Deekus held the stone out for Cole to see, which was unnecessary because the thing was larger than Cole himself. Cole smiled and nodded, congratulating Deekus, but an anxious fire was spreading rapidly in Cole’s heart. The current would change direction any second, and while Deekus was undoubtedly very strong, so was the current. When he finished appraising his treasure, Deekus kicked off of the floor, cradling the stone under one arm. He was too slow, however, as the coral had already begun inhaling the water around him. An annoyed grin spread across Deekus’s face, as if the coral were nothing more than a minor inconvenience. He kicked powerfully with his legs, shooting himself up several feet with every stroke. He was losing ground, however. For every foot he gained he lost a few more in between strokes. He no longer looked annoyed, but desperate as he kicked and pulled himself away from the hole. Cole inched forward to help, but felt as if he himself stood on the edge of the coral’s singularity. Deekus continued to fight, dropping the stone and knifing his hands through the water, moving faster than Cole thought possible. The omnistone sank back to the coral as if dropped through air.
Realizing he had been overpowered, Deekus set his eyes for the coral, allowing it to pull him down. Just as Cole had done, he squatted over the rim, landing with a poof of silt. Cole watched helplessly at the edge of the coral’s pull as Deekus fought the invisible force, muscles bulging and veins popping. Deekus’s legs wobbled and buckled as he slammed into a seating position over the coral. His shorts ripped and disappeared in a flash. Surprised, Deekus looked to Cole and laughed at his own nakedness.
Relieved, Cole laughed as well. Thankfully this would make for a funny story to tell the others back on the beach. He’d been convinced that Deekus was about to sink right down like the omnistone. Now they would have to just wait for the coral to exhale.
There was a sudden change in Deekus’s demeanor as his face went from amused embarrassment to grim confusion. His eyes snapped open as all color vanished from his cheeks. Deekus bared his teeth, electric green webbing appearing in between his fingers and toes as he forced himself up from the hole, paddling faster than ever. He broke free from the current, but something odd caught Cole’s eye. A wriggling fleshy rope now connected the ventus coral to Deekus’s backside. It looked eerily like the tentacles of the grubs that had almost eaten him and Goran. Deekus kicked and pulled as if he were on fire, the thing behind him rippling like a ribbon, Deekus gulping like a fish out of water in between strides. Without warning, a cloud of blood erupted from his rear and Deekus stopped paddling. The tentacle broke free and shot back down the hole, carrying a crimson hunk of something with it. Deekus’s face went peacefully blank as the Wisdom webbing flickered and vanished from his hands and feet. Cole watched in silent horror as his friend drifted like a ragdoll through the bloody cloud, disappearing headfirst into the coral.
Cole waited for the coral to exhale and release his friend, but it seemed to be stuck on a vacuum setting. He was alone again. Alone in the dark listening to the low hum of rushing water. He waited, unsure what to do. He was too scared to move, too scared to return alone to the crushing void above him.
Cole’s ambient light flashed three times. That was the signal to return to the surface. He only had a few minutes before it flashed again and the group would return without him. Something about being so far away from the rest of the unit changed his hopelessness into fresh terror. He would not die down here.
Valen’s light flashed again, faster this time and much sooner than it should have. The others were gone, leaving for the shore, leaving him. How long would it be before Eliza’s and Lileth’s spells wore off? Would they just cut the flow of magic, assuming him dead? Cole launched himself from the floor, creating a cloud of silt that flowed into the hole. He ascended into the empty blackness, hoping desperately that Eliza’s magic would still keep the monsters at bay. Cole’s heart sank as his own ambient light began to fade. Within a few strokes it was gone entirely, leaving him flailing in absolute darkness. A crushing vertigo now blended with his ripening fear, powering his limbs as he propelled himself towards what he hoped was the surface. Any second now his hand might swipe through the darkness, only to be caught by the stabbing teeth of some unseen horror.
