Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  They ran for over an hour and then the tunnel began to decline slightly, but uniformly. They both knew by the increasing coldness that they were now under the ocean. Mark stuck closer, if anything should happen he knew he would be completely safe by his best friend’s side.

  They then continued going deeper for another three hours.

  Suddenly they had to stop. Mark and Connor were barely able to manage it before slamming headfirst into a stone wall. Connor walked up and felt the stone to find it had never been altered. Mark sat on his haunches and they were both breathing heavily, but not in an exhausted way. “What do we do now, Buddy? We’ve reached a dead end after all this work. Maybe we’ve just taken another false trail?”

  He then began looking around, fearing Mark’s question would prove to be true. And then he looked straight up. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  “What do you…” He was silenced when he looked up to where Connor pointed. Mark blinked several times before finally being able to speak. “What is up with the ceiling? Is it cracked? Where does it lead to?”

  “Let me check.” He activated sonar and his jaw dropped. “Mark, you are really not going to like this… I’m so glad you’re not a feline.”

  He then let out a worn out whine. “What now?”

  “Above this roof is about a hundred feet of sand or so, but above that is about two and a half miles of ocean water bearing down on us. It will take far too much energy for me to create a tunnel that long while holding back that much seawater. I could do it, but I would become practically useless afterwards.”

  He sighed and looked down. “Great… What other option is there? At this depth it wouldn’t help even if I made gills to breathe. There wouldn’t be enough oxygen down at this depth. And we will be too tired if we have to run all the way back to the starting position again.”

  Connor’s mind instantly came up with the only reasonable solution. “There is only one option left to us then. Ranvan had help making a tunnel to the surface where as all there is, is me. Remember how I made a Pressure shield to search up in the upper atmosphere?” He nodded hesitantly. “We can use that same possibility. Nothing would be able to breach the shield and if I use the same atmospheric pressure, we won’t need to worry about decompressing or hypoxia. We would be safe when breaching the surface and not worry about dying.”

  Mark then raised his clawed arm towards the darkness of the tunnel. “Even if your plan were possible, we would be washed all the back up the tunnel because the rushing water would carry us that way anyway. We would be stuck for a ride that is several hundred miles long.”

  He shook his head. “Not if I make the stone rise and make this piece of tunnel into a dive chamber. It would only take seconds for the room to fill and then I could manipulate Liquid to make a current and lift us away to safety.”

  Mark’s jaw hung. “You can really do that?” Then he shook his head in attempt to clear it and not look overly astonished. “Never mind. You wouldn’t say something with such conviction and not be able to come through.” He sighed deeply. “Can you give me a minute to think?”

  “Sure, and I’ll join you.”

  They silently walked over to the solid wall that ended the tunnel and sat against it. Connor continued using a miniscule amount of energy to keep the flowing fireball alive, over his left hand. They then finally were able to catch their breath and Mark looked at him.

  “This Pressure bubble thing, are you sure it can withstand the oceans compression without it collapsing?” Connor nodded because last night’s feeling really was unbreakable. “Does that also mean that we have to lose our only light source too?” He nodded again, but grimly. Mark sighed and looked at his claws. “I guess that it wouldn’t really matter because we wouldn’t be able to see more than a few inches in the dark abyss of the ocean.” Mark then looked deadly serious at him as he spoke in his deep animalistic voice. “I’ll do it, but only if you are sure we won’t die.” He didn’t sound worried for himself.

  Connor spoke in all honesty. “I am completely positive in my strength. Sorono is my brother, but Sarah is my life. I would never risk anything if it meant that I couldn’t come home to her. She needs me, as do my children. And it is the same with you and Kara. I can see that you’d do this without a thought, but you’re worried for your mate’s future. Trust me. If I cannot bring everyone home alive safely I wouldn’t even try a foolish stunt. I’ve reserved that right for my sister.”

  Mark let out a choked laugh. “You know her so well.” he smiled for another minute and then stood up. “What can I do to help?”

  Connor stood up and patted his bulky head. “Just stay there and be a good boy.” Mark shook his head and sighed as his friend turned his back to him.

  This next test would be the ultimate performance of the defensive properties of Pressure. Feeling anxious is an understatement. Connor’s heart best with fear, but the rest of him felt remarkably calm. If Sarah was here rather than Mark, she would tell him to run back to the beginning and fly westward. She is cautious where as he liked a challenge. Now is the time to face it head on.

  He looked down the dark tunnel and focused his mind for this insane task. The ground began to shake once Terra was in use. The tunnel began slowly collapsing from both the top and bottom for over a hundred feet. His control was perfect because the entire tunnel didn’t collapse in on them. Soon the back end of the tunnel sealed.

  Now they were in a sealed compartment that was about to become a makeshift dive chamber.

  Connor turned around to see a frightened yet calm Fwen. “Mark, come and hold onto my shoulder because it is going to get very dark.” Mark pushed himself on his back legs as his friend turned back around. He then placed his clawed hands on each of his shoulders and told him that he was ready.

