“Quite strange indeed,” Azure commented as she eyed the great towering monolith. “I think it’s there in any case, despite that we might worry it's an illusion.”
“Right,” Sammy agreed, nodding as she tapped a metal grapple finger on her chin. “Mind-bending but physical on some level. Regardless, I think it’s time to approach.”
“Don’t mind me. Just gulping audibly before I follow.”
Gradually upon approach, there was a kind of ‘filled silence’ in the air — a humming just shy of audible. The persistent angle of the monolith became clear that it held the ‘edge’ dead in the middle of the observer. Halfway there, they confirmed it by Sammy and Azure separating horizontally in the approach. However, the hum seemed to intensify, becoming ‘itchy’ so to speak, so they did not continue that particular experiment.
Together, they drew closer. With each step, the tangled canopy all around began to fade and go transparent; simultaneously, some sort of code could be faintly seen etched on the surface of the reflecting, brightened part of the monolith.
When they stopped a few meters from the base, there was an open nighttime sky above, clear and saturated with an endless variety of vibrant stars, constellations, and even things one might see in a telescope — galaxies and nebulae. Furthermore, it was as if they could see through the planet, or they were beyond the planet in space, able to see stars 360 degrees around. The tree ‘footing’ appeared to still exist under them, just made transparent.
“No moon,” Azure breathed, her voice faint.
The monolith showed Samantha’s reflection on the reflective half — and it stunned her to see it was not Rallindin, but her. Not the goddess her, either. It was… Samantha from Earth. Smaller, scrawnier. Far less imposing, far less beautiful.
It disturbed her to see it, even angered her a bit. She glanced at Azure, who was also looking at it with an expression of shock.
Pointless. I don’t have to think about it anymore. And… it doesn’t matter. What is one form, to me? I’m cosmic beyond it, I’m the source spring, I’m a continuance greater than crude elemental semblance. Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen — you and your randomly conjured bonds dance for me, not the other way around. The same goes for anyone else who tries to bind me to them.
She ignored the image and focused on the now blazing code etched up the monolith’s face. It failed to make much sense to her, but phantoms of meanings jumped out. A plethora of them, effectively a puzzle to her mind.
Quickly, she intuited this was something more for Rallindin, so she invoked her and basically attempted to surrender that moment to her…
It was the right call.
“This is a coordinate method,” Rallindin declared. “Mathematical instruction for the correction of an existing astrolabe to function in this place. Hopefully to provide proper coordinates to where we want to go. Finally! Something worth a damn in this miserable wasteland. I’m going to turn this bitch inside out and back again when I get my hands on her, for what she put us through.”
“When you’re done, I’ll boil her down and distill her,” Tanjhere muttered wearily. “So, you can do this?”
“Of course, I can,” Rallindin snapped testily, summoning a bronze disk of many moving parts to her hand as she squinted her eyes at the code. “Finding this absurd monument in the first place was the greater challenge. This? It’s the candy-coated reward.”
Tanjhere growled. “Mine will be slapping that attitude you’ve been giving me out of you when this is all over.”
“If that is what gets you through, so be it.”
“To think, not long ago, you would have blushed and stammered at that, face as red as what my ministrations produce. Now- no, wait, there’s the blush! I spoke too soon. Hehehe.”
“Be silent, you lecher! I must focus now.”
Time melted into a moment as Rallindin custom-modified her astrolabe directly per the instructions she read, then made her own corroborating measurements of the sky itself. Sammy was rather thankful for the distraction considering the embarrassing details of the relational snapshot. They were two completely different people being peeked on in their private affairs, after all!
Some shadow of understanding came to Samantha through it. A fixed coordinate was verified, corresponding to their location, and then another distant one relationally.
“Alright,” Rallindin said finally as she lowered her bronze device and took a deep breath. “We have a heading and a target distance.” She turned and pointed. “Northeast for about fourteen hours of continuous travel at our speeds. Keep us on course, hmm? Precision is key due to our lack of verification along the way. We could canvas for days without results, if off.”
“No problem,” Tanjhere replied while rising, yawning, and stretching. “Leave it to me, oh Porcelain Perfection.”
Control returned to them, and Sammy blinked at Azure, who grinned and repeated, “Oh Porcelain Perfection. Adorable.”
“You would say that, wouldn’t you? Before you get any ideas-”
“You can assume I always have ideas, Chestnut. That way, if you ever randomly align with my mood… well.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
“Mmnnn, no. I’ve decided that’s not the case.” I swear, there’s something in the air in this place. Which, come to think, would make perfect sense. Holy shit.
“Oh? You’ve decided.”
“That’s right. If I say ‘don’t get any ideas,’ you don’t.”
“I haven’t?”
“Exactly. You haven’t, don’t, won’t. All of the nn’ts.”
“Huh. I see. Yes, how silly of me to hallucinate otherwise.”
“I’m glad we’re in agreement! So, do you need a spell or something to keep on track for this?”
“No. I am one with Tanjhere’s spacial senses by now. I can keep us within this exact corridor, just like I can take us back to Mount Lump unerringly.”
