Once she knew to listen for it, the rumbling of the earth elemental was a constant, much like the path it made around the village. The sound persisted no matter what substance it rolled across--the cobblestone of the plaza, the packed dirt of the streets, or the soft vines and soil of a vegetable garden.
Aridius stayed within the watchtower. Thus far, the elemental showed no signs that it noticed her or suspected anyone of being there. It was high up enough that Aridius had a good view of her surroundings and the roof was ample protection. There was even a small bench perfect for a single person to sit and wait out their watch duty.
A gangplank hung over the gate connected this watchtower with its brother and Aridius decided to explore the two towers. Unsurprisingly, there wasn't much to be found: a few large blankets, empty lanterns and the oil to fill them, a horn for sounding the alarm, and a pack of cards. There was also a winch and chain contraption for moving the drawbridge but it to heavy for her to use. Finally, there was a large crossbow with a crank along with a set of about twenty bolts. Using the leather cord attached to it, Aridius slung the crossbow over her back.
She wondered why the drawbridges had been left open. Maybe they hoped the earth elemental would just wander out on its own.
While Aridius hadn't spotted anyone, she was certain at least one person was in the large inn across the plaza. Meeting up with them might be the best thing to do but she wasn't sure she could move quickly enough to reach the inn before the earth elemental spotted her. Even if she could, there was no guarantee that whoever was inside would hear her and let her in.
"Any suggestions on how to deal with an earth elemental?" Aridius asked NOVA.
"Magnetic acceleration cannons have proven effective against hostile wildlife." For the briefest moment, Aridius thought she heard a smirk in NOVA's emotionless voice. "Previous survey notes submitted by the crew indicate that terramorphs are generally 'resistant' to most physical damage, poison, and acid, 'immune' to fire damage, and 'vulnerable' to sonics.
"Another important note is that several varieties possess a 'tremorsense.' They can feel movement across the ground and seem aware of when a non-moving creature is beside them."
That reminded Aridius of monsters in several games. Elementals were in a sort of web of strengths and weaknesses against one another. As she sat on the watchtower's bench, Aridius realized how lucky she might have been. She had crossed the bridge into town and then immediately gone up into the watchtower, neither of which was solid ground. If she'd decided to check out one of the farmhouses first, the elemental might have found her before she even knew it was around.
Now that she thought about it, the inn being three stories high might also be why people had sought shelter in it. Most of the farmhouses were only ground level with pointed, thatched roofs. Aridius eyed an unlocked shed in the closest garden as a plan formed in her head.
She waited on the stairs in the watchtower, listening as the earth elemental rumbled by and then deeper into the village. Ignoring the pain in her leg, she half-jogged to the shed and opened it, searching for a shovel.
As she pushed aside a rake and hoe, the rumble started and she darted outside, grabbing the roof of the shed and pulling herself up onto it. It was grimy, the green paint having mostly peeled off, and the wood rough under her as she tried to make herself as small as possible.
The earth elemental rolled by, utterly indifferent to the crazy woman in a body suit hugging the top of a garden shed. It also showed no interest in the door of the watchtower now hanging open. Its head had no features and was simply a chunk of rock about the size and shape of a human head. Aridius wondered if it could even see. And how intelligent was it? The endless, simple patrol might suggest mindlessness but complex AIs that had been given a basic set of instructions also acted that way until something triggered a response in them.
Once it got far enough away, Aridius returned to the shed and grabbed what she needed before heading to the drawbridge.
She kept a lookout as she dug. Aridius had arrived at the village less than an hour ago and the road looked well-traveled. It was possible that at any moment a wagon or horseriders would come into view and help explain whatever was happening here.
Along with the orchard, there was also a large pasture outside town with a number of cattle within. They all looked to be fat and in good health. Their glossy black coats were also threaded with a mossy green that reminded Aridius of the boars she'd seen in the orchard. The twenty or so cows looked a bit like miniature bison while the single bull was about three times their side with a set of four horns, two sweeping forward and two towards the sky.
Digging was going to take her a while but as long as she wasn't walking, the effort was bearable. While wiping sweat away from her forehead, Aridius noticed another oddity.
