16

The pulse had stopped two days ago. That worried me more then I was willing to admit. The pulse was disturbing, but at least it was telling me he was alive. The blackness was spreading up the stone that covered him quickly now. There was a slowly growing pain in my chest that worried me even more.

I knew it wasn't coming from me. Chest pain like this didn't just stick around for no reason. I knew that Ethan felt it just like I did, but Jax didn't seem to notice anything amiss. I snorted to myself as more bullets bounced off the barrier. Jumping down from my position to let Aurora take up her watch.

She stayed on watch for twelve hours at a time. Taking shifts that were double that of the humans around her with such ease, and purpose that it bordered on disturbing. She inhaled slowly. I could tell she was going to unleash a breath attack. It was the first time I would get to see her breath attack in person.

I'd seen how impressive it was in Wyatt's memories. Her attack was deadly for a dragon that was focused on healing. Barriers manifested all along the edge of their quickly forming camp. I couldn't tell if there were elves among the enemy until that moment. Even if Magnus brought all of his students there wouldn't be that many magic users. Most of them wouldn't be able to cast any barriers at all.

Aurora arched her neck back before snapping it out straight, and roaring. A solid beam of light extended straight out of her mouth. Slamming into the barriers, and sending cracks throughout each, and every barrier the beam touched. A few of the weaker barriers shattered, and light pierced through the enemies behind them. The beam petered out after nearly a full minute of burning through our enemies.

She flicked her tail, and snorted before settling on the wall casually. She'd used a massive amount of her mana for that single attack. She was tired. Yet she didn't show it. I flinched as pain pulsed in my chest.

I knew I should check on Ethan. There was no way he was happy about this pain that was building up in our chests. I looked at Aurora to make sure she was solid enough to stay on watch throughout the night. She glanced at me with one eye. The almost bored look in her eye told me that she was fine.

She wanted to rush into those front lines, and slaughter the enemy. I nodded, and walked back toward Wyatt. The rope ladders along the wall gave us a way over the wooden barricades that could easily be cut down to prevent our enemies from following us over. It would take me some time to climb over the walls, and get over the trenches. I walked, and climbed all the way back to Wyatt.

Ethan stared at me as I approached. He'd become openly hostile the last few days toward everyone except Jax, and me. Ethan rubbed his forehead, and looked at me with exhaustion all over his face.

"Sleep," I pointed at the bedroll that was tucked under Wyatt's wing, "I can keep an eye on him for a while."

The slow way he stood reflected the exhaustion that came from staying a hundred percent alert, and tense ninety percent of the time. I sat down on Wyatt's leg where Ethan had been a minute before. He wouldn't sleep if I didn't stay here, and take up his watch for him. Ethan settled in the bedroll as close to Wyatt as he could get. I covered my mouth to stop the laugh that was coming as I looked at Ethan clinging to Wyatt as he slept like a child might cling to a stuffed animal.

I looked out into our defenses, and wondered how long they would last once the enemy was upon them. Wood, and trenches weren't exactly the most powerful of barriers. Goliath didn't seem to think they would stop them either. He'd had Jax carving out an escape route through the stone wall behind Wyatt for the newcomers. Yet it was obvious that Goliath had no intention of fleeing.

Jax wasn't allowed to do anything else. Each day he came back exhausted with no significant mana to speak of. My eyes snapped up when I sensed powerful mana approaching. Eliza, the water great, had done an excellent job of spreading the exercise Aurora had taught it to all of her students. The improvements were small, but noticeable.

I stared at her. Observing the dead calm of her mana. Her mana usually radiated a calm warmth, but right now she was radiating a chill that reflected the cold rage she was capable of unleashing. The fact that she was ready for a fight to break out at any moment was disturbing to me.

"What is it?" I couldn't help but ooze a bit of hostility.

"That black stone doesn't look good," her blunt tone caught me a bit off guard, but I kind of expected everyone to become more gruff now that battle was on us.

"I don't think it is good," I frowned as I stood slowly.

"The three of you seem convinced that he'll wake up," Eliza stared at his head.

"He's never failed us before," I cracked my back casually.

"What makes you so sure that he's not dead already?" her expression didn't change even the slightest.

My hands clenched into fists, and caught fire. Eliza's eyebrow went up as if she were looking at a poor tempered child. I extinguished the flames on my hands.

"The information that Aurora gave us has been helping my students advance," Eliza shrugged, "But I won't risk them over an enemy."

"You came to tell me you'll run instead of allowing your students to die here with us," I frowned at her.

She shrugged casually. I wasn't used to such an even tempered magic caster. All the fire students my father had taken in were hot tempered like me. I guess temperament could reflect what kind of magic a person could use. I sighed.