[Tian] 1:34 (Patreon)

I SCOUR THE HIVE, IN SEARCH FOR GALGOM’S TRUE BODY.

My body does not move. My mind is what expands beyond where I stand. It is the power of the Indigo Essence. The teachings of the School of Divination. The Essence permeates through the surroundings, a different technique from the one I used back in Thornthistle.

I am actively checking every corner of the massive Hive. Back in the city, I set up a boundary with the Indigo Essence, and anything nonliving that crossed through it would be alerted to me. This technique is more complex. It touches everything within the confines of the Hive. It tells me of the general shape of everything, permeating through the outer layers of whatever object it feels, letting me know what they are composed of— at least, on the outside.

It is a surreal feeling. Almost overwhelming. If I were an inferior Florescence, I would find it too much for my mind to handle. But I am not. I have tempered my spirit in the Heavens. A little damage to the mind is just another wound that will cure quickly enough. Especially with meditation.

“What do you sense, Tian?” Kalmat asks as the technique ends.

I shake my head, in a slight daze. “Tens of thousands of machines. Most of them are the En, but there are at least a thousand Esh as well.”

“That’s a lotta ‘em. But we already knew that.” Nindran just shrugs. “What about the Galgoms?”

“There are exactly forty Galgoms within the Hive. The others are possibly battling the monsters or pursuing the Pishitim down below in the gulf.”

“Pishitim bleed on me— must we really fight all of ‘em?” she groans. “Please tell me you found his real body.”

“I am not certain.” I tilt my head up, gazing towards the center of the Hive. “However, I sense a large gathering of Galgoms towards the core of this structure. They seem to be guarding something. A powerful source of energy. It is almost reminiscent of the Pishitim, except its power is waning.”

“You think that’s Galgom?” Beihal frowns. “That he’s some kind of creature like her?”

“Possibly,” I say, looking back at the bulky man. “There is only one way to find out.”

***

The Hive’s inner compound is almost like a labyrinth. It is difficult to navigate, with twists and turns at every corner. But I have taken note of several clear paths to the gathering of Galgoms. All that matters now is finding him without being caught.

“This way would take the longest, but it is the one filled least with machines.”

My companions do not argue. I lead the way through each corridor. There are the occasional patrols of En, and even Esh, but they do not find us. There is no child or inexperienced warrior with us. Everyone here is trained to be on the battlefield, Nelrel included.

I only worry about Nindran. Her carefree attitude, however, does not show up here. Once we are traversing through the white rooms and long hallways, she remains quiet, prepared for battle at any point in time. I nod at her, appreciating her seriousness to the situation.

She rolls her eyes, biting back a retort.

“The hall with Galgom’s true body is coming up,” I say as we ascend a set of stairs. “Its doorway is guarded by a pair of Galgoms, alongside a dozen Esh. Beyond that is where the rest of the Galgoms lie in wait.” Coming to a stop, I turn to the four Keepers for suggestions.

“We could try to dispose of the guards outside quickly.” Nindran raises a hand.

“That is too risky.” Nelrel crosses her arms. “We will be discovered.”

“Could you use your illusions to lead us into the hall, Tian?” Kalmat eyes me, hopeful.

“I can try,” I say, “but it carries as much risk as Nindran’s plan.”

“Maybe there is another way.” I turn to face Beihal who is speaking through his cupped hand. His brow is furrowed— he turns his head slightly towards the lights hanging from the ceiling. “This Hive… it must have some sort of energy grid to sustain all of its equipment, right? We simply have to find what is keeping it all running, and shut it off.”

Kalmat frowns. “You mean a control room?”

“Yes.” Beihal nods. “Like our plan for the outpost back in Thornthistle.”

“That could work.” Kalmat strokes his chin, in thought. “But do we even know where this room is located?” He glances at me, as if expecting me to blurt out an answer right away.

“I have an inkling of where it may be.” I remember another spot, also guarded to a certain extent. But by Esh, not Galgom himself.

“Are you guys sure about this?” Nindran speaks up, her lips pursed. “This didn’t go well when we tried it in Thornthistle. There’s no way it’ll go well now.”

“Things went awry in Thornthistle because Galgom showed up, bringing a wrench into our plans,” Beihal says, insistent.

