Lightning. Electricity. Gwen. Taxon. He'd escaped Gyongxe once. Gyongxe didn't even exist anymore, just another part of the Yanxing empire now. This had happened already; it was just another nightmare now. He hoped it was, at least. "I've had better," Briar admitted with a strained attempt at nonchalance, adding bitterly, "Welcome to Gyongxe. Watch out for the invading army."

Briar turned and lunged, stabbing an enemy who was trying to sneak closer to the pair from his side. Apparently he had assumed that at least Gwen would not electrocute her own companion. "Using me as a shield is only effective if I won't attack you," Briar remarked dryly. He wasn't a weak point.

Briar wasn't really surprised that Gwen handled battle magic more easily than Tris did. He was still amazed that she'd made it to adulthood without breaking, considering she had never learned to control her power. If Gwen could at least use it to defend herself, Briar wasn't about to hold it against her. Tris couldn't stand killing with magic, and Briar certainly got no enjoyment from it, but every one of the four siblings had gotten their power tangled up in death at some point.