Octophobia
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Spire's Spite - Arc 2 - Chapter 64
🕑 Added 2024-12-15 02:00:03 +0000 UTCFritz let Bert lean on him. The man was heavy, but not too great a burden. They sloshed through the chest-high sea, towards their team who were in the ring of trees ahead, sitting and standing on the roots and carving into an eel, skinning it and splitting its length to get to its lightning stone.
"Those damn bolts. Everything aches," Bert grumbled as Fritz pulled him along.
"I know, I know," Fritz reassured.
"That's not the worst thing. No, not the worst thing," Bert grumbled.
"What is the worst thing?" Fritz asked, humouring his brother, letting him vent his frustration.
"The worst thing is how it turns your muscles weak, like a jellyfish," Bert groused as they reached the roots and the team amongst the trees.
"And leaves you all shaky," George added.
"It's painful," Toby stated. "And my hands are still a little slow after my shock."
"Well, we've left the eels behind, there shouldn't be much more of them. Far less likely to be struck again," Fritz said. "Do you see any around, Toby?"
"No, only this one chased us here. And I think that's because some leech blood dripped on us when Cal threw it," Toby explained.
"Sorry," Cal said.
"It was bound to happen eventually," Fritz consoled. "The first two throws were perfect, mistakes happen."
Cal nodded. "I'll do better next time."
"I'm sure you will," Fritz said. "Team, did we take any injuries?"
"Apart from what you saw yourself, Rosie got bitten which I've closed up already," Jane reported.
"Wasn't too bad, but it got me between the scales, the bastard," Rose said.
"Good, great even," Fritz said. "Glad no one was hurt too badly. George, how are you holding up?"
"Legs are still a bit stiff, but I can walk. And fight," he replied solidly.
"We'll take a small break then. I'll scout ahead," Fritz said. "Maybe we should have something to eat, regain our Stamina. Where are those fruits?"
"I propose we call them tingle fruits," Bert said as Cal proffered one of the more full sacks.
"Absolutely not," Lauren said.
"How about blood limes," Toby said.
Normally Fritz would have teased the man for such a needlessly morbid name, but it seemed to fit, the flesh and syrup did somewhat resemble an open wound dripping with gore.
"I'll agree to that," Fritz said. "Even if it is a bit grim."
"Boo," Bert complained, but he was the only one, most of the others were biting into their own blood limes and enjoying them. He soon joined them, chewing exaggeratedly.
"Hmm," Fritz hummed.
"What?" Rosie asked through a mouthful of red.
"I was deciding if I like them or not, they're very strange, sweet on the outside yet sour on the inside. It should be the other way around really," Fritz mused.
She just looked at him like he was mad.
"They're delicious," she stated.
It made sense to Fritz that she'd think so, these fruits were as close as one could come to confectionery without some baking and sugar. They must be divine to someone who had never eaten well. He decided he liked the fruits, though they were odd, especially the tingling.
"You're right," he agreed, taking another syrupy, sour bite.
"They might be even better if cooked into a tart or pie," Lauren added.
"Maybe I should take up baking," Cal mused.
"Maybe you should," Bert said. "Everyone loves a baker."
Fritz finished a third blood lime then washed his tingling hand.
"I'm off for some daring scouting. Toby, keep an eye out. Bert, you're in charge," Fritz said. He leapt onto the shadowed roots and cloaked himself in dusk.
Jane gasped, he'd forgotten she hadn't seen him pull this particular trick, it was getting rather difficult to remember who he'd told what with all lies he had spun. He shook his head, that would all have to be worked out later at the precipice, where they would all have to agree on some sort of story, were they to stay alive on the outside.
Fritz slipped from root to root and soon was through the ring of trees, standing before a small, still sea surrounding the titanic tree. The water was deeper here, he could tell that much at a glance. It was as clear as a plane of glass. He could see no great aberrant eel within, nor could he see the Stairway's entrance, though it had to be close. He pulsed his Door Sense and, even as close as he was, only felt a minute resonance.
