Springing forth, up from the background, another
surge surrounds us, the jolt of power jerking us to our senses,
disturbing the light sleep we'd been in. Snapping to attention,
as the bolts of power course through me, again every muscle tenses,
as I'm dully aware of my hands gripping Marissa, my claws extended,
pushing roughly against her back; at the same time, she's giving
me the same reactionary treatment.
Caught in the throes of the energy crashing over
us, the pricking of her claws against me is overshadowed by the
extreme pressure of the power flooding through my system. Struggling,
as before, to try and control this tidal wave, my mind reels as
the magic forces its way through the channels of my being, threatening
once again to push them to their limits.
Every second is marked for me, stretching out, becoming
a distinct memory, as wave after wave of power crashes over me,
feeling every single beat of my heart within me, my senses heightened
to an unbelievable level of sensitivity. My muscles frozen from
the energy tearing through me, charging every single cell within
me, firing every neuron almost at once, we cling to each other,
desperate and uncontrollably, trying to ride this out.
My mind expanded, my thinking sped up along with
my senses, a barrage of desperate thoughts runs through me, ticking
out the few seconds, stretching the moments out with cruel efficiency.
My mind jumbled, I do manage the desperate thought that this is
like none of the other surges we'd experienced before, this one
seems much stronger; the power turned up a couple of notches.
Before, the sensations had been uncomfortable, in
fact the last one was rather uncomfortable, but they'd stayed
below the threshold of pain. This is no longer true, as the mental
sensations have increased, the feelings of trying to control this
insane amount of energy being fed to me jumping up, making my
mind ache from the ghastly amount of control it draws from me.
Every aspect of my consciousness feels as if it's at the breaking
point, threatened to be torn apart by the volumes of energy flowing
through me, pushing me apart.
Even as my mind throbs from this, there also appears
to be a physical component here too. My body feels charged from
all of the energy forcing its way through me, every fiber charged,
my nerves burning with the electric tingling. Currents of charge
snaking their way over me, my entire body is caught in the waves
of the energy, not a single area left alone from the phantom electric
insects crawling over my super-sensitive skin.
My mind throbbing, struggling to maintain control,
my body tenses from the sheer power flowing through me, the sensations
reaching painful levels. It's something like electric shocks running
through me, gripping me, paralyzing me, sticking me with a thousand
pins and needles. My body writhing, my mind reeling, I experience
every single second of this torture, the energy still flooding
over me. Then, as before, the surge passes, dying quickly, leaving
us in peace.
As the power leaves us, my body, having all its muscles
clenched tight, collapses, feeling worn and sore, my nerves still
sensitive to the touch. Sinking into the mattress, feeling the
energy drained from me, it's a moment or two before I can even
breathe, a pang of terror gripping me as my diaphragm muscles
refuse to respond.
Then I can finally breathe again, drawing in my breaths
in desperate, shallow pants, trying to recover from what I've
just been put through, unable for the moment to do anything but
just lie there, my body numb, my mind still throbbing. Minutes
pass like this, lying there next to Marissa, feeling her presence
next to me, but more concerned for my own well-being at the moment.
As the moments pass, and my strength gradually returns,
I feel my pulse coming back down a reasonable level, my breathing
slows, deepening to its normal state. Recovering like this my
body still aches slightly, feeling the aftermath of the workout
it was forced to endure; worse than that however is the throbbing
headache. It's more than a normal headache, stronger and different,
more than just a dull pounding; coupled with how my mind feels
exhausted, as if it's crammed full with cotton, clouding my thoughts.
Letting out a couple of moans, I hear Marissa quietly
whimper next to me, lost in her own suffering. Bringing one of
my hands up to my forehead, placing the other on my chest, my
flesh tingles at the touch, still feeling the sensitivity from
the surge's cruel tickling. Keeping my hands in place, fighting
against the strange sensations, I pour my own magic over myself,
feeling the comforting warmth of healing gently envelop me.
The healing isn't as quick as normal though, it takes
a bit longer to tame the demons of pain, forcing them down. Feeling
the warm energy flow through me, a minute or two passes before
the soreness drains from my body and the last throbs from my head
finally retreat into the background. Easing off with my spell,
my mind still feels a little numb, but this is a mental feeling
and the healing energy didn't seem to effect it. I feel well enough
to function again, and this mental fatigue will just have to take
care of itself; at least my magic is still up to full power.
Focusing my attention on Marissa, I bring my hand
out to softly stroke her shoulder; she's finished her healing
too, as she doesn't jump at my touch, her nerves no longer tortured
by the flash of energy. Looking at her, her expression mirrors
wine, eyes wide, confusion and fear washed over our faces, muzzles
pursed in worried frowns.
Feeling her reassuring touch as she reaches out to
me, I ask "are you okay?" my voice low and nervous.
