#priest of celsera | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

elk-and-thearchivist · 4 years

Text

Chiaroscuro, Chapter 3: Reconnaissance

It’s been a while but we’re still at it! Here’s the third chapter of my RP with @grumpyoldsnake / @justashadetalkative ! For this chapter art, @grumpyoldsnake did the sketch/composition and character lines/flats, while I did the background, shading, and effects. I also did the two other pieces in here.

The streamlined, edited version is on AO3 here.

Elk, Wiki, Linast, and Phosa finally see what they’re up against.

Words: 5385 Characters: Elk and Wiki (mine), Linast and Phosa ( @justashadetalkative ) Indented is me, regular is @justashadetalkative Dashes are POV shifts.

As per usual, Elk guided them expertly through the caverns and back into Greenpath. Hardly a husk noticed them as they went by, even with Phosa's dim glow.

Phosa. An interesting entity, as well - very different in mannerism from her sibling. Perhaps not surprising, given the polarity of their compositions.

And what interesting compositions indeed! Light and darkness. Yet not quite the pale light of soul, or the brilliance of the Old Light. And Linast's darkness was not the same void as they.

Ah, their mind has wandered once more. Already, they approach the area of the rifts.

"We're almost there," Elk called quietly.

“All right,” Phosa replied quietly, staying close behind them. She dimmed still further as the sounds of activity began to reach the group from the cavern ahead, her expression going grim.

Soon they’d drawn close enough to see a stark yellow light shining through the foliage ahead. Carefully, Phosa pushed forward to join the pair and slowly shifted a frond of greenery just far enough to give them a view of the rift area.

The rifts were larger now. One had expanded down to the ground, forming a doorway large enough to fit several people side by side; the others remained as slightly smaller tears in space. They opened into some hazy place that was too brightly lit to focus on; what little could be seen was surreal, seeming to pull and twist without actually moving.

The rift beings seemed to be hunting. Slain husks and Greenpath creatures had been piled haphazardly nearby, orange fluid leaking out across the floor. As the group watched, a group of three rift beings much like the one that had pursued Elk and Linast at the beginning of all this dragged in yet another bug to add to the pile, then departed again. A singular rift being in intricate robes circled slowly around the pile, tracing out glowing sigils in an ever widening arc. Other rift beings roamed the cavern, some apparently on guard, others setting up a sort of camp and talking cheerfully amongst themselves as they carried supplies through the central rift.

Phosa’s expression was tight as she let the greenery fall back into place. “...that is... a pretty big mess,” she whispered. “Shit.”

Wiki's stability within Elk quivered as they observed the the scene, motes and tendrils flicking out. Elk was suddenly anxious as well, taking a few steps back.

Wiki flicked out a tendril, laying it on Phosa's shoulder and giving a questioning prod for entry into her mind. They sensed her surprise, but quick assent. Forgive my intrusion. I don't wish to be overheard.

They could feel both their own and Elk's uneasiness bleeding into the bridge, but they supposed it couldn't be helped. It looks like they're killing and gathering the husks. Yet... I can't help but feel uneasy. I somehow doubt they'll stop at the ones already half-dead. Not to mention, those sigils... What are they for...?

Elk's mental presence echoed their sentiment. It was a much softer presence than theirs - very accommodating towards other entities in their mind. I don't think that they're any good news for Hallownest. Or- this dimension, maybe, if their intent is... larger scale......

I think you’re right, Phosa agreed. On all fronts. I don’t know what the sigils are but... considering corpses seem to be a primary component, I doubt it’s anything good.

Her thoughts flickered rapidly as she compared these beings to similar prior experiences. She seemed to be doing her best to call Wiki’s attention to the relevant ones.

This wasn’t the first time otherworldly beings had interrupted teleportation to and from the Spire, though it wasn’t common, either. ‘Vector wyrms’ seemed to be the most common culprit; they were simple creatures that fed off of the energy of teleportation spells, destabilizing the spell in the process. Hostile individuals had managed it a time or two, but they had usually been specifically searching for the Spire.

And there had once been a realm breach vaguely similar to these rifts in space, though it had been on a much larger scale. The edges of the Spire’s dimension had spilled into some vast, hungering darkness, lit by occasional sparks of lightning. Only Dalgiroth’s intervention and a lot of panicked work on the part of the spellcasters in the Spire had managed to pull them back from that particular incident. At least these rifts seem... stable...? Phosa didn’t seem reassured.

