Light returned to the cave, but the lingering glow was dim and weak.
The all-devouring black mist had dispersed, leaving a pungent, foul odor in the air.
Veylin stood where he was. The instant his sight returned, he tried to reconnect to the [Hive Matrix].
[Sarah!]
[Father, I'm all right.]
As the black mist dispersed, Sarah's mental link returned, and communication flowed smoothly.
Veylin relaxed inwardly. "Scale back the network and clear the battlefield."
He turned and surveyed his surroundings.
The cave was a wreck.
Barrett and his scouts emerged from behind cover, unharmed.
But Ola's Knights' Order was in bad shape.
"Damn it!" Ola's roar echoed through the cave as he kicked away a piece of rubble trailing wisps of smoke.
His knights were sprawled in disarray.
Though the black mist had lasted only a moment, several of those closest to it had inevitably inhaled a little.
They braced themselves against the walls and retched, dizzy and disoriented. Their heavy armor made even standing difficult.
"Stay alert!" Barrett growled. "The enemy may still be here."
"They ran, you idiot!" Ola snapped, slamming his sword's pommel against the ground. "Slippery bastards! Fight without those filthy tricks if you've got the guts!"
Veylin ignored Ola's impotent rage.
He walked over to a collapsed knight.
Corrosion had pitted the surface of the knight's plate armor, and the skin visible through its gaps had turned an unhealthy grayish white.
"Can you still move?" Veylin asked.
The knight struggled to nod, then used his shield to pull himself upright.
"Barrett, take your men and check the flank passages," Veylin ordered. "Ola, count the wounded and regroup. Anyone uninjured stays on guard."
Worker Mantises crawled out of the shadows.
Ignoring the corrosion marks on the ground, they began carrying out Veylin's orders and clearing the