“I can’t, though that is unsurprising. Can you, Andy?” Andrew looked over at Andy.

“There’s been a background hum the entire time I’ve been here, but I just assumed that had to do with the unrefined mana. Is that what you are talking about, Bill?” Andy tried to focus on the hum but couldn’t make out anything he thought was a voice or other attempt at communication.

“Yeah, that’s it, listen to the beat of the hum. Wait, did Ralth ever teach you the knocking language he invented with his brother?” Bill tapped on the wall to demonstrate what he meant.

“He did not. Alright, Bill, come meditate with me and focus on the same mana strings I am. I want you to help me see the ones with the right rhythms.” Andy sat down in the center of the cavern for his third attempt to map out ambient mana flows.

“I did not expect someone to be able to communicate across the primal membranes like this. This may prove very helpful in gathering the rest of your allies. While you do this, I will see if I can gather us a few more nightmares. We will need a substantial amount of the energies before this is all complete.” Zoz bowed to them, transforming into a wolf as he did. He then exited the cavern.

“Andrew, keep watch, we may be at this awhile,” Andy told his older self.

“Understood.”

Andy started gently grasping the mana flows with his own mana, trying to feel the pattern that Bill was mimicking in his own flows. This was a whole new skill set for him and not an easy one at that. The harmonics of mana flows hadn’t been a topic he had considered studying. He wondered if this was where a lot of Bill's insights came from.

Then he saw it: one of the strings was vibrating exactly like Bill’s flow. He tried reaching for it, but it slipped through his fingers. It seemed different in some way than the other strings had been, harder to materialize as something tangible.

“Bill, I’m going to need your help. I found the string, but I’m having trouble grasping it. Can you try to increase the pressure around it while I try to get ahold of it again?” Andy asked.

“I can try, but I’m not very good at the pressure portion of your powers. I’ve only really seen you do it the one time, though I suppose necessity makes for a great learning motivator.” He answered.

“Sure does. Follow my flow and rapidly increase the pressure where it stops.” Andy instructed.

Andy gently guided Bill through the tangles to the string he had found. He felt the pressure increase in the spot and seized the moment. He grabbed on as tightly as he could and yanked with every bit of might his core could muster. His insides felt ready to pour out through his mana channels, but he refused to let go. Ralth was on the other side of this.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Andy, is that you? Can you hear me through this flow?” Andy heard Ralth’s voice resonate across the flow clutched in his hands.

“Yes!” He desperately thought back.

“Okay, good, listen to me. This won’t be easy, but you need to tie this flow off to your core. Let the core anchor it in the reality you currently occupy, and then slowly push your mana across it as though it were one of your own internal channels. It will take some time, but it will work as my guide to you.” Ralth said.

Andy thought he understood and slowly, forcefully, and with a great deal of pain, moved the flow into himself. His mana channels ignited as it passed through them towards his core. He fought down the urge to throw up and pushed the flow around his core. Delicately, he started to separate the various strands of the flow and encircle his core with them. The pain of each contact was like an electric fire in his veins. He ignored it and grabbed the strings tightly, twisting them into a knot around his core.

He slumped forward, his energy spent, but it was done. He could feel the connection to Ralth slowly growing. “We did it, Bill. I found him. now I need to sleep.” He collapsed entirely to the ground, falling into a deep sleep.

Andy woke up to the smell of roast mushrooms. It smelled amazing. He guessed Bill had started working his magic at cooking again. He sat up and opened his eyes. He saw the cavern as usual, but he also saw all the mana flows pulsating within it. That wasn’t normal at all.

He tried unfocusing his channels, but it didn’t help. Apparently, he no longer needed to meditate for hours to start visualizing these anymore. Hopefully, there weren’t further side effects.

“Hey Andy, you okay? Your eyes are open, but you still look out of it.” Bill asked his friend, concern evident in his voice.

“I, ugh, I think so. I tied off Ralth’s flow into my core, and things got a little weird when I woke up, but nothing weirder than usual, I suppose.” Bill had offered Andy a plate of mushrooms and other odd-looking veggies, which he happily accepted.

“I NEED ASSISTANCE QUICKLY!” Zoz’s cry came from outside the cavern.

All three of them answered, dropping their food and dashing from the cavern. They found Zoz surrounded by several swirling forms.

“We know what you have done, Zoz. It will end here. All of it will end!” one of the forms snarled.

“My friends, I need to borrow as much of your mana as you can spare. I have angered more of the nightmares than I intended, but this should be plenty to fuel our search for quite a bit of time.” Zoz said.

Andy and Bill didn’t hesitate and channeled mana directly into Zoz as he asked.

The carnage that followed was hard to keep track of as Zoz rapidly flashed from one form to another, dodging their attack attacks and tearing them apart with his own. Quickly, they all fell to the ground dead.

“Thank you, can you help me carry their husks into the cavern? Then we can begin the hunt for your next friend.” Zoz asked between ragged breaths. It looked as though this fight had taken something out of him.