Dailin woke to the sensation of falling, one that seemed accurate as he was beginning to hover off his bed. His arms flailed about as he was unaccustomed to being in this situation outside of his control. He should have done something about his predicament, it would have been simple to form a barrier that would have held him in place. But he hadn’t, his attention at the time had been drawn to the objects around him. His stone bed, made soft as silk by the working of Mana, was also beginning to hover. He noticed everything not connected to the floor had begun to rise. His children included, who were wiggling about like him a moment before. The amount of confusion on their faces was almost comical. Then as quick as it had come, it ended and they slammed down. Dailin bounced a little from the impact but felt none of it. His bed didn’t fare as well, as a spider web of quacks weaved about it.

Dailin huffed in annoyance as he rose, then began to lose his balance as his home tilted to the right. It worsened enough that things began to slide in that direction. If it wasn’t heavy enough to stay firmly in place. Dailin saw Liquid Mana pouring out of the pools because of this change in level. The stuff spilled everywhere as his eyes tracked the unfolding mess. Doing so carried his vision to one of the entrances leading downstairs. He noticed a red aura coming from the bottom level. Dailin eyes widen in alarm as a barrier formed underneath him and he hovered over to one of the openings.

His heart missed a beat as he gazed at the bottom floor. All the Wards down there were blazing red, casting the area in a sinister glow. Dailin looked around at the upper level, but found none of the Wards up above had changed, everything seemed well, besides for the floor being tilted. Jaw clenching Dailin made his way to the left Gate and hurriedly forced it open.

His heart really missed a beat on seeing what had happened. And stayed quivering as he looked upon a mountainous form that had its enormous maw open wide taking in the whole river with ease. His home, the mountain-sized sphere from what he could tell had been dropped from a great height. Given how far away the River was now. The area, all the way done to his home was swarming with Nightmares, from ordinary Maggots to the monstrous Ancients that were turning in his direction. His light was once more giving himself away.

Dailin balled his fists eyes glued to the Monstrous thing gorging itself on the River. It was worm-shaped, unlike the last one that was flesh and shell piled on top of each other. The Thing glowed all over, the simple Runes upon its hide was of better make than the last one. And to his shock, as Dailin studied it, had crystal-like structures growing out of it. They glowed brightly like his Hearts, and he could see them filled with Mana.

‘Oh Gods.’ Dailin thought as the Thing kept guzzling down his River, completely ignoring him for the moment, unlike the swarm that was slowly advancing towards him. Lured in by the glow of his body.

“By the Giver” he heard a voice behind him say, when he looked he saw some of his Children had hovered their way out to look as he'd done.

“Get back inside!” he snapped at them, causing them to flinch and give him either hurt or alarmed looks. “You heard me” Dailin continued, forcing his voice to soften “And don’t come out until I come back.”

“But Divine we ca-“

“Don’t come out.” Dailin interrupted his son and glared down at the boy till he looked away and lowered himself back through the entrance. The others followed suit, gazes lowered. Dailin took in a deep breath, closed his eyes and focused. The Mana within his Home, from the pools and lake, surged out the Gate and flowed into him. The same with the air, it all swelled inside him, tried to stay within his confines. He’d grown a great deal, his body capacity to hold the substance great, but not enough for the amount he called too. The stuff still tried it best to stay within him though, eager to follow his command.

Dailin opening his eyes the tunnel-shaped chasm lit up by the magnitude of light radiating from him. Ancients weren’t advancing in his direction anymore, no they had stayed in place let the Nightmares continue on their path. Smarter ones slowly began to move back, some turning and opening their maws wide towards their Champion, maybe getting ready to call out to it for aid. Dailin didn’t know and didn't give them the chance to try. His Body shaking violently from the bent up Mana. Pointed his hands forward and let it all come rushing out. Mana at his command became light that turned everything to ash. The air around him sparkled with flames at times or sizzled furiously where the light emerged from his palms. The area around him warmed, but to him only stay that, even as rock began to glow red.

