novelraw Chapter 137 – Sacrifice
Chapter 137 – Sacrifice
Vivienne’s pulse hammered in her ears, her claws tingling with the vibrant, erratic energy of the battle. Every movement felt like it demanded more of her, more than she was sure she could afford. The wound at her side burned relentlessly, a sharp reminder that her body was being pushed past its limits. Yet still, she pressed forward, her every instinct screaming to continue the fight, to keep Alisaria at bay.
Her crystalline beasts were still moving, though slower now, their forms fragmenting in the aftermath of each attack. The constant summoning, the continuous warping of the aether to create these creatures, was draining her more than she had anticipated. Every new shard of crystal, every flaring surge of energy, pulled at her aether like an open wound. She could feel the drain, but it didn’t matter. Not while Alisaria was still standing.
"How much longer do you think you can keep this up?" Alisaria called out, voice tinged with something like amusement as she loosed another barrage of arrows. The projectiles were fast, but Vivienne was quicker, twisting out of the way as she flung herself into the fray.
"Long enough to make you regret not staying in the backline," Vivienne shot back, her tone laced with teasing venom as she stepped forward, her crystalline claws shimmering under the flickering light.
The sudden shift in the air was palpable, the temperature seeming to drop as the weight of Alisaria’s power settled around them. Vivienne narrowed her eyes, recognizing the oppressive force before her opponent even moved. Alisaria was no longer dancing around her. The woman stepped into the fray with a dangerous new intensity, her movements cutting the air with lethal precision.
Before Vivienne could react, Alisaria’s blade—now a dagger, crackling with radiant energy—slashed through the air, catching her off guard. The edge of it dug into Vivienne’s side with a brutal force, leaving a searing trail of pain. Vivienne staggered back, gasping, the wound far deeper than she had expected. The burning sensation spread, a reminder that her body wasn’t healing as easily as it should. The aether around the wound clung tightly, as though something in the strike had actively resisted her power.
Vivienne’s breath hitched for a split second, the sudden, overwhelming pain threatening to cut her focus, but she refused to let it. She could feel the blood welling at her side, but the frustration, the hunger for victory, drowned out the pain.
Alisaria smirked, her eyes cold. "Die, abomination. I will see you eradicated from this world, for the glory of Praxus."
Vivienne’s lips curled into a wicked grin, ignoring the blood that stained her clothing. “Just getting started, darling.”
With that, she threw her head back, her voice lifting in a harmonic crescendo that vibrated through the air. The ground beneath her feet trembled, and with a flare of shimmering light, her crystalline beasts reformed—larger, more jagged, and more dangerous than before. The aether surged through her body, painful, but she pushed through it, her power demanding release.
But it wasn’t enough. She could feel it. The toll of maintaining control, of continuing to summon her creatures while pushing herself further and further, was starting to weigh on her. Her vision blurred slightly, but she didn’t care. As long as Alisaria was still standing, this fight would not end.
Her tail flicked dangerously, the obsidian tip gleaming with malicious energy, as the ground trembled beneath her. “Let’s see if you can dodge this,” Vivienne purred, her voice low and dangerous, though the light of her power never faltered.
Alisaria’s eyes narrowed as she sized Vivienne up, her bow already drawn, ready to send another arrow whizzing toward the woman in front of her. But Vivienne was quicker, too quick. With a flick of her crystalline tail, she sent a shockwave of energy cascading through the air, and her beasts surged forward, each one a jagged blur of power.
Alisaria’s focus snapped between the beasts and Vivienne, the danger growing as the distance between them closed. But it wasn’t the beasts she had to worry about. It was Vivienne herself.
Before Alisaria could react, Vivienne lunged. Her movements were a blur, faster than she had ever been before, the power surging in her blood, making her feel alive with an intensity she hadn’t felt in years. With a swipe of her claws, Vivienne slashed through the air, forcing Alisaria to raise her dagger in a desperate block.
But Vivienne had anticipated this.
The moment the blade met her claws, Vivienne twisted, ducking under Alisaria’s guard and closing the gap between them. Her tail shot out like a spear, the obsidian blade aimed directly at the woman’s unprotected side.
Alisaria tried to twist away, but it was too late. Vivienne’s tail pierced through her defenses with terrifying precision, the blade sinking deep into her abdomen. The sound of tearing flesh was sickening as Vivienne drove her tail further, a cruel, satisfying jolt of power coursing through her as Alisaria's body went rigid with shock.
For a moment, there was silence—a heavy, almost deafening silence—as Alisaria stood frozen, the pain too great to register in her expression. Blood poured from the wound, staining her clothes, her breath coming in sharp, desperate gasps.
