"Damn it." Growled Morgan as a pen-sized projectile pierced his left shoulder, centimeters from embedding itself into the collarbone.
Sharp pain prickled from punctured flesh as whatever had hit him sunk deep enough to pierce the right side of the trapezius muscle. His hand wrapped around what felt like the stubby projectile's shaft, intending to rip it out.
"Stop!" Barked truly ancient training from within him, the unwelcome memory demanding his obedience in an annoyingly familiar, crisp, and authoritative tone.
Oh, this day just kept getting better and better.
"Puncture and stab wounds will bleed faster without a plug, hands off! Ignore the pain and stop wasting valuable time. Think!" The memory urged impatiently. "Think of what happened, the data's meaning, and how it can prove useful. Think Boy!"
Though Morgan was loathed to admit it, it was lucky that the departed's words of wisdom were far faster than the actions of living flesh. His left eye twitched in accepting, but the advice was solid, and only a fool would discount it.
Bottling up his discomfort, the Scientist decided impact was the element to cling to. When the projectile hit, Morgan felt the force push, but it wasn't forward, backward, or to any side. It pushed straight down, meaning the attack originated above them! Immediately, the image of the shack-sized bowl flashed behind his eyes, and he cursed himself for going soft in his old age. This is Vajrayana, and here be monsters.
But was this really an ambush? Their first strike inflicted merely a flesh wound instead of something more fatal. Thanks to the horrendous aiming, he'll be able to look up and-
Unless that's what they wanted their prey to do.
[Ego! Go holo-Avatar now!] Morgan roared mentally and, at the same time, raised both forearms protectively over his head. [There's an enemy above us! Look and tell me where they are!]
[I don't need to go hol- Wait, an enemy? Above?] Asked Ego in confusion, having just spun around and clearly unaware of how dangerous shit just got. [I already told you there's nothing here!]
*Thwip, Thwip*
A third of a minute after the first, two more projectiles stabbed into Morgan's arms exactly where his eyes would have been had he looked up.
So the attacker sought to cripple its prey before moving in for the kill? A bit high risk, high reward, but a decent enough strategy for an opening salvo. Such a clever foe; it's a shame they had to meet like this.
[Oh Heavens, you're right!] Ego projected with shocked embarrassment, manifesting beside the injured man. [Something's taking shots at you from above. They're above my sensory range, and the ceiling is too dark to tell where they are! We need something to- Oh! The patch of moss glowing by your feet, toss it up!]
[Understood.]
Morgan ripped a clump of luminescent plant matter with each hand and flung both directly upwards with all the force he could muster. Then he covered his skull back up and searched the nearest shelter. With Momo chirping wildly under his shirt, they all needed to find a safe place to take cover. Two possible areas caught his eye, but one clearly offered better protection than the other.
*Puff, Puff* The moss clumps exploded against the ceiling, brightening that section for a precious moment like lightning on a stormy sea.
"Skreee!" Came a startled bestial scream that sounded like an unholy fusion of a raptor's cry and a particular tantrum-prone toddler. The unexpected light show likely revealed and shocked the airborne Beast simultaneously.
[I saw it!] The Monk babbled incoherently as whatever they saw disturbed them greatly. [A Beast! We're dealing with a Spiritual Beast!]
Personality, the Scientist would have loved taking a peek if he weren't already running to a hollow pillar before the moss made contact. It wasn't his first choice, as the rugged woven pattern contained as many holes as a chain link fence. However, he figured it was good enough when the alternative was a crevice in the wall almost twice the distance away.
As he drew closer, he realized things weren't as bad as he initially feared. These massive pillars weren't exactly hollow, as up 12 or so meters from the ground, a horizontal honeycomb platform of densely packed roots reinforced the natural structure. Now, their attacker's altitude advantage drastically lowered, as it'd need to fly in close for better angles.
*Thwip, Thwip, Thwip* Whistling from the largest volley released yet grew louder behind him.
How utterly predictable.
Mere meters from a gap in the Pillar, with safety just a leap away, Morgan slammed on the brakes and came to a screeching halt. He watched in satisfaction as all three projectiles impaled one after the other in a perfect line of where he would have been.
However, his satisfaction was short-lived since it dawned on him that retreat would be impossible. A Beast intelligent enough to lead their shots would probably be able to strike him if he ran to the only exit. Even if they all made it to the tunnel, it would only guarantee his backside would resemble a porcupine's.
"Princess, I'm not sure if you can understand me," the Professor said breathlessly as he placed the irate gecko on a section of roots, "but stay here and don't draw attention."
