The air was a thick slurry of mercury vapor and ozone. Behind Vane, the Mercury Hydra let out a sound like grinding tectonic plates as it slammed a secondary head into the basin. It missed Captain Kaelen by a mere foot. The impact sent a fresh wave of silver liquid into the air. It rained down on the clearing like molten lead. Vane did not look back. His world had narrowed to the three men standing before him in the mud.
Sir Marcus and Sir Thorne had finally found their feet. They shook off the disorientation of the resonant chime and stepped in front of Gareth. Their silver shields overlapped in a classic Imperial defensive wedge. They were trained Knights of the Third Division. Even in the middle of a Grade 4 nightmare, their instincts were to protect the highest ranking officer.
"Keep the formation!" Thorne shouted. His voice was muffled by his visor, but the authority was clear. "He's just one man. Circle him!"
