The Tower King

Although he had no idea what this temple was, Sora guessed that it must be a fairly important one, otherwise it wouldn't have a name. Besides, he thought about it too, but who or what could this Nymeus be?

"Why this particular temple?"

Placing a piece of meat by the fire, Nerris thought for a few moments before answering. "I haven't the slightest idea, I'm simply following Jarek's plan. Besides, I don't really know why he's putting you through all this training. It's the first time I've seen him do something like this."

Sora's mind raced with questions, but he preferred to leave some out, because he knew that Nerris wouldn't have the answer either. "Honestly, even I can't understand why he goes to all this trouble. There are plenty of other mercenaries stronger than me in the Order, but he doesn't seem to care about them at all."

"I've known Jarek for a few years now," Nerris resumed while turning over the piece of meat resting by the fire, "and if I've understood a few things about him, it's that he's only interested in what he finds strange or that amuses him. I don't know what category you fall into, but you must be special for him to be so interested in you."

To be honest, Sora already knew part of the reason why Jarek was interested in him, but he couldn't tell him, at least not yet. It was too risky to tell another person his secret.

So Sora preferred not to answer, and they spent the rest of the evening discussing various topics before taking turns falling asleep.

...

By the time the sun broke through the thick foliage of the forest, the fire had already been out for a few hours, but the morning heat was also beginning to seep into the forest. Sora, who was on guard duty, sat patiently on a rock, on the lookout for the slightest suspicious noise.

No other monsters had attacked them during the night, which was not to Sora's displeasure, as he took the opportunity to train his Ushi channeling from his weapon.

Before doing so, he hesitated for a few minutes, fearing that simply channeling the Ushi might have attracted various monsters, but after much reflection, he tried it anyway, and his gamble apparently paid off, as no monster had shown up.

Because of his training, his arm was slightly numb, but he could now concentrate a little more Ushi while keeping it under control and without burning his arm after just one use.

He turned towards Nerris when he heard footsteps coming from her direction. She had only just got up, but was already starting to tidy up their temporary camp. She seemed calmer this morning, but Sora knew that she never relaxed her vigilance. Her movements were efficient, quick, every gesture calculated like that of a seasoned fighter.

"We have to leave soon, don't we?" asked Sora, observing the surroundings as he approached her.

Nerris looked up from her bag and gave her a smile.

"Not just yet. We've still got an hour or so. Time to organize our things and check that everything's in order. We don't know what we might run into on the way."

Sora nodded. The idea of setting off scared him a little. He knew that each passing day brought them closer to the temple, but that didn't mean the road would be any less dangerous.

Nerris stood up, wiping his hands on his clothes. "Relax, Sora. As long as you stay focused, you should be ready for whatever lies ahead."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Easy for you to say."

She smiled and approached him, then laid a hand on his shoulder with gentle pressure. "You underestimate yourself."

He had no time to reply. A strange noise, like a whisper between the trees, interrupted their conversation. Sora tensed instantly, ready to draw his sword. He turned and scanned the darkness of the forest, his senses on the alert.

Nerris already had her hand on the hilt of her own blade, ready to intervene. She didn't look worried, but her gaze was piercing.

"Did you hear that?" murmured Sora.

Nerris nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Yes, something's coming.

A shiver ran down Sora's spine. He moved forward slightly, getting into position. He'd trained his Ushi, but this situation was going to be a test. He felt ready, but he knew that nothing was ever simple in this unforgiving world.

The noise came closer, first a whisper, then a creak. Sora stood still, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. Something big, something heavy was approaching, that was certain. He took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

"Where's it coming from?" he asked Nerris, barely whispering.

She raised her hand, signaling silence, then finally lowered it before looking all around her. "I don't know, it's coming from several places."

Sora frowned, unsettled by Nerris's answer. If the noise was coming from more than one place, it meant that the threat was more complex than he had imagined. The forest, still calm a few moments earlier, suddenly seemed more threatening, every shadow between the trees becoming suspicious.

He turned his head slowly, watching for the slightest movement. The tension in the air was palpable, as if the forest itself were holding its breath. The creaking of branches intensified, coming from all directions, and Sora felt his heart quicken. He knew it wasn't just an animal they'd spotted, but surely a group.

"We're surrounded..." murmured Nerris, his eyes settling on the surroundings with heightened vigilance.

Sora glanced quickly behind him and saw a dark shape moving away between the trees. Then another. And another. The creatures moved fast, like shadows creeping in the dying light of dawn.

"What's that?" asked Sora, his voice betraying a mixture of concern and curiosity.

Nerris didn't answer immediately. She seemed to be concentrating, analyzing the situation. Her fingers tightened around her sword, ready to defend. "I've no idea. What's certain, though, is that it's a group."

The ground began to vibrate slightly beneath their feet, as if a great mass were moving through the forest, in sync with the creatures lurking in the shadows. A strange metallic smell wafted through the air, causing Sora to feel nauseous. The creatures were close, very close.

"Whatever they are, there are a lot of them. We need to be prepared." Nerris moved forward slightly, positioning herself strategically, facing one of the points where she had spotted movement.

