Chapter 18
(A whole lot of nothing)
And just like that, Jarow and Noruff were enveloped in the darkness of the enormous millipede's mouth. Strangely, the sensation was somewhat familiar to Jarow, as he had recently experienced a void-like state while learning his new combat systems from Orro. In that place, he had felt disembodied, like his consciousness simply floated within the nothingness, with no attachment to anything physical. Sadly, that part was not the same in this place.
Stuck in this creature’s mouth as he was now, physical sensations were readily apparent. As they were being swallowed up, Jarow had grabbed hold of and clung tightly onto Noruff, both out of fear and empathy. The Quigza’s continual whining quickly became punctuated by a low and sad whimper. The feel of Noruff’s quivering and the and sounds of his friend whimpering, hurt Jarow like nothing else could.
Luckily, the mouth that had engulfed them was not the damp, slimy place he would have guessed it to be. But there were also no seats or places where they could secure themselves for this trip, so as the creature moved, so did he and Noruff, the obvious sensation of their travel apparent with each step taken by the huge creature and its million legs.
Before Jarow could orient himself within the enclosed space, the entire gullet shifted, as did the direction in which gravity pulled them. They tumbled forward, unable to stop their momentum before landing awkwardly once more on a different feeling surface. Jarow; disoriented, frightened, and still angry at their sudden unplanned departure, still had the wherewithal to realize the monster had reached the edge of the mesa they were on and had taken the plunge down the cliff face, thus causing his tumble forward.
There was no point in attempting to adjust or hold on. The small mouth/room they occupied was relatively smooth and constantly shifted as the journey continued. Shortly after the initial fall from the cliff face, the room shifted once again, angling with the slope near the bottom. Jarow could somewhat follow the path of their ride thus far. He had seen earlier, from the top of the plateau, how the cliff fell vertically before becoming more sloped. The bottom had looked relatively flat from that distance, but shadows and distance could be deceiving.
So, he and Noruff huddled together, bracing themselves until their ride leveled. At that point, they rolled back into the center of the cavernous mouth’s interior. Jarow took a moment to breathe and steady himself, happy to not have rolled onto sharp teeth or a wet tongue. The disgust of riding in an alien mouth like this was all his newly minted adventurer spirit could handle. Being surrounded by saliva, sharp teeth, and a flicking wet tongue would have pushed him over his limit.
The ride, once they had flattened out; with the arthropod seemingly running along the bottom of the gulch, was actually rather smooth. Jarow could feel the vibrations of the feet as they skittered along the ground below him. Some small inclination changes and bumps occurred from time to time, but other than the complete darkness and the fact that he was freaked out from riding in a huge bug’s mouth, he wasn’t completely uncomfortable and was finally able to sit and stabilize himself and Noruff as they moved along.
Their relative comfort didn’t last long, and abruptly the angle changed once again. This time, he and Noruff rolled backward into what Jarow could only imagine was a huge sphincter-like muscle. He could feel the wrinkles along the slightly squishy mass, circling and collecting in the center. The wrinkly pocket was located directly in the middle of the edge in this direction.
Of course, he landed face-first in the center of the sphincter, his face sinking deep into the wrinkly tight skin. As he attempted to extricate himself, his face came free, but his hand all but penetrated and sank deep into the central hole. For several moments, Jarow was stuck with his hand clamped down by the muscle.
He fought his way upright and barely had time to lean back when the angle began to incline even steeper. Jarow first wondered if this were just a speed bump or a small hill along the bottom of the valley, but the sharp upward angle continued to increase until he felt they were moving vertically once more.
Jarow’s stomach heaved from the jostling as they rose. However, he couldn't actually throw up because he didn’t eat or drink now. The physical reaction still occurred, though. The muscles around his stomach spasmed and cramped. Jarow’s upper body convulsed, and his back arched involuntarily. He could feel similar spasms and sounds coming from Noruff as well. For some reason, the higher they rose, the more they felt the nausea.
Noruff was virtually a ragdoll here. From the moment of their departure, he had begun his whimpering and had all but frozen. Jarow had held onto him the entire time, wrapping the poor Quigza in his arms and suffering several slices from the small sword he wore on his hip, from doing so. Jarow didn’t care though, he was just glad he could protect Noruff here in this place. His whimpering caused Jarow’s soul to hurt with each squeak.
