Chapter 140 - Inedible (Patreon)

Abby knew something was different. From her perch on the fourth-floor balcony of the tower, she could see that clearly enough. Zeke had gone from cracking the jeweled feathers on the giant amalgam’s back with each swing to leaving craters with every impact.

“He reached the peak,” said Tucker from beside her, almost as if he could read her mind. She still didn’t like the man, but she couldn’t deny that his grenades were very effective. Without them, the giant, stone raptor would have already overwhelmed Talia’s and Pudge’s efforts to shatter and pulverize the smaller raptors Zeke had knocked loose. If that happened, it would be free to gobble them up without any issues, which Abby intuitively knew wouldn’t be a good thing.

“The peak of what?” she asked, knocking and firing a conjured arrow. She didn’t activate [Thunder Strike] because she needed to pace herself. Instead, she’d aimed for one of the fallen raptors that had been knocked free by Zeke. It didn’t explode, but because the arrow was guided and propelled by [Gust of Wind], it was forceful enough to distract the struggling monster so that Pudge could pounce on it.

“His martial path,” Tucker said. “It’s well known among the true…elites of the world that it doesn’t simply give you knowledge. Rather, it lets you tap into a greater concept, thus empowering you to new heights.”

“Great,” Abby said, a little jealous. Her own archery path had been stalled in the middle of novice proficiency for years, and she’d rarely felt any sort of progress. She practiced every day, but it always felt like she was missing some integral part of the equation. She had even begun to think trying to progress in that way was a fool’s errand, but what else was she going to do?

“Meditation helps,” said Tucker, chucking a softball-sized grenade at the giant raptor. It shattered upon the monster’s beak, sending a cascade of ice spreading across the rocky surface. He quickly threw another, this one glowing yellow, and when it exploded, it did so with pure force that dug a deep crater in the raptor’s enormous, elongated beak. “It’s not just practice. You have to embody an ideal.”

“What do you know about it?” she asked, still firing upon the smaller, fallen birds. The first that Zeke had knocked loose had been unconscious, but that hadn’t been the case for quite some time. As soon as they were separated from the giant, rocky monster, they began to gather their bearings. Instead of running away or attacking, though, they ran closer to the giant creature’s beak, so that it could gobble them up and replenish its feathers. If Abby wasn’t so frightened of what would happen if it was allowed to continue, it might have been comical. As it was, though, a sense of trepidation hung in the air, infecting her every thought. She pushed it aside, saying, “Unless you’ve been hiding it, you don’t even have a martial path.”

“True,” the alchemist allowed. “But I’ve been here for far longer than any of you. And I’ve progressed to the peak of my artisan’s path; it is surprisingly similar, as far as I can tell.”

“Whatever,” Abby muttered, taking aim. Even as she did, Zeke’s mace continued to thunder into the monster’s back, sending glittering raptors flying in every direction. Talia and Pudge, as capable as they were, couldn’t take care of all of them, and inevitably, the giant creature consumed more than they could destroy. They were fighting a losing battle. “What happens next?”

“I expect he’ll find out what comes after the novice stage,” Tucker mused. “I’ve heard stories, but –”

“No. Not that,” she spat. “What happens when Zeke clears the smaller birds? I’ve been watching. The new gems that pop up when it eats one of those are a lot more durable than the others.”

Indeed, for every raptor that the giant amalgam swallowed, a new gem-like feather sprouted on its body. And even Zeke’s most potent strike did little against those. He could crack them, but they didn’t shatter. Nor could he dislodge them, regardless of how hard he hit them with his club. Or mace, as he always insisted.

“We’re probably going to die,” Tucker stated matter-of-factly.

“W-what?” she asked. “Why? What’s going to happen?”

“You haven’t spent much time in the desert, have you?” was his reply.

“For once, can you just stop being cryptic and tell me what’s going to happen so we can think of –”

At that moment, their argument was rendered moot because the creature finally managed to crane its neck around and pluck Zeke from its back. Tilting its head toward the cloudless sky, it swallowed Zeke the same way it had swallowed so many of the smaller raptors.

Abby screamed, “No!”

“Well, that’s it, then,” muttered Tucker, taking a potion from his spatial storage. It only held potions and such, but Abby was still jealous of its utility. Not that she was thinking about that right now. She’d just watched her partner – a man she thought she loved – die. And it had happened so suddenly that her brain hadn’t quite caught up to what had happened.

“Z-zeke…”

The monster continued stabbing at the ground with its elongated beak, plucking dislodged raptors with speed that defied reason. Soon, the parched earth was clear, save for Pudge and Talia, who’d retreated to a somewhat safe distance when they realized that the battle had shifted.

