Chapter 1260 Broken Seal

My thoughts returned to Fable and the others. The bond between us was still there, faint and distant, but no amount of mana I’d drawn from the Shard had managed to reach him. Whatever the Realm Seal had done, it remained intact even after the fall of the Divine Throne.

"Luke?" I asked, tugging at his sleeve. "I want to go back for them now."

He glanced toward the Shard, then nodded. "Of course. We’ve done what we came here to do."

I gathered my mana, contacting Haven, and the Star Guard gathered close. A moment later, the world twisted, and when it straightened, we emerged into the ruins of the chamber we’d fought in, or rather, what remained of the passage leading into it. The walls were split by enormous cracks, and the ceiling had partially collapsed, leaving the floor covered in shattered marble and dust.

Ahead, a shimmering curtain of golden light filled the passage. Its surface was perfectly smooth, without the slightest indication of the terrible battle taking place beyond it.

I hurried forward, reaching out with my aura.

"Careful," Luke warned.

"I know," I murmured, stopping just short of the barrier.

My stars flowed around it, unable to penetrate the surface. Just as before, Fate magic seemed to strengthen the seal rather than weaken it. I pursed my lips, studying the intricate threads woven throughout the formation.

The Seal was an extraordinary piece of magic. It had not merely erected a barrier around our companions, but had separated the entire chamber from Enusia, enclosing it within a pocket of reality sustained by the accumulated mana of our battle. As far as the world was concerned, the chamber no longer existed.

"Can you break it?" Verity asked, floating beside me.

"I... think so. But it might take some time."

I’d learned a great deal from Rithen’s mind spell. Both formations relied upon the manipulation of reality itself, though their purposes were entirely different. And if there was one thing my experience had taught me, it was that destroying a spell wasn’t always the best way to overcome it.

I let Oblivion creep along the surface, following the threads until I found a slight irregularity. It was almost imperceptible, a tiny overlap where the edge of the pocket realm folded back upon itself.

I carefully unwound the first thread, and the entire formation trembled. A surge of mana rushed toward the disturbance, attempting to reinforce it, but Oblivion acted as a chasm between them. No matter how much mana entered, it would never be enough to fill the void. Such was the nature of oblivion.

As the gap widened, I took a few threads at a time, sheathing them in oblivion, slowly letting my stars seep through. It was tedious work, and far more delicate than simply casting Dispel Magic. If I made a mistake, the pocket realm might collapse entirely, taking everyone inside with it.

But gradually, the smooth golden surface began to distort.

A faint rumble reached my ears, followed by an unmistakable roar.

"They’re still fighting," Verity murmured, drawing her sword. Luke and my guard di the same.

I nodded, swallowing hard. Through the growing opening, I could finally sense something of the chamber beyond. The air was thick with mana, much of it circulating through the surviving Arbiter. He was still drawing power from the formation, and his strength had grown considerably since we’d left.

But the others were alive.

I found Korra first, her water magic spreading across the shattered floor. Gayron stood beside her, his flames flickering weakly as he struggled to maintain them. R’lissea had erected a defensive formation near the rear of the chamber, where Grace was recovering from another injury.

And Fable...

My breath caught.

He was still enormous, his silver fur matted with blood. Deep wounds crossed his shoulders and back, and one of his claws had been broken. He stood over the others, holding the Arbiter at bay through sheer strength. If those were the wounds that remained, I shuddered to think of the ones he’d already regenerated from.

Borealis circled overhead, his golden wings scattering stars as he harried the angel from above.

"Fable," I whispered.

His ears twitched.

The great wolf turned his head, and for an instant, I felt our bond strengthen. A low growl rumbled through the chamber, followed by an excited howl.

The Arbiter glanced toward the disturbance, and his expression darkened.

"No!"

He raised his sword, gathering the formation’s power into a brilliant arc of sunlight. The attack swept toward the opening, but Luke stepped forward, meeting it with his own blade.

The two powers collided, shaking the passage and sending loose stone tumbling from the ceiling.

"Keep working," Luke said, his eyes fixed upon the angel.