"I think so Ben... what about you?"
"Yeah... that was the worst of the surges though...
They're getting stronger each time... and seem to be occurring
quicker than before..." a small shiver running through me,
not wanting to voice the thoughts this brings up.
"You're worried about how much more of these
we can take..." her eyes concerned and scared, her voice
just barely shaking. "Ben... we've got to get out of here...
somehow..."
"I know... we've got to do something... pulling
her closer to me, drawing strength from her.
Holding each other close like that, huddling together
in our cell, her warm body does little to comfort me, only keeping
me together enough to try and think. Maybe a couple of minutes
pass before she asks "is there any way we can get out of
here? Do you have any idea how their doors work?"
"No Marissa... if I did I would have tried something
by now... their technology is surpassed anything I've seen...
If you don't know how the magic side of it works, we're stuck
here until one of them decides to come in..."
Nodding in resignation, "what can we do when
someone does come?"
Sitting up, eyes darting around the room, pushing
my mind to think of a way out of this, I finally reply. "We
could try and hit them with whatever we've got as soon as they
walk in... They'll probably be expecting it, but maybe we can
work it so if they fight with us again, we can slip out the door
before they can close it..."
My mind nagging at how much of a long shot this is,
I try not to think of it, desperate times requiring desperate
measures. They'd kept us here for long enough and now it was time
to try again and get out of here. Whatever they're doing, no matter
how nice they tried to appear on the surface, they're playing
with something that's got a good chance of seriously hurting us;
there's no time left to try and sort things out.
With wild thoughts churning through my mind, feeling
my anxiety grow, Marissa rises up to a sitting position next to
me, taking my hand in hers. Looking at her, her eyes are deep
pools of determination, lending me more strength; my heart also
lifting, if only for a second, as fleeting thoughts of her catch
my attention.
Smiling a brief and subtle, yet also determined smirk
at her, my lips only curling slightly, helping to cut the tension,
I see the spark reflected briefly in her eyes. "Come on...
let's get down by the door... we'll have a better chance of surprising
them that way..."
Following me, we get off the comfort of our bed,
somehow feeling as if we're leaving the only safe haven left for
us here, and walk across the room; crouching down near the wall,
on either side of the light-brown shaded disk, set in the slate
gray of the wall, marking the hidden portal.
On a whim, I place my hands on the wall, in the center
of the colored disk, first trying to sense any magic there, feeling
nothing above the background levels, which although are much higher
than normal, I'd gotten acclimated to them over the past few days.
Frowning slightly, perhaps hoping at least to feel
a subtle current of power trickling through the rocks, Marissa
looks at me and places her hand next to mine, understanding what
I'm attempting. Then concentrating, I send a large amount of energy
into the rock, trying blindly to force whatever mechanism lies
hidden there to spring into action.
Feeling Marissa's energy join mine, our combined
power radiates through the rock, but to no avail, the wall remains
solid, not even shimmering in the least bit. After several seconds
of this, it's painfully obvious brute force alone will not free
us. Had this been a simpler cell, with a more common way of securing
us in place, we might have been able to channel enough energy
to break the door; here their technology is just too advanced
for us, not yielding to our clumsy attempts.
Cutting off the spell, not wanting to waste any more
power than we need to, I let out a heavy sigh, a very slight growl
of frustration coming with it. Glancing at Marissa, she looks
back, a little frustrated herself, but her eyes still showing
that glimmer of determination in them. There's nothing left now
but to wait, however long it takes, until we get probably what
will be our last chance out of here.
Anxious and frustrated, we wait, crouched down on
our haunches, waiting beside the door, my mind busy with jumbled
thoughts. Time ticks by slowly, sitting there, waiting for something
to happen, the tension and fear eating away at my resolve. Darting
my eyes around the room from time to time, trying to keep myself
occupied, I glance at Marissa, her own eyes tempered with worry.
About fifteen or twenty minutes into this, another
surge occurs, again catching us by surprise; they'd never come
anywhere near this close together before. The energy flashes out
over us, quickly saturating our bodies, pushing the limits of
what we can withstand.
Almost instantaneously, my muscles clench, fighting
against the torrents of power wrenching through them, pulling
me into a huddled ball. My arms gripping my legs instinctively,
my claws once again extract, my hands tensing from the throbbing
of the energy, forcing their way into my sensitive flesh.
As my mind struggles to deal with this onslaught,
my body once again becomes cruelly charged with the deluge of
power. My flesh quickly becoming alive with electric sensations,
my body cries out as the pain increases. No longer is it the simple
pain of being shocked from a high, yet harmless voltage, now the
pain is escalating, passing through the simple tickles of electric
charge, moving up to levels more intense.