Fritz counted that small signal as a win, the Door was here somewhere and they hadn't been led astray. Something he'd be happy to take full credit for. He didn't let this sudden elation distract him from the danger. Somehow he could feel it, the aberrant, its presence was an eerie feeling that coldly crept up and over his spine.
He searched the still sea for his foe, nothing stirred save the whispering leaves. Slowly Fritz traversed the edge of the ring of roots, keeping his eyes on the water.
Then he spotted it. Lurking deep below, an enormous lightning eel. It bore more than a passing resemblance to its lesser kin, though its discolouration and great size revealed its aberrant nature. Its scales were as dark as storm clouds, blending with the silt it lay upon. The Eel was as still as a stone, he would have thought it asleep if its glowing eyes weren't wide open.
Those bright silver-blue eyes stared into nothing, perhaps it was asleep and it merely didn't have eyelids. Many, if not most, fish, didn't. Now that he had come to the conclusion it hadn't spotted him, wasn't watching him, Fritz's rapid heartbeat slowed. He tried to gauge how big the creature was, it was at least twice the size of the other eels, it rivalled the armoured shark, at around thirty feet in length, though it had little of its width and none of its bulky plates.
What it did have was a sleek, unscarred body that positively hummed with hidden power. Having seen his foe, Fritz made to retreat, but his stomach lurched and his heart leapt in his chest when one of those glowing eyes locked onto his own. Lightning crackled through its silver-blue irises, and Fritz felt the Eel's hunger. Its pupil narrowed and he felt its hate as a cold, cruel spike right through his chest.
Dusksong chirped in mocking notes, and the aberrant noticed. Confusion mingled with disdain and fury in that great eye. Light seared Fritz's eyes as arcs of lightning burst from the eel, they split out and bounded all through the clear water of the basin, striking outlying trees. Roots sparked and were scorched by bolts of blue-white, loud cracking filled the air followed by plumes of white smoke that poured from the pale wood.
Fritz ran, leaping back and away from the beast's thunderous threat, for that was what this bright display was, a warning to all who attempted to cross its territory. To all who tried to escape before it itself could finally be free. How he knew all this, he couldn't be certain, in fact, he wasn't even certain if it were true at all, and was rather his own fears for himself attributed to the aberrant eel's actions.
It wasn't the time to muse on such things, he swiftly returned to his team, leaping and bounding, careful not to touch the sea.
He was greeted by muttering and whispering, obviously they had heard the Eel let loose its lightning and worried for his, and their own, safety.
"He'll be fine," Bert reassured, likely not for the first time.
"Indeed I am," Fritz professed, shedding his ephemeral cloak.
"See, told you so, "Bert said not missing a beat.
"What was all that noise?" Jane asked.
"Was it the aberrant?" Toby added, finishing the question.
"Correct, it was the aberrant," Fritz said solemnly, letting the silence that fell from his words stretch on.
"And!?" Lauren asked after some moments.
"And it was large and dark, and its lightning could cover the whole basin in which it dwells," Fritz explained. "Worst of all it guards the way out."
"Then we're doomed?" Cal asked morosely.
"No, not if I can help it," Fritz proclaimed. "You see. I have a plan."
---
The team took their places in the ring of trees overlooking the clear sea between them and the way up. Not one of them spoke or made a sound, they knew the plan, and they had their orders.
Fritz signalled and Cal threw the last of their leeches where he pointed. It soared through the air in a too-smooth tumble and splashed to the right of where the aberrant Eel lurked. For a moment Fritz worried that the beast wouldn't take the bait, but like its lesser kin, it couldn't seem to resist the call of its preferred prey's blood. It sped to the surface and its massive jaws closed over the leech. It gobbled all the black, rubbery flesh down in seconds, and with hungry eyes, it looked around for more food.
