Allia cried out and dove to the side as the blast went forth. Ichini dodged the surging plasma in time to avoid being swept up with the swarm of insects. Some were vaporized, others lifted and splattered against the walls.
Mencari too had taken aim, blasting at the shelled beasts with his hand-phaser.
Helpless, Dozaren cried out, “Where are they coming from?”
“The holes in the wall,” Allia yelled.
Before she could protest, Seigie charged and threw red gems toward the openings, gasping as she let them fly. Her shriek filled the corridor as they collided in midair. The resulting explosions blew apart insects and stone alike. Sections of the wall and ceiling collapsed, sealing off the holes.
Allia sliced to ribbons a few stragglers that drew near. Beetle carcasses heaped along the walls.
A few survivors turned and skittered back into the darkness.
“See,” Allia said still glowing.
“So your allies can telegraph their power onto you. Until I see you project your own energy, you’ve proven nothing,” Zuri said.
“There’s nothing about any of this in the scrolls,” Dozaren said, panicked.
Vamel shook his head. “We’re beyond the scrolls now.”
“Let’s continue,” Zuri said after a moment. “They’re only vermin, and vermin can be dealt with.”
“Just be alert,” Mencari cautioned. “It’s all surprises from here on out.”
* * * * *
“Dead end?” Mencari inspected the debris of a cave-in that blocked their way forward.
“No, I think I can get through,” Allia said, bending down to look through the gaps while holding Seigie’s glowing diamond.
“What if there’s more of those beetles in there?” he asked.
Before he could react, she and Ichini scurried through the largest opening.
“Allia, be careful!” he called after her.
When she didn’t respond, he knelt and peered inside. The crystal’s glow descended farther away, then suddenly disappeared.
“Allia?” he called out.
His voice echoed, then nothing.
“Allia!” he called again.
Allia cried out.
“Are you okay?” he blurted, and jammed himself into the tunnel. Ignoring the sharp stones and crumbling dirt in his face, he followed the shrinking tunnel down and around a bend. An eerie glow poured through a wide opening ahead.
“Allia?” he called out.
“I’m fine.”
“Why did you yell?”
“I just fell a few feet farther than I expected out of the tunnel.”
He reached the opening.
“Careful, it goes down farther than you think,” she said playfully. “Otherwise, it’s beautiful here.”
Peering out, he saw the glow came from a sea of shimmering crystal. A weave of stalactites and stalagmites created an obstacle course that filled a rough-hewn tunnel.
“Rhysus?” Seigie called down the tunnel.
“She’s okay,” he yelled back. “And Seigie—you’ll love this. Can you make it through?”
A groan echoed through the tunnel.
* * * * *
“I told you,” Mencari said.
Seigie stared in awe. “This must have been an underground river or aquifer at one time.”
She thought she could spend years studying the beautiful formations and crystal types that glittered all around her.
“What could make them glow like that?” Mencari asked.
“The walls and ceiling had something that made them glow.” Seigie looked around. “Perhaps the water dissolved those compounds. As the crystals formed, it would be natural for them to coalesce with other minerals.”
A few feet away, the stony ground was covered in a cream and caramel-colored layer of crystal shell. Where it broke, cauliflower-shaped formations filled the holes. Carefully making her way over, she saw splashes of color mixed in small patches.
One cluster of color called to her. Excited, she leaned over to grab it. Pain shot through her body; a moan escaped her lips.
“Are you okay?” Mencari said.
“Tunnel crawling, throwing crystals, standing, sitting, messages from the past,” she chortled. “Today has been a bit much.”
She stood, both hands cupped around an aqua gem shaped like a giant tear.
“A cave pearl,” she said, entertained. “I’ve never seen this color though. So beautiful. I’ll bet this whole area was flooded for a long time. Probably caused the cave-in of the corridor too.”
A rustling came from the tunnel. When she looked back, she saw Zuri’s red aura beam through the entrance. The light refracted through the crystals and cast a crimson twinkling throughout the cavern.
“Dozaren is heading back to report our challenges,” she said gruffly.
“That’s probably a good idea,” Vamel said.
“It’s because he’s too fat to fit through the tunnel. And too cowardly to stay there by himself.”
Seigie saw Vamel’s pained expression.
Hostile to the end.
“Over here!” Allia called. “The other side of the corridor picks back up here.”
Seigie studied the cave pearl another moment before putting it back down. “I’ll collect more of these on the way back. It’s not like these are going anywhere.”
* * * * *
“More?” Vamel shouted and pinned himself against the wall to allow Zuri’s blast to sweep up an approaching horde and splatter them.
Mencari focused his energies, turning into a beacon like Zuri. Ahead, he could see other beetle creatures digging tunnels, while others hauled the carcasses of their dead brethren away. It seemed vague yet familiar.
“This is a like a big ant colony,” he said.
As they drew closer, they saw a dramatic difference in the worker beetles. These were slimmer, with slightly broader pincers. As Mencari drew near, the worker versions continued their tasks, ignoring him.
“Only the bulkier ones seem to attack,” he said to the others.
