A dark serial novel. Set in a modern fantasy world called Eleg. Mature language. Updates every night at midnight PST by ~400 words.
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Thursday, August 29, 2024
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Page 3665
He wanted to circle around the outside of the globe in order to perhaps find a better place to attempt this, but there were still branches all over the place, barring his path. Hacking through them didn’t seem worth the effort, and he supposed it wouldn’t make much difference, anyway. What did he expect to find? A hidden connection port somewhere in the globe’s base? Not likely.
This spot would have to do, he decided. And with one hand clutching the encased flame, he placed his other hand on the big orb.
He’d witnessed both Abbas and Agrian working with the Candle. This was how it was done. It was an entirely mental process.
Whether or not this would work for a non-integration user... well, he was about to find out. Technically, he’d done this before, with Abbas’ help while the Candle was still dormant. He hadn’t tried it since then, though.
He pressed his soul into the glass.
Instantly, he felt it. The full breadth of its physical volume. Like an extension of his own body, almost. And there was so much more, too, just waiting for him to push further.
But he was familiar with this feeling now, so he knew to hold himself back. To not walk off the metaphysical cliff in front of him.
But wow.
The Candle’s power was clear to him. A radiant ball of concentrated energy, filling his mind’s eye like a sun. Or a volcanic pit, perhaps.
It seemed quite tepid, somehow. Despite all that energy sitting there, it was still... quite calm. Maybe even... tired?
Ah. From creating a new object, of course. Right. It wanted to rest. The more he observed, the more obvious that feeling became.
Interesting. Thinking back to his observations of Agrian’s work, he didn’t recall the Candle ever appearing tired or drained. Which, he supposed, further supported his theory that Agrian had never really managed to summon the fullness of the forge’s power.
Either that, or Agrian had just been better at maintaining control. Rendering the Candle ‘tired’ wasn’t exactly a desirable outcome, nor was putting oneself into a coma, as Abbas had apparently done.
Hmm. But what of this weird new object? He could feel it there in his hand, radiating with that very same energy. And the metal band, too. It glowed just as brilliantly in his mind, making him feel... rather strange, honestly.
And quite powerful. Like the energy was also an extension of his body.
Like he could bend it to his will, maybe.
Whoa...
This spot would have to do, he decided. And with one hand clutching the encased flame, he placed his other hand on the big orb.
He’d witnessed both Abbas and Agrian working with the Candle. This was how it was done. It was an entirely mental process.
Whether or not this would work for a non-integration user... well, he was about to find out. Technically, he’d done this before, with Abbas’ help while the Candle was still dormant. He hadn’t tried it since then, though.
He pressed his soul into the glass.
Instantly, he felt it. The full breadth of its physical volume. Like an extension of his own body, almost. And there was so much more, too, just waiting for him to push further.
But he was familiar with this feeling now, so he knew to hold himself back. To not walk off the metaphysical cliff in front of him.
But wow.
The Candle’s power was clear to him. A radiant ball of concentrated energy, filling his mind’s eye like a sun. Or a volcanic pit, perhaps.
It seemed quite tepid, somehow. Despite all that energy sitting there, it was still... quite calm. Maybe even... tired?
Ah. From creating a new object, of course. Right. It wanted to rest. The more he observed, the more obvious that feeling became.
Interesting. Thinking back to his observations of Agrian’s work, he didn’t recall the Candle ever appearing tired or drained. Which, he supposed, further supported his theory that Agrian had never really managed to summon the fullness of the forge’s power.
Either that, or Agrian had just been better at maintaining control. Rendering the Candle ‘tired’ wasn’t exactly a desirable outcome, nor was putting oneself into a coma, as Abbas had apparently done.
Hmm. But what of this weird new object? He could feel it there in his hand, radiating with that very same energy. And the metal band, too. It glowed just as brilliantly in his mind, making him feel... rather strange, honestly.
And quite powerful. Like the energy was also an extension of his body.
Like he could bend it to his will, maybe.
Whoa...
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Page 3664
‘Oh, come on,’ said Hector. ‘You’re exaggerating. I mean, yeah, okay, it’d be dangerous, but not THAT dangerous. Not number one.’
‘And you’re even downplaying it, too! It’s like you’re trying to outdo me!’
‘The Candle’s not that dangerous, Garovel. It’s calm and gentle.’
‘It just got done putting Abbas into a coma, Hector.’
‘I--er, I mean, we don’t know that was the Candle’s doing. He might’ve, y’know, just exhausted himself from overwork.’
‘Worwal was a puddle on the floor.’
‘So they both exhausted themselves. As a team. Which is what we are, right? A team.’
‘You’re really grasping at straws here, pal.’
Hector wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. Instead, he shrugged and shook his head. ‘I know.’
‘You really wanna connect to the Forge that badly?’
‘...Kinda, yeah. Who knows what we could learn from it?’
‘Didn’t it already teach you everything?’
‘No, I mean... well, maybe it did. I don’t actually know.’
‘Ah. More uncertainty. Great.’
‘Look, Garovel, it’s just... my time spent inside the Candle was... well, it was pretty useful and cool, okay? And it’d be amazing if we could establish a way to reconnect with it whenever we wanted. The sheer volume of information that the Candle has access to is... astounding. And I still don’t even know how it’s sourcing that information. If this works, we might be able to answer some important questions. And not just about the Candle itself but maybe even about Fusion Forges in general.’
‘Hmm.’
‘Don’t you want to know more? There’s a chance that you’d be able to come along with me this time.’
‘Now you’re just saying whatever you think I want to hear.’
Hector had to relinquish a nod at that. ‘I’m just trying to make my case. C’mon. I know you’re just as intrigued by the possibilities here as I am.’
‘Ugh. I really hate how right you are. None of these arguments should be convincing me, and yet here I am, ready to go along with whatever dumb shit you wanna try next.’ The reaper broke for a pause. ‘This better not be your weird aura bullshit influencing me, fucking with my sense of reasoning. I’m gonna be pissed if I find out that’s the case later.’
‘You say that as if you’re normally some paragon of rational thinking.’
‘I am. And fuck you for suggesting otherwise.’
Hector decided to step out of the big glass orb. He still didn’t really know how he was going to try and ‘connect’ this thing to the Candle, but somehow, he felt like doing so while inside the main workspace would’ve been even more stupid and dangerous. Like trying to start a car while sitting inside the engine.
‘And you’re even downplaying it, too! It’s like you’re trying to outdo me!’
‘The Candle’s not that dangerous, Garovel. It’s calm and gentle.’
‘It just got done putting Abbas into a coma, Hector.’
‘I--er, I mean, we don’t know that was the Candle’s doing. He might’ve, y’know, just exhausted himself from overwork.’
‘Worwal was a puddle on the floor.’
‘So they both exhausted themselves. As a team. Which is what we are, right? A team.’
‘You’re really grasping at straws here, pal.’
Hector wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. Instead, he shrugged and shook his head. ‘I know.’
‘You really wanna connect to the Forge that badly?’
‘...Kinda, yeah. Who knows what we could learn from it?’
‘Didn’t it already teach you everything?’
‘No, I mean... well, maybe it did. I don’t actually know.’
‘Ah. More uncertainty. Great.’
‘Look, Garovel, it’s just... my time spent inside the Candle was... well, it was pretty useful and cool, okay? And it’d be amazing if we could establish a way to reconnect with it whenever we wanted. The sheer volume of information that the Candle has access to is... astounding. And I still don’t even know how it’s sourcing that information. If this works, we might be able to answer some important questions. And not just about the Candle itself but maybe even about Fusion Forges in general.’
‘Hmm.’
‘Don’t you want to know more? There’s a chance that you’d be able to come along with me this time.’
‘Now you’re just saying whatever you think I want to hear.’
Hector had to relinquish a nod at that. ‘I’m just trying to make my case. C’mon. I know you’re just as intrigued by the possibilities here as I am.’
‘Ugh. I really hate how right you are. None of these arguments should be convincing me, and yet here I am, ready to go along with whatever dumb shit you wanna try next.’ The reaper broke for a pause. ‘This better not be your weird aura bullshit influencing me, fucking with my sense of reasoning. I’m gonna be pissed if I find out that’s the case later.’
‘You say that as if you’re normally some paragon of rational thinking.’
‘I am. And fuck you for suggesting otherwise.’
Hector decided to step out of the big glass orb. He still didn’t really know how he was going to try and ‘connect’ this thing to the Candle, but somehow, he felt like doing so while inside the main workspace would’ve been even more stupid and dangerous. Like trying to start a car while sitting inside the engine.
Monday, August 26, 2024
Page 3663
Hector concentrated, though he wasn’t entirely sure on what. The orb? The flame? The metal band? He felt like he had to pick one.
He chose the flame. It seemed to be the centerpiece of the contraption, after all.
And as such, he did not close his eyes. Instead, he fixated them upon the fire.
It was certainly no normal flame. That much had already been obvious, but as he stared at it further, he began to sense something even stranger about it.
Yes. It had an aura.
Subtle. Quiet. But there, nonetheless.
How did that make sense, though?
As far as he knew, only living things possessed an aura.
Unless...
‘Garovel, I think this thing might be alive.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘I think this little flame in here is alive. A living flame.’
‘Huh.’
Hector waited. ‘That’s all you got for me? No ancient insights into the nature of life or whatever?’
‘Well, I do sense ardor in it, but that doesn’t confirm life. Rocks in the Undercrust, for example, are often chock full of ardor. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?’
‘Of course I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like this before. But it has an aura. And... I don’t know... I just feel like it’s... waiting.’
‘Waiting? For what?’
‘Good question. For me? The wearer? To do something? I’m not sure what else would make sense.’
‘Hmm. Okay. Let’s think about this, then. It’s not guaranteed, of course, but I’d say it’s a fair assumption that Abbas invented this object in order to assist with his goal of making powered armor usable by non-servants. That’s what he kept talking about when you asked him, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘So... maybe this is some sort of... neural interface. Meant to safely connect a person’s brain to Abbas’ armor.’
Hector bobbed his head a little. ‘That sounds like a pretty good guess to me.’
‘Thank you. But if I’m right, then that might also mean that this thing actually does nothing on its own. And that we’re wasting our time, right now.’
‘Aww... In that case, I hope you’re wrong.’
‘Wow, Hector.’
‘Maybe we just need to connect it to something.’
‘Well, it’s probably meant to connect to Abbas’ armor and not anything else.’
