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Kernstalion 48: Battle of the minds
🕑 Added 2021-03-27 07:15:53 +0000 UTCAs I felt the cold wind blow around my privates, I shivered. How am I going to do anything like this?
Focus! You can create what you need here! The grumpy old voice snapped, shaking me from my worry of being naked and weaponless.
What do you mean? I thought, hoping it would reach the grumpy old Deity.
Who's old?!
I swallowed. Was this guy reading my mind?
Yes! We'll discuss you calling me old after we defeat this fake one. Now focus, imagine what you need, and it should appear.
Trying to stop imagining what might happen later, I focused on my first immediate need. With incredible clarity, an image of my first ax appeared in my mind, and almost immediately, I felt the familiar hilt slap into a hand. Looking down, I grinned at the ax. I hadn't realized how much I missed it, odd for an inanimate object. Summoning pants was a lot more difficult, but I eventually managed. I had tried to create armor, but somehow mixed jeans in, which resulted in a metallic armor with a denim exterior.
A massive roar precursed a strong gust of wind that bowled me from the trunk. Feeling my stomach purge as I plummeted down, I barely managed to cover my head before I slammed into the mud. Mind-scape or not, it hurt like the real deal.
Scrambling up, I saw the nature Deity was thrown back, a deep cut across his wooden stomach. It looked like a split in a trunk from an ax strike, and syrupy, greenish tree sap flowed from it. The metallic demon, now with two blade hands, rushed after the Deity, both blades ready to strike.
What should I do? That thing is four times my size? I sent to the Deity.
Are you dense? I've released you from all inhibitions in my realm. Almost anything goes! Imagine yourself bigger already!
I blinked. Seriously? Anything? I closed my eyes and pictured myself bigger. A feeling similar to falling came, and my eyes shot open. The tree trunks had shrunk a lot, and the metal demon looked almost like a child now. With a wicked grin, I ran forward.
I managed to intercept one of the blades a moment before it slammed into the groaning Deity. As soon as the blades hit my ax, I felt something push against my mind, and amidst a massive influx of images, I thought I could make out words.
You're small, weak! Stop pretending to be what you are not!
As the words came, I felt my body begin to shrink, as my arms felt powerless to hold back the ever-increasing pressure from the blade. The demon was interfering with my desire and imagination! I tried to ignore the words and started imagining myself big, strong, and full of energy. The shrinking and the weakness stopped, but I was now a little smaller than the demon and not growing again.
The demon slashed the second blade at me, its glowing red eyes, almost like night vision cameras, staring unblinking into mine.
Images flowed through the mind, and with it, the voice.
You can't stand. The soil is too soft. You feel your feet slipping.
The voice droned into my mind as the pressure returned, and my feet slid sideways. I barely managed to balance it with images of flat soil and taloned feet, gripping the wood and keeping my footing.
Angry and annoyed, I realized this wasn't as much a physical battle as one of the minds. It explained why those two had been moving so slow and odd.
You're too stupid to form two blades and use them! I sent back, showering the metallic demon with images of it striking its own blade while tripping up as it tried to wield both.
To my surprise, the incoming blade slashed into the mud, almost hitting the demon's own foot. With a mechanical whirring sound, it jumped back, its eyes on me as I felt the pressure build again.
Images of me suffocating because the air wasn't air, but water came, and I countered them with images of scuba masks and gills. I attacked with images and sensations of a tilting floor and massive concussive sounds. The Guidar just shook its head and a vivid image of insects crawling all over my body looking for a way inside struck me like a sledgehammer. The image was far stronger than the previous ones, and I barely managed to fix it by imagining my skin to be made of thick impenetrable metal. An image of my feet turning to liquid metal came immediately, and I wasn't in time to block it with an image of ice crystals forming.
Parts of my feet had melted, and before I could think of counter-attacking, another wave of images hit me. Something moved beside me, and I barely noticed the wooden Deity step forward, and the Demon's attacks on me faltered.
