Chapter 28 - Quite Secure

  Alex marvels at how quickly he’d recovered from the burns and blindness. Some part of his mind recognizes that he ought to have been incapacitated for weeks, if not months. But after Hara brought him water, he recovered enough to keep going in only a couple of hours. Sure some parts still ache, but that isn’t going to stop him.

  What he fails to notice is far more telling. His clothing had mostly self-repaired, but it was moving slower. And what had started as a tan shirt and decent jeans now looks more beige and washed out. The changes happen so gradually that even the person wearing them doesn’t notice. Only someone looking for the signs would immediately recognize the fraying happening in Alex’s soul.

  As Corvus assesses the condition of his charge, he does have to acknowledge that Alex had sustained more damage than an average Faded soul normally would have survived. Others that he had observed would have been lost during the fall through the tunnel. Not to mention the severe burns and dehydration suffered in the burning territory. Corvus can’t think of more than a scant few that would persist. The only factor that he can think of to account for the disparity is Alex’s remarkable flexibility and drive. Powering through by sheer willpower when others would have fallen. But even that has its limits.

  Alex and Hara race across the still smoldering terrain, leaving a wake of flames behind them. Ahead, portions of stone and vitrified soil are starting to rekindle the fires as if awaking from slumber. The heat is uncomfortable, but far from the blistering inferno from before. Even so, a plume of steam rises from Alex’s hair and shirt, the protection of the water literally evaporating away.

  Each footfall is accompanied by new tongues of flame springing to life as soon as the boot or paw lifts away. Only the sprint forwards keeps the man and hound from being enveloped in the blaze once more. Alex does his best to control his breathing, lungs pumping like bellows, heart hammering like a four-stroke engine redlining. Left. Right. Left. Right. One foot after the other, eyes locked on the tunnel opening that would be their salvation from the monstrous fire.

  Even with the encroaching heat and the imminent threat, some small part of Alex’s mind lingers on that almost instinctive pull. He’s been feeling it since leaving Last-Stop, just a subtle nudge on his sense of direction. It unerringly points him towards the tunnel ahead.

  Compared to the fire-glow brightness of Last To Burn’s territory, the mouth of the tunnel appears shrouded in darkness. A darkness that, to Alex, is the sweetest sanctuary. Hara and Corvus seem largely unbothered by the pervasive heat and the flames, but even they seem eager to be out of this place.

  With lungs burning from both heat and strain, legs feeling like jelly, and only adrenaline keeping him going, Alex’s feet finally cross the boundary of the territory and step into the open maw of the passage forward. The run had pushed him to the very brink of collapse, but breaking free of the flames and diving into significantly cooler air gives Alex the capacity to make it just a handful of strides further before allowing himself to tumble to the ground, landing in a heap.

  Hara skids to a stop beside him, panting hard but otherwise seeming no worse for wear. Alex lets out a groan and sprawls out on his back, sighing as he revels in the blessedly soothing coolness in the air, and what appears to be a spongy moss-bed beneath him. Corvus circles above, then swoops down to perch on Hara’s back again.

  Before the crow can speak, Alex holds up a finger. “No more… fire territories…” He pants out, letting his arm drop back down.

  Corvus just tips his head slightly and chuckles. “Indeed. I do not think another environment like that will be necessary for us to traverse. At least not before you are capable of withstanding it.” He says, then ruffles his wings. “We are closing in on New Europa. We should arrive there within the next day’s travel. For now, I would recommend seeking shelter to rest.” He says, taking in the condition of his companions.

  The frantic last-dash hadn’t been nearly as damaging as the previous crossing, and Alex doesn’t appear to be suffering any ill effects beyond the physical exhaustion. A solid night’s rest would mostly have him recovered from the ordeal. Hara continues to prove her resilience. Stone Hellhounds are always hard to damage, but for an uplifted one like her, even Corvus isn’t certain just how tough her hide can be. Despite the hardships reaching this far, the crow-demon is confident they’ll reach New Europa with time enough for Alex to find a method of recovering an Animus.

  Alex props himself up on his elbows with a groan. “A chance to sleep sounds wonderful.” He says with a mountain’s worth of weariness hanging from his words. “It’s been what…” He trails off, focusing inwards. “Holy shit, it’s been nearly three days since I slept.” He says, shaking his head. “We’ve been on the move almost constantly for three days.” Alex’s disbelief is written on his face. He digs in his pack for a moment, pulling out the part of the tuber from before. But to his dismay, it crumbles to ashen dust in his fingers. The food hadn’t survived the trip across the burning territory.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Shaking the remains of the tuber out of the knapsack, Alex grumbles. “OK, dinner… and then sleep.” He says, finally looking around to take stock of the new environment. Blue-green moss clings to every surface, ending in a stark line a dozen feet from the edge of the burning stone. As if by some unspoken treaty, the fire didn’t encroach down the tunnel and the moss didn’t grow any closer. A DMZ of elements.

