We arrived at the second crack just as the day turned into night, and just in time for supper. To my utter surprise, we were greeted with the sounds of laughter and hundreds of gazelles amassed around the crack. An ornate carriage was off to the side, with the emissaries beside it. They were the ones laughing, for some unknown reason.
“How long... is it... between...” Steven tried to say between laughs, when the thicket of trees moved and a tree-like thing stepped out. It was covered in moss and I was about to warn them, when the gazelles converged on the thing and stripped it of its 'skin' in barely a second and it let out a howl of anguish as it died. Steven's laughter doubled and Jessica held her sides from laughing so hard.
“Hurry up and help before another one comes out.” A man partially hidden in the herd said.
Maylia let out a chuckle. “Okay, that's pretty funny.”
I tried not to see the humor in a herd of gazelles doing a better job at killing a monstrous creature than a group of adventurers, then another came out and it was gone a few seconds later. I let out a bark of laughter and Jessica heard me. Her head whipped around to look at me and her face was bright red.
“Maylia, give me a hand.” I said and turned on my powered armor. She hopped down off her horse and let me lean on her as I slid off my own. The pain was pretty intense after a ride like that; but, it was still bearable and I shrugged it off as what I would feel every time I tried to use my Presence or mana to stop or change a magical attack. Jessica saw the pain I was in and her blush was forgotten as she grabbed Josh's arm and rushed over to me.
“Hunter, what happened?” Jessica asked and motioned for Josh to heal me.
“The last crack had a swarm come out of it.” I said and turned off my armor, because it's electrical field interfered with healing. “I held it with Presence while Diofra's fireball consumed them, and the magical flames burned the Presence and me.”
Jessica looked at Maylia, who nodded. Everyone except Afyne slid off their horses and gathered around us. Josh looked a little nervous and held his hands out to heal me.
“This is going to keep happening, isn't it?” Jessica asked, concern in her voice.
“Until I can resolve the conflict between the two energies inside me, yes.” I sighed. “If I keep doing reckless things with it, that is. I was undamaged while fighting the garglemacers in the capital.”
“You were being extra careful then.” Maylia said. “You could have tried to attack more than the one you killed; but, you held yourself in check and did the most important thing. You got as many of them back inside that you could and then closed the crack.”
“This time, you...” Diofra took a shaky breath. “I don't want to see that again, all right?”
I felt Josh's healing ease the pain, so I turned to Diofra. I couldn't put a reassuring hand on her shoulder like I wanted to, though. “I told you that you did the right thing with not hesitating and I thanked you for that.” I said. “I wasn't exaggerating. I was hurt because of it, and that's okay. I knew it wouldn't be as bad as the last time I was magically hurt.”
“Hunter, that's not the point.” Diofra said. “It hurt my heart to see you suffer like that!”
“I know it did.” I said, then Josh's healing stopped and I felt normal, so I stepped forward and instead of putting a hand on her shoulder, I took her into a hug instead. She was stiff for only a moment, I assumed because it was a surprise, then she relaxed and put her arms around me, too. We held each other for a few moments and then I let her go.
“It's too bad we couldn't take a squad of the castle's healers with us.” Evus said.
“I wouldn't, even if I had that option.” I said, and quickly explained what happened the first time. “I'm sure the queen has them sorted out for the most part; but, considering it was the green robed man's job to handle that part of the staff, I don't want to be anywhere near them.”
“I'm really sorry about that.” Steven said, and I turned to see he and Kara had come over to us as well. “Because of me, he got away.”
“Technically, maybe.” I said. “He was a castle staff member for years and probably knows all the secret passageways inside the castle to get out fast, which was probably why he and Siada got away so quickly.”
“I will hunt her down.” Allirynn said. “Even if it takes me years, I will have her pay for killing my friends.”
Steven thought about arguing, then sighed. She had killed the guard when she escaped, so he knew she was perfectly capable of actually killing his friends if the mangled face man had ordered her to do it.
“I don't know if this will help.” Steven said and reached into his new bag of holding that Jessica had bought him and took out a small bundle of rags. “Maybe her old damaged clothes can give you a scent to track or there might be enough of her residue for a locate spell.”
Allirynn held his hands out, almost in reverence, and they shook as Steven gave him Siada's clothes. “Thank you.”