Wiki's thoughts churned as they observed Phosa's. They weren't reassured either.

There are way too many of them for us to confront... I doubt trying to fight them directly would turn out well. Elk gave a mental shudder.

If we could... seal the rifts, somehow. We could cut them off from their base of operations, before they establish themselves here… Rapid thoughts flickered across their mind - old magic, runes, seals, dreams, weavers-

Ah. There is another kingdom by the depths of Hallownest. Deepnest, the land of the Weavers. They are, or were, perhaps, rumored to weave intricate spells. Perhaps we could attempt to learn their magic to seal the rifts.

It's worth a shot. Phosa went distant and unfocused for a moment, her body wavering as she felt through the cavern. It wasn't quite sight, but she seemed to be able to get a general idea of the creature's locations and movements.

...If it worked, we could be sure they wouldn't get reinforcements, and we'd have enough time to be careful about it. If we could pick them off like that, I do think Linast and I could take the ones that are already here, she decided, refocusing. Especially once we're at full strength again.

Phosa looked at them with a serious expression. How long of a journey is it?

Their mind flashed with scenery, flying through various areas - a mental map coalescing in their mind. What would be the best way?

In moments, they traced a path in their mental map. Yes, the best option is most likely... They guided their mental image in a rapid journey, passing through Fog Canyon, the Queen's Station, the Fungal Wastes, before bringing them to a chasm of darkness. Deepnest.

It shall be a bit of a journey. Fog Canyon is dangerous, but not in the usual sense. We can guide you through safely - we are very familiar with it. It's where we met. Elk gave a nod at that.

Deepnest... it is a realm of darkness, we suppose. And not for the faint of heart. Images of parasitized husks and bugs tunneling dirtcarvers flickered across their mind. The Weavers' Den is said to be deep within the kingdom. We'll have to do a bit of exploring.

Phosa leaned forward as if to listen closer, not that it would make much difference. That does seem like quite a ways, she agreed. And those are... certainly some interesting creatures, there in Deepnest. But it seems you know the way pretty well.

She sat back again, smiling weakly. If nothing else, it will be interesting to see where you two met. And Linast is always up for some exploration. I’m sure we’ll manage to find something.

That is indeed the hope. Wiki retreated from the mental bridge, and Elk quietly stepped away from the scene of the rifts, looking around a bit before spotting the path to Fog Canyon. They waved a hand at Phosa, indicating that she follow.

Phosa obediently rose to follow them, picking her way carefully through the foliage. She seemed on higher alert than she had been before observing the rifts, her attention focused as much on their surroundings and on checking for pursuit from behind them as it was focused on following Wiki and Elk.

Soon, the air around them seemed to shift - thicker, almost fluid, and charged with an electrical energy. The bubbles particular to the Canyon began to populate their surroundings, soon giving way to the more hazardous ones, as well.

They paused a moment, warning Phosa: "Don't touch any of the bubbles with nuclei. They'll explode. Same for the larger jellyfish, though you have a chance to avoid them." They peered down the path. "Follow us closely - no harm will come to you here if you know how to avoid everything."

Wiki and Elk were both focused on plotting their pathway through the canyon, so neither were the first to notice, when a group of the creatures emerged from the undergrowth.

Phosa eyed the bubbles warily. “Noted. No touching,” she echoed, picking her way past the ones they’d pointed out to her. She looked up again once she was past them, though, returning to keeping a careful watch on their surroundings, and when the creatures stepped out she froze immediately.

Her warning hand on Elk’s shoulder might have served as warning or might have largely been a distraction, but their situation became clear enough as the quadrupedal creatures at the head of the hunting party spotted them and let out excited cries.

“Shit. Run, I’ll be right behind you—“ Phosa hissed, taking a half step in front of the pair. A blinding wave of light flew forward along the path and collided with the quadrupedal creatures as they started to rush forward. It threw them back to collapse in a heap atop the bipedal creatures behind them, clearing the way to the canyon—for a few moments, at least.

"Ah, Void-" they extended a number of tendrils from Elk and they rapidly scaled the walls of the canyon. Wiki frequently cast their awareness back to make sure Phosa followed - they chose a path relatively easy to navigate, but that meant the creatures were quick gaining on them.

Elk- we need-

A faster path, I know-

One of the creatures came close enough to leap at Phosa - they wrapped a tendril around her and pulled her out of the way, just in time to escape the explosion caused by the creature impacting a nucleated bubble. It let out a pained cry as Elk pulled them away from the blast zone. But the rest of the creatures were undeterred, perhaps more careful now that they were aware of the hazards.