The currents of pain wracking my body, feeling the
energy tear its way throughout my entire system, barreling through
the core, radiating outward, I snarl in pain as the surge of power
throbs within me, becoming almost audible, echoing inside my skull.
Howling again, my mind struggling against the increasing levels
forcing their way through me, I'm dimly aware of Marissa's own
tortured screams, as she writhes in her own personal agony.
Then, along with the flashes of energy, another disturbing
sensation reaches my consciousness. Starting out small, but building
quickly, a vibration ripples through the floor of our chamber,
and most likely, the rest of the complex as well. The rumblings
catching part of my attention, they soon become stronger, the
tremors shaking the cave, reaching levels of a small earthquake
quite rapidly; jostling me as I crouch there, huddled in fear
and pain, my muscles locked firmly tight, helping to keep me in
place.
Feeling the energy down to my very core, my chest
on fire, every heavy pounding of my heart sending another spike
of pain stabbing through me, my head threatens to explode; I can
feel the energy push and pull at me, trying to take my consciousness
and being with it.
Fighting against the sheer amount of the power crashing
over us, ripping through me, my mind screams, stretched to its
limits, throbbing with the energy. My eyes forced shut, my vision
burns with a dull red, pulsing lightly with the waves of the energy,
my mind on fire, reeling from this torturous treatment; my head
throbbing madly, each pulse of energy feeling as if it's pressing
rudely against my skull. Along with each pounding throb of the
surge, the tremors shake the surrounding rock around us, feeling
the heavy vibrations along with the pain that lashes out at my
senses.
My body tortured by the pain stabbing at me, my head
aching, sending invisible fingers to poke at the back of my eyes,
my consciousness screams out amidst this insanity. The power levels
have grown even higher, in only a couple of moments, straining
my limits almost to breaking point, the energy ripping at my senses
from every direction, my mind struggling to come to my defense.
Then, just about when it seems like everything is
going to go black, my resources finally exhausted, my limits finally
surpassed, my mind and body finally broken, the torture is over,
the throbbing power and tremors dying down. Well almost so, the
surge does die down, but not quite like before; instead of dying
back down to the background levels, the power ramps down to a
lesser level, but still much higher than it had been before.
Collapsing on the floor, this still is better than
nothing, while it isn't all that calm, it's manageable. My body
hurts on every square inch of it, feeling as through I've had
a million cuts made to me, every nerve crying out. A moment later,
I also realize that while the power seems to have settled down
at a lower, yet still uncomfortable, level, it also seems to be
throbbing lightly, at the same frequency as before. Every one
of these throbs, while not as high as before, still sends tremors
of pain through my sensitive and abused body, my head throbbing
in time with the energy. The tremors have almost died completely
away, only just barely detectable as mild vibrations in the rock
below me, still in time with the throbbing of the power.
As before, the struggle to breathe is short but nonetheless
still very frightening, terrified for a couple of fleeting moments
that my diaphragm will refuse to expand, my lungs burning for
fresh air, my mind screaming in panic. Then, my body finally comes
back under my control, allowing me quick and tortured pants, my
mouth hanging open, dimly aware of my tongue hanging out against
my teeth.
Lying there on my back, my breathing tortured and
shallow, my body stings with pain at each plucking of the throbbing
power around me. My heartbeat feels heavy in my sore chest, pounding
loudly in my ears, which are ringing slightly from the strain
of the surge. Again my head throbs heavily, each time as if needles
are jabbing directly at my brain, my mind numb from the overload.
Letting out a prolonged whimper, my eyes still closed,
my breathing is still labored but is slowly coming under control.
My body still wracked with pain, my nerves burn, sensitive to
every throb of the power still flowing through me, although now
it's much more manageable; still uncomfortable, but not dangerous.
Then all of a sudden the uncontrollable urge to cough
hits me, gripping my body, sending the reflexive tremors through
my throat, painfully exploding out of me. Doing so, my mouth feels
sticky, as if coated with phlegm; my senses are drawn outward,
as I hear a tiny, frightened squeal from Marissa.
Jerking my eyes open, turning to look at her, she's
managed to turn on her side, her head pointed down low, almost
to the floor. As I'm watching, she coughs and a mouthful of bloody
mucus sprays out, a pang of revulsion and fear tearing through
me. A second later, another cough ripples through me, and turning
my head, I see crimson spittle splatter from my own mouth, landing
on the floor besides me.
Terror gripping me, still in the throes of pain,
frightening thoughts flash across my brain, realizing just what
kind of damage could have be done to us. Coughing painfully a
couple of more times, spitting and hacking, each spasm ripping
through my chest, I finally manage to clear my throat, my chest
still throbbing, setting off alarms in my mind; my tongue and
mouth coated in the lightly salty residue.
