Marius and Thorne Vs The Draveth

Back at the Duskmire gate, the air was tense.

"Who are they?" Thorne asked, eyes locked on the figures ahead.

"Draveth," Marius replied, with a low voice now. He straightened up.

Ten of them had stepped through the gate. They were taller than most men, with broad shoulders and pale skin. Each one had a set of curved horns jolting out from the sides of their heads and their bodies moved with slow and deliberate confidence.9

But it wasn't their appearance that made it tense, it was their song. Their Song echoed across the battlefield. Fierce. Loud. Overwhelming.

Marius and Thorne held their ground, barely. But behind them, injured soldiers collapsed where they stood. Even a few of the creatures still lingering nearby went limp under the pressure.

That was the weight of the Draveth's song.

⁷

"Even I can't handle five of them at once," he said finally. "So be careful."

Then one of them moved.

"Here they come," Thorne said, tightening his grip on his blade.

Marius raised his voice. "All soldiers below the rank of Harmonics—retreat immediately!"

Behind them, a few heads turned.

"This is Code RED! Get to the other side of the city. Go reinforce Ligard Bridge!"

No one hesitated. The remaining Echoists and Resonators grabbed the injured, dragged others who couldn't move..... and ran. This fight wasn't for them.

The first Draveth stepped forward.

Before he could attack, Thorne moved. Fast. He blinked forward and struck the Draveth in the stomach. The hit was clean. The Draveth staggered but stayed on his feet.

Thorne vanished again.

Another blow landed on the side of the Draveth's head. Then another to the ribs. Then a final strike sent the Draveth crashing into the side of a building. The wall gave in, and rubble dropped over him.

Dust filled the air.

The Draveth stood back up slowly. His lip was bleeding. He wiped it with the back of his hand and gave a crooked smile.

"Try again."

Thorne raised a brow. "You talk?"

"Some of us do. We just don't waste time with it. Now give me your soul."

"Soul?"

Two more Draveth moved in from the side.

Marius stepped in calmly, lifting his palm.

A wave of gravitational pressure hit instantly. One of the new Draveth dropped to a knee. The force around him pressed downward, locking his limbs.

Marius clenched his fist.

The ground beneath the Draveth sank. The weight increased. He growled, struggling to lift his arms, but they could only trembleunder the pressure.

Then Marius pushed both hands forward. A pulse burst out. All three Draveth around him were hit. Two stumbled back. One remained stuck in place.

Marius spoke, "Now that I think about it, the first one I fought tried to talk too."

"Not surprising," he said.

Thorne vanished, then reappeared behind a Draveth and struck him across the back. The Draveth turned to grab him, but Thorne slipped past him, striking low at the leg and then landing an elbow to his back.

The Draveth fell forward but caught himself on one arm.

Another moved in behind Marius. Before it could reach him, he stomped the ground.

A short-range pulse rippled outward. The pressure sent the Draveth flying. It crashed into a tree and slumped.

But only for a split second. He pickedhimself back up.

Two more Draveth approached now. They were taller than the others, with stronger footsteps.

One of them clapped his hands together. The sound sent a shockwave through the air. Even Thorne paused.

Marius narrowed his eyes. "Thorne. Don't stop. Keep the pressure on."

Thorne gave a quick nod. "Got it."

He switched into motion again.

His blade struck one of the new Draveth clean in the face. The hit forced him to the ground, scraping across the broken street. But instead of staying down, the Draveth stood back up almost immediately. Again.He cracked his neck.

"Why are you doing this?" Thorne asked.

The Draveth didn't answer.

Marius looked around, scanning the scenario and calculating their odds of winning. He took a step back. His breathing was heavier now. Thorne's too.

They had taken down two Draveth. Only two.

But Draveth weren't done.

So neither were Marius and Thorne.

One of the larger Draveth stepped forward. His arms were crossed, bare chested, scarred. Two others followed beside him, walking in sync.

"You three," Marius said, watching them come closer.

The tallest one tilted his neck. "We are the Trio," he said. His voice was rough but clear. "Eryn, Kael, and Vann."

They didn't respond.

"That'll change." Kael said.

Before they could react, Kael was already moving incredibly fast. A straight punch toward Marius, backed with enough force to break diamonds.

Marius caught it with both hands, his boots dipping slowly into the ground as the shock pushed him back. He didn't fall—but he was pushed.

He narrowed his eyes and released a gravity pulse mid-hold. Kael staggered back, briefly thrown off balance—but Eryn was already there, swinging from the right.

Thorne stepped in, his blade clashed against Eryn's strike. He thwarted the blow, but it sent vibrations through his arm. His grip held, barely.

Vann didn't wait and watch.

He pushed his foot into the ground and launched himself forward, heading straight for Thorne. Thorne blinked to the left—but Vann followed instantly, adapting fast. A knee came up and slammed into Thorne's ribs.

Thorne grunted, stumbling a few steps to the right.

They weren't just strong. They were learning. Getting faster.

Marius raised one palm again and focused his pressure outward. A dome of force pushed the trio back. But it didn't stop them, it just slowed them down.

Behind him, the ground was cracked. Debris scattered. His cane had snapped earlier and was now discarded on the dirty ground. His breathing was even heavier than before. His vibe was depleting.

He looked over at Thorne.

Thorne was crouched low, one hand on the ground. His shoulders moved with every breath. His blade was chipped.

Only two of the earlier Draveth were down. The rest had recovered. Or never left the fight.

The Trio stood at the center now. Calm. Not even bruised.

"We're losing ground," Marius said.

Thorne didn't respond. He stood up slowly and gripped his blade again.

Eryn came again, a straight dash forward.

Thorne sidestepped and countered, slashing across Eryn's side. A clean hit. But Eryn didn't fall. He grabbed Thorne by the arm and tossed him into a nearby building.

The old concrete fell apart on impact. Thorne got back up.

Marius dropped both hands to his side and then slammed them together. A focused pressure surge exploded outward, hitting Kael in the chest and knocking him back.

But it didn't knock him down.

They just kept coming.

"You two are strong," Vann said. "But not enough."

None of them laughed. None of them smiled, because it wasn't mockery. It was just the truth.

Thorne wiped blood from the side of his mouth. "Marius—how many more can you keep back?"

"Not many," Marius said. "I can hold on for another minute. Two, maybe. But..."

Thorne nodded once in confirmation, breathing even heavier than before. But he was holding his stance.

They were still in the fight. But just barely.

And the Draveth weren't even using their full strength yet.

"Thorne step back for a second, would you? This is gonna hurt." Marius said.