"Err…" Momo chirped, her neck bulging and shrinking with anxiety. Morgan waved for her to go when his blood seeped from the wounds, staining the white coat with growing blotches of red.
"I'll be fine." He promised, even as alarm bells went off, as the bleeding was more intense than it should be.
Momo did as she was told, crawling up the thumb-thick root and away from him. The Professor felt pride when she kept moving, never once turning back.
[Getting her to safety was noble, but shouldn't we be planning for a successful retreat and not a desperate last stand?] Asked Ego from outside the lackluster defenses.
[This Beast's an excellent shot, and there's only one exit; you do the math.] Morgan pointed distractedly at the gap he entered through. [If you don't believe me, there's the proof. Now get inside before you get shot and-] A realization made him shift gears entirely. [Wait, why the hell isn't it shooting at you?]
[Oh!? Uh… I uh- Hee-hee hee.] They giggled nervously aloud, their cheek going a slightly lighter shade of black. [Funny story about that. The monster-um- it doesn't know I'm here.]
[...What?]
*Thwip, Thwip, Thwip*
As if proving their claim, three more darts were launched directly at him. Two embedded themselves on the roots, while the third made it through an opening but nicked a root on the way in. Tumbling through the air, it slapped harmlessly against his back. The Scientist spun around on the good leg, caught the weapon before it fell to the ground, and gave his partner the evil eye.
[I can explain, so let's be calm here.] Ego phased through the bars as Morgan studied the so-called dart. [My Avatar comes in three flavors; corporeal, semi-corporeal, and incorporeal. While incorporeal, I save on energy, and practically nothing can register my existence. They all just look the same to you since you're my vessel.]
[Good to know; we'll go into detail later; just stay incorporeal for now.] Dismissed Morgan absently as he stared hard at what he held. [Oh, and keep your eyes trained above us and behind me. Last thing we need surprising us is a second shooter hiding in the dark.]
[Aye, aye, sir.] The Spirit sniffed before manifesting at the edge of their range.
He ignored the snark. Having them patrol for other Spiritual Beasts might be unnecessary, but realizing what was in his hand made his back sleek with sweat.
Was he losing it, or was this monster really flinging feathers at him?
Gripped tightly in his fist was indeed something that looked very much like a feather. The vane fanning out from either side of the feather's yellowish shaft was a dark orange with horizontal black stripes similar to a tiger's pelt. The pattern may be beautiful, but what concerned the Scientist was the calamus, the bare end he expected to be sharpened and rugged enough to punch through wood. Yet this biological arrowhead was neither sharp enough to cut into his thumb nor resist breaking from the force of said thumb. Precisely what anyone would expect from an untreated, freshly discarded feather from any large raptor. Granted, the thing smelled of sour body odor, iron, and was sticky to the touch.
Interestingly, it was made of unsharpened keratin, stronger than flesh, but it should've cracked against wood. For something this brittle to do so anyway violates logic and, therefore, must be the work of-
Suddenly, a thin, shadowy object zipped through the boundary zone between the darkened ceiling and the illuminated floor.
*Thwip*
"Son-of-a-bitch." Grunted aloud the only visible target as another feather dart found its way into his right forearm; the intended target zone likely his neck.
"Skreee!" Screced the unseen monster, its voice echoing off the high ceiling.
Shit, the Beast's aim was only improving. He needed the thing to get closer, inside the Pillar if possible. After that, there were two plans that might work. But how to lure in a creature with this amount of cunning...
Hmm. Well, he could try pissing it off. In fact, now that Morgan figured out the monster's trick, he knew just how to do it.
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His vision darkened before flooding with Aether as Morgan triggered Perception of the Stone Sage. Immidetly, his sight was blinded by a wall of TV static, as the energy was far denser down here than above, forcing him to filter out the free-floating motes.
[Morgan!] Snapped the Monk with outrage, likely hearing his Soul fade one note at a time.
[Don't worry about me, just keep watch.] He ordered and felt like a jackass in doing so. [We're dead anyway if a whole flock is waiting for us. You're my ace, but I need to keep you a secret until the last second. I promise to narrate what I see. If I go quiet, you have my permission to come slap me one.]
The Monk clicked their teeth but didn't bother to argue.
In an unexpected surprise, Morgan caught his first, albeit distorted, glimpse of the Beast perching on what might be the lower end of a different root pillar over 30 meters away. His Bloodline's incredible range wasn't part of the plan, but if the monster's Aether-infused systems lit up its location like a neon sign at midnight, he wouldn't complain. However, the Beast's silhouette caused vague memories to stir within him.
Regardless, the Professor narrated all that he saw.