“And what happens when Galgom comes after us in this control room?” She crosses her arms, glaring at him.

“I…” The bulky man hesitates.

“I think Kalmat’s first plan is what works best. We sneak in. Destroy Galgom’s real body. Then we make a break for it. Get outta here before the Esh and En swarms us.”

“There is no fallback if we get caught.”

“But—”

“Wait,” Kalmat cuts them both off. “Perhaps there is a way to merge both plans.” He looks up, apprehensive. “It is risky. The riskiest plan of all if it fails. But it significantly decreases the chance of failure.”

“What do you mean, Kalmat?” The pair fix him with a curious look.

My eyes widen in understanding. “I see. You wish to split us up, yes?”

“Correct.” Kalmat glances at both Nindran and Beihal. “You two shall head to the control room, ensure that the systems of the Hive are shut down, even for a single moment. That will be enough of a distraction to allow us to enter the hall with Galgom’s true body. Tian and I shall destroy it.”

“Wait—” Beihal sputters.

“You can’t just leave us outta this!” Nindran yells in a hushed voice.

“I’m not.” Kalmat steps forward, placing a hand on both their shoulders. “I’m entrusting the most important part of the  mission to the two of you. If either of you screws up, we all lose.”

They stare at him— their leader. And they both get flustered. Kalmat shakes his head, turning back to Nelrel and I.

“Tian, I’m sure you know why I’m bringing you with me. Nelrel… you have taken care of me since before I returned to Thornthistle. My mentor owed his life to you. I, the same. But I must ask you for one last favor.”

I cock a brow. “Is Nelrel not a healer?”

“I am.” The elderly woman smiles my way. “However, you cannot be a healer if you can’t protect those you’re healing.”

“She’s one of the best defensive Elementalist I know,” Kalmat adds from the side. “If one of us gets hurt, I trust in her abilities to protect us while we’re down for long enough before we can escape.”

“You overestimate me,” Nelrel says, sighing. “However, I will not refute what you ask of me.”

I glance at Kalmat, then at Nindran and Beihal. “I have no issues with this plan. How about you?”

The pair turn back to Kalmat. They hesitate for a moment. But they nod.

“We’ll do it.”

***

“Once you deactivate the power grid of the Hive, flee. Do not get caught, no matter what.”

With these words said, Nindran and Beihal leave to do their part of the mission. Now, all Nelrel, Kalmat, and I have to do is wait. It is not a long wait. The two are experienced and skilled. No more than a cycle passes after they leave, the lights go out above us.

The closed doors near to us, previously tightly shut, slam open. A dull red light turns on, dim, lighting up the hallways so it is not pitch-black. The patrolling En nearby come to a halt for a moment, then their footfalls speed up. They start heading in the direction of the control room. I ignore them, patiently waiting in the stairway hidden under my illusion with Kalmat and Nelrel. And then they pass.

The two Galgoms guarding the hall with his true body rush out. They head straight for the control room, ignoring anything around them. It is then the time for us to act.

“Let’s go,” Kalmat says, and I nod.

I lead the way, keeping the veil of my illusion up. We reach the large corridor where the Galgoms previously stood before a massive shut door. The doors are open now, revealing what is inside.

The Esh remains standing in front of it. But these machines are the least of our worries. We easily sneak past them, not tripping off any sensors or detectors as we enter the large hall. The inside is illuminated by the same weak red light in the outer passages.

I see dozens of Galgoms hovering around in the air, and standing on the ground around a large, cylindrical tube. It is brimming with power. I can sense the immense energy within it, even without my Indigo Essence. I can tell Kalmat senses it too.

He lets out a soft breath— a gasp, as he stares in awe at it. It takes up over a quarter of the room, reaching from the ceiling to the floor. Red lightning runs through the tube, crackling within its transparent exterior, letting us clearly see what is going on inside.

Is this his true body? I narrow my eyes. We have to get closer. Anything we do from this distance can be blocked by the fake bodies of Galgom. So, we press on, still protected by my illusion. The School of Phantasm is effective, however it is very much draining to my Qi. I reach for my novacloth pouch and consume a ginsoul pill.

One left. This is it.

