Eric pressed the advantage his invisibility gave him by pushing his crystal into the monster’s bulk. One quick breath later, he drained mana straight from the monster’s body. He compressed it inside the crystal and then fired it. He blew off a large chunk of the monster, but the rest of it attacked him. One of the arms punched him in the stomach and then the tendrils raked his back.
He recloaked himself and put some distance between himself and the beast. Before anything else, he healed his injuries. The liquid mana provided plenty of fuel to keep him away from Death’s door. Next, he drew in enough liquid mana to fill the crystal to full capacity. Then he braced himself against a ruined vat. Finally, he took aim and fired a solid beam of high-grade mana that fried Mr.15's entire body and broke every vat behind it for several yards, drastically increasing the level of liquid mana on the floor.
Eric shuddered and fell to his knees. His Shadow Cloak unraveled as his spirit tired. His Air Disk dimmed as his support for it diminished.
Did that do it? Is it dead?
More vats cracked and mutated. Some were starting to stir and move. Dead and partially eaten clones stood up, mutated, and merged with the stone beneath them or each other. It was a chaotic primordial soup. It was so disgusting it made Eric throw up, and even his vomit mutated and started moving around on its own.
The Kierdos itself was regenerating. All around Eric, monsters arose from the same high-grade mana whose use exhausted him. He could regain his strength by drinking it instead, but it might turn him into one of them.
“Tasio! He –” He broke off. Tasio raised an eyebrow. “No, you’re not going to help me, are you?” Tasio shrugged. “Fine!”
He breathed deeply, felt the flush of mana re-energize him, and enacted his final plan.
First, he filled his crystal to the absolute limit with liquid mana. While it charged, he ran through the area to stay ahead of the clones, avoid the Kierdos, and dodge the living vats. When it was full, he moved to something solid and took aim; not at the head monster, but at a wall. Focusing all his willpower, he fired and broke through all the way to the outside. Fog and moonlight streamed into the chamber and illuminated the liquid mana on the floor.
He leaped for the new exit as tendrils attacked from all sides. The monster reached to stab him from four directions, but he deflected with his barrier; by projecting it at the right moment, it worked to smack the claws away. Then he jumped through the series of holes into the outside, with the Kierdos right behind him.
Breathing in the pure and undiluted Fog was the most exhilarating thing he'd ever experienced. Immediately, he felt full of energy as if he were fresh from a long rest. It was such heady stuff that he almost forgot about the monster chasing him. Instead, he spun about and grabbed one of the tendrils racing towards him. Grinning wildly, he pushed off the ground and yanked the monster forward and off balance. He himself landed on a rock outcropping and laughed bellicosely at the clumsy monster. Then it took its own breath of Fog and renewed power surged in its limbs. Eric fell on all fours to avoid its slimy claws.
Gotta get away!
He jumped aside as the claws lashed and tentacles struck. His Shadow Cloak was no longer any use. The Kierdos was empowered to find him by blood. It took another deep breath and charged. Faster than ever, the tentacles dug into his shoulders. Eric screamed as they reached deep enough to grab his left shoulder blade and wedge in his arm. Their grip was a vise.
Eric held his staff high and the crystal sucked greedily. Two more tendrils grabbed his legs. The crystal continued drinking. The remaining four dug into various parts of his body with un-resistible strength. He bit back a scream and retained his focus, even as he was reeled in. The monster licked its lips. The crystal crackled and arced with energy. Eric took aim.
“THIS ENDS NOW!”
He launched a beam so gargantuan it dwarfed the Kierdos and consumed it. The light was so bright Eric had to close his eyes, but he still heard the Kierdos howl as the beam vaporized it. When the crystal finally ran out of power, the monster’s body was gone. There was nothing left but scant ashes. Eric dropped to his feet and his legs shook, trembled, and finally collapsed.
No matter how he tried, he couldn't get back up again. Both his legs were cut open, his left shoulder broken, and his right arm nothing but deadweight. There were three deep wounds in his chest. On top of all that, he was just tired from all the fighting and mana recoils. No doubt the reason he was still conscious was the Fog he took in with every breath. Only when he realized that he was irredeemably stuck, did he notice the Fog crackling.
