by Eric Vall
“Oh, hell, no,” I growled.
I focused on my fire magic and roared as I released an explosion of flames from my core. The fire shot out from every part of my body and engulfed the birds in flames, and they cawed and squawked as they fell to the ground like fiery little missiles.
Before the last bird landed, I sprinted across the beach toward Karys. He looked over in time to see me, and he leaned down to touch one of the silvery-white ropes of the soul bridges.
A growl rumbled in my chest as I conjured a fiery bow and arrows, and I launched an arrow that plunged into the spirit’s hand just before he touched the rope.
“Bastard!” he howled as he yanked his hand back with a scowl. Then he stood up and lifted his palms as his hands shook.
Suddenly, a group of pointy pink noses emerged from underneath the sand between us, and I watched as the noses were followed by two-foot whiskers and then long clawed toes as rats the size of border collies crawled out of the ground.
“Desert rats!” Miraya called out from her spot near the grass, and she scrunched up her dainty nose. “I do not like rats.”
“Not a fan myself,” I muttered. “But they seem a bit easier to handle than lava goblins.”
The rats scurried across the sand toward me, and their hisses and squeaks sounded much angrier than the average rodent. I looked past the furry beasts to see Karys had walked past the anchor, and he continued along the shore laughing at my attackers.
“He thinks these little things will stop me?” I grunted. “Miraya, can you put some kind of protection on the anchors? I’ll handle these.”
“I can put a barrier over it,” the sword spirit replied. “Will that work?”
“Sounds good to me,” I agreed.
Miraya hurried to the anchor to keep it safe from anyone else, and I focused on the giant rodents headed for me, but I doubted they would be much trouble.
I opened my maw and released a plume of flames back and forth on the desert rats like a flame-throwing exterminator, but somehow the rats scurried past the fire as though it had no effect on them at all.
The fuck?
“Are desert rats always impervious to fire?” I called out as I took a few steps back from the approaching horde.
“I’m not sure.” Miraya frowned as she turned back to me. “Maybe they’re Karys’ version of them.”
“Great,” I muttered.
The rats gnashed their long front teeth as their claws tore through the sand, and their long black tails dragged along the ground behind them until one was close enough to reach me. Then it spun around and whipped its tail around my calf. The black appendage squeezed my leg and nearly knocked me over, but I regained my balance and swung the Sword of Hatra around to chop off the beast’s grimy tail.
The rat screeched in pain as it retreated, but it was quickly replaced by three more rats who wrapped their tails around my legs and tried to pull me down. I continued to swipe and chop at their tails with my blade, and then I swung at their big bodies as well. Soon, pieces of the desert rats laid at my feet, and ears, tails, heads, and round gray bodies piled up around me as I slashed at the furry beasts.
I looked up to see more of the rats climb out of the sand, and they all continued to climb over their dead companions and head straight for me. My automatic healing helped my tired muscles, but I knew I had to figure out a new plan.
Then I took a second to focus on one of my newly acquired skills, and as I homed in on Rana’s power, the golden paths seemed to light up before me. Though there were dozens of rats, each of them only had one path to me. So, I watched carefully as the first two creatures followed their lines straight for me, and then I hacked through their bodies with one blow.
“Ohhh, shit, it’s on now,” I snickered.
I continued to use the precognition skill and sliced through each desert rat before it could get close enough to use its tail, and wave after wave of furry beasts scuttled across the sand and got slaughtered by my blade. When the frenzy was finally over, dozens of desert rats laid in pieces around me, and it looked like a bomb had gone off.
Then I glanced up at Miraya who had just finished her barrier spell, and I could see a white bubble encased the anchors and the first few feet of the soul bridge ropes.
That should keep the Bow spirit from messing with my shit again.
Speaking of Karys, where the hell did he go?
I looked past Miraya along the shoreline, and I didn’t see any sign of the bastard. Then I heard a splash of water, and I jerked my head left to see the Bow spirit swimming through my spiritual sea. He was already half a mile from shore, and he was still paddling further out.
“Where is he going?” I asked Miraya as we met at the shoreline.
“You don’t know?” she asked, and her eyes widened with surprise. “It’s your spiritual sea.”
“I always stay on the beach or the mountain.” I shrugged. “I’ve never had any reason to swim out there.”
“We have to follow him,” she insisted. “If Karys went that far already, there’s something out there he wants.”
“Okay, let’s do it,” I agreed.
The thought of both of us swimming that far and fast to catch him didn’t seem likely to work well, though, so I imagined a boat that would take us out there. In the blink of an eye, a wooden rowboat appeared on the beach, and it looked like something out of an old storybook with its long wooden planks and bench seats. Two wooden oars were linked into hooks on the sides, and I stared at the boat with a frown.
“What the hell,” I muttered. “We’ll never catch him by rowing.”
“It’s what you imagined,” Miraya giggled. “Just add to it.”
I narrowed my eyes at the boat, and then an outboard motor popped into view on the rear of the vessel. It was small, but it was better than the oars.