As he swam, Cole felt a familiar presence beside him. It had been watching all along from the shadows. He was there, gliding smoothly next to him, watching him flail in the void. Cole had no interest in his imaginary friend at the moment, though it was slightly comforting to have someone next to him that was definitely not a shark. His comfort was soon replaced by hot ire. Why would He show himself now? He could have used His help countless times since his arrival on this death-planet. Maybe He wasn’t there to help, maybe He just liked to watch Cole struggle. That must have been it, Cole thought. Here He was now, gloating and gliding along without even needing to paddle.
An idea crossed the bridge between them. Cole couldn’t discern the source of the thought. It very well may have come from his own mind. It was a concept so simple that Cole chastised himself for not having thought of it before. Together, they cleared Cole’s mind, just as Deekus had done for him hours before. Unbidden images of Deekus’s lifeless form folding into the coral waded to the fore of his thoughts. In that moment he realized with horrifying acceptance that the tentacle had not come from the coral. It had come from Deekus’s bowels.
He pressed the idea again, drawing Cole out of his grim trance. Cole shivered and nodded. He was right, they had a job to do, and very little time in which to do it. Clearing his mind once more, they set their focus to the water around Cole. He understood the water well enough, and it was time to change a rule or two. Inspired by the breathing of the coral, a current fueled by Cole’s own conviction swirled around him, pulling and pushing him upwards. He cupped his hands and flattened his feet, granting the current more purchase over his body.
He was not moving terribly fast, at times losing his focus as he thought he saw a body ahead of him, but he was certainly making progress. Even with the magic helping him, it took much longer than he expected to see the first shafts of Oberon’s light. He checked around him as he ascended into warmer waters. There was no sign of the others. He continued, returning to the surface feeling as if he’d just come from another planet.
Cole paused just below the rolling waves. He wouldn’t be able to breathe the air above the water. Shaking his head at the absurdity of what he was about to do, he held his breath before bobbing his head up into the chilled ocean air. His vision blurred from his flattened eyes, preventing him from seeing the shore. Plunging himself under, he took another breath and tried again. Nothing. He circled around twice and saw nothing but blurry waves a few feet in front of him. Panic mixed with frustration as he went under again. He saw a flash of movement below him, though luckily it was one of the smaller fish from the shallow reef. Seeing the fish made him aware of the faint crackling, which could only be heard from the reef. Cole spun, trying to find the source. He shoved a finger into his right ear and spun around again. Logic and reason eased a modicum of his hopelessness as he considered the facts. The reef was definitely in between him and the shore, and he now knew where the reef was. As if to affirm his judgment, the fish below flew ahead of him towards the source of the clicking and crackling. Cole surged after the fish without paddling.
Mired in his exhaustion, Cole barely registered another fact; he was casting a spell. Cole might have needed His help to get it started, but he was certainly maintaining it by himself now. His excitement would have to wait, however. He was a long way from shore. With the aid of his magical current, the reef soon came into view. His spell was much harder to maintain with the litany of colorful fish darting below and nipping at his toes. Cole popped his head out of the water once more, finding a dark mass far ahead that looked to be the tree line.
Exhausted but finally safe, Cole released his spell. He allowed himself a moment of relief as he floated in waist-deep water. He didn’t know if he could stand anyway. A violent swi
shing neared him, but he was too tired to even open his eyes. Something grabbed his ankle, lifting him completely out of the water. He had enough sense left to hold his throat closed, holding a half-lungful of the life-giving water.
“Open your throat, Cole,” said a familiar voice as a soft hand pressed into his ribs.
His face became a waterfall as salty water and mucus poured from him. He coughed, choking on the water which just a minute ago was essential and comfortable. It was painful, but within a few breaths he had expelled almost all of the water. The hand became shockingly cold, magic chilling his lungs as the remainder of the water was turned into brackish vapor that streamed from his mouth and nose. Finally catching his breath, Cole wiped his eyes as he was flipped upright and placed on solid ground. He swayed, falling into the sand. He felt several times heavier and had no sense of balance. Huge fingers pressed over his eyelids, tickling magic shaping his eyes back to normal. Cole opened them, seeing Lileth crouched beside him wearing a look of utmost urgency.