Everywhere he looked, lines of power sparked in the cloud of pure energy. It reminded him of a mana storm he saw in a desert. His eyes grew wide as his jaw dropped in horror.
“...Abyss...”
The Fog exploded.
Energy! Life! LIFE!!!! Change! In 1546 A.A., Pacsi Qualis wrote River through Aeneas! Limitless potential! HUUNNNGRRY! An electrical current can split a molecule of water into two hydrogen and one oxygen! Pain! Gravity pulls all things toward its center with a force of 9.4 lbs. per square inch, unless that thing is The Trickster! Carrots! Baoteee…sgheuheui...eegsdsssse…
Hovering above the world, Tasio watched his bestest friend mana mutate. Eric Watley was gone forever and in his place was a Grendel.
“It had to be done,” he told himself. “It had to be done.”
Chapter 15 Transformation
Hundreds of miles away and on the border of a higher place of existence, Kallen and Emily conducted a tea ceremony. They sat in the seiza position upon a layer of atoms and electromagnetism.
Both of them were attired in elegant kimono, styled hair with jewel pins, and artistic makeup, but the difference between them was nonetheless clear. Kallen sat solidly in the position and performed each aspect with grace. Emily fidgeted and showed her clumsiness in both word and action. There were several scorch marks around her and a lack of poise showed in her stress sweat.
Then, all of a sudden, Tasio appeared over the table. His teleport into this area disturbed the delicate air, knocking over teacups and scattering dango skewers. He paid no attention to anything, and most certainly not the proper introduction rituals. All he could see was his current chosen.
“Kallen! You know that thing we were talking that one time? It’s happened. I need you to go to the place and do the stuff so the other thing can happen and you can get what you want. It’s all going according to plan, but you need to move quickly.”
The host for the tea ceremony scowled. Tasio waved.
“Hi, Ligol, been a while. We should do something sometime. Bye.”
He disappeared, taking a cup of green tea and plate of dango with him.
Panic seized Kallen. In any other situation, she would have rushed away. Instead, she took a subtle breath to compose herself and focused on the immediate task. She placed her teacup on its tray in the requisite fashion and then inclined her head forward in a traditional bow to her host.
“I thank you very much for your hospitality, Lady Ligol,” she said, barely able to keep her voice even. “I appreciate you blessing this mere mortal with your time. Unfortunately, I must take my leave and attend to an urgent matter. I mean no offense with my sudden departure and I beg your forgiveness for my rudeness.”
Ligol, the Avatar of Lightning and Goddess of Electricity, nodded her approval. Extending her hand toward her guest, she unfolded it to reveal a miniature lightning bolt. Kallen was delighted at the sight of it, but kept her expression carefully neutral and spoke the proper words of thanks and humility. Shooting from the deity’s hand, it landed in the mortal’s crystal and formed a yellow sphere that orbited the white-grey central sphere.
Kallen arose gracefully and moved quickly despite her formal kimono. Emily said “Ditto,” struggled to rise, and stumbled repeatedly in her attempts to catch up with her boss. The electric bat hovering next to the goddess hissed in laughter and was discretely smacked by her paper-folding fan.
; “What's going on?” Emily asked breathlessly.
“Something awful and awesome; something dangerous and delicate,” Kallen replied. “It's much like the tea ceremony.”
Emily gave up and pulled up her skirt above her knee. A lightning bolt struck near her sandaled feet and she dropped the skirt, chastened.
“Are you still talking in poetry?”
“No, the meter would be off.”
She stepped into Albatross IX, started the engine, and then inserted her staff's crystal into a custom slot in the dashboard. As the ship came to life, she told Emily to plot a course for Ceiha and overruled her protests that they would fall out of the sky as soon as they arrived. Emily sighed and said, “Yes, Boss.”
Kallen herself retreated to the bedroom to find something more suitable for trekking through a forbidden zone. Tasio was waiting for her there, and in the guise of a handmaiden. In “her” hands was the mana-protection suit that Kallen used when investigating mana storms.
