Hump exchanged brief goodbyes with Wizard Aldric. The man would ensure the defence of Fort Nordric was well established before taking what force could be spared south to aid the rest of Alveron.
“Do not forget my offer,” Aldric said. “Once all this is over, the two of us shall have a chat. You will find many benefits from my order, I am sure of it.”
“Until then,” Hump nodded. “Good luck in Nordric.”
“And to you in Elevine.”
They shook hands, and then Hump watched the man go to where the rest of the Nordric contingent were gathered. Soon, their three hundred would be just over two hundred. A considerable number of Chosen, certainly, but the losses would be felt.
Activating the old temple array turned out to be a simple affair. With the artifact in place, it required only an application of will and essence to open a portal back to the fortress. Unlike when the gorger had used the ruins of the temple on the other side of Fisher’s Lake, the entire array lit up, shining as if peering up at the cloud of stars in the night sky until the world cracked in two, a path opening to a place beyond. This rift was nothing like the dark portal of the Infernal Halls. Hump could see through it as if peering through water—an underground room lay on the other side. It could have been a cellar, or perhaps a part of the tunnel system he and the others had searched near the Sapphire Docks.
“As dank and dark as that place looks, I would pay a lot of money to go through,” Dylan said.
“You do not have to stay for our sake,” Bud said. “I know the Infernal Halls was hard on you, my friend. If it is too much, better you say now than find yourself weakened before battle.”
Dylan shook his head. “It leaves me weary, but not weakened.” He grinned at them. “I couldn’t leave you lot behind, after all. Forgive me, I’ll stop complaining about it.”
Bud clasped his shoulder and chuckled. “Nothing to forgive. If it helps to let it out, I’m happy to listen.”
Once opened, the force stepped through taking the prisoners with them. The portal closed as General Korteg removed the artifact. They would take it with them south in case the other temple lacked one.
“As amazing as that was,” Celaine said, “I feel like I’m growing used to portals.”
“I’m not,” Emilia said. “The magic of ancient wizards is beautiful.”
“It is,” Hump said, eyes sparkling as he watched the ancient array fade in power. He wished he had time to study it fully. The Book of Infinite Pages didn’t seem to gain enough information to process the enchantment upon the floor. He wondered if it extended underground.
With only those of General Korteg’s expedition still alive in the temple, it was time for them to begin moving. Blood compass in hand, the general led them out into the wasteland, climbing a large hill until they looked over the wasteland. Korteg pointed toward the horizon, nothing but red sand, stone, and endless sky between them and it.
“Our objective is that way,” he said. “We will divide those with support blessings and magic into shifts, ensuring everyone has plenty of time to rest while we move. Ideally, we will maintain a constant boost for all of us until we meet our objective.”
Affirmations went up around the group, and soon, those with support abilities were assigned shifts, Dylan and Bud amongst them. The two of them would be active at different times, providing endurance and stamina for their squads. With everyone prepared, their blessings were unleashed.
The sensation was… amazing. Hump had experienced a number of army-wide blessings now and knew how effective they were at boosting the body and soul. This was on another level. Everyone here was an expert—skilled in both ability and strength. The best of the best selected for a mission that would require such skill to survive.
As their blessings fell upon him, Hump felt as if he could fly. His body was light, his legs strong, the air he breathed fresh as a forest and making his head buzz. His mind cleared, the tiredness of battle was swept away, and he felt ready. No doubt the pain would hit him later, but at least for now, he felt he could run to Elenvine and back.
“Are you ready?” He looked at Nisha.
She chuffed, letting out a breath and looking at him eagerly, her tongue hanging out of her mouth. Excitement.
“Good. I’m excited too. Maybe we’ll find something in this world to give us a clue as to what it may have once been.”
They started to move, a column of men and women in a land of nothingness. Sped on by Chosen of Vesta and lesser wind gods, they moved at a speed not even horses could match. Throughout the group, Chosen utilised their blessings to provide support. Some focused on the wind users, ensuring that their essence reserves remained refreshed and steady, while others supported the rest of them.