  After the power to the flame stemmed and winked out. Darkness completely enveloped them in its embrace. It is one of the first times that Connor’s sharp sense of sight was completely useless. This is total darkness. Mark didn’t like it either because his hand squeezed Connor’s shoulder a bit tighter, making sure nothing would separate them. Mark’s breath felt hot and slow on the back of his neck. Mark actually began shaking nervously.

  Connor began activating his sonar and knew the room would be lit from his glowing eyes. While seeing everything, he began creating an impenetrable bubble of Pressure to surround both himself and Mark.

  Soon the sphere became complete, without any imperfections.

  Once the shield finished growing he began using Terra again. This time he began spreading the earth apart in a wide circle. It started opening from the ocean’s surface and began basically drilling its way down to them.

  When all the hairs on the back of his neck began standing he said “Mark, hang on. Here it comes!” He held on just a little more tightly. Luckily the chainmail kept his sharp claws from digging into his shoulders.

  Moments later the ceiling began to crack, but because of the shield’s construction they couldn’t hear anything. Connor then killed the flow of energy over Terra once the first drop of water entered the chamber.

  Without any more help, the ceiling’s crack blew into a raging torrent. The force of the water knocked the bubble back against the wall, while also knocking off Mark’s and his balance. They cursed, but the shield held. The water battered against the bubble and Connor could quickly feel the pressure of the water trying to crush them. Mark and he then quickly stood back up while still hearing nothing.

  “Connor, what’s happening? I cannot see what you can.”

  “The chamber is almost through filling up.”

  He let out a strained laugh. “At least you were right about the strength of your shield. We are still dry, at least.”

  Connor watched as they began rising with the water and soon touched the roof. About twenty seconds more came the breaking point. “The shield is holding steady, even with all this water pressure. The room is also completely flooded. Now we can leave.”

  Using the pow
er over Liquid, he manipulated the water like an air current. Soon they were carried along the roof and all the way under the hole. Still using sonar, Connor saw that the hole was more than large enough to carry them.

  Once the currents positioned them under the hole, they began to rise.

  Within seconds they were free of the underwater shaft and he stopped using sonar. It was still so eerily dark around the sphere now that two of his senses were severed. Knowing they were rising, he felt the level of his energy reserves. He was still running at about ninety percent. Then the higher they rose the gradual ease of the water’s pressure let up on the shield. It remained completely dark, but he could swear “We’re going faster.” Mark stated first.

  “Yeah, I can feel it too. The higher we go the less pressure holds us down and that also means our speed is increasing.” Connor admitted.

  As the ascent continued they saw that the darkness began peeling away. He looked up and caught the first glimpse of sunlight. The Pacific Ocean’s surface rapidly approached. Soon the water turned a dark blue and then it became brighter and brighter.

  Suddenly the dangerous ascent came to an end when they broke the surface. They were assaulted by sunlight and the freedom felt ever so sweet. Then as they floated above the water Connor altered the shape of the bubble into an open cup. The salty fresh air seemed to make his body sing for joy and the wind tussled his hair. He was glad the air pressure in the tunnel had been roughly the same as it is up here on the surface. Otherwise they would be stuck in a decompression chamber for hours, if not days.

  “Uh, Connor?” He turned around to see Mark smiling. “Not to give you a big head or anything, but that was amazing. But now what? Look around, there is nothing around to see, except ocean.”

  He was right. Surrounding them were only salty waves and horizon. “There has to be a reason why the tunnel was heading in this direction. I can almost guarantee that if we continue heading west, we will pick up the trail again. I’m looking for aura, but cannot see anything from here.”

  “You’ve been right so far, but if I’m to fly I’ll need some assistance. If my wings get wet, flying won’t be an option.”

  They grasped each other’s forearm. While holding him Connor poured energy into his legs and began flying by using Pressure. Mark followed and he then stopped the continuing energy to the Pressure shield and watched as the spread out water collapsed and returned to normal.

  Once they were high enough Mark opened his wings and began flying. Soon they began flying higher while going west again.

  Not even fifteen minutes later in their slowly sweeping search Mark pointed. “Connor, look!”

  His best friend spotted a large island in the distance that looked mostly green with a white sandy beach, but it had slopes like a small volcano in the center. But even from here Connor could tell it has been dormant for several hundred years. Then all the hairs on the back of his neck began rising. “Mark, Stop Right There!”

  It was harder for Mark to stop than for himself. He circled around while keeping an eye on the island. “Connor, what’s the problem?”

  “Give me a minute.” He tried using sonar, but the island was too far out of his five mile range. Then his vision altered when searching for aura. Mark listened as he heard the tense assessment. “That island has recently been swarming with Keepers. It’s hard to tell how many because all of the auras are blending together. There are so many colors, but my instinct is also letting me know that we’ve caught the trail again. But I can tell you right now that most of the Keepers have left within the past week. There are only a handful of signatures that are recent. I’d guess no more than six are still presently down there.”

  Mark made another pass around him before asking “Well what is the big problem? Between the two of us, we can handle six Keepers.”