‘You don’t know that. Maybe it could connect to all sorts of things.’
‘Oh yeah? Like what?’
‘Uh...’ Hector looked around the room from within the great glass orb. ‘I mean, there IS a big ass Fusion Forge just sitting here...’
Garovel was quiet a moment. ‘Y’know something, buddy? In terms of the most stupidly dangerous ideas we’ve ever contemplated, that might be the new number one. Genuinely, I am impressed, right now.’
He chose the flame. It seemed to be the centerpiece of the contraption, after all.
And as such, he did not close his eyes. Instead, he fixated them upon the fire.
It was certainly no normal flame. That much had already been obvious, but as he stared at it further, he began to sense something even stranger about it.
Yes. It had an aura.
Subtle. Quiet. But there, nonetheless.
How did that make sense, though?
As far as he knew, only living things possessed an aura.
Unless...
‘Garovel, I think this thing might be alive.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘I think this little flame in here is alive. A living flame.’
‘Huh.’
Hector waited. ‘That’s all you got for me? No ancient insights into the nature of life or whatever?’
‘Well, I do sense ardor in it, but that doesn’t confirm life. Rocks in the Undercrust, for example, are often chock full of ardor. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?’
‘Of course I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like this before. But it has an aura. And... I don’t know... I just feel like it’s... waiting.’
‘Waiting? For what?’
‘Good question. For me? The wearer? To do something? I’m not sure what else would make sense.’
‘Hmm. Okay. Let’s think about this, then. It’s not guaranteed, of course, but I’d say it’s a fair assumption that Abbas invented this object in order to assist with his goal of making powered armor usable by non-servants. That’s what he kept talking about when you asked him, right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘So... maybe this is some sort of... neural interface. Meant to safely connect a person’s brain to Abbas’ armor.’
Hector bobbed his head a little. ‘That sounds like a pretty good guess to me.’
‘Thank you. But if I’m right, then that might also mean that this thing actually does nothing on its own. And that we’re wasting our time, right now.’
‘Aww... In that case, I hope you’re wrong.’
‘Wow, Hector.’
‘Maybe we just need to connect it to something.’
‘Well, it’s probably meant to connect to Abbas’ armor and not anything else.’
‘You don’t know that. Maybe it could connect to all sorts of things.’
‘Oh yeah? Like what?’
‘Uh...’ Hector looked around the room from within the great glass orb. ‘I mean, there IS a big ass Fusion Forge just sitting here...’
Garovel was quiet a moment. ‘Y’know something, buddy? In terms of the most stupidly dangerous ideas we’ve ever contemplated, that might be the new number one. Genuinely, I am impressed, right now.’
Sunday, August 25, 2024
Page 3662
‘That’s as good an idea as any,’ said Garovel. ‘Give it a try.’
Hector slipped his bare hand through the band. It was quite loose around his wrist, however, which made him think that this wasn’t quite right.
But then the band shrunk.
It fit snugly around his wrist. So snugly, in fact, that he couldn’t slide it back off.
“Uh-oh.”
‘Wow, did you fuck it up, already?’
‘I might’ve...’
‘Well, before we resort to chopping your arm off, why don’t you just take a moment to reassess? How are you feeling, right now?’
Hector shrugged. ‘Fine, I guess. No different.’
‘Hmm. And your senses? Your concentration? You could try focusing. Or meditating.’
‘I could,’ said Hector with a bob of his head. ‘I’ve got a different idea, though.’ He took a breath and held his wrist up. “Hey, Candle, can you show me how to use this thing?”
And they waited, but no response arrived.
‘Damn,’ thought Hector. ‘Guess that would’ve been too easy.’
‘It was worth a try. You keep reminding me that the Candle has a mind of its own, and yet somehow, I keep forgetting. It just doesn’t seem possible, but I guess that’s the whole thing about Fusion Forges. Doing the impossible. Maybe you should try asking it something else. Something a little easier.’
Easier, huh? “...Can you show me how to activate it, at least?”
Still no response arrived, however.
‘That wasn’t much better, Hector. In fact, that was almost the same question.’
‘Look, man, I don’t know what I’m doing here.’
‘I can tell. Why don’t you just ask it to wake Abbas up for us while you’re at it?’
A beat passed as Hector chewed on that. “Hey, Candle, could you wake Abbas up for us? And, er, heal Worwal, too?”
A response did not arrive for that, either.
‘Hector, I was joking. There was no way that was going to work.’
‘Yeah, but I mean... what if it did, though? You were just talking about how forges can do the impossible.’
‘I feel like your expectations for the Candle are increasing with each new sentence out of your mouth.’
‘It’s called keeping an open mind, Garovel. Not that you’d know much about that.’
‘Hoho,’ laughed the reaper. ‘Alright, Mr. Free Thinker. How about, instead of trying to get the Candle to do everything, you actually put that open mind of yours to work? Try focusing, like I said.’
‘Fine...’
Hector slipped his bare hand through the band. It was quite loose around his wrist, however, which made him think that this wasn’t quite right.
But then the band shrunk.
It fit snugly around his wrist. So snugly, in fact, that he couldn’t slide it back off.
“Uh-oh.”
‘Wow, did you fuck it up, already?’
‘I might’ve...’
‘Well, before we resort to chopping your arm off, why don’t you just take a moment to reassess? How are you feeling, right now?’
Hector shrugged. ‘Fine, I guess. No different.’
‘Hmm. And your senses? Your concentration? You could try focusing. Or meditating.’
‘I could,’ said Hector with a bob of his head. ‘I’ve got a different idea, though.’ He took a breath and held his wrist up. “Hey, Candle, can you show me how to use this thing?”
And they waited, but no response arrived.
‘Damn,’ thought Hector. ‘Guess that would’ve been too easy.’
‘It was worth a try. You keep reminding me that the Candle has a mind of its own, and yet somehow, I keep forgetting. It just doesn’t seem possible, but I guess that’s the whole thing about Fusion Forges. Doing the impossible. Maybe you should try asking it something else. Something a little easier.’
Easier, huh? “...Can you show me how to activate it, at least?”
Still no response arrived, however.
‘That wasn’t much better, Hector. In fact, that was almost the same question.’
‘Look, man, I don’t know what I’m doing here.’
‘I can tell. Why don’t you just ask it to wake Abbas up for us while you’re at it?’
A beat passed as Hector chewed on that. “Hey, Candle, could you wake Abbas up for us? And, er, heal Worwal, too?”
A response did not arrive for that, either.
‘Hector, I was joking. There was no way that was going to work.’
‘Yeah, but I mean... what if it did, though? You were just talking about how forges can do the impossible.’
‘I feel like your expectations for the Candle are increasing with each new sentence out of your mouth.’
‘It’s called keeping an open mind, Garovel. Not that you’d know much about that.’
‘Hoho,’ laughed the reaper. ‘Alright, Mr. Free Thinker. How about, instead of trying to get the Candle to do everything, you actually put that open mind of yours to work? Try focusing, like I said.’
‘Fine...’
Friday, August 23, 2024
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Page 3661
‘I swear you used to be the responsible one in this relationship,’ said Hector. ‘What ever happened to that, huh?’
‘Well, yeah, in the beginning, I had to be. You didn’t know shit about shit. I had to take care of you. Or try my best to, at least. But now that you’re all sauced up and weirdly powerful, it actually frees me up to be my truest self, unburdened by things like worry for our combined well-being. Great, right?’
‘I know you’re being funny right now, but you’re also just... telling the truth, aren’t you?’
‘They say jokes are funniest when they have a vein of truth to them.’
‘Rrgh...’
‘C’mon! Touch that shit. I know you want to.’
Hector shook his head. But he also reached his hand out. ‘Why am I so stupid...?’
‘Many a time throughout history, genius has been indistinguishable from stupidity.’
‘Oh, really? Well, this is definitely not one of those times.’ And his gauntlet made contact with the small globe.
Nothing happened.
‘C’mon, we went over this with the mirror at the Gate. You gotta touch it with your bare hands.’
Inside his helmet, Hector’s brow flattened, as did his mouth. ‘As I recall, you told me to do that, and then it made no difference whatsoever.’
‘Your recollection must be flawed, then.’
‘Nope.’
‘Hector, please. Leave the remembering of things to a professional. And do as I command of you, my loyal servant.’
‘Oh, shut up.’ He did dematerialize his right gauntlet, however. He braced himself, then pressed his bare hand against the orb.
A few long beats passed.
‘...Anything?’ asked Garovel.
‘Uh. Well, it’s warm.’
‘How thrilling.’
‘There is something weird here, though.’
‘Oh?’
‘Er, uh, not like with my senses or anything. It’s just that... I mean, the flame inside the orb is completely encased. There’s no hole for oxygen to get in, so how is it burning?’
‘Ah.’
‘Can ardor do that? Maintain a flame without oxygen?’
‘Dunno. Maybe the cord is letting oxygen in.’
Hector picked the orb up to inspect it more closely. As far as he could tell, the cord didn’t seem like a hollow tube. To the touch, it felt more like rope or string. And the metal band that it was connected to looked about as simple as could be. Featureless steel.
‘Hmm.’ Hector held up the band next, eyeing it closely. ‘Maybe I’m supposed to wear this? Like a bracelet or something?’
‘Well, yeah, in the beginning, I had to be. You didn’t know shit about shit. I had to take care of you. Or try my best to, at least. But now that you’re all sauced up and weirdly powerful, it actually frees me up to be my truest self, unburdened by things like worry for our combined well-being. Great, right?’
‘I know you’re being funny right now, but you’re also just... telling the truth, aren’t you?’
‘They say jokes are funniest when they have a vein of truth to them.’
‘Rrgh...’
‘C’mon! Touch that shit. I know you want to.’
Hector shook his head. But he also reached his hand out. ‘Why am I so stupid...?’
‘Many a time throughout history, genius has been indistinguishable from stupidity.’
‘Oh, really? Well, this is definitely not one of those times.’ And his gauntlet made contact with the small globe.
Nothing happened.
‘C’mon, we went over this with the mirror at the Gate. You gotta touch it with your bare hands.’
Inside his helmet, Hector’s brow flattened, as did his mouth. ‘As I recall, you told me to do that, and then it made no difference whatsoever.’
‘Your recollection must be flawed, then.’
‘Nope.’
‘Hector, please. Leave the remembering of things to a professional. And do as I command of you, my loyal servant.’