For several minutes, they stayed glued to the back of the creature’s throat until finally, the dark abyss in which they rode, changed direction once again. The world seemed to turn upright once more, and the ride slowed rapidly.
Within moments, the nausea subsided, and a light split into being as the large mouth re-opened. It took a moment for Jarow's eyes to adjust from the complete darkness in which they had been trapped, and several more moments to reorient himself. Once he found his bearings though, he quickly pushed himself up and moved towards the exit, bringing Noruff with him.
Together, they stumbled from their unwanted travel chamber into the light, falling headlong onto the solid ground directly in front of the pincers, which parted for them as they exited. The ground here was covered in grass, actual grass, unlike the mesa. The majority of the grass surrounding them was tall and somewhat sparse but held underneath a thick and lush undergrowth, reminding Jarow of the moss on the plateau with the Oonja. The feeling of being on solid ground was amazing though and brought Jarow back from the anxiety he had started to feel as soon as he had been swallowed.
He chose to lay with his back to the soil and just feel the ground beneath him for a long moment.
“Uhh… I don’t know if you can understand me, but thanks… I guess?” he muttered after noticing their ride had yet to leave. It remained in place, and stood above where he lay, its pincers still spread wide, and its mouth slowly closing. Jarow didn’t know what was going on but also couldn’t seem to communicate with the creature. The presence of the large arthropod’s head looming over him, made him feel very uncomfortable.
“Let’s get moving, ok Noruff?” Jarow lightly whispered. He pushed himself up from the ground and helped the Quigza to get up as well. Together, they slowly began moving away from the Millipede, which still stood motionless with its mouth slightly agape as if tasting the air.
While keeping one eye on the beast in case it decided he and Noruff looked extra tasty, Jarow scanned their new surroundings. They were indeed across the large bowl-shaped valley in which the plateau sat, surrounded by other spires jutting up from the bottom of the bowl.
Looking back from the edge, the entire bowl shaped area appeared greater and more menacing than it had from the middle. The bottom of the valley was dotted in places with a sickly green mist. A large puddle of the mist clung to the bottom of the cliff's face where he assumed they had just climbed up, and Jarow suspected it was the mist more than the abrupt change of direction which had caused their nausea and may be the cause for the millipede’s continuation to stand still with open mouth.
Now that they were out of the bowl, though, Jarow no longer had to worry about what lie at the bottom; at least he hoped. Instead, he moved his attention to what was around him now. The land in all directions other than toward the lip of the bowl consisted of grasslands as far as his eyes could see.
The edge where they stood was at a slightly elevated position, so Jarow could see for miles down the gently sloping land, revealing a panoramic view of small clusters of trees and small rolling hills that dotted the vast grasslands, creating small havens that gracefully emerged from the sea of green. The viewable area was distinctly devoid of mountains, lakes, or rivers. Instead, an expansive carpet of grass stretched as far as Jarow could see.
The elevated terrain allowed the grass to sway with the breeze, creating mesmerizing undulations that swept over the landscape like waves on a tranquil sea. Despite the absence of prominent landmarks, the scenery held a certain beauty, if not a bit of monotony,
Jarow took Noruff’s paw and began slowly walking out into the grass. The Quigza didn’t protest or seem to mind. In fact, Jarow felt the simple gesture comforted his friend greatly. Noruff had certainly changed a great deal since leaving the Fading Divide, and Jarow knew now more than before that he needed to talk to his friend and find out what was going on with him. He vowed to do so the next place where they could feel safe for a while.
He hoped the big bug had dropped them somewhere near the town he had wanted to get to, but so far, he couldn’t see where it was.
As they moved farther away from the cliff and the millipede, the grass in the distance began swaying more rapidly. Jarow then noticed the movement of the grass seemed to ripple against the waves caused by the breeze. The strange ripple of grass was also moving directly towards them.
It took a few seconds of watching the grass part and move in a way that pushed against the flow of the breeze before Jarow's mind registered what the new ripple meant. Something was moving through the grass towards them. While a welcome party would be nice, he doubted that was what was heading their way. Whatever it was, it was short enough to remain covered by the grass but wide enough to make a furrow through it. Jarow could hear no sounds different from the swaying grass, which ruffled all around him, giving him no additional warning of the quickly approaching creature.