Vivienne watched her for only a brief moment before her expression shifted. She was already moving, her claws slashing through the air, her movements fluid and unnervingly calm. In one swift motion, she plunged her claws into Alisaria’s chest, twisting them to cause the most damage as she felt the woman’s life force begin to drain. The shock and agony on Alisaria’s face was evident, but there was no fight left in her; her body was slowly succumbing to the damage.
Vivienne’s eyes glinted with satisfaction, her pulse thrumming with power. As her claws remained embedded in Alisaria's chest, she could feel the aether surging within her, feeding off the life leaving the woman before her. Her grip tightened, and for a second, it almost seemed like the storm surrounding Vivienne intensified—her crystalline fur bristling with energy as she drew the last of it from her fallen opponent.
Finally, with a deliberate pull, she withdrew her claws, her gaze fixed on Alisaria, who crumpled to the ground, her body unable to sustain itself any longer. Blood pooled beneath her, a clear sign that the champion’s battle had come to an abrupt end.
Vivienne withdrew her tail slowly, watching with cool detachment as Alisaria crumpled to her knees. The crystalline energy from Vivienne’s body pulsed around her, a storm in the air, as though it could feel the end of the battle.
Alisaria’s lips parted, but no words came. Her eyes flickered, clouded with confusion and disbelief, as she slowly sank to the floor, her body unable to maintain its strength any longer.
Vivienne took a step back, her posture relaxed despite the immense power still coursing through her. “You shouldn’t’ve got in my way,” she murmured, her voice laced with both disdain and satisfaction. The storm of energy around her began to calm, her beasts still lingering around her like menacing shadows. She turned her attention away from the fallen champion, allowing herself a brief moment to catch her breath, though it would take everything she had to finish this fight.
Vivienne’s gaze darted to where Rava was still struggling against the other relentless champion, Darius. With a subtle nod to herself, she prepared for the final strike, but not before casting one last glance at Alisaria. The woman would not be getting back up.
“Rest now, darling,” Vivienne said softly, her tone almost too sweet for the brutality of the moment. She turned away, knowing that this battle was nearly over.
Rava’s breath came in short, sharp bursts, the strain of her relentless assault starting to show. She had pushed herself to the limit, her body screaming with exhaustion and pain as she dodged another swing of Darius’s radiant sword. The air was thick with the smell of burnt fur and blood as she narrowly avoided the blade once more. She couldn’t keep this up much longer—his strikes were powerful, and though she’d managed to destroy his shield, the man’s raw strength and skill were enough to keep her on the defensive.
Rava’s fists crackled with charged energy as she threw another furious punch, but Darius was ready, stepping back just in time to avoid the blow. He was relentless, his eyes narrowed with determination, a predatory gleam in his gaze as he pressed forward.
"You’re starting to slow down, mutt," Darius taunted, his voice cold and mocking as he swung his blade in a wide arc, aiming to catch her off guard.
Rava barely managed to twist out of the way, but the sword grazed her shoulder, the wound searing as though it were made of fire. The pain was blinding, and she hissed, the urge to retaliate almost overwhelming. But she couldn’t afford to let her anger control her. Not yet. Not until she had him where she wanted.
As Darius advanced again, his sword a blur of blinding light, Rava’s mind raced. She had to find a way to turn the tide—she couldn’t afford to go on like this much longer. The fight had been long, and the toll was becoming too much to bear.
Then, just as Darius raised his blade for another strike, there was a sudden burst of energy—powerful and relentless—as Vivienne appeared at her side, her crystalline form flickering with an almost blinding intensity.
Darius barely had time to react before Vivienne’s crystalline tail lashed out like a whip, catching him across the chest. He stumbled back, momentarily off balance, and Rava took advantage of the opening. She lunged forward, her body a blur of fury, as she launched a series of rapid, lightning-charged punches at Darius. Each blow landed with the force of a thunderclap, each strike driving him back further.
But Vivienne didn’t stop there. Her claws, glowing with jagged energy, lashed out at Darius, the air around them crackling as she focused all of her remaining strength into the attack. With a sharp, fluid motion, she sliced through the air, aiming for Darius’s vulnerable side.
Darius tried to block, but the force of Vivienne’s strike was overwhelming, and with a final roar of frustration, he staggered back, blood splattering across the stone floor as he struggled to regain his footing. The once-pristine blade in his hand now flickered with unstable energy, as though the power was slowly fading from him.
Vivienne’s voice rang out, low and dangerous, her confidence unwavering despite the toll the fight had taken on her. "You should’ve known better than to challenge us, darling."
