Rai decided to follow Kallad’s advice. He’d spent enough time here with the umbral monkeys... but he was still sad to go. After seeing how they lived, he wanted to spend more time observing them.
Initially, Rai helped them in order to get their help in return. He wanted the monkeys to help him find his friends. But now... he didn’t feel right asking them for help. Because Rai didn’t act sooner, he ended up causing them more loss. It wouldn’t be right for him to ask for their help in any way now.
It didn’t help that Rai had made a bond with Chak, and now Chak was dead because of his inaction. To avoid that regret, Rai had to leave.
“I’m leaving.” Rai boomed.
They all stopped what they were doing.
The monkeys that were dancing around the bonfire stopped in their tracks, the ones eating random bugs and insects allowed the rest of the little buggers to live another day, and even the ones that laid down to rest had opened their eyes.
Rai sighed.
“I have to go. My friends need me.”
The monkeys looked all looked between one another.
Then they gathered as one. A mass of umbral monkeys quickly gathered around the bonfire quickly.
Rai stepped down from the throne.
“Appoint a new leader between yourselves... or don’t. I’ve achieved what I’ve come here for, so I’ll leave now.”
Guko!
The monkey at the front placed his fist in hand, outstretched in front of him.
Wait... no, please... don’t... please...
The other monkeys copied him.
Kari!
The leading monkey bowed his head.
The others did the same.
I... I can’t...
Chak...
Rai cried. His tears flowed as the umbral monkeys bowed before him.
He soaked it in. Rai watched for as long as he could, through blurred eyes. Heartache hit Rai harder than he’d ever been hit before. The remorse he felt for not killing the king sooner was much heavier than he realised until now.
After letting a comrade die, Rai couldn’t see this as a win.
He watched, before bowing before the monkeys himself.
After a minute, the lead monkey did something else that Rai didn’t expect.
A fang? He’s holding up a fang?
The lead monkey took the fang to Rai. He gently opened Rai’s hand and placed the fang within, closing Rai’s hand.
*Chak...*
This... it’s one of Chak’s fangs...
Rai audibly gulped back his sadness, and stored the fang in his seals with a flash of lightning. The umbral monkeys knew what the lightning meant by now, given how many times Rai had drawn and withdrawn Ghost.
Rai held his fist in hand, outstretched in front of him. He bowed again.
“... Thank you. I hope you all survive. Meet me on the surface some time, alright?”
The monkeys clearly didn’t know what he meant as they looked around at each other all confused.
Rai thought as much.
Still, he smiled through his pain as he left.
The monkeys had split apart in a pathway that Rai could only imagine led north. They’re showing me the way...
Rai’d made it towards the edge of the clearing.
...
“LIVE!...”
“... I want you all to live!...”
“I want to meet you all again, so live until I can!”
Stormflow!
Rai left the umbral monkeys.
It wasn’t easy, but he left them there, in that jungle clearing on a random island in the middle of nowhere, somewhere in the Underworld.
Rai felt inside his seals for Chak’s fang. It was there, stored away safely.
Chak... I’ll remember you. And I’ll never forget this failure!
----------------------------------------
“I’M SORRY! I lost c-control... I didn’t want to hurt any of you... But I wiped out the treants which kept us all safe!”
Tullian stared at Sin in silence.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The only other sounds came from the water in the reservoir. Calmly, the water’s surface ebbed back and forth. As soft as they were, they were the only other source of sound at the moment.
“That’s not it.” Amy said. “I appreciate that you wiped out the enemy... but we can’t trust you if you lose control just because you get angry. The tournament clearly isn’t a tournament anymore, so I think... we should know what that spell was...”
“I... I can’t say! It’s too dangerous for you to know. I need you guys to trust that. Please.”
It was a forbidden spell, and even mentioning it would put their lives in danger. Her friends weren’t under Kallad’s shield of protection from the other Aspects, so if they even knew of a forbidden spell, they’d have to watch their every word to avoid getting caught. Hell, some of the loose lipped among them could accidentally blurt it out without thinking about it.
Tullian stepped towards her.
“Sindyl... you’ve had our backs this whole time, but when you start hurting us in the process... then something’s wrong! Please, tell us what the technique is. It’s more dangerous not knowing if it can do so much damage.”
“Will you give her some space! Fucking shit!” Feris yelled, getting in between them. “Whatever the spell was, you fuckers don’t have to be all up in her grill like this!”
“He’s right! Guys, Amy, c’mon... We’re not children! When was the last time any of us told the others about our techniques? It shouldn’t matter now!” Maya said, joining Feris.
Lina didn’t know what to do. She was panicking.
Tullian was trying to remain cool, but then he remembered Amy on the floor. And the possibilities that could’ve followed if Amy and Lina hadn’t shielded themselves and Maya.
“It matters because I can't trust someone who just loses control and expects me to move on without a care! So, tell us...” He said. “Tell us Sindyl, what was that spell?!”
“Hey! Chill out for just a second beast boy!” Feris shouted.
“... you don’t get it...” Sin muttered.
“What was that?” Tullian asked.
“NONE OF YOU GET IT! IF I TOLD YOU THEN YOU’D ALL BE IN DANGER!”
...
“What... what does that mean, Sindyl?” Lina asked, breaking her quiet.
“If it’s... dangerous for us to know...” Tullian muttered.
Then his eyes burst wide open. Tullian began to realise what Sin was saying, even though she wasn’t saying it. The dots connected themselves in his head.
Silence fell.