‘Oh, shut up.’ He did dematerialize his right gauntlet, however. He braced himself, then pressed his bare hand against the orb.
A few long beats passed.
‘...Anything?’ asked Garovel.
‘Uh. Well, it’s warm.’
‘How thrilling.’
‘There is something weird here, though.’
‘Oh?’
‘Er, uh, not like with my senses or anything. It’s just that... I mean, the flame inside the orb is completely encased. There’s no hole for oxygen to get in, so how is it burning?’
‘Ah.’
‘Can ardor do that? Maintain a flame without oxygen?’
‘Dunno. Maybe the cord is letting oxygen in.’
Hector picked the orb up to inspect it more closely. As far as he could tell, the cord didn’t seem like a hollow tube. To the touch, it felt more like rope or string. And the metal band that it was connected to looked about as simple as could be. Featureless steel.
‘Hmm.’ Hector held up the band next, eyeing it closely. ‘Maybe I’m supposed to wear this? Like a bracelet or something?’
Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Page 3660
The gnarled pedestal cracked and then began to shrink, slowly retracting itself into the ground as it revealed the item more fully.
And gradually, Hector saw that there wasn’t just a little glass globe. It also had a cord wrapped around it in an X-pattern, connecting the orb to a round metal band.
Which confused Hector further.
A tiny orb with a flame flickering inside. And a little circular hoop. What in the world was this thing supposed to do?
He probably shouldn’t touch it. In fact, he knew he shouldn’t.
But then again...
Abbas was unconscious and would likely remain so for at least a few days. And Hector wasn’t about to let anyone else do something this stupid, so that would mean they would all have to remain in the dark about whatever this thing was until Abbas finally woke up and explained it to them.
Or he could just touch it and find out, right now. Maybe.
This was Abbas and the Candle’s creation, after all. They wouldn’t make something that could rip his soul out through his asshole or anything, right?
Hmm...
‘Whatcha thinkin’ there, buddy?’ came Garovel’s echoing question.
And Hector hesitated. Because he had a rather strong feeling that if he explained what was going through his head right now, then Garovel was actually not going to be the voice of reason here and tell him not to do it.
The reaper was gonna tell him to touch the hell out of that shit, wasn’t he?
‘...I’m just wondering what to do now,’ said Hector. ‘I, uh... I probably shouldn’t touch this thing until we know more about it, right?’
‘Probably,’ said Garovel.
And Hector just remained there, awkwardly standing in silence.
Apparently, Garovel couldn’t bear it for very long. ‘Or...’ The thought went unfinished, though.
Not that Hector needed it to be. ‘I shouldn’t...’
‘Of course not. Definitely. You’re right. Let’s just. Let it sit there. For the next week or so... taunting us with its mysteries...’
Hector exhaled a curt breath. ‘Hold on. You’re inside my armor. Can you even see this thing?’
‘Oh, I found some nice little cracks to peer through. The slits you made in the faceguard in front of your mouth are actually quite helpful, because everywhere else is so closely fitted together that, if I didn’t know better, I might’ve thought you somehow made this suit airtight.’
‘Ah...’
‘Anyway, touch it.’
‘Garovel...’
‘Go on. I’m sure it’ll be fine.’
And gradually, Hector saw that there wasn’t just a little glass globe. It also had a cord wrapped around it in an X-pattern, connecting the orb to a round metal band.
Which confused Hector further.
A tiny orb with a flame flickering inside. And a little circular hoop. What in the world was this thing supposed to do?
He probably shouldn’t touch it. In fact, he knew he shouldn’t.
But then again...
Abbas was unconscious and would likely remain so for at least a few days. And Hector wasn’t about to let anyone else do something this stupid, so that would mean they would all have to remain in the dark about whatever this thing was until Abbas finally woke up and explained it to them.
Or he could just touch it and find out, right now. Maybe.
This was Abbas and the Candle’s creation, after all. They wouldn’t make something that could rip his soul out through his asshole or anything, right?
Hmm...
‘Whatcha thinkin’ there, buddy?’ came Garovel’s echoing question.
And Hector hesitated. Because he had a rather strong feeling that if he explained what was going through his head right now, then Garovel was actually not going to be the voice of reason here and tell him not to do it.
The reaper was gonna tell him to touch the hell out of that shit, wasn’t he?
‘...I’m just wondering what to do now,’ said Hector. ‘I, uh... I probably shouldn’t touch this thing until we know more about it, right?’
‘Probably,’ said Garovel.
And Hector just remained there, awkwardly standing in silence.
Apparently, Garovel couldn’t bear it for very long. ‘Or...’ The thought went unfinished, though.
Not that Hector needed it to be. ‘I shouldn’t...’
‘Of course not. Definitely. You’re right. Let’s just. Let it sit there. For the next week or so... taunting us with its mysteries...’
Hector exhaled a curt breath. ‘Hold on. You’re inside my armor. Can you even see this thing?’
‘Oh, I found some nice little cracks to peer through. The slits you made in the faceguard in front of your mouth are actually quite helpful, because everywhere else is so closely fitted together that, if I didn’t know better, I might’ve thought you somehow made this suit airtight.’
‘Ah...’
‘Anyway, touch it.’
‘Garovel...’
‘Go on. I’m sure it’ll be fine.’
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Page 3659
Huh.
It was still concealed a bit by the branches, but it seemed quite small--and not terribly intimidating, either, when considering the state of Lord Abbas and the giant mess around here. Perhaps he’d allowed his expectations to build up a bit too much. Abbas was still relatively new to using the Candle, after all.
But this lantern. He remembered seeing Agrian make a lantern, too, actually. That one had looked quite different. Bigger, darkly metallic, and more rectangular, almost like an entire suitcase. This one was more like a snow globe in size--and a small one, too--barely big enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand.
In fact... it looked rather like a tiny version of the great glass orb that had created it.
Which gave Hector pause. Hmm.
During his last few visits with Abbas, they’d discussed the man’s work a bit. Naturally, with the Sunsmith looking so disheveled each time Hector showed up, the subject of why the guy was pushing so hard had come up.
And repeatedly, the answer had been that Abbas wanted to retake Sair as soon as possible. Which was fair enough, Hector thought. So Hector had stopped asking about it, more or less.
But there’d been one time when the answer had been a bit more elaborate than that. And now that Hector was looking at this object in front of them, he was beginning to think about that answer more.
“...It is my hope,” Abbas had told him, “to establish an entirely new class of armored warriors. Warriors who will not require reapers in order to stand up and protect our land and our people. That has always been my end goal, ever since I began drafting up plans for my prototype suit.”
Hector had blinked at that revelation. “You mean... you want to mass-produce your armor?”
“Ah. Well, that would be quite a few steps into the future. I do not know about that. Perhaps. At the moment, my foremost concern is rendering it usable by non-servants. My armor, if you have not already been able to tell, drills directly into my brain in order to establish a neural link. Obviously, this is only possible because I am a servant. Before any other strides can be made, I must find a way to change this.”
And now, as he stepped closer to the wooden pedestal, sizing it up, Hector wondered how in the world a lantern might’ve been meant to address that problem. Or if it even was meant to. Maybe Abbas had pivoted and made something completely different.
That seemed unlikely, though. Knowing Abbas as he now did, that man did not strike Hector as the type to get distracted or change his mind very easily.
It was still concealed a bit by the branches, but it seemed quite small--and not terribly intimidating, either, when considering the state of Lord Abbas and the giant mess around here. Perhaps he’d allowed his expectations to build up a bit too much. Abbas was still relatively new to using the Candle, after all.
But this lantern. He remembered seeing Agrian make a lantern, too, actually. That one had looked quite different. Bigger, darkly metallic, and more rectangular, almost like an entire suitcase. This one was more like a snow globe in size--and a small one, too--barely big enough to fit in the palm of one’s hand.
In fact... it looked rather like a tiny version of the great glass orb that had created it.
Which gave Hector pause. Hmm.
During his last few visits with Abbas, they’d discussed the man’s work a bit. Naturally, with the Sunsmith looking so disheveled each time Hector showed up, the subject of why the guy was pushing so hard had come up.
And repeatedly, the answer had been that Abbas wanted to retake Sair as soon as possible. Which was fair enough, Hector thought. So Hector had stopped asking about it, more or less.
But there’d been one time when the answer had been a bit more elaborate than that. And now that Hector was looking at this object in front of them, he was beginning to think about that answer more.
“...It is my hope,” Abbas had told him, “to establish an entirely new class of armored warriors. Warriors who will not require reapers in order to stand up and protect our land and our people. That has always been my end goal, ever since I began drafting up plans for my prototype suit.”
Hector had blinked at that revelation. “You mean... you want to mass-produce your armor?”
“Ah. Well, that would be quite a few steps into the future. I do not know about that. Perhaps. At the moment, my foremost concern is rendering it usable by non-servants. My armor, if you have not already been able to tell, drills directly into my brain in order to establish a neural link. Obviously, this is only possible because I am a servant. Before any other strides can be made, I must find a way to change this.”
And now, as he stepped closer to the wooden pedestal, sizing it up, Hector wondered how in the world a lantern might’ve been meant to address that problem. Or if it even was meant to. Maybe Abbas had pivoted and made something completely different.
That seemed unlikely, though. Knowing Abbas as he now did, that man did not strike Hector as the type to get distracted or change his mind very easily.
Monday, August 19, 2024
Page 3658
The branches directly in front of him shivered, then stretched themselves to create an opening for him--some to the point of even snapping apart and falling to the floor.
“Ah, geez,” said Hector as he moved through the hole, “don’t hurt yourself on my account.”
The branches formed a narrow tunnel for him, arching around the great orb until leading him over to it.
He remembered seeing Agrian, one of the forge’s two creators, standing here and working with it. This was the spot where the orb could open itself up and reveal its contents.
During all the time he’d observed Agrian using the Candle, he’d never seen this kind of overgrown state from the forge. He had to wonder what prompted it.
Well, clearly, even if Abbas succeeded in creating a powerful new artifact, some part of this must not have been intentional. Abbas wouldn’t have been trying to exhaust himself and end up unconscious. So perhaps all these vines and branches were merely the result of things going a bit haywire at the end.
It might also make sense as to why he’d never seen Agrian end up in a state like this. Agrian’s main problem, by Hector’s estimation, was that the Candle itself ended up turning on him. Over time, it simply refused to work for him, anymore. Its power never went out of control for Agrian, probably because the Candle never allowed the man much access to its power in the first place.
