Tave kept his distance, his boots scraping across scorched stone as he struggled to stay upright. The chains were still pulling, dragging the spirit inch by inch toward the sword, but every second felt like standing inside the heart of an inferno.
Her screams, blistering and raw, shook the entire cavern.
Flames lashed in every direction as she fought back, and the lava churned violently, rising higher, sloshing against the edges of the pool like a beast trying to break free.
"NO! I WILL NOT BE BOUND BY A MORTAL WRETCH!"
"LET ME GO! I WILL NOT YIELD!"
The sword shuddered in the center of the circle, trembling uncontrollably as though it might snap in half. The sheer energy of the spirit was too much. More than the relic had been designed to contain. Tave's throat felt like sandpaper. He tried to swallow, but his entire body felt parched, bone dry. It was like every drop of moisture had been burned out of him.
A few more minutes of this and he'd be nothing but charred remains.
