Through Cid’s eyes
The pod rattles as we are flung around like beans in a can. There is no way this would be a smooth flight, as the takeoff was rushed, and I am certain Emanuel wasn’t thinking of Crimson's comfort when he set this up. I look back to see the Crimson Swaller following us.
That puts my heart at ease. It means Emanuel is safe. The ship has plenty of food and a guidance system leading him to a new home. I trained him the best I could. Plus, he has Fiend. They will make it out alriAGHHHH!
I see Crimson's burning hand piercing a chunk of my slime. My eyes whip right to him.
“I hate you so much. “ I say to him.
“I hate you too, fake god, " his words said with venom. A crack in space formed. The rift spewed light of every color. As our pod got closer, the pocket widened to swallow us whole. Now comes the question: Will we survive this jump?
Using a pocket comes with multiple benefits, the greatest of which is the ability to travel faster than light to certain sections of the Conscious Sea with out any wonky time shifts. It takes a minute to ride, then only a minute passes.
A ship using them comes with many protections and shield spells that reinforce the vessel, allowing it to ride the cosmic wave and make it out safely. None of this is commonplace for a pod. It can tear the vessel and ourselves apart.
Alright, full speed ahead. Our pod bashes through the pocket, entering a realm of endless, ever-changing glow. Below, there is a torrenting stream of light moving like water. The pod slams into the stream as we hurtle forward. A wave of light forms under us as our ship rides it forward.
The pod creaks and thumps as heavy pressure pushes down, trying to drown us in the light. All my slime condenses together as Crimson’s body slams into the ground. I can’t mess with the controls, as Emanuel locked them out and broke what couldn’t be blocked out. Smart move.
The waves of light pierce our bodies like shards of glass the further we push forward. My mind spills as I could feel when I first entered the pocket, the now, and when I see the end of the tunnel. Slime start to deteriorate as Crimson pushes his body up just for it to slam down. The amount of Source he is pouring out of himself is immense as his healing spell works on overdrive, as he should have died five times already. I barely hold my consciousness until a roar snaps me back to reality.
I slide my eyes toward the pod door window and see an enormous wave crashing behind us. Erupting the light below is the Cosmic Swaler, persuing us. He swallows the light like gallons of microorganisms. Its roar carries the hum from before. The light around us is energy; it's the Source. I soak it in, focusing on the hum. My cells burn as my slime can’t maintain its shape.
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The hum reverberates in my body. I need to control it like I did before. My slime takes form and fills up my tattered clothes. The shield attaches to my back. I was standing, but barely as the moment I felt relieved, my body broke down. I caught myself before completely turning into a pile of slime. I feel the hum grow stronger as I turn to the Swaler.
The ship starts to turn as the Swallers' Gravitational pull alters our course. Our pod crashes in the waves, and I see a new crack. It's not the exit we expected, but it's needed as our pod heads toward it.
The ship shakes as the glass cracks. We are spit out of the pocket. Red lights flash as the screens say, “Life Support Broken. Guidance Broken."
We made it out alive, but not safe, as our pod was hurtled forward as the Cosmic Swaller erupted from the pocket. His eyes look at me, and his gravitational pull is already trying to claw at our ship.
Crimson is knocked out but still alive, sadly. I hear a beep from the console as the pod approaches an asteroid field. An area covered in rocks double the size of our ship, and we can’t turn away. Well with a steering wheel that is.
No time to think of the consequences. I need to move and continue to fight. I grab my shield and ram the door. The hedges crack as I slam again and again. The hum fueled my tired body, begging to rest. After one last bash, the door opens and heads toward the Swaler. I jump out and turn. My arms extend and wrap around the ship like webbing.
As I pull myself to the top of the pod, I see the emergency system activate as a light barrier stops the escaping air and prevents Crimson’s body from flying out. Of course, it did.
I make it to the top as my slime swallows my boots into my body and lets my legs wrap around the pod and harden. I am used to the cold emptiness of space; I can do this. With my arms on the pod's side, I keep one eye forward of the asteroid field and the other on the Cosmic Swaller.
“I am what you want!” I yell at the beast. I pull hard on the side of the ship with all my strength. The pod turns a slight left and avoids crashing into an asteroid.
“You have hunted me down for so long. You killed so many of my friends. Then don’t stop chasing me.” I turn the ship once more, but the side knocks into an astroid, sending the pod a spiraling path. I pull hard, readjusting the flight.
“Don’t you stop until you swallow your prize! I have lived a life of love, pain, so much pain. I don't fear you. I fear the end. I fear the unknown of what will happen to me after I die. Where does a god go when he reaches their end? I know one thing, someone in this universe will remember me. I helped him escape his forced destiny of pain. I help a furball find a new family”
I turn the ship up as it rides the surface of an enormous asteroid until it sling-shoots me forward. The Swaler chases forward, slamming into the asteroids. Of course, it's just space dust on its skin.
“You will be remembered for the graves you created. I’ll be remembered for the life I cared for. So don’t lose me in this.”
I turn the ship, and I can see the exit of the asteroid field. The ship slows down. We are caught in the Swaler's gravity field, and the engines scream as they try to escape. We are no longer moving forward. I am struggling to free myself from the Swaler's gaping mouth, sucking us in.
I can’t escape, but I don’t care. Why does it want me? Will I live if I am swallowed? I don’t care. Emanuel and Fiend are alive. My crew escaped on the ship, and I led this monster away. I succeeded.
The Cosmic Swaler’s bought surrounds us, blocking the cosmos.
I channel the Source and force it into a hum. With my stomach expanded, I let out a yell that would ripple through the cosmos. The energy burst out of me. You may not die, but this meal won’t be easy.
“I am here! Don’t lose sight of me. I AM HERE!” I yell as the Swaler's jaws come down on my pod.
