NBB2 - The Chaos Rifts - chapter 11

A soft murmur and pounding woke Solus from his deep slumber, and his mind slowly started functioning. He stretched, his joints popping loudly as he groggily scanned for a threat. There was none. After another moment, he realized that it was just Sumil knocking on his door.

He projected his voice beyond the door. "What?"

"It's long past sunrise. When do you want to continue?" Sumil's voice was straight to the point, carrying no complaint as if she would accept if he said never.

Thinking for a second, enjoying the feeling of just lying on his back, he finally replied. "I will be out soon. Get the others ready."

"Yes, Solus," Sumil replied.

Solus could faintly hear her move away and start talking to the others. He could probably hear what they said, but he didn't want to. Instead, he ignored them and called up his status window. There had better be some increase, he thought. If not, he was going to have to make Domain pay for the trouble of last night.

Name: Os Solus

Age: 1

Sex: male

Race: Demi stone elemental

Type: mutation

Class: Stone shaper

Strength: 42/48

Constitution: 36/39

Dexterity: 20/24

Endurance: 73/90

Intelligence: 33/34

Wisdom: 20/23

Charisma: 9/16

Manafield: 14000/14000

Physical density: 18300/19000

Skills: 2

Inscriptions: 3/7

Mana generation: 32

Dumbfounded, he stared at the new values that had all increased by more than he had thought possible. Especially his endurance had skyrocketed.

Staring at the numbers, almost expecting them to change, he began calculating how much they had increased. One strength, two constitution, four endurance, and a whole lot of physical density.

Perhaps I should try again, he thought, while thinking back to the troublesome night. It wasn't any fun, but there was hardly any denying the results.

Suddenly more energized, he jumped up, quickly checking the timer of the evolution window.

> Time remaining: one day, eleven hours and ten minutes

If he wrestled with a wyrm for an entire night, he might actually get close to maxing his attributes before the timer ran out! Moving to the door, he shoved the stone back, causing it to slam into the ground, a gust of wind blowing dust and debris through the small hall and into the larger room. The mumbling conversations seeded immediately.

"Finally, decide to get up, you lazybones?" Galg's annoying voice echoed through the hallway, and Solus felt his positive mood dim a bit. Perhaps he should take the skeleton along and use him as bait for the wyrms? Grinning, he moved to the side of the balcony. Galg stood below, looking up, while the others were staring at the skeleton.

Solus laughed as he jumped down, startling the skeleton that zapped out of the way, bones cracking with lightning. Solus' landing crushed the stone below him, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. The undead dodged behind the table and benches.

"Let's go," Solus said as he exited the room.

Domain was lying to the side, eyes closed as if he was sleeping. They snapped open when Solus took a single step towards him.

Solus didn't say anything, unsure how he felt now that he had seen the result of Domain's idea. Instead, he gazed up the cliff, focusing on the stone. A loud cracking came from above as a tear ripped from top to bottom. It spread out, a stone staircase that led up, revealing itself. Turning to the others, he motioned them up. Sumil didn't hesitate one second, running forward and up the stairs, quickly followed by Sig, Derin, and then the rest.

Solus went last, and when he arrived at the top, he found Sumil and Sig point at something. Moving beside them, he saw the dark grey wasteland in the distance. There were a few more hills, but all of them lower than the one they were standing on. From what he could see, there wasn't much blocking their path.

"Alright, let's go. We've wasted enough time."

"And whose fault is that?" Galg asked as he drew into the soft sand with his long thin white finger. A few doodles sat beside it, showing a skeleton fighting a Wyrm.

Derin stepped forward and slugged the skeleton across the head. "Pipe down! We've all had about enough of you."

The skeleton muttered something Solus chose to ignore and moved towards the long, boulder covered slope.

Derin moved towards him, a calculating look on his face. "He can be really annoying at times, but he is very useful in a fight or when we need to scout. I've rarely seen anything move as fast as he can."

"Don't worry. I've managed to travel with Norg without ending him."

Derin nodded at him, then turned and followed the skeleton.

It was late in the afternoon when they crossed the valley and trudged up another hill. It should be the last, or single last before the wasteland, Solus thought, as he tried hard to ignore Galg's constant talking.

"But really, why don't we just force undead to do what we want? We are stronger than the others, right? That way, we can just sit around, drain mana-orbs they bring us!" The skeleton asked again, as a collective groan came from the party.

"Because they would rebel and kill you or flee?" Sumil said, somehow still managing to keep her voice calm and contained.

"So? We can just end a few, and the rest will fall in line!"

Tatjie hissed, kicking a small boulder towards the skeleton. "Dimwit! You can't fight them all! And say you could, how would you stop them from leaving? Then what will you do if another army comes, or a wyrm finds its way to town to gnaw on those silly sticks you call bones? Or worse, one of those chaos rifts spawns on your brainless head?"