We draw closer and closer to Galgom’s true body. It does not move. It lies inert, just like the Pishitim. Perhaps he truly is a being like her. That explains why he seeks her power. Because she can give him what he wants.

To restore what he has lost. Is that why he came to this world?

I feel my core being restored, filling back up with Qi. Only a small distance separates us from Galgom’s true body now. But just as I turn to Kalmat to see whether we should act now, an idle Galgom suddenly spins around, heading in our direction.

Does he know? No— he is headed for his true body. But he approaches us, and we have to back away so he does not fall within our bubble.

“Soon,” he mutters, stopping right before his true body. He rests a hand on its side, closing his eyes. “It will be done soon. Then we can make preparations to fend them off.”

I glance over at Kalmat. It is now our time to strike. While the closest Galgom to us is distracted. I raised a hand, gathering my Aspect, my Essence, and my Qi. Kalmat nods, calling out both his Aspect and Lifeblood.

The Galgom turns back around, leaving his true body. Then he pauses. He stares in our direction— and his eyes grow wide.

“Lifeblood… someone is in here!” he yells, bringing all the other Galgoms to a halt. “There is an illusion!”

I click my tongue as I tear down the illusion. “Kalmat, now!” I call out, lashing out with my attack.

The man acts at the same time, sending his own wave of energy beside mine. It is an iridescent blast that shoots out at Galgom’s true body. One of the most powerful attacks I have ever mustered, joining together with Kalmat’s Aspect and magic, exponentially increasing the strength of the attack. But the other Galgoms see this coming. They are already alert to our presence.

They fly straight in the direction of our combined attack. A dozen of them, forming a wall with their bodies. They are blasted apart, destroyed by the might of both Qi, magic, and Aura combined. But they manage to protect the true body.

“You fools—” he bellows, but I do not listen.

“Nelrel,” I snap, looking at the elderly woman.

Nodding, she slams a hand on the ground. A barrier of stone and ice encapsulates all three of us as red energy crashes down our way. It actually repels the attacks of the Galgoms for a moment. But I already see cracks forming in the shell.

I look over at Kalmat as he activates his Sword of Esh. He curses to himself as Nelrel’s barrier begins to fail. “We were so close…”

I pause as I stare at him. I hesitate. There is something I can do. But— no. I steel myself. Never again.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, I whisper to Kalmat, “Worry not, I will end this.”

The Essences gather behind me. I take a deep breath as I step forward.

“What are you doing, Tian—” He is cut off, as he vanishes from view.

Void Walk.

It is an unsettling feeling, using this Feat. I find myself spinning around in absolute nothingness. The very same void that I threw myself into to escape the wrath of five immortals. Now, I am using it to throw myself into the wrath of a dozen immortals. It is almost ironic.

I appear right above Nelrel’s little barrier. I raise my hand, gathering every bit of Qi and Aura I have from within me. The Essences flows behind me, like a rainbow wave splashing over my body. It engulfs me with power as the Galgoms change targets.

They focus on me, blasting at me with the combined might of a dozen of them at once.

The Guardian’s Blessing.

It holds off their attack long enough for me to fully gather myself. My Aura mixes with my Qi, the iridescent glow mixing together with the white, turning into a golden color. The threads of the Websmith protect me as this happens. And when they vanish, I see the Galgoms reeling back for another attack.

However, they are too late. I am ready. I have prepared everything I have. I unleash it all at once, aiming for Galgom’s true body. It is a blast that would shake even the Heavens itself. It is all that I have.

A brilliant light overcomes even my vision. I cover my eyes, and so do the Galgoms. It fills the room, turning the dark, red hall into a single white color for what seemed like an eternity.

“It is finished,” I say to myself, feeling the last of my energy leave my body.

Slowly, the light dissipates. My vision returns. And I stare at the broken, destroyed cylindrical shell that was once Galgom’s true body. The red lightning within slowly leaks out. The last of his life seeps away.

Then I am struck from behind. I smash into the ground, leaving behind a small crater where I land. I cough out blood as I look up. The Galgoms remain floating. They remain unharmed. Alive.

They look down at me with boiling anger. All at once, they speak.

“You have doomed us all!”

Author's Notes:

Gib thoughts