His light melted everything in its paths. The magnitude of it such that even the Ancients dissolved the moment they were within its embrace. The army before him once great and horrific to look upon, changed into a scene of a glowing lake of magma that bubbled. Yet still, his body was oversaturated. Mana fault to stay within him even as he converted more and more of it into means of destruction.

“Close the Gate!” He screamed as his barrier rose him higher, up towards the Beasts that thought it could claim what was his. He scorched the walls as he rose, melting everything, the Nightmare’s had been busy while he relaxed. His efforts to cleanse the area appeared to have had the opposite effect. As the realm around him was now a hive of the beasts, the stone made into a maze of ever turning Maggot tunnels.

Or was before he began destroying everything in sight. The Nightmares screamed out their calls of alarm, even with how quick he was killing them, there was too many to keep them quiet forever. The call traveled out quick, each Nightmare adding its disgruntling voice to it the moment the things heard the call.

The Thing above, the Mountain and its many eyes that once focused solely on the River, swiveled and focused on him. Dailin called out harder, pouring more Mana into the chant, demanded all of the substance to come to him. It listened and he felt the tide increase and saw the River come to life. Moving around the Mountain and racing towards him. The Thing gave out a howl of rage at the sight, its worm-like mass moving so its head pointed at him. The maw open wide, large enough that it could swallow buildings whole if it was inclined. That wasn’t its intention, however, as Dailin heard the chant that began to echo out. The Mana crystals along its body glowed brighter, as did its Runes.

Dailin eyes widened, and he hurriedly envisioned a giant hand punching the Thing. Mana pulled out of him, rushed off and at the same time took on the shape he pictured. The fist smashed into the things maw, the force of it knocking the head of the Mountain back and pointed upwards. Then the realm went white as the Beast chant finished. Dailin ears went limp as lightning spewed from it, his hand construct shattered apart instantly as the two forces made contact. The Lightning continued its trajectory carving through stone with ill ease. The Mountain corrected its aim, its head moving back down towards him. Dailin dodged the best he could against an attack that took up a good portion of the empty air he was flying in. But eventually he was shuck, his barrier keeping him aloft shattering and he was sent flying down by the force of the attack.

He felt none of it, the lightning sparked around him, tried to dig in but found no purchase. Dailin focused, the Mana was still surging into him, that back part of his mind trained enough to keep up the mantra even while he struggled. Dailin envisioned a new barrier under him, one he was laying on, as he was still falling at a high speed. He slowed and was forced to continue feeding the barrier more. Forced to keep strengthening it so it would hold against the lightning storm he was encased in.

Dailin stopped, the barrier holding him in place, Dailin rose his arms, fighting against the crushing torrent. Then he pulled as much as he dared from the Mana swimming in him and loosed his own light. The Lightning around him warped, forced out of the way as his light rushed from his hands, cutting its way through the Mountains chant. Moments later he heard the thing scream, a short one, one of alarm. Dailin smiled and forced the barrier to carry him closer. It did, slowly.

The Beast once his attack struck it, increased the power of its spell, causing the barrier holding him to dip back down for a few seconds before it rose once more.

Up and up he went, all the while screaming in his mind that the flow of Mana join him. He was burning through so much of it, both of them in fact. But as he got closer to the Beast the flow increased, the River rushing into him faster. Dailin grunted, pushed more into his spell, he could smell something burning. He opened an eye and saw that he was once more naked and this time aflame, or the air around him was, even more so where his spell was exiting out of his hands.

‘Blessing to the gods for Runes that will not fail.’ He thought as he closed his eye shut, used his ears to form a vague image of what was happening. The Mountain howled again, the pitch making it sound as if it was frustrated. Dailin shared in the resentment, wishing the Beast would just die, like it was likely thinking the same of him. But he wouldn’t, the Mana was on his side, the River his tool to salvation. With that thought Dailin increased his spell more, the River flowed faster into him, enough that he stopped his ascent.

There he hovered, two beings just blasting at each, waiting for the other to tire and be consumed. Though Dailin was fine if that was how it went. But it also was unproductive. Worse time consuming, and there was no telling what else would come if they continued this fight to a lengthy period of time.

