Chapter 26: Upward Mobility

Michael and Rihelah ascended along the cavern wall for nearly an hour, moving very slowly in an effort to avoid notice.

Not long after starting the climb, they’d come across two more worm-tunnels, but those had seemed to plunge downward, rather than toward the surface.

[Michael, I don’t see anything promising. Just what looks like another worm-hole up ahead…] Rihelah muttered.

He responded quietly, [I’m also beginning to wonder if we’ll find a way out up here, or be forced back down to the cavern floor to try again.]

[That… would suck.]

[Yes, it absolutely would. But we still haven’t made it to the ceiling. This place is a hell of a lot bigger than it looks.]

[This whole Dragon Lair has got to be magical. There’s no way in hell this ceiling could possibly stay up across such an enormous area while lacking support! And that’s not even mentioning the incredible weight of everything above us!]

[Well yeah, I thought we both understood that much since having landed in this place to begin with.] He looked at her and they both stopped.

She continued, [Yeah. It’s just… I’ve been thinking; maybe Lady Velrake told us to use our heads because one of the exits is through magic, rather than by climbing?]

[[Very good! Now, all you must do is discover and attain either the physical, or magical means by which you may exit!]] Velrake’s cheerful voice boomed throughout the cavern, shaking the stone wall beneath their feet and causing both mantids to cling fiercely to the wall as a wave of nausea swept over them.

Intelligence has increased to 64!

Intelligence has increased to 112!

[Uh, right! So, can we get some kind of hint?] Rihelah asked after the slight dizzy spell had passed.

There came no reply, but both may have been imagining it when they thought they could hear Velrake’s laughter.

Michael shook his head, [I get the sinking feeling that this is gonna be a long fucking day…]

[I hate it when you say that! Every time you complained like that when we were kids, you were right!]

[Yeah, but all our days seemed long when we were children.]

[Oh. Yeah. Good point.]

[Unless we find something that points us in the direction of learning some exit or teleportation spell, we’re probably better off searching for a tunnel that leads out.]

Once again the feeling that their plight had elicited Draconic laughter washed over the pair as they resumed climbing.

Michael shook his head and shrugged. [Even if She’s amused, at least Lady Velrke has been helpful for the most part.]

[Yeah… I’d just like to be outside again! If only there were a way to get information from- Shit!]

[What?]

[I fucking forgot! Because of our Full System Access boon, we can access a Basic Knowledge Base!]

Basic Knowledge Base (Archive)

Sapient Species

Wildlife

Magics

Yes! Rihelah immediately selected the Magics tab.

Basic: Magics

Elemental

Spirit

Utility

Hmm. Maybe Spirit Magic?

That brought up another sub-menu.

Basic: Spirit Magic

Combat

Defensive

Movement

Making the obvious selection, she found the option she’d been looking for, and followed the logical choices from there.

Basic Spirit Magic: Movement

Acceleration

Speed Multipliers

Teleportation

Basic Spirit Magic: Teleportation

Personal

Group

Other

Basic Spirit Magic: Group Teleportation

Level 1000 and Spirit Magic Required for access.

[Are you fucking kidding me?? How in the actual fuck is that basic?!]

[Yeah… I just found it, too. Level 1000 for all three teleport spells. Well, fuck!]

[Oh sure, now that’s just fucking hilarious! What a crock of shit! Finding a tunnel it is!] Rihelah nearly shrieked in frustration.

[[Be not discouraged. Continue to seek, and you shall find!]] Velrake’s immensely-powerful voice cackled through the words, and it almost seemed there were other voices laughing along with Her.

Intelligence has increased to 65!

Intelligence has increased to 113!

[Okay… Just breathe. At least you gained a point of intelligence out of this.] Rihelah told herself aloud while shaking her head after the nausea had faded.

[Better than hearing nothing!] Michael chuckled halfheartedly.

[Yeah, I guess so.] Rihelah sounded doubtful.

