Separated

Never let an argument fester. They only get worse as time goes on. And you may not always get the chance to make amends.

. . . . .

A wave of pure fire bore down on him. He hardly had time to think before he spotted the hole in the ground. Just big enough to fit him. He leapt, narrowly avoiding the flames as they washed over the entire bog. Down, he fell, further and further. He started circulating as he bounced against the narrow walls of this tube he was in, if only to prevent bruising.

He hit ground, kicking up a plume of dust and cracking the rocks beneath him. Were it not for Qi, he would be the one cracking. His eyes opened. He was in some kind of cavern. Purple crystals grew from the walls, some larger than cars and other as small as a needle. They painted the cavern in their violet light.

Graham stood, wiping off his back. He looked up. “It’s far. I’m not sure I could jump back up.” He pulled up a hand as the energy faded away. “Looks like I can’t circulate for a while, anyway.” There was a path to his front and another to his back. Maybe he could find some other way out? Or, really, that was his only choice.

“What about Robin and Orion? Were they…” He bit his lip. He’d escaped the flames, but there was no way to know if they had. “Fuck, don’t be dead, you two. I don’t want to be stuck here all alone. Especially not when we left off on such a bad foot.” Maybe if he and Robin hadn’t had that argument, they wouldn’t have been separated. They wouldn’t have been walking single file like that, at least.

“But maybe that’s the only thing that saved me? If I’d been up there with them, I wouldn’t have been able to jump in this cave.” He bit his lip harder, moving forward through the cavern. His feet crunched in the white sand that covered the ground.

“I have to get out of here, first. Then, I can find out what happened to them,” he decided.

As he was climbing a large crystal that had blocked the path, he saw something happening on the ceiling. One of the crystals was changing color, becoming a dark blue, rather than purple. “No, wait. There’s another blue one further down.” They became brighter and brighter before a crack rang out and lightning surged between the two, making his hair stand on end.

“Fuck!” He slapped his hands over his ears, falling off the crystal. The sound echoed throughout the cave like a wailing banshee, deafening him until it faded into whispers. “God, my ears won’t stop ringing! What the hell was that?” he wondered.

Some kind of anomaly? A freak occurrence? Or was it normal down here? He hoped it wasn’t that last one. The tunnel he was following went down, rather than up. “Damn, will this really lead me out? Should I turn back and try the other way?”

The idea had some merit. He could be going down a dead end. Then again, the other way could be the dead end and he’d just waste time by exploring it. Of course, there was the third option where they were both dead ends and there was no way back out of this place except to climb back up the hole he’d fallen through.

A nearly impossible feat, as it was in the middle of the ceiling. He wasn’t a spider. He couldn’t stick to the ceiling. Another crystal began to turn blue. It was close this time. “Damn! Need to find cover!”

He found a little cubby under a tilted crystal pillar and crawled in, putting his hands over his ears. It barely helped, the lightning strike thrumming through his head like a physical blow. “At this rate, my eardrums are going to fucking shatter!”

Orion groaned and pushed himself out of the mud, freeing Robin in the process. “What the hell was that?” Something had risen from the ground—something enormous. And, suddenly, fire exploded toward them. “The gas in the air ignited? I barely had time to push Robin into the mud.” The thick muck was deep enough to cover them if they lay down in it. It was what had protected them from the flames.

Robin pushed herself out of the mud, wiping slimy gunk off her face. “What happened?”

“There’s no more gas, but that thing might still be here. We need to move.” He grabbed her arm and looked around. “I don’t see Graham? Did he die?” He bit his lip. “No time to check.” And he was right. A nearby hill shifted and revealed itself to be the incredible reptile that they’d seen before. Robin screamed and Orion quickly clamped a hand over her mouth.

“Quiet,” he whispered. “I don’t think it knows we’re alive.” The beast wasn’t even facing them. It lay on the ground, curled up like a dog in its bed. Orion wiped some mud from his face. “Robin. You’re gonna have to learn to circulate, now. If that thing notices us, we have to get out of here as quick as possible.”

The only choice was to go back. They couldn’t make it to the cliff pass without circling around the lizard. That was asking for death. He looked down at Robin. She was shivering.

“I can’t. Graham had the scripture…” Her legs lost strength and Orion had to stop her from falling. “Oh my God. Graham… is he…” Tears welled in her eyes.

Orion grit his teeth and grabbed her chin. “Not. Now. Breakdown later, understood?”

She stared at him, swallowed, and nodded. He jabbed a thumb behind him. “We’re going back. Move quietly. Try to circulate. If you manage it, tell me.”