I prepared another attack when a sudden wave of images surged my way. They ranged from drowning to suffocating in space, my skin being aflame and doused in acid to shrinking to the size of a bug and being squashed. Not as vivid as the previous, they came so fast it felt like a torrent. I groaned as I tried offsetting them as fast as I could.
The Deity stepped between me and the demon, and the images abated while the Deity made an odd creaking noise.
Don't get his full attention, or you're done for!
Cursing as I reformed my feet, I shivered as I recalled the sensation of the acid rain.
Stepping forward, hidden partially behind the Deity, I continued sending out the most vivid and distracting images I could.
After a long time, the Guidar began backing up, its attacks weakening under the relentless assault. When it was finally huddled against a tree, all attacks stopped, and I could barely feel any resistance.
Did we win? I directed at the Deity, praying to Rathica that it was over.
Yes and no. I won. You were just here to distract him.
The grumpy deity's voice sounded less tired, laced with an energy that wasn't there before. As I watched, the rough, wood golem-like shape began sprouting leaves and saplings, and within a few moments, it was covered in a thick coat of greenery. Its head now sported a dark brown leafed beard with pinecones suspended in it. The storm around us wound down, the rain stopped and rays of light began peeking through the still thick thunder clouds.
A soft rasp emerged, then suddenly a voice like boulders rolling down a hill erupted.
"Ahhhh, that's better. Now let's wipe away this stain on reality!" Roots grew around the metal demon, wrapping it up into a bundle. A last, strained image of nimble wooden shapes, ripped apart and burning shot at the Deity. I saw part of it, probably due to proximity, and I heard the Deity let out a deep rumbling sigh.
"You will pay for what you did to my followers, Guidar… I will keep you here to suffer for as long as I exist."
As the Deity spoke, the roots dragged the bundle deep into the ground, and a second later a tree sprouted from the same spot. The massive green treant turned to me, and two glowing golden orbs stared through the leaves, inspecting me.
"You're weak, and poorly trained. How could your Deity send you into a lost realm? You should ditch it and become my follower. I'll make you more powerful than you are now!"
I blinked at the sudden offer before shaking my head quickly. "No, thanks. I like my Deity a lot, and there are mitigating circumstances."
The Deity examined me for a while longer before it snorted. "Mitigating circumstances indeed. Let's go back to my realm."
Light flashed in front of my eyes, and then I realized I was sitting on the ground, my hand on the wooden ankle of the golem. Instead of leaves, this one was unchanged, besides now having two arms.
The grumpy voice returned to my head.
I need to rest and regain my strength. Without any surviving followers, I am at risk of dissipating. You are here for seeds to make a life-pod tree? Fine, I'll grant you as many as you need, but in exchange, you will do something for me first.
A map of the surrounding area appeared in my mind, and I recognized parts of the Howling forest, the Harrowing Hills, and the sea around Sart.
Go into the world and find the remains of my people. They were called Nyrads once, although some called them Dryads. When the Guidar took my mind, I managed to strip a part of my followers of theirs, leaving only a vague image of me behind. Although not enough to help me regain my strength, their constant existence is what kept me as I am now. They will have reverted back to their original shape before I uplifted them eons ago.
An image of a vaguely familiar tree came to my mind. After a moment, it hit me. These were the massive trees that grew on the borders of the Harrowing Hills.
Listen, I can help you later. I need those pods now, or my own people will perish at the hands of the Guidar, I sent back. I tried adding images of what was happening on Earth, together with my fear and worry for the rest of humanity.
The Deity didn't speak for a while until finally, another image came. It was a map like the one Rathica had given me, with a dot in the middle, a massive forest, and a cross near the top.
I will give you one as a reward for what you have already done. It won't be enough for what you need, as my own existence and that of my followers must come first! You will also have to find it yourself as I have to slumber. The battle took much of my energy, and I need to suppress the Guidar more thoroughly. Find my followers, and when you do, tell them to wake in the name of Ulderion the Greenhaven!
As soon as I heard the name, it felt like something attached itself to my mind. I wasn't sure what it was, but it didn't feel malicious, more like a semi-conscious piece of knowledge.