“I’m going to scout ahead.” Allia trotted off with Ichini. Mencari was fast learning that there were times she’d listen and times he needn’t bother. The latter was such a time now. It was much like another obstinate member of his team. He hoped Naijen’s influence wouldn’t push her in the wrong direction.
No doubt she’d gotten her confidence back. Perhaps because she saw so well in the dark, and felt most comfortable in cavern-like environments—just like her home.
But something more appeared to be afoot. She’d been using D’mok abilities far more than he’d ever seen her use them before. All the training in the mines with Naijen appeared to be paying off. Yet, why would she so use them now with such aggression? Perhaps Zuri’s taunts brought out a competitive side to the girl?
In this latest encounter, she attempted to create a projectile of energy. But just as it took shape it flickered and disappeared. It wasn’t an easy skill to master, and Allia was far younger than he was when he learned it.
Small footsteps rapidly approached from ahead.
“Rhysus!” Allia called out. “You’re not going to like this.”
* * * * *
“Are you kidding?” Mencari peered around the corner, making sure he remained concealed in the shadows. Patches of glowing wall illuminated a monstrous beetle with multiple segments, and tentacles that belched eggs. Worker beetles scooped them up and carried them into side tunnels. The beetle-beast mother sat atop a large stone slab, covered in green goo that appeared to ooze from its underside.
“Could that be where we need to go?” Allia asked.
“Then we need to get rid of it,” Zuri hissed as the corridor lit up as if ablaze.
“Wait!” he said, too late. A number of flaming comets streaked from her hands. The attack harmlessly bounced off the creature’s scaly armor instead striking the egg-toting minions.
Its shriek sounded angry to Mencari’s ears, and it was fo
llowed by a river of warrior beetles flooding in from countless holes in the walls. The team prepared to strike. This time Vamel too glowed.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Zuri sneered while blasting a pack of about a dozen beetles.
Vamel manifested a hand-sized plasma ball. “You’re not the only one with many talents.”
“Oh don’t strain yourself, that probably won’t even hurt one of them,” she said and released another attack.
“Your arrogance is ugly.” He unleashed his attack.
Mencari saw the streak end in a brilliant explosion on the cavern’s far end. The area shook, and the stony ceiling collapsed, crushing the incoming beetles. The tunnel was also sealed.
The beast mother shrieked again, picked up boulders with her long tentacles, and flung them toward the group. Scattering, they dodged and dashed around the corner to safety.
“We need to take out those arms!” Vamel shouted.
Seigie charged three red gems, and flung them around the corner. Before they even left her hands, she shrieked and collapsed against the wall. Mencari and Vamel grabbed her stony arms and dragged her back around the corner, farther into the safety of the corridor.
The red gems exploded, but nowhere near where he thought they would. The beast must have deflected them before making contact with its body.
“I … I just need a moment,” Seigie said, defeated.
“You can’t keep doing that,” he scolded.
Allia’s radiant body glowed with a brilliant white as she dashed around the corner with Ichini.
“Wait!” he cried, too late to stop her.
He rounded the corner, dropped to his knees and laid cover fire, switching between his phaser and more completely charged D’mok blasts. While some sizzled the tentacles, they didn’t penetrate them at all. Like Zuri’s attack, any that struck the beast simply ricocheted off its shelled body.
Then he noticed Allia’s speed. Like before, her radiant body left a streak, Ichini’s too, as they crisscrossed the beast’s body, bounding from wall to wall, slicing the tentacles off with the Flower Blade, and clawed paws.
Their attack ended with a combined attack on a section of shell just below the beast’s neck. It cracked loudly as they bounded off it.
“They didn’t even penetrate it!” Zuri said, peeking out around the corner.
Each of the beast’s tentacles flailed along the ground, with more green goo pouring from the neck area. Mencari followed the girl and her companion around the corner to safety.
“Good job,” he said.
“Too bad Naijen wasn’t here to see that!” she said gleefully.
“We still have to take it down.”
“Well, I think the rest of the shell might be able to block our attacks, but that broken area shouldn’t work as well now. I think if we combine our attacks it might work if we hit there.”
“You mean if we combine our attacks,” Zuri said. “I have yet to see a blast from you.”
Mencari saw that spark in Allia’s glowing eyes. That’s that look!
Was it determination or anger? Maybe just pure obstinance?
A new light flashed across the walls. Brilliance washed over Ichini, consuming him in a ball of pulsing blue-and-white energy. A moment later, Allia began to glow too. She reached forward, a flaming ball of blue-and-white plasma ignited in her cupped hands.
Little by little, the light around Ichini faded. Instead of the tiger form everyone knew and loved, a new creature stood upright before them. He was three times his original size, with a furry mantle and the face of a gargoyle with long ridged horns. Thick, bony blades protruded from each of his muscular arms.
The pair dashed around the corner. Mencari, Zuri, Seigie, and Vamel followed. Ichini lunged toward the creature and drove the thick bony plates under the beast’s throat. The queen insect howled as its neck plating crunched and cracked off.
“Our opening!” Allia yelled.