“Uh oh,” Jarow mindlessly spoke. He knew Noruff was still recovering from the last ordeal of riding within the Millipede’s mouth and was in no shape to react to another danger just yet. So, Jarow turned around and picked up his friend, this time hoisting him over his shoulder so that he could run.
There was a startled yip when Jarow grabbed up his friend, but then he quickly started to run back in the direction from which they had just come, and he could feel Noruff’s body tense up as he apparently noticed there was something following them.
He had only moved several steps in the opposite direction of their pursuer when the large millipede he was running towards closed its pincers with a snap and lunged for him with alarming speed. Jarow was caught in between an unknown threat behind him and a larger but still mostly unknown threat in front of him.
Not knowing what else to do, having no time to think, only to react, and really not having many options available, Jarow leapt with all his strength to one side. He pulled Noruff to his chest and tumbled, rolling several times before bringing himself to a knee, where he watched as the humongous head of the millipede flew past where he had just been and zipped toward whatever was just chasing him.
Jarow didn’t see exactly what happened but heard a large snap. It was a familiar sound, the same sound he had heard when being swallowed by the millipede. This time the sound was greatly amplified though, and Jarow could only imagine the jaw closing quickly around whatever was in the grass chasing them.
Jarow didn't really want to stick around just to find out what was happening, so instead, he picked himself up and began running away. He wasn't sure if this was a reflexive action or if his brain had actually analyzed the situation and determined a quick retreat was the best strategic move. Either way, he was going to run until he couldn't run anymore.
To his astonishment, Jarow found out that he could run a long way. He glanced at his stamina bar in his UI while he ran. After running for a good ten minutes, it had hardly moved.
He finally decided he had run far enough at that point, both because he could no longer hear or feel the vibrations of the millipede behind him and also because he could finally see the ruins of the city they were heading for. They began sprouting like stone trees from the tops of the grass ahead. He slowed his run to a jog, then came to a complete stop before entering the run-down area, setting Noruff down on his own shaky paws.
“You okay, buddy?” Jarow asked as they stopped, and he gathered his breath.
Noruff looked at Jarow but couldn't find words. He quaked with fear and anxiety. His eyes were large pools of glistening brown, and his low whimper cut through the silence of the place. Jarow felt sorry for his friend and didn’t know what he could do to help. Something had changed in him since they had arrived here. He was no longer the brave knight he had been back in the foggy halls of the Fading Divide.
He had told himself that he would talk to Noruff when next he felt safe, but the longer he was here in this new world, the less likely he thought finding a safe place to chat was going to be found, at least not anytime soon.
He looked around and couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, other than the obviously abandoned buildings ahead. Luckily no other signs of creatures lurking in the grass were obvious either.
“Let’s make it to the town there and find a safe place. Sound good?” Jarow asked.
Noruff nodded and Jarow could actually see the Quigza nod, able to determine it from the shaking which still racked him.
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It didn’t take them long to get to the ruins. They walked the last hundred yards and arrived at the first structure. Jarow conjectured that it had at one point been some type of guard station. The small hut was barely standing now, but a rusty metal gate could be felt underfoot as they walked by.
The next structure was larger, but in no better shape. Jarow confirmed that the sizing of these structures was for people his height or smaller. He figured this out from what he could tell were remnants of door frames and tips of the fallen-in roofs; these structures had not been large enough for someone human size to enter, let alone live in.
They kept moving through the dilapidated city. The roads were all but nonexistent, other than being wider spaces where the grass had filled in more evenly. Jarow could tell that they had at one time been paved with flagstones though. The remnants of the stone used resonated in his senses through his feet.
Not for the first time, Jarow was impressed and amazed at all the information he gathered simply because so much of the world was made of stone or other forms of rock. He wouldn’t have been aware of any of this if he were still human. His dwarven heritage made all this incredibly valuable information perceptible.
He briefly wondered what his elven perception would have been like in an overgrown place like this. Nature had returned to claim this city. The walls and remnants of the buildings proved just how patient yet destructive nature could be when allowed to grow rampant, and the elven senses he had possessed were keen to nature and all things produced from it.
