Morrow laid trembling hands on Derek and Focused. Kar turned away, confident in the man’s ability to heal the minor cuts on his friend’s arms and legs. Kar then grabbed a shard he’d pilfered from a fallen cryst and drew its Energia into himself. He only had a few scrapes and bruises but was glad to be rid of them. He surveyed the room, assessing the damage.

  The dozen cryst-soldiers lay scattered in pieces all over the chamber and the door to the basin room had already opened for them. Kar had not contributed much to the fight, although it had ended far faster with so many experienced Focusers here this time. One thing bothered him though, the Voice had remained strangely silent even after they’d defeated the last of the cryst-soldiers.

  “What’s next?” Aldwin said, grunting as he squatted and ripped the shard from a cryst’s chest cavity.

  “I think we’re supposed to consume whatever’s in that basin.” Kar answered.

  “There’s nothing here.” Kiya said. She was standing at its edge peering in.

  Kar hurried over and confirmed it for himself. As he looked down into the empty reservoir, fingers brushed the stubble atop his head, “This suits you better than what you were rocking before.” Lore teased, stepping up to the basin beside him.

  Kar glanced at her, his pulse quickening, “Yeah, you can thank your sister for that.”

  Kiya grunted then looked around at the walls. She pointed at the secondary door situated just behind the basin, “There’s another one of those pads there. Try activating it.”

  Kar stepped around Lore and went to the door. He paused just before placing his hand there, “We should make sure we’re ready before we try to keep going.”

  Kiya sneered, “What else do you need?”

  Kar bristled, “Those shards. Maybe you don’t have much use for them but Morrow and I do.”

  The man teetered by, in obvious shock.

  Kiya rolled her eyes but didn’t object further, so Kar went and helped Aldwin and Derek gather up the remaining shards.

  For the first time since he'd come to that morning, Kar had a moment to think and process events. He struggled to sort through it all; it was like trying to untangle twisted threads in his head. What had Destry meant, you have a little of the dark in you? And how was the man able to cancel out other's ability to Focus? That didn't seem fair. And another thing; what had the Voice meant when it said that all would perish if Kar failed? That had ominous implications.

  He leaned down to help Aldwin crack apart one of the Cryst figures, "I'm sorry," he told him, "I couldn't get Isa out. We were so close too."

  Aldwin grasped Kar by the shoulder and squeezed, “You did your best. I wouldn’t have been able to get to her either, not with an Anuller there.”

  “Who, the governor? Destry?” Kar asked.

  Aldwin nodded, “I’ve never met one personally. They cancel out your Focusings. Doesn’t leave you with many options.”

  So that was his ability then?

  Kar pried out another Shard and cracked a smile, “Didn’t stop you from putting him on the floor. Nice to see someone set him in his place at least once.”

  Aldwin chuckled, “It was probably foolish of me. But listen, we’ll get through this.” Kar gave a half-hearted smile, he wanted to believe that.

  A short while later they had recovered all the shards. Kar handed one to each member of the party, then divided up the remainder between he and Morrow. Satisfied, he returned to the door by the basin and prepared to press it, “Everyone ready?” he asked.

  They all nodded except Morrow; he still had a distant, glazed expression on his face. Kar hoped the man would be able to keep it together.

  “I’d rather not spend all week in here.” Kiya said.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  Kar pursed his lips, then pressed his hand into the impression. The door began to roll aside.

  YOU WILL NOW FACE YOUR SECOND TRIAL.

  THIS IS A TEST OF MIND RATHER THAN MIGHT.

  What did that mean?

  The door finished rolling aside to reveal a ramp descending down into a well-lit great hall. The high, vaulted ceiling was supported by columns while elaborate diamond-patterned tiles lined the floor. Narrow strips of crystal shone blue throughout the hall. Far in the distance, Kar glimpsed yet another round door. He presumed that lead to another basin or Trial.

  He repositioned the heavy pack on his back, then stepped forward, the others just behind him. They had descended the ramp and started their way down the hall, when the door behind them rolled itself shut. Then the entire ramp retracted into the ceiling with a terrible grinding sound. They were trapped down here.

  Aldwin blasted his way to the ceiling and hovered there, examining where the ramp had receded. He then delivered a series of Focused strikes to the seams there, but the ancient stone seemed impervious to his efforts.

  "Looks like the only way out is forward." Kiya said.