“Help me out of this and tell me what happened.”
“As you wish, milardy.”
Tasio untied the knot of her obi with both hands and then created a viewing screen made from two more that “she” morphed into a single mass. It showed Eric’s final moments with the monstrous Mr.15 and the aftermath of the explosion. Two streams of tears ran down her face as she watched the Grendel-Eric prowl like one more monster. She wiped them away along with her make-up as Tasio helped her into the protective suit.
Then the portal showed someone else: a girl wearing a black and red gown. She walked through a misty cavern with difficulty. A surge of energy implied she was mutating as well.
“Who’s that?”
“A pawn of the seventh rank. She’s almost a princess. Watch.”
A boom shook the complex and Zettai toppled over. Standing up again was a challenge, and not because of the layered skirts. She was feverish and sweating profusely. Just moving her legs underneath herself and pushing upwards exhausted her and she languidly walked to her destination.
When Mr.15 offered her power, she had no idea he meant injection with his magical blood. She'd never been in so much pain. Half of her body burned and the other half felt the ache and nausea of disease. She felt like crap, but when she arrived at her destination, she forced herself not to show it. She stood straight, held her skirts just so, and projected as much noble dignity as she could.
“Halt!” Kazuma challenged. “Identify yourself.”
She stepped forward and repeated in her head over and over again. Mr.15 is blood and I am blood, thus, I am Mr.15 and Mr.15 is me. Obey me.
“Identify yourself or we will kill you,” Kazuma warned.
Mr.15 is blood and I am blood! I am Mr.15 and Mr.15 is me! Obey me!
Kazuma nodded to Sosuke and the girl raised her ax for an overhead chop.
Mr.15 is blood and I am blood! I am Mr.15 and Mr.15 is me! Obey me!
Her left eye’s iris made the shift to one hundred percent red. It shined with Bladi light and this light was reflected in the eyes of the three clones. At once, they fell to one knee and bowed their heads.
“Mistress, we hear and obey. Please give us your orders.”
She extended her index finger and drew it across each of their necks.
“As you command, Mistress.”
Sosuke beheaded herself with her ax. Haru and Kazuma bashed their heads in with their staves. Zettai let out a sigh of relief and slouched, nearly falling to one knee herself. She pushed forward and unlocked the door with the same chant she used to control the clones. Inside, Vaya was face down on her cot and lamenting her latest failed escape attempt.
Zettai knocked on a wall.
The older girl looked up and asked, “Who are you?”
Zettai walked in and grabbed her arm, pointing at the exit.
“I cannot leave until I find Eric Watley. I gave my word and a lady must keep her word.”
Zettai yanked and tugged, but to no avail. The other girl was older and hale, thus stronger. After a moment’s brainstorm, she held up two fingers on each hand and mimed them walking towards each other and then pointed again to the exit.
“Eric is on his way to the exit and we’ll meet him there?”
Zettai nodded. Then a surge ran from her feet to her head. She winced and lost the strength to stand. Vaya rushed to her side and propped her up. With Zettai’s arm around her shoulder and her own at her waist, the two of them walked the hallways together. Zettai guided her to the exit, never erring. She avoided every trap and bypassed every security measure be it a locked door or a force field.
“How can you do these things?” Vaya asked. “I’ve lived here for years and I still get lost. I had to steal blood and coat my hands in it to get by.”
Zettai smiled wryly. She pointed at the blood leaking from her arms, pointed at her beating heart, and then to her brain.
“The Conversion Experiment!...You poor thing…”
Zettai shrugged.
Soon, her legs quit working, making her deadweight. Vaya had to carry her, and considering her own delicate frame, they made little progress. When the elder girl stopped, panting and sweating, Zettai pointed to a dazed addict.
Vaya nodded and did her level best to pull her across the corridor. Once her body lay over his, Zettai lay her left hand against his chest. The bloody hand created a crimson circle and her fingers sank into it until they closed around a pulsing organ. Mentally, she apologized and thanked him, then she pulled out his heart. Immediately, she took a bite and then another until it was gone.
