Monsoon117
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78 Not as It Seems
🕑 Added 2017-11-09 21:24:16 +0000 UTCThe wind rushed past my face as the sand came closer. I reformed my armor, activating the Earth Glider skill. I sliced into the sand like diving into water. I shot through the sand, burning through it. The sand grazed against my sides, collecting heat over my armor. The friction built, my armor scorching me like a rope scraping your hand too fast.
With each stomp of my foot, a telekinetic burst detonated into the sand. Once I neared the surface, waves of sand erupted behind me in time with each stomp. As I flowed through the sand, a near deafening rumble came towards me. Using the unique skill Tactile Cognition, I used the vibrations to visualize my surroundings.
Even with my eyes shut, my sense of touch let me understand where the worm was coming from. Below me, a massive form shot towards me at an explosive speed. It was the King of Drikah. As it neared me, my ascendant mana roared in my bones. Sacrificing a chunk of my health, I empowered myself until my movement crushed the sand to fine powder.
The Drikah shot past me, missing by a few feet. The shockwave of his passing sent me flying. I flipped several times before finding the ground. I angled myself, slipping into the side of a dune. So far, so good. After another minute, the sandworm made another pass at me. Sacrificing a chunk of my health once more, I accelerated past his mad dash.
The Drikah flopped up and out of the ground once more. This time he belly flopped against the sand, detonating a titanic explosion. The shock wave passed through me, rattling my bones and destroying blood vessels. Blood spurted out of my eyes and gushed from my mouth. Even just being near the fucking thing was that dangerous.
Not letting the opportunity slip, I shot towards the monster before flying out of the sand. Like a cannonball, I collided with the monster and unleashed Volatile Carnage at my full strength. Even when I covered my ears, the thundering might of the blow left my ears ringing. The impact shot into the side of the worm, causing the flesh of it to bend.
The monsters tough hide rippled on the surface of its skin, a heated crater forming in it. The collision ruptured through the hide at the craters center, just large enough for my hand to be stuck. Before jerking my hand out of its hide, I dug my armor into the monster. As I jumped away, a chunk of the monsters flesh ripped out.
The Drikah roared, tossing its head back and forth. Killing it might not be as hard as I imagined it would be. Snapping like lightning, the Drikah whipped its head towards me. I dived into the sand and shot myself away. Before I escaped, another cataclysmic wave of force shot through me. More blood gushed from my mouth, ears, and eyes.
It wouldnt stop me. I still had 80% of my health left, despite all the damage. My body was made of tough stuff after all. I wasnt going to fight it head on right now though, so I evaded another of the monsters dashes. Before it came back, I flopped out of the sand like a dolphin coming out of the water,
I shouted, Come get me.
Althea brandished her wings, shooting off the cliff face. Hod leapt forward, gliding on his wings. I drilled towards them, trying to reach the rock wall. I sensed things squirming near it. Thousands of smaller worms writhed there, awakened by my presence. When I focused hard, the way they awakened became clear.
The monsters were stony, solid blocks before reverting to starving grubs. Thats why I hadnt seen or sensed them prior. They were identical to rocks when hibernating. Now fully awakened, they swarmed towards me. I wasnt worried. I expected as much from a boss this high level. I needed to keep my head cool and my pace level. Panicking would do me no good.
Easy to think, hard to do. The earth bending sound of the worm coming did me no favors either. The sound of flapping came into focus from overhead, so I shot myself out of the sand right towards the sound. Althea passed by me, gripping her talons into my shoulders like an eagle catching its prey. Behind us, Hod landed onto the sand, facing the worms.
I shouted, What the fuck are you doing Hod?
Hod yelled, Hod killing larva. Less larva, less Drikah. Less Drikah, better world.
I facepalmed before creating a gravity vortex in front of us. It helped pull Althea and me along, blasting a tunnel of wind at us. I stepped onto telekinetic pads to help turn us around as Althea flapped her wings like a crazed crow. We turned back towards the mountain, aiming to save Hod from his own lunacy. As we approached, Hod removed his gas mask. He spread out his arms and breathed in the toxic air.
The feathers lining his body sharpened and raised off him, puffing him up. His body expanded as his breathing grew rapid. The teeth underneath his jawline elongated and sharpened. The white of his eyes flooded with black energy, along with his talons and teeth, darkening them. The air around him sucked into his chest, slowly building him from a lanky bird and into a brute.
