“I’ll stay. You better not die!”

The remaining members of the expedition sent two scouts ahead of them. In an hour, they returned to the group and reported that they couldn’t see the waterfall that Jal told them was there. So the group moved eastward several kilometers and sent the scouts out again. Four times various scout teams were sent to see if they could see the waterfall and the group moved forward each time. Finally, on the last try, they returned saying they had been close enough to hear it, but not see it.

“How will we get past them to the caves, Jal?”

“We’ll watch tonight to see what they do when the sun is going down and through the night.”

“With scouts?”

“Yes.”

Sidi and Jal made a scouting run just at dusk. They crept to the top of a hill and lay in the grass. Without warning, the blue balls rose simultaneously, seemed to grow wings, and flew off into the eastern sky. Sidi and Jal looked at one another, then hurried to report back to the group.

“I think we should move to the caves,” Golsho suggested.

“What if they come back and go in there? We’d be trapped,” Cirus pointed out. “That waterfall sounds odd to me. The water is coming from where? We didn’t see a river or land that appeared to have been flooded at any time.”

“If we could get up the sides of the waterfall, it would help,” Golsho suggested.

“How do you propose to do that?”

“By climbing it, of course.”

“When?”

“Hm. Good question.” Golsho turned to Jal. “Could we have an extra day to check out the lay of the river before it comes to the waterfall? Maybe there’s something there that would help us.”

Jal looked around the circle. “Yes, I think that’s a good idea. We could continue to send out scouts during the course of the day. That way most of you will know the layout of the area.”

“The more often someone goes out, the more likely we are to be seen,” Sage Elvan pointed out.

“You’re right. Let’s send two out early in the morning, like before sunrise. We’ll switch around noon.”

“How do we know that we won’t be seen?” Morti asked. “Or that someone will hear us communicating?”

“We don’t. We’ll have to take our chances.”

“I don’t like this,” Sage Elvan complained.

“Then don’t be a scout,” someone muttered.

The following day, the group rested, talked about what equipment they would be using, and practiced with their gear and swords on. A pair of guards circled the camp in a widening spiral and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

When second pair of scouts returned to the camp, they brought back some interesting observations. “That isn’t a true waterfall. There’s no fast-running stream or river above it. Only a wide grassy area.”

“A waterfall with no river?” Morti and Badas looked at one another. “A spring couldn’t produce that much water.”

“It’s artificial. It must have been created for those things, whatever they are.”

“They’re the Gimorans, remember? We heard about them being in the back of that shuttle. Blue beings that turned into blue balls when the operator kicked the transport into a higher speed.”

“Those things were so busy in the middle of the afternoon. It was hot out there. They were in and out of the water, bouncing up and down, like crazy. As the sun went down, they flew toward the east.”

“Maybe they need the sun for energy.”

“Are we ready?” Jal asked in the darkness of the night.

“Won’t something see our lights?”

“We don’t know. We just have to go.”

Using high-powered flashlights, the group made their way to the caves near the waterfall. They went into the first one and set their packs down. They took turns going to stand behind the waterfall then went into the biggest cave where all but two lay down and slept. The guards sat at the door, just inside the security shield that Lallo had created to block the entrance.

The following day, the expedition team crept back and forth between the caves, watching the blue balls. They had arrived at the waterfall in the early morning light, seemed to stretch out into human forms and lay quietly for a few hours. As the sun climbed into the sky, their activity level increased. They seemed unaware of the humans that were observing them.

The energy was nearly frenetic in midafternoon and slowed as the afternoon wore on. At dusk, all eight balls rose and flew east.

Cirus looked off at the rocks. “They don’t like the higher speeds, but they do need the sun as a source of power. The coolness of the water seems to slow them down and turns them into human shapes. I’ll bet they won’t come into the caves, because there’s no sunlight!”

“That means we could use ‘slam’ spells,” Sidi quickly responded. “What are some others?”

“Freeze!”

“Reduce.”

“Maybe lightning bolt?”

“Drain energy?”

“Paralyze and pummel.”

“I think we should try lightning bolt. If it doesn’t work, we’ll all know.”

“Of course, we’ll want to start with a ‘discover weakness’ spell.”

“Lallo, could you conjure up a cloud of darkness?”

“Good idea, Luminary. I could do that, but then we wouldn’t be able to see them.”

“How about a box, so they couldn’t get into the water to cool down?”

“I would need sand to conjure it from.”

“So much for that idea, Verle.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“If they need the water to cool down,” Sage Elvan spoke slowly. “Could we find a way to stop the water from running down the waterfall?”