So Dailin dimmed the force of his attack and used the excess power from it to envision something new. He pictured in his mind the creature assaulting him. Imagined large hands forming and clasping onto its surface. Hands made of Barriers so strong they couldn’t break. Dailin felt the pull, the Mana in him bringing about what he desired, sadly at the moment Dailin couldn’t see the progress.

He also pictured Tendrils and Hands forming and then closing shut the Beast mouth. That he didn’t need to see to know it was happening. The Beast screeched in anger as its attack began to lessen, and no longer centered on him. When he half opened his eyes he saw The Beast head was moving about, trying to shake loose his constructs. Its annoyance grew as Dailin poured more into the workings, enough that he stopped his light attack and focused on making them only. He pictured more forcing the Beast maw shut, focused on Tendrils and vines wrapping around it tightly. The Beast spell thinned then finally died out. Dailin relaxed as he felt the pull of his Runes diminish to almost nothing. He opened his eyes in full, both of which took a few seconds to realign to normal levels of light. The Beast before him was shaking violently, its many eyes looking everywhere. The Mana had done as he’d pictured large Hands and Tendrils blanketed the Beast. The maw most of all, which was covered enough that Dailin had a hard time seeing it.

The Thing gave a muffled hiss as its colossal form began to pull back into the wall. All the power he’d been pouring into the hand constructs, changed to manifesting chains around the Beast. Chains that spread out everywhere, anchoring to walls above and below. The Beast stopped and the chains went taut as they struggled to keep the Thing in place. He made more chains and fortified the ones already formed. By the time he was done the Beasts was mostly covered in them, enough that it couldn’t even wiggle about anymore. To the Thing growing displeasure, which worsened as he neared it. Dailin had made sure to keep a spot on its head free from the wrappings, a place to aim his assault. The many eyes looked towards him as he neared, the chains vibrating as the Beast struggled anew.

‘This is a lot better’ Dailin thought as he aimed his hands at the Thing relative forehead and renewed his light spell. The Beast wailed when he did, the chains shaking ferociously as the Beast tried in vain to break out of its bonds. Its Runes brightened to new levels, and Dailin could see that some of the crystals growing out of the Beast hide were emptying. But many more remained full, or near half spent. Dailin huffed and pushed more into his attack wishing to finish the Beast as soon as possible. But the Runes wouldn’t allow that, as long as Mana coursed through its veins it was as indestructible as him.

Dailin heard stone rumble to his right, felt a shiver run down his spine as he turned to look. He witnessed another Maggot Mountain emerge, its maw open. Mana surged out of him by instinct, barriers forming over the Things mouth. In his surprise and hurry, he floated backward. The Thing followed him and to his shock he soon found himself crashing into a wall. Which he was then crushed against by his own barriers holding the Beast maw from swallowing him.

He heard the second Beast begin to chant, the inside of its mouth vibrating then glowing. It was Dailin turn to hiss, as the brightness of the lightning made him close his eyes again. Chains began to form and wrap about the second Thing, chains meant to pull its head away, but it was too late for that. Dailin Runes began consuming Mana at a haggard rate again as the Beast spell shattered through the barriers in front of its mouth. Giving Dailin a full dose of the Mountains lightning, one that sent him diving into the stone as the rock dissolved around him.

Dailin had the barrier that hovered him, force him to press against the side of the tunnel that the lightning was making. There Dailin pressed his hands against the stones melted surface. Willing Mana into it and had the stone warp allowing him to glide his way through the rock. It didn’t take long for Dailin to emerge from the rock and fly out into the large chasm. The Beast was still firing its spell down the tunnel it had made. But not long as its eyes saw him, and the head began to slide in his direction, the flow of its spell not stopping.

But he was ready this time, and far enough out of its range. Chains manifest circled and went tight around the beasts head so it could no longer move its beam at him. After more appeared wrapping the thing into a tight cocoon one he poured the entire flow of Mana rushing into him. Chains with barbed anchors went everywhere sinking into stone. The Beasts maelstrom of lightning coming from its maw subsided, replaced by a loud screeching than made the stone around them shake. Dailin quickly appeared a barrier in the Thing's mouth, turning the loud torrent of noise into a muffled one. He poured enough into the construct that he was sure it could handle the Beast attack for some time if it became necessary. The Thing thrashed wildly, or tried to, the chains were making a ruckus, the Beast furious about its predicament.