It raised its head and part of its long body above the waterline, turning its massive face slowly. It found nothing but an arrow, that clinked off its scales harmlessly. Throwing daggers, glowing red, glanced off its massive bulk just as ineffectively. The Eel hissed, searching this way and that trying to spot its assailants as they hid behind trees and out of sight.
Inwardly Fritz cursed, he had only expected the poisoned arrow to do little more than cut the creature, though it seemed even that was too much to ask for when pitted against the creature's steely scales.
Nevermind that, onto the next step.
He wove Lethargy into the Eel and it shuddered strangely, its eyes darting around with more intensity than they held before. Fritz signalled again, this time to Bert, who grumbled and strode out of the cover of the trees. He was wrapped in eel skin, covered head to toe in the stuff and as insulated as they could make him.
"Over here!" He cried. The sound came out muffled from his mostly hidden face, and the Eel turned its eye to gaze at him.
For three seconds it just stared, then it lunged, fast as an arrow. Its sinuous movement was startling for a creature of its size, but Bert was able to avoid its first bite with a leap backwards. The Eel followed with another snap of its jaws and it missed the man by an inch. The monster was within the ring of trees and roots so it was time to enact the part of the plan Fritz was most worried about.
"Now!" Fritz ordered, his heart pounding and hoping their idea would work.
The team threw glittering sticks at the beast and Bert stopped backing up suddenly. Bert sped forward, striking the Eels elongated snout with a combination of his Bull Rush and Concussive blow. The sheer force of the attack rocked the massive creature backwards and seemed to stun it for a moment before its scales glowed with terrible blue-white light.
Lightning arced in many bright tendrils, cascading off of trees, off of Bert's form and into the branches they had sewn with scales beforehand and thrown on Fritz's order. The lighting catchers floated on the water and absorbed most of the loosed energy. Some were set alight, but most merely glowed and sizzled. The burst of lightning left Bert smoking and shaking, but he could still move. The man charged again, slamming a fist into one of the Eels eyes, bursting it like a rotting melon. It screeched in agony, its cacophonous cries causing Fritz to wince.
"Go!" Fritz called out, motioning widely so his order was still clear even through all the noise.
George leapt and Sever screamed, cutting a furrow in the creature's middle. From the other side, fire flowed out in a torrent catching the dull scales and clinging on with a searing grip. Another terrible shriek hissed from the Eel and a spear stuck straight into the beast's left gill, adding a gurgling whine to its cries. Rosie joined the fray, jumping in with the bittersteel dagger and warpick in each hand. She landed on the beast's scaly back and sunk both her red-rimmed weapons into its hide, piercing the scales with ease.
The aberrant thrashed and shook her off in an instant, then it searched for the fire wielder, its eyes flashed with power and lighting bounded between its fangs. It found Lauren and she only had a split second to activate her ring, covering her in ice before a bright, white bolt leapt straight to her from the monster's mouth. The sound was louder than any of the bursts Fritz had heard previously, more a boom than a crack and it nearly sent him to his knees.
Lauren fared far worse than that, the armour of ice burst apart in chucks and steam. She herself was flung from where she stood and fell into the sea. She made no sound as she did so and Fritz was worried that she'd died from the strike.
There was no time to help her though, the Eel was conjuring another bolt in its massive maw. Fritz gripped the flame rod in his hand and waited, now that Lauren was unconscious, maybe drowning, he would have to fulfil her role.
The Eel turned its head to the next deadly threat, George and his mighty greatsword. The man had heaved himself out of the sea and back onto the roots, and was readying himself for another leaping slash.
"Rosie!" Fritz called out to the woman still scrabbling onto solid wood.
An invisible wave of almost-blue bloomed from her in an expanding bubble and the Eel's head snapped towards her violently as the energy washed over its head. There was another boom as another bolt was released. The lightning caught Rosie, but she was also bundled in eel skin. Thin smoke streamed from her, but she held onto the roots, frozen in place.