They set Phosa down, but kept the tendril in contact as they continued their escape. Phosa, we're going to change our destination a bit. There's a passage we know by heart, and we might be able to shake them by taking it. It's a slight detour, but-

Phosa had kept up fairly well, right on their heels and nearly mirroring their exact steps at times, though every once in a while they'd leap for a ledge she clearly hadn't expected them to and she'd fall behind for a few moments as she readjusted.

She stumbled a step as they set her down and then caught her rhythm again. She reached up to grip their tendril with one hand, making sure that the contact didn't get interrupted.

Getting there at all sounds good to me, however many detours it takes, she replied. I tried to burn those things when they first showed up but it hardly did anything, shaking them's probably our best shot.

Elk cursed in their joined minds - so they were resilient and relentless. Despite the situation, Wiki felt a bit of amusement Elk's choice of words - giving a mental nudge equivalent to saying language- but the moment washed away quickly as they noticed the creatures gaining on them once more.

We'll do our best. Actually, we might be able to… Letting Elk take care of the navigation, Wiki considered their options. They sent Phosa an image of a cluster of Ooma - a large group typically lingered near where they were going. The Ooma are normally passive, but if their outer body is damaged, the volatile core will immediately fly towards the attacker. They will unleash a powerful explosion on impact.

Elk continued the thought: We might be able to do a little... misdirection. With enough of them, I doubt even these things will be unfazed? Though obviously it'll be pretty dangerous, we're handling explosives after all-

Phosa can do it. It seemed that Linast had woken again. Though with the current pace they were keeping and the explosion earlier, it wasn't surprising. It's a good idea. I can take our core, or you two can carry us, and she can drop back to where the rift people are and attack the Ooma from their direction.

Phosa assented, her mind quickly flicking through the necessary maneuver. She didn't seem concerned about the possibility of getting caught in the blast herself. They yelped at the explosion earlier. The light and heat might not do much but I'm betting the concussive force will. Solid folk tend to squish.

Wiki gave a mental equivalent of a snort. You have a point. Linast, good to see that you're awake. Your plan sounds very efficient. Though…

Will you two be alright? So long as your core is fine? Wiki could feel the concern emanating from Elk. Mirrored in their own self, though perhaps not as intensely.

Yes, and will you need a moment to form and split off? We'd probably be fine distracting them a moment if so.

We’ll be safe from the Ooma, yes.

The light from the explosions might be painful for me, if I’m in line of sight of them, Linast added. But that’s all. It doesn’t actually do me any harm, it’s just—tiring. The concept of ‘tired’ had a heavier mental weight to it than the word itself might suggest.

Guess we’ll find out for the rest. We don’t know what the creatures can do at close range. But they’d have to have some pretty specific abilities to be able to hurt me, and I don’t plan to linger.

Are you sure you could distract them safely? Linast seemed distinctly concerned at the risk, trying to think through alternative options. We won’t need long, I can teleport our core now that we’re healed, but it’ll take me a second to get my feet under me.

Wiki sent them a mental map of the area - there was an open area a little further, where the Ooma swarmed - and just beyond that stood the immense facility of the Archives.

We'll be alright. Good luck. They retracted their tendril. "We'll lead them off!"

“Meet you on the other side!” Phosa returned. Their core unspooled in ribbons of red and then into nothing at all, and moments later Phosa disappeared as well, flickering out of view like she’d never been there to begin with.

As Linast reclaimed their core, Phosa released her concentration on her form and turned her awareness outwards. The creatures were closer behind than she liked, but hopefully she was about to fix that.

Phosa located the Ooma that Wiki had described, glowing cores of orange at their centers making them stand out readily in her awareness. She should be able to target quite a few of them at once, especially since the creatures were even easier for her to feel than the Ooma nuclei.

Phosa lined up the shots, tracing a mental trajectory between each creature and a few Ooma each, then hesitated. She’d lost track of Elk and Wiki in the shuffle, antithetical as their bodies were to her magic. Were they out of the bloom yet? She refocused, looking for the small splotch of void that would mark Elk in her awareness.

It took a moment to pinpoint them - they weren't nearly as far as she'd expect, their emptiness still in the midst of the swarm of lights.

Their splotch expanded and contracted as they extended tendrils to vault themselves over and around the terrain, until it suddenly faltered and stopped.

