halrana Lexicon.