Again the beast began to gather lighting in its mouth as it was pelted with stones by Cal. Toby tried to disrupt the oncoming bolt with a throwing dagger, but it clattered harmlessly off its fangs, only succeeding in soaking some lighting. His face contorted in fear, and he stepped back a few paces. For a second Fritz thought he would flee, but Toby sprinted forward, stepped into a shadow and darted darkly to a point on the Eel's exposed back.
He stood upon the monster, his silver dagger glowed with white light and jagged red, while the wooden one, was slick with dark goo. He plunged both his daggers down and raked them through the aberrant's flesh, parting the scales like paper. The monster thrashed, and Toby was thrown off. There was a flash of light and the boom sounded.
Fritz uncovered his eyes and swiftly assessed who had been struck this time. He exhaled in relief, the bolt had shattered a tree rather than one of the team.
"Die!" George cried as he leapt for a second time, Sever and his sword shrieking through the air.
This time the Eel was ready and coiled itself backwards, swiping its tail at the man. Scale met the copper blade that was wreathed in white light, and with a splash the end of its tail fell into the water, having been sliced off cleanly by the wickedly sharp sword.
Blood poured from the wound, and the aberrant coated its scales in small arcs of lightning. Then it fled from the ring of trees. Or it tried to, it stopped suddenly and raised half its bulk out of the water like it was stretching for the sky. Its body shuddered violently and it began to writhe in place. Lighting leapt from its body erratically, striking aimlessly, though most of the errant bolts were absorbed by the scale-wrapped branches they had scattered.
George fled as fast as he could, his water shield activating reactively and protecting him from the worst of the damage. Toby was already on the root tops, having used his Shadow Slink to gain distance. And Bert, well Bert was fine in all his eel skin.
"Take cover," Fritz ordered. "Bert, find Lauren. Over there!"
His commands were followed and he himself hid behind the trunk of a tree as the Eel danced and lighting rained. Among the cracks and booms, there was a high whine, a scream of agony. Then it all stopped all at once, the Eel lowered its head, its entire length undulated. It opened its maw, but instead of blue-white light a black torrent of sticky sludge sprayed from it.
The team stared on for thee seconds, until the beast ceased pouring out the contents of its stomach. It looked around dully with its good eye, though that only lasted a second, as again it shuddered violently and more dark stinking, chunky liquid issued from its mouth.
It seemed the poisoned leech had worked and the raider's toxins had finally taken effect. Now to see if the other poison worked. Cautiously Fritz snuck into position, aimed the flame rod at one of the Eel's open wounds and activated the Treasure. Burning tar spat from the rod's tip and splattered the beast's body. The Eel shrieked and ducked under the waves to extinguish the fire, but it was too late, Fritz could see lines of orange ember stretching like veins under the dull scales.
Smoke began to pour from under Eel's skin, and even though the monster plunged deep into the water, the smoke still bubbled to the surface. It was as though the aberrant's blood had been turned to fire and it was being cooked from the inside out.
And that was fitting, because it was, due to one of the Raider's poisons. Specifically, the one that made blood flammable. He'd been unsure if it would work, but it had been worth a try. Very worth a try as it turned out.
Fritz grinned as the sea boiled. He watched the water, at first there were merely clouds of steam, but soon that steam formed a fog too dense to see through.
"We did it?" Bert asked, waddling to Fritz's side and setting down an unconscious, soaked, but still breathing Lauren.
"We did," Fritz said.
"Are you sure it's dead?" Toby asked as he joined with Jane.
"Not really, though I'm not sure there's much that could survive having their veins set to burn like oil," Fritz stated.
"I could," Bert boasted.
"No you couldn't," Toby argued.
"We'll never know, none of that stuff left," Bert said sagely.
"Where did you even get such a thing was it in a chest or something?" Toby asked. "I could do with a deadly venom like that."
"Don't you have Venom Strike? Why would you need an additional poison?" Fritz asked.
"Yeah, but you know you can never have too many poisons," Toby stated and Fritz almost agreed.
