Chapter 29

Arpix leads the ragged party across the softened Dust, following Wentworth while keeping everyone within the orb’s skeer-repelling aura. They debate risks and motives: Jost demands the orb to trap skeer, Jella warns against “kicking the nest,” and Arpix reflects on shifting loyalties, his feelings for Clovis, and the absence of a single clear enemy.

As the mountains close in, skeer runners shadow them and a colossal hive dominates the slope. Wentworth repeatedly shortcuts via brief portals, guiding them toward the library. Arpix decides to avoid the hive and aims for the fissure Evar used to escape previously, fearing the hive’s “brain” might adapt to neutralize the orb.

Among ruins that challenge Arpix’s old prejudices about the canith, Evar and Kerrol support the wounded Clovis while the others climb. Without warning, skeer fliers begin dropping rocks from high altitude, trading accuracy for lethal force. Evar locates the fissure and waves them in as the bombardment intensifies.

Amid dust and shrapnel, Meelan is cut and Sheetra’s arm is injured. Arpix searches the slope for fallen companions and finds Atle mortally crushed. Spotting Jella alive but with a ruined ankle, Arpix refuses to abandon her as a new wave of fliers darkens the sky.

With stones hammering down, Evar reaches them, slings Jella over his shoulder, and sprints upslope. Together they reach the fissure, where the survivors scramble into cover. The attack shows the hive now regards them as a significant threat, raising the stakes for any attempt to reenter the library.