Hmm.
Thinking about it like that was a little exciting, Hector felt. And worrying, too. Because if that was correct, then it would mean that the Lord Abbas Saqqaf had already accessed more power from the Candle than Agrian ever did. In fact, given the state of things, Abbas may have accessed more power than even he himself realized existed within the forge.
He remembered Abbas telling him about the Candle’s “disposition.” About its gentle nature. Calm and warm with an affinity for flame, not unlike a crackling fireplace.
As a perfectly straight crevice appeared in the great orb and the drooping green vines all trembled around the opening glass, Hector had to wonder what Abbas might say about the Candle’s disposition now. If his opinion might have changed at all. Or if the Candle itself had changed, perhaps. That didn’t seem impossible, either, at this point.
He stepped through the opening and pushed away the vines in order to finally get a clear view of the object waiting therein.
It was entangled on a pedestal of branches, and he still couldn’t quite tell what he was looking at. Some sort of lamp? And was that a flame encased inside it? A lantern, then?
“Ah, geez,” said Hector as he moved through the hole, “don’t hurt yourself on my account.”
The branches formed a narrow tunnel for him, arching around the great orb until leading him over to it.
He remembered seeing Agrian, one of the forge’s two creators, standing here and working with it. This was the spot where the orb could open itself up and reveal its contents.
During all the time he’d observed Agrian using the Candle, he’d never seen this kind of overgrown state from the forge. He had to wonder what prompted it.
Well, clearly, even if Abbas succeeded in creating a powerful new artifact, some part of this must not have been intentional. Abbas wouldn’t have been trying to exhaust himself and end up unconscious. So perhaps all these vines and branches were merely the result of things going a bit haywire at the end.
It might also make sense as to why he’d never seen Agrian end up in a state like this. Agrian’s main problem, by Hector’s estimation, was that the Candle itself ended up turning on him. Over time, it simply refused to work for him, anymore. Its power never went out of control for Agrian, probably because the Candle never allowed the man much access to its power in the first place.
Hmm.
Thinking about it like that was a little exciting, Hector felt. And worrying, too. Because if that was correct, then it would mean that the Lord Abbas Saqqaf had already accessed more power from the Candle than Agrian ever did. In fact, given the state of things, Abbas may have accessed more power than even he himself realized existed within the forge.
He remembered Abbas telling him about the Candle’s “disposition.” About its gentle nature. Calm and warm with an affinity for flame, not unlike a crackling fireplace.
As a perfectly straight crevice appeared in the great orb and the drooping green vines all trembled around the opening glass, Hector had to wonder what Abbas might say about the Candle’s disposition now. If his opinion might have changed at all. Or if the Candle itself had changed, perhaps. That didn’t seem impossible, either, at this point.
He stepped through the opening and pushed away the vines in order to finally get a clear view of the object waiting therein.
It was entangled on a pedestal of branches, and he still couldn’t quite tell what he was looking at. Some sort of lamp? And was that a flame encased inside it? A lantern, then?
Saturday, August 17, 2024
Take one day
Just need one. Next page'll be on the 19th at midnight PST. Thanks for your patience, everybody.
Page 3657
Inside the tree again, he took his time. It wasn’t making him feel any different compared to outside, and now that he’d refreshed his armor to get rid of the goo, it was much easier to move around in here, too.
The overgrown branches were still a problem, though--even moreso now, because he was reluctant to cut a swath through them, in case they were in some way important to the Candle itself. Which reminded him.
“Uh. Hey there, Candle, um... sorry about before. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just trying to reach Abbas quickly.”
As ever, the Candle remained silent.
He hadn’t actually expected it to respond with noise, but some wiggling vines or branches wouldn’t have been out of the question. No such answer arrived, however.
Hmm. Was that a good or bad thing, he wondered? Because it seemed kind of bad.
Having spent so long inside that strange space with it, learning from it and about it, he felt a certain connection to it now. Granted, he hadn’t actually communicated with it since returning to the real world.
In fact, now that he was thinking about it, that moment when it settled down had been the first time. He’d been talking to it like crazy during that so-called “soul coma,” but ever since waking up, he hadn’t talked to it at all. He hadn’t even really tried, either. He’d just taught Abbas everything he’d learned about its operation.
Maybe that was a problem.
“Candle,” Hector tried again as he pushed through the opening in the branches toward where Abbas had been, “I’m also sorry that I haven’t been talking to you more during my visits. I hope you haven’t been unhappy here.”
Did Fusions Forges actually feel happiness or lack thereof? He had no fucking clue. It didn’t seem outside the realm of possibility, though.
There was still no response.
He neared the big glass globe at the center of the room. Vines were draped all over it, almost like curtains, to the point where he couldn’t quite see inside. He thought he spotted something, though, in between the gaps, but he had to get even closer first, which was difficult with the gnarled branches everywhere.
“...Did you and Abbas make something new?” asked Hector.
And at that, a shiver ran down the vines along the globe, as if a slight breeze had arrived from nowhere.
Huh. “...Can you show me?”
The overgrown branches were still a problem, though--even moreso now, because he was reluctant to cut a swath through them, in case they were in some way important to the Candle itself. Which reminded him.
“Uh. Hey there, Candle, um... sorry about before. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I was just trying to reach Abbas quickly.”
As ever, the Candle remained silent.
He hadn’t actually expected it to respond with noise, but some wiggling vines or branches wouldn’t have been out of the question. No such answer arrived, however.
Hmm. Was that a good or bad thing, he wondered? Because it seemed kind of bad.
Having spent so long inside that strange space with it, learning from it and about it, he felt a certain connection to it now. Granted, he hadn’t actually communicated with it since returning to the real world.
In fact, now that he was thinking about it, that moment when it settled down had been the first time. He’d been talking to it like crazy during that so-called “soul coma,” but ever since waking up, he hadn’t talked to it at all. He hadn’t even really tried, either. He’d just taught Abbas everything he’d learned about its operation.
Maybe that was a problem.
“Candle,” Hector tried again as he pushed through the opening in the branches toward where Abbas had been, “I’m also sorry that I haven’t been talking to you more during my visits. I hope you haven’t been unhappy here.”
Did Fusions Forges actually feel happiness or lack thereof? He had no fucking clue. It didn’t seem outside the realm of possibility, though.
There was still no response.
He neared the big glass globe at the center of the room. Vines were draped all over it, almost like curtains, to the point where he couldn’t quite see inside. He thought he spotted something, though, in between the gaps, but he had to get even closer first, which was difficult with the gnarled branches everywhere.
“...Did you and Abbas make something new?” asked Hector.
And at that, a shiver ran down the vines along the globe, as if a slight breeze had arrived from nowhere.
Huh. “...Can you show me?”
Friday, August 16, 2024
Page 3656
Raheem seemed relieved upon seeing Hector approaching. “Lord Goffe. How would you like us to proceed? I do not think my father would want us venturing in there without him, even if only to investigate what happened.”
“He told us endlessly how dangerous it was,” said Munir at Raheem’s side. Munir was much younger, though it hardly showed by appearance alone. “We should wait for him to wake up before doing anything rash.”
“We cannot just sit here,” said Jibril, the balding man on their right. He was even younger than the others--a great-great grandson of Abbas, as Hector recalled--and yet he looked older than everyone here. “Didn’t you see the state Worwal was in? They will be out for days, at least.”
Hector could understand their reticence, especially after seeing what had happened to Abbas, but he was already in agreement with Jibril here. “It’s alright,” said Hector. “I’ll go in first. I already have a... rapport with the Candle. Wait for my word before following.”
Raheem returned a nod. “As you say, lord.”
Munir seemed less certain, however. “And what if you also fall unconscious, Lord Goffe?”
“He won’t,” said Jibril. “He already went in there once to retrieve him.”
“Briefly, yes,” said Munir, “but we have no idea what prolonged exposure may do. If you are to go, lord, then you should not be alone.”
“Hmm,” hummed Hector. The man might’ve had a point. But Hector really didn’t want to put any of them at risk when the situation was still so uncertain. “Alright, here’s what I’ll do: I’ll go in alone, but I’ll keep a materialized orb hovering outside the door. As long it remains hovering, you’ll know I’m still conscious. Sound good?”
And Munir took a moment, but he nodded, as did the others.
Jibril reached into a pouch inside his robe and pulled out a radio, handing it to Hector. “This probably won’t be necessary, but take it just in case.”
Hector did so. And without further ado, he walked over to the open hole where the door used to be and reentered the tree on his own. Privately, he asked Garovel if he wanted to wait outside with the others, but the reaper refused, of course.
‘I actually feel safest inside this spiffy new armor of yours,’ the reaper told him.
Hector didn’t argue. Without knowing more about what they were dealing with here, it was anyone’s guess what the safest course of action really was.
“He told us endlessly how dangerous it was,” said Munir at Raheem’s side. Munir was much younger, though it hardly showed by appearance alone. “We should wait for him to wake up before doing anything rash.”
“We cannot just sit here,” said Jibril, the balding man on their right. He was even younger than the others--a great-great grandson of Abbas, as Hector recalled--and yet he looked older than everyone here. “Didn’t you see the state Worwal was in? They will be out for days, at least.”
Hector could understand their reticence, especially after seeing what had happened to Abbas, but he was already in agreement with Jibril here. “It’s alright,” said Hector. “I’ll go in first. I already have a... rapport with the Candle. Wait for my word before following.”
Raheem returned a nod. “As you say, lord.”
Munir seemed less certain, however. “And what if you also fall unconscious, Lord Goffe?”
“He won’t,” said Jibril. “He already went in there once to retrieve him.”
“Briefly, yes,” said Munir, “but we have no idea what prolonged exposure may do. If you are to go, lord, then you should not be alone.”
“Hmm,” hummed Hector. The man might’ve had a point. But Hector really didn’t want to put any of them at risk when the situation was still so uncertain. “Alright, here’s what I’ll do: I’ll go in alone, but I’ll keep a materialized orb hovering outside the door. As long it remains hovering, you’ll know I’m still conscious. Sound good?”
And Munir took a moment, but he nodded, as did the others.
Jibril reached into a pouch inside his robe and pulled out a radio, handing it to Hector. “This probably won’t be necessary, but take it just in case.”
Hector did so. And without further ado, he walked over to the open hole where the door used to be and reentered the tree on his own. Privately, he asked Garovel if he wanted to wait outside with the others, but the reaper refused, of course.