Hod slammed his hands together. In a deep, ragged voice, Hod roared, Hod now know where you hide, little larva.
He breathed deep once more, holding his breath as black drool leaked from his mouth. His talons expanded, drawing in the surrounding light as he dashed into the pack of monsters. He swiped towards the first larva, missing it because he attacked too soon. At least I thought he did. His blackened talons left streaks of darkness in the air that lingered like blotches of floating ink.
As the larva jumped towards him, the black streaks stayed afloat. Whenever the larva charged into the streaks, the black marks sliced them apart. The larva offered no resistance to the technique either. The perfect cross sections of the bugs could attest to that.
With grace, Hod weaved around his own black markings, continuing his onslaught. As he sliced again, the old markings disappeared behind him and new ones appeared where he sliced. He chained these formations together, utterly destroying the larva.
Within seconds, he butchered swarm after swarm of the insects. Here I thought we would have to save him. Instead of being a complete idiot, Hod turned into a total badass. As his rampaging continued, the rumbling of the Drikah roared in our ears. Time was running out, so I shouted over the chaos,
We need to get out of here. Hes got things handled.
Althea yelled, Yeah. Lets let him do his thing.
Hod tore two larvae apart, drinking the blood as he thundered, Hod will eat you filthy insects, just as filthy insects eat Hod Parents.
When we passed by him, he glanced at us then back towards the ground. Around him, a sea of gore and shredded bodies covered him and the sand. With no larva left to kill, Hod nodded in satisfaction before firing a hook into the wall of the mountain. He turned himself around, breathing out all the toxic air he had held in. His awesome, badass form melted into the thin, spindly Hod I was used to seeing.
Combine the blowback from his deformation with the hooks pull, and he bolted towards us like a racehorse smoking crack. Just as he gained speed, the sandworm cleaved the spot he was standing at. In typical Hod fashion, he ruined the epic performance in one fell swoop.
You see, he hadnt planned out his landing.
He slapped into the stone wall like a bird slamming into a window. Before he peeled off the wall, Hod lifted his face back and stabbed his beak into the wall. Relaxing himself, one of his arms hung by his side, broken and limp.
Sounding like he was holding his nose shut, he whimpered, Harbinger, lady friend, please help Hod.
Althea dived off the cliff before snatching him off the sheer face of the mountain. Once he was up with us, I ripped off a piece of my armor. After straightening it, I carved out a few runes real quick. After charging it with my mana for a few minutes, I took two more strips from my armor and walked over to Hod.
He whimpered, holding his broken arm. Tears of white poured from his circular, blank eyes. They evaporated into a fog as he turned to me, Hod hurt Hods arm.
He held it up to me, expecting something. Honestly, I dont know what exactly. Not wanting to betray his expectations for something, I frowned,
This is going to hurt really, really bad.
I grabbed his arm and jerked it into place. He howled before I pressed his arm against the straightened armor I made. Using the two other strips, I tied Hods arm in place.
The mana ebbed into his skin and bone, healing him through the power of the runes. It would take time, but making the splint out of metal ensured he wasnt getting rid of it anytime soon. Hod sighed in relief when the aura leaked into his arm. He turned up to me,
Hod thought Harbinger evil for second there. Hod thankful that Hod wrong.
I sat down, letting myself fall against the rocky ground. It cracked before I crossed my legs and leaned back. I propped myself up on my arms,
Alright Hod. First off, that was awesome. Second, what the fuck was it exactly?
Althea sat down on her legs, folding her wings together. Hod peered down, propping his splinted arm into his stomach. He glanced back up at me,
Hod sorry. Hod not want Harbinger and lady friend to hate Hod, so Hod hold secrets.
Hod peeked at the sand dunes, Hod parents were seekers. Hod mention to throw Harbinger and lady friend off track. Hod fail.
Althea and I looked at each other in confusion. Both our faces went blank as Hod continued,
Hod know it hard to believe when looking at Hod but Hod parents very deformed. Harbinger and lady friend may not believe it, but Hods parents even more ugly than Harbinger or lady friend.
Althea rolled her eyes before Hod gestured at the desert, Hod born of corruption. Hod born as part of world. Hod draw energy from air that corrupt world. Hod build himself into part monster. Hod hold it in. Hod let it out when job finished.
He scanned the dunes, Hod not like other seekers. Hod drink the corruption. Hod use it as strength. He turned to me, an almost sinister tone in his voice, Just like Harbinger.
