"Ten seconds," I said, turning my face upward. The circles spun slowly, humming with power. "Surely we can last that long."
"Eight now," R'lissea said.
I nodded and let out a long sigh, wanting to count down the remaining seconds. But as I opened my mouth, the words were forestalled by a thunderous boom. A beam of mana cut directly through the plant barrier, detonating a few yards shy of the golden circle. I screamed as the shockwave slammed into us, breaking upon my wards. Adaptive Resistance flared, negating the force, but I staggered to the side, running into Gayron. He caught me by the shoulder before I fell, and my gaze met his. As I whispered my thanks, he looked upward. Reflected in his fiery irises was the skyship, almost directly above us. And descended from its sun mana cannon was another beam of pure white light, cutting the sky in two.
"Look out!" R'lissea screamed.