Bringing my hands to my chest and head once again,
it takes a few minutes to do a full healing job, draining my resources
more than I'd like. Then pain in my body subsiding, first my nerves
die down, no longer sensitive to the touch or the magic flowing
by them. My head and chest pains are tougher to squelch, which
doesn't bode well, thoughts of internal damage gripping me once
again.
Finally even those pains are low enough so I can
deal with them, giving up on trying heal them any more for now.
Turning to look at Marissa, she's lying there, looking as bad
as I feel. The fur around her mouth and nose clotted with blood,
some of it having dribbled down her chin to her neck. Fighting
back flashes of disgust, I bring my paw up to my own cool nose,
feeling the moist flesh covered in a light layer of goo. Pulling
it back, I see the white fur of my palm is smeared with the clots;
bringing my hand back to my muzzle, I pour an extra once of healing
into it, just to be sure.
Then I become aware of a damp feeling on my thighs,
fear gripping me once again, my mind screaming at the prospect
of being injured there. Bringing my paw down tentatively to my
groin, exploring the area of wetness, everything seems to be intact,
not even the specter of pain lingering there. Looking down, the
damp area isn't crimson red as I'd fear, but instead just dark
and wet.
Blinking a couple of seconds, it finally hits me,
as I notice the small puddle on the floor, underneath my right
leg, and the faint, pungent scent wafting up to my felenzi nostrils.
Gagging back pangs the shame and disgust, I realize, much like
someone getting a heavy electric shock, I'd lost control of my
bladder, getting myself messy in the process. Pulling my hand
away quickly, wiping it on the fur of my stomach, the only substitute
for a towel I had nearby, I glance at Marissa. She too has a dark,
wet patch along her thighs, a small puddle off to her side. Feeling
relieved I'm not alone in this, then embarrassed and guilty for
checking, I pull my gaze back up to her, as she lies there, still
recovering.
By now, most of the pain has left me, except for
a dull headache and the strange, lingering, heavy feeling in my
chest. The power still lies at the higher levels, higher than
we'd been used to, still uncomfortable, but not painfully so.
Perhaps a couple of days ago the levels of the energy around us
would have been too much to handle, but it seems as if I've gotten
accustomed to it. The power still throbs lightly, tingling me
as it does so, reminding me of its ever-present nature. Also,
the tremors still vibrate slightly through the rocks beneath us,
just barely noticeable.
Feeling probably as good as I'm going to, I pick
myself up off the floor, rising into a crouch, and crawl over
to Marissa, who herself is getting up. Kneeling beside her, reaching
out to pull her close to me, hugging her tightly, soaking up her
warmth. Moments later, she asks "Ben, are you okay?"
feeling her strong arms around me, pulling me closer.
"I guess so... for now... I don't think we can
take too much more of this..."
Pulling back, looking up at me, our eyes meeting,
falling into her gaze, her deep, green eyes are awash with worry,
fear and desperation. Then there's a flash of something else,
determination, but also deep emotion, warm and strong as her gaze
pulls me in, losing me in her eyes.
Lost in her bewitching gaze, feeling the strength
of our feelings for one another, the moment seems to last forever.
Pulling me closer, she holds me tightly, as I return the favor,
squeezing her back lovingly. We don't say anything, there's nothing
to be said, and this only lasts for a moment or two, yet seeming
like so much more; sitting there wordlessly comforting each other,
our warmth surrounding us.
Then it's over, and we pull away, silently looking
into our eyes, both of our expressions now determined and nervous.
"We should get back into position in case they still might
come for us..." she says, voicing my very thoughts. Nodding,
I move to my side of the door, doing my best to avoid the puddle
I'd created, as she does the same on her side.
Crouching there again, feeling the dull pain in my
head and chest, the increased background energy levels, and the
light tremors in the rocks around us, we wait, nervous and apprehensive.
Just minutes later, another flash in the energy levels
surges up, my mind trembling at this, fearing this could be the
one that's too much for us. Luck is on our side however, perhaps
some random deity looking out for us, for instead of another wild
spike of energy slamming into us, this is only a minor surge,
pushing the power up another couple of notches, and sustaining
it there.
My mind and body react to this, feeling the familiar
uncomfortable and painful feelings ripple through me, however,
since it's not a major surge, I'm able to regain equilibrium quite
quickly. Adjusting to the new level of the background energy,
my body cries out for a couple of moments, then my nerves just
tingling slightly; my head and chest pains increasing marginally
too.
The effects of the surge on us might not have been
too bad, but the effect on our surroundings is much worse. Directly
following the ramp up to the higher levels, the power still throbbing
slightly, the tremors flowing through the stone around us jump
back into life, the vibrations increasing. They aren't as forceful
as the first wave had been, but they're sustained, not dying down
after a several seconds like they had before. The rock beneath
us shakes enough to feel it vibrating up through my entire body,
but not nearly enough to threaten the structure of the cave, at
least not yet.