Sora felt his heart pounding beneath his chest, the metallic scent accentuating the sense of unease he felt. He reflexively picked up his sword and stared straight ahead, concentrating to try and spot any suspicious movement in the woods around them. At the moment, he had no choice but to trust his instincts.

The first silhouette suddenly emerged from a bush, and Sora saw a tall, lean, humanoid creature with glowing blue eyes that shone in the darkness. Its body was covered in dark leather, dotted with scarifications that seemed to form symbolic patterns. She wielded a spear, the tip of which shone with a sinister glow.

Then another creature appeared, followed by several others, all looking human but with distorted features, as if shaped by pain or curse. Their limbs were long and angular, and each carried a makeshift weapon.

"Skarnoks..." breathed Nerris, his face closing instantly.

Sora froze. He'd never heard the name before, but he could see in Nerris' eyes that she knew these creatures well. She was ready to act, but it was clear they weren't counting on escape.

Skarnoks were cruel creatures, known for their cunning and ability to stalk their prey. Sora understood that they would not simply be attacked; they would have to survive a real hunt.

One of the creatures let out a guttural cry, and immediately several others began to move. They were everywhere, like shadows, and Sora found himself surrounded, the Skarnoks closing in with frightening speed.

He took a deep breath, concentrating, but didn't have time to channel the Ushi of his weapon. He hadn't yet fully mastered this power, which meant he couldn't use it instantly.

He raised his sword, blocking the Skarnok's blunt, rusty sword in front of him, pushing back the nearest creature. But the others didn't retreat. On the contrary, they all seemed to be closing in on him even faster.

Nerris leapt forward, his sword striking one of the Skarnoks that had come too close. The metal entered the flesh with a thud, but the creature merely grunted and tried to grab it by the throat with its clawed hands.

"Sora!" cried Nerris, her eyes wide as she struggled against the creature. "Be careful!"

Sora gritted his teeth. He couldn't answer, but he knew he had to be careful if he wanted to stay alive. He threw himself into the fight, trying to block as many blows as possible coming his way. He stepped back several times to avoid being hit, but a few scratches were already beginning to appear on his arms. Skarnoks with spears put him at a much greater disadvantage than he had expected. He fought with the rage of a man who felt that his life and that of his companions depended on every moment.

The Skarnoks were no ordinary adversaries, and Sora began to realize that their tactical intelligence made them far more dangerous than most of the monsters he had encountered. But he had no time for further reflection.

"Don't let them surround you!" cried Nerris again, her breath coming in short gasps as she fended off another attack.

Sora concentrated on his opponent, moving quickly to avoid the rusty blades raining down in his direction, while looking for an opening to strike.

He dodged a spear heading for his shoulder by rolling backwards. When he got to his feet, he managed to hit a Skarnok on one of its skeletal legs. But the creature in front of him didn't writhe in pain despite its broken bone; on the contrary, it didn't seem to feel anything, its gait was disordered, but it continued to advance towards Sora as if it hadn't felt a thing.

A shiver of fear ran through Sora's body as he realized what this meant. "Nerris be careful, they don't feel pain!"

Nerris didn't reply, but Sora could hear her breathing and footsteps, which reassured him about the Order's hostess. In any case, he knew she was stronger than he was, so she must surely have noticed him a few moments ago.

Sora jumped back, his eyes riveted on the Skarnok who was still moving forward despite his broken leg. His balance was disturbed, but not enough to stop him. His luminescent blue gaze fixed Sora with a cold, inhuman intensity.

An agonizing sound echoed as the Skarnok's shattered bone began to reform in a grotesque fashion. Fragments of bone sprang from his flesh, spreading in tendrils until his leg was solidified in brilliant white. Sora's eyes widened. This wasn't just regeneration, this was something else.

"Shit..." he breathed, understanding that they couldn't simply weaken them with conventional wounds.

Nerris, who had fended off another assailant, turned at Sora's voice. His gaze fell on the transforming Skarnok, and a flicker of understanding crossed his face.

"They're using their skill: Bone Surge..." she murmured between breaths, repelling another spear thrust with a precise backhand of her blade.

Sora winced. The name already gave an idea of the nightmare they were facing. The Skarnoks' flesh seemed to be a temporary prison for their own bones, which could reorganize themselves as they pleased, piercing the skin and strengthening themselves to compensate for their wounds.

Another Skarnok approached him, spear in hand. Sora parried the blow and immediately retaliated with a clean cut to his opponent's torso. His blade sank into the flesh, but before he could savor the impact, a crack sounded. Bony spikes instantly emerged from the wound, forming a rigid carapace that stopped Sora's sword in its tracks.

Il écarquilla les yeux.

« Ce n'est pas possible… ! »

Le Skarnok profita de son instant d'hésitation pour asséner un violent coup d'épée sur le bras de Sora, le propulsant en arrière dans un râle de douleur. Il roula sur le sol, la respiration haletante avec une large entaille sur le bras. Les Skarnoks n'étaient pas juste résistants, ils transformaient chacune de leurs blessures en une défense mortelle.

Nerris, voyant la situation, se replia légèrement, adoptant une posture défensive. « On doit partir, maintenant ! » cria-t-elle, le ton de sa voix trahissant l'urgence de la situation.