Chuck squinted at the sky, trying to concentrate on the chaotic aerial battle unfolding above. He could see a swarm of black, darting figures—resembling oversized insects—clashing with humans clad in striking red and white uniforms. The constant jerking and bouncing made it hard to capture any real details.
“Losing my grip!” Whyth shouted.
Marl stopped and threw an angry look over his shoulder. “Don’t drop h…”
“Ow. That’s three times and we’re only two-thirds of the way there.” Chuck grumbled. “I should walk the rest of the way.”
Whyth ground his teeth, then exhaled. “I’m not all strong and muscly, like ol’ greeny. Sorry.”
Marl set his end of Chuck down, carefully. “How much of a drain on you would walking be?”
“Don’t think it’d be much, as long as I’m not casting anything. Let me check.” Status Check.
<< STATUS - hasn’t changed since you asked me a few minutes ago.
Health: 80/80
Magic: 18/108 >>
It changed, I’m up a whole point in magic.
<< INTERACTION — I wish you’d take this more seriously. >>
Believe me, I am. It’s just that I deal with stress by being funny.
<< INTERACTION — Based on that, we can deduce your level of stress is practically non-existent. >>
Spi, who’s not being serious now. Once again, the silence didn’t surprise Chuck.
“Seems like all is okay. I’ll check again after a few minutes of walking to be safe.”
Marl nodded. “Only walking, no casting.”
“Yes, sir.”
Whyth shook his arms and smiled. “My arms and back, thank you.”
“Get moving. Both of you.” Marl let them pass and took up the rear, daggers drawn.
A few minutes later, Chuck determined that walking didn’t affect his stats, so the group decided to move faster. Yet, as they neared the gate, the dark bug things started to take a greater interest in them, which made Chuck uneasy. Rahmys switched from wielding her flame sword to muttering incantations under her breath, readying a spell. Whyth unleashed crackling lightning bolts, which zigzagged between the bugs, sending a few spiraling to the ground with a sizzle. Marl’s head swiveled, watching for threats on the ground and from the ground. Their progress ground to a near halt.
A loud screech drew their attention higher. The bugs swarmed over their aerial attackers. Flashes of red, white, black, and green swirled in a confusing mass. Chuck tried to follow the action but lost track of any individual he tried to watch.
“Marl, what did you call the humanish red and white things?”
Looking back at Chuck, Marl raised one of his dark green eyebrows. “Things? Don’t be calling them things where they can hear you. Not sure we can put you back together again. They are the Vylkra, a proud and powerful warrior race. Most of those warriors,” Marl pointed to the sky, “are female, primarily because there are substantially fewer males born. To keep the race alive, males are defensive warriors and the females the attacking. They are fierce…” His words trailed off, replaced with a grunt as he slashed at a diving bug.
A bolt of lightning burst from Whyth's outstretched hand, crackling and sizzling as it zigzagged between the swarming monsters. The stench of burning bug flesh mixed with the metallic tang of the electricity. The survivors retreated, their wings buzzing frantically as they made their way back to the swarm.
Chuck stooped to inspect. “These look like a huge centipede mated up with a larger pill bug. Not sure where the wings came from, you guys have anything close to this that isn’t Bythie created.”
“Checked images in the archive,” Rahmys’ gaze fell on Chuck. “I would have to agree with how you described them. We have small slithery bugs, but not like the ones you mentioned. The three wing pairs is strange too—“
“Move it! Standing around talking about bugs isn’t getting us closer to the gate.” Marl’s jog had an element of a rapid stomp added in.
Several minutes later, the group came to a halt in front of the opening in the cliff.
“Doesn’t look overly special.” Whyth commented. “Except maybe that stone's color and the metal arch right at the opening. That metal is almost too thin to see, if it wasn’t so reflective. Should we go in now?”
Rahmys looked over at Chuck. “I don’t know if we can recharge once we go in. Do we think we can hold out here to recharge? We’d be ready to dive in if anything comes our way, so we’d be the three to get in.”
“Didn’t think about the recharge.” Marl rubbed his chin and looked up at the sky. “It seems like whatever is going on up there is staying up there, for now. I am surprised none of them came down here when we got close. Maybe the battle is to evenly matched? Anyway, for now, I say let’s play it safe and wait out here. Ready to jump in at the first sign of someone else making their move.”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
“And if someone makes their move, I’ll be here to counter it.” Whyth pointed to Rahmys. “You’re more powerful in a fight and have healing. It makes sense you’re the third. I can go hide behind a rock and be ready for your return.”
A few awkward moments passed before anyone in the group responded.
“Thought it through and you make a solid case.” Marl nodded as he spoke. “I think we’d be good with either of you. And who knows what shape we’ll be in when we get out—so having someone fresh will be an excellent thing to have on hand. Chuck, how long do we need to wait?”
“Checking.” Status check and can you provide and estimate to full charge?
<< STATUS -
Health: 80/80
Magic: 39/108
Structure may not provide you with an estimate until fully recharged. Your rate does fluctuate, which makes it difficult to predict. So even if we were to say three hours, we could be off by thirty to forty percent. >>
Hmm. Shame you couldn’t even give me a guesstimate, but I understand the randomness. Chuck smiled at the mental giggle that sounded a lot like Spi.
“Well, the Structure isn’t allowed to tell me how long it would take. But I’ve doubled in points since the last check that was almost an hour ago. Based on that information and a little bit more, I’d guess three hours.”
“It is what it is.” Rahmys shrugged.
“Chuck. I found something interesting.” It took a few seconds before Chuck saw Glyrgaph flying above the peak of the arch entrance. “Don’t go in there yet.”
