I dive at Athena and wrap my arms around her while simultaneously manifesting my spell.
"RICODAI SHIEN!" (Stone sphere.)
As a huge stone sphere engulfs us, we tumble and slam into the wall while giant chunks of rock bombard the protective barrier from the outside.
"BASTION! What about Himora!?"
Athena shouts in alarm.
"OH, SHIT!"
I think aloud.
"Hold on to me!"
I mentally guide the sphere towards the corner where Himora was kneeling.
"I hope he is okay."
I think to myself, trying not to show Athena any fear.
"What the hell happened?"
Himora's voice burst into my head.
"HIMORA! Where are you?"
Athena thinks to him.
(We still have the ability to speak to each other telepathically)
"I'm fine, don't worry about me! I came out of my meditation just in time to see that silver arrow puncture that brute's chest!"
I look around us in alarm. I had left a few slits in my sphere in order for us to be able to see as needed.
"Where are you? I can't sense or see you; there is pure energy everywhere!"
Athena tapped my shoulder from behind, where she was occupied with holding on to me, her arms around my neck and shoulders.
"Bastion, close the sphere!"
This confused me a bit at first.
"What? Why?"
I shot back.
"Seal the sphere! All of this raw energy is bad for us!"
I hadn't thought about that, and I could feel my skin starting to burn and itch.
"But what about Himora? We have to get to him, and I can't sense him so easily. I need to see."
Himora cut in just then, his voice echoing softly in both our minds.
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine! I have enclosed myself in a sphere of water. I should be fine just as long as my water barrier reflects most of it."
A wave of relief finds me, soothing my fears.
"Himora's flesh is nearly 60% water, so he should be fine."
I think to myself, forgetting that all of our thoughts were still linked.
I closed the sphere.
Before, it had just been essentially a collection of smooth stone plates that were revolving around the two of us, deflecting anything and everything that came within two yards of us, but now, as I concentrated my Aether, they came together and closed us in.
"We should wait for at least an hour."
Athena pointed out after we had been sitting about for a good 15 minutes. Apparently, she had heard me thinking. I looked at her directly, cocking my head to the side in amusement.
"Do you ever listen in on what I think without telling me?"
She looked to her feet and turned a bright shade of red.
"Mmmm... Maybe."
She says with a smile.
The sphere had come to a complete stop for some time, and we sat about a foot apart inside.
"Why do you ask?
She says, throwing a look at me that made the hairs on my neck stand up.
"No... No reason. It's just that... Well, you've been with us for a while, and I know that you don't know much about what's going on... The death of Marakai, your home being captured, our ship being atta-"
But at that, she cut me off.
"Why do you call him Marakai? I thought his name was Moshido."
She looks at me with a puzzled look as I start to explain.
"Where he came from, 'Moshido' means 'One of unmatched strength.' He was the strongest of all his people.
Her reply was short and simple.
"Oh."
We sit and wait in silence for about 45 minutes, give or take, before Himora's voice explodes into our heads.
"You two can come out of that shell now; the energy level has dropped to nearly nothing."
Himora draws his sword and steps towards the outside of the sphere. I can hear the steel of his sword being drawn.
"Himora... What are you do-?"
But before I could finish my sentence, the blade of his sword appeared next to my head.
"HEY! BE CAREFUL!"
I shout as I fling myself to the far side of my sphere. His sword begins to move, slowly cutting a hole in the side of my "shell" like butter.
I look down at the snoozing Athena, nudging her awake softly with the butt of my spear.
"Athena... Athena, wake up."
She had fallen asleep during the wait, and she must have been quite drained because my shouting did nothing to stir her.
She rolled over as his blade finished the hole.
"Is... is it over?"
She asks while in the process of wiping the sleep from her eyes.
I take her hand and pull her to her feet.
"Yes... It's over."
We step out of the shell into the warm air of the battle room.
"I feel a lot better now."
Himora says.
"That extra time was all I needed."
I reach out and shake Athena's shoulder to assure myself that she's awake.
"It's okay, I knew that manta ray really took it out of you."
Athena turns from us, walks over to the door, then stops and yawns loudly.
"Okay... I'm awake. Let's move on."
She waves her hand in front of the door, and it slowly slides open.
"You sure you okay?"
I ask her as I stare at her tired-looking face.
"Yeah, I just need some water."
Himora steps forward and pulls a small leather pouch from his belt.
"Here. This should revive you and drain you of your fatigue."
Athena takes a sip from the container and hastily hands it back to Himora.
"BAH! What the hell is that!? It's definitely not water!"
Himora put the container back on his hip, suppressing his smile as best he could as he did.
"Far from it!"
He exclaims with a hint of laughter in his voice.
"It's the blood of the manta ray. It will heal you internally and erase any trace of whatever tires you."
Athena's face paled just a bit as the realization came to her.
"That... Is... disgusting! If I could puke, I would!"
I stepped in between them, taking the container from his hip and throwing back my head for a quick and measured sip.
It was just as disgusting as she had said it was.
"Well, let's move on. We are at the last door, and I really want to get this over with."
I said, handing Himora the foul liquid as I turned toward the doorway.
They both turn and look at me, both nodding in agreement, and we move on to the fifth and final level.