“When it starts to change, send everything you have at it,” Tucker said. “It’s our only chance.”

“W-what?” Abby asked, still reeling from the loss of Zeke. They’d barely gotten started, and now…

“Focus!” Tucker growled, cocking his arm back. In his hand was a large grenade. It held what looked like a miniature, swirling volcano inside. “Tell the others. I’ll mark the point of attack.”

Her mind didn’t want to move, but she still followed Tucker’s orders, shouting directions to the others. Both were evolved enough that she knew they could hear. The only question was whether or not they could accomplish the task set before them.

The ground shook. The raptor amalgam shrieked. And its skin – such as it was – began to swirl and change. The gem-like feathers melted together, forming shimmering, iridescent coat that crept along its body like a lava flow, coating everything. The monster went crazy, kicking out with its sharply clawed foot. The blow connected with the tower, shattering the second-floor balcony into white-and-red shards of stone. The tower trembled, but it didn’t fall. Its foundation was solid, rooted in reality and magic alike. The giant amalgam would have to put far more effort into an attack if it wanted to tear the tower down.

Tucker took the opportunity to take aim and throw his grenade at the creature. Abby was surprised when the glass globe sailed past the giant monster’s face, which had so far born the brunt of their assault, to collide with the base of its throat.

“You missed,” Abby mumbled, even as she watched the grenade erupt into a magmatic conflagration that would’ve rivaled a small volcano in intensity. Even from forty yards away, Abby could feel the heat emanating from the explosion, and the shockwave of force pressed against her like a stiff wind. Abby drew back on her bowstring, the conjured arrow shining bright.

“Wait – let Talia hit it,” Tucker ordered.

Abby waited, and Talia struck. She launched herself into position, then as she reached the apex of her leap, she slashed out into the half-melted slag that its rocky skin had become. Once. Twice. Three times. Then, finally, she let loose with [Circle of Death]. A wave of darkness burst forth, sweeping the monster’s wounded neck. It screeched again, its high-pitched voice bearing down on Abby like a physical weight. It stabbed down with its beak, driving the sword-like protrusion into the tower. It collided with the force of an earthquake, throwing Abby from her feet. She loosed her arrow by mistake, and it away, far from its mark.

“Shoot it now!” Tucker screamed.

Abby rose to one knee, smoothly conjured another arrow, and activated [Thunder Strike]. She let it loose, guiding it along and pushing it forward with [Gust of Wind]. It flew true, striking the monster’s melted and decaying rocklike skin. The arrow hit its mark, and a bolt of lightning soon followed. The mingled sounds of thunder and cracking rocks filled the air, and a second later, bits and pieces of the monster’s neck surrendered to gravity.

But it wasn’t enough.

“Pudge! Now!” Tucker cried.

From the desert floor, the dire bear let out a roar before bounding up the monster’s legs and onto its body. He moved with more agility and dexterity than Abby had ever seen from him, so she assumed he was still affected by Zeke’s [Avatar of the Beast]. Either way, he traversed the amalgam’s body like it was a particularly craggy mountain. Just as he reached the site that had been subjected to the combined efforts of his three companions, Pudge let out another roar before swiping at the enormous creature’s throat.

The sound of cracked rock echoed through the desert, and the amalgam shuddered, letting out another warbling screech. Then, it rammed into the tower, which shook like it was under the effects of an earthquake. Pudge swiped again, and this time, Abby was sure he’d activated [Heart of the Berserker], because she could see his paw pulverize the weakened stone. However, with the giant raptor’s panicked movements, he couldn’t hold for another shot, and he was thrown free. He landed with a roll, skidding to a stop a hundred yards away. Abby felt a deep sense of relief when she saw him rise to his feet, set his shoulders, and charge back into the fray.

“It…it didn’t work…”

Tucker said, “Wait for it.”

“Wait for what?” Abby asked, tears gathering in her eyes. Not only had she lost Zeke, but she was probably going to die as well. Even if she escaped, what was she going to do? She’d gotten used to having friends. Talia. Pudge. Even Tucker. She didn’t want to be alone again.

Suddenly, a giant cracking sound resounded across the barren landscape.

Tucker chuckled. “That,” he said with a smirk. “Our boy ain’t done just yet.”

Another crack, and the monster shook. Another, and it wailed. Again and again, like something was hammering against it. The huge creature lashed out, stabbing its sharp beak into the tower again and again, but aside from dislodging a few interior decorations, it had no real effect.

Finally, a huge explosion of rock, flesh, and mud-like gore sprayed from the wound. The amalgam cried out and collapsed, shaking the ground. A second later, a mud-covered Zeke rolled free. Abby leapt down, landing lightly, and sprinted toward him. Zeke rose to his knees, and with his hands on his thighs, took a long, deep breath. He looked to the sky and shook his head. As Abby skidded to a stop, she went to her knees, asking, “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“I…I’m fine,” he breathed. “Just need to catch my breath. But I’m good.”