Dailin let it waste itself fighting in vain, for he had other worries. He dived down when he heard the stone by his side beginning to stir. It was a good thing, as a third Maggot head appeared with its maw open, aimed at where he’d been. It started to turn in his direction as the eyes of the Thing lock on him. A web of chains and some hands weaved around it, already pulling its massive Head upward and far from his direction. The two other trapped Mountains continued to rustle about, their muffed screams causing the third to let out its own loud shriek.

Dailin stopped his decent watching and listening to the walls. The third Beast began firing a blast of lighting, which struck into the ceiling far above causing large boulders to fall. Dailin wrapped more chains around it, closed its mouth. But the Thing had done its job, had distracted him and hid the noise of a fourth Beast that he only now heard surging up from below. He turned in time to see its mouth close around him. Teeth from all directions tried to puncher and shred him apart as the Beast began working its mouth. Trying to get in a good angle to bit down as hard as it could. Dailin stayed in place, the barriers hovering him, worked against the Beast, refusing to let him be moved unless Dailin willed it.

Dailin was glad for that as the Thing tried in a few vain attempts to swallow him. The acts unfortunately allowed him to have a good view of the back of its mouth. With him being a glowing blob there was no end of light to let him see in great detail the hive of jagged teeth that went all the way down. Dailin felt saliva beginning to coat him, his lips formed into a very thin frown as he shivered in disgust. Even inside the mouth of the beast Dailin still felt the River surging into him, filling him beyond what he could hold. Dailin gave a tight-lipped smile and pictured his searing light emerging from the entirety of his body.

The mucus on him vanished with a hiss. The air began to burn, and the Beast screamed in alarm as he also fired a blast of his light down the Beast gullet. Dailin eyebrows went up at the sight he saw.

So when the Beast mouth opened wide and pulled from him. Dailin formed a tide of chains that clasped around it and some smaller ones that connected with his Barrier, keeping the Beast in place. The Beast began to wail in pain, for Dailin saw, thanks to his spell also giving off light. That the Runes of the Thing only went down saw far. Eventually, it returned to normal unprotected flesh, flesh that was cooking away, causing the Beast to wail in utter agony. Dailin smile grew broad, before falling as he thought about his own throat. He rubbed a hand against it, wondering if he had the same weakness. His Runes were mirrored after the Ancients. He only pictured skin that would absorb all damned. He said nothing about the inside of him, except for his bones.

It was a matter he would deal with later, after the problem of the present was finally dealt with, and given the sight before him. One that seemed like it wouldn’t take forever to accomplish, maybe. Dailin changed its spell, moved all of it back to firing out of his Hands and down into the Beast. A metallic smell wafting to him as more of the innards cooked and dissolved. He could hear his chains thrashing about widely as the Beast went into a frenzy, its annoying screams becoming more animalistic, more desperate. Dailin had wanted to close its mouth, muff its voice like all the others since the thing could be calling for more help. But he couldn’t, so Dailin pushed more Mana into his spell as much as dared without putting himself at risk.

For three long minutes, the thing wailed, finally ending in a whipper before all thrashing stopped. All that remained was the sounds of the others chains wrestling about. Dailin, as he finally freed himself of the confines the Beast disgusting mouth. Found that many of the chains hanged loose, the anchors pulled out of the walls. Given some more time the first Beast would have escaped, he already could see it slowly trying to work its wall back into the safety of its tunnel. It shrieked in protest when Dailin placed his will on the constructs, made everything go back to what it once was.

Dailin eyed the other two and was forced to fix their bindings as well. The second Beast was just as upset as the first, trying in vain to undo its bindings again. The third, however, was as motionless as the fourth that hanged limply by Dailin side.