The density of the buildings increased as they ventured further into this abandoned community. They had to navigate through and over debris-strewn areas, weaving through what were once sturdy structures that must have loomed tall against the sides of the now obstructed and broken street. Some buildings had likely been several stories tall at one time. The bones of these structures had been visible from the plateau, with the taller ones still retaining some of their height, even though most of their structure now lay scattered across the street, impeding their progress forward.
The continued traveling was becoming somewhat treacherous due to the thickening of debris, but luckily there seemed to be nothing living other than the insects and small mammals that scurried through the grass. Jarow had been afraid they would encounter whatever had chased them through the grass earlier, but as of yet, they had met no threats.
Then abruptly, the buildings ended, and a large field sprawled out before them. This area was by far the best-preserved part of the city. It must have at one time been the city's main square, Jarow surmised. The flagstone of the street was still slightly visible through the grasses, the thick undergrowth pushing up through but not completely covering the ancient stones yet.
In the center of the field, an ornate fountain still stood, with water flowing from it. The design of what must have been a fresco depicting several small individuals frolicking was now worn and crumbled. The fountain tilted precariously, and the well below it sat askew, as if a great quake had shifted it within the ground itself.
The side of the large marble bowl had cracked over the years since this place had died, and the spilling water ran down the side, nourishing the grasses for meters outward. However, a patch close to where the water spilled from the tub held a patch of dense moss, covering the erosion caused by the water over the years.
This was the first water Jarow had seen in this place. He stopped their motion and moved them into the shadow of a nearby building where they had some cover and shelter.
“If there’s water, then there will be predators,” Jarow whispered into Noruff’s ear. The Quigza nodded his head in acknowledgment. The walk through the broken city had finally calmed Noruff’s nerves somewhat. The quivering had all but stopped, and his whimper-like vocalizations had ended.
Jarow decided this was as good a place as any to take shelter and find out what they could about this place. He led them to a shadowed alcove inside what looked like a somewhat structurally sound wall. He sat in the grass and was able to keep watch on the fountain from where they sat.
Noruff sat beside him and watched the fountain as well. His eyes still darted from side to side, paranoia obviously coloring his thoughts.
“Hey Noruff. What’s going on?” Jarow asked his friend in the most empathetic tone he could manage. The Quigza looked at him, then began scanning the area once again.
“You are different now, from who you were before we left the Fading Divide. You’re scared, jumpy, and paranoid. I know this place is crazy, but you seemed so cool and collected back before we left. Talk to me, buddy.”
Noruff’s face turned to Jarow as he talked quietly. With an effort, he spoke for the first time in quite a while. “I don’t know, friend Jarow. I am just so scared of everything now. I was in those gray halls for so long, nothing ever changed, I had nothing to worry about. Now I can’t help but jump at everything.”
Jarow nodded along, encouraging his friend to continue. “I know it’s stupid, but I miss them. I miss the Fading Divide. I didn’t know that the real world could be so scary.” Noruff whimpered.
Jarow pulled the Quigza in for a side hug. “Hey Noruff, I’ll be right here to keep you safe. You can talk to me whenever you need. I’m not going anywhere, okay?”
Noruff nodded and leaned into the embrace.
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Several hours passed with no signs of activity. Contrary to Jarow's prediction, no animals came to drink, he didn’t think that even small mammals ventured near the water source. Gradually, he began to sense that something was amiss in the surroundings. There were no sounds—no birds chirping, no chittering or scurrying of small animals, and very little breeze. Despite the presence of some bugs, it appeared that they were the sole form of life in this place.
Having observed thousands of birds flying around the spire between here and the plateau they had arrived on, Jarow knew there must be more forms of life in the vicinity. However, nothing seemed to come here. Considering that this was the only source of water he had found in the miles of grassland they had covered earlier, it seemed logical that the creatures of this world would gather here, yet that was not the case.
There was obviously something he was missing. He wished he would have had more time to ask Orro about this world. He had been sent away quickly; he hadn’t gotten around to asking the more mundane questions; the ones which might lead to his survival or death here.