Steven nodded and looked at everyone's faces as he thumbed over his shoulder at the thicket of trees. “What do we do with this crack, besides laugh our assess off at it?”
Just then, another tree-like thing came out and the gazelles ate and killed it in only a few seconds.
“I think we need to hire some of these adventurers to take with us.” I joked, and that made everyone laugh, even the man who owned the herd. “Seriously, though. Despite the herd doing a fantastic job of keeping the tree things contained, we should close it as soon as I check the other side.”
“Excuse me?!?” Jessica and Kara said at the same time and with similar incredulous tones.
“I need to check what planet is on the other side and let god see the stars.” I said, and they just stared at me like I was crazy. “We're trying to find out what the cracks have in common.”
“Otherworldly creatures come out of them and they need to be closed.” Josh said. “What else is there to know about them?”
“Why are they on different planets and not the same one?” I asked. “If they were all connected and from the same place, that would be great and easily tracked. They aren't, though. Each crack we've gone in was in a different place and the stars were different.”
“Even the one in the capital?” Jessica asked.
“I didn't go in that one.” I said and didn't elaborate.
Jessica noticed my evasion and didn't call me on it, thankfully.
“I better get to it.” I said and walked over to the man that owned the herd. “Is there a trick to moving through them, or do I just try not to bump into them too much?”
“Don't worry about it. I'll lead you to the thicket.” The man said and turned around. I followed close behind him, and he weaved his way through the crowded herd like a fish through water currents. I could see touches of mana here and there between the man and the animals, and the gazelles respected his personal space.
We arrived at the thicket just as another tree-thing came out, and the gazelles rushed around us and dispatched the thing just as quickly as every other time and went back to their previous spots. Witnessing the death of the tree-thing up close was just as brutal as I thought it was, mainly because I could see the gazelles were eating both the thing's flesh as well as its mana. The deceased creature dropped to the ground and crumbled, almost into ashes, because it was only an empty husk now.
“Damnedest thing I ever saw.” The man said and looked at the remains.
“If I had some way to carry them, I would buy some of them from you.” I said and the man chuckled. “I'll be back out in a few minutes.”
“You're really going in there?” The man asked, surprised.
“I have to.” I said and stepped into the thicket without looking back. “Dear god, I need your help. We've got another one to deal with.” I said, and felt god's Presence and his consciousness surround me.
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“A real one this time.” My mouth said with god's voice. “What's inside?”
“Big tree-like creatures that have very tasty skin for drackolopes.” I said, and he barked a laugh.
“Should be fun.” He said with my mouth. “Can I have an arm? Your mother's Light sword should cut through them like a hot knife through butter.”
“You're not going to use Presence Lightning?” I asked and gave up my right arm.
“Even living wood is a poor conductor of electricity.” He said and drew my mother's Light sword as he covered me in his Presence to use my body like a puppet, then we jumped into the crack.
*
“I can't believe he actually went in.” Jessica said as she looked through her Truesight square. “I mean, I know he did, since I just saw him do it...”
Diofra laughed. “He's done it a few times already and it's a shock every time.” She said and held her Truesight square up next to Jessica's, so that everyone around them could see, too. “I swear he doesn't have a trace of fear in him.”
“You're mistaking the courage to face fear with a lack of fear.” Maylia said. “He's very much afraid.”
“How do you know that?” Steven asked. “He's not acting afraid at all.”
“He's afraid he'll get stuck on the other side of the crack.” Maylia said. “He's afraid that even with god's help, he might not survive the next encounter when they cross over. He's also very afraid of being killed and not being here to protect me or Afyne.”
Everyone turned from looking through the squares and stared at her, then looked at Afyne.
“Then why is he doing it?” Josh asked. “If he wants to keep you safe, why risk going in?”
“Like he said, it's the only way to find out where these things are coming from.” Maylia said. “Plus, he knows if the cracks stay open, this world will end up overrun like the ones on the other side.”
“What do you mean?” Jessica said.
“Didn't you ask the queen about what Hunter has been telling her?”
Jessica opened her mouth to say that she had, then closed it. “I thought I did.”
Maylia chuckled. “Maybe you need another lesson on not ignoring the sources of information in front of you.”