[Let me guess; you’re more pissed about not being able to access the information than you are about lacking the ability to teleport?] He raised his antennae quizzically.

[Bingo!] She said, tersely.

[You’re definitely still the girl I fell in love with. You always hated it when you couldn’t research something you were interested in!]

[Damn it, Michael! I’m trying to be mad over here!] She couldn’t help but smile inwardly at his words, despite herself.

That’s another thing he remembered… Her heart fluttered even in the face of her frustration.

[We’re alive, and we’re together.] He brushed his right antenna against both of hers.

[Yeah… Let’s uh… We need to find our way out of here.] Rihelah spoke softly while starting to return his physical gesture.

[There’s another worm-tunnel just above us. Let’s have a look.] Michael pointed.

[The damned antenna-touching thing should be outlawed…] She muttered.

Michael snapped his gaze in her direction, [What? Why?]

[Nothing.]

[Rihelah…]

[It’s too damned effective!] She started climbing faster, and he gave chase.

The next three worm-holes all ran downward as well, and both of them started feeling apprehensive.

By the time they neared the ceiling, there was only one tunnel visible, and they had to travel laterally across the wall for nearly forty minutes to reach it.

This worm-tunnel ran straight into the wall for as far as they could see. The same luminous stone lined its walls.

[This one’s much more promising, but thos-]

[I don’t like it, Michael!] Rihelah shrank away from the opening slightly.

[Me either. Its ceiling is covered end-to-end with starlight creepers…]

[We should find another way.] She continued backing away from the opening.

[I agree with you, and I’d love to find a better path, except we’re already at the main cavern’s ceiling. Do you see any other places where we might climb out of here?] He gestured in both directions, and the only holes visible from their location were a considerable distance toward the floor along the cavern’s wall.

[I knew you were gonna ask that. Fuck…]

[Yeah. We don’t have much choice.]

[Shit.]

[Yup.]

After ten minutes of running like mad thorough the tunnel, the passage curved upward at last as they finally passed the massive swarm of blue lights.

They stopped to rest, and turned around to gaze upon an ominous display by the starlight creepers.

Like a delayed wave, following some distance behind them along the tunnel, all of the glowing worms rappelled down to the floor.

[Wow. They’re super aggressive in large numbers. I’m glad we found that out without paying for it with our lives…]

[I’d be happy never seeing those creepy little fuckers ever again, even if they are beautiful from a distance!]

[But what if they’re tasty?] Michael wagged his antennae at her.

[If anyone’s dumb enough to test that idea, it would be you!]

[Ouch. You know I was kidding, right?]

[Sometimes I wonder…]

[Fuck you, Rihelah.] He laughed.

[Is that a threat?] She wagged her antennae back at him.

[It’s a promise.]

[Good. Let’s fuck-off back toward the surface!]

After another two hours of jogging, they found themselves at a worm-hole crossroads. The upward-sloping tunnel they’d traveled through arced sharply downward, but two smaller holes ran upward in opposite directions to their left and right.

[Which way do you think?] Michael asked.

[Hmm. I’m tired of enclosed spaces. Better do the smell-test!] Rihelah waved her antennae about, testing the opening of the hole to their left. She gingerly brushed the surface with their tips, then scrambled back away from the hole.

[Yecch! It’s definitely something! But I’m not sure what the hell left that stench!]

Performing the same test upon the other tunnel ended with the same result, and she shook her head.

Michael experienced the same thing, but pointed at the left tunnel. [This way has a weaker scent. I think. If it was something dangerous that left the odor, maybe we should take the tunnel it hasn’t used as recently.]

[I guess? You’re making assumptions, there. I don’t really like it, but we don’t have enough information to make an educated guess. Fuck it, let’s just go with your idea. I just want to get the hell back to the surface!]

Five hours passed within the long, smooth tunnel, and though they had been climbing, there was no indication how close they were to the surface.

[I really hope there’s a way out of here.] Rihelah began to sound discouraged while they continued to walk.

[Me too. I’m really tired. How long do you think we’ve been climbing?]

