4 Thorne
“There are five fighting modes for facing an opponent who wields battle sentient: water mother, wolf cub, weaving maiden, crow’s bridge, and wailing ghost. For Crown Sentient, there is only one option: run.” – Wu Zhao Zetain, The Art of Sentient War
Pain ricochets through my nervous system as I force myself back onto my feet. Meanwhile, every inch of Cole’s body ripples with black battle sentient. Soon, my father looks more like a carved statue than a living being. His outline expands by at least a foot in height alone.
Assuming I’m out of the fight, Cole cracks his lasso in Slate’s direction. The cord snaps across the room, pausing at my younger brother’s feet. From there, the rope rolls up into the form of another warrior. Soon a seven-foot-tall, coiled-up cowboy looms before