That was most definitely not out of the bloom. Phosa didn't want to lose track of her sense of the creatures and Ooma, and she didn't want to distract Elk and Wiki at a bad time. But she focused in to take a look at what was going on, hoping to see what had gone wrong.

One of the creatures had managed to nick Elk's leg, causing them to trip. But they were still only for a moment, as tendrils suddenly burst from their body - a blur of motion followed by a yelp from the offending creature.

Elk was hunched over, the tendrils having pulled them back a bit. One tendril hung in the air, wielding some kind of weapon, stained with a liquid light.

The creature that was struck got up, a shallow gash on its face leaking the same fluid. It joined the rest of its pack, crouched a distance away from them - coiled energy about to strike.

Elk suddenly snapped their gaze to Phosa. The tendrils jerkily gestured to the Ooma, as if telling her, Do it now, now-

Phosa hesitated for an instant, the small sphere of light she’d formed to take a look at the situation flickering with stress. They had at least a bit of distance between themselves and the creatures, but it really wasn’t as much distance as she’d hoped. And they were still in the Ooma field. Would it set off a chain reaction, would they have time to get out—?

But Phosa was used to following instructions in combat situations, and Elk and Wiki were far more familiar with the Ooma than she was. An instant was all it took for her to shove her hesitance aside and refocus her attention, turning back to the creatures.

One, two—three. And more than enough Ooma for each. She lashed out from each creature’s position simultaneously, sending out narrow lances of heat and light that were about as close to laser focus as she could manage at such short notice.

As soon as the lances made contact, the soft outer layer of the Ooma burst. The cores were suspended in the air for just a moment, a moment of calm - before they descended upon the creatures.

Elk and Wiki just managed to leap out of the initial blast, ducking behind an outcropping. But as the creatures were caught in the blast, the explosion of heat and light reverberating through the air, they lashed out. The pops of Oomas' outer layers seemed loud in the gap between the first explosion - and the ones thereafter. It seemed as if a chain of at least ten of them were set off, brightness overshadowing the light of anything in the midst of the explosions.

When they finally stopped, the creatures were scattered on the canyon floor, weakly trying to get up. Elk and Wiki were out of Phosa's direct line of sight, but-

A trail of darkness was forming from a ways off from the scene, dripping from an amorphous spot of emptiness as it slowly moved further down the path.

Phosa had tried to keep track of Elk and Wiki through all of the explosions, in the hopes of intercepting the worst of the blasts if she could. But the light of the explosions was so much stronger in her awareness, and the pair blended into their surroundings—indistinguishable from flying debris and the dark interior of the cavern’s floor.

She cursed heartily as she spied the creatures still alive, forming in an amorphous shape and giving them a hard, merciless shove back to the ground. She honestly wasn’t paying much attention as she did so, though, casting about the cavern in search of her allies. She couldn’t burn the creatures, and she’d never been as good as Linast at physical force or cutting edges, and—there.

That was probably Elk, or Wiki, or both; it certainly wasn’t Linast. Stars they seemed in bad shape, though.

Phosa hurriedly formed near them, glancing over their wounds with a wince. At least they were upright. Sort of. “Hey,” she muttered, hovering uncertainly, her hands raised to offer support but not sure if it’d be welcome. “Hey, shit. I’m sorry, that got way more hectic than I expected, lost track of you for a few. Can I touch you? We need to get out of here—they’re not quite dead...”

They twitched, gooey tendrils flicking out. "Phosa...?" came out in a distorted warble. They shifted their head to look at her. "We'll... be alright once Elk wakes up and is able to focus. They're unconscious, they took the worst of it."

They curled their tendrils. "We were close, but- nnh. We got a direct hit from one at the very end. And Elk's shell has never- been very strong."

They glanced back to where the creatures were. "Sorry, we- panicked for a moment back there. Sorry. We thought we could make it." They looked back up to her. "We can't move that well right now... If you could give us a hand, that would... be appreciated. You can touch us, but it may be better for you to avoid our unstable Void. The cloak... should be fine."

“Yeah, that’s—I probably shouldn’t try touching that stuff right now,” Phosa agreed, looking them over. They seemed to be bleeding Void, and floating motes rose from their body as well. But if the cloak worked as a barrier, she could probably manage this; it was close enough to full length.

Phosa sent a wary glance back towards the creatures, which were still struggling to stand, then crouched down. She carefully tugged their cloak forward, wrapping it more securely about them. “I’m just going to pick you up, okay?”

