Mother Elaine hopped off the truck bed, rubbing her legs to remove the numbness inflicted on her thighs. She stood at the spot Daniel was in a minute ago, observing the ridden town.
Daniel set all the luggage down next to his truck, which was not that many. Only a few where he only has one and the majority are Helda and Rebecca’s. And he originally thought it was unnecessary since this was world travel. Frankly, the situation played out well with the extra luggage and saved the two. One of the sudden feats Xavier came up with at the spot was all had to admit was clever.
Despite being on the roof, the situation isn’t calming down. All around the building, in any direction in view, there are screams from low to high at various corners of the block. Add on the rumbling of collapsed houses and the crumbled bricks and concrete. Pretty ironic when the entire group was relatively safe on the roof of the brick-structured building.
In fact, Daniel wondered who deployed the white plume. Other than the rest of the group present, he saw no one else. Who the hell deployed the landing zone? He asked Zhengyu and Alyssa’s mother. “Where’s the one who initiated the landing spot?”
Zhengyu pointed down repetitively. “Crazy as it sounds, we are safer landing on the roof than on the ground. This building has already countered much of the damage that the surroundings surrendered to. Why? Because the ones managing this place are right below us.”
“Is there a spot? There’s no clear area for us to descend.” Daniel said nothing to perceive across the entire roof, excluding the frame damage.
“You’re about to find out,” Alyssa’s mother commented, quietly pacing to a clear spot at the far end of the roof relatively rear of the building. “Here!”
She tapped her foot twice, summoning layers of rings around her. It continued to stack up while encircling her until doubled her height when it stopped. The pure white rings turned flower violet, and water started to drip from the uppermost ring.
It’s drizzling. Daniel saw multiple droplets precipitating from the rings. Furthermore, an abundance of sharp cracking sounds from the sky followed. Loud enough to bring a slight tremble within. Clouds rapidly formed above the roof amid the hardly visible night sky from all the hovering smoke. Afterward, light flashed through the clouds repeatedly and summoned bolts of lightning down at the ring’s surface. Daniel was about to run in, but Zhengyu stopped him, insisting she wouldn’t be toasted.
“You’ll learn this soon. Don’t worry, newcomers always have that reaction. It is understandable as lightning bolts appeared in a direction to strike but look. What do you see?”
They’re conductors, aren’t they? “The rings are reacting to it as if organizing the whole charge. Incredible.”
Zhengyu nodded. “It won’t take too long. This is a type of teleportation.”
The drizzles convert to full precipitation, pouring water from underneath the uppermost ring. Pail’s worth of water was forced downwards to the surface of the roof, putting her behind the waterfall. The water too was violet, matching the rings. Behind where she was standing, turned into a silhouette, depicting she was still there. After a moment of staring, she lifted both of her arms with her hands open, and Daniel saw the tension through her fingers despite all black from the silhouette.
White space peeked through the center of the entire rings of the waterfall. The fingers of Alyssa’s mother exited and held the surface of the water with a tight grip. It was solid. Daniel thought while she pushed through with her arms noted by the motion. Quickly, it pushed away in the direction of her hands like a double sliding door.
She panted excessively through her lungs before taking one left out. “We’re ready…”
“Let’s go,” Zhengyu announced, pulling a couple pieces of luggage inside while giving her water.
No harm done, I guess. Daniel moved in.
“Ah, bring your vehicle too.”
Daniel paused as if he heard that right. “No way, it won’t fit.”
“It’s fine, I can just enlarge the portal.”
Daniel unsheathed his katana, knowing that wouldn’t happen if she was already going through the fatigue symptoms. He shook his head, lifting his blade high in the air. “That's illogical. I don't know about you guys, but I've too much inside wanting to drip. I can't run out of qi no matter what I do. Despite the control, it's only a matter of time once the more involved I am that wouldn't be the case. There's this one ability I learned from the time with Xavier and Mother Elaine.” The blade emitted white qi around the tip. “I named it Teilen.”
White qi turned into sky-blue, overriding the katana’s qi. He leveled it up high with his right and carefully eased it down to his upper chest.
“Teilen…share?!” Alyssa’s mother replied.
“I see a German language equivalent. But yes. I could give out a bit of my qi to support teammates or to be determined on what else it could do.”
Alyssa with her hand up, expressing concern and doubt. “But just hold on. If doing it that way is safe.”
Alyssa’s mother raised her hand. “It’s fine. I’ll do it.”
Similar but different. Daniel interpreted before turning his left to the front by moving the left forward with one step. Immediately, he lifted the katana over his shoulders with his right hand tightened on the hilt, charging up. “I’m thinking y’all should receive a bit of my qi. Just as a precaution. Ready?!”
Alyssa’s mother nodded. Helda and Rebecca reluctantly agree, not knowing what’s going on. Zhengyu stood directly next to Alyssa’s mother with one arm embracing her. Daniel unleashed one heavy slash aimed at more around the portal.
