Page 73 of Alien Warlord's Fury

I nodded, steeling myself. "I'll need to use my markings. The paste won't hold against that kind of projection."

"I'll be ready," he promised, his body coiling with readiness.

I closed my eyes, reaching out with my senses, filtering through the chaotic energy pulses emanating from the guardian. The frequency I needed was buried deep, complex and constantly shifting. The construct's head snapped toward us, its sensors locking onto the faint energy leaking past the paste as I began to focus.

"It sees us," Nirako warned, blade ready.

"Almost there," I replied through gritted teeth. The frequency was like trying to catch smoke.

The guardian lurched forward, its movements unpredictable—slow, then terrifyingly fast. Nirako instantly positioned himself between me and the threat, buying me precious seconds. I focused harder, ignoring the pounding in my head.

My markings flared hot beneath the paste, the protective layer cracking and flaking away as silver light pulsed from me inwaves. The energy hit the construct, making it stutter, its form flickering.

"There!" I gasped, pointing to a spot just below its chest cavity. "Physical node. Strike there when I give the signal!"

The guardian recovered, lunging forward with renewed speed. It swung a heavy arm, cracking the stone where Nirako had stood fractions of a second before. Its second strike caught him across the shoulder, sending him sprawling.

"Nirako!" I cried out, fear momentarily breaking my concentration.

He rolled instantly to his feet, ignoring the obvious pain. "Keep going!"

I refocused, gathering my energy and projecting another wave, stronger this time. The guardian staggered back, its form becoming more transparent near the node I'd identified.

"Now!" I shouted.

Nirako lunged, his blade a silver blur aimed precisely at the exposed node. The guardian tried to shift, but my disruptive frequency held it frozen for that critical instant. His blade sank deep with a sound like shattering crystal.

The guardian seized up, energy crackling around Nirako's blade. He twisted it deeper, and the resistance gave way. The construct imploded with a soft whump, sending out a final pulse of dissonant energy before dissolving into inert scrap.

I sagged against the wall, relief washing over me, leaving me weak-kneed and trembling. "We did it."

Nirako was instantly at my side, his hand steadying me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, wiping sweat from my forehead. "That was... intense. The dissonance nearly overwhelmed me."

"You did perfectly." His eyes scanned my face, concern warring with pride. "Ravik's intel was accurate."

"The Shadow Canyon knowledge runs deep." I moved away from the wall, gathering my strength. "But Hammond's modifications made it more dangerous. The guardian's energy signature was corrupted, twisted."

Nirako sheathed his blade, scanning the chamber. "We need to reapply the paste."

I nodded, pulling the pouch from my belt. As I spread the cool mixture over my exposed markings, our bond pulsed with shared relief and validation. We'd faced the first defense and won, working together seamlessly.

"There will be more," Nirako said, reapplying paste to his shoulder where the guardian had struck him.

"But now we know we can handle them." Confidence surged through me, pushing back the exhaustion. "Our bond—it helped me find the frequency faster. I could feel your energy supporting mine, stabilizing the projection."

He nodded, understanding flowing between us through the bond. "The younglings are close," I said, my expression turning serious again. "I can feel their pain more clearly now."

"Lead on," Nirako replied, his readiness mirroring my own.

We moved on, leaving the disabled guardian behind. The corridor sloped downward, ancient Arenix architecture becoming more prominent. Symbols etched into the walls glowed faintly as we passed, responding to our energy signatures even through the paste.

"Hammond doesn't understand what he's meddling with," I said softly. "These structures, these defenses—they're part of Arenix itself. The planet created them to protect the Nexus."

"And now Hammond has corrupted them," Nirako replied, anger tightening his voice. "Just as he's corrupting those younglings."

I stopped suddenly, my hand flying to my temple as a wave of dizziness hit me. "Wait. Something's changing."

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