by J. J. Lorden
I am, like, seriously high right now, Erramir realized.
“Oh yeah,” Carson said, his eyes comically wide. “He’s toootally… broken.” The mage looked up and yelled into the sky, “Elllle, Elllle! We need some help with your broken boyfriend in the frozen tundra!”
“Shut up, you asshole,” Val chastised, “You’re gonna attract another one of those elemental things.”
Erramir didn’t mind at all–he enjoyed that thought. “Boyfriend… oooh, that sounds like fun…” he mumbled, still grinning. Pushing himself to sit up, he looked to Carson. “You’re funny.” And he meant it.
He settled into a cross-legged position. “Seriously, guys, I’m really okay–not broken, just giddy. Relax.”
Val cocked her head to one side. Erramir’s unconcerned but succinct clarification seemed to be that of a properly thinking mind. “Okay. Explain, please.”
He let out a contented sigh and explained. “Well, that thing hurt me, something serious.” Erramir pointed with both hands to his head. “Pretty sure I was concussed, and my wind was gone too. The not breathing broke through my mental haze, and I got this sense that I could just make my lungs work if I wanted it bad enough.”
He extended a hand, and Carson pulled him up.
“So I did that. I focused everything I could on wanting my lungs to work again, and it worked–I got my breath back instantly. Then I had a wild vision; there was a horrible noise, a witch, and a Buick.” He chuckled. “The Buick really stood out. And the witch was Mrs. Noonan, remember her Car?”
“Wish I didn’t, but yeah. Worst teacher we ever had.”
“Yeah, she was a witch for real. Anyhow, then there was this popping noise, and it got really quiet. I figured you guys were dead, and I had to get back in the fight. Since I’d been able to make my lungs work, making my brain work again seemed logical, so I sort of focused on that.
“Honestly, focused isn’t quite right because my brain was a mess. It was more like my body did the thinking, like instinctually. And it worked. I managed to boost my healing, and my head trauma vanished.”
Carson cut in, “I’m not sure that your condition of concussed is a past tense thing, bro.”
Is he always this funny? Erramir thought, chuckling again. “No, seriously. I’m okay. Listen though, I didn’t just heal–I also gained a point in Presence, and it comes with a new ability. That’s the super cool part.”
Eyes twinkling around a big smile, he looked right at Carson.
“I unlocked Spidey Sense.”
27
The Resonator
“No way, that’d make you untouchable.” Carson scoffed. Erramir bobbed his head, grinning. “Exactly. Badass, right?”
“You mean you can, like, feel danger and react super quick without even thinking about it? Like avoiding a sneak attack or jumping away from a falling piano or something?”
“Yeah, just like that. Spidey Sense.” Erramir replied.
“Yeah, bro,” Carson said, looking skeptical. “I’m not sure if Spidey’s super sense works like that.”
“What are you talking about? Spidey always senses threats he can’t see and moves out of the way in time,” argued Erramir.
“Yeah, I know. But he senses them and then thinks”–Carson pointed to his head–“about what he’s going to do. He doesn’t just do without thinking first. Also, everything slows down for him when he’s fighting. I mean, that dude can handle like 20 different things at once. That’s kind of impossible unless he’s either speeding himself up or slowing everyone else down. And Spidey never slowed anyone down unless it was with a web.”
Valerie was wondering how the conversation got so completely sidetracked from Erramir’s new ability when she found herself being pulled into the boy’s debate vortex. She physically shook herself out of it. “Okay, wait. Stop, you two. We can do Comic-Con debates another time. We’re still kind of trapped in a frozen wasteland here.”
The reminder got their attention. “Ha, Comic-Con, good times.” Erramir replied. “You’re right though, we can argue the finer points of Spidey’s super sense while we walk.” He turned toward the downed elemental, and his eyes widened. “Woah!”
His sword was still stuck in the chest of the thing, but it was obviously not what delivered the killing blow. That credit went to the three gigantic icicles protruding from the side of its chest, shoulder, and head.
