text: *Sersun Chapters:* *This installment inspired by* *.* \ **Chapter 8: Enraged Earth** Night fell, passed, and was replaced by the morning dawn. Ezekiel had, as always, kept watch through the night. Nothing serious had happened aside from distant rumbling a few times during the night. At the time Ezekiel had thought it was just thunder from one of the many transitory storms, but when morning came and there were no clouds in sight he found himself worried. He made his way back to the camp in the plaza, finding Robin already awake and preparing breakfast. "Hey there Ezzy, how was nightwatch?" "Mostly uneventful, but there was rumbling off in the distance a few times last night." "We miss a storm then?" "No, there were no clouds, and it all came from the same direction." As if to punctuate Ezekiel's words, the rumbling sound echoed through the city streets again. Very close, close enough Ezekiel could identify it as a collapsing building. Robin scrambled to his feet as Riverwood and Sasha jolted awake. Robin looked up at Ezekiel, "Hey, would you mind going somewhere high up? That sounds like we've got a wraith nearby, let us know how close please." Sasha pulled her shield off the ground next to her and pointed down one of the streets, "Don't bother, it's already here." Ezekiel turned, a lumbering four-legged mass of dirt and rock as wide as the supply cart and twice as tall wandered in a far intersection. Robin motioned for Ezekiel to stay still, "Don't move, it might not have noticed us." Ezekiel blinked, "But it's right there." "Do you see any eyes on it? Earth wraiths find you through your footsteps." Sasha scoffed, "Especially yours, clanker." "Haven't you taken one of these down on your own before?" "Do I look like I can take a boulder the size of a house down on my own? They're usually smaller." The wraith turned, facing right towards them. With a sudden burst of speed, it charged. Robin gestured backwards, "Hey Riverwood, we're kinda squishy, mind getting us out of the way?" Riverwood grabbed Robin and launched the two of them upwards to a taller building with a gust of wind. Ezekiel glanced over at Sasha, "Are you going to get out of the way too?" "I know how to fight." Ezekiel heard a click and metal sheets folded out of Sasha's buckler, unfolding into a tower shield just as tall as she was bordered by razor-sharp edges. "Alright tin man, keep it distracted and hit it hard as you can. Only way to take these down is chip away until you reach the core." Ezekiel nodded, then launched forward at the oncoming wraith and slamming his shoulder into its center of mass. Rock splintered and shattered, chunks of dirt sprayed off, and as Ezekiel's feet plowed a furrow in the road the wraith began to lose momentum. Ezekiel heard a rush of wind, and a moment after that Sasha rushed past him at high speed. She dipped her shield down and pushed it through the top of the earth wraith's leg, the hit from its sharpened edge launching out a spray of earth. As Sasha readied herself for another charge the wraith bucked, launching Ezekiel up into the air and back to the plaza. Ezekiel hit one of the obelisks causing it to wobble ominously. He fell to the ground and moments later Sasha landed next to him somewhat more gracefully. Sasha growled, watching as Riverwood began holding the wraith's attention by showering the area around it with pieces of surrounding buildings. "This isn't going to work, we're going to be fighting it all day like this." Ezekiel looked back, "Can earth wraiths climb?" "No, why?" "Then we can just toss it in the chasm. It stops being our problem." Sasha nodded but was interrupted as Robin shouted out at them, "Hey ruffians! Get the wraith to charge the obelisk!" Sasha looked at Ezekiel. He shrugged and she nodded, "Help me get its attention, I'll lead it here." Ezekiel rushed the wraith again, picking up a piece of rubble and slamming it into the side of the wraith when it turned to face him. He could almost feel the anger pouring off it as he jumped back out of its way. Riverwood stopped the shower of rocks, and Sasha came in behind Ezekiel, slamming the front of her shield into the wraith where the impact from Ezekiel's first charge was still visible. Sasha jumped back and sprinted away from the wraith. Ezekiel held still until the two had passed, then began chasing behind them. He watched as Sasha reached the obelisk, kicked upwards, ran up its side for a few steps, and flipped back over the wraith as it collided with the obelisk. The obelisk shifted, sliding off its base and tipping out over the chasm. Ezekiel didn't wait to see the impact, jumping at the wraith instead. He slammed his entire weight into the staggering monster, and kept pushing until it tumbled over the side of the cliff. With a synchronized crash, the wraith hit the ground far below, and the top of the obelisk slammed into the far side of the gap. The obelisk cracked slightly, but held. Robin jumped down from his perch and sauntered over, grinning. "That solves both our problems at the same time, yeah?" Ezekiel looked at the fallen obelisk and let out a low whistle. The cart and supplies would need to be moved over separately, but sure enough, it would work as a bridge to get everything across. The path forward was open again.