So, I hopped in and helped Miraya get on the bench seat in front. Then I tossed the oars off the side and reached over to the motor. I yanked the cord to start the engine, and it buzzed like I’d just started a lawnmower.
Good enough.
As we coasted into the spiritual sea, I grabbed the tiller to steer the propeller, and then I looked out across the water and saw Karys had looked over his shoulder at the sound of the motor. He treaded water for a moment and offered a devilish grin, and then he turned and continued to swim.
“Why is he smiling?” Miraya asked as a worried frown creased her face.
Before I could answer, a large silvery fin emerged from the surface of the water to our right, and I’d seen enough movies to know what that was.
Then the shark breached the surface, veered over and shouldered the side of our boat. The vessel rocked hard, and Miraya nearly fell out of the other side, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back in as the shark dove back under the surface.
“You saved me,” the sword spirit gasped.
“Of course,” I replied with a quick smile. “Now, we have to figure out how to fight off an aggressive shark without going under the water where he can eat us.”
“Sounds easy enough,” Miraya said dryly.
I smirked, but before I could consider how to defeat the shark, it slammed into the side of the boat again. This time, though, we were a little more prepared and held tightly to the sides. The shark dipped back underwater, and I rifled through my abilities quickly to figure out a plan of attack.
Fire was obviously out, and my petrification cloud and webs would dissolve in the water. Earthquakes and lightning were useless here, though there was another magic I’d learned instead of assimilated.
So, I looked down into the water and searched for the beast, and when I caught a glimpse of its gray back, I created a funnel of water that dove down toward it. The water spun and twisted like a tornado as it homed in on the big fish, and then the shark was swept up in its current. Fins were flying everywhere as the funnel whipped the shark around, and I hit the motor to go past the beast.
Then the shark pushed into the center o
f the funnel and leapt out of the water over our boat. As it flew a few feet above us, I got a good look at its massive silver body, dark angry eyes, and multiple rows of dagger-like teeth. It clacked its jaws together as it looked down at us, and I knew it wouldn’t hesitate to tear us to shreds.
I wasn’t about to let that thing anywhere near Miraya, so as it crashed back into the water, I dove in after it.
“Lord Evan, no!” the sword spirit cried out just before I hit the water.
I pierced the surface of my spiritual sea, and I could feel the warmth of the water wash over me. I didn’t have time to enjoy it, though, and I turned in the direction of the shark’s landing. The large creature had already started its ascent to the surface to attack again, and it stopped in surprise as it noticed me hovering between it and the boat.
I conjured a water sword, and the weapon felt odd in my hand as the sea swirled around and through the handle. Then I faced off with my opponent, and the shark narrowed its eyes and sped toward me with its jaws opened wide. I watched its golden trajectory path light up in the water, and then it forked into two options. One path would take off my head, and the other path would give the shark access to my legs.
Instead of choosing, I prepared for both. I conjured a second water sword, and as the beast approached, I flung my body sideways. The shark soared underneath me, and I dragged the water sword along its backside. Then the shark’s blood filled the water as the blade sliced through its thick skin.
I started to swim to the surface for air, but then I realized my lungs weren’t even burning. The automatic healing repaired them before I even realized I needed oxygen, which was even better than when I used my healing magic to stay underwater longer.
Fucking cool.
While I marveled in my newfound ability, the shark made a U-turn and headed back toward me again. This time, the golden line of its path was clear. The beast intended to barrel straight into my chest, so as it approached with its wide jaw baring its sharp teeth, I stuck both the water swords straight out in front of me.
The wet blades plunged into the roof of the beast’s mouth, and even more blood poured into the water. The shark finally slowed as it seemed to reassess its desire to attack me. I took advantage of its hesitation and conjured a water rope. I swam in a quick loop underneath the beast and then jumped onto its back with the rope around its throat.
The shark tried to bite at the watery binding, but it couldn’t lower its jaw close enough to the rope. The beast thrashed and tried to buck me off its back, but I held on and tightened the rope so it couldn’t break free.
Once the beast began to tire out from fighting the binding, I pulled the Sword of Hatra from my belt and plunged it into the shark’s head. The blade plowed through its skull and out the bottom of its mouth, and then I released the rope, grabbed the hilt with both hands, and shoved off the shark’s back.
The beast’s blood left a trail as it slowly floated down into the depths of the sea, and I kicked my way to the surface next to the boat and pulled myself inside.
“Are you alright?” Miraya gasped, and she ran her hands over my body. “Did it bite you? I saw blood in the water.”
“It was the shark’s blood,” I panted as I took in a deep breath of air and sat on the bench. “I took care of it, but I want to know how he keeps sending all these damn animals at us.”
“I have a theory,” she murmured. “I think he’s able to recall the spirits of beasts he has killed.”
“That would make sense,” I agreed. “But he’s sending a whole shitload of them and then running away. I don’t get that.”
“Karys is working very hard to keep us back,” the sword spirit mused as I restarted the motor. “He wants something important.”
“I just don’t know what’s out there,” I said with a frown. “Shouldn’t I just know?”
