I tried to activate Hidden Burrow to buy me some time, but the ground was too rocky. It seemed that I needed loose earth for that particular technique.
“Do you really believe this is the right path?” I shouted. “Or are you just here for the power, like the rest of them?”
Mahrai gritted her teeth and made a gesture with her staff.
The golem bent, thrust its hands into the ground, and lifted up a chunk of the cobbled road that ran through the courtyard. It raised the mass above its head, then flung it at me.
I countered with a Magma Burst that blasted from my hand, its fiery heat lighting up the night. It hit the torn-up road as it hurtled toward me and reduced it to a rain of boiling slag that pattered down on the other cobbles.
The golem roared and charged toward me. I dug into my reserves of Vigor again, but this time, I pulled out mud instead of magma. The ground in the center of the courtyard rippled, and the golem stepped into a Mud Entrapment.
The golem’s weight immediately started dragging it down into the depths of the mud. It struggled against the cloying ooze and thrashed wildly at its surface. Then, it planted its hands in the ground beyond the mud, like a pair of spades digging into the dirt, and started dragging itself clear.
I sheathed my sword and raised my hands together. This time, I held the magma back as it reached my hands, letting it build up inside me. It built and built while the golem strained against its entrapment and pulled itself, inch by oozing inch, out of the mud. At last, when the Vigor was almost too much to contain, I let fly.
A Magma Burst shot from my hands and hurtled across the courtyard and hit the golem. There was a burst of melting rock that lit up the whole night like a firework. As its brightness faded, the last solid pieces of the golem fell into the mud and vanished from view.
Gobbets of lava fell all across the courtyard. They melted into dirt, cobbles, and paving stones, bubbling and shining brightly. It was a spectacular sight, but also an intimidating one. I would have to be careful about using magma and hold it back for those moments when it was absolutely vital. Otherwise, I could end up destroying whole chunks of the city.
My moment of triumph was cut short as Mahrai jumped from the rooftop toward me, her staff raised above her head, hair flying as wild as a forest fire. I drew the Depthless Dream Trident just in time to parry her first blow, swung it around in a counter-attack, and was blocked in turn by Mahrai.
The crack of metal on wood echoed around the courtyard as we battered at each other with a frantic series of blows, each parry followed by another immediate attack. She was fast and skillful, but her emotions were clearly starting to get the better of her, and she attacked without pause or consideration. Sweat poured down both our brows as we worked ourselves up into a frenzy of violence.
I knew I could have killed her easily; her close combat fighting left a lot to be desired. But I wanted to give her more time to consider my words. Up close like this, the earthy herbal musk that hung around Mahrai was more intense than ever before. Its scent filled my senses, strangely alluring despite the flash of weapons through the air. The intensity of her gaze and the fine lines of her face drew me in despite myself.
“It’s good to see you up close,” I said as I countered an attack. “Much better than when you were hiding behind a monstrous stone structure.”
“You look good too,” she said, with a jab toward my ribs. “When you’re not playing dress up as one of the guards or talking shit.”
I thrust the trident at her leg and dropped her. She scurried to her feet and snarled at me.
“You’re playing games,” she said.
“I’m enjoying our conversation,” I said. “Maybe we could take it somewhere else? Less clothes, a little mood lighting, and a bottle of shiraz?”
“You talk nonsense.” She swung at my head, forcing me to duck. “Besides, you just minced my one method for staying alive in the world.”
“Have you tried friends?”
“I have no friends. Everyone who was anyone has left me behind.”
Her next swing was even wilder than the ones that came before, an attack made up of pure fury. My feet touched the soft earth from where the golem had stripped the cobblestones, and I activated Hidden Burrow. The ground rushed up to meet me, and I was hidden beneath the sand. It took a lot of Vigor to maintain the position, but I felt like I had a few minutes at least.
“You dare flee from me?” Mahrai spat.
“You said you didn’t have any friends, so I thought I’d stay down here while I gave you a proposition.” I wasn’t sure whether my voice would carry above the earth surrounding me, but Mahrai must have heard me because she responded.
“What foolish proposition could you give me that I would consider for even a minute?”
“Friendship,” I said. “I figure you haven’t met the right kind of people. Hell, if you’re just looking for some friends and you’ll stop being such a bitch, then you could just become one of mine.”
“What?” Mahrai faltered.
I erupted from the ground and landed onto the cobblestones beside her. Before she could react, I stepped in, grabbed her staff, and ripped it from her hands. With my other hand, I let go of the trident, and it clanged to the ground. I reached out and gently caressed her cheek.
Mahrai closed her eyes, and a single tear ran down her face. “Fine. You played with my emotions by not