This was a Bladi Restoration Technique: Source of Life Steal. A Bladi member exists in blood and their favorite meal is blood. Eating the source of another’s blood empowers them further. The heart of a creature pumping mana-saturated blood was better than Mana Juice to the young Bladi. By the time she finished, the light of life had left her victim’s eyes and he lay limp on the floor.
“How could you do such a thing?” Vaya asked, hands over her mouth in horror.
Zettai stood up easily and under her own power. Her eyes were bright and her body stable. She placed one hand on her chest and then held up a single finger with the other.
Vaya sniffed. “How rude. You may look like a lady, but you don't act like one.”
Zettai threw her shoulders back, raised her nose, held up her skirts just so with one hand, and walked away in that pose. Vaya groaned in an unlady-like fashion.
“When we get out of here, I’m giving you a lesson in basic etiquette.”
When they encountered clones, Zettai commanded them to die. When they encountered addicts, she commanded them to die as well. They too were experiments in overcoming his curse and pledged in his service, thus her service. Each instance horrified Vaya. She was about to puke after the second heart snack. Zettai offered her the third and she lost it.
The exit was not marked. It looked just like any other part of the wall. If Vaya did not have Zettai with her, she would not have believed it was here. The girl’s bloody right hand triggered the many runes locking it, warding it, and keeping it hidden. Thirteen spell diagrams appeared, turned, and then faded as the door opened.
“Most impressive. It is little wonder I never found it on my own.”
Zettai shrugged and walked outside.
Outside, visibility was poor. They could see a yard or so in any direction, but the Fog was too thick to see further. The ground was so saturated with it that it appeared to be alive. Zettai walked that treacherous ground in her stocking feet. The Fog shifted the landscape from smooth rock to sharp stone to frigid snow. When she crossed a patch of grass, it slashed open her stockings and ripped her skirt hem. She ran away with bleeding feet.
“Are you okay?”
Zettai scowled, then nodded. Now barefoot, she continued her journey.
A surge of Bladi magic rushed through her and radiated out. It constricted her chest more than the corset Mr.15 forced her to wear. She winced and clenched until it passed.
The Fog was everywhere. It swirled around her, through her, and inside her. From it walked three figures: one adult male, one adult female, and one young girl whom they followed.
“Don't walk away from us, young lady!”
“I've heard all that garbage before! Open your abyss-cursed ears and listen to –”
“Watch your language!”
“Don't interrupt me, you abyss-cursed hypocrite! I thought ladies weren't supposed to interrupt people!” Her father stepped up and slapped her across the face. “And that too! I thought ladies were delicate and had to be protected by the men in their life!” He slapped her again. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she looked up in defiance. “Do you have a twin brother or is this really the same man who grovels at the feet of the mayor's wife!?”
Her father threw her to the ground and kicked her. Her mother looked down on her in disappointment. The Fog blew away, the images faded, and Zettai moved on, but Vaya grabbed her shoulder.
“Is that true?”
Zettai jerked away and continued walking. She was so busy trying to forget the scene and ignore Vaya that she didn’t notice a monster.
It looked like a piece of rock with arms on every surface area except for its mouth. Four were used for walking and the rest for grabbing. It quickly spotted her eye-catching red gown and snatched her about her waist. More grabbed her limbs and neck to hold her still as it raised her to its mouth. She took a deep breath of Fog to trigger another power surge and through force of will channeled the excess through the arms and into the monster. It shrieked in horrendous pain as it blew up.
Zettai landed hard on her side. She bit her already bloody lip as she felt something break and then harder as the cursed Bladi magic tried to mend it. She panted in a daze, wondering why she had agreed to this in the first place.
A phantom of Mr.15 stood in front of a phantom of herself. She had just changed into the formal dress she wore now. The image of herself beamed and twirled in the finery. The sight made her shiver. She had been too weak to twirl, so Mr.15 used Bladi Puppetry to make her. That one act was worse than anything her parents did. No matter how they shouted, threatened, or struck her, they couldn’t control her body.
Looming Shadow: Journey to Chaos book 2 Page 42