They nodded as she wrapped the cloak around them, the texture under the cloak almost fluid, before it met enough resistance for it to seem solid.

They twitched suddenly, lifting their head a bit. "W... wait. Would it... be possible to capture one of the creatures? We might be able to find out something... now's... a good chance. They're weakened-"

“So are we,” Phosa returned, a bit more sharply than she’d meant to. She finished with the cloak, gently scooped them up, and held them close to her chest as she turned to check on the creatures’ progress.

She watched as a quadrupedal creature nudged at the bipedal one—which hadn’t yet managed to regain its feet—and let out a slow, conflicted hiss.

The problem was that Wiki was right. If the things were this resilient, this may well be their best chance at capturing one safely. Especially if they were going to keep running into them like this, unprepared and far from full strength.

“...I’m not taking you back in there,” Phosa said, slowly. Then, her conviction growing, she added, “And I’m not leaving you here undefended while I try to subdue three of them at once to make it safe enough to approach. We’ll meet back up with Linast. Then I’ll come back on my own and see if I can capture one.”

"...Nnh." They seemed wrought with tension, before they slumped as it drained from them. "I'm in no position to argue."

"We'll be safe in the Archives. We can rest there.... we know all the places to hide...." They slightly turned their head in the direction of her face. "Just... be careful..."

Phosa relaxed a bit as the tension drained from them, and readjusted her grip to keep them from slipping. “I always am,” she said. “Which is why we’re not staying here when Elk’s unconscious and you hardly seem much better off.”

Phosa set off at as smooth a run as she could manage, keeping a sharp eye out for any remnant Ooma or nucleated bubbles. She didn’t want to aggravate their injuries, but she was also intent on getting them out of the way as quickly as possible. She would need to get back before the creatures recovered much further.

It wasn't long until they emerged from a passageway into a large cavern. Ooma floated aimlessly around the expansive space, hovering around a sprawling complex of bronze metal and glass windows that glowed with the same green as the acid lake it was built upon.

Wiki was silent and motionless until they had arrived; as soon as they came into sight of the building, they shifted their gaze to it. "We can go in through the main entrance. No one really alive... stays here." They shifted again, looking around. "Is Linast here already...?"

Phosa frowned a bit, finding their specification of 'really alive' a bit ominous. She set her reservations aside and nodded as they asked after Linast, though, and glanced around for him herself. "Yeah, I can feel us--there he is."

Linast finished his teleportation in from whatever recessed corner of the passageway he’d found, and fell in beside her as she started towards the Archive's entrance. He stared at Elk and Wiki, looking a bit horrified. "Phosa, what--?"

"We fucked up," Phosa interrupted. She caught a cold blankness settling into his expression, and when he began to turn back the way they'd come she reached out with a formless limb to tug him back towards her by the core. His form flickered unsteadily against her light even as he pushed her away with a petulant hiss. "We fucked up, Linast. Don't even think about it. We can't afford more mistakes right now and you have been active way too long."

Linast subsided reluctantly, his attention drifting back towards Wiki. He started to reach towards them, then seemed to have second thoughts and tucked his hand back in against his chest. "Are you two okay..?" he asked, hesitant. "I mean--stable, or... is there anything we can do to help?"

They'd curled into themselves at Phosa's words, as if contrite. "We'll be... fine. Once Elk wakes up. They- they have an ability to heal themself using soul - we still have a lot we absorbed in the spring. I'm just... holding us together until then. Just need to rest for a bit..."

They turned Elk's head to Linast. "Active too long...? Are you alright-hnm." They flinched as more void dripped from the crack in their shell. "Let's- we should get inside- then we can all rest. I can show you where to go."

"Best to get out of sight," Phosa agreed quietly, shifting her hand away from the fresh drip of void before it could make contact. As she approached the entrance to the Archive, she exchanged a brief glance with Linast. He looked painfully worried, and she couldn't quite disagree with him.

Wiki said they'd be fine, and she'd gathered that they weren't exactly your typical biological beings. But they were... oozing quite a lot, and she was used to head wounds and unconsciousness being direly serious, in most physical creatures. 'Holding us together' was equally concerning. It was hard to reconcile all of that with 'fine,' or with a certainty that Elk would wake.

