by A F Kay
Two tentacles slammed together, obliterating the clone, and Ruwen found himself back in his own body. The flowers all shook as a powerful breeze ripped through the air. He stole another glance at Tickles and his stomach knotted.
Tickles formed a circle with a tentacle, and a thin layer of water filled it. Another arm rose and shot something through the water, causing small spheres to form and float away. Hundreds appeared while he watched, and they sped through the air as if they floated on mighty air currents. In seconds, the orbs would reach them.
Either they acted as scouts, or they caused damage, but either way, it meant they’d run out of time. As long as Tickles had access to water, it would be impossible to stop the squid without destroying the valley.
“I need a distraction,” Ruwen whispered.
“Do you have a plan?” Sift asked.
Ruwen pointed north. “Run that way and make a lot of noise.”
Sift nodded and then dashed away. Sadness filled Ruwen as he prepared to implement his plan.
A few seconds later, a shadow crossed over him as Tickles followed Sift. Ruwen slid around the trunk of the flower, and when no tentacle smashed him, he focused on the stream seventy feet away.
Ruwen probably only had one shot at this, so he decided to err on the heavy-handed side. A level sixty essence rod would affect two miles of stone. That would leave a long enough gash, far enough down the valley, to drain the entire lake. At least that’s what he hoped. He would push the displaced ground to the south, away from the group, who stood on the north side.
The level sixty essence rod formed in his mind, and he dipped it in the Stone Meridian in his right thigh. Like a finger removing the last bit of honey from a jar, Ruwen scooped a deep gash through the ground, pushing the excess soil south.
The ground trembled, and Ruwen looked up at the peaks that surrounded them, praying he hadn’t caused a collapse. Since the movement was away from the mountains, he’d counted on it lessening the stress, not increasing it, and he breathed a sigh of relief when nothing fell.
Ruwen studied the new channel he’d created. It looked a hundred feet deep, and water poured into it from the lake. He looked downstream, and his heart thudded in his chest.
“Oh, no,” Ruwen said.
The prison bubble Tickles had used to trap them continued underground, and it acted as a dam, stopping the flow of water from the lake. Ruwen prepared another essence rod, hoping if he went deeper, he could get under the sphere.
A tentacle struck Ruwen on the side, shattering the bone in his arm, crushing his ribs, and throwing him high into the air. His mental island formed, protecting his mind from the pain, and allowing him to remain conscious. He cast a level twenty Thriving Trunk on himself, and then again as he struck the water and broke his spine.
Ruwen sunk into the lake, his lungs filling with water, but that felt like an old friend, and he relaxed. He cast his clone on the far shore as if Tickles had knocked him across the lake. Tickles would be ten times harder to fight in the water, and Ruwen wanted to avoid that while he figured out what to do.
In reality, they couldn’t fight the squid right now. Ruwen hadn’t been able to damage the creature, and it struck with the force of a giant. The Diamond level Aspect armor and Ruwen’s Copper body had stopped him from instantly disintegrating. Even with those advantages, his Silver arm had shattered. Tickles strength defied comprehension.
Tickles saw the clone and shot across the water. Ruwen ran the clone deeper into the flower forest and hid. He hadn’t counted on the squid’s prison being a sphere, and while he probably could overcome the water shield, he didn’t have the control yet to do it without destroying the entire valley and possibly his friends.
If that shield had the same strength as Tickles, it would take a mountain to overcome it.
A mountain.
Ruwen used the clone to study the mountains above him. The mountains to the north and west were sheer cliffs, but the southern peak contained a large boulder field.
Rami, I know you want me to figure things out on my own, but I’ve already misjudged, and I don’t want to strand us here. If I bring that southern peak’s scree field down onto the squid’s prison sphere, and it collapses, do you think I’ll bury the valley?
How much essence are you using?
Probably a forty.
That’s a thousand feet. Four hundred would be safer.
Okay, I’ll use a thirty-two.
