The Stable long behind him and lost, The Servant Branch raced ever forward, watching his prize draw nearer as he cut along familiar paths. At last, he spied a familiar passageway, away from the safety of the streets of the Citadel, the Pine Forest of the Castalas faction. Dark trees, scantly illuminated by the brilliance of the stars, the scent of pinetar, dark and peppery, spicing the dark night air.
There was another boulder thrown at him, but Daniel was too quick, and the massive chunk of earth smashed against the silent sentries of the pine trees. There was an explosion of splinters and bark, and the authority of the Castalas faction lashed out before it was silence. One cannot steal authority from itself.
Dangerous to run through the Castalas’ faction territory. But it was on the way to where he needed to go.
Golems were Earth Elemental, but there was a side that they suffered: Life and Plants. Barren deserts were better terrain for the thoughtless earthen constructs than a rolling meadow, and a forest of trees? Even though it was it’s own territory, the Golem was slowed.
Daniel clenched his fist, as he gained speed in the darkness.
Daniel raced, and he felt dread on his mind. While he was more powerful than he had been in weeks, his body had paid a terrible price to claim that power.
Daniel heard the coming golem. The next location would be enough to give him a serious led.
The Castalas’s Pine Forest was long, but it was not wide. It got bumped around slightly, as the Citadel had its ways, but for the most part, the evergreen trees often gave way to the Lagoon region.
The pine tar scent cut away to a mild earthy odor as the terrain changed underfoot.
Around the elongated Lagoon several Families and two small courts established their estates. One such family was none other than Mallory Estate, a small but powerful family of which Lordling Silvia hailed. And if she was here…
Daniel considered that should he be unlucky, he may even encounter Lordling Parcel here.
The Lagoon region, where the tide from the Ocean once came in, strong and powerful and clean, now reduced and diminished. What had once been a large pool of water, separated from the ocean to the West by the Citadel’s walls, was now more akin to marshlands or swamps. Some traces of the sea remained, the softly glowing algae of green and blue, the spirit of adventure hidden in the brackish water. But now the water had receded into several small but deep pools, and allowed for one to travel by foot, if they be brave enough, straight across.
Straight across, and toward the Servant Branch’s aim. If only the giant crabs where still present…if only. But they had retreated by to the deep places in the sea as tensions rose between the defeated Sea Kingdom and the Seelie Fae.
He would lose maneuverability, as soon as he strode into the muddy ways around the Lagoon. To walk along the perimeter not only would take too long, as it was very long, but the mud around it was deep and embracing.
Stolen novel; please report.
If he was going to walk around it.
He could walk on water.
Provided…nothing had changed.
As Daniel neared the Lagoon, there were no wee fae were present currently, which Daniel considered good fortune.
But again, Luck was on his side, and Daniel at last spied his destination!
An entire pine tree was uprooted and hurled from the towering Golem behind. An earthen thunderstorm rained overhead as earth and roots and pine needles rained down as the tree sailed over Daniel’s head as he hunkered down, losing speed as he the massive pine tree crashed into the lagoon and a surge of out algae water shot everywhere, drenching the Servant Branch.
He felt the massive footsteps of the golem behind him draw nearer, and he took to his feet, accerlating into the lagoon region.
The water smelled foul, and now the nearby terrain was slick with algae. Perhaps luck was not on his side…
The Golem: relentless, stubborn, unstoppable, pursued without ceasing. It was toying with him.
Why had the Game allowed such an overpowered construct to harass him? Golems did not grow weary and weak. They were fueled by the earth. The Servant Branch meanwhile had been starved, body abused by the former events of the day, mind tired and overburdened with plots and counterplots of all the over involved parties.
There was a way, and he just needed the Boldness to accomplish it.
But the road to salvation was also the road to incredible danger:
This was dangerous. He was going to go into a place where there were many people with Authority over him. The bindings were still enacted around his arms and his legs, and there, cruelest of them all, the one binding his heart. If someone in Authority tried to stop him, there may be backlash.
The Lagoon neared as the ground turned sandy and muddy. The trembles of the golem behind him shook the earth.
Daniel spied forward in the darkness, as he wished with all his heart that he would be able to avoid the next part of his plan.
A naive person may attempt to trap the golem in the mud, but mud was the earth golem’s element.
So Daniel knew he had one hope to not only escape but defeat this golem, and the faction behind the attempt.
The gentle light of the algae showed him the way.
Authority could never compel someone to die, that would violate the Law of Fae. But like running with cords trailing behind you, anyone with swift enough hands may try to grab the ropes. Even if they just pulled him back a second, it may be a second too long.
And that was if he was without reproach.
The Servant Branch was bringing trouble into a place and potentially causing conflict between factions. And his appearance…After the Stable and the Dungeon, his clothing was ragged and stained. His cravat was long since gone in the early moments of the Dungeon (when it battle, it was always a bad idea to allow something that may be grabbed like a noose). It was good that he had taken it off. It was perhaps the cleanest item of clothing on the former Lordling now, folded safely in the garment bag tied securely around his back like an improvised pack.
The golem thundered, and Daniel allowed himself a single look backwards.
There was the massive golem, growing as it pulled the earth into its body and then amassing it into its body, growing larger still. Another stream of earth was forming a boulder in its hands. It was terrible, and whoever had created this construct had taken the time to add eyes and a mouth, both glowing against the coming darkness of true night.
The Lagoon was directly before him. There was no boardwalk or bridge in sight.
The golem was so close behind him.
There was only the muddy murky bank on either side, trapping and tercious, the golem behind, and in front was the lagoon.
Many people were wrong about magic.
You didn’t need magic to do magic.
You just had to be prepared to make it appear that you did.
Daniel launched himself forward, and his foot found purchase.
Under the water, driven deep into the earth with the help of Orville and Hollis, the summer project of many many years ago still remained: Pillars under the surface of the water.
Who needed water elementals to walk on water, when one could just recreate it with a little help from friends?