  Without taking his eyes off the target he answered him. “I know we can take them on, but we wouldn’t be able to rescue Sorono if we were to just barge in. They would kill him if they heard us. Plus, many Keepers have the ability to sense when someone is using their energy. They would sense me if I went any closer.”

  Within a second Mark camp up with the best solution. “If that is the case, then you stop using your powers and ride on my back. Aren’t you glad I’m here or else you’d have gone for a swim?” He grinned. “We cannot fly in from this height, but if we fly just above the water we can make a stealthy infiltration. And just incase things need to go the hard way…” Mark’s pupils lit up and all of his loose black fur began fusing together into a strong solid armor. Soon Mark’s body became perfectly streamlined and prepared for a fight.

  Mark finally looked at him and commanded “Get on.”

  Not needing to be told twice, Connor flew above him and stopped flying. He landed behind Mark’s wings and on his armored back. Once Mark knew that he was secure he dove at an angle and then leveled off less than ten feet above the water’s surface. As they made a swift approach Connor’s instinct told him they weren’t in danger at the moment. They still had to be vigilant.

  Mark’s wings beat, but the ocean’s sounds were drowning them out. He was like a swift and focused raptor, ready to catch his prey. Now Connor had to rely on Mark since he had put his faith in him not too long ago.

  The island was large, but Connor couldn’t see the first sign of human habitation, but that was to be expected from seeing all of the local Keepers who most likely called this place home. The island was clad with palm and coconut trees. Just from the outside look, this place seemed like an undiscovered paradise, but his instinct let him know that it was more like a cursed island.

  Thanks to his best friend’s aid, they crossed from water to land.

  Connor jumped off his back just and Mark landed into a run himself. They ran together, straight into the tree cover. He slipped Tool from its loop and held it tightly in his right hand. Mark also drew his weapon and held it in his left. They found a thick thicket and silently ran for it. Once they were there, it grew silent except for the sounds of the nearby crashing waves.

  Mark spoke at an animalistic whisper. “What’s the plan, Buddy?”

  It didn’t take him long to access the situation. “First, we aren’t going to split up in our search. It would be foolish to search the island in broad daylight so I’ll need you to see if you can smell us out some fruits while we wait. We’ll eat until nightfall and then begin our search.”

  “That is a good idea. Normal Keepers see just as well in the dark as most humans. It seems Harmonizers can see at night just as well as we Changers can.”

  Not long after, Mark caught the scent of fresh fruit. Connor used Tool to effortlessly slice through the two hundred coconuts they retrieved and Mark used his sword to cut down some bananas and he even found a wild patch of pineapples.

  Within four hours, night had overtaken and they resumed their search. They stayed close to each other as they combed the island. Mark’s sense of smell collaborated with Connor’s assessment that many Keepers left a week ago. Soon they stumbled upon an unbelievable amount of Keeper tracks. Connor was taken aback upon a closer inspection of one of the prints. “Mark, come take a look at this.”

  He trotted to his side and looked closely at the print. “That’s strange. It is definitely a Keepers footprint, but it isn’t shaped right. This claw here is too short and this one on his other foot looks to be curved almost…sideways.” Mark’s head swerved to look up at him. “What do you think it means?”

  He crossed his arms. “Honestly, I haven’t a single clue.”

  They left the print and resumed the search.

  They stuck mainly to the shadows and found many disturbing things. There were large huts made for many Keepers to live inside and they were built in inconspicuously with the palm trees. From the sky, the huts wouldn’t be seen. There were several large round stones, like a platform, that has been damaged by claw marks and dried blood. Mark said aloud that from the looks of it, they were fighting for a long time before
their arrival. Connor wished that he didn’t feel the same. There were also a few places that they grew food like a farm.

  He followed Mark when he caught the scent of something fresh, but he said it smelled like cooked and decaying meat. What it led to would make a human throw up the contents of their stomach. Mark led them to a place of carnage and death.

  Before them stood fifteen piles of human corpses about twice as tall as Connor is, but the worst part was in how they looked. The corpses were all cooked and dried. Many of them were half eaten upon a closer inspection.

  Mark was able to speak because no words came into Connor’s mind that could describe this scene. “I’ve seen many grotesque things in my life, but this has superseded them all by a landslide. It is unheard of about Keepers doing something so barbaric and cruel. Yes, if a human ever threatened them they were usually eaten, but this is all together different. This group with Ranvan is actually eating humans for fun, it looks like. It’s like they are saying they are the superior race or something. Connor, it looks like there is more to this and now I agree with you completely.” Mark turned and his silver eyes were hardened. “We need to find the Head Elder and get his help.” He nodded and they went back to work.

  Four hours later Connor found a fresh track in soft dirt, on a well worn trail that had been made from dark volcanic soil. The rock had been worn down into very fertile sand.

  They followed it until Mark said that the scents were getting stronger. Then he grinned as he took in another deep breath through his nose. “From the smells of things, there are only four Keepers remaining on the island. I know because they are moving in a pattern by the looks of their prints and their repetitive trails.” Then he took another whiff. “All four of their smells are mainly focused up ahead. We’re getting very close.”