‘I actually feel safest inside this spiffy new armor of yours,’ the reaper told him.
Hector didn’t argue. Without knowing more about what they were dealing with here, it was anyone’s guess what the safest course of action really was.
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Next page on the 16th
Thanks for a reading, everyone. Hope you've been having a good summer. Or winter, if you're a Southern Hemisphere Enjoyer.
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Page 3655
When he finally reached Abbas, he confirmed that the man was indeed unconscious. Moreover, he saw that his reaper, Worwal, was right there alongside him, reduced to a formless puddle on the floor.
He knew it was not typically a good idea to move people with unknown injuries, but this was a servant and reaper, and he was worried that this environment could have been draining their soul power or something.
‘Sucking their souls out of their still-living bodies’ was how Abbas had once described it to him.
So he grabbed them both. With some vigor from Garovel, he hoisted the Lord Saqqaf over his shoulder and brought him and Worwal outside, where he laid them both down on the open grass.
He looked over and saw Raheem taking care of the fire as requested, having bounded up the tree like a leopard in order to smother the flames with the thick robe that he had been wearing.
Huh. Did the man not have a better way of dealing with fire? Ah, wait, no, that made sense. He recalled that Raheem’s power was also materialization, but it was potassium. If he’d tried to use that, it might’ve set the whole tree ablaze.
The man seemed to be managing just fine, though. Only a bit of smoke remained, and Raheem was already patting his blackened robe down. More Saqqafs were running up to the tree as well.
They’d set up an encampment for themselves not terribly far away, concealed by the edge of the Imara Forest. Abbas had wanted to stay close to the Candle but also remain hidden from any unexpected visitors.
The various Saqqafs divided themselves between the tree and Hector. He recognized one of Abbas’ granddaughters, Ghaliya, approaching first. She was a mature woman with only a few lines among her smooth features and a bit of gray in her otherwise brown hair. All in all, she looked older than Abbas, which must have been a strange feeling.
She asked after her grandfather’s well-being, of course, to which Hector had no real answers. She bade him carry them both over to the encampment, and Hector did so.
He did not stay long, however. Abbas seemed to be out cold, and judging by Worwal’s visibly concerning condition, the two of them would not be waking for a while.
For now, he wanted to check on the Candle’s condition. When he returned to it, he found the Saqqafs gathered outside, discussing their options.
He knew it was not typically a good idea to move people with unknown injuries, but this was a servant and reaper, and he was worried that this environment could have been draining their soul power or something.
‘Sucking their souls out of their still-living bodies’ was how Abbas had once described it to him.
So he grabbed them both. With some vigor from Garovel, he hoisted the Lord Saqqaf over his shoulder and brought him and Worwal outside, where he laid them both down on the open grass.
He looked over and saw Raheem taking care of the fire as requested, having bounded up the tree like a leopard in order to smother the flames with the thick robe that he had been wearing.
Huh. Did the man not have a better way of dealing with fire? Ah, wait, no, that made sense. He recalled that Raheem’s power was also materialization, but it was potassium. If he’d tried to use that, it might’ve set the whole tree ablaze.
The man seemed to be managing just fine, though. Only a bit of smoke remained, and Raheem was already patting his blackened robe down. More Saqqafs were running up to the tree as well.
They’d set up an encampment for themselves not terribly far away, concealed by the edge of the Imara Forest. Abbas had wanted to stay close to the Candle but also remain hidden from any unexpected visitors.
The various Saqqafs divided themselves between the tree and Hector. He recognized one of Abbas’ granddaughters, Ghaliya, approaching first. She was a mature woman with only a few lines among her smooth features and a bit of gray in her otherwise brown hair. All in all, she looked older than Abbas, which must have been a strange feeling.
She asked after her grandfather’s well-being, of course, to which Hector had no real answers. She bade him carry them both over to the encampment, and Hector did so.
He did not stay long, however. Abbas seemed to be out cold, and judging by Worwal’s visibly concerning condition, the two of them would not be waking for a while.
For now, he wanted to check on the Candle’s condition. When he returned to it, he found the Saqqafs gathered outside, discussing their options.
Monday, August 12, 2024
Page 3654
The red-hot blade cut through the solid wood and branches behind it, flying upward in one clean stroke and leaving a smoldering crevice in its wake. It went higher than he’d intended and gouged its way up through the rest of the trunk and canopy as well, but he was of no mind to worry about that, right now.
But apparently, Raheem was. “Lord, you set the sacred tree on fire!”
Aw, fuck. “Er, take care of that for me, please!” Hector pushed through the breach in the door with his armor and created a man-sized hole for himself. More branches barred his path, but they were similarly weakened and able to be walked through with brute force.
The branches were less dense near the great orb, instead replaced by an overabundance of snaking vines.
Vines which were moving, he noticed. They lashed against his armor, leaving behind a sticky residue that slowed him down--and stunk, too. It smelled so foul that he thought he might vomit. He choked as he tried to hold his breath and not gag, but then his eyes started to burn, too.
Thankfully, Garovel was still cozied up inside his armor from the flight over here.
‘Can you numb my sense of smell for me?’ thought Hector.
‘Uh. That’s an unusual one, but yeah, I think so. Lemme try.’
‘Pain, too, please,’ he said through his searing tears.
Then it was gone, and he could breathe again. He could also feel his throat and eyes tingling with a very familiar sensation that he felt whenever dealing with acid, but at least it didn’t hurt. It sure would later, though.
The vines were still being a problem, however. And now that he could breathe and think more clearly, he had an idea.
“Candle!” he shouted angrily. “It’s me! I know you can understand me! I’m not here to hurt you! Let me reach Abbas! I need to check on him!”
And it took a moment, but to his surprise, the writhing vines began to slacken and then settle down entirely.
He was still covered in goo, though, and had to trudge the rest of the way toward the Lord Saqqaf as if he were suddenly a hundred pounds heavier thanks to how sticky it was. He realized that he probably could have dematerialized his armor safely and then immediately rematerialized it, but he wanted to play it safe, just in case the Candle decided to go berserk again.
He also figured that he would owe it an apology after this, but that could wait.
But apparently, Raheem was. “Lord, you set the sacred tree on fire!”
Aw, fuck. “Er, take care of that for me, please!” Hector pushed through the breach in the door with his armor and created a man-sized hole for himself. More branches barred his path, but they were similarly weakened and able to be walked through with brute force.
The branches were less dense near the great orb, instead replaced by an overabundance of snaking vines.
Vines which were moving, he noticed. They lashed against his armor, leaving behind a sticky residue that slowed him down--and stunk, too. It smelled so foul that he thought he might vomit. He choked as he tried to hold his breath and not gag, but then his eyes started to burn, too.
Thankfully, Garovel was still cozied up inside his armor from the flight over here.
‘Can you numb my sense of smell for me?’ thought Hector.
‘Uh. That’s an unusual one, but yeah, I think so. Lemme try.’
‘Pain, too, please,’ he said through his searing tears.
Then it was gone, and he could breathe again. He could also feel his throat and eyes tingling with a very familiar sensation that he felt whenever dealing with acid, but at least it didn’t hurt. It sure would later, though.
The vines were still being a problem, however. And now that he could breathe and think more clearly, he had an idea.
“Candle!” he shouted angrily. “It’s me! I know you can understand me! I’m not here to hurt you! Let me reach Abbas! I need to check on him!”
And it took a moment, but to his surprise, the writhing vines began to slacken and then settle down entirely.
He was still covered in goo, though, and had to trudge the rest of the way toward the Lord Saqqaf as if he were suddenly a hundred pounds heavier thanks to how sticky it was. He realized that he probably could have dematerialized his armor safely and then immediately rematerialized it, but he wanted to play it safe, just in case the Candle decided to go berserk again.
He also figured that he would owe it an apology after this, but that could wait.
Sunday, August 11, 2024
Page 3653
“I’ll have another talk with him,” said Hector, making for the tree. He was wearing his darker armor with the standard gray iron coating that allowed him to still fly in it, but as he neared the entrance, he let the coating melt away with dematerialization. One of the other reasons for his semi-frequent visits to this place was to get Abbas to examine this strange new material. Thus far, results had been largely inconclusive with Abbas telling him to come back in a few days.
Haqq Najir, of course, had not stopped pressuring him to buy new, incredibly expensive scientific equipment in order to supposedly make that examination process easier. At first, Hector had thought the man was simply spouting lies in order to get some cool new toys to play with--and in fact, he still thought that--but given how much trouble even the Lord Abbas Saqqaf was apparently having with determining what this stuff was made of... well, maybe Haqq wasn’t completely full of shit.
He still wasn’t planning on blowing that much money on it, though.
He pushed on the door to open it, but it hardly budged.
Huh.
Strange.
Abbas had installed a modern doorknob and locking mechanism shortly after their discovery of the place, but this was the first time Hector had noticed Abbas actually bothering to use it, probably because he was always here, anyway.
He tried turning the knob, only to realize it actually wasn’t locked. It turned just fine, and yet the door still barely moved.
Raheem was approaching from behind. “Apologies. I forgot to mention that he seems to have barricaded himself in this time. We didn’t want to break into your property without your permission, lord.”
What the hell? Why would Abbas barricade the door?
This didn’t seem right. There must’ve been something else going on here.
Hector concentrated on what the Scarf could tell about what was going on behind this door.
Whoa.
“...He didn’t barricade the door,” said Hector. “At least, not with furniture.”
“Lord? What do you mean?”
“The room is overgrown with plants,” said Hector. “They’re everywhere.” He was trying to sense Abbas’ shape, but the chamber was such a tangled mess of branches and vines and leaves that he was having trouble.
Then he realized the other reason why it was so difficult.
Abbas was on the floor, not moving.
“Shit!” Hector took a quick step backward, gently pushing Raheem out of the way as he revved up a bladed disc into orbit around himself. He added heat to it, wanting it almost molten, and then he loosed it on the door.
Haqq Najir, of course, had not stopped pressuring him to buy new, incredibly expensive scientific equipment in order to supposedly make that examination process easier. At first, Hector had thought the man was simply spouting lies in order to get some cool new toys to play with--and in fact, he still thought that--but given how much trouble even the Lord Abbas Saqqaf was apparently having with determining what this stuff was made of... well, maybe Haqq wasn’t completely full of shit.
He still wasn’t planning on blowing that much money on it, though.
He pushed on the door to open it, but it hardly budged.
Huh.
Strange.