“Trying to play Dead?” Dailin asked the creature as he hovered over to it. Not close enough for it to bite him, but near enough to study it and gain its attention. It still didn’t move, the eyes of the thing were still, void of any spark that laid within. It truly looked dead, just as dead as the one he’d actually killed. Even though it didn’t really look like it. The fourth Beast still had Runes glowing vividly, the crystal structures poking through its flesh still full of unspent Mana. From a distance, one would assume the Beast was sleeping, and not a cooked ruin on the inside.

Dailin hummed in thought, the two beasts were acting exactly alike, while the first and second were fighting more than ever before to break free and retreat. Looking at the third Beast Dailin unraveled the threads that bond its mouth shut. He waited for the thing to snap at him, yet it remained motionless, even as he forced its mouth open. He coughed as a cooked aroma that had been coming out of the fourth, now exited the third. Dailin opened the maw wide, had spiked chains hook onto surfaced so there wasn’t a chance it was all a grand act for the Beast to attack him. Then he launched a series of orbs down the Beast throat. As before he saw the Runes of protection only went so far before normal unmarked flesh showed itself.

Seeing such, Dailin sent his scorching light down the throat. He’d prepared to swiftly dodge out of the way just in case the Beast tried a hastily casted spell. Instead, he was left waiting as the Thing remained unmoved, its many eyes still giving a lifeless and distant stare. Dailin had to accept that the thing was just as dead as the fourth.

No matter how good ones acting skills, Dailin doubted anything could fake being dead while that were being cooked alive. Dailin was still perplexed and was about to start pulling the dead Beast from the wall, get a view of the entire length of the Thing. But the growing commotion the other living ones were making was becoming rather grating.

It only got worse as he floated up to the first Beast, its many eyes tracking, while a few others looked around the area wildly as if looking for some means of salvation. Which could be a possibility, so Dailin manifested more spiked chains that anchored to nearby walls and hovered by him at the ready. While Tendrils and Hands wrapped around the Beast mouth and began to pry it open. Or tried to, the Beast wasn’t being very cooperative, which Dailin understood completely. The Beast had seen one of its counterparts just die because of that. Still, he wasn’t going to let that stop him.

Dailin formed a small Barrier that fit in an equally small gap his extra limbs had been able to open. While the limbs pulled, Dailin envisioned the barrier spreading, pushing at the Mountain around it. It took some time, had him greatly enforcing the barrier as the Beast began to spew out lightning to thwart his progress. When the maw was fully opened the many spikes hitched in place preventing the Beast, regardless how hard it tried, from closing its mouth shut.

In turn, the Beast kept its torrent of lightning going, which was melting an ever deeper hole into the rock it was pointed towards. Since he'd removed the barrier as its job was done. Dailin was forced to keep channeling Mana into the construct holding the mouth wide. But it was a simple matter since he wasn’t being attacked. Dailin let the Mana within him mass till it began to seep out even as it struggled to stay within. He angled himself but was still forced to enter some of his body into the stream of lightning. Dailin fired his chant down the Beast gullet. The Lightning warped out of the way as his light forced its way through. The Beast screamed in agony and the flow of its spell stop shortly after.

It thrashed even more, given the chains began making a chorus of noise. But the Beast stayed in place no matter how hard it tried. Dailin could hear the second Beast fighting just as hard, acting as if it too was being melted from the inside. It wasn’t hard to guess that the things were connected somehow. Maybe it was one Beast with two heads, and its main body was still hidden within the layers of rock.

He, however, wasn’t too worried about it. If nothing else arrived he had every plan to pull the full length of the corpses into the giant chasm so he could study the foe he’d been facing thoroughly.

The First Beast lasted about as long as the fourth before its body went limp. The second Beast did the same, fortifying his thought that the two Beasts were actually one. But before he went about verifying that. Dailin instead waited, listened to the realm around him. Listened for any more rumbling stone, or whispering screeches.

Nothing, the realm was its eerily silence again, everything dead save for the plants that were reaching a mammoth size in scale.

After five minutes of waiting Dailin finally undid the chains and hands holding the first Beast aloft. He half expected the thing to spring to life and quickly dive back into the tunnel. But no, the Maggot form fell and hanged, not a twitch of life within it.

