Gerard immediately utilized his bloodline ability as he prepared to absorb the energy from the blast and divert it elsewhere, protecting the Innkeeper and himself safe from harm in the process.Yet the expected shockwave never hit him, and besides the rapidly flowing dust cloud that encompassed him, nothing else approached him either.
The old man did not have time for confusion as he quickly blew the dust away to get a look at what had happened, but was frozen still by what he saw. The Innkeeper, dressed pristinely as ever, stood tall in front of him, showing Gerard only his broad back.
A transparent shield had appeared in front of the Innkeeper, blocking all the debris as well as the shockwave.
Sounds of fighting filled the broken room, as well as tremors from distant explosions, but Gerard was no longer distraught. Instead, endless relief flooded his heart as the greatest pillar of support of the Inn had finally recovered.
If only things were really that simple.