"Are my ears pointed?" she asked.
"They are," NOVA replied.
"Like an elf's?"
"Yes, I believe the average person would agree with that description."
Aridius stabbed the shovel into the ground in frustration. "There are things you're not telling me."
"That is correct, Helmsman Vaynshteyn. I have a great deal of information but do not wish to overwhelm you until you are secure and in better condition."
"Why do I have pointed ears?"
"I do not know. Several members of the crew have undergone transformations; Second Engineer Kimora no longer qualifies as a mammal. However, these mutations all appear to be benign."
"Benign?" Aridius snapped back. "Benign? Turning into a fucking bird or fish or lizard is benign?"
"Apologies, I misspoke. I am not qualified to make a medical diagnosis. Also, I believe Second Engineer Kimora is more crocodilian--"
"Shut up!"
Aridius dropped her shovel to the ground with a thunk and stepped out of the small pit. Her breaths were short and ragged and her head had started to pound. She sat, pulled her knees to her chest, and rested her face against her legs. Her cheeks burned despite the cool breeze.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds around her: the rustling of leaves, the grunting and moos of the cows, the rush of river water, and the faint rumble of the earth elemental. Aridius turned off the angry flow of thoughts and feelings and focused her mind only on the world around her. The mind itself could be a tiger pit--a trap that led you only downwards into dark places.
The trick was to stop digging. To look outwards and try to get out of your own head.
Once she'd listened to the world long enough, Aridius turned her focus to her body. Calming her breath, loosening her tense shoulders, and straightening her spine. After a minute or so, she felt something in her shift as the pressure within her eased.
She stood and headed for the river, slipping down the grassy slope and wading into a relatively still and shallow spot in the shadow of the bridge. The water was cold and clear, the stones on the bottom smooth enough that she had to step carefully. Tiny red and white fish, about the length of her finger, flitted about, nibbling on reeds.
After splashing her face, Aridius hesitantly sipped at the water. She'd much rather drink from the fountain in the town plaza or one of the small wells, but that wasn't an option. As the cool water ran down her throat, Aridius realized she was desperately thirsty. Kneeling down, she scooped up mouthfuls until the sensation passed.
"Are you still there, NOVA?" she asked.
"I hear you, Helmsman Vaynshteyn."
"I need to get this thing out of the village. I was digging a pit to make a sort of trap and figured once it was inside, I could pepper it with these crossbow bolts. Or maybe just pull up the drawbridge. What do you think?"
"It would be difficult to trap a terramorph in its affinity element. A bonfire wouldn't harm an ignimorph while an aeromoph can move freely through a tornado."
That was a good point. Even if Aridius could drop it down a 10-meter mineshaft, it might be able to roll up the walls or something. If not a pit then what about the river? Aridius looked downstream, past the giant black dome. If the water were deep enough, would it sink? It had already worn trails in parts of the village so it was heavy. But she doubted it needed to breathe. There was nothing to keep it from hitting the river bed and rolling back out.
"How strong is this thing anyway?" she asked.
"I am unable to help you determine that."
Aridius merely 'hmm'ed in reply. She'd been thinking aloud.
At the drawbridge, Aridius placed her foot in the crossbow's stirrup, cranked back the bow, and then slotted in a bolt. It had a stock similar to that of a rifle but the 'trigger' was a mostly horizontal lever on the bottom of the crossbow she had to squeeze.
Aridius lined up her shot and when the earth elemental came into view, squeezed the trigger. It was silent and Aridius realized she'd braced for a recoil that wasn't happening. The quarrel sailed straight and true through the air but her aim was lacking, and it hit the side of a house with a solid thunk.
For the first time, the earth elemental paused. Aridius watched as she cranked the crossbow again. Its top slowly spun around indicating that even if it didn't have eye, it had some form of vision. As it was kind enough to hold still, Aridius took aim and fired again. The shot skittered on the cobblestones beside it and it jerked around, looking right at her, and began to roll forward.
Aridius clutched the crossbow to her chest and sprinted away from the town to the orchard and pasture. Her leg screamed in pain and she ignored it--she'd be in a lot more pain if something that could knock down doors got a hold of her.