“Oh yeah, that’s right!” Carson exclaimed. “I figured out an offensive spell! And it’s a good one too. I’m calling it Frozen Volt.” His tone was proud. “I patterned it after what I saw Val due with her staff. So, it’s Volt instead of Bolt, as a nod to Val and Virginwood.” He offered the tip of an imaginary hat to the staff wielder.
“I never would have figured it out so fast without seeing how Val weaves to control Virg.” They headed toward the dead monster as Carson explained a bit more, “The hard part was figuring out how to shoot it, and her weaves were the key. It’s not a very complex weave now that I got it figured out–all air and water threads, and I’m strongest in those.”
“Those definitely look deadly.” Erramir said as he toed one. “I am kind of curious, though, an ice spell against an ice creature? Why’d that work so well?”
Carson nodded. “Right, it’s not actually elemental damage that killed it–it’s piercing damage. The way the weave works, I should be able to adapt the shape of the projectile if I want to. In this case, a big snowball didn’t seem like it’d be all that effective.”
Val snorted. “No. Definitely not. Good call not getting in a snowball fight with the deadly ice monster. If you’re going to experiment with annoying something to death, let me know first. I think I’ll sit that one out.”
Carson glanced over at her, and then without breaking stride, replied, “Or maybe I can tweak it into a wake-up spell. A nice fluffy snowball in the ear ought to work. Since it’s your idea, maybe you can help me out with that, Val.”
“Experiment with my sleep at your own risk, mage-boy.”
“Okay, this road trip is gonna get old fast if you two can’t cool it,” Erramir jested. “Why don’t we loot this thing and get going?”
“Sounds good to me. Shall we let the mage do the honors? It was his kill.” Valerie offered, and Erramir agreed.
Carson stepped forward. “Let’s see… hmm.” He bent over the downed mob, then took a knee and cocked his head to the side. Erramir watched and waited, curious if his friend would need help figuring out the looting mechanic.
He needn’t have worried; in a few seconds, Carson held a hand over the creature and then looked up. “Oh, that’s really cool,” he said, standing up and holding something in his hand. Behind him, the ice elemental didn’t melt into the ground. Erramir had an inkling as to why but turned his attention to Carson.
In his palm, the mage displayed a blue sphere about the size of a baseball. Erramir’s curiosity pulled up the information on the object.
Ice Elemental Core (Atypical)—level 10
Condition—cracked
“I don’t think it’s going to do us much good being cracked,” Carson mused.
He looked back at the beast. “Ah-hah! Look.” He crouched again and pointed to a spot in the dead center of its torso, just below Erramir’s sword. “This is where the core was. If we don’t hit them in that spot, we can probably loot some undamaged ones.”
“Good to know,” Erramir acknowledged, not mentioning that he had aimed for the core and was actually pleased to have guessed well. He moved over to the head.
Its previously burning eyes were dark orbs now, and its mouth was frozen open in the rictus of a death scream. Erramir pulled his dagger and pressed it into the grey flesh of the creature’s gums. He cut down and pried at a tooth. The tooth popped free, and he grabbed the obsidian canine, inspecting it.
Famished Elemental Fang (Atypical)—level n/a
Condition—hardened
He smiled to himself and put the tooth in his bag, and then turned back to
the monster, but it still wasn’t dissolving. “We haven’t gotten all this thing has to offer. Any ideas?”
Val stepped up next to him. “Was that a skill you used to get the tooth?”
Erramir nodded as he kept considering the beast. “Yeah, it’s called Animal Salvage. I got it from Tallimur. Weird name, right? I’m hoping it’ll become skinning. But this thing doesn’t really have a pelt to try that on.”
She nodded and then squatted next to him. After a moment of thought, she said, “I’m going to try something.”
Erramir felt a vibration of power begin to emanate from Val, and he sat back to give her space. Curious to understand what she was doing, he activated True Sight.
Awareness blossomed across his internal web of newly heightened senses, and information flowed in from his body and surroundings. He concentrated on Val and saw a misty cloud in front of her blur and consolidate in a transparent orb tinged with pastel pink and purple.