And thank the gods for that, because Hump needed the support. He frowned, thanking the gods seemed inappropriate all of a sudden. Oh, what does it matter? It’s just a saying. He glanced up at the sky. And you know what, I’d thank a bloody demon if it meant I didn’t have to run so much.
“This must be how you always feel,” Hump said to Celaine. “No wonder you’re always running on ahead.”
“I am not always running ahead!” Celaine protested.
Emilia laughed at her side. “You most certainly are. It’s a good thing though! You’re scouting for us.”
“Exactly, it’s my job,” Celaine said.
“Vivienne told me of warrior bands that would utilise a concoction of herbs to force themselves into a state like this,” Dylan said. “Potions that enhanced the speed and stamina of a person, and forced them to remain awake for days on end, dulling pain, fear, and tiredness.”
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“Maybe you should look into that,” Bud said to Hump. “Sounds handy.”
Hump nodded. “Especially if Dylan can help me grow the herbs we need. It would be a good time to start teaching me about nature magic.”
The druid hummed thoughtfully. “I’m not so sure we’d want to. Thinking on it, there were some side effects. Short-term, there were cases of euphoria and overconfidence that got many people killed, and if taken continuously for too long, people turned on each other.”
“I’m not surprised,” Bud said. “Being awake for days on end is awful. How long do you think it’s been since we slept?”
“We must be coming up on a full day now,” Emilia said.
“What about long-term effects?” Hump asked.
“Well—and it has been a while since I read this, so this may have some inaccuracies—I remember many being haunted by paranoia, hallucinations, and all manner of other problems of the mind. Not to mention death.”
“Doesn’t get much more long-term than death,” Celaine said. “Maybe this isn’t one to add to the list.”
“I can see a use,” Hump said. “Second Life isn’t exactly a safe potion to use for prolonged periods of time. When the options are immediate death or the potential for paranoia in the future, I know what I’d choose.”
“You have a point,” Dylan said. “Perhaps you and I should look into expanding our potion repertoire when we have the opportunity. It would make for a good chance for you to practice some nature spells, as you said.”
“I’ve got a lot of spells to start practicing. Lots and lots and lots. I’m not even sure where to start,” Hump said, referring to the latest ability of the Book of Infinite Pages. Or rather, the breaking of a seal. So many spells were now available to him that were previously hidden, and he couldn’t wait to peruse them.
If I don’t die before I get the chance, he thought.
Soon, Hump became too tired to chat as they ran, even with the many blessings upon him. Hours went by, each one dragging on longer than the last. There seemed no end in sight.
And so… they ran.
And ran…
… And ran.
“How are you holding up?” Dylan asked.
“I… should have… stayed with Aldric,” Hump wheezed.
Laughter erupted from his so-called friends, drawing the eyes of the other parties.
“You guys… are awful!” Hump said. “Next time… you…” he groaned, then breathed deeply. “Can’t talk… Will die.”
How embarrassing, he thought. I’m too tired to even hit them with a witty comeback.
“You’re doing great,” Bud said. “Just hang in there and breathe.”
“By my estimate, we’re halfway there,” Celaine said.
Hump groaned again, gazing up at the sky where Nishari flew overhead. “Grow up fast, Nisha. I need a method of getting around that doesn’t involve moving!”
A feeling of playful curiosity returned to him, and then she sent him a vision of the vast wasteland. Her emotions turned toward nervousness. Clearly, she enjoyed flying, but she did not like the air of this world.
Hump wasn’t surprised. Wolf dragons seemed in tune with the world in a way that humans were not, and there was a wrongness to this place. As they ran, Hump tried to distract himself by figuring out exactly what it was that made it feel so different. He expanded his senses, reaching for the strange essence that surrounded him, so faint, it was like it had been siphoned away. When he’d been here a year ago, he’d considered it dead essence, but to his senses now he realised that was an ambiguous description. An answer, yes, but not an explanation.