At the same time, the lighting unit in the room was
affected by this, when the surge first hit, going completely out,
leaving us in darkness for several seconds. It had then come back
on, but only partial so, bathing the room in a dim light, as the
tremors shook the rock around us. Now, the power levels seeming
to have settled out, that is except for the overlying throbbing,
the light has come up a little brighter, but it now flickers,
going dim in time with the throbbing waves of the energy source;
its brightness varying widely each time, sometimes going completely
out, sometimes barely dimming at all.
With the increased level of power throbbing and buzzing
around us, our bodies so uncomfortably aware of its presence,
the tremors shaking up through the floor beneath us, and the wild
erratic pattern of the light's flickering, we still wait; glancing
at each other nervously, trying to keep our resolves up.
We don't have to wait much longer though, for only
a few minutes later, I get the sensation of energy off to my side,
coming from the wall. It's only a slight trickle of energy, barely
noticeable with the all that's happening around us, but it still
registers, catching my attention, and I know the door's about
to be opened, this is our final chance. Glancing at Marissa, her
eyes flash an affirmative look at me; she felt it too, and is
ready for whatever happens.
Holding my breath, the door silently opens, emitting
another small signature of energy as the rock once again flows
away, off to the sides, revealing the hidden portal. Waiting there,
every heartbeat punctuated strongly in my ears, the seconds pass,
before our visitor finally enters.
Entering slowly, another cougar felenzi, perhaps
the one we'd tried to fight the last time, stands in the doorway,
perhaps trying to figure where we're hiding. As soon as he enters
though, just breaking the plane of the wall, we're upon him, pouring
all the energy we can muster towards him, claws out at the ready.
He looks maybe a little surprised at this, but has
time to react, sending a spell of his own back at us, sapping
some of our magical strength, apparently neutralizing some of
the effects of the energy we'd projected at him. His body shakes
slightly, stepping back a couple of inches, but he doesn't seem
all that effected.
It's not time to think of that now though, as I feel
the adrenaline flowing through my system, not resisting the battle
rage that pours over, not exactly eclipsing my thoughts, just
dulling the ones that won't aid me in fight; helping me to concentrate
better at the job at hand.
My ears flattening back, my tail twitching wildly,
I hear a fierce snarl come from me, as I jump up, lunging for
him, my paws ready to connect with his flesh. At the same instant,
Marissa springs for him too, both of us intent on getting through
the doorway he's standing in.
Watching him, almost in slow motion, as we dive toward
him, his ears come up in surprise, his eyes widening. Waving his
hands at us, I feel another draining wave of energy pass through
me, but still it's not enough; it slows us down, but we are going
to get through that door. In the back of my mind, I'm dimly aware
that he's not using his full powers on us, this might have confused
me, but now I have no time for such things.
Both of us connecting with him at the same time,
our combined momentum pushes us through the door, sending the
three of us stumbling backwards out into the hallway. Taking several
hurried steps backwards, we trip one another up, and all of us
fall roughly to the floor, landing on top of him.
Our fighting instincts jump into action, our claws
and teeth finding his body, grabbing him, tearing and biting at
him through his cloak, growling and hissing as we do so. Snarling
back at us, his paws come up in defensive positions, trying to
force us off him. We tumble around for a couple of seconds before
a stronger burst of energy rises up from him, washing over us,
our bodies instantly going limp.
Rudely pushing us off him, rolling us off to the
sides, he scrambles up to his feet, looking down at us, his cloak
torn in several places, his bloody wounds show through, beneath
the tattered fabric. Regarding us coldly, his eyes studying us,
I turn on my side, trying to get up but still catching my breath;
Marissa growls loudly at him.
Turning to her, his expression stoical, his voice
reserved, he answers "we don't want to hurt you... get out
of here..." With that, he turns and walks quickly down the
hall, leaving us behind.
Still coming down from the rage of the fight, my
mind confused, I watch him leave, then turn my attention back
to pooling my reserves together. Concentrating, gathering strength
from the power all around me, I manage to get back on my feet
in a minute or so, Marissa joining me, sprinting down the hall.
Running down the hall, the energy still throbbing
in the background, the tremors continuing through the stone around
us, the lighting fixtures all flickering wildly, their power source
unstable, bathing the cave in a confusing and unsettling pattern
of light and dark.
Quickly reaching the junction of the three hallways,
I notice the exit lies off to our left, while the sloping hallway
leading down to their generator is on the right. Glancing down
that forbidding passage, then looking back at Marissa questioningly,
she nods and we take off down there, towards our destiny. Whatever
they're doing, it certainly poses a threat to us, and we might
be better off to make a run for it, but this is our last chance
to put a stop to it, and to tell the truth, I'm still too pumped
with adrenaline to care; all my instincts telling me to face the
danger and to fight.