[Too damn long! I wish we could sleep, but I don’t feel comfortable resting…] Rihelah swept her antennae back in annoyance.

[Yeah. But at least this tunnel keeps going up!]

Immediately after Michael said that, both of them froze in place when their antennae whipped forward with a gust of wind that came from behind them.

Michael looked at her, then started walking again. [Huh. That was weir-]

The wind returned, much stronger this time, and the pair found themselves unable to hold onto the stone.

The speed of airflow started to ramp up. Before long, it was blasting them upward through the tunnel.

Only their tiny size and relatively high toughness prevented them taking damage as the pair tumbled repeatedly against the smooth walls.

They bumped into one another quite a few times before Rihelah managed to latch onto his thorax with her forelegs, squeezing him a lot harder than was necessary out of fear.

[Hey! Be careful, dammit!]

She relaxed her grip slightly. [Michael! What’s happening?]

[No idea!] His forelegs found her abdomen, and he gently steadied her. She understood, and both did their best amid the constant tumbling to find a more comfortable way to hold onto each other.

Nothing worked, and the airflow kept accelerating.

The tunnel arced this way and that, but their equilibrium was thrown so far off, neither could tell which direction they were moving.

The airflow maintained its speed as the tunnel straightened out. Seconds later, the tunnel grew brighter and they were ejected near-vertically into the forest where sunlight shone down, through a partly-cloudy sky.

Their eyes were slower to adapt to the sudden brightness than they had anticipated, but both of them immediately reveled in the sun’s warmth.

The loud jet of wind that had carried them into the sky rapidly lost power the farther they sailed away from its source.

A couple seconds after emerging above-ground, both mantids found themselves falling toward a broad-leafed sapling that had recently been smashed downward and lost half its branches.

Their fall stabilized after they released their grip upon another, and they each stuck a landing upon adjacent, five-pointed leaves.

[We made it!] Rihelah cried out, thrusting her tiny forelegs skyward in triumph. Despite her elation, she felt a strong sense of danger. However, she assumed it was just the thought of being exposed, and resolved to hide herself quickly.

[Yeah! But we need to- SHIT!] Michael screamed as he ran frantically toward her.

[Huh? I don’t really need to- FUCK!]

Rihelah turned her head just in time for her still-adjusting eyes to catch a decent look at the gray and blue bird that had descended from above. It hovered over its prey like a miniature eagle, and its beak was about to close over Rihelah’s body.

Target

Status

Slate Jay Level ???

Hostile - Hunting You

She tried to dodge out of the way, but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. Her body was simply unable to respond fast enough.

Oh no… Rihelah felt strangely calm in that moment.

The tender words and the brief time she had shared with Michael flashed before her, and she whispered, [Thank you.]

[RIHELAH!]

The last detail that Rihelah’s eyes caught before the huge beak closed over her was Michael suddenly blurring toward her.

-136HP. Your movement is severely impeded!

+11HP Regeneration.

The pain didn’t hit her immediately, but by the time the bird’s rough tongue had pressed against her, Rihelah could tell that all four of her walking legs had been severed.

Her abdomen had been cut nearly in half, and she knew it would all be over soon.

Except it wasn’t.

The bird screeched loud enough to distort her ear while dropping Rihelah back onto the leaf.

Through the thin film of saliva covering her compound eyes, Rihelah witnessed the bird flapping awkwardly in place and shaking itself violently before falling toward the ground with something blurry stuck to the left side of its head.

The pain slammed down upon her all at once, and Rihelah shook horribly as the true extent of her body’s trauma became apparent.

Michael had rushed forward and used Improved Pounce. He stabbed the sharp points of both forelegs directly into the bird’s eyeball, then clamped his forelegs down as hard as he could, completely destroying its lens.

The bewildered bird made frustrated sounds while it dropped Rihelah in shock. Strong vortices from its wingtips buffeted Michael as he clung fiercely to the side of its head with swept-back antennae and bit savagely into its eye.

