Chapter 43 - A Sigh of Relief

Peeking from behind tree trunks, they had a relatively good view. The pyramid in the distance was surrounded by thick thorny masses of the Overgrowth vines. The town was built around it in a circular fashion and seemed abandoned. Except for the largest building, big as a mansion, which was guarded by Roots. The proud house, built on stone arches and a network of wooden poles to stand above the water, was richly decorated with intricate green tapestries. As if Caine needed any further support for his ego, small statues of him stood at the corners of the slanted roofs on each story. Behind the house was the only opening amidst the thorns towards the pyramid.

Emily brushed her wet hair from her face. “Well, seems like we’ll either have to sneak past it or fight our way through.”

Adam rubbed the scars on his wrist. “To hope we’ll stay unnoticed might be the riskier option. When we got near the statue on top of Eulenschloss’s pyramid, it suddenly changed and became way more realistic, with the colours and all. Plus, the spiral around it surged to life and shone way brighter. I’ve got a vague suspicion all the Roots in the Node will see if that happens now and we’d get a tsunami of enemies on our necks. No, catching them off guard and getting them one by one sounds safer.”

“Or, at least dwindling their numbers as far as possible,” Emily said. “Before they notice and we have to take all of them on in a chaotic garbage fire of a melee. Lovely.”

Sneaking from tree to tree to avoid being spotted, Adam, Oliver, and Emily made their way to the town at the centre of the Node. To approach the guarded house directly seemed dangerous, so, at first, they neared an abandoned hut on the other side of the town. It reminded Adam of fishing settlements he’d seen in Oberia, consisting of small, simple huts of wood and reeds that were connected to each other with wooden bridges. Thorned vines grew just about everywhere. Inside the huts were the bleak remnants of combat between the Thalers and the Roots.

If the group were to move over the bridges or from roof to roof, the Roots that were guarding the main building would probably shower them with projectiles. Approaching from the water seemed too conspicuous as well. Moreover, wading through waist-high water would make progress slow and combat difficult.

So, Oliver’s idea was to climb the system of beams, poles and pillars that raised the village above the water. If they were careful, they could make their way towards the main building unnoticed by moving beneath the other huts.

After quickly checking their surroundings for enemies, they climbed over the maze of horizontal, vertical and diagonal beams. Adam and Emily, being more used to physical exertion, moved in front. Oliver followed a couple of feet behind them. Out of the three of them, his Invocations were the most powerful since he’d focused all his training on Novaseering. However, his abilities were relatively conspicuous. So, he would let Adam and Emily try to finish the job first and was ready to intervene when necessary.

The group gradually approached the short side of the main house, which had a roughly rectangular shape. Above them were a small terrace and a shut door, guarded by two Roots. Carefully peaking up at the building’s roofs, Adam could see other Roots who were keeping their feverish eyes on the surroundings. Although the Roots probably had an acute sense of hearing, the relentless rain luckily muffled the sounds of Adam, Emily and Oliver’s approach.

Emily turned around and used sign language. “First, we can distract and kill the two enemies up there. Then, I can clear the roof.”

Adam and Oliver reacted with a thumbs up. “We’ll go beneath the house and kill the enemies on the other side. Then, we’ll go in together,” Adam gestured back.

The Roots above them could be seen through the crevices between the planks of the rectangular terrace. Adam and Emily climbed from beam to beam, until they were ready to hoist themselves up to either side of the terrace.

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With nervous tension rushing through his veins, Adam hung from the wooden beams, ready to ambush the Roots on top. He nodded stiffly to Oliver, who returned the gesture and set their plan into action.

Keeping low above the water, Oliver conjured a small, crudely shaped fish of Marrow which glowed in white. The fish swam to the open water next to the terrace and made circles, just low enough beneath the surface to be visible.

Adam peered at the Root in front of him, waiting for his chance. Some filthy strips of clothing could be seen between the thorny vines and leaves that covered its gaunt body. Intrusive thoughts kept popping up of who the Root used to be when it had still been a Thaler.

Adam clenched his jaw and steeled his mind for what he was about to do. Some people in the military had no trouble attacking someone out of combat, but Adam did. He was always the type that remembered all the faces of those he had to fight in the war. He sighed, releasing as little breath as possible. The muscles in his arm began to tremble.

Still, I suppose killing a Root is different compared to a normal person. There’s no way they’re in control of themselves, and that sigh of relief when you kill one, oof… As Adam looked closer, the movements of the Root’s limbs seemed to be caused by the contraction and relaxation of vines around its body. Adam’s eyes narrowed. What… are you? Do you serve a Thuraum? Memories of the Corrupted flashed before his mind’s eye. He considered the depression Caine used to have, and how it suppressed other emotions like—

The Root’s masked head jerked to the right; it saw Oliver’s distraction. Immediately, without a thought, Adam hoisted himself up. His body seemed to move on its own when he dashed behind the Root and twisted its neck around. The other Root stared at him with feverish eyes, but the point of Emily’s Marrow dagger already poked out of the front of its throat. Softly, both Roots sighed in relief and crumbled. Emily and Adam plucked the sprites from the air before they could betray their presence. He felt the prickling energy change into the cool surface of an ammonite.

Adam sighed grimly and looked down. Gilded roof tiles of grand buildings shone from below the water, forming the basis upon which the poles were founded. Adam stopped himself from wondering what architectural jewels were swallowed by the mud and water, and their implications for this world of memories. Later. We’ve got work to do.

He exchanged a look with Emily and they both nodded. Carefully, quietly, she made her way up the roof as Adam and Oliver lowered themselves. Hearing the rapid beats of his heart all the way up his throat, Adam climbed the poles beneath the building. Two down, but we’ve no idea how many are inside. And if Emily gets into trouble, there’s no way we can get to the roof quickly. He tried to calm himself with deep breaths. She can handle herself.

Suddenly, barely visible shapes moved under the water in front of him. Hollow reeds, undoubtedly used for breathing while submerged, were thrown aside. Without a thought, Adam burst into action, swinging forward as fast as he could.

Two of the shapes breached the surface: Roots with spears ready to throw. Before they could scream or hurl their crude weapons, one of Oliver’s Marrow daggers embedded themselves into each of their masks with a soft ‘thunk.’ A third shape rapidly moved away from them, but Adam grabbed a horizontal beam in front of him and swung forward with both legs extended. As soon as the third Root breached the surface, Adam’s kick connected to the back of its head with all the subtlety of an anvil. The Root sloshed down into the water again and didn’t rise.

Adam and Oliver quickly grabbed the sprites, checked for more Roots, and made their way to the other side. Peeking up, Adam got a glimpse of how Emily moved towards a Root that guarded the roof of a higher storey. With practised efficiency, Emily dispatched it with a knife to the neck and pulled it back before its fall would alert others.

Although one of the two Roots on the terrace seemed oblivious, the other turned its head to look up at the roof. Adam wasn’t sure if it had seen Emily, but he couldn’t risk it. He pulled himself up and twisted the Root’s neck. Oliver threw a Marrow boomerang up from beneath the terrace, which curved through the air and pierced the other Root’s chest.

However, it wasn’t dead. Its feverish, bloodshot eyes opened wide.

Adam gasped silently. He dashed forward before the Root could—

The Root screamed its lungs out and made terribly loud, hackling coughs before it crumbled into a pile of misery.

Adam winced at the raspy racket and hopefully eyed the door. Maybe the Roots inside haven’t—

The noise of thumping footsteps erupted from inside the building.

Of course. Adam sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Well, Emily called it. And there’s no turning back now.