Coming down the hallway, the power levels begin increasing
again, making my nerves burn, my mind aching a little more; however
this just pushes us onward, the rage within me building, determined
to end this, or die trying.
Reaching the end of the passage, coming out into
the large expanse of the generator room, I'm blinded by a brilliant
light, flashing out of the opening before us. Stopping, blinking
for close to a minute, my eyes finally adjust, somewhat, so I'm
able to stare into the strange scene before us, lit by the strange
and flickering light flooding out from the machinery.
Pausing, unable to believe my eyes, my mind stumbles,
trying to comprehend what lies in the chamber ahead of us. The
giant machine, most surely a generator of some sort, is glowing
brightly, the faint and eerie green glow we'd seen before replaced
by a brilliant radiance, pure white flooding out from it, exuding
energy. Standing there, the throbbing pours over us, rippling
through our tense bodies, pounding inside our heads; the tremors
have increased along with it, shaking the ground beneath us quite
strongly.
At first, exposed to the raw energy pouring from
their machinery, my body cries out in pain, threatening to double
me over. However, fighting it with all of my will, concentrating,
sending my own energy flowing through me, I'm able to get on top
of things, not enjoying it, but holding my own; glancing at Marissa,
she's doing likewise, a snarl pursed across her muzzle. Taking
a quick look at her, her nose is bleeding again, blood trickling
down the side of her muzzle, staining her snow-white fur. My chest
begins to hurt with more insistency, a couple of coughs rippling
through me; there's no time for that now though, as my mind cries
out in urgency.
Recovering as best we can, we then get a better look
at what's going on in front of us. The generator is cranked up,
probably to full output, as it's glowing a pure white, both towers
of coils above it alive with energy, huge arcs dancing and fighting
between the wires, a loud humming sound emanating from them. That's
not the only source of illumination in the chamber though, for
between the two huge towers, energy rippling all about, a rift
has opened, floating there impossibly in space, a doorway to something
fantastic lying beyond.
The area between the coils is glowing brightly, showing
something that shouldn't be there, the juxtaposition of two physical
spaces lining up like that, vastly different, the interface between
them shimmering with an eerie look of unreality.
Squinting, looking in through the doorway they've
created, all I can see is bright, swirling eddies of energy, spiraling
in chaotic movements, currents of color lost in motions of their
own. Objects fly by, as bright as their surroundings, having almost
no physical form, as if they're composed of the energy themselves;
the spectacle is so outstanding and impossible, as I blink, staring
into it.
Breaking away from the hypnotic apparitions beyond
the rift, my eyes become further adjusted to the surroundings
and I'm able to fully make out the scene, seeing what lies in
front of the generator, throbbing and trembling as it holds this
ethereal gateway open. The whole chamber is bathed in the bright
and shimmering light, even from here feeling the energy pouring
out through the doorway they've opened.
Below the machinery, working tirelessly, the dracmars
madly dash about, perhaps a dozen of them checking readouts on
the display screens, huddled over terminals, entering the final
series of commands. Except, they aren't the dracmars, anymore,
at least not how we've seen them. They no longer maintain the
guise of felenzi, but they haven't returned to their lizard forms
either, well not quite.
Now they've all become anthropomorphic dragons. At
least that's the best description for them, their bodies larger,
about a foot taller than before, and wider too, their bodies definitely
more muscular. Their heads are definitely reptilian, with the
familiar snout and beady eyes, but that is where the similarities
with their old forms end.
Looking at them, they now have four arms, the second
set connected only a couple of inches below the first pair, yet
somehow seeming to fit their body quite naturally. They've cast
of their cloaks, and their scaly backs have a large set of ridges
running down them, starting at the tip of their snout, running
up and over their head, and finally tapering down their long and
massive tails. Also sprouting from their backs are a set of large
ridged wings, which they have mostly collapsed, pulled in close
to their sides, but judging from the size of them, the wingspan
would easily be close to eight feet.
Then getting a better look at there new bodies, they
aren't quite bodies at all, not exactly. Blinking, I realize that
they're becoming transparent, taking on the glow of the machinery
and the surrounding area, picking up auras of their own. Even
as we watch, they're becoming more ethereal, with the ones farthest
away from the rift being the most corporeal.
Looking down at their feet, I notice their discarded
cloaks, then something else. Beneath each dracmar is a large puddle,
filled with a thick, viscous fluid, looking reddish brown from
here. As I watch, the fluid continues to ooze out of them, down
near their feet, as if they've sprung a leak, their bodies becoming
lighter as this happens. Shuddering I realize they're dissolving
their physical forms, becoming ethereal, taking on vastly more
energy as they do so.