Rava felt a surge of relief flood through her as the pressure lifted.
For a moment, the chamber was still. Darius, bloodied and clearly struggling to maintain his grip on his sword, staggered back a few more steps, his breath ragged and uneven. The atmosphere between the three of them grew thick with anticipation. Vivienne’s crystalline energy pulsed, shimmering dangerously as she prepared for the final strike, her claws crackling with lethal intent. Rava, her body bruised and battered but still standing strong, readied herself to move in for the kill.
But just as they were about to close in for the decisive blow, Darius’s eyes flickered with a cunning light, his lips curling into a defiant sneer.
"Not today," he spat, his voice hoarse with the strain of battle.
Suddenly, with a swift motion, Darius reached into a pocket hidden beneath his cloak and pulled out a small, gleaming object—something jagged and dark. Before either of them could react, he hurled it to the ground. There was a deafening explosion of sound, a flash of blinding light, and the air thickened with acrid smoke.
Rava and Vivienne recoiled instinctively, momentarily blinded by the flash and choking on the dust filling the air. The explosive distraction was enough to throw them off-balance, their focus shattered.
Through the haze of smoke, they heard Darius’s footsteps—rapid, desperate. He was moving quickly, taking advantage of their momentary confusion.
"He's escaping!" Rava growled, her vision still clouded with smoke as she tried to track his movements.
Vivienne’s voice was sharp, filled with frustration but unmistakably calculating. "Let him run. He’s beaten and we have other concerns."
Rava’s body was still trembling from the exertion of the battle, the toll of the relentless fight beginning to catch up with her. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she collapsed to her knees, a strangled gasp escaping her lips as every inch of her body screamed in agony. Her muscles burned, her wounds stung, and the exhaustion from her lightning-charged assault was settling in like a heavy weight.
Vivienne turned quickly, her gaze sharp as she saw Rava falter. She rushed to her side, kneeling down and reaching out instinctively to support her.
"Rava!" Vivienne’s voice was soft but laced with concern, something rare for her. She brushed a strand of hair away from Rava’s face, her fingertips lingering as if trying to gauge the extent of the damage. "You’re hurt. Let me—"
"No," Rava bit out, her voice strained. She grimaced, clutching her side where the jagged wound from Darius’s earlier strike still pulsed with burning pain. "Don’t... don’t waste your energy on me." She gritted her teeth, her whole body shaking as she struggled to keep her focus. "Help Tarric. He’s worse off than I am."
Vivienne hesitated for a moment, her lips parting as if to argue, but the urgency in Rava’s eyes silenced her. She knew the lekines were strong, but the toll of this battle on Rava had been far greater than even she had anticipated. The need to care for her teammate, to keep them all alive, was far more pressing than her own desires to protect Rava.
"Fine," Vivienne muttered with a quiet intensity, her voice firm. "But you better not go dying on me, sweetheart."
Rava managed a faint smile, though it was strained. "I’m not going to die, Viv." She hissed in pain, but forced herself to rise slowly, using the remnants of her willpower to steady herself. "Just... help him first."
Vivienne nodded, her eyes flashing with determination as she glanced over toward Tarric. The wounded exomancer was still lying on the stone floor, his blood staining the ground around him. She could feel the pull of his fading life force from across the chamber, and though she was drained, she knew the urgency of what needed to be done.
She stood up, ready to leave Rava’s side, her mind already working on the best way to heal Tarric’s wounds. But before she could take a step, she shot Rava one final, lingering look.
"I’ll be back soon, sweetheart." She called over her shoulder with a devilish grin, her voice tinged with the usual teasing, though the undercurrent of seriousness couldn’t be ignored.
Vivienne’s movements were slow but deliberate as she knelt beside Tarric. His body lay still, blood pooling around him on the stone floor, his breath shallow, a grim reflection of the violence they had both just endured. He wasn’t just wounded; he was on the verge of death.
The poison that had seeped into her own body still gnawed at her, its slow burn spreading throughout her veins. The aether inside her flickered with instability, but there was no time to consider it fully. Tarric needed her, and nothing—nothing—would stop her from helping him.
Vivienne’s voice was steady but laced with a hint of grim humor, though it barely masked the intensity of the situation. “Are you conscious, darling?” she asked softly, her fingers gently brushing against his skin, checking for any signs of awareness.
Tarric’s eyes fluttered open slightly, a dull, pained gaze meeting hers. A breathless nod was all he could manage, his body too weak to respond fully.