So Dailin got to work, enormous hands manifest around the Thing and began pulling it mass out of the tunnel. It was about the two-minute mark before the chains holding up the second Beast went rigid from strain. The hand constructs continued to pull the first Beast from its hole while the chains of the second continued fighting to hold it in place. It was a clear display to Dailin that the two were really one. Dailin undid the binding of the second Beast and its form was quickly dragged into the tunnel before eventually emerging again by the hands.

Dailin stopped the constructs and gazed upon the Beast full form. It really was a maggot in shape, and like a worm where it had a head on both ends of it. Though its mass was elongated out, Dailin believed in total the thing was bigger than the previous Mountain had been. The entire length of the thing had crystal structures growing out of it. Many were empty, his searing light doing more damaged than he had first realized.

Given a dozen more minutes maybe the Runes upon its fresh would have finally given out. Though it was a terrible waste, for him and the Beast. Even with an endless River, the way he was forced to fight was painfully reckless. So he was thrilled about this new method, even if it required him to get close and force the things disgusting mouths open. It was leagues better than fighting till one of them was exhausted.

Dailin was basking in the moment of joy at the thought of that. Before it stopped as his gaze that been lingering on the first Beast turned to the second when he heard the rattling of chains. Some of its crystal structure began to dim, or empty altogether.

‘No’ Dailin thought as he watched limbs begin to spasm, and slowly swizzle in the air. Seeing the second Beast coming back to life Dailin quickly encase the first back into layers of chains that shot out and reconnected with the walls.

A few seconds later and the second Beast flickered back to life, its whole body jerking, as one would from hastily waking from sleep. Its many eyes glided about, looking everywhere in a rushed manner. Before one by one, they focused on him. After the beast screeched and began fighting against its chains.

Dailin shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh. “So much for that.” He said in a somber tone, before hovering himself closer to the Thing. The first Beast was coming back to life as well, it lengthy body squirming all over as it began to spasm. The many crystals lining its flesh drained, or half emptied as the Mana went about undoing everything he had achieved. That was perhaps the only upside to this whole situation. That resurrection seemed to come with a rather high cost.

Dailin sighed loud into the air that was once more filled with the clattering of chains. Lowering himself Dailin readied the lake worth of Mana within him and aimed his spell at the second Beast to assault him.

Chains moved out of the way revealing a good portion of the top of its head. There he shot a fine stream of his burning light down upon it. The Thing naturally screamed though Dailin doubted it was from pain, the Things Runes held strong and would continue to do so for some time. Not that the Beast seemed to care, it had already died once, it knew what awaited if it didn’t try to do something. Which only amounted to vainer struggling against bonds that would never break as long as he continued pouring Mana into them.

Dailin floated there, somewhat near the Beast as he scorched its forehead, watching the many crystal structures slowly empty of the substance keeping the Beast alive. Its fever to escape increased as the crystals reserves dwindled, then finally ran out. It was another minute before the Runes dimmed noticeably, then cut off. His spell once held in place instantly pieced through the Things head shooting out the other side. Dailin cutoff his spell was able to see the large crater that was left behind in the Beast mass.

Dailin fired a less precise spell at the second head vaporizing most it. After the Beast went limp again, and this time would stay so. Dailin removed the chains holding it in place, and like the first slowly dragged the corpse out into the open. Then as the entire length of it was revealed he lowered himself further down the chasm, enough that he hovered below the Beast.

After he aimed his hands at it again. This time envisioning a wide range of his light emanating from them. The Mana acted and the entire corpse was engulfed in his scorching light. The air filling with the pleasant aroma of cooked meat, which also made him frown.

In seconds the corpse that once equal to a mountain of flesh, was gone, reduced to ash that quickly dispersed. After not a chase of the once mighty beast remained, nothing that would prove he ever face such a colossal thing. The other Beast had grown still, its eyes fixed on him again after it had watched its fellow be dealt with. Dailin smiled at it, as he pointed his hands at the Beast and began the process anew.