"Well-" Galg was about to go into one of his elaborate explanations when Solus sensed a host of small tremors from the valley beyond the hill.

"Quiet!" He snapped, his voice probably louder than anything Galg was capable of. It had the desired result, though, as everybody stopped and stared at him.

Spreading his senses, Solus tried to find out what was going on, but all he felt were increasing tremors, small and large.

"Something is happening on the other side of the hill. I am going to check it out. Follow me as fast as you can." He jumped forward, a small pit forming where he had just stood, but to his shock, Galg appeared a dozen meters ahead of him. Before he could land, the skeleton disappeared, and an arc of lightning shot a few dozens of meters ahead.

As Solus rushed up the hill, increasing his speed, Galg easily outpaced him, arriving at the top far before he did. When he finally landed on the top, the skeleton stood between two enormous boulders, looking at something below.

Solus shoved him out of the way, not just a little annoyed at the fact that the chatter mouth was faster than he was.

"Look at that, and here I went and thought you were the fastest thing!" The skeleton said, followed by a laugh.

In the valley below, pits and black holes decorated a grey rocky landscape with an enormous black rift at the back of the valley. It was partially embedded inside a corner of the hill, and only there was only a single easy way to get to it. Blocking that was an enormous six-legged undead, grabbing at a chaotic host of undead that poured from the rift. Every time it got it's pincered hands on one, the undead was flung into its mouth. Short, abrupt screams constantly echoed up to where Solus and Galg stood watching.

A crab, Solus thought, as an image of a crustacean popped in his head.

The enormous undead crab had a single bone shield on its back, like a skeleton, but it's thick black legs seemed fleshy.

"Look at that thing, go! Do you think it's doing it to eat their mana-orbs?" Galg asked, bending a bit forward as if it would give him a better look.

Solus didn't bother to reply to the obvious question. He had yet to find an undead that needed anything but mana-orbs for anything. Although he had some knowledge of the substance the ancients used, he didn't think it applied to undead. At least he had yet to find one. He blinked at the thought. He hadn't actually tried, though, had he?

Solus examined the giant undead crab, wondering if he should try eating undead when his eyes widened. The thing was growing! When he first looked at it, it's back had been below a boulder beside it, but now it's back was clearly taller!

As Solus watched on in shock, Domain trot beside him and stared at the monster.

"A Crusdon… that's not good." The AI's voice sounded genuinely startled, and Solus turned to it.

"Explain."

The Darkhunter's eyes narrowed and glowed blue for a moment. "Crusdon's are mutated monsters that were used to clean underwater areas of other undead. Although technically not completely undead, like you, the life they do have is a half-live."

Galg turned around, staring at the Darkhunter, and Solus grimaced. He had preferred that not being common knowledge, but he didn't expect the skeleton to keep it to himself.

"So, why is it not good?" He asked, hoping to draw the attention away from himself.

"As long as there is food, they will grow, both in size and strength. Back when they were first created, they were let loose in things like invested underwater chasms or ancient submerged fortresses, and those places were then locked so they would wither away when the food ran out."

Solus frowned and stared at the Crusdon. Only a few undead remained, and although they constantly tried to flee or attack the monstrous thing, it shrugged off all the attacks and retaliated by eating the attackers.

"What will happen if we leave it here?"

The AI was silent for a moment before sighing. "It depends on how many more undead come from the rift. But from what I can calculate with my limited capacity, it will grow so massive that it will need bigger food sources within a few days."

Solus winced and shared a worried look with Domain.

"Wyrms," he said softly.

"I would expect so. If it gets its claws on a few of those, it will grow to a preposterous size. From that moment on, there won't be anything remaining that can stop it."

As they spoke, the noise from below stopped, and the last of the undead disappeared, screaming inside the Crusdon's jaws. The enormous undead crustation, bigger again now than when Solus checked previously, dropped down on its belly and stared at the rift.

"It realizes more will probably come," Domain said.

"Puss and bone, what is that thing?" Tatjie asked as she squeezed between the stones and onto the small ledge beyond.

"Trouble, that's what it is!" Galg replied. He was staring at the Crusdon, but Solus noticed the blue eye-sockets switch to him every now and again.

Sumil and Sig arrived, and Solus quickly explained what was happening.

"We need to end it," Sumil said when he finished. Her blue eye-sockets burned brightly as she looked at the Crusdon.

"If you had brains, I'd say you'd have lost them!" Tatjie said with a hiss. "How are we ever going to stop that thing?"

Nobody replied, but Sumil and Sig turned to Solus.

Feeling their gazes, Solus wanted to groan. With a deep sigh, he turned to Domain.

"How likely is it that I can end that thing?"