  Aldwin descended and rejoined Kar, "I don't trust this place." He said under his breath. Kar took a deep breath and looked around the room. He didn't either but they were committed now. Would this be like the last room? Were doors in the wall about to open and release cryst-soldiers?

  The party reluctantly continued down the hall, following Kiya. When they had traveled near to half its length—their feet clacking on the tile floor—a pair of figures stepped out from behind opposing columns. The light reflected brightly off their forms; they were Cryst who looked like human men, but heavily armored in strange metal rather than crystal. That set them apart from the cryst-soldiers of the last chamber. Their weapons too, were made of that same metal.

  Aldwin halted in place, holding out an arm. The figures too stopped, barring the path forward to the end of this chamber and the door that awaited them there.

  “You are not permitted to pass.” One of them said. It's mouth—if it had one—wasn't visible, there was an ornate face guard covering its head. Its voice was a pulsing vibration that emanated from there.

  “We are the Watchers of the Hall.” Its counterpart followed up with, its voice a deeper rumble.

  The first of the Cryst-knights—as Kar thought of them—to speak was slender. It held a lance with a blunted metal tip and a bushel of spear hafts jutted above its shoulder. The second was much broader; a giant shield in one hand and a heavy hammer in the other.

  Talking Crysts. Kar shifted uneasily, that was something he hadn’t seen yet. Judging from Aldwin’s shocked reaction, Kar assumed that wasn’t normal.

  Kiya wasted no time with conversation, but leapt forward and let loose twin founts of flame toward the Cryst. The larger one raised its shield and stepped forward, while the slimmer one fell back and hurled one of its spears from the quiver on its back.

  The spear flew through the air with a piercing whistle faster than Kar could follow. Kiya grunted as she was hit, and tumbled to the ground in a heap. The shaft of the spear quivered in the air, its head buried in the woman’s shoulder.

  “Nooo!” Lore screamed, leaping to her sister’s side. Aldwin jumped forward and unleashed a powerful blast at the larger of the two Crysts. It raised its shield and surged into the Focusing, managing to keep its footing despite Aldwin’s power. Kiya’s men spread out without a word, obviously well-used to working with one another. Lore had mentioned they were part of a Hunter team; so used to fighting against crystbeasts at least. They used the columns as cover and quickly worked to flank the shielded Cryst-knight, two to the left and one to the right.

  Morrow cowered by the door.

  “Heal her!” Kar yelled at the man, motioning toward Kiya, then dashed forward alongside Derek to do what they could to back up Aldwin and the others.

  The lancer Cryst rushed the one member of Kiya’s team who had gone to right side of the hall. Kar could tell from the way the man Focused he was an Enhancer like Lore. He danced away from the Cryst with incredible speed, dodging first one, then a second thrust of the Cryst-knights long lance. He wasn’t fast enough though. A third thrust took him in the thigh and the man cried out in pain as he fell to the floor. The Cryst withdrew his weapon then dashed forward and kicked the Enhancer in the chest, sending him crashing against the wall with a sickening thud.

  The other two of Kiya’s men, meanwhile, had leapt at the shielded Cryst’s exposed side. They expertly swung their sledges at exposed sections of crystal. They must be Enhancers too. It was surreal seeing humans move with such speed and skill. Kar couldn’t imagine ever being able to do that himself.

  It was no use however. The Cryst-knight swung his shield in a blindingly fast arc, catching both of the Hunters and knocking them away with an awful crunch. With its shield out of the way, Aldwin’s blasts struck home. The Cryst knight staggered back and almost toppled, but stomped a foot down and braced himself once more with his shield. Aldwin cursed and blasted to the side while Derek ran forward and let loose with blasts of his own.

  Kar couldn't react in time and watched helplessly while the lancer charged in and lowered its shoulder into Derek. Kar’s friend went flying into a pillar and crumpled. He tried to rise weakly but collapsed back down again. The Lancer ignored Kar altogether and raced past.

  Just like that, Aldwin was trapped between the two Cryst-knights. He tried directing a hand towards each of them, releasing powerful blasts. The Lancer was knocked back, but the Shield-bearer brought its hammer around in a fast swing that Aldwin couldn’t avoid. He raised an arm and the hammer smashed into it, sending Aldwin careening down the left hand side of the hall.

  Kar stood frozen, his mind racing, as the two Cryst-Knights turned to face him.