He’d have to figure out how to circulate without the scripture, as well. If they were lucky, they’d both achieve it at the same time. The chances of that were low, though. Realistically, it was unlikely for both of them to make it out of there. If Robin were the first to do it, he’d tell her to go and then try to deal with the lizard if it spotted them.

If he managed it first? He was still thinking about that.

They began moving, carefully pulling their feet from the muck to make the least amount of sound possible. They had to avoid places that had been scorched dry by the explosion, as the ground had turned brittle and crumbly. It’d make too much sound if they walked on that.

However, Robin spotted something. “Orion, over there,” she whispered hoarsely. “There’s a hole in the middle of that scorched area. And I think it’s right about where Graham would’ve been.” She chewed on her lip, obviously wanting to check it out.

“You’re not as angry at Graham as you seemed. Or it might be that she relies on him too much. How will she handle it if she finds out he really died?” Orion thought. It’d be a shame for sure. Graham was a reliable companion, despite his flaws. He’d forgiven Orion for acting unreasonable and he was very driven to get stronger. It’d be a real loss if he died. But he’d go on. He wanted to live, so he had to get out of here, with Graham or without.

Robin tugged on his sleeve. “Can we check it out?”

Orion’s eyes flickered between the hole and the edge of the bog. It wasn’t far to the edge. They could probably make it. But then, they might never know what happened to Graham. Orion rubbed his forehead. “I liked it better when Graham made the decisions. Now, if this turns out bad, it’s my fault.”

He sighed and nodded. “Let’s go.”

Graham explored further down the tunnel, but it continued down at a slight incline. “God damn it! Am I going the wrong way?” Maybe he should go back? It’d been long enough for him to circulate again, so maybe he could try to make his way back up to the opening he’d fallen through?

Honestly, he just wanted to get the fuck out of here. Those lightning bolts had set his ears ringing and every time it stopped, another bolt would strike. It was unnerving having to be on the lookout for the change in color that indicated it was coming. Sometimes it happened further down in the tunnel, which meant there was no chance to see it and prepare himself.

It just happened and the monstrous sound tore down the length of the tunnel, catching him unawares.

He stopped as a different noise came from ahead. A keening howl that raised the hair on the back of his neck. Then again, the lightning did that too, when it leaked its charge into the air. There was a pattering that became closer and closer. Graham decided to climb on one of the crystals growing from the wall to hide.

From on high, he watched as a horse-sized wolf loped into view. It looked like it belonged here, with silver fur and patches of purple crystals growing from its shoulders and legs. “Let it pass. I don’t really want to fight right now.”

He was tired and that thing looked tough. And considering how his last fight went… Well, he wasn’t in a hurry to start a new one. Even if his opponent was a monster. “There’s no way to know how I measure up—” Actually, there was!

He reached into his back pocket, pulling out the Bestiary. He’d never taken a proper look at it, but now was good as ever. He flipped through the pages, searching for a picture that matched the beast he saw. Before he found it, the wolf sat on its haunches and howled. Several crystals in its vicinity began to glow blue. “What the fuck!? Can it summon the lightning?”

And then the crystal he was on began to glow. “Damn it! I have to move!” He’d have to time it right. Before the bolt struck, but not too much before. He’d need the sound to mask the sound of his landing, else the wolf would notice him.

He set his eyes on his landing spot and counted the seconds. “The strike happens five seconds after it turns completely blue.” 3, 2, 1…

He jumped! The glowing crystals flashed with electric light, each bolt striking the wolf. Graham landed on a crystal and rolled into a crevice, biting down a cry of pain at the incredible noise. He had to be quiet. The echoes wouldn’t mask noise for long.

He peeked over the side, down at the wolf. It was crackling with electric energy, its fur standing on end. Most of the lightning focused around the crystals that grew on it, dancing between them like violent streamers.

The wolf crouched then took off at ridiculous speed, quickly moving out of his sight.

Graham gulped. “Glad it didn’t see me…” Even with circulation, it looked like it’d be hard to deal with. He was pretty sure he couldn’t move that fast. He furrowed his brow. “Wait? Can I?” It’s not like he’d spent much time running at full speed. Maybe he really was that fast?

Right, he’d been interrupted before checking the bestiary. “I better do that. I want to find out more about that wolf.” And maybe the bear and the vine thing that’d erupted from James’s corpse and the thing that had pretended to be Robin’s father, which had to be the creepiest of the lot. Also, he was a little curious about Little Blue. Why was he the only creature that’d been friendly?

He found the bear first. Urspine, a type of bear with spikes of bone growing from its back. Territorial and aggressive. It can launch its spikes at medium distances. Weakness - a blow to the nose will paralyze it, temporarily. The skin under its spikes is extremely sensitive.