Behind the confidence, Daniel’s mind was blurred with shallow doubt about whether it would go off route, putting the area outside of the protected building at risk. After launching a huge load of qi, he timed his movements. One, two, three…five. He thrust his palm right to the blade and twisted his body to the right, moving the remaining blast of qi to the right.
The palm thrust interrupted it as the ability he inflicted was technically a continuous beam. Any sudden change in direction reduces its power and cools it off. His timing might have saved the group because when a load of qi shot away from the building after a few seconds, possibly some far district, unfortunately, got the taste of it.
The bright light of blue rays strived to its destination crashing to a couple clustered buildings in the distance. The speed brought the rubble with it, spewing towards the spot, and continued for a few more seconds where it all stopped.
Phew! All of that is over. Daniel was relieved. Smoke remnants lingered around the portal and were gusted away from a popping boom, signifying an increase in energy. Better be good news! His doubts had dwindled almost all with a tiny bit still felt uncertain. Until another burst of gust that swift it away up to the air before it dissipated.
Zhengyu stumbled a little out of the portal with his head hovered out of the entrance of the portal. He was looking down and his right hand gripped the opening. His hand quivered and Alyssa’s mother took notice as she coughed whoppingly, huffing out smoke.
Helda and Rebecca appeared fine. Liam removed his cast from his left arm, tearing it to sheds and letting it fall off his arm. Daniel, outside of the portal, heard the popping crackling from his forearms like the playfulness of simultaneously popping all the air pillows after opening multiple packages. Jesus.
Daniel cringed till it completely stopped, and he asked a follow-up if Alyssa’s mother was stable. Finally, she let out her last huff before replying to him.
“I don’t know what that was, but that made me too hot inside and had an itchy throat. Thanks a lot, I feel too tense to pass out now!” Alyssa’s mother bluntly said.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
What a lady response that was. Daniel headed to his truck. “Well, try it out,” he said to her.
Zhengyu stepped back further inside and performed the initiation process once more. Bringing the foot taps, the rings enlarged and widened, covering the entire rear of the roof. The gap between the rings expanded from a few inches to a foot in height, making the whole portal colossal and towering over the area of town.
Screech!
Zhengyu heard something from a distance. He ain’t risking the moment, urging Daniel to quickly get inside.
Daniel shared the urgency, and he popped into the driver's seat with the window down as the truck revved. He thrust his arm, yelling at them to move out of the way. For such a long vehicle, he gambled the time and performed the three-point turn. The truck bolted from its spot and turned its wheels as Daniel quickly moved his hands in a rush.
Once he made the first point and with the truck facing back out to the city on the edge, a commotion came ahead with multiple lines of armed men withholding the flags high. Are they the ones who annihilated this town? Daniel eyed Zhengyu as he reversed. “Hurry spread out; we got company!”
They spread out of the way, and on the gas, the truck sped right into the roof. Right when the qi reached the top edge of the windshield, Daniel pulled the truck to a complete stop, lifted the parking brake, and exited the vehicle. He viewed the portal where a part of the truck bed peeked out of the portal’s limits. Frustrated as he was, he reopened the door, disabling the parking brake.
All the men in the group went to the front of the truck, each sharing the weight, and dragged further in.
“No, this way, we are doing it from an angle,” Daniel instructed. They turned to the right until it was almost perpendicular to the entrance when it was safe to pull it straight forward.
“Close it!” Xavier said.
Mother Elaine went right to the entrance where Alyssa's mother stood.
15.2
Damn it. Mother Elaine stood beside Alyssa’s mother, tapping her cause she was standing in space as if something was directly in front of her. She glanced at her face, snapping her fingers. “Oi. You saw something?”
Thump!
Mother Elaine turned back outside and immediately got the picture. She palmed briskly on her shoulder, bringing her back to focus, and dispersed her golden aura as a barrier around the entrance. That would buy some time. She lifted both hands, gripping the two sides, and tried to articulately shift it shut.
“Ah, you’re back. Hurry!” Mother Elaine said.
Alyssa’s mother stood beside her and gripped the right door with both of her hands. “Sorry.”
The men had finished moving the truck, and Xavier along with Daniel wondered why it wasn’t closed.
“What’s that outside?”
“More Adlers! They are allied with them!” Alyssa’s mother screamed in horror.
Daniel, with the katana in his grip, glared at the hilt with a flashlight before he went under Mother Elaine’s left arm and stood tall in front of the two. “I’ll be your support. Just keep me in line as you close the doors.”
“Are you nuts?! You got impaled earlier and now you want to risk yourself again with those Adlers? OW!” Alyssa’s mother howled.
Mother Elaine stepped on her foot, disapproving of her for it. “Be glad he could do this, otherwise we are darn screwed.”
“But-”
Mother Elaine’s tongue clicked. “I insist. He's crazier than all of you can imagine if you let him.”
Daniel exerted his aura, overtaking the golden barrier into his color as if he had full control. His sword went wilder as he lifted it upward. He partially opened the barrier and unleashed an attack, waving off the Adlers and their armored human allies, closing the barrier. He aided Mother Elaine and Alyssa’s mother in closing the portal and gave them leeway.