“You’ve been a great navigator, Blueberry. I know this ordeal gave you things to take back.”
“I guess. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the only time it's useful, though.” She set off over the branches, her harness and the six metal legs keeping her suspended in the air.
Sammy rolled her eyes and followed. “Don’t be a Negative Nancy about it!”
“I’m not! Just realistic.”
“No, you aren’t. You’re constantly selling yourself short. It isn’t realistic at all, not anywhere except in your pretty, stubborn little head.”
“Would you just let me do my thing in peace, here?! Unless you want me to fuck it up?”
Sammy sighed and relented to be silent for a while.
They were primed and ready for the long haul. Soon after setting out, Azure led them back down into the dark to stay away from the Cat Head freaks. They traversed the great trunks both alive and dead and steered clear of rampant, colorful fungal growths, and particularly some sort of slowly creeping, green-yellow mold that was new. Undulating long hairs or whiskers peppered their lengths. She noticed a big lump in the middle of one stretch of it on some dead branches. Whatever was hidden by the mold, she was sure it had been something large and living until recently.
I swear, if it's ever noticed within ten meters of me, I’ll burn the shit with fire. Lots and lots of fire.
She’d gotten good with fire in that place, even without [Pneuma]. The enhanced fire was handy for destroying various threats and, from experimentation, the wood was exceptionally resistant. It was likely impossible to start a ‘forest fire.’ It didn’t catch fire, just scorched from continuous damage. Vegetation, fungi, and the like, on the other hand, burned or melted readily most of the time.
Having an alchemist as a companion made burning things even more effective. Technically, Tanjhere was more specialized in mind-affecting concoctions, whether buffs or maluses, but she had plenty of other tricks up her sleeve. One was a substance she’d managed to improvise and produce nearly in bulk after a bit of experimental chemistry — a sticky, napalm-like substance that burned fiercely and lingered. If subjected to more intense heat, it expended itself quicker and nastier.
Samantha had spent some of her invention time on improved burning capabilities to take advantage while working within the limitations of her domains. More intensity, more duration to maximize energy, more area of effect. With an environment of any desired persistent material being nearly immune to being consumed, she could essentially go wyld with improvements.
Early on in taking stock of their inventory, Azure was pleasantly surprised to find she had a ‘potion gun’ stowed away in a dimensional pocket. Something the size of a sawed-off shotgun or large flintlock pistol, it had detachable, rotating drums akin to a revolver, with three potions ‘loaded up,’ well-protected, and shielded. While not exactly a full auto system, it was still more convenient for a small selection and drastically increased her range. The launcher didn’t make her a sniper, but her more offensive strategies didn’t involve precision to begin with. Most effects were AoEs.
Experimental forays to test Cat Head resistance showed them to still be immune — however, the combination of sticky napalm and super hot burning fire effects was something they hated a great deal. It was an efficient deterrent, especially for those that didn’t fly and anchored to trees against knocking effects, like the sloth versions. When Sammy combined fire with explosive force, she got the best of both worlds for the flyers, as it both burned and knocked them, disorienting them twice as effectively.
When they came upon a massive stretch of the icky mold covering their most direct route forward, Sammy gave Azure a look that was returned in kind, and they both smiled. It was somewhat the look of satisfaction for a lot of hard work poured into the excellence of prepared solution-making just waiting for the opportunity… but mostly it was the glowy-eyed ‘let’s fucking burn it’ look.
Azure changed out a drum of her potion gun, aimed, and fired three shots in succession. Trees coated in thick webs of the vile mold had potions shatter on them — explosions rained vast sprays of liquid already erupting in flames in midair. It coated everything ahead with fire, quickly blackening the mold.
Sammy cast her custom Wyld Inferno spell, thrusting her hands wide, releasing special spell component dust, and sending a fiery torrent wider than a building out, which blossomed like a forward-facing nuke into an even wider cascading mushroom that sent a shock through reality. More explosions erupted within from thicker concentrations of alchemical substances overheating and detonating, setting off like multitudes of fireworks.
When the dust settled, the whole area ahead was blackened, scorched, and smoking in a wide tunnel. The mold was nothing more than black remains.
It was an extensive organism, however. From further ahead, it surged and pushed forward into the black, eating the ashes with a steady progression.
So, they did it again, surging forward themselves, launching potions, and burning ever forward. The mold did not surge after that, but it remained in the way as they moved, so they did it a third time. This dislodged a massive build-up of dead branches, debris, and organic material, which collapsed downward with a tremendous racket.
The mold was almost wiped out at that point, and it slowly inched away in all directions from the source of what was killing it. They passed through unimpeded then, through smoking trunks, branches, and the blackened ashes of melted vegetation, some of it turned to ooze to run down the length of the great trees.
You asked for this, Unnature. This fire is the child you birthed and it has grown up ready to scour and destroy you. Your sicko mistress had best take heed!
Aup! Stop with the Getting Ideas! Don't think I can't sense Ideas afoot.
Next Chapter...
Always a valid question. More exploration on the road to completion.
Backers go here! Huzzah! Thank you! is a link to the claim thread for those who want a spot.
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