“Ninety degrees?” The muddy mound asked.
“Right angle?”
“Apologies, Chuck, I do not know these words.”
“Hmm. Oh!” Chuck ran a couple of his fingers against the solid ground. “Can you feel this?”
“Yes, Chuck.”
“Okay, go straight.” Chuck drew a straight line and then turned ninety degrees to the right with his fingers, “then turn ninety degrees.” He felt a slight tremble work through the purple grass.
“Turn half-straight. Yes, I can do that. Tell me when to go fast.”
Chuck shouted his plan to his friends and then spoke to the ground below him, “Now, go fast, Glyrgaph.”
Flattening out to stay on the speeding mound, Chuck prepared to go to the spikey mace form again. Purple scales of the taachu reflected the sunlight as they swam and jumped through the marsh.
“Almost time.” Chuck shifted to a sphere. He kept his hands formed at the end of two spikes, each clutching thickets of purple grass. “Now Glyrg…”
The Marnovian reacted quicker than Chuck expected. Thankful he’d prepared himself, he launched himself at the line of taachu. His diagonal path wasn’t as good as he had hoped, but it was better than expected. He crashed into the line with his spikes of sharpened wood, slashing and thrusting and doing his best to guide himself into as many as possible.
<
Chuck laughed. That sounded a bit too villain-like, but I can’t help being thrilled that this worked. His momentum slowed, but he kept lashing out. Taachu claws raked across him, leaving deep cuts in his spherical core. He pushed away with a couple of last thrusts, clear of any taachu attack. He shot a couple of spikes down, reforming legs to ready himself. His feet hit rough grass, and he felt himself being lifted and taken further away from the monsters. Glyrgaph surfaced under Chuck.
“Thank you, Glyrgaph. I didn’t expect you to follow me.”
“Chuck, you have defeated many of the taachu. It is my pleasure to be of help. I must carry you out of their reach. Your friends have started attacking them, too. We are on the other side of the taachu line.”
Chuck looked around and confirmed that they had broken through the enemy line. Which sounded great, but meant they were on their own, with one of the large taachu barrelling toward them.
Status check, fast.
<< STATUS
Siibtis (contribute to death absorb) summary: five of seven kills activated Siibtis. Forty-two magic points absorbed. Maximum health reached (damage by taachu negated by health absorption)
Health: 78/78
Magic: 77/88 >>
Difference in magic math, because of points spent for attack? And that’s a higher number of Siibtis activations than I expected. How did I accomplish that?
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
<
Loophole? The Structure’s silence did not surprise Chuck.
A growl brought Chuck’s focus back. The closest gigantic taachu lumbered toward him. Brackish water churned with each step. Mud and water glistened on the pebbled purple scales. The beast’s dagger-like claws reflected the orange sunlight at Chuck. A glance up gave him a captivating view of four gray-white fangs under a flat, triangular fold of skin that vibrated with each breath the taachu took. A second creature turned and headed toward Chuck. It was just as huge and ugly as the first one.
“This does not look good,” Chuck mumbled to Glyrgaph.
“Not good at all,” Glyrgaph responded.
Surprise them? Why not? What do I have to lose? I’m already dead, right? “Full speed straight at the taachu.”
Chuck almost fell backward. Vines and blades of purple grass wrapped around his leg, keeping him standing on Glyrgaph’s back.
“Thanks, Glyrgaph.”
“Attacking may have been difficult lying on your back in the marsh.”
“A joke? I’m shocked…” Chuck shut his mouth and set himself for impact. He shifted back to humanoid form with one long, thick arm—pointed and made of bark. “Faster!”
Chuck gasped when Glyrgaph sped up and rose out of the water, bringing him level to the oncoming monster’s chest.
In a matter of a few seconds, the gap closed. Chuck thrust his arm into the taachu’s purple chest, momentum driving the blade over a foot deep. The creature lurched backward with the impact. A green ooze spurted over Chuck’s arm. His arm-dagger hit something solid, his shoulder bulged backwards. Pain shot through his body, blurring his vision as his scream joined the screeching of the monster. Then the wood on his arm burst into flames, the fire shooting toward his face.
His eyes cleared in time to see his feet parallel to his body. His arm, acting as a pivot, sent his lower half, and the attached Glyrgaph arching upwards. He struggled to process the pain and chaos.
<
What? He tried to focus but couldn’t make sense of the words.
<
The Structure’s tone felt like a scream from inside his brain. Chuck concentrated on the message.
Yes! Now. The pain lessened. A surge of power jolted through Chuck. He grimaced and sent the flames back to the taachu. It screamed when the fire pushed into its wound. The power within Chuck continued to grow—chaotic pain and power mixing. Can’t control, help!
He saw the bright flash of orange right before it sliced between his legs, ripping Glyrgaph in half. The second taachu’s claw missed hitting Chuck.
“Glyrgaph!” Chuck screamed.
With a primal roar, Chuck thrust his other arm forward, jabbing a finger at the oncoming monster. Flames erupted from his fingertips, coiling like fiery serpents around the neck of the taachu. Intense power surged through him, mingling with searing pain and unbridled rage. The volatile cocktail ignited in a cataclysmic explosion, a blinding inferno that tore through the air. Chuck was hurled backward, his body ragdolling through shallow water, landing several feet away with a bone-jarring crash. His legs pulsed with agony, his arms hung lifeless, and his mind howled in torment—his voice echoed the primal scream of his soul.
Spi, what happened? My eyes won’t focus on anything.
<< STATUS
General update.
Component absorbed Create Fire spell at a much higher level than component could handle. Concoct occurred with Create Fire and Control Fire—result is Fire Magic Mastery spell.
Component’s personal system could not contain the magic power. The shock of the attack on the component called Glyrgaph caused a failure of control, and a magical explosion was the result.
More information on status once enemies have been defeated. >>
Fahrg, how could I forget? Chuck groaned while he stood up and worked on getting his eyes to focus. Two mounds of purple lay crumpled in front of him, both with flames still dancing across their scales. His friends and the Marnovians had intercepted the third creature. He shuffled towards them through the water and grass. Status check.
<< STATUS
Siibtis (contribute to death absorb) accounts for a fifteen-point increase in health and seven points in magic. No increases in health maximum, eleven points in magic maximum.
Health: 61/78
Magic: 52/99 >>
Thanks. Chuck sent a trickle of magic to his feet, shifting them to a flat web shape. His trek through the marsh went much faster. He watched Marl repeatedly drive his dagger into the back of the remaining taachu. It fell and within a few seconds lay still.
“You doing okay?” Rahmys called out to Chuck as he got closer.
“Not sure?” He answered.
No one said anything for a few minutes it took Chuck to finish walking toward the group.