//------------------------------// // 772 - Night Raid // Story: Lateral Movement // by Alzrius //------------------------------// “I think there’s more of them up ahead!” “Keep going!” “But Master-” “I SAID KEEP GOING!” roared Lex from his place on Solvei’s back, clinging to the black crystals she’d woven around herself. “This is the most direct path back to our bodies! Whatever’s happening is driving everything here into a frenzy, which means there’s no detour we can take that will be any safer! So keep going!” Neither the winter wolf nor the adlet needed to ask what he meant, as all around them, Darkest Night erupted with chaos and violence. Even as Lex finished speaking, a number of atonal whines came from somewhere nearby, followed by a series of loud blasts which were accompanied by bright flashes, momentarily making the shadowed forest light up as the explosions caused everything to strobe. That brief interval wasn’t enough to let any of them get a good look at their surroundings – just like during their sojourn to Eigengrau, the lupines’ darkvision was hampered by the thick undergrowth – let alone figure out what was happening. But it was enough to let them catch glimpses creatures of numerous shapes and sizes all around them. Some were running away from the blinding flashes, others were heading toward them, but whenever two or more of the indistinct shapes neared each other, they immediately began to fight, screeching and howling as they tore into each other with teeth, claws, and magic. There was one exception to that rule, however: some of the creatures they’d run across in what had become a mad rush through the wilderness traveled – and attacked – in packs. “I’m telling you, there’s more-” Akna didn’t have a chance to finish as a high-pitched trilling came from just ahead of them, causing Lex to hunker down as Solvei and Akna each released a breath of cold air ahead of them, trying to ward off what they knew was coming. They were only partially successful. Several dull thuds hit the ground directly in front of the two wolves, their combined breath weapons having taken out several of the creatures that had made the trilling sound. At a casual glance, they might have looked like particularly fat snakes, being roughly three feet long and several inches wide. But snakes had eyes, jaws, and scales. The monsters that Solvei and Akna had frozen had none of those things, being giant leeches whose sole discernable features were large rings lamprey-like rings of teeth. Despite several of their number having been slain, the creatures – like seemingly everything else that lived in the hinterlands of Darkest Night – were undeterred by the attack, and even as Solvei and Akna raced by the frozen corpses of the oversized parasites, others were trilling, springing up from the undergrowth, down from the trees, and from virtually every other conceivable direction as they coiled and launched themselves at the trio. Individually, none of the creatures were very dangerous. While their size was disconcerting, their bodies were little more than collections of fluid in soggy sacs, and their teeth were stunted and brittle. But the things threw themselves forward as a swarm, jumping forward in waves with no concern for their own safety, trying to latch onto their targets en masse. Despite being clad in powerful armor, even Solvei couldn’t afford to ignore them completely. While nearly all of the leeches bounced off of the black crystals covering her, their teeth unable to find purchase, one managed to come down across her muzzle, ignoring her attempts to shake it off as it wriggled closer to her uncovered eyes- Only to be surrounded in a purple aura as Lex, his vision still connected to Solvei’s, snatched the thing in his telekinesis and threw it aside, prompting a relieved shudder to run through the winter wolf. “Thank you, Master!” “Just keep Akna covered!” “Right!” Sparing a glance to the side as she continued running forward as fast as she could across the broken terrain, Solvei spared a glance for the adlet-turned-utvalgte beside her. “Akna, do you-” “GET THESE THINGS OFF ME!!!” Grimacing as much at the way the adlet was violently shaking herself in an attempt to dislodge the half-dozen or more leeches that were burrowing into her fur as from the absolute revulsion in her companion’s voice, Solvei took another deep breath, blasting Akna with a bout of super-cooled air. Her innate nature protecting her from the gelid attack, Akna didn’t stop shaking until she’d flung the last of the leeches – now frozen – off of herself. Even then, she couldn’t stop groaning in disgust. “I don’t know what these