Contents
Before — Chapter 38
Overview
Isla and Grim find the twin-blade behind a sleeping dragon, but an automated arrow trap shreds Grim as he shields Isla. Isla treats his wounds, and Grim reveals pain amplifies magic. He recognizes the mechanism from his own castle, implying a master thief’s handiwork. The sword remains out of reach; they resolve to try again.
Summary
Isla and Grim locate the twin-blade resting behind a sleeping dragon at a cave’s mouth. Believing they can slip past, they edge inside. A hidden defense triggers: a volley of arrows slams into Grim as he throws himself over Isla, taking a dozen hits while Isla suffers one through her shin. They retreat only after Grim carries Isla out and portals them away.
In Grim’s room, Isla stabilizes herself, then painstakingly removes arrows from Grim and applies healing elixir and Moonling gauze. Their barbed banter masks concern as Grim insists emotion—especially pain—amplifies power, hinting at the deep hurts that shaped him.
As Isla finishes bandaging, Grim explains the attack wasn’t an archer but an infallible mechanism he has seen at his own castle, suggesting the cave’s thief acquired or copied it. The dragon and additional traps still block the twin-blade, and using portals near it would make the sword vanish again.
Exhausted and bleeding but alive, they acknowledge the cost of the attempt. Grim vows to serve as a living shield again if needed, and together they plan another try to bypass the thief’s layered protections and claim the sword.
Who Appears
- IslaAttempts to retrieve the twin-blade, is wounded, then treats Grim’s severe injuries and presses for a new plan.
- GrimShields Isla from a lethal trap, is impaled by arrows, reveals pain strengthens magic, and identifies the mechanism’s origin.
- DragonSleeps at the cave’s mouth, guarding the twin-blade and complicating any retrieval attempt.