The earth elemental's rumble increased in pitch, becoming a roar. Aridius glanced behind her--it had reached the bridge and shot over it. A few cows called to her as she ran across the pasture. If they were domesticated, they were probably ready to be milked. She ignored them as she rushed to the trees. The sound of the earth elemental behind her rapidly increased and Aridius found another burst of energy within her.
At the orchard, she leaped forward, hauling herself onto the nearest branch and upwards. A tree-mantis slowly swiveled its head and she smacked at it with her crossbow, sending it flying. Her leg was bloody again but it was nothing serious. Below her, the earth elemental rolled up to the tree and slammed its fists against the bark. The reverberations shook the branches and pears dropped to the ground.
Aridius clung on and looked up, quickly spotting what she'd hoped for: the bull was making its way over.
In less than 24 hours, Aridius had encountered three different dangerous creatures and this was right beside a town. If a group of cows were left unattended to without a fence, those had to be some tough cows.
You didn't need tremorsense to hear the pounding of hooves against the soil. The earth elemental turned and rolled forward, raising its two fists high as though it were going to slam them into the bull's charging head. The complete lack of hesitation worried her for a moment, only a moment. The bull plowed right into the elemental, tossing its head up and sending the elemental flying. Aridius grinned as it arced through the air and crashed.
With an angry snort, the bull slammed into it again and again, alternating between flipping it over like a pancake and trampling it.
It turned out the earth elemental was as simple as it had seemed. Every time it rose, it rolled right toward the bull. Mostly it attempted the slam maneuver but a few times it whirled its upper body around, fists out like the blades of a propeller.
The bull took whatever blows managed to connect and gored, stomped, and trampled on the elemental until whatever force sustained it broke. The torso broke into a dozen pieces while the sphere rolled into a tree trunk and laid still.
Satisfied with its victory, the bull rose its large head to the sky and bellowed.
"I think a local farm animal took care of the terramorph, NOVA."
"I wondered what that sound was. Creatures like this sometimes have a core; if it's safe to do, try to destroy it."
Aridius dropped from the tree and approached the stone ball. Her arrows wouldn't scratch that so she rolled it back into town and into the shed. Using a garden pick, she chipped away at the sphere until it she reached a smokey geode within.
"Oh, this is nice. Do I need to shatter it completely?"
"A single, hard whack should do."
Holding the pick in both hands, Aridius held it aloft and then brought it down with all the might she could manage. As it hit, the entire sphere shattered and a force burst from it, throwing her off her feet and against the back of the shed.
"Shit," she muttered as she slid to the ground.
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Voice/Planet Connecting...
Monster defeated. Rewarding Anima.
Error: Unverified user.
Error: Unknown system.
Error: No internal nexus located.
Unable to reward anima.
Update Required: [Proceed] [Cancel]
----------------------------------------
"It's trying to do the thing again..." The presence in her head had increased tenfold as though whatever was behind this Voice/Planet was willing to shove its way into her mind if she didn't accept. "Feels angry now."
"It's a petulant little god," NOVA replied, "and you're denying it. If you can find somewhere to bunker down, we can proceed."
Aridius crawled forward, her skull feeling like it was going to burst, and shut the door to the shed.
"Ready." She sat back in the darkness. It smelled of good soil and iron. This would have to be sufficient.
"I'd like remote access to your ocular implant and interface. View and control permissions."
"I'm not sure about control." NOVA could literally blind her. Shut her eyes down.
"I understand you might be reluctant but when you select proceed, you're are going to pass out. The system will then give you a series of options and, when you fail to pick anything, will decide for you. If you do not trust me then you are trusting the system that is currently hurting you because it doesn't want to give you an entire day to orient yourself."
"This is insane," Aridius whispered, and then her voice rose. "Granting view and control permissions to NOVA. And I better get them back."
"I can confirm permissions have been granted. Select proceed when you're ready."
Aridius took a deep breath. She'd fight to stay conscious, no matter how great the pain. Her fingers brushed the air where the interface said [Proceed].
A blossom of pure, brilliant white light unfurled in her head, her eyes rolled back, and her body slumped back as she passed out.