“What happened?” she asked.

“Well, it tried to eat me,” he said.

“I know that!”

“It found out that I’m not edible,” he elaborated. “Caught myself in its throat. There was no air. Its throat was closing in. But then I heard thunder, and everything loosened up. I dragged myself down and down until I had room enough to get a decent punch in…”

Just then, Pudge and Talia arrived, the dire bear nuzzling up against Zeke. He threw his arm around his companion’s thick neck, hugging him close. “I’m fine, buddy.”

Pudge chuffed, and Talia said, “I am glad you are unharmed.”

Her voice was passionless, but Abby was used to it. Zeke went on, “Anyway, Pudge told me what was going on out there, and he weakened the monster’s throat. Once he was thrown free, I unleashed all the momentum I’d stored. That gave me enough room to swing my mace, and I burst through. Now, I’m here. Covered in monster slime. Or blood. I don’t know.”

He held up his hand, spreading his fingers. The goo covering him stretched between his fingers, viscous and shining. Abby didn’t care. She threw her arms around him, tears tracking down her cheeks as she said, “Don’t ever scare me like that again. I thought…I thought you were dead.”

“I wasn’t,” he said, hugging her back. “Have a little more faith. We’ve been through worse.”

She pushed away and raised an eyebrow. “We have?” she said.

“The drachnid queen was worse,” he said. “So was the undead horde.”

“R-right,” she responded, shaking her head. They really had defied death on multiple occasions, but it had never seemed quite so close as it had only a few minutes before. “I think you might need new armor.”

Zeke let out another chuckle as he looked down at his ruined armor. “I think you might be right,” he agreed.

“You also stink,” said Tucker, who’d just made his way down. Obviously, he’d decided to take the stairs instead of leaping from a fourth-story balcony.

“Can’t argue with that,” Zeke said, pushing himself to his feet. Abby followed his example. “So – what the hell was that?”

“That’s the reason people run when they see a flock of raptors,” the big alchemist said. “They’re creatures of earth, and when the flock faces a real threat, they combine into that amalgam. I’d never seen one before today, and if I ever see one again, it’ll be too soon.”

“You can say that again,” Abby agreed.

“If I ever see one again, it’ll be –”

Abby punched him in the arm.

“Ow.”

“You deserved it,” she said. “Don’t be a smartass.”

“Fair enough,” was the man’s response. He glanced at Zeke, asking, “So? Want to see what we can get out of it?”

Zeke looked over his shoulder at the fallen creature. It had already begun to crumble, the rock that made up the bulk of its body dissipating into the earth. So, he rushed forward, placed his hand on the monster’s leg, and looted it. Immediately, the gem-like feathers disappeared, and its body rapidly returned from whence it had come.

“Don’t worry about that,” Tucker said, noting the others’ alarm. “It’s kind of like a skill they all use. Most of that thing was animated rock and dirt. Now that it doesn’t have any energy, it just…well, it lost its animating force.”

Zeke nodded, obviously turning his focus inward.

“What’d we get?” Abby asked.

“Uh…a mountain of beast cores,” he said. “Some claws. And it looks like…a bunch of gems.”

He summoned one from his spatial storage. It was clearly one of the smaller raptor’s feathers, but it could’ve easily passed for a sapphire that had been cut into the appropriate shape. However, when Abby turned her focus on it, she could feel that it was far more than a simple jewel.

“What is it?” she asked, snatching it out of Zeke’s hand. She tried using [Keen Eye] to identify it, but her skill hit a wall. “I can’t identify it.”

“That gem is an extremely valuable crafting material,” Tucker said. “It can be used in all sorts of –”

“What makes it special?” Zeke asked.

“You can’t feel it?” Tucker asked. “I might have expected too much.”

“It’s a conduit,” Zeke stated. “Is that why it’s valuable?”

“That and because it’s rare,” Tucker stated. “Even in the Red Wastes, most people steer clear of raptors.” He gestured to the disintegrating creature, saying, “You can probably see why. Rarity and usefulness – the two key ingredients of value.”

Abby saw Zeke summon another one of the gems – this one the color of a ruby – from his spatial storage. He held it up, studying it for a few seconds before saying, “Interesting. Really interesting.”

Abby agreed, but she was far more relieved that no one had died than interested in a few gems. She said as much, stepping closer to Zeke and throwing her arm around his waist. Then, she added, “Let’s get inside and make sure nothing was damaged, okay? And you do stink.”