He tried to incorporate it into his essence channels, cycling it through his body to bring some of the life back to it, but he felt nothing. Something about it made it entirely unusable. As he continued to think of it, feeling it with his mind and soul, it occurred to him that the essence of this world had been broken down into something… lesser.
Pure essence was a brilliant blue—almost white. It was filled with life that shone with such vividness that one could mistake it for a soul. No matter how faint the essence was in his own world, no matter the affinity, it always possessed that life—that intent. The warmth of nature, the energy of fire, the slow, unchanging power of the earth, and the calm of water. Everything from the smallest grain of sand to the thin air upon the mountains was governed by intent. Rules from which the world took orders. Rules that allowed life to exist and held the very fabric of the world together.
Without them, this was what remained. A barren wasteland. The gorger had blamed the gods for the state of this world. Their war had caused this—a war of such ferocity that it had broken the very nature of this world.
It was a sad, terrifying thought. Hump wondered what might have lived here once. He remembered the glimpse into the gorger’s memories when he had killed it. There had been more to this world. It may have been smaller than their own, but he was sure it was just as fascinating.
Strangely, the running got easier after a certain point. He became used to the tiredness and the boredom. Other than a couple of breaks to eat, they had not stopped on the way, and now Hump saw the reward for their progress before any others. Nishari caught a glimpse of shadow rising in the distance—the temple loomed ahead.
Hump called her to return to his side, not wanting to give their position away. Energy returned to him, spurred on by the excitement that their run was finally at an end.
“General…” Hump called, then took a deep breath. “Nisha has spotted the temple up— Oh shit.”
Fear stirred in Nisha as she floated down from above. He caught another glimpse of something, the shadow was darkening. And it was coming closer. Around him, the rest of the expedition had slowed to a stop and were looking at him.
“What is it?” General Korteg asked. There was a sheen of sweat on the man’s forehead.
“I don’t know,” Hump said. “But something is coming, and it’s coming fast.”
They stared into the distance, across the flat plains, as a vast cloud approached them like a flock of birds.
“Oh… oh no,” Celaine murmured. “Those are shades. Prepare for battle! Shades approach!”
“How many do you see?” Count Daston called.
“Hundreds.” Celaine shook her head, disbelief in her eyes. “Thousands. I cannot count them. They sweep toward us like a storm.”
Hump’s mind went to the shadow spirits that had attacked Fisher’s Lake. They lacked a physical form, appearing like cloaks in the wind, siphoning off the essence of those they came into contact with. Their touch had driven Priest Albry mad, pushing him into the service of the gorger. Nisha landed at his side, fear and excitement surging through her.
Around them, the expedition gathered together, splitting off into their assigned squads. Hump was swept up by the reorganisation, finding himself beside Marcela’s party.
“You’ve fought these things before?” she asked.
“Yes,” Hump said. “They are weak, but they are impervious to physical attacks. Do not let them touch you, for they will siphon the life force from you.”
“They must have been drawn to our essence,” Dylan said. “Do you remember what we did to lure them away?”
“Troll blood,” Hump, Bud, and Celaine said at once.
“Do we still have any?” Dylan asked.
Hump shook his head. “I used it all up long ago.”
“General Korteg, Count Daston,” Bud called, raising his voice over the crowd. “We fought these creatures before alongside Randall Ferrand’s party. They are drawn to essence and blood. We used troll blood to lure them to a location and it worked excellently.”
“Troll blood,” Count Daston said. “Does anyone have any troll blood?”
A few hands rose amongst the crowd, but then Anara spoke up.
“If troll blood worked before, I can do something better,” Lady Anara said. The flower druid had a particularly sinister grin on her face. “General, everyone, buy me a little time.”
“What will you do?” Isabella asked her, the Chosen of Emirai giving her party leader a curious look.
“I shall return some life to this dead land.”