Frozen in place, captivated by the sight before us,
my mind reeling at the possibilities, I don't notice one of the
closest dracmars spot us, until it's too late. Snapping back to
attention, I see him running toward us, still mostly physical,
his feet squishing sickly as they make contact with the hard floor,
leaving bloody foot prints behind.
Reacting to the oncoming threat, I drop to a crouch,
coiling my powerful legs, ready to strike, feeling my muscles
tense, a snarl forming on my muzzle; glancing to my side, I see
Marissa doing likewise. Coming before us, eyeing us with disbelief,
a stern look across his snout, his cold eyes fixing us in a calculating
gaze, he watches as we growl at him, ready for this final fight.
"What are you doing here? Get out before it's
too late..."
"Whatever you're doing... it's killing us...
and we're not going to let you get away with it..." my voice
a snarl, Marissa punctuating my threat with a low growl.
Holding one of his taloned hands out toward us, a
blast of cold slaps me in the face, draining some of the rage
from me. "You haven't got much time... get out of here or
you'll be destroyed..." his voice still reserved.
"We'll go down fighting if we have to..."
Marissa hisses back, holding out one of her hands, claws extended,
emphasizing her point.
"You don't understand... we mean you no harm...
We just want to get back to our own world?"
Blinking at this, there's a momentary pause, before
I utter an incredulous "what?"
"You know we aren't from your world... We come
from beyond your known universe... Where we live everything exists
intertwined with the energy you call magic... Existing there,
we have no physical forms like you..."
Staring back at him, he continues "we accidentally
opened a rift between our two planes of existence... Forcing us
into your world... our bodies becoming mere, shallow projections
of our real essence... losing most of our abilities... only a
small pocket of our world coming with us... barely giving us enough
to work with..."
"Your world isn't meant for our kind... the
energy flow is too small... we were starving here... slowly dying...
That's why we needed to increase the local power levels... to
keep our life force alive... long enough to force the rift back
open..."
"Then you came, and provided us with better
forms to copy... ones that weren't as effected by the energy streaming
through them... For that we owe you thanks... our goal finally
met... but you must leave quickly... It took more energy than
we thought to open the doorway again... Our system can't withstand
it much longer... The release of energy will be too great for
you..."
Blinking at this, my jaw hanging open, I can't believe
what's going on. Staring back at him, I'm jarred back to my senses
as another surge ripples painfully through me, throbbing heavily,
the tremors increasing yet again.
Turning away from them, and the fantastic window
into their world, I follow Marissa back up the hallway, running
quickly, my footing a little unsteady as the tremors are growing.
Leaving the generator room, we run madly up the hallway,
barreling back into the junction cavern. Turning and heading for
the exit tunnel, running wildly, more surges ripple out toward
us, stinging our minds and bodies, the power levels still increasing;
the floor shaking beneath us, the lights blinking even more erratically,
our path lit in a nightmarish fashion by the flickering orbs on
the ceiling above us.
Coming into the large antechamber at the end of the
hallway, we dash along the uneven floor of the cave, beginning
to slope upwards now. Careening into the darkness, the tremors
and surges still building, we instinctively produce the familiar
glowing spheres in our palms, lighting the way before us.
Running along a few minutes more, the tremors and
surges have become one giant throbbing wave, my body burning from
the energy, my mind crying out against it all. Then a huge invisible
flash of power slams out from behind us, throwing us forward,
losing our footing. Losing concentration on our illumination spells,
the world goes black, flying through the air, my ears ringing
with a giant, ripping, crashing sound; whether it's physical or
ethereal, I can't tell.
My body wracked with the pain from this greatest
surge, my mind barely holding back against the forces threatening
to rip it apart, I'm sure this is the end. Falling forward, my
body slamming into the hard ground with extreme force, the last
thing I feel is the total, consuming pain, echoing through me.
Then, mercifully, my world goes black.
Coughing, the pain drawing me back from the void,
I lie there in the pitch blackness, face down on the cold, dirty
ground, every fiber of my being screaming out in agony. Groaning,
still unsure if I'm really alive, and what state I'm in, I lie
still, the tip of my muzzle planted in some dirt, smelling earthy,
not helping the unpleasant tastes in my mouth.
That's the least of my concerns though, as I lie
there, my breath slowly returning to me, my body racked by pain,
every nerve ending crying for attention. Feeling several rocks
beneath me, rudely poking against my tender flesh, this adds to
my discomfort, feeling worse at this moment than ever before in
my life; as if death might have been a welcomed option.
Lying there several seconds longer, then forcing
myself to turn over, every muscle resisting this indignation very
loudly, I manage to finally get on my back, my body tortured my
mind numb and aching. Letting out a couple of whimpers, they're
followed by similar sounds off to my left, probably only a few
feet away, but seeming so far in the darkness.
'Marissa... she's still with me!" my mind leaping,
even above the pain shooting through me; it hurts just lying there
not moving, every breath filling my chest with fire.
