COI C218
A battlefield, land walks from the fruitful valley into the fires of goblin’s march. The day or days of tribal warfare are nonstop. There they could see goblin riders with their impressive oversize mounts. They rode with no end, their mounts didn’t follow any rhythm steps, and their enemies’ screams are their sounds of their horns. There, they are, the goblin tribe nomads. The Horde chief brought his men into the battlefield. Their rival tribesmen only see their beasts, and those they can only see them fell by their weapons. At the beasts’ backs, the pride of these goblin riders was unmatched.
“PUMA!”
Puma wakes up from the shelf. Inside Silfa’s room, there are plenty to see with collections from the convention she bought on display. Her old stuffs hide behind it. The doll falls down to the floor from such height, and it fell to its feet. Puma goes to the door and continue its daily patrol in Silfa’s family apartment. The hallway is clear, the rooms are fine, all utilities are good except for the water and electricity source. It steps outside of the building and quickly flashes out from the actual Jigeram’s light. The light blinded it, but its ancient ritual resisted it. Without certain types of biological properties, it won’t fazed into nothing either.
The letter that left behind for the doll to do its daily schedule. A checklist of chores, written by Silfa’s mother. Yes, the spirits get it. The Horde chief, the Kes’thar possessing ancestral goblin history is a housekeeper. Although, there is no laughter coming from the goblin spirits. Not even the far echoes of the spirits from the spirit world speaks about it. The doll continues its daily chores since their evacuation. Then it feels something across the distance, echoing below not from the sky. It was Dinju, the teddy bear. The scent it gives from the below gives the information it needs.
Puma jumps to the apartment balcony and drops down to the ground floor in excitement. It’s serious face gaze at the scent to be unnatural at the same time fresh. A familiar taste of mana, they dared to go down. They dared to seek it. They dared to escape. Finally dared, for any living being to stay inside an ancient enemy. It raises arms high with great praise and waves it up and down the cheer it long lost. A traditional gesture from its old tribe. No resistance to show its rituals, the doll performed the calling of his spirits.
Suddenly, hands coming to its waist. Carried away into the portal as it is being summoned. The usual misunderstanding
“Puma! Puma!”
The cheers witnessed, but its eyes took a serious tone. Let the point of view speaks by its keeper.
Silfa looks embarrassed “Quiet, you!”
Ruby grins at her back “It looks excited”
Gemina reads her UI to see Puma’s actual dialogue “It’s impressive that your doll had already know what’s going on”
Silfa flushes at its innocent enthusiasm “But not here!”
“Puma! Puma! Puma!”
The city guild receptionist picks out her device and records the scene between Silfa and her doll. That wild tenacities of the Kes’thars are always a threat to them. Not from Silfa’s doll though, they already have fond this silly getup. If only the receptionist wasn’t in a nervous state. She waves at the staff and even the high ranked adventurers are included as their missing city guild adventures disappeared. Never they have to experience to search their best adventurers, and worse that in the middle of the 4th moon cycle. The Jigeram’s light awaits them.
Little hints and help from Stranding Island, they too won’t be able to go there. Except for the Enders, and they are here in the city guild trying to form a team. Brought from Fuku City, after their escape from the wild phenomena in Taiyou Industries. What’s impressive though, they have gone and exposed by the light instead of using magic to teleport. One of them is their recruit, Miyusuki, and he is already reached his limit and lied unconsciously in the infirmary. All the Enders, including Archivist and Voldemyr are here. The most reliable Enders, Haw, was supposed to join this rescue but declined.
The staff tried to reason with him, but he declined “All of my resources are dried to no chance for me to stay under the moon light”
“But sir, you are clearly the city guild’s most trusted adventurer. Surely, we provided you the resources to . . .”
Rusic backs the staff off “Lads and Lasses, you clearly understand that he is not the only Enders you can put your trusts to, can’t you?”
It’s true, however, a former Dexter Guildmember can ensure their adventurers who possessed upgrade from them will surely be maintained under Haw’s care. Just what Miyusuki said to them before, Haw is the one who kept it running.