Abbas had installed a modern doorknob and locking mechanism shortly after their discovery of the place, but this was the first time Hector had noticed Abbas actually bothering to use it, probably because he was always here, anyway.
He tried turning the knob, only to realize it actually wasn’t locked. It turned just fine, and yet the door still barely moved.
Raheem was approaching from behind. “Apologies. I forgot to mention that he seems to have barricaded himself in this time. We didn’t want to break into your property without your permission, lord.”
What the hell? Why would Abbas barricade the door?
This didn’t seem right. There must’ve been something else going on here.
Hector concentrated on what the Scarf could tell about what was going on behind this door.
Whoa.
“...He didn’t barricade the door,” said Hector. “At least, not with furniture.”
“Lord? What do you mean?”
“The room is overgrown with plants,” said Hector. “They’re everywhere.” He was trying to sense Abbas’ shape, but the chamber was such a tangled mess of branches and vines and leaves that he was having trouble.
Then he realized the other reason why it was so difficult.
Abbas was on the floor, not moving.
“Shit!” Hector took a quick step backward, gently pushing Raheem out of the way as he revved up a bladed disc into orbit around himself. He added heat to it, wanting it almost molten, and then he loosed it on the door.
Saturday, August 10, 2024
Page 3652 -- CCCI.
Chapter Three Hundred One: ‘Gentle listener, prepare thy Path...’
Click to display entire chapter at once -- (mobile link)
Hector was anxious. At this point, it was starting to seem like the reports from Vantalay were being purposely designed to test his patience. The Rainlords kept saying that they would be returning soon. Soon. Always soon.
Apparently, they’d encountered another Vanguardian field marshal, this one named Graves, but things had worked out with the guy. It was nothing to worry about. Everything was under control.
Supposedly.
The more they told him that, the less inclined he was to believe it.
Not to mention, they’d consulted him for his opinion about an offer from the freaking Monster of the East--who’d apparently popped over there, too. But no, it was fine. Nothing to worry about. They hadn’t accepted that offer.
But now there was a new offer, this one from Graves. And they’d decided to stay a bit longer.
And Zeff was still missing, of course.
Ugh.
But what was he to do about any of it? He couldn’t justify leaving Warrenhold, right now. Not with Bloodeye still being a factor. While it seemed unlikely that another attack would arrive, they couldn’t simply assume that it wouldn’t. Especially if Bloodeye somehow caught wind that Hector had left the country. That might just provoke an attack all on its own.
Or at least, that was Garovel’s reasoning. And Hector found it difficult to disagree with him.
He hated feeling so powerless. So uncertain. He much preferred when Warrenhold felt like a place of comfort for him, not when it was starting to make him worried and stir crazy.
He could make some trips out to Lorent, though, especially to talk to Abbas about his progress with the Candle. The Sunsmith had been working on it whenever Hector visited--and sometimes looking exhausted to the point of collapse.
More than once, Hector had all but forced the man to take a break and have a meal with him.
“Thank you for doing this again,” said Raheem Saqqaf, one of Abbas’ many sons. “And I apologize for him. I know this must be a hassle for you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Hector. They were standing outside together on a grassy hill, a short distance away from the great tree that housed Cocora’s Candle. “How’s he been doing?”
Raheem looked toward the tree with a heavy breath. “He’s still hardly letting anyone into the workshop with him. For our own safety, he says. But he looks more haggard by the day. I am not sure he is even sleeping.”
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Hector was anxious. At this point, it was starting to seem like the reports from Vantalay were being purposely designed to test his patience. The Rainlords kept saying that they would be returning soon. Soon. Always soon.
Apparently, they’d encountered another Vanguardian field marshal, this one named Graves, but things had worked out with the guy. It was nothing to worry about. Everything was under control.
Supposedly.
The more they told him that, the less inclined he was to believe it.
Not to mention, they’d consulted him for his opinion about an offer from the freaking Monster of the East--who’d apparently popped over there, too. But no, it was fine. Nothing to worry about. They hadn’t accepted that offer.
But now there was a new offer, this one from Graves. And they’d decided to stay a bit longer.
And Zeff was still missing, of course.
Ugh.
But what was he to do about any of it? He couldn’t justify leaving Warrenhold, right now. Not with Bloodeye still being a factor. While it seemed unlikely that another attack would arrive, they couldn’t simply assume that it wouldn’t. Especially if Bloodeye somehow caught wind that Hector had left the country. That might just provoke an attack all on its own.
Or at least, that was Garovel’s reasoning. And Hector found it difficult to disagree with him.
He hated feeling so powerless. So uncertain. He much preferred when Warrenhold felt like a place of comfort for him, not when it was starting to make him worried and stir crazy.
He could make some trips out to Lorent, though, especially to talk to Abbas about his progress with the Candle. The Sunsmith had been working on it whenever Hector visited--and sometimes looking exhausted to the point of collapse.
More than once, Hector had all but forced the man to take a break and have a meal with him.
“Thank you for doing this again,” said Raheem Saqqaf, one of Abbas’ many sons. “And I apologize for him. I know this must be a hassle for you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Hector. They were standing outside together on a grassy hill, a short distance away from the great tree that housed Cocora’s Candle. “How’s he been doing?”
Raheem looked toward the tree with a heavy breath. “He’s still hardly letting anyone into the workshop with him. For our own safety, he says. But he looks more haggard by the day. I am not sure he is even sleeping.”
Friday, August 9, 2024
Page 3651
Taj reached out to his reaper. ‘Orolix? Where are you?’
‘I made it to the tunnel. I’m hiding. What’s your status?’
‘I’ve been captured by the locals. They’re talking to me, but I can’t understand their language.’
‘I see.’
And Taj waited, but the reaper said nothing more. ‘I sure could use a translator over here, Orolix...’
‘Hmm.’
‘Orolix...’
‘Taj.’
‘You’re not abandoning me, right?’
‘Of course not.’
And Taj waited again for elaboration which never arrived. ‘You’re abandoning me.’
‘I’m not. I’m tactically retreating in order to get help and rescue you later. So just hang in there until I return.’
Taj took a deep breath and sighed. The worm rider was still talking to him, and he was still not understanding a single word. He could see the other worm riders moving closer now, having apparently mopped up the Abolishers already.
Yep. He’d never learned the names of the Abolishers, but he could certainly recognize their faces, and now they were all stuck fast in moving prisons of worm flesh, just like him. They didn’t look too happy about it, either, with a couple of them shouting and yelling at their respective riders.
‘The locals have captured the Abolish servants, too,’ said Taj. ‘Orolix, if they can speak Hunese, they can lie to these guys and convince them that we’re in the wrong.’
‘Doubtful. I’m sure the Hun’Kui could tell who the aggressors were in that fight. You didn’t even attack anyone.’
The reaper was grasping at excuses now, Taj felt. ‘I don’t think these Hun’Kui will hurt you, Orolix.’
‘Better to not take the risk.’
The worst part was, he knew the reaper had a point. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but this was the safest course of action for them.
But not necessarily for everyone else. ‘If they take Ivan’s head from me and free him, it won’t be good for anyone. I at least need someone who can tell them not to do that.’
‘Mrgh...’
The group started moving in unison. Taj strained to see if any of the other reapers had been captured, but he couldn’t tell for sure. There were even more worms present than he’d first thought, and their hulking bodies were blocking much of his view. They seemed to be heading toward the big plateau, though, so maybe this wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
‘Okay, I’ll teach you a simple Hunese phrase you can say,’ said Orolix.
Of course. Taj just sighed again.
‘I made it to the tunnel. I’m hiding. What’s your status?’
‘I’ve been captured by the locals. They’re talking to me, but I can’t understand their language.’
‘I see.’
And Taj waited, but the reaper said nothing more. ‘I sure could use a translator over here, Orolix...’
‘Hmm.’
‘Orolix...’
‘Taj.’
‘You’re not abandoning me, right?’
‘Of course not.’
And Taj waited again for elaboration which never arrived. ‘You’re abandoning me.’
‘I’m not. I’m tactically retreating in order to get help and rescue you later. So just hang in there until I return.’
Taj took a deep breath and sighed. The worm rider was still talking to him, and he was still not understanding a single word. He could see the other worm riders moving closer now, having apparently mopped up the Abolishers already.
Yep. He’d never learned the names of the Abolishers, but he could certainly recognize their faces, and now they were all stuck fast in moving prisons of worm flesh, just like him. They didn’t look too happy about it, either, with a couple of them shouting and yelling at their respective riders.
‘The locals have captured the Abolish servants, too,’ said Taj. ‘Orolix, if they can speak Hunese, they can lie to these guys and convince them that we’re in the wrong.’
‘Doubtful. I’m sure the Hun’Kui could tell who the aggressors were in that fight. You didn’t even attack anyone.’
The reaper was grasping at excuses now, Taj felt. ‘I don’t think these Hun’Kui will hurt you, Orolix.’
‘Better to not take the risk.’
The worst part was, he knew the reaper had a point. It wasn’t exactly pleasant, but this was the safest course of action for them.
But not necessarily for everyone else. ‘If they take Ivan’s head from me and free him, it won’t be good for anyone. I at least need someone who can tell them not to do that.’
‘Mrgh...’
The group started moving in unison. Taj strained to see if any of the other reapers had been captured, but he couldn’t tell for sure. There were even more worms present than he’d first thought, and their hulking bodies were blocking much of his view. They seemed to be heading toward the big plateau, though, so maybe this wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
‘Okay, I’ll teach you a simple Hunese phrase you can say,’ said Orolix.
Of course. Taj just sighed again.
Thursday, August 8, 2024
Page 3650
He got a surprisingly good view of the action from this strange position. He couldn’t comprehend how this giant thing was able to move so fast with part of its body still coiled around him. It felt like speeding down the road on a motorcycle, and when yet another gallium boulder came flying toward them, the worm’s long tail surged forward and spiked it right back at the attacker like a volleyball.
They’d gotten close enough now for Taj to make out the look of surprise on the Abolish servant’s face just before his own boulder clobbered him. The rock dug into the road and stuck there, hissing with steam.
If the Abolisher was still alive under there, then he would probably need a while to recover and dig himself free, but apparently, he wasn’t going to get that much time.
A third worm appeared from over the line buildings along the right side of the street and went straight for the embedded boulder, coiling around it and smothering it. He could see another Hun’Kui riding atop it.
And Taj squinted, because he again found himself questioning what his eyes were telling him. A dark ooze emerged from the worm’s body, coating the rock and seeping down into in the road.