“I would think so,” Miraya agreed. “You should know this land better than anyone else, certainly better than Karys. It’s a representation of your soul.”
“Where do the soul bridges lead?” I asked abruptly.
Miraya’s eyes widened as we both realized Karys must have already figured out the answer to that question, and I revved up the motor as we sped through the water to catch him. Though I could no longer see him in the water, somewhere inside of me, I already knew which direction he was going.
About two miles from the beach, I finally caught a glimpse of another piece of land. An island sprang up in the middle of the open water, and it was decorated with a variety of trees, grasses, and fruits in a rainbow of colors. Redwood trees soared high above the ground, and little bushes with red and blue berries hanging from their branches sat along the edge of the redwood forest.
As I pulled the boat onto the shore, I could see a set of footprints come out of the water, onto the sand, and further into the island.
“He’s already here,” I murmured. “What is this place?”
“What do you feel?” Miraya asked.
“I feel…” I hesitated to describe the feeling. “It’s like everything I believe in is here. My love for my women, my memories of my home world, my desire to have a family and care for children, my need to help Rahma, they’re all floating around here. It’s like breathing in a cloud of my deepest thoughts and memories.”
“Then it’s true,” the sword spirit sighed. “It has been said one’s spiritual sea contains a place that holds his core self. This must be yours.”
As Miraya spoke, I knew she was right. I could feel the years of memories from Earth as they circulated around me, and they mingled with my new memories of Inati. The emotions and nostalgia nearly choked me as I felt every single one of my desires and regrets all at once, and I shook my head and focused on the sand beneath my boots to ground me.
There were things I could change and things I couldn’t. It was time to focus on the present.
“Why didn’t I know about it?” I wondered as I faced Miraya.
“It seems you keep it far away from people’s obvious perception of you, which I believe is the mountain,” she mused as she twisted a lock of white hair around her finger. “It’s big and strong and commands attention, much like the version of you that most people see, but the sand here on the island is soft, and the breeze is gentle. The trees are representative of many parts of your personality, such as memories and ambitions. This is the part of you that not everyone gets to see, but it is the most important part of yourself.”
“So, the soul bridges lead here?” I asked as I looked across the beach to see another anchor with the white, glowing ropes tethered to its base. It was like a mirror image of the one I’d already seen, and I was mesmerized as I stared at the other end of the soul bridges. Even now, I realized there were several more ropes added to each woman’s bridge.
“It must be because we are the only ones you have allowed so close to you,” Miraya said with a smile. “You have allowed us to know your inner self, and now we have access to both parts of you.”
“Well, as odd as that whole thing is, I’m okay with it.” I shrugged. “My women are the only ones I’d ever want to know my core. Which means we need to get that Bow spirit the hell off my island.”
“You’ll have to catch me first,” I heard Karys chuckle from behind a giant redwood tree before he took off into the forest.
I growled and sprinted after him, and I started to catch up with him as he dipped and dodged between the trees. Then he turned and noticed how close I’d gotten, so he drew an arrow and shot it over his shoulder.
The projectile speared me in the belly, and I doubled over as it knocked the wind out of me for a moment.
“Are you okay?” Miraya asked as she caught up and leaned over next to me.
“Yeah,” I grumbled and pulled the arrow from my gut. “I’m just getting real fucking tired of getting shot.”
“How do you block his power, though?” The sword spirit frowned.
“I’m not sure that I can,” I replied as I threw the arrow t
o the ground. “But I may have a way to at least confuse him. Stay by the soul bridge anchor and keep it safe. I’ll be back.”
Miraya nodded before she turned to run back to the anchor, and I focused on following Karys into my core’s forest.
As I got closer, I could hear his footsteps while he ran deeper into the trees, and I briefly wondered where he was going. Then I had him in my sights, and I narrowed my eyes as I picked up speed.
Karys looked over his shoulder and grabbed another arrow, but as he shot the projectile at me, I activated my displacement magic. I could see the light bend and refract around me as I pushed the image of myself over, so the spirit’s arrow glided right through my displaced version, and I watched as it embedded itself in a tree trunk behind me.
The Bow spirit looked completely bewildered and slowed to draw three more arrows. He released the bowstring a moment later, and all three arrows zoomed past me and into the forest.
As I closed the gap between us, Karys released another trio of arrows and then tumbled over a tree root into a clearing. The arrows missed my real body, and I grinned as I tackled the spirit to the ground. He rolled through the tackle, planted his heels on my chest, and kicked me away from him. Then he pulled out another arrow and shot one more time, but the arrow missed the target once more.
I ripped the bow from his hands and tossed it several feet away as I stood over him.
“Impossible!” Karys bellowed. “I never miss!”
“Looks like you’ve lost your touch.” I smirked.
The spirit narrowed his blue eyes and sat up to make a move for his bow, but I kicked his arm up behind him and then crouched as I put my forearm around his neck. I squeezed the chokehold for a moment, and I could feel his fight-or-flight responses kick in as he began to punch wildly.
“You can’t… kill me…” Karys choked out.