When Logan had taken Hazel and Taylor away, Councillor Keys disembarked from his horse. He placed a palm on the side of the horse, which whinnied and took off into the darkness.

  Almost immediately Keys and Floyd both sent a challis towards each other, and the two challis met in the middle, making a sound that was as if the heavens cracked open.

  “To think you would deliver yourself to me like this,” said Floyd. “What a delight.”

  Then they charged towards each other. If one was watching this battle, one might think it was choreographed. Both Councillors were experts in Sensing the Mind and could foresee each of the other’s next attack and defend accordingly. They fought without bearing Connexion on their blades, because they knew that it would be a waste. Both of them were looking for a manoeuvre against which, even if it was Sensed, the opponent would find no way to react. But neither yielded, and the darkness echoed with the rhythmic sound of clanking metal.

  After many such blows they stopped and stepped back.

  “What are you trying to do, Floyd,” said Keys. “Do you wish to see history repeating itself?”

  Floyd said nothing, just smiled. It was then that Keys began to Sense movement all around him. They were the dead, both helia and braxin, who had risen. Keys’s eyes widened. Floyd began his attack again. Again there was the rapid exchange of blows, but now, between every few blows Keys had to dodge to strike down an undead. Each time this happened, Floyd pressured him with rechallis and drove him deeper into the corner, towards where the undead were gathering. Eventually Keys retreated abruptly then began to send rechallis after rechallis all around him, and the undead fell silently like crumpled paper as Floyd watched on.

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  Near the Northern Border of Eastpoint, Bahim, Drum

  Logan could go on no longer and lowered both Hazel and Taylor to the ground. Hazel rolled over, groaning. Taylor was still whispering to herself. Logan first checked Hazel for any major wounds. She had a few lacerations, but her biggest wound was internal, from Councillor Floyd’s Impact Connexion. She was likely losing blood from within. Hazel groaned again and attempted to get up, but Logan pushed her back down, saying, “I will carry you. Just allow me a moment to gather my strength. We are almost at the Mountains.”

  “Who is still alive,” whispered Hazel.

  “We will see who is alive, when we reach the Mountains,” said Logan.

  Hazel nodded weakly, then closed her eyes.

  Logan turned to Taylor, who was on her knees. A singular tear was running down her cheek, but it froze into a small orb of ice halfway down.

  “Taylor,” said Logan. “Can you walk.”

  She did not reply. She stared at Logan blankly.

  “Taylor,” he said again.

  Then all of a sudden Taylor stood and sprinted back towards where they came from, back towards the two Councillors. Logan watched her disappear in horror. He then looked down at Hazel, who now seemed to be unconscious. He could not leave her.

  “I will look after her,” said a voice.

  It was Kate, emerging from the darkness.

  “Kate,” said Logan. A surge of complex emotions arose within him, and it took all the faculties of his Mind to calm them. “Can you fly,” he said.

  “If I could fly, I would not be on the ground with all of you,” said Kate, smiling.

  Logan could see Kate was mortally injured. She could barely walk. Logan looked down at Hazel again, whose eyes had fluttered open. She reached out her hand, and Logan grabbed it. Hazel’s mouth opened, and for a moment it looked as though she was going to say “fight”. But the word that came out, with much effort, was “live”. Then her arm went limp and she closed her eyes again. Logan leant down close to her mouth. She was still breathing. Logan stood up and said to Kate, “look after her”. Kate smiled wryly, then watched as Logan took off after Taylor.