things are, but I hate them! They better not show up in the woods around the Shrine back home!” “I don’t think they will, since they seem to hate the cold!” answered Solvei. “Now hurry up and make sure Master’s clear!” Still wriggling and jerking despite having thrown off the clinging creatures, Akna glanced at where the unicorn in question was perched on Solvei’s back, cringing as she saw that a few of the things had attached themselves to his cloak. “Hold still! You’ve got a few of them on you!” She didn’t wait after giving her warning, immediately sending her own breath weapon toward Lex. Fortunately, Solvei had already warded him against the supernatural chill, and the freezing wind washed over him without effect. The same couldn’t be said for the leeches, flash-frozen in an instant, and a single contemptuous swing of his hoof was enough to send their icy corpses to the forest floor. “I don’t hear anymore trilling,” noted Solvei as they kept moving. “I think that was the last of them.” “It better be,” moaned Akna, twitching in lingering disgust. But she’d barely spoken when a particularly large eruption came from nearby, the shockwave causing the branches around them to whip back and forth as though they’d stumbled into an entire grove of scythe-trees. It was answered by a particularly loud cry, and a second later the ground began to shake. It wasn’t a sustained rumbling, but rather was a series of sharp shakes, as though something heavy was striking the ground repeatedly. A moment later a huge form – dwarfing even Akna, who’d increased her size as much as she could, making herself as large as the dragon Lex had fought outside of Tall Tale – rushed in front of them. Moving too fast to let itself be easily identified, there was only a glimpse of claws, fangs, and large quills running down its body and across its long tail. Said tail was whipping behind it as it ran, and as one of the monstrous creature’s eyes – yellow and malevolent – caught sight of them, the trailing appendage lashed out. It wasn’t close enough to hit them, but that was of little comfort as a collection of its tail-spikes were flung loose, rocketing toward the three of them with such speed and precision that it would have put Eigengrau’s crossbow-wielding guards to shame even, released in an instant as the oversized monster continued on its mad dash toward the blast zone. One of the spikes went wide, striking a nearby tree with such force that it not only burrowed through the thick trunk, but kept going, shattering a large stone behind the wooden impediment and striking the ground at a low angle, digging up a long trench before finally coming to a stop. A second passed within an inch of Akna’s face, the adlet yelping as it shaved several hairs from her coat before speeding off into the darkness. A third went directly for Lex, who responded with a silent command to his tulpa. Immediately, the same rose-colored floating gemstone that he’d recreated earlier reappeared, coming into being directly in front of the incoming spike. When it made contact with the obstacle a moment later, the prism shattered, unable to withstand the force of the blow, even as the contact altered the massive quill’s trajectory just enough that it passed Lex by without making contact. The fourth and final spike struck Solvei. For the second time that evening, the black crystal armor proved unable to withstand the force of a hit. But where it had shattered completely when struck by Breakdown, now it cracked and splintered, the head of the spike struggling to penetrate through the barrier. Even then, the force was enough to stagger the oversized winter wolf, yelping as she stumbled. “Solvei!” Surprisingly, the worried voice was Akna’s rather than Lex’s, the adlet rushing over as the winter wolf fought to regain her balance. “Are you alright?!” “I’m fine,” grunted Solvei, grimacing as she glanced down at the harpoon-sized spike embedded in her armor. “It didn’t get all the way through...barely.” “You can’t travel with that thing in there. Hang on, I’ll pull it out,” offered the shaman, before clenching her jaws around the quill and yanking on it. While the adlet worked on removing the huge skewer, Solvei glanced at Lex. Master, if that creature comes back, I’ll hold it off. That’ll give you and Akna a chance to get away, and then you can summon me once you have. I doubt that would work, replied Lex grimly. Against a creature that size, and which is capable of piercing your armor that easily, you’d likely find yourself in mortal danger before we got very far. The rebuke got a small smile from the winter wolf. Is it mortal danger if I’m already