I nodded, hastily returning to the spell.

The Arbiter struck again, but this time Grace intercepted him, her spear crackling with lightning as she drove him away from the opening. Korra followed, weaving her water magic around his legs while Gayron unleashed a torrent of fire against his shield.

Even exhausted, they moved together remarkably well.

The Arbiter snarled, attempting to summon another ninth-level spell, but the formation flickered. I had already severed several of the threads connecting it to his soul, and the power he’d relied upon was beginning to fail.

He staggered, glancing down at the fading runes beneath his feet.

"What have you done?"

I bit my lip, concentrating on the final threads.

The seal resisted fiercely, its remaining mana surging toward the disturbance. For a moment, I thought it might overwhelm my aura, but Luke placed a hand against my shoulder, steadying me as I drew upon the last remnants of Oblivion.

With a final effort, I separated the pocket realm from its anchor. Golden light swept across the chamber, and the separated space rushed back into Enusia. The walls trembled as reality reasserted itself, sending a tremendous shockwave through the mountain.

I gasped, stumbling backward as my aura recoiled. Luke caught me, holding me upright until the pressure subsided.

When I opened my eyes, the barrier was gone.

The surviving Arbiter stood in the center of the chamber, his wings spread wide, but the golden formation beneath him had vanished. He looked around in disbelief, then raised his sword toward us.

"Impossible! The Realm Seal cannot—"

Fable struck him.

The enormous wolf’s paw slammed into the angel, driving him into the shattered floor. Before he could recover, Grace descended in a flash of lightning, her spear piercing through his defenses. Gayron followed with a final eruption of fire, and Korra’s water magic tightened around his limbs.

The Arbiter struggled, but without the formation sustaining him, his power was failing. Fable brought his paw down once more, and the angel’s remaining aura shattered beneath the impact.

His body dissolved into golden light, scattering across the ruined chamber.

For a moment, no one moved.

Then Korra let out a long breath and collapsed onto her backside.

"Finally! Gods, I thought that bastard would never die."

Gayron lowered his sword, looking almost as exhausted as she did. "You were the one complaining there weren’t enough monsters."

"Oh, shut up."

I barely heard them.

"Fable!"

The great wolf turned toward me, his tail beginning to wag. He shrank rapidly, his enormous body folding inward until he was small enough to fit through the passage. Then he bounded toward me, nearly knocking me over as he buried his head against my chest.

I laughed, throwing my arms around his neck. His fur was sticky with blood, and I could feel the terrible strain of the battle through our bond, but he was alive. I pressed my cheek against his head, struggling to hold back the tears.

Borealis landed upon my shoulder a moment later, cawing indignantly until I reached up and scratched beneath his crystalline feathers.

"Yes, yes, I missed you too."

"Well, look who finally decided to show up," Korra said, approaching with a limp.

I looked up, and she gave me a crooked grin.

"You’re late, Xiv."

"I’m sorry," I whispered, my voice catching. "I tried, but the seal..."

"Hey, don’t worry about it." She waved a hand dismissively. "We had things under control."

Behind her, Gayron snorted.

"Under control? You nearly lost your arm."

"Nearly," she emphasized. "That’s the important part."

R’lissea approached next, looking exhausted but pleased. "Everyone’s alive," she said, apparently anticipating my question. "Grace suffered the worst injuries, but I’ve stabilized her. We could all use some proper rest."

I nodded, looking toward the Storm Hero. She was leaning against a broken pillar, her spear planted beside her, looking rather displeased with the entire situation. But she would heal. They all would. And knowing that left me more relieved than I had been at Soltair and the Pope’s death.

With my friends secured, I reached for Haven and took us back toward the library. A gate opened, and warm light spilled across the ruined floor, and the familiar scent of old books drifted through the passage.

"The Fatesworn have established their headquarters there," I explained.

The others followed, their voices mingling as they passed through the gate. Fable remained beside me, his tail brushing against my leg, while Borealis settled comfortably upon my shoulder.

Luke offered his hand, and I took it. "Ready?"

I nodded, glancing once more at the empty chamber, before following them into the library.