Dailin sneezed as the ashes scattered, the threat at the moment was finally dealt with. The realm was quiet again as he hovered about looking at the destruction his battle had caused. It made him shiver, the whole situation he was in had him worried, fretting, and dreading the future that was coming. The two Beasts had taken him over an hour to deal with. The aftermath of their battle left the area around them scorched, and full of still molten stone. If this kind of fight had taken place within a city, there would have been nothing left. Even victory on his part would still be defeat, consider the loss of life.

‘Only two’ Dailin thought, two things had caused this, and there was no telling how many more lurked out in the realm. The Rivers were many and he fought just to hold one, there could be a small army of Mountains out there, gorging themselves, growing ever larger. Becoming even more of a cumbersome task to deal with. To kill, even in death the Mana would bring them back. Or maybe they weren’t completely dead? Their skulls had still been intake. There might have been something left in their thinking, commanding the Mana to undo the damage he’d done.

Dailin rubbed his throat again, shivering anew at the flaw of his defense. One he would fix soon, then he would truly be indestructible, to a point. As long Mana ran through his veins.

Dailin looked towards the River, a mix of joy that it was there helping him survive the growing madness. But also hate, it was the cause for everything beginning to spiral out of control, the reason the Nightmares were true to their name now. If the River, the Mana itself wasn’t so abundant then the problem he was dealing with, would have never come to pass.

Dailin grunted, rubbed his eyes “No point complaining about it I suppose, there isn’t anything I could do to change it.” Dailin was also worried that even if all the Rivers stopped, that the flood drowning them all ceased, that it wouldn’t matter now. The Beasts had gotten their fill, might have all they need to finish off the Vail, even himself.

The River even with his improved form was the only reason why he was still alive. The moment the flow stopped his life expectancy dropped to nothing. Given how much he was spending to fight the Mountains. There was no way Dailin could afford to rely on small Hearts, or amassing Mana from the air. It would never come close to sating his need.

‘Doom’ he could still hear instinct sending to him. At this point, Dailin felt it should be calling out 'doomed'.

For how things were going, if Beasts the size of Mountains were becoming commonplace, then that was how things were. They were doomed, the Vail as he knew them were finished, even the improved Ancients were likely enough to break their way into the Sanctums. Enough to slaughter all the inhabitance inside, no matter how hard they fought.

Dailin wasn’t sure of the cities higher above though. Perhaps they would have the means to hold off destruction, long enough for the Mountains to come and shatter them. There was a growing thought in his mind, one he was familiar with, the question of why he was bothering? Why he just didn’t end himself here? And try again in a realm that may hold a better outcome.

He hissed and shook his head, forced the thought far away, back to the where it belonged. He’d put too much effort into this life to do that, no matter how pointless it was becoming. He would see this life to its end, would not fall prey to his sin again. He couldn’t risk another life such as this one before him, he couldn’t stand the thought of starting over. Being born weak and pathetic, not after he’d grown used to a body that couldn’t break. He shuttered at the thought of being born in a realm without Mana, him forced back to doing everything with mere hands.

‘I can’t die.” Dailin thought with new urgency, as the realization of how much he’d lose if that be felled him. He would be a powerless again, no longer be able to shoot death with a casual flick of a finger. No longer able to remove any minor discomfort with a passing thought.

Dailin lowered himself, pulling himself from the thoughts that were making him fraught with worry. Turning his attention back to his home, which laid at the bottom of the chasm the Mountains had dug and dropped into. The Beasts must have thought it was going to be enough to kill everyone inside. Or maybe they simplify just wanted it out of the way. Regardless he had a large problem. One he'd never thought possible. No matter what home he made, the Beasts could have it tumbling down a deep hole at any given time. If his sphere and been filled with Runeless, rather than children like him, the Beasts simple attack would have either harmed or killed many.

Dailin had gotten lucky, he shivered some at what would have happened to his House if they had been there to experience the fall. The thought brought horror as he pictured what would have transpired if infants had been inside. His home wasn’t all that safe after all, not with how it was. But he had an idea as he felt the barriers on his back and feet, Barriers that kept him aloft.

He had a River and he had a vision. ‘Hopefully, that will be enough.’ Dailin thought as he readied the Mana for the Task before him.