Nothing for it right now, though. As during all the rest of this nonsense, she'd just have to trust them. She nodded Linast towards the door, and he slipped through. He returned a moment later to gesture her in, apparently deeming it safe. She entered and took a look at their new surroundings. "Alright. Where are we heading?"

They took a second to respond - "Down the hallway, second left. There's a hidden door in the room there, you can take the steps to reach the second floor atrium. There are windows to the outside, so we'll be able to see if anything's coming..."

They shifted. "Oh, and... don't worry Uoma, the smaller jellies. They just... linger. Even if they hardly remember why they're here..."

“Okay,” Linast said. He set off ahead down the path they had indicated, continuing the practice of walking ahead of her and keeping an eye out for potential threats. It wasn’t their normal procedure, but then Phosa wasn’t normally the one carrying something vulnerable.

He’d already been looking wan and faintly shaky around the edges outside of the Archive. Phosa frowned as that was replaced with an entirely different sort of shakiness, her sibling twitching at every fresh flash from a nearby Uoma. She couldn’t see his expression from behind, but she could see that their core had disappeared beneath shadows much deeper than Linast would normally bother with even when he wasn’t overtired.

“Are the Uoma safe to touch?” she asked Wiki, as she paused outside the first room they’d described while Linast checked it. “Or are they explosive or aggressive, too?”

They hummed. "I wouldn't recommend touching them, as they can give an electrical discharge. The young ones," they gestured to the small green jellies wiggling about, "are harmless, however. And luckily, they are not explosive. At the slightest damage, they will perish."

"They, with the Ooma... helped keep the Archives running, back then..." They fell silent.

"Yeah, I can... see that." Nice to know they were easy to dispatch and harmless if unbothered, at least. Phosa might... try to shuffle them to other parts of the Archives, if there were any in the atrium. She doubted Linast would agree to rest with them anywhere nearby, and she didn't particularly relish the prospect, herself.

Phosa frowned as Wiki trailed off, and gently thumbed their shoulder beneath their cloak. "Hey. You still with us?" Normally she wouldn't keep bothering them, but... 'holding us together'. She wasn't sure it was entirely safe for Wiki to drift off, right now.

"Mmm..." That was some response, at least. "Still awake. Just... concentrating on.. mm. Might go under for a bit after Elk wakes up... They're... starting to come around. Won't be long, now..."

"Alright. I'm glad to hear it." Phosa looked up as Linast returned and gestured her into the room.

"I found the door," he said, pointing it out to her with a shaky gesture as she entered. "It was closed sso it's—mostly empty up there, at least. "

Phosa started up the stairs, listening as Linast closed the hidden door behind them and started up after her. "I'm going to head back and see if I can safely capture one of the injured creatures," she told him, as they entered the atrium and she began to look around for a good spot to set Elk and Wiki down. "Hopefully they haven't gotten too far. I want you to stay here with them, Wiki says Elk's starting to come around."

The atrium was a large circular room, an array of windows on either side, purple glow of the canyons filtering in. The room had a number of lamps filled with, presumably, acid - emitting a soft, diffuse glow - in between the windows, hanging from the walls. A long bench followed the wall, in addition to the circular ones surrounding an insignia that looked a lot like Wiki's likeness in the middle of the room. A winding staircase went up the side of the room to another platform, which was connected to other platforms by stairways crossing the room. A few of the smaller Uoma milled about aimlessly.

"... This was used as a research area, in the past... They'd call out to each other across the room. The stairs were mostly for the benefit of the bugs that couldn't float."

"There used to be more ways to access it, but they began sealing entrances when the Infection began. The researchers wanted to focus on their work. Or perhaps it was in fear of those already infected..." Wiki sighed, and waved a tendril in the direction of the central benches. "We can sit here."

“I’m going to need one of you to explain this Infection business to me at some point.” Phosa finished looking around and moved into the room to lay Elk’s unconscious form down on one of the benches Wiki had indicated.

She straightened up again afterwards and took a moment to look and feel around the room one last time, checking the entrances, making sure there weren’t any of the adult Uoma hidden in back corners. She knew Linast had already checked, but...

“It’s fine,” Linast muttered, patting her shoulder as he brushed past her to sit next to Elk and Wiki. “Go—get one of the rift folk before we lose track of them, and make sure none of the others were around to follow us. I’ll get your attention if s-ssomething goes wrong.”

“...Okay. I’ll try to be quick.” Without giving herself any more time to hesitate, Phosa let her body fade and turned her attention to finding the creatures they’d left behind.

25 notes · View notes