Start high where the peaks meet and cross diagonally downward. That should spare the flowers on the eastern shore.
Thanks, Rami.
Ruwen let his clone dissolve and then swam underwater for the eastern shore and the new gash he’d created. He paused every minute or so to keep Tickles busy on the western side. He wanted to get out of the lake before he tried this because in the water, he stood zero chance against Tickles.
Five minutes later, he pulled himself out of the water, crawled behind a flower, and vomited the water out of his lungs as quietly as he could. Pulling himself up, he confirmed Tickles remained on the western shore, and then looked up at the southern peak.
Using a level thirty-two Stone essence rod, Ruwen raked it down the boulder field, just as Rami had directed. He saw the logic in it now. The stones farthest from the eastern shore would fall the longest distance, creating a larger rockslide, while the ones closest wouldn’t fall much at all.
Ruwen covered his ears as the massive rockslide echoed off the other peaks. Thousands of tons of granite struck the water prison Tickles had created. The squid hurried to the lake, its water umbilical surging in size as it fought against the weight.
Ruwen held his breath as three seconds passed, and the shield held. Then the water sphere exploded, and the boulders continued their slide to the lake. The roaring sound of water gushing into the gash Ruwen had created fought to overcome the noise of the crashing rocks.
Tickles raised a wall of water thirty feet thick and fifty feet high between it and the falling rocks. The rockslide struck the water wall and tore it apart, thousands of stones turning the water structure into a mist. A moment later a giant wave hit Ruwen, throwing him deeper into the forest.
The sound of rushing water subsided, and Ruwen crawled back to his feet. Tickles floated at the mouth of the new ravine Ruwen had created, all of its tentacles moving. The water had stopped flowing, as Tickles used his control to hold the water back.
The southern side of the lake lay buried in rock. Rocks continued to fall, creating huge ripples in the lake, and mist still filled the air from both the prison sphere and the water wall. Tickles floated in what looked like an epic sea storm.
Ruwen needed to stop Tickles from saving the lake. Otherwise, this all meant nothing. For the first time, Ruwen got an excellent look at the squid. Small eyes sat on each side of the bulbous head, and they were both locked on Ruwen. As soon as Tickles fixed the hole Ruwen had created, none of them would survive.
Ruwen had one trick left. He fed a level one hundred Spirit rod to his Aspect. Tickles, briefly locked in place and unable to use its speed to escape, took the full brunt of the Aspect armor’s fear.
The squid shuddered, and all its legs stopped moving. It tumbled forward as the lake surged down the gash again, pulling Tickles with it. Ruwen, scared Tickles would recover before the lake drained, used a level forty Water essence rod to force the lake down the ravine more quickly.
Water surged over the gash Ruwen had created, filling the valley, and he prayed his friends were high enough off the ground to avoid it. It took Ruwen another two surges with his Water essence to drain the lake. Terrified Tickles might still return, but not seeing him in the ravine, Ruwen pulled the stone down at the valley’s entrance, locking the squid out and them inside.
Chapter 42
Ruwen didn’t need to defeat Tickles. He just needed enough time to create the portal and get out. Not wanting to waste any time, he created a clone on the northern bank of the deep ravine and searched for the group. W
hen he spotted them, he immediately destroyed the current clone and manifested another next to them.
Ruwen looked at the group, thankful they were all there. “Move to the lakeshore. I don’t know how much time we have.”
They all nodded, and Ruwen let the clone dissipate. He immediately ran north through the giant flowers, looking for Sift.
“Sift!” Ruwen shouted, but Sift didn’t respond.
Rami, can you help me find Sift?
Give me a moment.
Ruwen’s ear itched as Rami vibrated intensely.
I found him, Rami said.
Ruwen’s right side grew a little heavier, and he angled that direction until it disappeared. Thank you.
Sift lay unmoving between two large flowers, and Ruwen kneeled, immediately casting a heal on his friend.
“Thank you,” Sift said as he sat up. “Tickles is not gentle.”