The city guild can handle themselves if Haw is around. But this time, they are now in a reverse. They should’ve one Enders to help their team, rather the opposite. One adventurer on the Enders team. With no prior knowledge in archscience tech to find where the missing two adventurers in east mountain. Only one with their UI to be able to find them easily. The difficulty of maintaining their gears will be impossible and rely only their other equipment. The city guild had offered many adventurers that will help the Enders. It was not the case, it was specific, and it was Silfa and her doll, Puma.
After their discussion, it was already decided. The city guild has no time to lose valuable S rank adventurers. They can’t use magic to go there because of how intense the moon light is. It is very strange how they got there.
In the office, the receptionist reports to King. “Sir, they have already left. We apologized for not able to bring the others and . . .”
“It’s fine, I just can’t believe how Heist and the Rogue to be there when they supposed to be below the shrine. Does surveying down there really is that complicated?”
King knew about it. Those two were giving orders to find out what the goblins are up to down there. The representatives are giving the title of the quest was surveying. But the description was related to found out a ruin actually moved underground.
The advisor, the representative of Mihayara district, receives the message from the city guild. There is proof that the goblins are involved and the strange large mass underground is definitely there. He is certain, but did not expect enemies. Rather, he seems to be complacent about it. He can’t say a word to describe it. The officials entered the meeting room where he already sat down.
One of them said “We are here, what’s the emergency”
“Emergency . . . More like we have are allies having secrets”
“Secrets!? You’re suspecting goblins who have no good relation with the city” Official Case was not convinced.
Instead of complaining, they begin directly what’s going on in the underground. A monitor turned on and shows to them what really happened before they lost contact. The advisor reluctantly shows to them. Grimoire sees him stuttering his finger, hiding from the advisor’s appearance with his magic.
He whispers to Case “Let’s first hear him out”
Case nods “I don’t like what this is going”
They hope that this will be the last attacker. As they look up on the screen, the video before the two entered the gate are the scenes of fighting between shamanism and machines. Case is not going to be happy what lies the man going to say.
Silfa had never imagined where she is going. Of all the S ranks wanting to rescue Heist and the Rogue, only she is allowed to join them. It was preferable though, according to them. Haw’s refusal was a big surprised for them. Haw always helped them when it comes knowing about their requested sphere. Then soon realized they are getting too far when Silfa first heard of him involving archscience.
She said it to her team “Are they really want to get those archscience tech?”
She looks up and no one is replying to her.
Rusic pats her at the back. “None of us know about archscience. If we did, don’t you think Haw is going to be bothered after a sip of that reinforcement coming to your city”
Silfa remembered that day, she never could’ve believed something that powerful able to made it hear. They were decimated when the monsters are consuming their mana. Large amounts of mana are required for those monsters to appear. The Horsin never predicted it with their low mana. Until that rescue changed them, the next powerful mana type they are focusing now is archscience.
They made it to outside of the city. Outskirts where the road is ended. To the north west, there they stand the border of lifeless soil. The soil of their world and the soil of this world. A border that all of them never seen before. Voldemyr steps on the border. Feeling the texture that crumbles easily, yet the soil to where they go is drier than before. He wants to check if something is strange. A slight movement of his knee bending down, Ironno stops him by shrugging the ground with his foot as he passed him. Archivist follows to bend the soil into dust sinking down where Voldemyr can’t touch it. Voldemyr moved on before the citizen notices.
Puma saw senses it. A track left behind from a hostile spirit. The chaotic spiritual order is already broken as something alive is guiding them. They are not alone. Archivist feels the gaze coming from the citizen. It was not her presence, but hidden inside. He remembers this young woman is the new recruit’s acquaintances. Back then, she didn’t have that aura, and now, she has it for some reason. Ironno stops and signals Archivist what to do next. He steps aside then starts using his magic to bend.
Silfa watches Archivist using magic. Under the Jigeram’s light, where magic is fully consumed, as she wears Enders’ best equipment against it. To her eyes, she sees the magic she thought it was.
“Archivist is using, shamanism?!”
Rusic laughs “The lass has a Kes’thar, didn’t that guardian of yours ever told you about it?”