Was that the fabled sludge? It must’ve been. So even though these worms were smaller, they could still generate sludge like the bigger ones.
He was both fascinated and repulsed.
A string of explosions arrived from down the road, along with a flurry of flaming acid and flying material. They pelted the oozing worm that was presumably trying to retrieve and capture the buried servant.
Taj saw the new attackers. They were still rather far away, but they must have been the rest of the Abolishers, having finally caught up.
The attacks seemed largely ineffectual against the preoccupied worm, but they still did not last very long, as Taj saw worms with riders appear over the building and convene on the enemy. Within moments, the servants were being jackhammered into the ground and smothered.
It didn’t take much longer before they were restrained, much like himself.
And Taj was finally beginning to get the picture. These worm riders were some kind of peacekeeping force here. And clearly quite powerful.
The rider for his worm was talking to him again, this time with less intensity.
They’d gotten close enough now for Taj to make out the look of surprise on the Abolish servant’s face just before his own boulder clobbered him. The rock dug into the road and stuck there, hissing with steam.
If the Abolisher was still alive under there, then he would probably need a while to recover and dig himself free, but apparently, he wasn’t going to get that much time.
A third worm appeared from over the line buildings along the right side of the street and went straight for the embedded boulder, coiling around it and smothering it. He could see another Hun’Kui riding atop it.
And Taj squinted, because he again found himself questioning what his eyes were telling him. A dark ooze emerged from the worm’s body, coating the rock and seeping down into in the road.
Was that the fabled sludge? It must’ve been. So even though these worms were smaller, they could still generate sludge like the bigger ones.
He was both fascinated and repulsed.
A string of explosions arrived from down the road, along with a flurry of flaming acid and flying material. They pelted the oozing worm that was presumably trying to retrieve and capture the buried servant.
Taj saw the new attackers. They were still rather far away, but they must have been the rest of the Abolishers, having finally caught up.
The attacks seemed largely ineffectual against the preoccupied worm, but they still did not last very long, as Taj saw worms with riders appear over the building and convene on the enemy. Within moments, the servants were being jackhammered into the ground and smothered.
It didn’t take much longer before they were restrained, much like himself.
And Taj was finally beginning to get the picture. These worm riders were some kind of peacekeeping force here. And clearly quite powerful.
The rider for his worm was talking to him again, this time with less intensity.
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Page 3649
And before anyone could recover, an earthquake arrived.
From there, Taj lost track of what was happening. His feet no longer touched the ground. Rocks flew up around him. Something passed by his vision. A hulking thing, the size of a bus. And there was a loud voice in the air, but it was distorted as through a bullhorn, and he couldn’t make out what it was saying in the slightest. Whether that was because of said distortion or because the voice was simply speaking an entirely foreign language, he also could not tell.
But he did get plenty of time to think about it, because he abruptly found himself stuck fast, suspended in midair and unable to move any of his limbs.
He didn’t understand. Was this Abolish’s doing? It took a few more moments of futile struggling before he realized that he wasn’t merely stuck: there was something wrapped around him. Something huge and serpentine.
Something breathing.
It made a low noise, too. An almost clicking sound. Repeating, too.
Where had the alarm gone? He didn’t hear it, anymore. A new voice arrived, however. This one was much crisper, though he still could not understand what it was saying.
It was coming from above, which made him look up to see a Hun’Kui man there, sitting atop whatever this... hulking thing was. The man was shouting at him, and Taj had no idea how to respond, so he merely said nothing.
Then the aluminum maze that Taj had been building came crashing down as another gallium boulder flew through multiple walls.
Another hulking serpent appeared in Taj’s vision and blocked the flying boulder before it got any closer.
Taj still didn’t understand. It had blocked it with its body--and been no worse for wear, seemingly.
Then, finally, as he saw the boulder be quickly absorbed into the monster’s body, he realized that these were not serpents at all.
These were worms.
He’d never seen one before, but he’d certainly heard the stories. There were countless different types of them. The more infamous and terrifying ones were supposedly like gargantuan mountains of sludge, but these ones here, while still quite large, seemed much more normal. He could feel its coarse flesh against his own. It did feel rather sticky and gross, but it certainly wasn’t sludge.
The worm holding him began to move, and so he went along for the ride.
From there, Taj lost track of what was happening. His feet no longer touched the ground. Rocks flew up around him. Something passed by his vision. A hulking thing, the size of a bus. And there was a loud voice in the air, but it was distorted as through a bullhorn, and he couldn’t make out what it was saying in the slightest. Whether that was because of said distortion or because the voice was simply speaking an entirely foreign language, he also could not tell.
But he did get plenty of time to think about it, because he abruptly found himself stuck fast, suspended in midair and unable to move any of his limbs.
He didn’t understand. Was this Abolish’s doing? It took a few more moments of futile struggling before he realized that he wasn’t merely stuck: there was something wrapped around him. Something huge and serpentine.
Something breathing.
It made a low noise, too. An almost clicking sound. Repeating, too.
Where had the alarm gone? He didn’t hear it, anymore. A new voice arrived, however. This one was much crisper, though he still could not understand what it was saying.
It was coming from above, which made him look up to see a Hun’Kui man there, sitting atop whatever this... hulking thing was. The man was shouting at him, and Taj had no idea how to respond, so he merely said nothing.
Then the aluminum maze that Taj had been building came crashing down as another gallium boulder flew through multiple walls.
Another hulking serpent appeared in Taj’s vision and blocked the flying boulder before it got any closer.
Taj still didn’t understand. It had blocked it with its body--and been no worse for wear, seemingly.
Then, finally, as he saw the boulder be quickly absorbed into the monster’s body, he realized that these were not serpents at all.
These were worms.
He’d never seen one before, but he’d certainly heard the stories. There were countless different types of them. The more infamous and terrifying ones were supposedly like gargantuan mountains of sludge, but these ones here, while still quite large, seemed much more normal. He could feel its coarse flesh against his own. It did feel rather sticky and gross, but it certainly wasn’t sludge.
The worm holding him began to move, and so he went along for the ride.
Tuesday, August 6, 2024
Page 3648
And that was no trivial matter, because in every previous encounter, this enemy--whose name he still did not know--had used the splashing to conceal further attacks. The freshly melted gallium would be cool to the touch and largely harmless, but when they tossed some boiling hot gallium into the mix, too, it became much more difficult to simply ignore the splashing.
Not to mention, against Taj’s aluminum materialization--and many other metals for that matter--gallium had a corrosive effect. Normally, such corrosion required considerable time to take effect--days or weeks--but whoever was wielding it now was able to enhance its reactive properties, causing embrittlement to occur within seconds.
Taj knew they had to flee. These attacks were just from one of their pursuers, who’d apparently grown confident enough to not even bother waiting for their comrades to catch up. He could see the figure in the distance, surging toward them on a moving platform from far down the street.
Taj raised a large aluminum wall. It wouldn’t stop them, of course, but it would block their sight, at least. While there was only one enemy to worry about, their odds of escape were still good. He grabbed one of the others by the hand, shouted for everyone to follow, and began sprinting for the open tunnel.
Going in there was a risk. If it was a dead end, then they would be forced to fight their way back out again. So to help mitigate that danger, he raised more walls behind them as he ran, making sure to provide plenty of space between each one so as not to accidentally trap any of his kin.
He aimed to create a maze, to further obstruct the enemy’s vision. If it worked, then their pursuer might not even realize that they’d gone into the tunnel for quite some time, which was all they really needed, right now: time.
Great crashing sounds arrived from behind him, which was probably from his materialized walls getting destroyed. He thought he could hear even more than that, though, like that of buildings collapsing. He couldn’t afford to turn around and look, though. The walls were obscuring his vision, and even if something really important was going on back there, Orolix would warn him.
Before they could reach the tunnel, however, an alarm blared. Its ear-splitting pitch was enough to make Taj flinch and stagger, and he was not the only one. He could see his kin doing the same--and even the reapers, too, writhing in the air.
Not to mention, against Taj’s aluminum materialization--and many other metals for that matter--gallium had a corrosive effect. Normally, such corrosion required considerable time to take effect--days or weeks--but whoever was wielding it now was able to enhance its reactive properties, causing embrittlement to occur within seconds.
Taj knew they had to flee. These attacks were just from one of their pursuers, who’d apparently grown confident enough to not even bother waiting for their comrades to catch up. He could see the figure in the distance, surging toward them on a moving platform from far down the street.
Taj raised a large aluminum wall. It wouldn’t stop them, of course, but it would block their sight, at least. While there was only one enemy to worry about, their odds of escape were still good. He grabbed one of the others by the hand, shouted for everyone to follow, and began sprinting for the open tunnel.
Going in there was a risk. If it was a dead end, then they would be forced to fight their way back out again. So to help mitigate that danger, he raised more walls behind them as he ran, making sure to provide plenty of space between each one so as not to accidentally trap any of his kin.
He aimed to create a maze, to further obstruct the enemy’s vision. If it worked, then their pursuer might not even realize that they’d gone into the tunnel for quite some time, which was all they really needed, right now: time.
Great crashing sounds arrived from behind him, which was probably from his materialized walls getting destroyed. He thought he could hear even more than that, though, like that of buildings collapsing. He couldn’t afford to turn around and look, though. The walls were obscuring his vision, and even if something really important was going on back there, Orolix would warn him.
Before they could reach the tunnel, however, an alarm blared. Its ear-splitting pitch was enough to make Taj flinch and stagger, and he was not the only one. He could see his kin doing the same--and even the reapers, too, writhing in the air.
Monday, August 5, 2024
Page 3647
And to that end, that big fortress in the middle of the city might’ve been their best bet.
After a while longer of letting his thoughts stew in his own mind, he decided to make clear his intentions to the others.
None argued with his reasoning, not even the reapers.
Now they just needed to find a way up there. A materialized platform would certainly do the trick, but that would also make quite the spectacle. Taj didn’t want to resort to that just yet. There had to be a method by which normal citizens could reach that palace.
Or maybe not.
Even as they began to near the base of the grand plateau on which their new objective sat, they still did not encounter a single soul. The overgrown streets had ample space for enormous crowds, yet they remained entirely empty.
It made him uneasy. Perhaps they really had evacuated. And if so, why? What in the world had happened here?