“Why is Deekus not with you?” she demanded, pulling a clump of seaweed from his hair.
Cole’s voice scraped and cracked as he tried to speak, though the sad look on his face said what he could not. Lileth closed her eyes as her expression twisted with sorrow.
Her voice softened. “Can you run?”
Cole shook his head. He felt ready to vomit.
She put her hands on him again, warm and strong. “Then I must carry you. Forgive me.”
Lileth scooped Cole up into her arms as if he were a child, his head resting on her shoulder. He didn’t resist, though he worried the jostling may be too much for his stomach. After a minute he mumbled his apologies as he wiped his salty vomit from Lileth’s arm. Her only response was a quickening of her pace, which Cole judged to be the lower end of highway speeds. He closed his eyes, resting his head against her chest as he fought back another wave of nausea.
Lileth slowed as Cole heard the worried voices of the others. He recognized Storn’s boorish voice above the rest. “Whatever it is we’re ready for it. We need it! You all got to do something useful down there, I just swam around waiting for enemies that Eliza kept charming away.”
“We’re fresh, Valen, let’s go. Fly above us if you can keep up,” Sitra teased, pulling Valen towards the tree line. “Once Deekus gets back, he and Eliza can heal whatever wounds we might pick up along the way.”
“Master Chiron would not have signaled us unless it was serious, so we will take it seriously.” Valen’s voice was of forced calm, though his pacing said otherwise. “It would be wise for us to keep unit integrity and wait for his return. We are stronger together. Ah, Lileth. I hoped you would return soon. You nearly started a riot with your sudden departure. You ought to explain yourself next time before running off. I had not the chance to tell you that Master Chiron contacted me with Passion. He did not elaborate, however it sounded urgent.” Valen paused, noticing the bundle in Lileth’s arms. “Is that the Underkin? Where is Deekus?”
Lileth set Cole gently on his feet. Cole stumbled over to a tree, using it to keep himself upright. Lileth made sure he was all right before addressing Valen. “I sensed my magic returning from the depths and found Cole a ways up the shore, alone. Can you sense your spells on Deekus?”
“No, I assumed he dissolved my magic and cast his own once he got to the omnistones. It’s what I would have done.” Valen then approached Cole. “Underkin, why did you abandon Deekus? Did he manage to secure an omnistone?”
Unable to stand any longer, Cole plopped himself into the sand and cleared his throat. “Deekus is dead,” he whispered.
“Your tongue is running ahead of your mind,” Valen dismissed. “Tell me exactly what happened before I pull your memories myself. Do not test me, Underkin. I am in no mood to tolerate your ambiguities.”
Cole spat out a wad of salty phlegm before speaking: “He got pulled into the coral. Trust me, he’s gone. Deekus is dead.”
Valen’s tone shifted to quiet venom as he reached a glowing emerald hand for Cole’s head. “Forgive me, wise one, but we cannot afford the word of livestock at the moment.”
Lileth stepped in front of Valen, her own eyes glistening with fresh tears. “It is true, Valen. You need not pan through his thoughts to know the truth. Set aside your prejudice and analyze the facts.”
Valen smirked. “War is upon us, Lileth. It is not prudent to allow emotions to fetter your judgment. What would your parents say?”
Lileth’s tears seemed to dry immediately as her face resumed its usual stony frown. A loud silence fell between them, embellished by the cries of the nearby insects and birds. Lileth’s eyes sparked with jade light. Valen drew a sharp breath as his feet left the ground, causing him to look like a puppet on invisible strings.
“Release him Lil,” Eliza said, her voice lacking its usual cheerful song. “Valen, Cole speaks the truth. If you don’t trust him then trust me. He should never have gone for the omnistones. He lacked the focus to maintain so many complex spells.” Her voice dropped to a quivering whisper. “I can no longer feel him in my heart.”
Sitra trudged through the sand and took Eliza into her arms, soothing her with soft words. Valen regained his composure as Lileth released whatever spell she had on him. Disheveled, Valen ran his fingers through his hair, and resumed his pacing.
“Clothe yourselves!” Valen spat. “We need to be ready for anything. Master Chiron should be back any time now. He’ll know what to do.”