dead? Lex didn’t share her mirth, giving Solvei a baleful look. I don’t know, he admitted, and I have no intention of finding out. Especially after what it felt like the last time I lost you. Frowning, he looked for something else to talk about, not wanting to remember that. Besides, I doubt whatever that was will return. That was likely a warning shot, making it clear that it would fight us if we followed it toward whatever caused that explosion. Which is something else I hope we don’t run into, sighed Solvei uneasily. Master, what do you think’s going on? It’s almost like this place is under attack, but who attacks a stretch of forest? It doesn’t matter. Once Akna and I return to our bodies, whatever’s happening in Darkest Night won’t be our concern anym- “Got it!” announced Akna as she yanked the spike free, panting with effort as she tossed it away. “I can’t believe how tough this thing was!” “Its owner is probably a lot tougher,” grunted Solvei. “Come on, we’re wasting time!” Without waiting for a command from Lex, she bounded forward, Akna giving a surprised yelp as she rushed to keep up. But after a quick glance back to make sure the adlet was keeping pace with them, Solvei continued forward, occasionally adjusting her heading as her master checked his lifeline and told her where to go. I swear, Master, nothing will keep me from getting you back to your body, vowed Solvei silently, keeping the thought close so that she didn’t accidentally transmit it. No matter what it takes! This wasn’t like her impulsive declaration to keep him from harm, made in the rush of joy she’d felt during their recent reunion. Rather, it was a solemn oath, one that she silently swore she’d see through, even if it meant doing the unthinkable and disobeying her master’s orders. After all, she knew what was waiting for him back at the Shrine of the Starless Sky, even if he didn’t. Becoming a spirit bound to Lex’s side after dying had been disorienting at first, but Solvei had quickly grown used to it, even if she’d been thoroughly demoralized at how she was completely undetectable to everyone. But one result of that was that no one knew to hide anything from her, and so she’d been privy to a conversation that she otherwise would never have known about, held between his mate and a few of those mares who’d insisted on accompanying her master. That was how she’d found out that Thermal Draft was pregnant. It was wonderful news, and for all the misery Solvei had felt at not being able to interact with her master anymore, she’d still rejoiced at the idea of seeing his reaction when he found out that he was going to be a father. Except Thermal Draft had almost immediately expressed her intention not to tell him that she was carrying his baby, to the dismay of not only Solvei, but the other mares she was talking to as well. “You’re not going to tell him?” Mystaria had gaped. “Why not?” “I mean, it’s your choice and all,” Spinner had admitted, “but I don’t get why you wouldn’t want him to know.” “Because...” Thermal Draft had sighed, “if worse comes to worst, and Lex can’t do something about this death curse Paska put on me...I don’t want him to know that I wasn’t the only one he couldn’t save.” The other two mares had winced at that, and Solvei hadn’t been able to blame them, having done the same. “He’s already been through so much,” the pegasus had continued. “All the pain he’s gone through...and more often than not I’ve only made things worse for him...” She’d had to pause then, coughing several times before getting her breathing under control. “I don’t want to do that again.” Sitting back, she’d given the other two a pleading look. “You have to promise me that you won’t tell him about our baby. No matter what. I’m sure he’ll be able to get rid of this curse, but if he can’t...you have to swear, swear to the goddesses you worship, that you’ll never tell.” It had taken some cajoling on her part, but both had eventually promised, and although no one had been able to hear it, Solvei had done so as well. After everything her strong and proud master had gone through – to say nothing of the torment he’d subsequently endured in that so-called rite – it had seemed like the least she could do for him. Except now that wasn’t the case, since they’d been brought together again. Now Solvei could at least help him get back safely. And once he did, then even if she was stuck as a spirit following him around, she’d at least be there to see him save Thermal Draft, find out that she was having his baby, and see the joy on his face as he met his son or daughter. I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen! No matter what!