Silfa looks at her inventory, Puma too didn’t know anything about it.
Archivist explains to her “I’m trying to communicate with them. You see many rituals. Some written, or better, it was drawn. If I bend the rituals they left behind. I think they would guide us to your lost friends”
A dome is formed around them, then the ground lifts itself and beginning to move. The spirits had answered his calls. The dome drawn into rituals, read by the spirits. Puma, inside Silfa’s inventory sees their reaction. Silfa’s UI opens a notification. It says; shamanism is reacting to Archivist. She is about to bring out Puma to clarify what it meant. As soon it got out from the inventory, the moving ground sped up, precisely as the doll fell from her arms.
“No, Hey!”
Archivist reacts “It’s not me, it’s . . .”
“Puma” The doll said it in a stern voice.
Silfa was surprised, then she reads her UI what Puma says.
“. . . The warrior knows the dead tribe. The spirits that can do drawings will be the one will guide us. Yet, he cannot join us as he will distract the bad spirits. Bad spirits were waiting beneath the dead soil. They supposed to go up like plant thing to fight us. Because goblin spirit is there. They can’t. The warrior called them. They help. Together, both humiskis and spirits. Dared to joined together against the Jigeram’s light. The surfing ground moves as the wind spirits revealed everyone.
Silfa was more in awe than fear. No matter how devastated the forest is. Seeing Archivist bending and getting through large masses of crystals like they are just nothing. The forest, turned into crystals, solid and impossible to move as she sees it as diamonds. The way Archivist bends, as if he is tearing steel. Silfa looks at her UI. They are protected, no extreme exposure, and details about the 4th moon cycle shows the change in the environment. It makes her wonder how it able to recover when this is over.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
It feels like it is winter, no vegetation showing green, all the wild animals either go somewhere else or hibernate from the cold, and sight of pure white snow everywhere. This cycle is more dangerous than winter itself. Same as winter but deadlier, it has its sign of no life like snow, dusts, and it kills the mana without them knowing, it turns the trees into crystals from the mana touches on its surface forming it into a crystallized shell, and its light bluish glow all around giving tint color to all to see.
With her equipment given by the Enders, she didn’t have to hear the strong sounds of shattering noise. Compressed with concentrated mana that are difficult to be consumed from the light. Archivist knows that is where they go. A path where is the crystals are larger than the other is where the place possessed with unimaginable amount of mana. And that place is, east mountain. The spirits are starting forming their bodies revealing their urges of hostile attempts on them. Behind Silfa’s back, where Puma shows its presence, spiritual essence rose up. Made the spirits flee again.
“Puma” The doll speaks aggressively.
Silfa checks her UI, and Puma said “Bad spirits are against us. Master’s kind still made evil spirits angry”
Silfa turns to the doll “What do you mean the evil spirits are angry, Puma?”
“Puma / They speak about east coast. Dead goblins send bad spirits to seek vengeance. They are here, blind and foolish as their keepers died. Haunting anyone of your people. It’s all the same really, those are normal phenomena of us goblins. I called them cowards who keep telling the evil spirits for help”
The dome is being pushed. A strong knock hits them where the spirits heard the Puma’s words. The doll roars back, without a single sound. It tempers the dome, Archivist drew and enhanced it further to protect them from the spirits’ anger. Archivist feels the strength flowing through it, lightening the effort he moves the ground from the crystallized soil. With that amount of protection, he forces through in high speed. Controlling every bit of his strength without his team getting jolted by the sudden movement. They launched in a straight line, breaking through the crystallized forest. Including the spirits appearing on the dome, drawn in a form of hitting the dome trying to breakthrough.
Ironno was impressed “Rusic! I never knew you chose someone like her to get that Kes’thar to fight for us”
Rusic scuffs back him angrily “You never knew!? Then how about remember to listen what I said when we’re drinking”
“Who will remember what you said when we both drunk and speak like we are inventing new languages?”
“I listen to you perfectly”
“Yeah, like what?”
“You talk smacked about the young recruit always taught by Haw”
“I was drunk”
“Drunk by telling the truth?! I know the young man, give that boy a chance. Haw needs a good example”
Silfa can’t help and ask “Good example? Haw is still a good person in my opinion”
Ironno retort it “Say that again, when you heard of him having a relationship”
“Huh?”