“I washed him out of the valley, and I’m not sure how long we have.”
“Then let’s go.”
Ruwen put a hand on Sift. “I want to add the portal piece to you now. If the women see it, they’ll try and stop us.”
Sift sighed. “True.”
“Take off your shirt and let me borrow Io.”
Ruwen hadn’t had a lot of time to think about it, and he had no idea what to expect. But the roots seemed like the only appropriate option.
Rami, what do you think about using roots?
I agree. The roots are a conduit for the plant and even shaped like a path. It must not be as efficient as a natural connection, though, or Uru would have just done this with you. There is something you should warn Sift about. Right now, he is a true Sifter. For every connection he makes to his center, he’ll lose fifty percent of his Sifting ability.
I’ll tell him.
Ruwen refocused on Sift. “We think this is your best option at a connection between your center and Air Meridian.”
“We?”
“Rami and I,” Ruwen said. “She also said if this works, your sifting will only work half as well.”
Sift winced.
“Do you still want to do this?” Ruwen asked.
Sift nodded.
Ruwen used his hands to dig in the ground and found roots just inches under the soil. Most of the roots this close to the giant flowers were the thickness of his arm, and he had to search for smaller ones. He ended up with two sections, each four feet long, of pinky-sized roots. Using Io, he cut off the plant shoots that covered the roots like thorns.
Sift had taken his helmet and shirt off, and his face looked worried. “You plan on using that?”
“Yes. I’m cutting the shoots off so a flower doesn’t burst out of your chest.”
Sift’s eyes grew huge. “That might happen?”
Ruwen shook his head. “No.” Then quieter. “Probably not.”
Sift grimaced.
“Lay on your back,” Ruwen said. “This will probably hurt.”
Ruwen threw the roots over his shoulder, lifted Sift’s left arm into the air, and gripped Io tightly. Io penetrated Sift’s skin easily, and Ruwen quickly made a deep cut from the left bicep, just over the Air Meridian, to diagonally across Sift’s chest to his center.
Sift gasped, and his hand tightened into a fist, but he didn’t complain.
Ruwen placed Io on Sift’s chest and then studied Sift’s twelve-sided center. Each side had two small stubs, and Ruwen put his finger on one.
Rami, does it matter which of these sides I use for the Air Meridian?
Rami vibrated again. I don’t know. But if we want to match yours, it’s down two and back one from where you’re touching.
Thanks, Rami.
Ruwen grabbed the roots and used Io to carve an indentation in the end of each root.
“Take your time,” Sift said through gritted teeth.
“Sorry, buddy, I’m hurrying.”
Ruwen attached the roots to Sift’s center and then pushed the roots into Sift’s body as if burying them back in the soil.
Sift groaned.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Ruwen said.
When Ruwen got to the Air Meridian in the left bicep, he cut off the excess root and made indentations in them again. The two pathways that currently emerged from Sift’s Air Meridian immediately knotted. Ruwen severed them, and pushed them to the side.
Ruwen stuffed the end of each root into the nub of path poking out of the Meridian and quickly studied what he’d done. Two roots now connected Sift’s center with his Air Meridian. They would both need to work as pathways for Sift’s Air Meridian to work and allow him to Refine Spirit and collect Air essence.
Satisfied, Ruwen healed Sift, and his friend relaxed as the skin melded back together.
Sift looked down at his chest, the darker roots visible through his skin. “Did you clean those before sticking them in there?”
“Um, kind of.”
“What kind of Healer are you?” Sift asked. “You could have taken a second to wash the dirt off.”
“The lake’s gone,” Ruwen said as he helped Sift to his feet. “I’ll explain on the way. Please take it easy. I don’t want those to come undone.”
Sift dressed, and as they strode toward the group, Ruwen explained the fight with Tickles. It didn’t take Sift long to figure out the consequences.
“What about Shelly?” Sift asked.
