The Inner Odyssey-Chapter 191: Agony

For a while now, Celeste’s quite limited combat arsenal had frustrated her. She had plenty of Skills for longer range skirmishes and battles, but not much, if any, when it came to close combat or affecting a wide swathe of the battlefield.

With the help of her master and her Sponsor’s boons, though, she was able to rectify that.

...A wide slash of light escaped her sword, engulfing the locust colony.

It shone with a beautiful light, almost dazzling in its radiance.

However, beneath the veneer of beauty, lay a deadly reality.

The frenzied abominations burst apart, one after the other.

The terrifying sword slash sliced through their seething expanse, ravaging the furious Defiled. Countless explosions tore through the forest. Drops of green, slimy poison shimmered in the air; like toxic rain, they drizzled to the ground, eroding through the endless moss and detritus covering the forest floor.

Even the abominations who did not face the horrifying slash head-on found their corrupted existences cut short, the life energy contained within their deceased brethren somehow making its way towards them.

Chaos swiftly spread through the locusts’ ranks.

Gestella, Clara, Lucy, Ossian and the older gentleman stared at the fruit of Celeste’s efforts, their expressions startled, filled with mild shock. The sight before them was just too incredulous.

It was as if someone had cut through a curtain of darkness, casting a ray of hope and light within a terrible storm. The locusts continued to explode, the sound akin to a dull squelch, their fetid remains splattering across Nature’s Grove.

Taking advantage of the opening brought about by Celeste, Gestella’s forces swiftly swept through the colony, launching themselves at the Defiled abominations with careless abandon.

Sharp mandibles tore through green exoskeletons.

The poison contained within the latter dealt minimal damage to the deceased locusts, though. The frenzied flurry turned even more chaotic.

Celeste staggered, a breathless gasp escaping her lips.

Her vision swam, her balance rocky.

A sense of intense nausea assaulted her.

Struggling to remain upright, Celeste watched as the rest of Gestella’s forces vanquished the terrifying hive of locusts.

A sense of profound relief welled within her.

***

A while later...

Celeste cursed, her entire existence a sea of agony.

She lurched forward, her pace somewhere between a jog and a disorientated stagger. A piercing headache split her skull, every single muscle in her body crying out for relief. However, unfortunately for Celeste, she did not have the luxury of meditating and slowly accumulating her mana again - for the obvious reason that she and others were on the run, desperately trying to avoid a futile battle against the approaching swarm.

The clash against the locusts, although somewhat brief, had given the enormous swarm a chance to devour most of the distance which previously separated them. Now, only a fraction of that length separated the two sides.

Feeling a grim sense of urgency, the Chosen of the Divine Sovereign and her group of runaway’s resorted to a more drastic measure. As they ran, Celeste and the others absorbed the ambient mana in the air.

Their frames were akin to mystical whirlpools, drawing in the ambient mana and trapping it. Celeste’s body was especially gluttonous, absorbing the dormant energy as if she were dying of thirst.

’Actually... that’s... not... too far off from the truth.’

A sense of bitterness welled up within the young healer, one which she struggled to suppress.

It was only supposed to be a simple escort mission. How in the Asterons had her life come to this?

Gritting her teeth, Celeste pushed her body further and further, uncaring for the consequences. Occassionally, her skin shone with a weak, feeble light, her attempt at providing some relief to her exhausted muscles.

Unfortunately for the young healer, though, that solace only lasted for an extremely small moment, before the pain returned with a vengeance, deeper and angrier.

Eventually, Celeste came to a halt, unable to continue any longer.

The drawback of absorbing ambient mana while moving - requiring almost all her concentration in order to circulate and refine it before it entered her core - as well as the fatigue of intense battle and the journey from Oakia’s hideout... it all caught up to Celeste.

Panting, the young healer swayed, shifting her blurry gaze towards the rest of the group, instinctively noting their solemn demeanour.

Suddenly, Celeste’s stomach sank.

In the distance, the approaching swarm was now only minutes away, thick, dark miasma rolling off it in tangible waves. The surrounding forest seemed to rustle, urging them to keep going, as if it knew just how dreadful the approaching abominable force was.

Gestella and Clara turned around, studying something with their enhanced sight. Then, they shared a glance. The sinking feeling in Celeste’s stomach grew stronger, before she sensed the cloaked figures steel their resolve.

’...No.’

Before Celeste could bring herself to speak, however...

Clara beat her to it, her voice soft and gentle.

"Go. We will hold them back as much as we can."

Celeste frantically shook her head.

"Our leader sacrificed herself for you! The least you could do is survive."

Gestella spat, venom lacing her tone.

The Chosen of the Divine Sovereign trembled.

’...No.’

"We don’t have much time, Celeste. You have to survive. I know you’re exhausted, but you have to run. The swarm will arrive here at any moment. Gestella and I will do our best to slow them down."

"I will help." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The older gentleman limped forward, his expression resolute

"Me too."

Lucy did the same.

Celeste glanced towards Ossian, her skin shining for a brief moment.

That moment was enough to restore her blurry vision.

And what she saw...

Was a bright, resplendent smile.

"I’ve always wanted to thank you for visiting my family and cheering us up after the invasion. It meant more to us than you’ll ever know."

A sharp pang suddenly pierced Celeste’s heart.

Tears gradually welled within her eyes.

’No... no.’

Cece was adamant in her refusal.

Yet, with every heartbeat that passed, the approaching swarm drew closer and closer, removing the decision from her.

"Go!"

With a rough shove, Gestella abruptly pushed her away, causing Celeste to stumble.

She watched with wide, trembling eyes as the group of runaways turned around and marched towards their death.