She gave a small, reassuring smile, though it was tinged with worry. “Good,” she murmured, the strain in her own voice betraying her calm exterior. “Can you heal yourself if I sort out this poison?”
Another slow nod. His lips trembled as he tried to speak, but no words came out—only a pained gasp.
Vivienne's eyes hardened. She didn’t need him to speak. She knew the situation was dire enough to demand her full attention. The wound from the arrow in his gut was deep, and the poison coursing through him was severe, no doubt affecting his ability to regenerate. She could feel it, too—the gnawing hunger of the toxic aether, the way it fought against her efforts, and she had to move quickly.
“Well, I’m sorry, but this is going to hurt.” Vivienne gave a wry smile, though it did little to soften the coldness in her eyes. She had little patience for pain right now—hers, his, or anyone’s.
With practiced speed, Vivienne grabbed the arrow buried deep in his side. She could feel the tension in her own body, the strain of the poison inside her, but her attention was wholly on the task. Her claws were steady, as she gripped the shaft and pulled, her jaw set in determination.
The arrow didn’t fight her. Thankfully, it wasn’t barbed. With a sharp pull, it slid free from his flesh, the slick sound of it cutting through the air accompanied by his sharp hiss of breath. The blood flowed more freely now, and she immediately pressed her hand against the wound, sealing it off temporarily.
Vivienne scowled slightly, shaking her head as she looked at the mess she’d just created. “This is going to suck,” she muttered with a sarcastic tone, though there was no humor behind it.
Her next move was calculated. Her claws glowed faintly as she reached for his gut, carefully working the skin open further. She winced slightly as the poison within him flared against her touch, and her fur bristled, but she focused all her willpower to ignore it. A deep breath, steadying herself, and then she poked one of her claws into the wound, just past the skin.
The sensation was almost nauseating as she felt the poison fight back against her aether, but she forced it down, pushing it back into her own body. The aetheric poison was potent, and as she began to absorb it, she could feel the strange burn of it traveling through her own veins. She gritted her teeth and focused, trying to pull the corrupting energy into herself. The pain in her own body flared briefly, but she ignored it as she worked.
Each pull of the poison was a struggle, the toxic energy resisting her control, writhing as it sought to poison everything around it. Her eyes narrowed, claws digging deeper as she pushed it into herself.
"Come on, darling..." Vivienne muttered softly, her voice strained. "Just a little longer... this is almost over."
Despite the force of the poison fighting her every step of the way, she was relentless. She could feel Tarric’s body beginning to stabilize underneath her, his breathing slowly becoming more regular. He still wasn’t fully out of danger, but the worst of it was starting to fade. The poison was no longer taking hold of his system, and that, at least, was something.
Vivienne let out a ragged breath, her body quivering slightly as she concentrated. This wasn’t easy. The effort was draining, but she refused to back down. She had to save him, and she would.
Her tail twitched restlessly behind her, a silent reflection of the strain she was enduring. She could feel the darkness creeping in—the poison still gnawing at her own insides, making her light-headed, but she fought it back, focusing on the task at hand. One more surge, and then she could let it all go.
Vivienne’s body trembled as the final traces of poison entered her, her vision darkening for a moment as the burn of it spread through her. It was as though her entire body was ablaze, the heat unbearable and consuming. Her claws dug into the stone beneath her, trying to ground herself against the searing agony.
“O-okay d-darling,” she gasped, her breath coming in ragged, uneven bursts. “I h—” she paused, her chest tightening with the strain. “I h-have removed the p-poison.” Her voice wavered, the last of her strength flickering like a candle in the wind.
Tarric, his body barely able to support itself, lifted his hand slowly. With a faint, pained grimace, he traced the air with his finger, the familiar motion despite the circumstances. A glowing dodecagon materialized in the air before him, its edges crackling with faint energy. He sucked in a sharp breath and whispered a chant that vibrated through the air, its cadence ancient and steady. His wound, still deep and angry, began to close, the edges of the flesh knitting together as though it had never been torn.
Vivienne watched him through a haze of pain, her senses dulled by the poison still rattling through her system. “C-can you do any—” She clenched her teeth, a spasm of agony rocking her body, “...dawn aetherium?”
Tarric’s breathing had steadied, but his face still twisted with pain. He nodded, though it was slow and shaky. Vivienne exhaled shakily, her left claw twitching in response. She knew what she had to do next.
“I am going to ch-change form,” Vivienne murmured, her voice rasping from the effort. “I w-want you to burn that half of me. Destroy it en-entirely. Underst-stand?”