  Alex runs his hand over the moss, watching the fibrous growth jiggle slightly. It was spongy, and damp. Even so near Last To Burn’s territory, the air was humid and heavy. That makes Alex take a moment to think back. Each tunnel opening had been pretty distinct. Even in adjacent tunnel openings, there hadn’t been any blending. Looking back towards the inferno building up again, the only thing Alex can figure is that the intense heat and fire act like an impassable barrier, stopping the environments from blending.

  “Corvus, do you know what’s edible around here?” Alex asks, looking over to where the crow still perches on Hara’s back. Corvus had been examining one of the larger crystal facets that sprouts from between Hara’s shoulders, and he turns towards Alex with a caw.

  The crow-demon launches into the air and circles around a bit, then swoops down to perch on Alex’s shoulder. “Not nearby. We will need to head further into this tunnel and into the next open space in order to forage for food.” He pauses a moment as if considering. “It would be more advantageous to rest now, and seek food once you awaken.” Then Corvus lets out a few soft caws, like he’s laughing. “Unless you prefer the taste of grubs.”

  Shuddering, Alex shakes his head. “No thanks, I’m not that hungry yet.” He replies while getting back to his feet examining the knapsack. The tuber inside had been ruined, and the pack had minor signs of scorching. But on the whole, the knapsack was barely damaged. Alex chalks it up to good fortune and puts the strap over his shoulder again. “OK, let's find a place to rest.” He says, starting to walk further into the mossy tunnel.

  The patchwork blues and greens of the new environment as well as the humid air are both welcome changes for all three. As the inferno behind them swells back to its normal intensity, the wind in the passage rises with it. The moist air carries with it a mix of scents, but one particular scent catches Alex’s attention. Soil. Not the dusty dirt or sandy grit that had passed underfoot mile after mile since his arrival. Proper, rich, moist soil. Something about it tickles at Alex’s mind, hauntingly familiar.

  The tunnel path starts straight, but then begins to meander, snaking back and forth. The bends in the passage make it so the trio wasn’t aware of the open cavern until they round a corner and almost step into it. Alex gasps, eyes going wide as he takes in the view. The expansive hollow is a quilt of soft mosses and plantlife that cling to every available surface. Streams of water meander around the walls, seemingly following no pattern or slope, just flowing wherever their currents run.

  But the detail that makes Alex and Hara both stop to just stare in wonder are the flickering lights blinking in and out of existence all over the cavern and hanging in the air. One glows to life nearby, and Alex catches sight of the source. A firefly, but one the size of his thumb. The thousands of fireflies cast the cavern in a shifting veil of light, creating shifting shadows and pools of reflections on every surface.

  “Beautiful.” Alex says in barely a whisper, and Hara nods her agreement. Even Corvus stays silent for a few moments to just soak in the ambient beauty of the moss-cavern. Eventually, Alex shakes himself free of his daze and looks around. Taking note of a propped up boulder with some bare ground underneath, he motions towards it. “Think that’ll be a safe spot to get some rest?”

  Corvus cocks his head then nods. “That should suffice, yes. To my knowledge, there should be no risks here.” He assesses, launching up for a better vantage and doing a circuit of the chamber. “Yes, rest here and seek food when you wake. You should be quite secure.”

  Alex wastes no time. He trots over to the improvised shelter and gives the rock a couple pushes. It’s stable and doesn’t even shift, showing that it won’t dislodge and fall. Hara ducks under and curls up in the back, making herself at home. Alex follows her in. Using the knapsack as a pillow and with his back against Hara’s side, Alex lays out.

  Watching the shifting lights dancing outside quickly lulls both into dozing, and before either can realize, they’re knocked out hard. Corvus perches on top of the stone, turning to look back the way they’d come in. Then his gaze shifts across and down, unerringly locking onto the direction of the stronghold, Burden of Intent. He’d been feeling the tremors of power radiating outwards since shortly after he’d rejoined Alex and Hara. Soon they’d be apparent to anyone, even those who aren’t specifically looking. And when that happens, his charge needs to not be on the route leading there. He’d have to ensure Alex isn’t on that path when the greater powers come through.

  Though with nothing that can be done about it now, he settles himself and rests as well, giving the splinter a chance to recuperate. Though he can sustain the splinter near indefinitely, that ‘clone’ of him will gradually degrade and require upkeep. He’d have to start feeding it power soon.

  As the splinter of Corvus rests, the awareness from it fades. Somewhere far distant, the prime Corvus lets out a sigh. His true body, wearing his true form, wings across an expansive stone-wrought city. He’d finally made up his mind to leave Pinnacle Tower, though its caretakers and attendants would maintain his study there in his absence. He’d been there for far too long, grown far too comfortable. It was time he made some moves.