They all stopped and looked at it. “A genius idea.”

“But how?”

“There must be something that circulates it, so a motor? Something humming. Jal, maybe you can figure this puzzle out.”

“I’ll try. We need to sleep a while, so that we’re ready.”

As the smallest bit of light came over the horizon, Jal frantically searched for a place to vomit. It went to the very back of the deepest cave and choked up what it had eaten for breakfast. The fear it was experiencing was overwhelming. Jal wiped its mouth on its sleeve and crept into position.

The balls of blue light hovered around the whirlpool. They went to the west bank of the river.

Slowly, the blue spheres morphed into human form and seemed to stretch out on the grass. They definitely looked like the Gimorans on the tape that the transporter pilot, Bita Yass, had made, Dr. Gyasi decided.

“Do we want to try to get them now, before the sun is up?” the Luminary asked.

“We can try.”

Jal peeked out from the side of the cave opening and saw the Luminary’s shot. A blue ball seemed to lighten a bit.

Jal could see a red streak cross the water. “Ladi,” it whispered. One of the pillars shattered. She had deflected it. “Good!” Jal thought. “She won’t die because of this. It won’t be like the dream.” The Gimoran shot again. This time Ladi wasn’t prepared. She crumpled to the floor of the cave, and the edge of her shield caught the shot and deflected it to Badas. Badas was able to deflect it.

“Lallo, help Ladi. She took a hard hit.”

The light that Badas had deflected skimmed across the water and went into the whirlpool below the fountain. The Gimoran shot repeatedly and Badas moved his shield back and forth as he withstood a barrage of shots that were indescribably powerful. Resisting the urge to walk away, Badas refused to give in. Lallo was tending to Ladi when as Verle struggle to maintain his balance, too.

He stood on the ledge that was one-fourth up the rocks on the left side of the waterfall. It was high, but he didn’t care about that. He was more worried about his footing being wet. If he should slip, he might go down in the water. He could see the speed of the whirlpool. Would the harness that he wore hold if it were hit? Or would it come loose? If it did, there would be no way for him to resist the suction of the whirling waters below.

Verle was the only one who heard the clang of his shield as it vibrated from taking a hit. The noise of the waterfall was deafening. He didn’t hear the crystal cracking of one of the pillars, or notice the height the pieces reached as the pillar erupted and a figure in red was thrown into the atmosphere.

Simultaneously, Tomau took a hit above the waterfall on the right side. He tipped his shield back and forth and it quaked, but he maintained his balance. He saw a pillar shatter, but couldn’t tell that he had deflected the shot that demolished it. Another pillar exploded. He didn’t see it; he struggled to maintain his balance. He rapidly fastened his shield to his back, adjusted the rope, checked his safety harness, and climbed upward toward another ledge. As he climbed, the force of the ray that hit him slammed against the rocks. For a moment, he paused, then resumed the climb. A beam hit the shield and bounced off, then angled downward. It hit Sage Elvan’s shield and reflected into the waterfall. The impact of another beam knocked Ladi off her perch and slammed her into the rock wall, rendering her unconscious.

Zalim stood behind the cascading water. He could see the flashes of colors between the two sides. When a red one seemed to move slowly through the air, he turned his shield at an angle and got lucky. One of the blue beings became a blue orb, turned black, then fell to the ground.

When Ladi regained consciousness, she could see the colors of the beams that shot through the water. She made sure she was anchored solidly, and turned around. The shield that she had carried was now attached to her hands by the sticky Maz glue. She turned back and forth, being slammed by a powerful force. Two of the blue balls shattered, and tiny blue particles rained down.

Jal ran through the cave that was behind the cataract of water to the other side. It found Zalim’s metal parts scattered across the floor of the cave. It swallowed hard, and stood in the spot Zalim had been in. Because of his location, Jal could see the red shots of the Gimorans and various colors of the expedition team.

The expedition team was now to his right. They shot lightning bolts and freeze spells. Jal saw the blue streaks go from left to right and be deflected. Another ball shattered. “Good job, Cirus,” Jal said into the communicator. “Remember, they are absorbing the fire arrows and using them for power. If you need energy call out to Lallo or Kir.”

“Golsho, Dr. Gyasi,” Jal said, and the two deflected the attack easily.

Jal watched the blue shots of power from the Gimorans and called out various names, so they would be prepared for a hit. The Gimorans emitted barrage after barrage of powerful shots. “Switch!” Jal called out.

Morti said, “I’m not switching. I haven’t had any shots come this way.”

