Both of his friends nodded.
“Let’s try it,” said Leonis, and they passed through.
The sight of the grids in the walls gave Scorio a chill. “I’ll go first. Ready Lianshi?”
“Count of three.” She crouched slightly, ready to take off at a run. “One.”
Scorio leaned forward, knees slightly bent. It wasn’t far to the far side of the room. A mad dash should cover it in time. He just had to avoid taking a block to the head.
“Two. Three!”
He ignited his Heart just as they took off, sprinting as fast as they could. Lianshi was a gleaming presence at his left, but Scorio only watched the right wall as blocks began to shoot toward him. He dodged, leaped, spun, took a hit to his shoulder which crunched. But it was easier to just watch one side; a second block grazed a trail of fire across his back, and then they slammed into the far wall with a whoop.
“It worked!” Scorio laughed, grabbed Lianshi, and pulled her into a tight hug. “When you’re ready, head back for Leonis.”
“Do I have to?” She grinned as the massive man made a rude gesture at her. “Fine.” She took a few deep breaths, dropped into a crouch in which she bounced slightly upon the balls of her feet, and then rose. “Huh. It’s already a little easier to ignite than it was just before I hit my trial. All right. Here I go.”
Again she took on that vitreous sheen, and again she sprinted across the room. It was amazing to watch—the blocks bounced right off her, spinning wildly in all directions as they cracked and shattered.
Then she was on the far side, running into the far wall with arms outstretched. She turned, face flushed, pensive. “So I’m noticing the duration is growing shorter if I use it as quickly as I can. It’s not a full reset.”
“Then take your time,” called Scorio. “We’re not in a huge rush.”
She nodded, swung her arms in windmills, then turned to punch Leonis on the shoulder. “You’d better make it across in one piece.”
“If you cover my side I will. Don’t sprint off without me.”
Lianshi laughed, exhilarated. “I won’t.”
They waited another couple of minutes, and then she nodded. “Ready. Count of three?”
Scorio watched, tense, as Leonis prepared and then dashed out. He was powerful and surprisingly adroit for his size, but nimble wasn’t a word Scorio would use to describe his friend.
Still, he did well; four cubes hit him in all, the first three pounding into his shoulder and thighs, but it was the fourth that caught him hard, cracking into his elbow as he stumbled, the huge muscle of his thigh seizing up and nearly causing him to spill. Lianshi grabbed his arm and hauled him clear, so that they both collapsed to the ground at Scorio’s feet.
“You all right?” Scorio couched by Leonis’s side. “Your arm?”
Leonis’s face had turned pale, and he cradled the arm to his chest. “Think the elbow’s broken.”
“Damn.” Scorio straightened and stared at the black door as it appeared. “The next room is all about climbing.”
“I know,” said Leonis. “Perverse to place it right after a room like this.”
“I’m sorry,” said Lianshi, her humor all gone. “I tried, but—”
Leonis interrupted harshly. “What are you sorry about? It’s because of you that we’ve even made it this far.”
“Because—well.” She dipped her head. “Scorio said Naomi crossed this room easily, right? And she’s just an Emberling. I should have done better.”
“First off,” said Scorio, “you’re not even used to your power yet, whereas Naomi’s been the Nightmare Lady for, I don’t know, years? Second, her power is more adept at defending others through these kinds of challenges, while yours is perfect for defending yourself. Third—”
“Fine, all right, I get it,” said Lianshi, ducking her head. “I still feel like I should have done better. And the climbing room? Being invulnerable won’t help me climb any faster.”
“We’ll just do the best we can,” said Scorio, reaching down to clasp Leonis’s good hand. “Remember, the three of us have never gotten into this room together, and now we’re passing on to the fourth. That’s amazing growth.”
Lianshi considered, and then her expression lightened. “You’re right.”
“Let’s go through,” said Scorio, “but remember, the floor falls away almost immediately, so leap for the wall quickly.”
“Then?” asked Leonis.
“Then do your best. Ready? Let’s fill our reservoirs and then go.” Scorio waited, dragging in Coal till he could drink in no more, then opened the door and led the way. They passed through the void into the tower room, the ceiling easily some thirty or forty yards above. The far wall was only five yards away from the doorway, painted a pure white and textured like a natural cliff face, complete with handholds and ledges. These extended all the way up the face of the cliff, making for a difficult but not impossible climb.
Not hesitating, he ignited his Heart and leaped across to clutch at a set of handholds, Lianshi and Leonis did likewise. A second later, the floor fell away, revealing darkness, and then the wall began to scroll downward.
Leonis was forced to jerk his way upward, lunging for each handhold with his good hand, scrambling to stay ahead of the drop, but even with the slow scrolling, it was clear he’d not make it.
Lianshi, on the other hand, scampered up then paused, uncertain, to stare down at Leonis.
“Go!” he barked. “You’ll not get me all the way to the top. I’ll see you both in the basilica!”
Scorio half-expected the massive man to release his handhold and fall back, but he climbed gamely until the increasing speed of the wall became too much, and he fell away silently into the void.
Focusing on his own climb, Scorio surged upward, seeking ever new handholds and ways to climb, Lianshi always ahead of him, lithe and light and climbing with otherworldly grace.
But the speed only grew, and Scorio realized that he’d passed the point where the Nightmare Lady had plucked him free and carried him aloft. He focused, clenched his jaw, but slowly he began to descend, his speed unequal to the scrolling drop. Gasping for air, sweat beading his brow, he thought wildly for a second of reaching into his robes for his bridge, his chalk, only to realize of course they’d not come across with him into the Gauntlet.
“Scorio!” Lianshi had reached the ledge at the top, now a good twenty yards above him, and stood, hands on her knees, panting hard as she stared down at him.
He wasn’t going to make it. Then his Heart died, and with it went his strength and enhanced skill. With a cry, he leaped up again, grabbed a ridge with one hand, but missed with the other. He swung out wide, feet scrabbling at the wall, dropping down toward the dark.
“Good luck!” he shouted, then the wall fairly spat him down into the darkness. The white glow of the climb receded, shrank, and then he hit something at terminal velocity and died.
Only to blink, back spasming and arching powerfully as he awoke upon the bier. Leonis was gasping to one side, and Lianshi let out a cry of agony as she curled up into a ball on the other.
“Ignite,” cried out Scorio, battling the pain of what felt like shattered hips and broken shoulders. He willed his Heart to burn, but for a moment it wouldn’t catch, no matter how much Coal he swept into it. He panicked, felt a pang of terror over the thought of remaining in this state of pain forever, and then his Heart went up with a whoomph and black flames consumed it.
Immediately the pain began to recede, muscles relaxing, cramps easing, deep pain flowing away.
“Argh,” said Leonis. “That was no fun.”
“Lianshi,” gasped Scorio, pushing himself up. “How did you do?”
“Not well,” said his friend, sitting up as well. She grimaced. “That… monster? The creature on the throne? It was brutal. I tried to use my power to best effect, and I guess I managed to surprise him, but without a weapon, I wasn’t able to take advantage of my few seconds. Then he grabbed each of my wrists and tore my arms off.”