“Huh, so I could’ve really hurt it when I jumped on its back? If only it hadn’t been shaking so much.” He shrugged. Ah well, it had turned out okay. He flipped through again.

Lycris Hound, a large wolf-like creature with crystals growing from its body. It needs electricity to live, making it very rare. Mostly found on tall mountains. Can use electricity to strengthen itself and shock enemies. Weakness - separation from power-source.

Graham clicked his tongue. “As if that were possible. I don’t even know how to get out of here, let alone get that thing out.” If it came down to a fight, he’d just have to beat it to a pulp. Or run away.

Try as he might, he couldn’t find anything on the creature Robin had encountered or the vine thingy. Not even Little Blue was in the damn thing. “Not very useful, is it? Two out of five is a pretty low ratio.” He shook his head. “I should get moving before the Lycris Hound comes back.”

He climbed down and continued

Graham found a strange door. It was made of a dull metal and had a wheel on its face. “Well, if a door is here, it might very well be an exit.” The door was set into the side of the tunnel, which continued into the distance. So, he could continue following the tunnel—a hopeless endeavor, he’d decided—or he could check out this door.

The answer was obvious, so he turned the wheel. It spun open easily, even after he let go. It cracked open, letting out a puff of air. Graham had to put his weight into pulling it, but eventually it slid open.

Within was a circular room carved out of gray stone. A bit of the white sand spilled over the threshold from the tunnel floor. “What the hell is this place?” It didn’t look too dangerous, so he entered.

Sooty patches of black could be seen here and there on the floor and walls and even the ceiling. A partially shattered and burned desk sat under a pile of charred papers. There was a circle carved into the ground, possibly another sigil, so Graham took care not to step on it.

Opposite the entrance was some kind of safe set into the wall, wispy sigils carved into its surface. It had two doors that met in the center, though they were slightly ajar. “Who the hell would build a place like this down here?”

He went to the desk, pushing aside stacks of scorched papers in search of anything useful. He shouted and jumped back. “A skeleton!” The stacks kept falling, tumbling away from the aged corpse. It lay huddled on the ground behind the half-destroyed desk.

“Somebody died down here? Some kind of explosion?” That would explain the scorch marks and the burnt rubbish. Still, that didn’t tell him why that person was down here. Graham circled the desk and cleared a path to the skeleton with his foot.

“It looks like it’s protecting something.” Underneath the tatters of its clothes, he could see something. He grimaced and pushed the corpse aside. It was some kind of book, small and bound in cracking leather.

He picked it up, cringing at the smell that clung to it. The pages had warped, likely from being underneath a decomposing body. The decaying fats and oils probably seeped into it. “I’m going to have to burn my hand if I ever want it to be clean again…”

Even so, he wanted to know what this person had protected with their life. What was in this little book that was so important? He set it on the ground so he could turn the pages with only a finger, rather than have to use—and dirty—both hands.

His brow furrowed. “Seems like notes for… a scripture?” His eyes widened. ‘“This guy was creating a scripture?!” That seemed like it was something incredible! Of course, Graham didn’t actually know if it was or not, but he’d never heard of anyone actually creating a scripture. Then again, they had to come from somewhere, right?

His eyes followed a passage that hadn’t been destroyed by the decay:

...had to dissolve my cultivation again. The process was unstable, caused damage to my body. Next time, I’ll try using the core from a Giant Eel combined with Lightning crystal. I expect it’ll produce a new…

Beyond that it was unreadable. “The core of an eel and a lightning crystal? Like, the ones in this cave? Maybe he was trying to gain lightning powers?” To be honest, that sounded awesome. What was cooler than lightning? And after seeing that wolf, he’d been awed by the power it wielded. If he could do that…

He shook his head. “This isn’t a damn game. That kind of attitude is what got James killed! I can’t act like these powers are toys for amusement. It’s serious shit.”

He flipped through and found another passage:

I’ve found the perfect formula! The problem was balance; I only had two elements when I needed three! I’ve recorded the specifics in a scroll. If I can reach foundation building with this, I can get it officially recognized! My name’ll become famous! Gereth, Master of Lightning! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a wolf to kill.

No pages had writing after that. “He went to fight a wolf? Is it the same one in this cave? Or, no, he died in this cave, in some kind of explosion. What happened?”

If he’d died to the wolf, his corpse would be outside in the cave. And the scorch marks were still unexplained. “Hm, he said something about a scroll…” Hopefully it wasn’t one of the papers on the ground. If so, it was probably destroyed or unreadable.

He turned and his eyes landed on the safe set into the wall. “In there?”