Rusic gets surprised “You didn’t know?”
“I only know a little from him”
“The city guild was always the obvious scene about Haw. You don’t see the awful public affection of him with two girls”
Silfa remembers. But never seen them going out, those two girls were always going around men for fun. A relationship they said is not what she had thought. She looks at her device, and to the first time to see those two girls’ profile. She blocked them before because of their excessive demeanor from what she didn’t like to see.
She seen it all, the same content she hates to see. There she sees Haw in the picture treated him like some adult rated lover for the two. She cuts it off again, and regret to see those two profiles, again. Both Rusic and Ironno watch her losing interest, never to speak about Haw and his private relationship. Rusic didn’t stop there
“We both know we hate the young man, Ironno. But you got a handle the lad. His past I heard from him is really nowhere to return to”
Silfa heard Rusic again. This time she won’t say anything else as her image for Haw is starting to doubt.
Ironno responds “The differences between you and me. He has no freedom in Enders Bridge. Don’t try to understand what I said differently. You know what I am trying to say”
“Truly so, but it’s not for you to decide. Ironno” Silfa hears Voldemyr’s voice.
He said to them like Haw wasn’t alone having the same situation. Voldemyr probably have the same past too, she thought. She wanted to say to him, but she resisted. No matter how she wanted to ask him about Haw as well, along with Archivist. But the two seems to have no interest to talk about him. She sighs silently and watches the dome furiously changing with spirits marking it with their presence.
They have arrived at east mountain. The ground opens up revealing a secret passage. Archivist stops here and shift the dome to bring them inside. The three goes in and watch Archivist begins to leave.
Silfa didn’t followed them and asks him. “Hey, why won’t you join us? Your skills are amazing. We need you to dig us through the mountain”
Archivist turns with his expression of his hood frowning. Face hidden in a blank dark hood, and he sadly declines. “I would love to, but there are too much dangers outside. I must seal the entrance I made. For you not to get tracked down by these restless spirits, here and out, you don’t need to worry except for your friends”
Silfa feels something pulling her leggings. Puma looks at her confidently and pointing into the mountain. It grabs her hand and guided her into the mountain. The entrance closed immediately after a few steps inside. What lies inside is one of the secret outposts stationed by the Enders. Empty because of its finished quest for the elves. Its old structure keeps intact after many days from the exposing light. Safe and clean with no trouble of any creatures got inside. Ironno begins constructing their needed escape route.
Inside east mountain, it was cleaned out all the threats that hide here. All of the monsters and overwhelming magic sources disappeared when the elves got in. The exposure below the surface is less strong from what they see above. Yet the toxicity of this place grew naturally instead of magic deceptively kept this place habitable for certain creatures. Silfa checks the door where the exposure outside. The harmful impurities inside the cave are nothing better than the Jigeram’s light. Faint senses of the demons’ power, and the light itself melting off her mana when senses through.
She uses her UI in a safe distance, where the area she casts out to form a map is completely destroyed, relying purely on navigation and exploring the channels they made. Rusic founds out a barrel, he opens it and filled with numerous of food in each layer from top to bottom. He called out to her
“Let’s eat, lass. You need the energy to travel down to the cave”
“You think I would travel hours underground?”
Voldemyr answers her “No, just a moment and you are already there. The challenge is to go down there safely. We are at the most stable place. Don’t even try to dig, you’re just exposing to the dusts sticking to the rocks”
Silfa soon learn what Voldemyr meant. The east mountain is falling apart. Without the demons’ creating this place into a dungeon, the needless expansions will erode in time. Many tunnel channels to go where her friends are will be blocked off. They need to find the shortest route or they have to use long hidden route that would be difficult for them to get back. Because of the 4th moon cycle, teleporting in a far distance will harm them in the midst of the exposure. Except using proper materials like archscience tech. Sadly, it was stories of the past. None have recreated it, yet.
Ironno brings out his materials as he begins to build a magic circle. “Silfa, you know what my job is, right?”
