Hawl hauled Liam and Cole up the final flight of stone steps by the thick obsidian bands binding their torsos. Gulag followed right behind him to drag Maya and Jenna out of the dark aqueduct.
They stepped onto the ruined cobblestone plaza of Tarnstead. The midday sun cast glaring light over the conquered city courtyard.
Ethan, Olivia, Lucas, and Isabella sat chained to the pavement a few yards away. The four previous captives looked at their newly captured teammates. Ethan gripped his knees and stared at the ground.
Liam thrashed against his black stone bindings and tried to summon his silver broadsword. His magic merely flickered before fading entirely under the crushing grip of the obsidian constraints.
A fractured portal of absolute blackness ripped open near the peak of the courtyard. Glitch dropped from the void and landed gracefully on all six legs.