A tense atmosphere passed. Hod stood, turning to us both. A second later, he shrugged, Hod think this true. Hod not know for sure.
I scratched the side of my face, sand falling out of my helmet, You sure it was inherited from your parents? That shit on the seekers looks more like cancer than eldritch.
Hod peered up, tapping the metallic plate covering his head. He raised the finger to the sky, Hod have one other guess.
He pulled off his cape, revealing a ragged, black long sleeve underneath. After taking the shirt off, he turned his back towards us. Across it, only a few feathers dotted his pale skin. A massive, intricate tattoo traced up and down his entire back. Beneath the tattoo, lines and lines of symbols were branded into his skin.
Hod think it could be this. This last message parents left Hod. Hod still not read it He turned to me, Ok, Harbinger force it out of Hod. Hod cant read. Too hard for Hod.
I stood up, shaking my head, I dont think this is a message.
I walked over and glanced closer at them. The tattoo and brand both had been done multiple times. Upon the scar, different textures and depths of scarring were used. Combine that with the several colors of the tattoo, and it looked like a puzzle more than language.
I nodded, Yup. This is what causes your transformation. This is like a variant of the eldritch runes. I gave Hod some space as he put back on his shirt and cape. I cupped my chin, Hod, can you tell me anything about your parents?
Hod shrugged, Hod know little. They die not long after Hod born. Parents not obey other elders. Parents disobey tradition. Village kill parents, throw them to worms. Hod angry, but parents tamper in dark arts. Parents write the language of ancients.
My eyes narrowed, Youre telling me they could write the eldritch runes?
Language of ancients, runes, Hod not know what it called. Hod do know runes evil. Runes brought cataclysm. Runes brought end. Now village suffer.
Althea turned from me to Hod, Does anybody, I dont know, remember more about that stuff?
Hod nodded, Elders do. Hod take you. Hod even put in good word for Harbinger and lady friend.
I nodded, Then lets go.
We passed through the tunnels of rock. More life thrived the cavern until we reached the massive chasm the Eltari called home. Once inside, we headed out towards the elders shanty shack. Just like before, the village greeted Hod with open arms. Based on what I heard, most seekers were isolated and treated as freaks.
Despite that, Hods personality had a way of disarming people. Even I was a victim of that. So were the elders. Jass, the only speaking elder so far, walked out of her shack. When she saw us, she raised an eyebrow,
You killed the Drikah?
Hod shook his head, Harbinger hasnt. Harbinger getting closer. Not why here though. Harbinger interested in history of village. Jass smartest elder, know the most about village. Jass help Harbinger?
Jass pursed her lips, her eyes narrowing, If I must.
I jumped up towards her, landing on a telekinetic pad that compressed my sides. I glimpsed at her, I just have a few questions.
We walked into the room full of other elders. The wheezing, sniffling, and medley of odors made the place less than pleasant. I was on a mission though, so I waited until Jass sat down on a cushioned seat that used old feathers.
I opened a palm to her, Why do you kill people who know the ancient ones language?
The old seekers looked at me from across the room. Several of them sharpened their gazes. Many of them kept drooling as they stared at nothing. Jass sighed, You ask questions that are hard to answer.
I waited for a real answer. She glanced up at the ceiling then back at me, Because the language caused the cataclysm.
I leaned towards her, How do you know that?
She glanced around the room like she was looking for a way out, It is a part of the legends told during mealtimes. The ancients discovered a language that could do things that shouldnt be done. They opened a doorway that should never have been opened. What came through that doorway obliterated them, leaving nothing but their precious runes behind.
She leaned onto her cane, Their dabbling destroyed our people.
I raised an eyebrow, So youre telling me you killed two seekers because of some myth?
Her eyes hardened, They both studied the language for ages. They ran experiments on living Eltari. On our people. They touted that they could create an Eltari immune to the corruption. They spoke lies about us being able to return to the surface safely. Our people have scraped by for many years by following our traditions. It is the exploration they so craved that caused the cataclysm.
I crossed my arms, Theres nothing that verifies that though. Youre basing all this on that one assumption. Thats like building a castle on sand. Its dumb.
She coughed into her hand while the other elders shifted in their seats. I held firm.
She stared daggers at me, We know it is true. We are not as primitive as youd like to think we are.
I rolled my eyes, Come on then, lets see it.