Storn tossed Cole his clothes, which landed in a heap at his feet. They were still warm from the fire. Cole embraced the warm garments. Sadness tugged at his heart as he realized that the momentary warmth would be the last time he felt Deekus.
“Hurry, all of you. Chiron approaches.” Valen crossed his arms and faced the tree line. A violent snapping of trunks and branches grew steadily louder.
Storn turned his ear to the trees, giving the forest a skeptical look. “Valen, buddy. I don’t think that’s Chiron.”
Chapter 17
Trials
Cole dressed himself, fingers stumbling over the buckles and straps of his cloth armor. He braced himself for the inevitable chafing that would result from his wet, sandy skin. Deep in the wood line, the crashing noise grew steadily louder, sounding like an approaching tornado. With a jolt, Cole recognized the noise, apprehension gripping him by the throat. He hopped away from the trees, lacing his boots behind the others.
“What do you think it is?” Sitra whispered, shuffling and peering through the trunks. “Chiron definitely wouldn’t do that to a tree.”
“It could be animals, but there’s nothing big enough around here to make that much noise. And from the sound of it there’s a whole herd coming right for us.” Storn closed his eyes, listening as he flexed his claws.
“Should we make for the water?” Eliza proposed, stepping behind Valen. “We could hide and observe from a distance, then decide what action to take. Stars, they sound like a landslide-” She squeaked as a mad bellowing echoed through the trees.
Cole had heard that cry before. Part man, part beast. One of the Domina was charging full speed towards them. It would be on them soon. “We need to leave!” Cole croaked, standing on shaky legs. “That’s a Domina! It will rip us apart if we don’t get out of here now!”
With a grim fire in his eyes, Valen pulled off his boots, black knives exploding from where his feet and hands were. “We will not flee. It is time we test ourselves.”
Storn and Sitra needed no encouragement. They joined Valen’s side with claws of their own, bloodthirsty grins on their faces.
“Finally!” Storn shouted, “A real enemy! I’ve been waiting my whole life for this.”
Cole backed away several paces. Even if they were a match for the Domina, there was no place for him in a fight of this scale. He was more likely to be crushed or gored than of any actual use. Even so, he drew his dagger from behind his cloth-armor coat. Lileth donned her green wings, wind rushing about h
er as she hovered above the unit. Eliza fell back with Cole, shaking with terror. The snapping trees went silent. For a moment there was no noise other than the flowing air holding Lileth aloft. Sitra whipped her banded braid over her shoulders and loosed a thundering roar, a death-challenge to any creature foolish enough to face her Rage.
As impressive as her battle cry was, it was a candle before a furnace compared to the roar that boomed in response. Cole flinched, covering his ears. Trees thick and strong bent and snapped in front of them, revealing not one, but three Domina. They were much larger than the one that had chased Cole to the bridge; they made even Valen look as small as an Underkin. The monsters also appeared more beast than man, possibly a crude mixture of several creatures. The beasts sported hooves and gigantic rolling horns, though their snouts were more wolf-like. One had enormous leathery hands of a man, dragging a granite mace the size of a small car. The other two had shovel-shaped claws that looked capable of digging through solid metal. The only things remotely human about them were their upright posture and eyes burning with sinister Hunger. Storn and Sitra dug their bladed feet into the sand, ready to pounce, but were clearly surprised at the scale of their foes. Valen placed a claw on each of their shoulders, steadying them.
Seemingly unperturbed, Valen raised his chin and addressed the beasts: “You are not welcome here. Return to the light side now, or suffer us.”
Cole despised Valen, but he couldn’t help but feel impressed by how calm he was, as if he were merely giving strangers directions.
The club-wielding Domina sucked in a deep, wet breath, licking its jowls in anticipation for the blood about to wet its throat. It appeared to have understood Valen, responding with an almost cocky grin. It opened its wolfish maw, releasing the whole volume of air from its barreled chest. Cole expected words to come out, but instead gravelly laughter poured from its bared teeth as the massive club came whistling through the air.
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