“He told you that, too?”
“He's told me everything.” Maylia said, and Kara raised her eyebrows at her. “Yes, even about you and the teck-know-ledge-y he uses.” She smiled. “That word is as hard to say as it is to understand.”
“But, you do understand it?” Jessica asked, curious.
“Hunter is a very good teacher.” Maylia said, a little smugly.
“I understand it, too!” Afyne said and raised her hand.
“You're on a horse.” Maylia said with a chuckle. “We can see that it was you that spoke.”
“Oh! Sorry.” Afyne put her hand down and a few of the others laughed.
Jessica turned to Diofra. “You're one of the most powerful mages from the castle.” She said, and the woman nodded. “How many daily spells do you have?”
“Six.” Diofra said, quite proud of her accomplishment. “I have four normal and two divine ones.”
“Divine?” Jessica asked, surprised.
“Yes, once you establish a good rapport with your chosen divinity, after a lot of prayer and if you are deemed worthy, they will sometimes grant you a spell to use in their name.”
“No way!” Josh exclaimed, quite surprised.
“I've been a devoted servant for five years.” Diofra said. “I was granted a divine spell after the third year, then another only last year.” Her face flushed a little red. “I shouldn't brag like that.”
“It's not bragging.” Jessica said. “We asked and you answered.”
“Still, I shouldn't gloat like that.” Diofra said. “Even if it is quite an accomplishment to have two extra spells past the free daily ones.”
“Did you say free?” Josh asked, his eyes wide.
“It's in the next book.” Jessica said and took out another colorful children's book called 'Magic and Me'.
“The crystal was a distraction!” Josh exclaimed. “I knew you had another book!”
Jessica laughed. “We arrived here before I could give it to you.” She said and handed it to him. “Don't look so worried. There are no rhymes in it until you get to the spell chants.”
“Thank the goddess.” Josh said and opened the book.
“You're going to read that now?” Maylia asked.
“Why not?” Josh asked. “We're just standing around and...” He stopped talking when he felt a very powerful creature burst out of the thicket of trees and the herd of gazelles scattered by the scare.
“What in the seven hells is that?!?” The man who owned the herd asked as a mass of what looked like tree roots and vines doubled up on themselves and pushed itself up into a kneeling position. A moment later, the sound of a Light sword was heard and a large section of the vines and roots split apart and Hunter dropped ten feet to land on the ground and he rolled to the side before the mass of vines could grab him again.
“I could use a little help here.” Hunter said as he stood and took a fighting stance, then the huge mass of tree roots and vines rolled onto its side and tried to overwhelm him by shooting out vines and roots to try and cover him. He swung the Light sword in an arc to block most of them and cut them off from the main mass; but, he wasn't fast enough to get all of them in one swipe. His ankles were quickly caught and he was yanked off of his feet and pulled into the mass of roots and vines.
“HUNTER!” Afyne, Maylia, Jessica and Kara yelled as he disappeared from sight.
Maylia drew her sword and covered it in mana and ran towards the mass of vines. She wasn't surprised to have Kara right beside her; but, she was surprised that she used an enchanted sword and not a Light sword like Hunter. They both started hacking at the mass, careful of where they struck, in case the mass decided to suck them in, too. Josh stood about ten feet away and cast a boost spell to give them bonuses to their attacks and their damage.
“It's still coming through the crack!” Steven said as he gained the bonuses and started to hack at the thing with his own sword. “How big is this thing?”
“Do we really need to know that?” Allirynn said and ran over. When he tried to grapple with it, all it did was flow out of his arms like water. “Oh, you're going to piss me off, are you?” He asked with a deadly smile and gathered mana into himself and spread it over his body. “Let's see how you like this.”
Allirynn grabbed one of the thick roots with his hands and squeezed. The thing shivered and tried to pull away, and he grinned and bent the root in his hands. It squealed, somehow, and a large section of the mass stopped moving.
“I knew you'd like it.” Allirynn said and started to walk away from the mass while still holding the root. It squealed again and shot vines around him. “Yeah, that's not going to stop me.” He said and kept walking, unimpeded by the six vines trying to hold him.