Glowing roots spread throughout the somewhat humanoid body offered some general physical characteristics. For example, the torso and head appeared no different to any human of a more diminutive stature. The legs, however, bent forward from the knees like many birds. Judging by the broad rectangular appendages sprouting from the shoulders, this creature had wings instead of arms. The intensity of the Essence blazing around the silhouette was closer to his than Ego's, but little attention was paid to it as something strange was happening to the blue band rotating behind the head.
Not only was the misty energy there far more condensed and brighter than the one behind his head, but sections of energy began separating from the main body. Wisps of blue energy snaked their way over to the wing tips to hover in tight clumps. At the same time, the roots in the same area started acting up. The green energy within seemed to exit the nearby roots to enter three feathers.
Morgan quickly glanced down at the darts in his arms, satisfied that they lacked a similar glow. Likely, the energy within them dissipates over time.
Once wholly saturated with green glowing ooze, the green energy snapped into tight little rods like metal rebar in concrete. Only after did a blue energy clump condense evenly into a thin aura around each feather. A thrill went through Morgan as the darts pulled themselves free before rotating mid-air so that the hollow quill ends pointed squirt at the intended recipient. Like living ammunition anxious to meet the foe, the darts placed themselves in a vertical line a quarter meter apart. Once the monster was satisfied with their trajectory, the blue aura seemed to rush into the darts just as they rocketed forward.
*Thwip, Thwip, Thwip*
The Professor watched all three reinforced feathers sore towards him with rapt attention, curious as to what the green energy within them would do. The energy's vibrant glow remained consistent even as they perfectly cleared the obstacle. At the last moment, Morgan sidestepped them all to watch them punch into the wood floor. Each shot retained its energy for half a heartbeat before the green ooze evaporated into the air.
*Plink-plink-plink* A chorus of liquid drops hit the root cover floor near him.
Was that water dripping from the ceiling? It would be a shame if so. If Morgan survived the ambush, he wanted to set up the base within the Pillar. However, if water leaked from above, he'd have to choose a different location in the cave.
"Skree!" Screeched the outraged owl-like monster before furiously flapping its way to a new sniper's post. Morgan watched, the whole time narrating what was happening, as the attacker primed the ammunition, took aim, and fired again. "Skre-Skre!"
*Thwip*
Only to wordlessly snarl with rage when the man dogged at the last possible moment.
*Plink-plink-plink*
[Alright, so the bird-monster uses the blue energy to telekinetically launch the feathers strengthened with green energy.] The Spirit mused behind him. [The first is probably Mana, which makes the other Qi.]
These colorful energies had standard names?
"Skreee!"
*Thwip, Thwip*
[Care to share this information with the class?] Asked the Professor before jumping to the right, almost slipping on the slick floor. Although the dizziness he was starting to feel might have contributed more to the near slip. He wasn't overly concerned by the new symptom, as it likely stemmed from Essence loss.
*Plink-plink-plink*
"Skreee! Skre-Skre-Skre!" The monster started screaming so much that Morgan could've deactivated the Bloodline and still know where the darts were coming from.
What the hell was the point of causing such a ruckus when it was hiding in the dark?
[Spoilers.] Ego snickered morosely. [Consider those terms as an appetizer of what you'll learn if we survive.]
[Well, if I didn't have a reason to live before, I do now.] Morgan chuckled, even as he started to paint heavily from all the exertion of running around. Thankfully, the Beast was done playing with the wily intruder. [Here it comes.]
The Monk's avatar immediately manifested before him, already looking where he was.
"SKREEE!" Cried the Beast as it soundlessly descended toward their section of the Pillar. One avian leg anchored the body firmly to the side while the other remained outstretched. Mana within the band remained passive while Qi began flooding into the talons of the unburdened leg. Once they were filled to the brim and formed into tiny rebar rods, the monster slashed down at the roots separating it from the particular annoying prey. The roots hardly offered any resistance as the initial cut separated a meter and a half of wall.
[Well, it's coming in here like we wanted. What's next, Professor? It's definitely visible at this range, so you should see this as nature intended.]
[More than happy too.] Sighed Morgan in relief, deactivating the Bloodline. [Now let's take a look at the- Oh... That's just not right.]
"SKREEE!"
Not right, was putting it mildly.
The monster loudly clawing its way to kill him looked precisely what it sounded like. While the wings and taloned legs did resemble an owl, the ratio tragically favored the humanoid half. What wild noted brown hair covered of the naked, flabby torso, the rest was drenched in what Morgan desperately hoped was blood and mud. Its female-ish face was marred with intense scarring, an improvement considering swamp hags from fairy tales would pity the screeching creature. Even as a devoted zoologist, the Scientist was seriously tempted to turn the Bloodline back on just to avoid seeing… all that.