Ruwen prepared himself to lie. His stomach turned, but he forced out the words. “I haven’t had a chance to look. I’m sorry, Sift. I couldn’t think of anything else to do.”
Sift nodded but remained quiet, and his falcon helmet hid his face.
They joined the group which had gathered under one of the blossomed irises. Their faces all looked worried.
“We need to hurry,” Hamma said. “There’s a fight happening on the other side of that wall.”
Had Ruwen uncovered another creature when he’d sealed the valley with a rock wall?
“I’m going to look for Shelly,” Sift said, and then dashed toward the ravine.
Ruwen almost stopped Sift’s pointless search but realized doing so would reveal Ruwen’s lie.
“What’s he talking about?” Lylan asked.
“He left Shelly near the stream before we started,” Ruwen said.
Lylan’s eyes grew large. “I’ll help him.”
“Me too,” Hamma said.
“Don’t take too long,” Ruwen yelled as they jogged away. His lie had already caused problems. The last thing he wanted right now was to split the group.
A crash sounded in the distance, and Ruwen felt the earth shake. He dropped into a level two meditation state to help him deal with the fear and allow him to focus. Striding to the nearest undamaged flower, Ruwen placed his hands on the thick stem.
“Form a perimeter,” Kaylin said to the group. “We might have to fight.”
A boom echoed off the peaks above them. What was happening on the other side of that wall? He briefly thought about creating a clone to see.
Focus, Ruwen. Rami said.
Yes, thanks.
The iris had responded strongly to essence before, and Ruwen didn’t want to waste time. He created twelve level one hundred essence rods, one from each Meridian, and bound them together in his mind. The Spirit in his core had varying amounts of each essence, but the bundle he’d just created had a perfect balance. The power from just one of the twelve rods would be enough to affect everything within twenty miles. He wondered if maybe he should start smaller.
Ruwen stumbled as the ground shook, and he decided not to waste any more time. He pushed the bundled essence into the flower.
It shuddered, and the teardrop head angled down slightly. Ruwen stared at the plant, stunned that this vast amount of power had done almost nothing.
Ruwen created twelve more essence rods, each ten times bigger than before. He combined the level one thousand essence rods and shoved them to the plant.
The plant shook, and the teardrop split apart but didn’t bloom.
Ruwen ignored the frenzied battle sounds from down the valley and created a third bundle of essence rods. These were all level ten thousand. Without his interface, he didn’t even know if he had enough essence to coat each rod. He had never handled this amount of power. If the scaling continued as it had from one to a hundred, then this much power could affect an entire continent.
With a silent prayer to Uru, Ruwen pushed the essence into the flower.
The teardrop head moved in a slow circle as if it were searching for the sun. When it found Ruwen, it stopped and then bloomed. Ruwen stepped away as the petals unfurled like a sail catching the wind. The scent of grapes and jasmine filled the air.
Ruwen immediately removed the Portal Chalk. Even with all his newfound control, his hands still trembled as he touched the chalk to the petal. Everything depended on this working.
When Tremine had visited Ruwen in Blapy’s library, they had discussed the gate runes Bliz had seen after sticking his head inside his Void Band. Ruwen and Tremine, after some discussion, had concluded Bliz’s gate runes led to Uru’s Divine Realm. Ruwen knew from what Madda had said in the Cultivator’s tent, that the only way back to the Material Realm was through a Divine Realm. All the other gate runes Ruwen knew were for the Material Realm and, therefore, useless.
What if Tremine had betrayed Ruwen again? What if the librarian had purposefully misled Ruwen about these gate runes? But why give Ruwen the portal chalk then?
“You going to use that?” Kaylin asked her voice tense.
Ruwen didn’t have a choice, and he still wanted to believe Tremine was his friend.
Pressing the chalk against the petal, it resisted, and Ruwen grinned. All the gate runes he’d seen here had been similar in size, and he used them as a guide. Carefully, he began drawing the five gate runes he’d gotten from Bliz. The ones the crew chief had seen when he’d stuck his head in his Void Band.