Finally, something caught his eye at the base of the massive plateau. A tunnel. It was narrower than the street but still large enough for vehicles to enter. Perhaps it would lead them to a lift or staircase, though he already wasn’t looking forward to making such a trek on foot. That had to be, what? Two hundred meters? He’d seen skyscrapers that weren’t as tall as this plateau.
Oh, man.
Nothing for it, though. They had to go.
Before they could reach the tunnel, however, Orolix’s urgent voice rang out publicly. ‘Behind us!’
Taj turned just in time to see a steaming, car-sized boulder clobber one of his companions. He didn’t have time to panic, either, because he could already see another one coming for him.
Rather than trying to dodge, he instantly dropped to the ground and slapped it with his right hand, materializing a metal slope for the boulder to launch off of.
Which it did. It sailed straight into the rock wall of the plateau behind them and bounced off, leaving only a scuff mark behind.
Taj had grown quite familiar with such boulders over the course of this long chase. It was composed of the element gallium, which had a low enough melting point that the boulder couldn’t hold its shape for long here in the Undercrust.
Which might’ve seemed like a good thing, but it made these fights extra messy the longer they drew out, with liquid gallium splashing all over the place.
After a while longer of letting his thoughts stew in his own mind, he decided to make clear his intentions to the others.
None argued with his reasoning, not even the reapers.
Now they just needed to find a way up there. A materialized platform would certainly do the trick, but that would also make quite the spectacle. Taj didn’t want to resort to that just yet. There had to be a method by which normal citizens could reach that palace.
Or maybe not.
Even as they began to near the base of the grand plateau on which their new objective sat, they still did not encounter a single soul. The overgrown streets had ample space for enormous crowds, yet they remained entirely empty.
It made him uneasy. Perhaps they really had evacuated. And if so, why? What in the world had happened here?
Finally, something caught his eye at the base of the massive plateau. A tunnel. It was narrower than the street but still large enough for vehicles to enter. Perhaps it would lead them to a lift or staircase, though he already wasn’t looking forward to making such a trek on foot. That had to be, what? Two hundred meters? He’d seen skyscrapers that weren’t as tall as this plateau.
Oh, man.
Nothing for it, though. They had to go.
Before they could reach the tunnel, however, Orolix’s urgent voice rang out publicly. ‘Behind us!’
Taj turned just in time to see a steaming, car-sized boulder clobber one of his companions. He didn’t have time to panic, either, because he could already see another one coming for him.
Rather than trying to dodge, he instantly dropped to the ground and slapped it with his right hand, materializing a metal slope for the boulder to launch off of.
Which it did. It sailed straight into the rock wall of the plateau behind them and bounced off, leaving only a scuff mark behind.
Taj had grown quite familiar with such boulders over the course of this long chase. It was composed of the element gallium, which had a low enough melting point that the boulder couldn’t hold its shape for long here in the Undercrust.
Which might’ve seemed like a good thing, but it made these fights extra messy the longer they drew out, with liquid gallium splashing all over the place.
Sunday, August 4, 2024
Page 3646
‘You shouldn’t go touching strange materials,’ said Orolix, still wrapped in the echo of privacy. ‘These trees could be dangerous.’
He supposed that was true, but it was a bit late to be fussing over it. He gripped the tree a little harder. Yeah. Definitely felt like there was metal in there. ‘This town could be an even better hiding spot than we hoped for,’ he said, not taking his eyes away from the greenery. ‘All the buildings and trees will conceal us from the enemy.’
‘True,’ said Orolix. ‘But that may also make things much worse for the people here. If our pursuers have proved one thing to us, it is that they are not going to give up. If they truly lose track of us, I have no doubt that they will begin to tear this place apart until they find us again.’
Damn. Couldn’t really argue with that logic. And this group wasn’t exactly in a position to protect the hapless citizenry, either.
As they continued onward, deeper into the city, Taj wrestled with his uncertainty.
Agh. What should they be doing here? Hiding might work for a little while, but it clearly wasn’t a long-term solution. He tried to think. He’d had discussed their objective with Orolix repeatedly on the way here--just as the reapers had discussed it with each other--and it was clear enough that they needed to get topside again, but how were they to accomplish that, precisely?
The reapers knew of various great holes that led back up to the surface, but actually reaching them was another matter. Not to mention, the closest ones were also the most dangerous. There was apparently one that led up to the Swallow’s Nest in Egas, but did they really want to return to Sair, right now? Certainly not. That would be a death sentence, unless they somehow got confirmation that Egas had not been overrun by Abolish.
Furthermore, according to the reapers, the chances of finding a great hole that was not already under someone’s control were virtually nil. And since all of the holes that the Sandlords controlled could not be trusted, it was not going to be a simple matter to secure safe passage through one.
But he supposed that was a starting point, at least. If they were going to have to parley with or beg someone powerful in order to get back up to the surface, then the first task was to find such a person, no?
He supposed that was true, but it was a bit late to be fussing over it. He gripped the tree a little harder. Yeah. Definitely felt like there was metal in there. ‘This town could be an even better hiding spot than we hoped for,’ he said, not taking his eyes away from the greenery. ‘All the buildings and trees will conceal us from the enemy.’
‘True,’ said Orolix. ‘But that may also make things much worse for the people here. If our pursuers have proved one thing to us, it is that they are not going to give up. If they truly lose track of us, I have no doubt that they will begin to tear this place apart until they find us again.’
Damn. Couldn’t really argue with that logic. And this group wasn’t exactly in a position to protect the hapless citizenry, either.
As they continued onward, deeper into the city, Taj wrestled with his uncertainty.
Agh. What should they be doing here? Hiding might work for a little while, but it clearly wasn’t a long-term solution. He tried to think. He’d had discussed their objective with Orolix repeatedly on the way here--just as the reapers had discussed it with each other--and it was clear enough that they needed to get topside again, but how were they to accomplish that, precisely?
The reapers knew of various great holes that led back up to the surface, but actually reaching them was another matter. Not to mention, the closest ones were also the most dangerous. There was apparently one that led up to the Swallow’s Nest in Egas, but did they really want to return to Sair, right now? Certainly not. That would be a death sentence, unless they somehow got confirmation that Egas had not been overrun by Abolish.
Furthermore, according to the reapers, the chances of finding a great hole that was not already under someone’s control were virtually nil. And since all of the holes that the Sandlords controlled could not be trusted, it was not going to be a simple matter to secure safe passage through one.
But he supposed that was a starting point, at least. If they were going to have to parley with or beg someone powerful in order to get back up to the surface, then the first task was to find such a person, no?
Saturday, August 3, 2024
Page 3645
As they descended the steps and neared the edge of the city, Taj began to feel a change in the air. And smell it, too.
This familiar freshness. It wasn’t quite the same as being back up on the surface, but it was definitely much more comparable to it. Thus far, the Undercrust’s air had been, at best, stagnant and stale. At worst, it had been filled with deadly fumes that threatened to burn his eyes out of his skull and his lungs out of his chest.
And for a few of the others in their group, those fumes had succeeded in doing both. More than once, even.
But this place. This feeling. It was hard to call it comforting when the temperature was still so damn high, but after everything they’d been through lately, he couldn’t think of a more appropriate word.
If nothing else, it was certainly a welcome surprise. Almost like the city itself was inviting them in.
The first proper street that they found seemed to be empty. No Hun’Kui in sight yet.
That was both good and bad, Taj felt. Good because it meant no one was barring them entry and bad because it meant there were no crowds to hide in. They had to keep pushing. Acacero wouldn’t make for very good cover if they couldn’t find anyone.
Whatever had caused the city look like this, Taj prayed to the Eternal Oasis that it hadn’t made all the inhabitants evacuate.
‘Can you sense anyone in these buildings?’ asked Taj privately.
‘They are infused with ardor, so no,’ said Orolix. ‘And these trees are not helping, either. Everything is so clouded.’
Not what he wanted to hear.
The number of trees only seemed to be increasing as they continued onward. Denser and denser forest. Soon, he could see the root systems taking over the ground. Where before it had been only rock and pavement, now roots covered the ground.
And yet it was not entirely gnarled and uneven. The edges of the road were indeed so, but the middle remained perfectly smooth and flat. Maybe even more than before. Little saplings were sprouting along the edges, too, providing an extra line of illumination for the road.
In spite of himself, Taj slowed his pace a bit in order to inspect the wall of glowing trees more closely. And he saw something peculiar. Or thought he did, at least.
The lights made it hard to tell, but he could’ve sworn the bark had a slight sheen to it. The metallic kind. But there was clearly wood in there, too. He could see that much. And even feel it, upon reaching out and touching it.
This familiar freshness. It wasn’t quite the same as being back up on the surface, but it was definitely much more comparable to it. Thus far, the Undercrust’s air had been, at best, stagnant and stale. At worst, it had been filled with deadly fumes that threatened to burn his eyes out of his skull and his lungs out of his chest.
And for a few of the others in their group, those fumes had succeeded in doing both. More than once, even.
But this place. This feeling. It was hard to call it comforting when the temperature was still so damn high, but after everything they’d been through lately, he couldn’t think of a more appropriate word.
If nothing else, it was certainly a welcome surprise. Almost like the city itself was inviting them in.
The first proper street that they found seemed to be empty. No Hun’Kui in sight yet.
That was both good and bad, Taj felt. Good because it meant no one was barring them entry and bad because it meant there were no crowds to hide in. They had to keep pushing. Acacero wouldn’t make for very good cover if they couldn’t find anyone.
Whatever had caused the city look like this, Taj prayed to the Eternal Oasis that it hadn’t made all the inhabitants evacuate.
‘Can you sense anyone in these buildings?’ asked Taj privately.
‘They are infused with ardor, so no,’ said Orolix. ‘And these trees are not helping, either. Everything is so clouded.’
Not what he wanted to hear.
The number of trees only seemed to be increasing as they continued onward. Denser and denser forest. Soon, he could see the root systems taking over the ground. Where before it had been only rock and pavement, now roots covered the ground.
And yet it was not entirely gnarled and uneven. The edges of the road were indeed so, but the middle remained perfectly smooth and flat. Maybe even more than before. Little saplings were sprouting along the edges, too, providing an extra line of illumination for the road.
In spite of himself, Taj slowed his pace a bit in order to inspect the wall of glowing trees more closely. And he saw something peculiar. Or thought he did, at least.
The lights made it hard to tell, but he could’ve sworn the bark had a slight sheen to it. The metallic kind. But there was clearly wood in there, too. He could see that much. And even feel it, upon reaching out and touching it.