“Thanks for making an opening for me, Allirynn.” Imiryl said in a soft voice as she touched his shoulder. He smiled at her and walked past as she concentrated on her powers. “It's time for an early frost!” She said and put her hands together, created a kind of beam, and shot it right at the split that Allirynn had made in the mass. The whole thing shivered as the beam hit and frost started to grow out from the spot in all directions.
“Keep it up!” Diofra said and grabbed Jessica, then moved over next to Imiryl and aimed at the other side of her frost. “I couldn't let my fireballs go with the others in the way.”
“Fireballs? But, I thought...” Jessica started to say.
“The ice will act as a barrier for the heat.” Diofra said. “That's why we didn't use it when fighting the garglemacers. The fire wouldn't be as effective with all that ice and snow from the storm Imiryl and I created.”
“Okay.” Jessica said. “Where should I aim?”
“Just follow my lead.” Diofra said and took out her mana crystal. She said a little chant and a massive fireball shot out and hit just on the outside of the ice and lit about ten feet of the roots and vines on fire. Jessica nodded and used one of her free fireball spells and hit just passed that, and then chanted herself. She didn't want to waste the other free instant one, in case she needed it later. At the last second, she remembered to use her own mana crystal as the focus and took it out. A massive fireball, twice the size of Diofra's, slammed into the mass of roots and vines and lit nearly thirty feet of it on fire.
“Nice one!” Diofra said. “I didn't think about combining a real spell with a focused spell!”
Is that what I did? Jessica asked herself, then she watched Diofra chant to cast the spell with her own mana, then focused it through the crystal and doubled its power and effectiveness. Another massive fireball hit the roots and spread another thirty feet.
“Ha ha!” Diofra laughed and pat Imiryl's arm and Jessica's hand. “Let's show them what magic users can really do!”
Jessica nodded and both women started to cast fireball after fireball while Imiryl changed her beam from frost to ice and created a much stronger barrier to protect the fighters from the heat. The roots and vines screamed as the two competing burns covered half of its current body. The whole thing shivered as the large root and bunch of vines that Allirynn pulled on, snapped from the pressure. The root and vines fell to the ground and crumbled almost to ash.
“HA!” Allirynn yelled. “Sever it from the roots!”
“Consider it done.” Kara said and stepped back from trying to cut into the mass to get Hunter. She ran over to the thicket of trees that hid the crack and readied her sword. She closed her eyes and covered the blade with mana and Presence, and the blade extended out to twice its length. That was just an illusion, though. It was just Presence filled with mana, and Kara used Detect Presence to see through the mass of roots.
Kara took a deep breath and swung with all her might and pushed with Presence as well. Her sword went about halfway through before the thick mass stopped her progress and her enhancement on the sword faded. The part she had severed fell away and part of the root near the crack pulled back and disappeared. She pulled her sword out of the roots before they could grab it and she did the same preparation and swung again. She pushed with her remaining strength and Presence and managed to get the sword another third of the way through. The severed roots fell off and she collapsed to her knees from her exertion.
“Thanks.” Hunter said, and Kara heard the reluctance in his voice. She couldn't say anything back, because she was breathing too heavily. He casually swung his Light sword and severed the last of the roots. They receded into the crack and he turned away from her, then to her surprise, he grabbed the side of the crack and physically pulled it closed. She felt the odd Presence inside him as the energy sewed the crack closed and healed the scar to erase it completely and the thicket of trees faded away.
“Thank god that's over.” Hunter said. “Don't expect me to let you have fun like that next time.” He wasn't looking at her as he spoke, though. “Amen.”
Kara felt the odd Presence fade away and Hunter touched her shoulder.
“Maylia told me you jumped right in with her to help cut me free.” Hunter said.
Kara gasped as he shared his energy with her and her exhaustion evaporated. She felt energized and invigorated, even more than she normally did after a good rest or meditation. She still didn't say anything, this time for a different reason. She wasn't sure what to say.
“Yeah, I don't know what to say, either.” Hunter said as he recognized the look in her eyes. He let her shoulder go and walked over to the others. His hair had lost the tie at some point and Kara stared at his long golden hair as it swung behind him. It was matted in places and quite dishevelled, and it definitely needed a good brushing; and yet, she would give almost anything to bury herself into it, even in its current state. She gazed at it for only a moment more, then stood up and walked over to the others as well.