In the bright light, Child of Promise could feel another presence.
It enhanced the light, making it even more intense.
Using her second sight, Noble viewed the newcomer.
But what was she seeing?
The center had no exact shape, pulsing like an orb of caged lightning. Around it, nebulous balls orbited it like planets around a star.
The being looked like a galaxy. A galaxy of pure energy.
Before Noble could decide if the creature was friend or foe, it crashed into the Widow. The Terror fell back onto its abdomen, causing the ground to quake.
The flash of light faded around them, and the galaxy of energy shimmered in the morning light.
The main portion was as large as Noble was tall, and the glowing satellites were only slightly smaller. The being didn't seem wounded by the impact. It bounced away from the Widow, circling before sending one of the orbiting spheres straight into the Terror's eye.
'The enemy of my enemy is my ally.' Noble wasn't about to refuse the gift of time.
She switched directions and aimed for the two men on the ground. Child of Promise could feel the tether in her soul grow taut.
When the Widow slid, they had been pulled along with her in a brutal tug of war. If she could feel the tension, then Flint was in agony from another rip in his core.
"I'm coming!" Noble aimed the tip of her sword at the ground as she plummeted.
The silken rope was all over Flint's armor, and he was struggling to get up after being pulled onto his back. Although unable to see his face, Noble could feel his excruciating pain.
Carried by the momentum, the Zenith snipped two of the smaller cords before being stopped by a mass of knots.
The strange nature of the silk was both too rigid and too forgiving for the Zenith to deal many decisive blows, so the floating Master resorted to strategic cuts and letting the Widow do the rest of the work to unravel it.
Overhead, the ball of energy and the terrifying insect tangled in a battle of strength and determination. Unable to watch the clash directly, Noble monitored it with her ability and other senses.
The moth went to deal a devastating strike against the shimmering galaxy with her front leg. The tip of the leg was sharper than any spear, and poised to obliterate the intruder by piercing the lightning and pinning it to the ground. But just as the Terror was about to subdue its enemy, the energy dispersed to avoid the strike, coalescing again when the leg had passed.
The outer balls pummeled the Widow's leg, pushing it down to continue its forward progress. Welts formed on the onyx scales while the smell of seared flesh filled her air.
With nothing to keep it in check, the caged lightning shot in the opposite direction, serving the creature's mouth a titanic blow.
The right arm of the mandible cracked and tore off, tumbling toward the ground.
Right toward the humans!
Noble diverted the broken jaw, letting it crash in the nearby field of monster corpses. A fresh wave of red dust kicked into the air, burning her lungs.
One more cord, and then she could get to Orrin. Her head felt hazy. The dust was ready to pull her into another hallucination. She fought the urge.
'I need to focus!'
Above, the Widow batted away the lightning with its other front leg. The hit sounded like thunder, causing the galaxy to plummet.
'Not again!'
Noble tried to latch onto the being to move it from her and her companions, but it would not budge. The fall was controlled, intentional, and the floating Master could not alter its path.
She raised her Zenith, knowing it would likely be useless. Just because the being had been a momentary ally did not make it a friend. Now the galaxy was ready to turn its boundless energy on them in a cruel twist of fate.
"Incoming!"
The energy converged on their location. Noble shut her eyes against the blinding light, expecting her skin to blister like the leg of the widow, or even burn away entirely.
But instead, she felt…nothing.
The ambient heat around her rose. The dust burned away under the force of the nebulous energy, and Noble watched the incineration of the bonds that held Orrin and Flint in place.
Then, as suddenly as it came, the galaxy rose again in pursuit of the Terror.
Noble helped Flint to his feet. He seemed in a daze.
"Did that thing just…"
"Attack!" Orrin scooped up his sword, which was still blazing red hot from the ball of energy, and ran at the legs of the Terror.
Flint and Noble looked at each other. Running made more sense, but now that they had been freed by the floating galaxy, neither was eager to ignore the debt.
They both nodded, a silent understanding passing between them.
They hurried after the Shieldbearer.
Reinforced by the pure galaxy of energy, the trio was able to approach the Terror without any more red silk being thrown their way.
That was not to say that it was easy. One joint of the Widow's legs was taller than Flint, making each step the moth took enough to skewer the humans.
The ancient trees were ripped from the ground as the moth twisted and turned. Splinters shot in every direction. The world itself felt like it was collapsing.
Narrowly avoiding the back left leg of the Widow, the surly Master created icy steps to lift him into the air.
Noble flew beside him, her eyes scanning vigilantly as they rose.
Mounting the abomination, Flint ran to the spot.
'This is it!' He pointed as the creature lurched to one side. He steadied himself and pointed again. 'This is where we need to strike!'
Sensing their presence, the two veiled wings began to fold.
'I'll keep back the wings. You find a way to hurt it.' Noble left her companion to intercept the fluttering, broken wings. If they had once been magnificent, that time had passed.
The scales around the base of the wing had long since been torn away, leaving the exposed muscle for Noble to attack.
And her Zenith was particularly adept against sinew and bone.
A few strategic hits were all it took.
The right wing froze its ascent, struggling. It locked in place for a moment, the rest of the muscles trying to compensate for the loss of the first. But then they, too, fell under the blade's continued onslaught, rendering the wing useless.
Noble allowed a small smile. 'One down...'
'Bel! It won't work. I can't break through...' Flint called out to her as she hurried toward the second wing.
'Tell the being up there! Maybe it can do it?' Child of Promise looked up to see the galaxy fruitlessly crashing into the Widow's head.
The dark-haired Master nodded. "Hey! Big ball of Lightning! Over here!"
Flint waved wildly to catch the being's attention.
As Noble went to attack the second wing. The galaxy seemed to register Flint's movement.
It rushed toward him with the planets streaking behind.
"Hit here! Here!" He screamed, stomping on the spot he wanted.
But the caged lightning simply crackled and spun in place.
'I don't think it can understand me!' Flint lamented.
'There has to be another way to communicate,' Noble slashed at the second wing as she thought. 'Make a target?'
'X marks the spot,' Flint mused. Ice filled the air as a large letter appeared on the back of the Moth. 'This better work, Blondie, or I just made this monster extra cold and I don't think it likes that!'
No sooner had the thought passed between the Masters than the galaxy pierced the center of the Terror. The widow hissed in pain, trying desperately to scratch the itch on its back.
The ice melted, and the scales began to glow with a molten intensity.
"Time to go!" Noble lifted herself and Flint from the monster.
Catching up with Orrin on the ground, the three fled the scene just as the Widow lost her footing. She shuddered, letting out a tree-shattering scream. Then, with a final mournful wail, the Widow collapsed to the ground, dead.
There was no one to mourn her.
Noble and Flint continued to move, but Orrin slowed his pace.
"Wait," he told them. Turning around, he kneeled. "Get down, quickly!"
Noble frowned. Was he wanting them to honor his cousin's child?
But then she saw the beautiful galaxy leave the Widow behind and head their way.
The ball of energy took human form, her grey eyes boring holes into the bedraggled trio.
Two words escaped her lips.
"You're late."