[Yeah.] Agreed the Monk in genuine sympathy. [Not the prettiest sight in creation...Oh? I just got another information window, this one is on the Spiritual Beast. Should I send it now?]
[Yes, please. Send it right now.] The Ecologist all but begged, aware this lull in the fight would be the last.
image [https://images.finitevoid.dev/userImages/d375895b-a8f6-46ed-b0f4-9a63e1dd8150/9e49961b-a7a2-420a-87f9-7da1ccc7bf0e.webp]
So this is what a Harpy looked like. It was a wonder the silhouette seemed familiar. The Professor had heard of them on Earth but only through osmosis, hearsay, and other media references.
While portions of the information window were still meaningless to him, the Scientist suspected the 'Stat Afinnity' grades worked like a video game. The Harpy was particularly fast, somewhat clever, and not much else. Just perfect for his plan.
"SKREEE!" The bloodthirsty monster screeched, now dramatically banging its wings against the Pillar in a useless blind rage. "SKREEE!"
Morgan ignored the screams, choosing instead to concede how useful a Beastiary would prove in the journey to come. Eris had outdone herself this time. Just the idea of filling up a whole encyclopedia of alien creatures made him bounce on the balls of his feet in excitement.
*Plink-plink-plink*
[What was that?] The Monk asked before turning around.
The Scientist answered without looking away from the threat trying to kill him. He felt incredibly annoyed that Ego would just look away like that. But the old man might have just been extra cranky from being so fatigued and lightheaded.
"SKREEE!"
[Relax, Monk, it's just the roof leaking water. I'm sure we can find a dry spot to set up base, it's ok.]
[It's not okay...] Ego said, their voice haunted, almost as if they were the one who'd seen a ghost.
When Morgan looked at them, he was shocked to see that the Spirit's normally ink-black skin was a dark gray, and their avatar trembled in the grip of icy terror as they looked at him.
[Why not?] Morgan shrugged. [It's just wa-]
*Plink-plink-plink*
[It's not water.] They whispered like the truth was some terrible secret, their gaze glued on his chest.
It was as if the cave went utterly silent as the Professor's dam of certainty began to buckle under a torrential rainstorm of questions. Each question adding a crack to the dam's ever-increasing spider-web of damage.
Now that he thought about it.
Why did the roof only leak after he moved?
He deactivated his Bloodline, so why did he still feel so lightheaded?
On the topic of discomfort, the only pain he felt was a dull ache from his ankle. That couldn't be right; he has four fresh wounds...
Didn't he?
His already pale complexion became a shade lighter as he turned to the feather still in his shoulder. Morgan watched as a trickle of his physical essence leaked from the open hollow end, but the liquid was far thinner than it should be—almost like water.
The dam broke.
Morgan looked down at his chest and saw what had shaken the Monk.
Blood. The Human saw so much blood. It ran all down his front, dyeing the white lab coat red—the sleeves, the shoulders, everything. The old keepsake was so drenched, that blood constantly dripped from the cuffs to hit the gnarled wooden floor with a steady beat.
*Plink. Plink. Plink. Plink. Plink*
[How?] Ego asked shakily.
[A hemotoxin that's not only stopping any clotting, but it's making my blood thinner. There's probably an anesthetic somewhere in that cocktail, too. Something to numb the flesh.] He chuckled, his throat as dry as his amusement. [I was so focused on a supernatural problem I never considered being poisoned. That's funny, considering who sent us here.]
They didn't laugh, not even a snicker. Perhaps the Spirit didn't find gallows humor particularly appealing. They just kept staring at his chest with him.
*Plink. Plink. Plink. Plink. Plink*
[How could we not no-]
[I told you to keep watch behind me.] Morgan didn't mean to interrupt them, but he couldn't stand the idea of them feeling at fault for his fuck-up. [The Bloodline blinded me to the mundane world; even when I turned it off, I was too focused on the Harpy. Plus, the monster was screaming so much we couldn't hear the blood until I made big movements, kinda like shaking a wet sponge.]
[But you aren't moving right now.]
*Plink. Plink. Plink. Plink. Plink*
Dread filled them both as they only now realized this revelation had an audience. Ego and Morgan turned to the Pholóē Harpy, who waited patiently and quietly for her prey to do precisely that.
"Skre." She chirped with an honest, rotting, sadistic smile. "Skre-Skre!"
The Spirit and the Professor needed to remember where they were. This was Vajrayana, and here, there be Beasts.
*Plink*
*Plink*
*Plink*