“I won’t. I can’t from up here. When I look down, I see the stuff you called metal covering whatever you enter through the door.” Glyrgaph floated to the front of the entrance. “When I look through here, I see a path with a sky above it, but the sky is only the metal when you go above the entrance.”
“Magic barrier to prevent jumping into the path outside of the entrance, most likely.” Whyth offered. “Question is, can you go past the ceiling when you’re inside? Could be some sort of dimensional magic.”
Chuck walked over and ran a stubby finger over the cool metal frame of the arch. After a few seconds of contact, a slight tingle played along his fingertip. “Some sort of power in this arch.” Status check.
<< STATUS -
Health: 80/80
Magic: 45/108
Don’t ask, I can’t tell you anything. >>
“Hey guys, I can recharge from touching this arch. Not sure how much faster, but it is faster.”
“Really? Let me see if it works for me.” Whyth touched the frame on the other side of the entrance and counted to ten out loud. “How long did it take you to feel anything?”
“Not that long.”
“Figures. Once again, you’re special. I’m not getting anything.”
Loophole? Chuck guessed that the silence confirmed his theory.
“We have activity headed our way!” Marl pointed up at a cloud of black creatures diving toward them.
“The can’t all be going in.” Rahmys prepared herself to jump.
Whyth stepped up next to her and prepared to cast. “I’ll throw up a force wall if they get close, buy you the time you need to jump in.”
Marl and Rahmys cautiously retreated toward the entrance, their eyes fixed on the chaotic whirlpool of movement advancing in their direction. The air buzzed with tension as the Vylkra, agile and relentless, closed in on the swarm, darting in and out like shadows, persistently harrying the rear of the teeming mass.
“I”m not sure they’re headed to the gate. They can change direction, I know, but right now it looks like they’re going to land several yards in front of us,” Whyth called back to the group.
“Agreed.” Marl’s eyes followed the leading edge of the cloud, “Let’s wait a little, allow Lumpy here to recharge more. Whyth be ready to cast quickly, though.”
“Ready now.”
The group watched the swarm swoop and then curl away from the entrance. The Vylkra slammed into the heart of the cloud. After a few seconds of total chaos, the mass of creatures rose higher. Several of the bugs broke off and flew towards the group in front of the entrance, landing thirty feet in front of them. They stood, wings blurry as they buzzed, but made no other moves.
“What do we do now? Attack, but be ready to jump? Or jump now and hope we can recharge on the other side?” Rahmys whispered.
“Do we need me fully charged?” Chuck asked.
“Yes.” The group answered as one.
“Charged as much as you can be,” Marl added.
The buzzing got louder.
“What are they doing?”
“Don’t know, Whyth.” Rahmys replied.
Marl’s finger jutted forward in a point. “Those ones in the back, they keep looking up at the ones that stayed behind fighting the Vylkra.”
Chuck looked at the snarled mass, watching bugs and bodies fall to the ground. Some struggling to move once they hit the ground, others remained still.
“Maybe they’re trying to decide if they need to go back and help?” Chuck offered.
Marl growled. “Not letting that happen. Chuck, you stay and charge up. Rahmys, let’s go help Whyth and see what we can do to kill some bugs. Whyth stay ready with that force wall. If this is some trick, we need to move quick.”
Chuck stayed back near the archway and watched as Rahmys cast a wave of fire that killed off several bugs, even a few on the fringe of the main swarm, hit the ground, smoking. Marl waded into the smaller breakoff group, his daggers a blur of violence ripping into the chitin and leaving green and gray oozing wounds behind.
“Careful Marl!” Chuck yelled out. “You’re getting yourself too deep in the fight, you won’t…” Chuck’s voice tapered off when he realized it fell on deaf ears.
Whyth’s lightning bolt knifed through a trio of bugs that had flanked Marl. A quick nod back to Whyth expressed the fighter’s gratitude. Some bugs took to the air and began to harass and land a few swiping blows, all focused on Marl.
Unable to catch every detail of the battle and unable to participate, frustration gnawed at Chuck. His restless eyes wandered around the scene, and he noticed something unusual. There, on the entrance arch, a narrow groove was etched into the metal. It started low at the ground, rose upward, and then curved back down the opposite side of the entryway.
The point of no return? He carefully examined the groove, every second reinforcing his assumption that it marked the true entry point. He looked back at his friends, still engaged with the, now smaller, group of bugs. Confirming that none of them were paying him any attention, he thinned a finger and explored the groove further. He was about two inches into the channel when the jolt of magic energy shocked him. Focusing on the energy, he found he could tap into it for a faster charging.
Once again, he shouted out to the other group. “Hey everybody, found a faster way to charge up.” Seeing no response, he thinned himself out and filled the lower two-thirds of the arch. At least I’m blocking the way. He reveled in the energy flowing into his body, working on a way to send some to his friends.
A flashing glint of a reflection from above caught his eye. Three bugs were diving toward him. He figured it was the entrance they were actually after. Closing fast were three Vylkras, their wings tucked in allowing them to be blurs as they dove. Two bugs splattered against the rocks. Each followed by a Vylkra landing to confirm the former bugs were dead. Chuck was so enthralled at the dexterity of the two Vylkras he forgot the third pair of flyers until they were on him.
The bug tried to fly through the gap at the top of the arch. He hit Chuck hard enough to force him to disengage from the upper parts of the groove. He noted the bug was going to get through the arch when he flew through it himself — the result of the third Vylkra slamming into him and both tumbling through the arch.
“You chycra-brained fool! Die!” The blonde Vylkra swung a weapon at Chuck.
Dodging, while wondering where the weapon came from, Chuck scrambled mentally and physically, processing the recent turn of events.
