39
The crowd below surged silently toward the golden behemoth-their target was clear: the boy draped in a black feather cloak upon the throne.
Oni's voice pierced the clouds, the lines already etched into her bones: "With an opponent worthy of the name, this battle will be no disgrace."
The warriors who charged into the palace instantly lost their bearings.
Neither Shandia's tents nor Angel Island's houses had ever contained such a maze of corridors and chambers.
The gold reflected faint light seeping in from somewhere, making each doorway look like an illusion.
Weapons in hand, they stood beneath the empty dome, momentarily unsure which way to go.
"What reason do enemies have to stand side by side?"
A Shandia warrior glanced at the Angel Island divine soldier beside him, then turned toward a side passage.
Before his words had faded, the golden tiles beneath him split apart. Darkness swallowed him instantly, leaving only a drawn-out cry echoing between the columns.
"There are traps."
A Sky Island captain lowered his voice and gestured behind him. "I'll scout ahead. Stay here."
He ducked into another passage, his footsteps soon swallowed by silence.
Dozens of heartbeats passed, and no further sound came.
Those remaining exchanged looks, their fingers tightening one by one around their weapons.
"Charge-"
Someone shouted first, and everyone moved at once.
Their cries mingled together. Some shouted their islands' names; others called for their ancestors' protection.
If this building was full of sinister tricks, they would batter a path through with their bodies.
The method bordered on reckless, but it was direct and effective.
Even Rossi, hidden in the shadows, could not help looking away-could these people really not think to stop and search for hidden doors or control mechanisms?
Floors suddenly tilted, arrows hissed from cracks in the