She nods “Yeah, making saferooms, of course”
“Not this time”
“Hmm?”
“This is a short distance escape magic mechanism. It will help you to go down against the light. However, when your team reaches where there is no light blue texture in the stone layers. Which means you’re out from the light’s reach”
Silfa feels relief “Then my power returns, right?”
“Expectedly”
“That’s good, but those two should’ve . . .”
“I’m not done yet. The problem down there is filled what the demons stored life source. Alga’s light. Never forget about the roots”
Back then, in the 3rd moon cycle those mana starved roots fast to grow to survive the lives threatening light. Dared to feast all mana sourced living beings. It grows underground where their stems from above start dying. When Alga’s light nourished to soil again, they will spring up to the surface once more to grew its trees and thrive again. Those same stone hard trees, the most common trees in this region. A survival weed tree, and homes of the desperate creatures in the forest.
Silfa has to face it again, this time when its fully healthy. Voldemyr and Rusic weren’t that frighten, but they see her shaken as it is her first time and only hear stories about it. She was busy at the surface until she received a quest. Now rumors behind her head creep in as one story about the young man died. It happened when the young man got caught by a demons’ puppet.
She nervously remembers “Oh yeah, that monster we trapped inside the dungeon”
Ironno remembered “Yes, but it’s not the right time to fight it”
“True, but this light kills everything that has mana, right? Maybe . . .”
“No lass, there is more than just a puppet. Restless spirits know that” Rusic said it sternly.
Puma walks off on its own, leaving them to prepare to go below. A coincidence took into its head from the message of Dinju, the teddy bear, and it seems the spirits also echoes instead of howling at Puma’s head vigorously. Echoes mean to him as far, and as Horde chief knows its dangers. The doll begins to perform a ritual dance, alone, trying to call out the spirits from the far. The echoes are meaningless where it only disturbed the final words of Dinju. Many Kes’thars interfere Puma, but its focuses are as strong as the fiercest predators those once lived. It listens to the prey.
“Wumle kata yum pong . . .” “Dong dong ererere . . .” “Bom shaka lum . . .” “Olalalala . . .” “Pata pata pata pon . . .”
Many tribal languages passing Puma’s ear. Unintentionally heard through the spirits’ void, either extinct or thrived. These are the challenges of many goblin spirits to get lost from the chaos of the dead.
“Dinju!” Its voice finally reaches Puma.
“Puma”
The two reaches them together in faint echoes. Vague to the worse of time. The doll stops dancing and goes to the exit. Enough time not to get notice, it sneaks out and exposed directly to the refraction of the light.
It already takes the scent. The rituals echoes from Dinju’s last use of it from its own fight. The teddy bear had lost the fight. Its body is lost. Essence passed through to Puma, holding it in the palm of its small doll’s hand. The scent gets thick, heavy, lively, and deadly.
“You have Pu’ma?” Its line has spoken.
Flashed back when Puma and Silfa begin to seal a pack between them. It sacrifices its shield by giving her the head shield. After that, she never used it. Puma was disappointed at first. But it forgives her when she shows love with other animals, pets. And there is one pet she must love too, or else.
Voldemyr opens the door, covering the other room before the light enters.
“It’s here, Silfa. Your Kes’thar is outside”
Rusic gets out from the room. “Then we should leave now”
“No wait!”
Silfa reaches out by the door, but they didn’t listen and already left. Puma comes inside and watch her being nervous. Puma watches her straightly in the eyes. Its determination tried to convince to come too.
“Oh, I thought you will be giving me time to prepare too . . .”
“Puma?”
Silfa picks it up, and Puma sees she is holding a rune item. It takes the essence and it leads to where Ironno is making the magic portal.
“Puma?” Confused why she fears it.
Puma carefully watches Silfa’s steps. It’s wobbly reaction of her walking down to find her friends. Silfa wore the Enders equipment, a different kind of archscience equipment. It feels identical what Haw made for her younger sister. These ones on her are protecting her from the light. The negative about wearing it is she can’t use magic abilities only buffs to her physical attributes. Her iconic spell, the force field is her prime defense. Now she brought her sword and shield. Puma taps at the shield as her UI pops up what it wanted to say
“My shield”
Silfa shakes her head, and Puma lowers its head sadly.