I wanted to ask for more but felt a wave of finality come from Ulderion. It was obviously as far as he was willing to go.
How do I get to that seed? I asked, staring at the map, trying to gauge the distance between me and the cross. There weren't any distance markers, but by the size of the minuscule but detailed trees, it seemed within an hour's walk. I didn't see any indications of danger, but that didn't mean they weren't there.
Are you dense? The grumpy voice snapped, and the image of the map became even clearer in my head. Use this map. Just walk towards the dot until you reach it!
Are there any dangers in the way? I snapped back.
No, unless you count those other little Primes that are rummaging through my belongings… They better hope they have left before I wake up.
The last bit came with a massive wave of anger and promise of violence, and I shivered.
Now, git! All this talk is draining!
I hadn't realized how well I could feel Ulderion's presence until it just winked out, and I sat in the partially destroyed room with the unmoving wood golem, alone. A few careful sprouts were growing from parts of its previously smooth surface, but it looked like it would take a while before he resembled the green plant being I saw in the mindscape.
Getting up, I grabbed my ax and looked around for my bag, finding it amidst some rubble. With minimal effort, I could see the mental map, and I shook my head in wonder. Why didn't Rathica give me one of these?
Distant shouting came from outside, and I made my way through the hallway and down the staircase. As I walked to the opening, I didn't see any movement outside, and the wind and the storm seemed to have stopped. Besides the occasional shouting from far away, the quiet city around me was empty.
Stepping through the door, I scanned the area. Now that the storm had ended, I realized how destroyed everything was. Looking at the map, I took a few steps to orient myself until I saw what way the dot was. Turning to a path that led deeper into the city, I ran forward.
There was barely a building that remained standing, and many trees had cracks and tears across them. The further I ran, the weaker the shouting became. I thought for a moment to search for the Stonites but shook my head. They didn’t need my help, if I could even help them. Besides I didn't know if they would help me, or let me leave with the seed if I found it.
The trip through the destroyed city of wood took half an hour, and then I found myself standing in front of a small park. Encircled by a line of massive trees that had somehow blocked the park from most of the storm, it was partially intact. It must have once been a beautiful, restful spot, but now it was nothing more than overgrown, weed-infested undergrowth. It was dark as well, the trees blocking out the soft light that permeated the realm.
Climbing across two of the trees that had fallen and were blocking the entrance, I looked inside the shadowy area, looking for a seed.
I should have asked what the bloody thing looks like!
I sighed as I pushed my way through a thicket of dry weeds, heading towards the center of the park. Any paths had long since been covered up, and it took me almost as long to get to the center as it had to reach the park entrance from where I left Ulderion. The center was easy to recognize, though, as there was a small clearing, free of major bushes that surrounded an incredibly thick tree. Only five or so meters tall, it was just as wide.
Dwarf tree, I thought with a grin.
I examined the long willow-like branches that hung from a dozen massive branches that grew from the top and outward. They reminded me of dreadlocks, curled around themselves and seemed springy. The map said there was a seed close to me, and I moved towards the tree, scanning through its branches.
I stopped circling the tree when I saw a fifty-centimeter nut hanging from one of the main branches. It looked a bit like a massive walnut, but without the smooth skin.
Found yah, I thought as I looked for an easy way up. There wasn't one, and I ended up leaving my gear behind and climbing up a nearby dreadlock-like willow branch. It was hard going, the branch bobbing up and down, but having four arms paid off again. When I finally reached the top, I could reach the nut without much difficulty. It was even bigger up close, and wondering how I was going to lug the thing all the way back, I gripped it and tried to rip it free.
The tendril it hung from snapped, and suddenly I felt like the weight of the world was trying to drag me down. Holding tight with two arms, I had the massively heavy nut in my others as I was slowly dragged down along the long branch. My speed began picking up halfway, and I felt the palms of my hands heat up and blister.
I slammed into the ground so hard that my legs buckled, and the seed hit the ground with a slam. Sitting back, I stared at it with wide-open eyes.What the hell is wrong with these deities? Didn't they ever learn to warn people about things beforehand? I groaned.