"Marissa... are you okay?" my voice tired
and hoarse, the pain showing through it, every syllable ripping
into me.
There's an uncomfortably long pause, terrible doubts
flashing through my head, then she finally replies. "I guess
so... hurts like hell..." her own voice gravelly, launching
into a coughing fit at the end.
Taking another couple of breathes, my own wave of
coughs hits me, having shaken up my chest in turning over. Coughing
heavily, the spasms grip me, each one sending tremors of pain
down my chest; opening my mouth, expelling more phlegm, probably
mixed with blood, I don't even bother to turn my head, letting
it spatter on my muzzle and neck.
Then, released from the painful spasms, I let my
body go limp, trying to slow my breathing, the pain stabbing out
at me. Lying there, whimpering softly, it's a couple of minutes
before I can even think of healing myself, the agony almost paralyzing
me.
Finally I force myself to do it though, going through
the slow and painful process of moving my hand along the rocky
floor, coming to my chest, placing it carefully on my tender flesh,
fighting against the tremors of pain shooting back at me. Then,
flooding my body with healing, feeling the warmth slowly spread
through me, I lose myself in the heavenly sensations; the pain
retreating, tiny fingers of power massaging my flesh back to perfect
health.
The whole process takes five or six minutes, my body
having been through the wringer, lots of damage needing to be
repaired; in the end though I feel pretty good, still kind of
numb and weak, my energy reserves fairly depleted for the moment,
but I've definitely recovered. Then turning my attention back
to Marissa, I conjure up the illumination spell once again, the
small sphere flooding the cavern with its soft and friendly light.
Doing the same, lighting her own sphere, we look
at each other, both still in kind of a sad shape. While we'd manage
to do the required healing, we certainly wouldn't be winning any
beauty contests like this. Her fur is matted and messy, covered
everywhere with dirt, her neck and chest spattered with dried
blood, her hair in total disarray, filled with tangles; glancing
down at myself I realize I'm not much better off.
Then looking at her face, into her eyes, they're
aglow, even above the evident fatigue. Gazing at her, all I can
think of is how much we've been through, and how much she means
to me. Scooting over to her as she's sitting up on the dirty floor,
I throw my arms around her, sinking into her ready embrace.
Nuzzling her with urgent affection, I pull away,
only slightly, to gaze into those beautiful deep green eyes, once
again brimming with emotion. My mind overflowing, I press my muzzle
firmly against hers, our lips meeting in a frenzied kiss. Opening
our mouths, we're soon exploring one another, forcing our way
inside, our tongues licking our muzzles desperately; regardless
of the lack of hygiene, ignoring the salty taste of our blood.
Our passion lasting for several minutes, it finally
cools down, letting us simply hold one another, leaning my head
against hers, enjoying the feeling of her softness against me.
"I love you Ben..." her voice soft, full
of emotion.
"I know... I love you too Marissa..." my
heart swooning.
Another couple of minutes pass, not needing to say
anything, before she asks, "it's over isn't it?"
Looking around, seeing nothing from the cave behind
us, I realize the power levels have dropped dramatically, about
to what I remember as being normal. "I think so... let's
go and see for sure though..." feeling my curiosity surface.
Walking down the passage, a little cautious, we go
a few hundred feet before reaching a pile of rubble, huge chunks
of stone completely blocking our way. Staring at this, surprised
at the power that had been released, we're silent for several
minutes, just standing and looking, feeling lucky to have gotten
out of this alive.
Finally we turn and walk silently back up the passageway,
pondering thoughts silently among us. The strange adventure's
over, having ended so abruptly, yet thinking of Marissa, we've
got another long and pleasant one in store for us, together.
Then remembering something, seeming a little silly
after all we'd been through. "We never did get our clothes
back Marissa... and our packs are buried back there..."
Joining my chuckle, she replies "well, the weather's
fairly nice... and we've got our fur and each other to keep us
warm... guess there's really no need for them is there?"
Walking with her, we soon reach the mouth of the
cave, coming out into the open, only to find it's the middle of
the night. Looking up, seeing the sky for the first time in days,
the stars are out on this crystal-clear night, the two moons,
the large one nearly full, the smaller a thick crescent, flooding
the hilly landscape in a soft and romantic light.
Coming out into the air, a small chill runs through
me, especially down in my loins, that area not used to being exposed
like this. A minute or two later though, it's not all that bad,
and the cool air feels nice, invigorating.
Turning to me, a warm smile playing across her muzzle,
she says "come on... it's not all that far of a walk back
down to the stream... We could both use a nice long bath..."
Smiling back at her, I follow, walking down the mountainside,
not having felt so contented and at ease for a long time.
Copyright 1994, Will A. Sanborn - was1@shore.net