He sorely missed Xinpo as well. If nothing else, he could really go for a Complete Cleanse. He felt dirt in places he didn’t think dirt should be allowed, and welcomed the thought of feeling clean once more.
As if in response to his thought, a voice entered Jarow’s mind.
“Well met, suzerain.” It was the voice of Xinpo, except it wasn’t. This new voice was more distinguished. The tone was similar but more refined, as if the person who called himself Xinpo was a well-educated man before, but had now finished his doctorate and become a professor.
“Xinpo? Is that really you?” Jarow couldn’t help but ask.
“Indeed, it is suzerain. How have you fared in my absence? I see you have left the presence of Orro. Was the parting on good terms?”
Jarow wasn’t certain he liked this new, more refined Xinpo. He had been a little stuffy before, but now talked as if he held himself in even higher regard.
“Yeah, I think so. He summoned this big Millipede thing, and it brought us to this side of the valley. We didn’t really get to ask a lot of questions or say goodbye properly, though,” Jarow informed his blade.
“I see, I would appreciate some further elaboration, but I believe you may wish to view my new character sheet first,” Xinpo told Jarow, then Xinpo’s character sheet popped into his view.
Name: Xinpo
Level: [ -6- ]
Age: ???
Race: Dimensional Being
Gender: ???
Attributes:
Strength [ +1 ]
Dexterity [ +1 ]
Luck [ +1 ]
Skills:
Absorption 329 of 350
Dagger
Quarterstaff
Sword
Damage multiplication 2 (2-8)
Keeper of the Oonja’s seed
Abilities:
Passe-partout (Upgraded)
Complete Cleanse
Ability amplification 2 (2-8)
Frozen moment
Telepathy
Dispel
Jarow looked over the character sheet, and his eyebrows came together in the middle, not fully understanding some of what he saw.
“I have questions. What is going on with your attributes? Those have always been blank before,” Jarow asked.
“Yes, that is a good place to start. Those attribute points are granted by the Keeper of the Oonja’s seed skill, and they are actually bestowed upon my wielder. I was forced to choose my remaining abilities to fully level up and receive the boon. I chose telepathy so that I may also communicate with your friend Noruff, and Dispel to assist in your magical progression.”
Jarow whistled, which caught Noruff’s attention. The Quigza looked up at him. He smiled back and told him that he was finally talking with Xinpo.
“Okay, then what is a luck attribute? I’ve never seen that on my character sheet,” Jarow asked next.
“The luck attribute is hidden. There are apparently several other hidden attributes as well, but they are unknowable until they are boosted. If you look over your character sheet, you should now be able to see the luck attribute,” Xinpo explained.
“Okay, I think I’ll do that. You should say hi to Noruff while I check that out. He is suffering a good amount of anxiety from being in the real world after living in the hallway for so long. He could really use another friend,” Jarow explained. He then mentally brought up his character sheet.
Name: Jarow
Age: 187 (current)
Race: Dwarf (current)
Gender: Male (current)
Attributes: (current)
Strength [ -8- ] (+1 racial bonus) (+1 KOS)
Dexterity [ -7- ] (-1 racial disadvantage) (+1 KOS)
Constitution [ -9- ] (+4 racial bonus)
Intelligence [ -7- ]
Wisdom [ -8- ] (+1 racial bonus)
Charisma [ -5- ]
{Hidden attribute unlocked}
Luck 7 [ +1 KOS ] (Keeper of the Oonja’s Seed)
Skills:
Sneak Intermediate (racial skill * )
Pick Beginner (racial skill * )
Hammer Beginner (racial skill * )
Dagger Beginner
Sword Advanced
Quarterstaff Advanced
Ambidexterity
Abilities:
Berserk Buff +[- 2 -] Increase to Strength +[- 2 -] Increase to Constitution - +20 HP per level added to max HP **
Minor Heal 6 HP 2+4 (Charisma bonus)
Power Blow Increase to hit chance 20% - Increase to damage 20% - Increase to critical hit chance 20%
Extra Perception
{Added Special Abilities}
Willow in the Wind (Combat System)
Bighorn Sentinel (Combat System)
Conjuration Specialization:
Available spells: Weapon Whirlpool - Oil Slick - Spontaneous Combustion - Acidic Regurgitation - Shadow Clone - Earthenware - Kiddie Pool - Gust - Boost
Jarow liked the new setup; his hidden attribute and special abilities were now unlocked. He didn’t feel any different but could tell that in his mind, at least, he knew the new combat styles and how to move his body in the proper way.
