“What did she just say?” his father asked.

Snapping out of his reverie, Xerxes looked over and realized that the small Abhorrent which had been closing in on them were currently standing motionless.

He looked back at Ninsunu on the rooftop. She was now holding Aban Saddi up in front of her, with one hand around the back of his neck.

Beyond her, the massive Abhorrent was merely staring, presumably at Ninsunu.

“She just spoke the language of the Abhorrent,” Xerxes said.

“What?” Ataneedusu blurted.

The reality of the situation hit Xerxes like a wave of cold water. “She’s a cultist,” he said. He wasn’t sure exactly how he knew, or how it even made sense. But it was the reality of the situation.

“By the Monad,” his father murmured.

Meanwhile, the gigantic Abhorrent responded to Ninsunu in the same language she’d just spoken. However, its voice was so deep and resonant that Xerxes felt like his bones vibrated in response. Of course, he understood none of the words, although he was half-sure he heard ‘melam.’

Ninsunu spoke in response, beginning a short conversation. A moment later, the Abhorrent around them stirred.

“We have to do something,” Ataneedusu said. “If Ninsunu is a cultist, and she has Aban Saddi….”

“But… do what?” Xerxes asked. He glanced at the nearby Abhorrent, who were still motionless. “Neither of us is strong enough! And we can’t make ranged attacks.”

His father reached into his component pouch and pulled out a handful of crabnickel powder. “It doesn’t matter. We have to do something.”

Xerxes shifted stances so that his sword was over his shoulder. “I have better range with my weapon. I might be able to take her out before she knows I’m coming.”

Before either of them could say anything more, the gigantic Abhorrent snorted something in his disturbing language, then launched into the air, flying in a neat arc before crashing to the ground just in front of the building upon which Ninsunu stood. Clouds of dust and rubble rose up as she held Aban Saddi out further in front of her. A vomitous aroma filled the area, which Xerxes bit his lip in an attempt to stop thinking about. At the same time, the flying creatures around the Abhorrent seemed to be getting denser. How long until it could unleash that black beam again?

“Son, are you sure—”

“I’m sure, Dad.” And without another word, he started running.

One shot, he thought. At the same time, all of his experiences in the past weeks ran together in his mind. The fight with Biru. The time he tried to sneak up on Master Ligish from behind. The terrifying, bloody melee with the Abhorrent on the bridge.

Lessons he’d learned, both consciously and subconsciously, swirled together as he formulated his plan. Where he would plant his feet. How he would jump. The way he would hold his blade.

There really would only be one chance to get it right. And if he failed… he would probably die. He kept his sword in the Skyward position as he took his first step.

While dust continued to gently rain down, the gigantic Abhorrent said another set of words in its disgusting language.

“Grk ba’ya melam.”

Xerxes dashed forward, jusing a park bench as a launching point to get onto a rooftop.

That was when he saw Ninsunu pull the unconscious Aban Saddi back, not as if to remove him from the presence of the massive Abhorrent, but more as if she were getting ready to throw him.

Oh no, he thought. His view was cut off by a building. He scrambled up the wall and onto the rooftop. Now, he was a level above his target.

At the same time, Ninsunu hurled Aban Saddi’s limp form toward the gigantic Abhorrent.

Fuck. He accelerated and then jumped off the rooftop. He didn’t have time to consider how to save Aban Saddi. At least, not yet. He started swinging his sword in a basic attack. Not any sort of a special move. As long as Ninsunu didn’t realize what was happening, it would be devastating.

He sailed through the air toward her, and Aban Saddi flopped toward the Abhorrent.

The blade of Xerxes’ longsword dripped dark blood and gore as it closed the distance, heading toward Ninsunu’s right shoulder.

The goal of the most basic sword strike, as Xerxes understood it, was to cleave the opponent in half through the heart. In training, sparring, and combat, an opponent would obviously attempt to block or parry any ordinary strike. But in this case, Ninsunu’s back was to him.

There’s no way this is going to work, he thought, and he kept himself ready to disengage and attack from a different angle, or perhaps abort the attack entirely.

The fur on the gigantic Abhorrent’s massive arm rippled as it extended its claws fingers toward Aban Saddi.

Xerxes closed in on Ninsunu.

The Abhorrent’s fingers wrapped around the Head Mage, but at the same time, its eyes shifted as it seemed to notice Xerxes.

Xerxes’ blade was inches from Ninsunu’s neck.

It’s not going to work, he thought. She would duck at the last moment, then spin to punch him in the gut. Or lean forward and kick her foot back. Something. She couldn’t be so arrogant as to have completely ignored the two Seers behind her. All that wasn’t to mention the fact there was a massive monster looking right at Xerxes.

The Abhorrent pulled the Head Mage toward him, and if it did intend to do something about Xerxes, it apparently didn’t have time. Xerxes’ sword hit Ninsunu. It clove through her bestial fur, burying itself into her neck and slicing into her torso.

A spray of blood landed on his face as his sword cut through flesh, muscle, and —backed by the immense strength of a Seer— bone. He felt the shudder as the steel severed her spine, and continued another inch or two before lodging firmly somewhere in her rib cage. He was fairly certain that, if she hadn’t been in her transformed state, he would have cut her clean in half. In any case, she was dead now.

The momentum of his jump kept him going, and he tumbled forward, over Ninsunu’s corpse, which was already reverting to human form. He lost his grip on his sword in the process and left it behind as he rolled, before skidding to a stop in the rooftop gravel.

Looking back, he expected a queasy feeling to rise from the pit of his stomach at the sight of blood-drenched Ninsunu. Instead, all he felt was disgust. Not at himself, but at her, for speaking the language of the Abhorrents, and for offering Aban Saddi up like a sacrifice.

Aban Saddi.

There was still a chance to save him.

Xerxes turned and looked for the Head Mage.

But all he saw was the giant, clawed fingers of the massive Abhorrent speeding directly toward his own current position.