Paul
He’d lied again.
Having been forced to sacrifice his Pathfinding ability and all his Yang-related candle stuff for these newfound Yin lantern-fighting powers, Paul had no better chance of picking the best getaway route than a flipped coin. When asked for directions, he’d pretended to concentrate and then chose a course at random.
Although the guilt pained him, couldn’t compare to the explosion of anger, feelings of betrayal, and mass confusion a confession would unleash on the group. He’d peeked into this idea earlier and not liked what he’d seen. They’d waste time and energy pointing fingers instead of focusing on escape.
Paul would give himself up before the lie endangered his friends, though he’d keep it going as long as it boosted their morale. He’d have to come clean eventually but refused to be the cause of the group’s misfortunes again.
Through a series of misguided decisions, indirect deception, and outright lying, he’d accidentally gotten them into this situation. Paul no longer saw this as 100% his fault. The demon had influenced his subconscious for years before It’s exorcism. He held himself accountable, though—feeling it his responsibility to get them free of danger using his new abilities.
Paul’s Yin-Progenitor, Pharos the Lighthouse, had explained to him how her type of Claircognizance worked. A lighthouse had an intimate knowledge of their surroundings, a vivid sixth sense mapping the consequences of potential actions.
He experienced each scenario and chose to live whichever one he liked best. Paul called these lucid forecasts his Actualizations. Though the ability had considerable limitations leaving him far from omniscient, it was a huge boon.
Where he’d found his Pathfinding ability challenging to use well, distant in scope, and impractical in combat—his Lighthouse abilities were intuitive, intimate, and extremely useful in a fight. Moreover, he enjoyed his new abilities far more than he’d ever liked Pathfinding. Paul relished the surety it gave his movements, marking an end to all tripping, stumbling, and fumbling. He yearned to show his friends his sudden new capabilities by juggling knives or brute-forcing the graceful steps of a dance.
Except, he wasn’t sure when, let alone if, the seven of them could next relax around a campfire and talk. They’d already had a full day of hiking before they stumbled across an unconscious beast and ran into a group of black-cape mages. Breakfast was forever ago, and after two life-or-death battles, they were all worn and dirty and weary with several nursing headaches. When would this chase end?
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Their pillows seemed distant as the horizon.
They found a purple-tinted veil at the end of a dozen interlocked blue bubble hall chambers the size of city blocks. Cassie flew them through the curtain without hesitation, her momentum enough to break through this artificial weak point in the magical shield.
“Stop,” Daniel said and directed them to dismount. Harsh winds scoured the terrain, and his dark robes billowed about his thin frame. Then, as the others levied questioning glances at the young angel, he pointed at the red glowing orb at the center of the little purple bubble. “Paul, grab it.”
“Danny, that’s brilliant! The mages can’t get past this blue barrier without the purple interlock.” Lea and Kenta nodded along with Wendi, smiles growing by the second.
The blue domes of the Wilderness’s bubble halls were one-way barriers—things could enter without resistance but couldn’t exit without breaking the wall. Through experience, they knew this blue dome would be supported by every other in the chain. Even Daniel couldn’t overcome a dozen powerful Taotie in concert.
Standing on the outside, all Paul had to do was reach into the purple interlock and pluck the hovering orb…
Whether it sensed his intentions or heard their conversation, in the next moment, the orb exploded into magical calligraphy. Glyphs formed an insectoid body that encased the orb in flesh. Its jointed legs latched onto a Letter-crafted mosaic spear. Then a burst of air from a blooming Wind Rune launched the masked Taotie bug like an arrow from the bow.
Paul tested Actualizations where he shot a laser from his palm instead, sprouted a metal cage from the ground, or threw a preemptive glass capture sphere. The Taotie bug’s wings, spear, and Wind allowed it to dodge with contempt. All attempts failed, so Paul went with the first to demonstrate the situation to the others.
“I’ll catch it,” Kenta announced as he stepped forward with a hundred braided hair tendrils.
“And land yourself on the wrong side of the barrier,” Lea pointed out, showing concern for their Kaminoke friend. Chasing the elusive Taotie critter could end with them separated or stuck inside the blue dome at a dead end.
Rana sighed in disappointment and shrugged her amphibian shoulders, the marbled light and dark pattern of her arms meeting the deep brown of her sides and the red stripe on her spine. “We’re not the first to try manipulating the mechanics of the Wilderness. Safeguards were put in place.”
“Worth a shot,” Cassie consoled Daniel and the others as they remounted. To Paul’s surprise, Daniel ignored the bat girl’s goodwill, giving her the cold shoulder.
As they departed, the Taotie critter dropped its spear and shed its flesh. The floating orb returned to its place, projecting a red bubble that merged with the blue dome to form a purple pimple on the barrier’s face.