He still knew he would have to practice and make his body get used to the new moves before he could really say he was proficient with, and knew how to properly use the techniques in the advanced manner in which they were presented, but he actually looked forward to putting in the work.
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“Can you hear me, suzerain?” Xinpo’s voice asked after a few moments.
“I always hear you when you speak, Xinpo. Why the question?”
“I am using my Telepathy skill to speak with you and Noruff. I was testing if it was preferable to our normal form of communication,” Xinpo answered.
“Isn’t how we have always communicated before been telepathy anyway?”
Xinpo paused for a brief moment, and Jarow noticed that Noruff grew a smile. “Not exactly, although from your perspective, it wouldn’t have been noticeable. I have an inherent bond with you, suzerain. It was that bond which allowed our communication before. Now with the Telepathy skill, I am able to speak with others as well.”
Xinpo was right; Jarow didn’t notice the difference. What he did notice was that Noruff’s mood began to lighten.
“Are you talking with Noruff?” Jarow asked.
“Yes, suzerain. I am attempting to dispel his anxiety. He is a delightful person.”
Jarow had seen that in the Quigza as well but had never been able to make him smile like he was now. He definitely didn’t begrudge his friends the chance to communicate but was now feeling like he was the one being left out.
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Jarow was still keeping watch for anything coming up to use the fountain when from the corner of his eye, he caught a hint of movement coming from the fountain’s area. He quickly jerked his head back to look at the fountain and see what had made the movement.
There was nothing he could immediately see, but then he noticed the slight movement again.
As he focused more, he could see it was the moss which grew from where the water trickled out from the broken fountain’s bowl that had moved. It wasn’t a large movement, just a slight shift in position.
Jarow watched the area close. His brain wanted him to write it off as a simple movement of moss on top of a puddle of water, but his paranoia kept his eyes glued to the spot.
Then, when it happened again, and Jarow confirmed that something was there, he looked anew, this time with his Extra Perception filter on. The world around him sprang to new life. Not only did the moss take on a new dimension of color and radiance, but the entire square seemed to radiate a strong aura.
The colors coming from the square were an unusually dark red. It wasn’t quite maroon, but leaned more into a brown-red mix. It was also somewhat streaked with a dark purple, like the color of a deep bruise. The entire area with this dark aura seemed to pulse while Jarow watched.
“Xinpo… are you picking up anything from the square over there?” Jarow asked, fearing the answer.
“I am not, suzerain. Is there something there I am missing?”
“I think maybe there is. I just used my Extra Perception, and the entire square lit up,” Jarow told the sentient blade.
Jarow watched the moss again, focusing on it, since that was the only thing he had actually seen moving and waited for Xinpo’s answer.
“I am sorry, suzerain. I sense nothing out of the ordinary. What exactly are you perceiving?” Xinpo asked.
Jarow tried his best to explain the aura covering the square. He also told Xinpo of the water dripping down and the moss covering the puddle.
“Suzerain, I believe you should explore the moss-covered area. It seems you are drawn to it in some way, and I feel it may not be what you believe it to be.”
“What? What else could it be?” Jarow sputtered indignantly.
“The cosmos is full of things it could be, but there is no way to know for certain until you learn for yourself, suzerain.”
“Well, haven't you gotten to be Mr. philosophical,” Jarow jibed. “You really think we should cross the area to see what is under the moss?”
“Indeed, suzerain. I wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.” Xinpo’s tone was smug, but with a jovial undertone of sarcasm.
Jarow sighed dramatically. “I guess we have to go look under the moss over there, Noruff. Xinpo thinks we’re not enlightened until we check it out or something.”
“I will stay here and watch your back,” the Quigza quickly replied. Jarow could feel his friend's shaking begin anew.
“That’s fine…” Jarow moaned and got to his feet. His muscles were stiff from sitting for so long. “If I die, and don’t come back, I’m blaming both of you.”
He hoped they knew he was being sarcastic but saw Noruff begin quaking more as he left to go see what was happening with the moss.