He nodded again, his expression grim but determined, no words needed between them. Vivienne closed her eyes, gathering the last reserves of strength she had left. Her body shuddered as she began to shift, her form distorting as the obsidian scales along her body flickered and crumbled into a more amorphous state. Her limbs stretched and elongated, the molten glow of her internal power dimming but not fading.
As the poison gathered, Vivienne felt it tug at her, trying to reassert itself, to burrow deeper. She clenched her claws, forcing it into her left side. She couldn’t hesitate. This had to be done.
Her left side, now completely filled with the writhing, poisonous energy, felt wrong—so terribly wrong. It was as though something foreign had taken root inside her, twisting her form with every passing second. But she held firm, focusing only on Tarric.
“Now,” she whispered, her voice a low, guttural murmur. “Now, I need you to burn it.”
Tarric’s eyes were focused on her with quiet intensity. He drew in another deep breath, and this time his fingers traced the air even more carefully, his movements slow but deliberate. The complex symbols he formed crackled with power, glowing faintly before growing in intensity. The air around him hummed with the resonance of the chant as he spoke it—each word a surge of aether that vibrated through the very space between them.
The beam of light was far more concentrated this time, its edges sharp and bright. As Tarric’s chant reached its crescendo, the beam of dawn aetherium shot from his hand, slicing through the air with a brilliant flash.
Vivienne gasped—not from pain, but from the intensity of the force that collided with her. She could feel the energy searing through her left side, the poison being burned away as it was consumed by the radiant light. The sensation was like being torn apart and reforged all at once. The light didn’t cut her; it purified her. It carved through the poison, leaving nothing in its wake but the faintest echo of the destructive force.
She felt the poison shrivel and disintegrate under the beam’s heat, its grip on her form slipping as the light continued to burn. The process was not without its cost; Vivienne felt as if her very essence was being pulled apart, stretched and torn in ways she had never experienced before. But she endured it. The light was destroying the poison, and that was all that mattered.
The process was slow, agonizing, but the results were undeniable. The poison vanished in a violent flash of aether, dissipating into the air as the beam of light from Tarric’s hand continued to burn through her. Her left side began to feel lighter, purged of the invasive energy that had threatened to unravel her. The gnawing ache in her body slowly dulled, and the searing pain subsided as the poison was eradicated completely.
When the beam finally ceased, the air around them settled, and Vivienne’s form was left trembling, but intact. The light had burned through the poison, and her body—her very being—had endured the trial.
She took a deep, unsteady breath, feeling her form re-solidify, the pain ebbing away with each passing second. Her limbs—no longer stretched and distorted—settled into a familiar shape, though the aftereffects of the energy were still present, coursing through her in a slow, steady rhythm.
Tarric, though exhausted and weak, remained focused on Vivienne, his breath steady but strained. The blood still staining his clothes and the cuts across his body told the story of how hard the battle had been. But despite the toll it had taken on him, his eyes held a quiet resolve. His fingers trembled slightly, but he didn’t let that stop him. He was still standing, still present—there was no sign of him backing down now.
Vivienne’s gaze softened as she looked at him, a wave of relief and gratitude flooding her senses. The poison was gone, and with it, the worst of the agony, but she still felt the weight of everything she’d been through. She’d pulled herself back into her humanoid form, but she could feel the drain on her body. It was hard to focus with her energy so low, her limbs feeling heavier than usual. There was a stark contrast between the usual sharpness of her senses and the sluggish, tired state she was in now.
She had hoped she would feel more herself after dealing with the poison, but the truth was she felt weaker than she had in a long time. It wasn’t just the poison that had drained her; the battle itself had taken its toll. The strain of summoning, the intensity of fighting... it all weighed heavily on her now.
But she was alive. That’s what mattered.
Vivienne stood still for a moment, catching her breath. She could feel the slight sway in her movements, as if her body was still catching up with the aftermath of the battle. She had to admit, she was exhausted. But there wasn’t time for rest—not yet.
Turning her attention back to Tarric, Vivienne made her way toward him, her steps slow but deliberate. There was something in the way he was holding himself that spoke volumes—despite his own injuries, despite the exhaustion, he was still focused. There was no hesitation, no self-doubt. Just a quiet determination that she had always relied on.
As she neared him, her voice was soft, strained with the remnants of pain but clear. “Rava needs help. Can you heal her too?” She didn’t need to explain. Tarric understood. They both knew what Rava had been through, the toll the fight had taken on her.
Tarric’s breath slowed even further, and for a moment, his eyes closed, a slight wince crossing his face as he steadied himself. Then, he nodded, his voice hoarse but certain. “Yeah,” he rasped, the word barely above a whisper. "I can help."