Mother Elaine stepped back as Alyssa’s mother retook her position. She saw Daniel blowing bright blue light over her. He glared with one eye to Mother Elaine, raising his left arm right up to her chest. “Point your left palm at Helda and Rebecca. I’m sending them back up qi.”
Additional light flowed right at her, and quickly it departed through hers. That felt uncanny. Within a second, she had felt what was like water gushing through her as if it was poured into her. Naturally, it would have soaked, but once the light departed her palm, no more pressure remained.
The three with their hairs levitated with a cast of blue light emitted from underneath.
“Stop giving more!” Alyssa’s mother was shocked by his motive. Mother Elaine sighed as if he would not obey such comments. He was especially willing to help at his own accord and rarely backed down. Reminds me of the old days. He hasn’t lost that quirk one bit. However, he has gotten heavier way too quickly. She reflected on his role and analyzed his qi. Compared to his, her qi growth was fairly slow but enough to keep herself from crumbling when dealing with a higher-powered individual like him.
The interior of the portal shrunk every couple of seconds as Alyssa’s mother summoned casting magic shapes around her feet. Purple-colored portal turned whitish-blue, and the lines of purple appeared on the wall’s surface. It protrudes inwards, revealing violet rings from the outer surface.
The shrinkage stopped as it was noted by Liam where the border ended at a few inches from Daniel’s truck. Helda and Rebecca went closer to the center, all gathered around the area next to Alyssa’s mother, whose both hands raised with casting spheres displayed and hovered over her fingers. Not finished, she raised it over her head with both palms aligned at each end. A little more, Mother Elaine summoned another barrier for each, and the ceiling of the portal swirled.
After, it shot down and weighed on her palms. Her purple eyes flashed, blinding everyone around her, and Mother Elaine felt the light illuminated around her and got heavy. Her eyelids forcibly closed shut, feeling lightheaded before one snap.
15.3
Daniel rubbed his eyes after a potent glare of light flashed into his eyes. Letting go of his fingers, he found himself along with everyone in a dark space. Gradually getting back up, he saw everyone standing on patterned concrete. Traces of mythical shapes are engraved on the surface. Before he could peek around, he went to Mother Elaine and Liam first. They were fine, but others took longer to adjust. Alyssa’s mother, who was still standing lowered her hands down. The violet qi and the white light from the supplemental assistance from him dissipated earlier.
She removed herself in a pose and turned to Daniel, visually showing her unanticipated to have someone already on the ground. “You’re the first one to endure the effects of the glare so quickly,” she pointed out. “Really what are you?”
Daniel shrugged as if he knew. “That’s why I’m with you all. Find out what's going on. And this?” He questioned, pulling up his katana and sheathed it back to the scabbard.
“That…blade,” Alyssa’s mother stammered.
“I know. One of the Yinhai.”
“And you found that in your world?”
“Me and Xavier did. At a dojo where I used to enroll.”
Alyssa’s mother walked right up to him, barely leaving any personal space. She was insanely focused on the katana. In addition, she fondled the hilt. Daniel saw her fingers tremble along the surface, hinting she wanted to grasp the katana. “Have you ever grabbed a relic before?”
“No, I’ve never. Only heard stories just like everyone else…just you?” She asked.
Daniel shook his head and gestured to Liam and Xavier. “Make it three.”
The two regained their sight as they stopped covering their eyes and saw him and Alyssa’s mother staring at them.
“What happened?” Liam whispered.
“Nothing, it was just my glare right before we teleported, always temporarily blind others.”
Xavier stood first. “Daniel, what about you? Weren’t you blinded by the glare?”
“Momentarily,” Daniel replied. “And you?”
He viewed others behind him. The effect still lingered which caused their sight recovery to be tedious. “Better this time. I’ve been through what they are ongoingly enduring. We gonna need an improvement of this move because this is so unconventional and a hindrance to time,” Xavier commented.
Daniel turned back to Alyssa’s mother. “I agree. But there’s a possibility I might adapt to it the next time.”
Alyssa’s mother grabbed one of his wrists, demanding to have a feel for the katana. He returned a questionable glare at her and reluctantly gave it to her.
Boom! Ba-dump!
An echo sounded like a heartbeat echoed across the area, vibrating a few more times onward. Daniel, not wanting more trouble, swiftly took the katana away from her grip, and she tumbled to her knees, kneeling next to him.
“That’s new…” Liam muttered.
“Me too, I’ve never known it could do that,” Xavier added. “I wonder if that would also apply to our own Yinhai relics.”
Daniel sheathed his katana, adjusting the scabbard back hanging onto his waist. And he offered his hand out. Alyssa’s mother reacted with a glimpse of gasp. She held his hand and at once lifted her back on her feet. Her hairline was dripping sweat and he wiped it away. “Probably a warning for others.”
Alyssa’s mother chuckled, emitting a sense of jealousy. “Now you made me desire one.”
“Will see,” Daniel grinned while patiently waiting for others to recover. The waiting game begins.