“Can you see them?” Jal asked.

“No, and I’ve not taken any hits.”

Jal noted that this might be a weakness in the Gimoran attack.

Ladi was tired. She’d taken a lot of hits. Again, she buckled her shield on and began to climb. “I’m going up to rest in the hole.” She was referring to the holes that she and Golsho had dug the night before.

“Golsho, take a break,” Jal spoke calmly. It watched Verle began the climb up to take his place.

The Luminay, Dr. Gyasi, and Sage Elvan took the three places in front of the cave farthest from the waterfall. Some of the hits made by the Gimorans knocked rocks from the openings.

Sidi, Badas, and Kir switched places in the cave closest to the waterfall.

“Erken Zak!” Kir wanted to know their weakness. The glow of yellow shone from the bottom of the Gimoran’s legs.

Cirus lifted his wand. “Vernete!” One of the beings became a lighter blue.

“That was a good one, Cirus,” Jal said quietly.

Golsho copied him but missed the target. “Damn!”

“Maybe if we paralyze them, that will slow them down,” Dr. Gyasi spoke. “Verlaam!” Another one’s colored faded. “Verlaam!” The figure became cobweb-like.

“I think I can hit that one from here,” Jal added two good hits to the group’s hits. “Vernate, Vernate!”

The figure turned into a small blue orb, faded to black, and fell to the ground. “Okay, we’ve got four of the eight down. Three of the crystals have been destroyed.”

Jal’s shield shook as it was slammed three times in a row. The third time, Jal was pushed into the cave out of sight. It stepped back and went to the other side of the waterfall. “Energ Fap! Vernate!” One of the beings was knocked back, and another seemed to fade a bit.

“Okay, check in.” Jal spoke. “Luminary, Dr. Gyasi, and Sage Elvan? What is your status? How much energy do you have left?”

“Three more good hits from each of us.”

“Cirus and Morti? How’s it going?”

“We’ve got about two hits each left.”

“Badas, how are you and Sidi holding out?”

“We’ve taken a lot of hits.” Sidi admitted. “I’m out.”

“I can give her a potion.” Kir suggested.

“Wait a second, Kir.”

“Badas? Are you out too?”

“Yes.”

“We’re going to stop. The shots from the Gimorans are tapering off.”

Jal stepped into the middle cave. It could see that Ladi had climbed down to her top ledge. “Rak! Rak!”

“Ladi, what are you doing?” Jal asked as the second shot hit a Gimoran.

“Morti, can you take out the one that’s lighter than the others?”

“I think so.” She pointed her wand. “Vernete!”

“Wow! That annihilated the lighter one and it looks like it damaged the center one. “That’s enough for today, folks.”

Most of the group gathered in the center cave and sat down in the back. The Maz stayed in the holes they had dug behind the top of the waterfall.

“Liketar!” Jal’s wand lit up. “You all did great today. We have three crystal shapes left. And two Gimorans. Tomorrow our goal will be to deflect the shots of the Gimorans so that they demolish the remaining crystal shapes in the water.”

“Why do you want them smashed, Jal?”

“I can answer that,” a gentle voice came from the front of the cave. “It’s because the other Protectors are trapped in them.”

“Jal! You had us all come in this cave so that someone could kill us?” Maya’s voice quavered.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said. “I am Mavdite, one of the Protectors of Zuphreon.”

“The Goddess of the sea and water,” Sage Elvan said.

“Thank you for releasing me. This is Dagtar.”

Jal looked at everyone’s fear-filled faces. “Dagtar is the god of the land and earth.”

“That’s me!” He smiled. “You’ve released five of us. Now we need to free the others.”

“I think we need to eat and rest.”

Verle’s voice came over the communicator. “Wait for us, we’re starving!”

A few minutes later, Dagtar felt a push against his side. “What the…”

Verle and Golsho took off the invisible cloak and gave it to Jal. “Here you go. What a great thing to have! I wish I had one!” Golsho told it.

“That was fun, Jal. This necklace is awesome. We got here pretty fast!” Ladi dumped Tomau onto the floor, then gave Jal the necklace of Tridatta.

The group took food and eating utensils out of their packs. The magic bowls were passed around and there was no hesitation as they tried to empty the bowls, laughing at one another.

“I see that someone figured out my secret,” Dagtar was very pleased. “Who gets to claim the honor?”

“Jal did it!”

“Jal. Which of you is Jal?”

“I am,” Jal’s face changed color a bit.

“What a fantastic idea!”

“Eat now,” Mavdite said, “And then we will talk.”