New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

Chapter 1027: "I Already Have"

Alex cursed at himself for not noticing his party member inching away. He knew he should have been more conscious of the surrounding battlefield.

And now, someone was going to die for his mistake.

Time seemed to slow down for everyone as they watched in horror as the weapons inched toward their friend's chest, aimed directly at his heart. And given their size, nothing much would remain if they pierced it.

By the time everyone could move, the two pikes had pierced through Liu Yan's body, exiting out his back with a spurt of blood.

It was already over.

"Fuck!" Alex shouted.

As the two dragonkin retracted their spears, blood gushing from the young man's chest, they turned back to their foes with a malicious grin.

"This is only but the first of many of your allies that will die," the one on Alex's side said with a maniacal grin.

"Prepare for many more to come," the other added.

Kary snapped toward Core, her eyes desperate, and saw his eyes closed, clutching something shiny she hadn't seen before.

"Do something!" she shouted to him.

"I already have," Cory said, with an uncharacteristic calm in his voice, as he opened his eyes.

But when he opened them, Kary was stunned for a second as they shone a bright golden colour, something she'd never seen his eyes do before.

***

As everything was happening, and everyone was stunned, Cory cursed himself mentally for being unable to protect his new friend. He repugned at the thought of losing an ally when he'd promised himself to bring back everyone home alive.

But as the spears pushed into his friend's body, time froze.

And it wasn't because of the stun, that much he was sure of.

All colour drained from the world around him before a bright golden being flashed into existence a few feet away from Liu Yan.

Cory couldn't move his body, but his mind was all his again.

"Who are you?! Leave my friend alone!" he shouted, trying to get whatever that was away from the already in dire straights Liu Yan.

The being slid his hand on Liu Yan's cheek, murmuring something indistinct to Cory before flashing away from there and reappearing in front of Cory.

"My child, I could feel your sorrow across the veil," the being said, his tone almost sad.

Cory recognized the voice, his heart skipping a beat.

"Solaris?" he asked in a stupor.

The being before him looked down at Cory, his bright body appearing featureless because of his golden shine, and sighed.

"It seems you are still not ready to see my true form. Regardless, that is a matter for the future. What matters now, my champion, is your will to save a life. Do you wish you could do something to save him?" Solaris asked, his question ripe with intent.

"Yes!" Cory replied without a second thought.

"I promised myself to bring everyone home! I cannot falter on that promise!" he added, his voice cracking.

Solaris looked at him, a barely discernable smile appearing on his lips.

"Your fervent will impresses me once more, my champion. I have the power to make that promise a reality. But it comes with consequences that I will not bear alone. Will you shoulder them with me, my son?"

Cory hesitated for barely a second.

"I will stand against the gods if I have to, if it means keeping the ones before me alive. Solaris, grant me the strength to save my friends. I may not be able to save the ones outside my reach, but at least allow me to save the ones I can see," Cory pleaded, affirming his resolve.

"Very well," Solaris said, touching his forehead with the tip of a finger.

"Use this ability sparsely as it eats away at your own life, my champion. May your light forever mirror mine."

After touching his forehead, Solaris disappeared in a flash of golden flames, leaving the world colourless for a few more seconds while Cory reeled from the power that had just entered his mind.

But as the colour returned, he saw the guisarmes pierce through Liu Yan, and his gaze hardened.

'You are not dying on me,' he declared in his mind, clutching something in his hand that had just appeared.

He brought the small symbol to his chest, dropped his small mace, wrapped his other hand around the first, and prayed to Solaris.

His prayer was but a few words, and was done before Kary even turned to look at him. "Solaris' Mercy: Death Defiance," he whispered as Kary shouted at him to do something.

"I already have."

The motionless body of Liu Yan suddenly emitted a bright beam of golden flames, shoving forward the dragonkin who were already walking away from him.

They fell flat to their faces, as the force was much more than they could handle, before the beam vanished as fast as it appeared.

And where it vanished, it was replaced by the once again standing Liu Yan, whose face was a mask of confusion.

The poor man had no idea what had happened to him, his mind dying before his body did, and now, after floating for what seemed like forever in a vast nothingness, he was back here; the danger surrounding him still very present.

"Move!" Alex's voice snapped him back to reality.

His eyes returned to focus, noticing two guisarmes were heading in his direction.

He had no idea this was the second time this exact scene was happening, but he froze

nonetheless.

Except this time, the others were able to react.

Alex rushed in to block one pike as Rì-Chu copied Violette's earlier move and summoned a

pillar of stone under the second, knocking it upward.

Liu Yan stood there in a daze, wondering what was happening.

"Get back in the party, you idiot, before you die again!" Alex roared at him, holding the

dragonkin's might back with his own.

"Huh? Die again?" Liu Yan asked in a daze.

"Just go!" Alex growled, his feet slipping backward.

Phaelia started harassing the dragonkin on Winston's side as David ordered the zombie harpy

to push back theirs, and Alex was free to breathe for a moment.

A moment he took to turn around and walk toward Liu Yan.

*Slap!*

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