Domain looked down, and this time a faint blue glow covered his whole body as if an incredibly small mana-field was wrapped tightly around it. He didn't reply for a while, and Solus almost thought he was malfunctioning when the light flashed another time, and the AI's dark canine eyes blinked.

"Hard to say."

Tatjie smacked the wall beside her. "What? You go and think for that long, and that's all you've got?" The wide zombie's eyes narrowed as she stared at the Darkhunter in disgust.

"Why don't you go do a few billion possible calculations with less than a tenth of your brain why don't you?" Domain shot back.

"Guess," Solus said, grinding his teeth to suppress his rising annoyance.

"It's stronger, more durable, and larger than you. The stone you can shape will never penetrate its carapace, and if you bury it, it will just dig itself free," the AI stated, matter of factly, as he turned his attention back to the monstrosity.

Feeling hopeless, Solus wondered if they had to leave it here and hope it didn't move to Skulltown.

"However," Domain continued, making Solus cringe. His hands cracked as he balled them into fists, staring at the AI.

"Yes?"

"If you can get inside of it, you should be able to get to it's mana-orb and absorb it from the inside. That will kill it."

"Inside of it? What is wrong with you?" Tatjie gasped.

Sig, who had been quietly standing to the side for a while now, stepped forward. "What if I do it? I might be able to phase inside it?" As he spoke, he turned to a grey-black cloud with two red eyes in the middle.

Domain began nodding while Derin stepped forward, waving his hand through Sig.

"That's interesting! You can go through anything?" the undead asked in admiration.

Sig's voice echoed hollowly around them. "Not everything, but most things."

"That might work, but you will have to go in through its mouth. And for that, someone has to distract it, or it will chew down on you. It's teeth can still hurt you, even while you are less-corporeal."

"There is another problem, "Derin said, as he pointed at the rift.

A few undead popped out, stopping in their tracks when they saw the Crusdon block their path. They looked around, the panic evident on the face of one orange-skinned, blubbery zombie. A grey, plate-covered skeleton tried to dodge around the side, but the Crusdon moved so fast the skeleton had no time to even jump aside when the pincer grabbed it mid-step. A moment later, the skeleton disappeared inside the massive maw.

"If we attack it, someone will have to stop those undead from interfering." Derin continued.

Galg grinned, his disembodied voice bouncing from the walls. "Perhaps they will help?"

Derin made a move towards him, but Tatjie was ahead of him, slapping the skeleton's chest and knocking him back between the two boulders. "Pipe down, brainless."

Solus blinked as he remembered the skeleton blink across the wasteland, faster than he could hope to run. Why didn't it just dodge the attacks of the other two? Wait, dodge?

"Galg, come here." Solus beckoned the skeleton that scrambled up.

"Sure, slap me away, tell me to come. Make up your mind!" The skeleton grumbled but moved to Solus, staring at him it's glowing blue eye-sockets. "What?"

Solus moved as fast as he could, grabbing the skeleton's shoulder. Galg didn't respond.

"Why didn't you just dodge that?"

Galg laughed again, mocking this time. "Why should I? You can't hurt me. If you even try, I'll be long gone!" As he laughed, his shape turned to a small bolt and zapped a few meters to the side before turning back to the skeleton.

A tingling, itching sensation came from Solus' hand, with which he had been holding Galg. Looking at his palm, he saw a few black scratches across it.

"Can you dodge that Crusdon?" he asked, looking at Galg.

Galg looked at the giant crab as it munched on the last of the new set of undead.

"Course I can, but why should I?"

Derin stepped forward and slapped the skeleton on the back of it's head. "So Sig can enter through its mouth, and we can stop the other undead from interfering!"

"Oh. That. Ok!" Galg's skull bobbed up and down a few times, and Solus wondered if Drys even remembered what pattern he gave the skeleton. They could use more undead like this, but preferably smarter.

They discussed who would do what for a little longer and got to witness another slaughter. As soon as the Crusdon lay down, Solus walked forward.

"Sig, Galg, take care of the Crusdon."

Sig nodded, turning into a dark cloud and floating away.

"Watch how I show that monster who's boss!" Galg said before disappearing in a crackle of lightning.

Solus and the others continued down, watching Galg zap across the rocky terrain. Sig floated after him, still remarkably fast but barely reaching the midway point when Galg arrived at the Crusdon.

"Hey, you ugly crab, try and eat me!" Galg's taunt echoed up the hill, and Derin groaned loud enough for the others to hear.

The Crusdon shot forward, its two pincers slamming shut around the tail of a small lightning bolt.

"Bile!" Solus cursed. The thing was faster than they had anticipated. Galg appeared to the side and had no time for a stupid remark. A claw snapped shut a fraction of a second after he disappeared.

Solus watched Sig and projected his voice. "It's fast. Time it after he attacks Galg."