The distortion condensed, shrinking as it did, and then a narrow cord of power emerged and reached to the beast, passing over it slowly in a scan. He studied the energy closely and felt that something extraordinary was there–something that he wanted to understand better. He stretched his awareness toward the cord, somehow knowing he could touch it with his mind and understand more.
A hand landed on his shoulder and broke the spell. “Hey. Snap out of it, bro. Don’t do that.” Carson stood over him with a knowing look. “I know it looks amazing, but you should only do that after you talk to Val about it, it’s almost like mutual soul rape, bro. Seriously, it’s disturbing.”
For a moment, Erramir looked in confusion between Val and Carson, then he realized what Carson was referring to. “Oh damn, was I doing what you did in the stair room?”
Carson tilted his head and teetered a hand back and forth. “Sort of… ahh, your essence is different–it’s kind of misty or something–but I’m pretty sure the result would be the same. And I’m definitely sure you don’t want to stick it somewhere it’s not welcome.” He smirked, then Val cut in before he could continue.
“Well, I mucked that up.” She was holding a purplish-black stringy thing, like some seaweed gone bad. “This is the creature’s vocal cords. Or it’s at least the part that generated that horrible sonic attack. I screwed up harvesting it though, it’s ruined.” As she stood, the body of the creature dissolved into the ground, validating they’d gotten everything they could. Erramir inspected the purple goop.
Famished Ice Elemental Resonator (Rare)—level 10
Condition—ruined
He closed the information window, and Val dumped the gooey mess onto the ground, where it also dissolved. She looked up to a pair of wide, startled eyes staring at the spot where the resonator had disappeared.
“What?” she said defensively. “It was ruined, gross, and smelly. I didn’t want to put it in my bag, and you two hoarders would hang onto it, just in case.” She glared at them. “That’s just unnecessary stink I don’t want to be smelling.”
They kept staring, so she plowed on. “Relax, I think I know what I did wrong. We’ll keep the next one. One that’s not ruined. Okay?”
Carson regarded her with a stern look. “Val.” He gestured to the tundra. “Snow and Ice everywhere.” He pointed at himself, “Guy, that can freeze stuff.” He held her gaze. “I don’t think we’re going to have an issue keeping things from smelling.”
Her look changed from defensive to flushed embarrassment. “Right. Sorry,” she said with a bit of grimace. Then her countenance became devilish, and she whispered unapologetically, “Acted rashly… I’ll try not to do it again.” She winked at Carson.
Carson twitched back in response and looked uncertain. He looked away from Val and blushed slightly. “Okay. Good, thanks.” He babbled, and Val smiled slyly.
Erramir looked between Carson’s awkward countenance and Valerie’s beguiling expression. She’s totally playing off his insecurities to manipulate him. This could really screw things up. He knew Val was going through something with her body, and he was glad for his friend; she had deep wounds there that needed to heal. But it was the second time, and this kind of behavior could drive a wedge into their team.
“Val, you need to cool it. We don’t need all sorts of weird sexual tension or any of that crap while we trek through a frozen wasteland.” Carson’s demeanor appeared to regain some of its confidence at his words.
Val shrugged dismissively, but her seductress mask dropped. “What’s the big deal?” she said.
“The big deal? Really?” Erramir looked pointedly at Val. “You’re screwing with his head because you felt guilty about dropping the resonator. That’s straight-up manipulation, and it’s irresponsible, Val.”
Val grimaced but didn’t respond.
Erramir continued with a level tone. “We both know you’re going through something, and it’s great that you are; you have our total support. That’s the whole point of being here. But it can’t screw up our group dynamic.”
Val considered him for a long second and then nodded. “Yeah. Alright. Sorry about that. I guess I did use my new mojo like a weapon there.” She smiled weakly toward Carson. “Sorry, Car. We’re on the same team here. That’s definitely more important.”
Valerie got quiet and turned her head down to the side, she seemed contemplative, and her friends waited. After a moment, Val looked back at them. “My emotions are kind of running wild right now. Most of the time, I feel liberated, safe to just be myself…” She trailed off, looking down and spoke softly. “I can breathe again–my body is mine again.”
