Chapter 102: Tongue-snatched

The thought of being on their fourth Elite encounter had long left Tess's mind, especially since keeping focused on the glowing object miles before her in the air helped numb the pain all over her body.  ¹

They had already disturbed Sid, and luckily, they didn't end up falling towards lava like last time. They were trying to use the chaos to their advantage as Lanse suggested.

The second she ran through the opening into stronger light, something in the back of her head shifted from the new open feeling. Still moving in the air before her, was the fragment surrounded by a cluster of flapping wings. She didn't take her eyes from it even as she took in the details of her wider surroundings. 

The wide space was about the size of a huge lake made of brown solid earth, scarred with lines from deep trenches and cracks.