Sig didn't answer as he reached the flat area behind the Crusdon. It was moving like a blur, a loud snapping repeating itself as it chased Galg.

"Incoming!" Domain hissed, and Solus snapped his head to the rift. A dozen undead rushed out of it, staring at the battle ahead.

Solus jumped forward, outpacing the others as if they stood still. "Follow as fast as you can!" he hissed before jumping again. He saw Domain race below him like a blur.

The undead saw him coming, and black sludge was shot his way. Focusing, Solus raised a stone wall to block the projectiles. The blobs hit the wall and spread across it while a loud screeching filled the air. It drowned out even the Crusdon's a rampage.

Landing on the stony ground, Solus fell forward until his upper body was almost horizontally above the ground. A stone outcrop appeared below his feet, and he shoved off, shooting forward. The undead started and tried to spread out.

There were three skeletons and five undead he had never seen before. From a distance, they had looked like zombies, but from up close, their skin resembled stone. Their entire body looked as if it was built from blocks and rubble, but they didn't glow like the ground below them.  They had their back against the rift, the steep sides, and the Crusdon blocking their escape.

Seeing them back up until they almost stepped back in the rift, Solus had an idea. Stone tendrils shot from the walls while the ground rose up, angled like a ramp back into the rift. The three skeletons toppled over, and one of them shot long brambles from his body, attaching itself to the ground. The other two were not as lucky and slid back through the rift.

The three undead that resembled stone jumped up, at least twice as high as the platform, trying to cross it. Mid-air, the tendrils slapped them back, and they shot through the rift.

Stopping in front of the stone slope, Solus realized he could just block the entire gate again. Focusing all his energy, he stepped back. A loud tearing, grinding noise came from the surrounding stone, and the two steep stone walls beside the rift began closing in itself. Debris, stone, and dust fell everywhere as the entire earth started shaking. The stone closed in around the rift and slammed shut with a loud rumble just when a shadow flashed through.

A muscled undead, with orange skin and long, tangled yellow hair slammed into the ground in front of Solus. Spitting out sand and dust, it pushed itself up, revealing a slender torso with two hair covered breasts. Eyes like burning embers inside a black coal focused on Solus.

The yellow eyebrows frowned, and the undead seemed about to ask something when her eyes focused behind Solus and widened.

"Chaos undead," she hissed before turning around and slamming her hands against the stone enclosure. Cracked pits formed, and splinters shot through the air.

From behind Solus came the sound of running, and a second later, Derin, Tatjie, and Sumil moved beside him.

"What's that?" Tatjie hissed, staring at the orange undead that was still slamming against the stone.

The heavy thudding was slowing, and after another hit, the undead stared at the hole in front of it. There was no sight of the rift. The undead turned and pointed two hands at Solus. "Open it!" she ordered in a sharp voice.

"It can speak!" Sumil said, turning to Solus. "We should capture it. It can answer our questions!"

"Capture?" The undead muttered, confused, as she stared at Sumil.

"Not very smart, " Domain said before turning to Solus. "But Sumil is right. Grab her. With the rift closed, we need to keep our focus on the Crusdon."

Solus nodded, walking forward and cracking his fists.

"Keep her in one piece. We can't ask questions if you end her!" Domain hissed from behind.

Solus frowned. He knew the other was right, but could he even get her to come along without a fight? He kept his focus on the stone surrounding the undead. If she made a wrong move, he would try to wrap her in a bundle. Looking at the deep indentation in the wall behind her, he doubted it would hold her.

The undead spread her arms, growling deep in her chest while the hairs on her body straightened, gleaming like metal.

"Don't fight me," Solus said, raising himself to his full height, which was two heads taller than the other undead. "I won't harm you,  but we need answers."

To his complete shock, the undead cocked her head and stood up again. "Answers?" The word sounded unfamiliar as if she wasn't sure what it meant.

She is young! Solus thought as he stared into her eyes. Although they looked dangerous at first, he also read uncertainty from them. Wondering how much she could even tell them, he stepped aside to give her free passage. "Come with us."

The undead cocked her head to the other side, and walked forward, passed Solus without glancing at him. She made a straight line to Domain.

Solus fell in line behind her, confused and wondering what was going on. Looking up, he saw the Crusdon still snapping at Galg, who was zapping around him without stopping now. Sig was nowhere in sight.

"No, stop it! What are you doing!" Domain hissed as he dodged out of reach of the undead who jumped after him. "What is wrong with all of you! Stop petting me the first chance you get!"

Solus grinned as he watched the orange undead jump around and tried to grab Domain. She was agile and fast, but so was he. Turning his attention back to the giant undead crab, he wondered how long it would take for Sig to absorb the mana-stone from within. After a while, he created a chair and sat down, his attention divided between the relentless orange skinned undead and the Crusdon.

Why do I get the feeling this is going to take a while?