The Jay’s inner eyelid moved forward against his forelegs, trapping them in place. His razor-sharp mandibles bit into that as well, and the bird retracted it as it started to panic.

Michael didn’t speak, nor was he capable of any coherent internal dialog in that moment.

The all-consuming rage filling his heart and mind had caused him to cast all caution and sense of self-preservation aside.

His sole desire was to kill the bird that had seen biting down on his love. He would murder this hated creature, or he would die trying.

The waylaid bird passed down out of Rihelah’s view, and she was unable to shift her position.

The Jay managed to land itself upon the ground, if somewhat ungracefully.

Its wings shot forward and slapped at the sides of its head in an effort to dislodge its attacker.

Michael flattened himself against the bird’s head and continued biting and squeezing for all he was worth. The wingtips stung a bit when they slapped against him, but since it wasn’t actually doing any damage to him, the bird was obviously not keen on hitting itself full-force while sporting an injured eye.

When the Jay realized its efforts to slap him away with its wings were only causing further pain by driving Michael’s foreleg spines deeper into its own eyeball, it started rolling and flapping about on the ground as panic overwhelmed it.

The rushing sound coming from the worm-hole stopped abruptly, and Rihelah’s blurry vision witnessed something odd. A long tentacle of red now stood high above the forest floor.

Its tip curled downward, and after it touched the ground for a split second, it snaked rapidly in their direction.

[Fuck! What now?!] Rihelah groaned.

[Rihelah! You’re alive?!] Michael responded in shock, his wits returning to him upon learning that she’d survived.

[Yeah, somehow. It hurts. There’s something coming, Michael… From the hole.] She replied weakly.

+11HP Regeneration.

[I can’t let go of this fucker, or it’ll kill me!]

[How did you-]

Rihelah was cut off when the tree lurched and she fell from the leaf.

As she plummeted, she caught a blurry glimpse of the red tentacle attaching itself to the Slate Jay.

[Fuck! What is that thing?!] Michael cried.

Immediately afterward, the world lurched and he was whipped into the air along with the bird as it screamed in abject terror.

Target

Status

Lesser Blood Worm Level ???

Indifferent - Feeding

Michael struggled to pull his forelegs free from the bird’s eye, but the worm’s powerful acceleration had changed his position. His right foreleg was able to slip free, but the tibia of his left was fully extended.

Try as he might in that brief moment, Michael simply lacked the strength and leverage to maneuver himself to where he could extricate his sharp tibia from the Slate Jay’s eye.

The worm stopped moving, and a terrifying crunch shook through Michael as soon as its horrifying, elastic mouth had engulfed half of the bird.

Group kill of Slate Jay Level 102. Experience Split. Minor Contribution. Experience Share Decreased.

Michael finally got a solid look at the enormous, deep red worm. His stomach churned at the absurdly-phallic sight of the wrinkled, veiny, transparent, and slime-coated mucous membrane covering its muscular body.

He used that opportunity to scramble upon the dead Jay’s head, and had finally started to pull his foreleg free from its lifeless eye when the worm accelerated downward with tremendous force.

Michael’s left foreleg snapped. the tibia remained embedded in the dead avian as worm and bird disappeared together into the ground along with the missing portion of his limb.

-40HP.

+11HP Regeneration.

Michael’s body spun violently for the first part of his fall as a result of the worm’s acceleration, though the nauseating rotation slowed and he cartwheeled lazily by the time he approached the ground.

Despite his best efforts, Michael landed upside-down, but adrenaline helped him to right himself quickly despite his injured foreleg.

With zero hesitation, he raced to Rihelah’s side and gently picked up her mostly-legless body with his right foreleg. Her abdomen had healed just enough that it was no longer in danger of falling apart.

[Careful, Michael! Everything hurts! Use both your arms to carry me!]

[I can’t!] Michael showed her the sheared-off stump of his left forelimb while he hauled her toward the base of the sapling, where its broad leaves would shield them from hungry eyes.