She took a deep breath, tilted her face to the sun, then exhaled. After a moment, she found Carson’s gaze. “But, being wrong–it’s a threat… and it triggers something.”
Carson nodded slowly. “Right. Sorry. I don’t wanna do that.”
Her cheek pinched from a half-smile. “Thanks. It’s just…” Val wrestled with her fear of speaking so plainly. Once steadied, she continued, “I feel really different here. You guys know I’ve always had some issues with men. And, I’m not as scared about that now. I feel powerful. And… my body. I like it. A lot.” She lit up. “I really do. And I really like feeling this way.”
Turning to view the horizon, her face set itself hard, expression determined. A gust swept dark hair forward in a curtain, hiding her from their quiet eyes. When it calmed, she spoke with iron. “I won’t give that up.”
Val held a long breath, then exhaled that tension. “But…” She met Carson’s eyes and saw his unquestioning loyalty. Her eyes glistened as a flare of old pain was evoked. I can trust them. She knew that for truth.
“But after I ruined that resonator, my mind flashed ahead–I saw myself dealing with that slimy thing for days after you two insisted we keep it, and I got angry. It happened really fast. I just got angry and acted.” Val looked down again, her expression pained. “I know we always talk about things like that too.”
“But that’s not what really got me.” She said quietly and looked back at Carson. “I didn’t even consider keeping it cold, which makes perfect sense since we’re in a giant freezer.” She moved a hand in a short swipe over the tundra and followed it with her eyes, then coughed a wry laugh before returning her gaze to Carson.
“So, when you pointed that out, I knew I was wrong, and I felt powerless again.” She took a breath and shuddered slightly. “And it was like all the bad came back–I was wrong again… and helpless… like all the way down… just all wrong.”
Tears started to roll from Val’s eyes. Her bottom lip quivered when she spoke, causing her next words to tremble. “I just don’t want to be wrong anymore.”
She pressed her eyes into the crook of one elbow and started to shake with silent sobs. Erramir stepped up and wrapped an arm about her shoulders, then pulled Val in tight. “Thanks for telling us all that,” he said and just stood there holding her with one arm, waiting to see if the contact was okay. Valerie’s sobbing grew more intense, and she
turned her hidden face into his shoulder. Erramir wrapped her in a full hug.
After a bit, when her sobs settled, he said, “To me, you feel absolutely brilliant, Val. You’re literally one of the most right parts of my whole world.”
Carson had come up on her other side. “Shit Val, you’re my soul-sister. That’s kind of a big deal, you know–you can’t undo that. Not in my world.” He paused. “I mean, you are kind of dark sometimes, you drive like an asshole, and I think you’re totally wrong about my veggie-garlic-bomb pie. But who cares, that’s just flour on the pan–it burns away, makes the crust crispy. You’re still fucking amazing.”
Val made a noise that sounded like a laugh. Then she dropped her arm and stepped back from Erramir to look between the two men with smiling eyes. “Thanks, guys,” she said wiping her cheeks and eyes on the back of a gloved hand. Her tears had been brief, but intense.
She beheld them with a glow of gratitude and relaxed vulnerability that had an almost magical quality. In that moment, simply from their reflections off of Valerie, Carson and Erramir both felt they knew themselves just a bit better.
Erramir was blown away. Val’s willingness to embrace both her pain and their honest appreciation for her–it struck him with wonder. The Val he’d grown up with never would have risked being this vulnerable. She was definitely changing.
“Thanks for the reality check, Err,” Val said. “It was exactly what I needed.”
“Yeah Val.” Erramir’s voice was touched with awe. “You are absolutely welcome.” She smiled at him, and Erramir suddenly found he had to wipe a tear away.
“I ahh.” He sniffed back a second tear. “It’s really rare to see someone be so incredibly honest like that. I’m just kind of honored and shocked. Seeing the truth like you just did… people don’t do that.” He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
“Humm, yeah. I suppose they don’t, do they,” she said and looked to Carson, who was just shaking his head slowly.
“Like I said, fucking amazing,” Carson said–this time, he blushed slightly.