As he returned to the ground, Ichini opened his mouth, allowing a ball of energy to form there. Mencari’s hands glowed with power as Seigie’s gems blazed like a hundred suns. A strange swirl of power flowed around Zuri, and Allia’s smile became fiendish as the globe in her hands pulsed with power.
“Now!” she screamed.
A sound like thunder ripped through the underground as their blasts pounded the queen beast. Its tentacle stubs thrashed as the attack punched through the breach. Its body exploded, sending a hail of fleshy bits throughout the chamber.
With the deed done, they stood down. Allia flung out her hands to steady herself while Ichini melted back into his tiger form.
Zuri looked over to Allia and shook her head. “What was that?”
“Do you believe me now? I’m D’mar, just like you!”
For once Zuri remained silent.
“You’ve more than proven yourself,” Seigie snapped, wincing in pain.
Mencari went to Seigie’s side. “Please stop.”
“It worked didn’t it?” Seigie snapped. “I’m a part of this team. I’m won’t just stand around and watch you take that on alone.”
She rubbed her arms then added, “We came here to find my people, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
“No more diamonds either.” Mencari pushed his own glow to illuminate the chamber more.
* * * * *
Seigie looked over at the remnants of the beast queen. The force of the explosion had blown the massive carcass off the pedestal. The broken body sprawled against the far wall. A thick layer of goo covered the stone slab where it once sat. She saw four large bumps, and discovered they were not meaty sections of beast flesh, but rather four large crystals embedded in the stone top.
She pulled out a sapphire stone and charged it, ignoring protests from Mencari. She tossed the gem and it broke in midair, creating a torrent of water that washed the goo away. Satisfied, she approached for a closer look.
“It’s just like that first console,” she said. “I see a divot in the middle again as well.”
She took out her memory crystal and placed it in the middle. This time it easily clicked and flickered to life. A small sun ignited within each crystal. A stream of red-and-yellow plasma streaked down a central column and into the ground.
Blazing light ran across channels in the floor, forming another blazing D’mar emblem. A projection of an older Yeno Voleri formed above it. The image continually glitched, pixelating in some areas, while dropping out in others. A shower of blue light poured from the pedestal.
“Defender Weun, welcome. I’m afraid I have mixed news. First, those supporting our D’mok Warrior program left us copies of all available information concerning candidate enhancement and training programs.”
A stream shot from the emblem at the far wall. With a rumble, the wall opened to reveal shelves of crystal spheres. One section, illuminated with a fiery yellow light, drew her attention.
“I have found a crystal for defenders who were enhanced like yourself. I hope the invokers will find the information useful as you work toward your true potential. When you’re ready to review it, swap the current crystal on the pedestal with the other one.”
“I’ll get it!” Allia yelled, already headed to retrieve it.
“I regret to inform you that with the death of our final engineer, I failed in maintaining the equipment that allows us to maintain contact with the D’mar fleet.”
A gasp from the others surmised Seigie’s own disappointment.
“I’ve tried to document as much as I could,” he said as a second crystal on a shelf illuminated. “Perhaps someday the fleet will honor its promise and send people to retrieve us from this world. I’m sorry I cannot help you find your way farther. Despite the news, good luck, my fellow D’mar. May we all be reunited soon.”
Allia bounded over, with Seigie’s crystal and the one Voleri said held his documentation on the systems. She handed one to Seigie. “A bunch were melted, or almost shattered. Maybe more of those creatures di
d it?”
Seigie looked at the amber crystal with nervous anticipation. With care, she extracted the memory crystal and replaced it with the one from the storage area.
The crystal’s center began to blaze with light. She watched in silent anticipation of what it would reveal.
A fountain of light erupted from the crystal. Symbols appeared in the air.
“D’mar script.” Seigie motioned for the others to give her room. “More than script, an entire interface.” An image of her younger self appeared.
“That’s you!” Allia cried.
Seigie’s eyes grew wide as she reviewed the information. “This isn’t just about the training, this is also about my infusion process.”
“What about it?” Allia asked.
“Hold on, I’m checking. Toriko would love this thing.” She moved quickly through the holographic interface. “Here … here!”
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Detailed notes told the tale of her skills manifesting, and how they planned to make them emerge more fully and faster.
One section in particular drew her attention. “Side effects,” she muttered.
Her eyes read and reread one section multiple times.
“No, it can’t be,” she muttered again.
Allia tugged on the ancient robe. “What?”
She should answer, but couldn’t stop rereading the section over and over.
“It’s … my cure!” She laughed as if it was a joke. “All those years … I overthought it all.”
* * * * *
“Are you sure you won’t come with us?” Mencari asked Dozaren, who stood halfway inside the ship’s airlock.
“Our job isn’t done yet,” Dozaren said. “The ancients might still return as well.”
Seigie knew when someone had made up their mind, and there was no convincing them—any of them—to join the fight. Zuri outright refused, which was a relief.
She had already said her goodbyes to the others, and sat anxious to depart. Allia studied the many objects pulled from Treasures of the D’mar while Ichini reclined at her feet.
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