Sin's heart skipped a beat. She didn’t know what to say. Already, Sin knew that she’d said too much, and now was she feeling the consequences of using the forbidden spell in the first place. But she had to in order to keep them alive against the mother saxumite. And even with the treants, Sin wiped them out, didn’t she? Wasn’t that enough to buy her some leniency?
Sin’s hands began shaking. Her tears flowed.
“Please don’t ask again.” She said.
“... I... don’t think I have to...” Tullian whispered.
Sin creaked her head up and stared at him.
Silence followed for what felt like an eternity.
“Sindyl? You look like you’ve seen a ghost...” Maya said.
Sin froze in place. Her tears flowed, but beyond any of that, she was completely lost.
Tullian found out... he... what do I do? What am I supposed to do now? Dad... what do I do?!
She was trapped.
----------------------------------------
Rai felt like the jungle was way bigger than he could’ve possibly expected. Even with Stormflow running at 10% of his mana being released, he’d been running for ages and felt like he wasn’t actually getting anywhere.
The one good thing was that there weren’t many creatures around him as he ran, probably thanks to the monkeys, so Rai didn’t have to stop often.
No time to rest either. I need to get back to Sin and the others for that final trial or whatever that Kallad mentioned!
Rai continued to zig and zag his way through the jungle’s vines and thick leaves, chopping them apart with Ghost as he dashed through them all.
Eventually, after what felt like a long while, he’d made it out of the jungle into what he could only assume was the centre of the island.
Wow... that’s beautiful!
The reservoir of water in the centre of the island was incredible. Rai hadn’t seen much clean water since he’d come here, but now there was a massive reservoir full of it right in front of him!
Ah! This is where Kallad said I’d meet the others!
Now then... where are they?
Rai looked around from where he stood.
After scanning the area, Rai spotted something. In the distance, along the far edge of the reservoir, he saw the silhouette of multiple figures stood together. There was a big space behind them, which highlighted their silhouettes even more.
That must be them!
Rai ran in Stormflow towards the figures.
After running for a few minutes, Rai got closer.
He saw the group all huddled around together. But... something seemed off.
Rai’s world went quiet. All he could focus on was Sin.
She was battered and bruised, which Rai assumed was from a previous fight... But that wasn’t the main thing he was worried about.
Why are you just standing there? What’s that look supposed to mean?
“Hey!” Rai shouted.
Sin didn’t respond.
“Rai!” Maya shouted back. “Where have you been?!”
“Oh... just trying to survive... I guess...”
“Yeah. We’ve been doing the same. Wait... that’s all of us, right?”
“One’s missing.” Rai mentioned. “Hiron.”
“Ah...”
“What’s up with everyone here? It feels like I just walked in on a funeral...”
“Well...”
The group was silent.
Sin looked at Rai.
The absolute terror in her face spoke volumes.
Why... wait... no... already?
“I’m taking Sin for a second.” He said.
Rai zipped Sin away without any warning.
“Why are you all so noisy?” Hiron said as he arrived.
“We... we’ve been quiet for a while now.” Amy said.
“Whatever.” He said. “I could hear you from all the way over there not too long ago.” Hiron pointed back up at the cliffside.
*Thump*
“Eh? What was that? You peasants feel that?”
“The floor... it shook...” Maya muttered.
Rai had zoomed with Sin far enough away from the group that they weren’t within earshot.
“Sin. Tell me what happened, please.” Rai pleaded.
*Thump*
Rai looked back over at the group. They seemed to be talking amongst each other, with Hiron watching and yawning. He turned back to Sin.
“Sin, c’mon. I’m here... I’m here with you.”
“... I’m s-orry. I’m r-eally sorry.” She whispered in a broken voice. Her skin glistened with her sweat and tears.
“It’s okay, you’re okay. Hey, look at me.” Rai gently held Sin’s cheek.
She softly nuzzled the side of her head into it.
“Sin, I need you. Do you hear me?”
*Thump*
A soft nod. Rai could barely see or feel it, but it was definitely a nod.
“Okay, follow my voice and break out of the darkness. I need you in the light now.”
“I’m r-really sorry.” Sin whispered a final time.
“You’re doing great. Can you tell me what happened now?”
Sin nodded again, with a bit more strength this time. She gently held Rai’s hand with her own.
*Thump*
She slowly creaked her head up to look at Rai.
“He knows.” Sin whispered in a broken voice. “Tullian knows about the forbidden spell.”
Rai stared at her wide-eyed. He understood why she looked so terrified now. In a sense, it was something that the both of them were worried about, but now they had to deal with a terrible scenario.
“I... see... it-... it should be fine! I don’t think Tullian will say anything... right?”
“I... I don’t know!”
“Okay... okay...” Rai’s voice softened. “I’m sorry... that you went through all of that... I’m sorry that I wasn’t there... But we’ll deal with it together, alright?”
Sin nodded into his shoulder. She held Rai tight. Tighter than he’d ever felt her do before. Sin let out the remnants of her pain in this embrace.
*Thump*
After a minute or two, Sin let go.
“I’m... I should be ok-kay now. I t-think. Thank you...”
Rai smiled warmly at her.
*Crash!*
*Crack...*
*Smash!*
“What the fuck...”
Rai turned around to look at the group again.
They were all looking up at something in the reservoir.
SKRREEEEEEEEEE!
Rai quickly turned his head to see it.
A massive monster came out of the water and had destroyed half of the land around the reservoir. It was almost like a misty rainstorm, since the creature had splashed most of the water in the reservoir high up into the air.
What the fuck is that!?!
“... A leviathan.” Sin whispered.
“We’re... fucked.”