Lauren groaned.
"Nevermind all that, you two have another potion, give it to Lauren," Fritz ordered. "She may be fine, though I'm not willing to risk it."
Toby looked to Jane, his face a mask of worry. She slapped his arm gently and brought out a vial of red liquid and fed its contents to the unconscious woman.
After nine seconds Lauren awoke, and Fritz let out a long exhalation.
"Did we win?" Lauren asked.
"Yes," Jane said, smiling. Lauren returned the smile.
"Any potions for me?" Rosie asked, shuffling over. "I hurt all over."
"I'm afraid that was the last one. Though as you're up and about, I doubt you need it," Fritz said.
"Well done taking that lightning bolt," Bert said. "I'm starting to think that you're as tough as me and that's saying something."
"Hah, thanks," Rosie said, then spat a bloody glob to the side.
"Where's the Eel?" Lauren asked seriously. "Are we sure it's dead?"
Fritz pointed to the clouds of steam still spewing from the sea.
"If it could survive that we would have been in serious trouble,"he espoused.
"We were in serious trouble," Lauren stated rubbing her head. "I take it the poisons finally kicked in."
"Yes," Toby said. "Might have been overkill really," He added sadly.
"Definitely not overkill, that thing had to die and quickly. We couldn't risk it hiding and fighting off the poisons somehow," Fritz explained.
"True as the rain," Bert agreed.
"Anyone else hurt?" Fritz asked.
"I took a stray bolt at the end there, but it was weak," George said. "Nothing the Well can't heal."
"Speaking of, where's the Stairway?" Toby asked.
Fritz glanced at the man suspiciously, but he was sitting casually with an arm around Jane. Not about to try to head them off in some plan to rob them or leave them behind so they could spin some tale to the Nightshark. Still, it was best to be vague, just in case.
"Oh, somewhere in that tree," Fritz said with a wave. "Don't worry about it, it's not going anywhere. And we still need to scavenge what we can from what remains of the Eel."
The crew grumbled and groaned but they knew he was right. There was no way they could leave behind an Aberrant Seed.
"Who's up for a swim?" Fritz asked blandly.
They looked at the still boiling water and most scowled at the thought.
"Me!" Bert said. "Slap some of that gill-grease on me and I'll go take its Seed."
"Wait until it's cooled down," Lauren sighed. "I don't want to be wasting all my stamina to heal you because you leave the water as red as a cooked lobster."
"Fair enough," Bert said and all returned their gaze to the steaming sea.
"While we wait, how about some lunch?" Fritz asked. "Cal, some fried shark and perhaps some Eel if you would."
"Yes, sir," Cal said drily.
"Add the fruit, make sauce or something," Bert added.
Cal looked like he was going to argue something but Lauren spoke before he could get out whatever he had planned to say.
"That would be lovely, you can do that can't you Cal?" She asked with a strained smile.
"Of course," he said, grinning.
"Good lad, get on it," Bert commanded boisterously.
As they sat there and the sounds and smells of cooking filled the air, the sense that they had won, that they had succeeded slowly set in. Soon they were all smiling all chatting and once food was served they were eating happily.
The spite bore down on them and they ignored it, they had already beaten it. This spire had been conquered. Their triumph was true. All they had to do was Climb the last Stairway and then they were free.
Absently Fritz smirked up at the sky, at the sun and the spite.
"We won."
Comments
GregSandpaper
“All they had to do was Climb the last Stairway and then they were free.” Did he just jinx himself? Now it feels like they are going to have last minute trouble getting out, or exit and immediately find themselves in a mess with one or more of: the nobles from the well room, the guides guild, nightshark, or the raider’s team.
yohan gu
I liked the plan. Definitely not overkill, it’s good to hedge in case some parts of the plan fail, but wow, they have become quite deadly if they can prepare. And the flaming blood poison is nasty in the correct circumstances.
Malcolm Haynes
Tftc! Interested to see the rewards.