She glanced at the other elders. She bit her lip then walked over towards a mat made of straw. She kicked it aside, exposing a trap door. She tapped it with her cane, Look at it.
I walked over, lunging to one knee and landing on a telekinetic pad. The trapdoor popped open from redirecting the force of the lunge, and I caught the doorway with a hand. Within were stone tablets and a pile of garbage, including the gas masks the seekers used. I glanced up at her,
What is this?
She frowned, What remains of the ancients.
I turned back to the piles. Inside were yellowed paper manuals. Some of them revolved around farming in desserts. Others explained how to collect water. They all revolved around surviving a desert climate. On the dozens of tablets were incomplete markings of the eldritch runes. I leaned closer, tapping the edge of one.
I clanked my teeth, These are the tablets that Hods parents used.
Jass nodded, And theyre what caused the second coming.
I turned to her, The second what?
The second cataclysm. The sky turned from orange to red. The machines came once more.
I squinted my eyes, Machines what did the machines look like.
She bent over and took the tablet out of my hand, glancing at it as if staring somewhere else in time. She answered,
There were three of them that came. Two of them wielded violet spears, covered in blue armor. They were covered in a blue aura and armor, and they covered their faces with masks. No eyes or ears or anything.
I gritted my teeth as she continued, The other was a giant with enormous hands and covered in black, except the shining steel over it. It glowed and hissed as it moved, and it would lift its hands and bend anything it wanted too with just its fingers. It had several eyes over it, and it made the sky change with gigantic squares.
I shook my head, groping for possibilities. It had to be something else. I thought of all the eldritch Id faced, but none of them fit the bill. None of the monsters in the books Torix gave me matched her description either. The resemblance was uncanny, from the violet spear to the dimensional shift using squares. There was only one thing that either of those could be.
I whispered, Those machines They sound a lot like a sentinel and overseer.
Comments
Scott Rutherford
Awesome, great addition to their time there.. Na-na-naaaaa!!! (ominous) sounds like Schema is being a bad boy.. or maybe his minions are. I hope he gets some real training in that ancient language.
Stephen Emrick
I agree, it's a nice touch to any dungeon delver type story.
I like how you actually use stats in this story. In most story’s they really don’t do much.
Monsoon117
The runes for magic operate off of mana. The more mana, the more pronounced the effect. The 'eldritch' runes work by changing the space they influence. They alter the space into something else. If you wanted to create a room of lollipops and dandelions, you could with the eldritch runes.
Bob
Where does the energy come from for Runes or Eldritch Runes? Sometimes it reads like it's coming from the individual, sometimes it reads like it's pulling the energy from somewhere else. It would fit the character profile to attempt to fix the planet with self-powered eldritch rune O3/CO2/H2O atmospheric injector-concentrator. That... would look an evil black spiral cloud from mount doom. And would probably create a swamp.
Monsoon117
Man, I'm not gonna lie, I enjoy every single one of the lit comments you make. It's always refreshing just to see someone digging the story.
Monsoon117
Excellent ideas with the newtonian fluid and whatnot. Those kinds of skills will come with further evolutions of his armor and other stuff I can't spoil yet.
28th00
Urge to kill Schema: Rising. At least I assume so. Our Harbinger of Cataclysm seems to not take too kindly to them either. So how much more does he need for a 3rd Mythical skill? At least, I think he got his second... I need to find a skill list. Then he's gonna somehow magically merge them all into 1 Legendary one that grants a Class? This sounds... Incredibly difficult to do. Especially if you have to combine those leadership skills with the movement and combat ones...
Gabriel
Since Daniel seems to have total control of his armour as it is a part of him could he have the ability to change the basic structure of his armour ir slowly be able to do so? Such as turning the armour into something similar to a Non-Newtonian fluid so the more force the more resistance applied; giving him a skill that could reduce force of kinetic impacts? It could also allow him his armour to feel like more of an insane leather letting Althea to feel like she is actually touching a living being when in contact with him. Also could he change the structure of his armour to reduce friction to let him move more quickly above and under ground? That could work with his whole build and show fine control over his armour.
Zachary Smith
Lit love the mystery, diggin the story
Joshua Little
Thanks for the chapter.
Chakfor
Very nice chapter! Thanks
Louisthau
Perfect, a quickie just before going to bed!
Monsoon117
Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Focusing on adding meaning to this segment, and setting up the framework for stuff later on.