She didn’t forget their pack together. The power of that shield was immense for her. It was the first ritual item she possessed and at the same time impossible to control as it feels alive. Although she casts it down to other items instead, like her low tier weapons, but she never going to cast it on defense weapons. It makes her suspected something will happen. She follows the Enders at their backs, going through the tunnels from Haw’s map and Voldemyr’s. It starts fine at first. Soon it gets worse and worse whereas the map they made soon to be useless as the tunnels have collapsed.
Rusic looks at Haw’s notes. He tears every piece of paper where the routes are. All of their secret stashes had sink down to the depths of the mountain.
“There is nothing else what Haw’s team left behind. Neither is the path. It was taken down too. Voldemyr, how’s your route?
“Wipe clean, but I’m not giving up with the Dexter Guild’s stash”
“Heh, then count me in. How about you, lass? Care to give us a little treasure hunting”
Silfa checks her UI for any indication to her friend. They are not yet out from the light. She can’t find them unless they are down deep enough to catch their signals.
“Then would you guys give some of it?”
“Of, course / Sure” Both answer her.
The adventurers were not the only one who are interested in archscience. Thanks to the convention showing the tech in an entertainment, Silfa could use it to sell in the city. She will have enough money for her next plan. The provision she needs when the time for next adventures. To end all this horrible moon cycles and returned back to what she had experienced since that day. Her eyes show she is up to something. Both of them look at her, then to her doll. Puma shows them those goblin scheme like gesture. Then they look back at her,
and they turned to the both of them “Let’s Haw know about her”
“Agreed. Let it be Raker Mawn’s matter”
“I will, until another drink, haha”
Both of them stops as Puma stops Silfa. Silfa tries to sense around them, but forgot the light and her runes stop her using her magic. She builds up her stats and prepare what is coming. Rusic uses his runes to open the gaps, readying his hammer. Voldemyr pulls out his pouch filled with mystical dust. He blows it to the air, letting the cloud of dusts blown secretly inside the small holes. Rusic lights up the tunnel where the dusts go. The wall starts coughing coming from the holes, Silfa knows those voices
“Goblins! Here!”
“That figures” Rusic readies himself and Voldemyr with his crossbow.
The loud clang of his bolt reloaded hears the loud wails of the spirits. Voldemyr moves to the walls. Quickly takes he shot. It pierced into the wall. He continues to keep shooting at the wall, ceiling, and the ground to surround themselves with bolts. Puma comes in to help him, unleashing its rituals. The threads of rituals lashes at the bolts sticking on the walls. An ambush appears from the holes, but the bolts sticking on it with Puma’s ritual as nets able to stop their attacks.
The goblin appears in different tribal wear. Silfa recognizes their clothing. Before she warned them. A powerful ritual is coming down on them. Earth spirits are crushing the tunnel and began sinking them down. Puma lunges forward until its limits reach its shamanistic powers. The spirits overwhelmed it. It took itself by surprise as the enemies’ rituals cast into the tunnel filling up with earth rituals nonstop. Opening a hole where the roots are. It grows fast as it exposed by the light. Harnessed by the spirits trying to root them in place. They were caught, forcing their runes to react before they suffer from their attacks.
The goblins fell down to the roots as the roots sunk down, then they were saved wtih their spirits. Their ambush failed. They know they are here. The goblins didn’t flee, and continue on going down as the others will guard this place for anyone who tried to get their loots. They heard the voices of their opposing spirits. The call for battle arises. Echoes stretches it out to the surface. It stops where the goblin casts their rituals before the echoes left the caves.
Silfa’s quest to save her friends almost failed. This quest will not fail when there are two Enders with her. Though, Heist and the Rogue are down there. What she remembered from those goblins are definitely from east coast. Their hatred for them still lingers as she feels what her doll trying to tell her. She fears it. Her powers sealed, relying her own physical abilities with limits. Against the enemy who had proved the city wrong, they are the tribes who killed their people. The earth spirits were almost pleased.