Book 2: Chapter 37: Of Two Minds

Book 2: Chapter 37: Of Two Minds

Ice tickled the pads of Elijah’s feet as he stalked through the frost wing. On the surface, it looked little different than when he’d left it behind the first time. However, the halls had grown even colder than before, and as a result, the ice coating the walls had thickened. The same escalation had been present in the fire wing, though he’d not investigated it very thoroughly because he intended to target the frost lieutenant first.

With that in mind, he’d set off through the worsening conditions, quickly finding the doorway that would lead to the lieutenant’s chamber. He’d checked it before, so he knew that the door led to a long, twisting hall that terminated in a thin and obscuring sheet of ice. Before, he’d only given it a cursory inspection so he could verify the lieutenant’s location before turning back, so he knew the way.

However, when he finally reached the lieutenant’s quarters, he discovered that the ice sheet that had once guarded the entrance was gone. And the moment he saw inside the chamber, he got quite a shock.

Before, he’d only caught a glimpse of the lieutenant blurry silhouette, and once he had confirmed that he was looking at another ogre, he’d turned back. However, now, in the blazing firelight, he could see that the creature was differentiated from the other ogres by one key characteristic.

It had two heads sitting atop its broad shoulders.

One was ice blue, while the other was a deep crimson.

It wasn’t until he looked across the room and saw the telltale glow of overheated stone that he realized what was going on. The twin lieutenants, Tuk and Tok, shared a body. Elijah had no idea how that was supposed to work, but he was fairly sure that was what was going on. Still, he took the time to retrace his steps, return to the fire wing, and follow the mirrored path that eventually led back to the same chamber.

And the two-headed ogre that sat in what looked like a study.

The bulky creature was at least twelve feet tall, and his body type was somewhere between that of the guards and jailers. However, it was hidden beneath heavy, purple robes that concealed more than they revealed.

Leaning against the wall near where the ogre sat was a metallic staff etched with swirling lines that glowed slightly. One half was blue, while the other was orange.

The study itself was exactly what Elijah would have suspected, with one wall dedicated to bookshelves that were packed full of huge, dusty tomes. The ogre himself sat in an oversized leather chair, with his feet propped on an equally large ottoman. In one hand was a mug of something steaming, while in the other, he held one of the large tomes.

He looked almost peaceful, at least insofar as a twelve-foot monster with two heads could.

“Turn page. Done reading,” barked one head.

“Not done yet. You not read whole thing.”

“I skim. Read it before.”

“You not read before.”

“How you know?”

“I know.”

“You stupid.”

“You stupid!”

Suddenly, a massive hand slapped against the fire head. Tok, unless Elijah was mistaken. Then, the other hand hit Tuk in the face. After that, Elijah lost track of what was going on. It was an odd thing, watching a two-headed ogre punch and slap itself in the face. Odder still was when the faces started biting back.

Immediately, the air temperature plummeted well past freezing. Despite Ward of the Seasons, Elijah felt the icy cold down to his very bones. In fact, he could feel it sapping his strength with every second. And that was before the swirl of snow and ice began. The whirlwind cut through Elijah with frigid fury, but the combination of his high Constitution and powerful enhancements was just enough to keep him on his feet.

He loped forward, hitting the ogre with a shoulder tackle that took the creature to the floor. Elijah heard a sharp exhale of rushing air leave the ogre’s chest, and he knew he had only a handful of moments to finish the fight. So, he raised his hands high and channeled his inner ape as he brought his fists down like hammers. He didn’t pay much attention to precision. Instead, Elijah only cared about harnessing as much of his Strength as possible as he repeatedly pummeled the monster into submission.

The first few attacks were absorbed by the creature’s copious flesh, but Elijah kept on until he felt bones crack beneath his balled fists. He kept going, knowing good and well that if he didn’t keep the pressure up, the ogre would recover. Meanwhile, the frigid cold continued to assail him, threatening to undermine his vigor and vitality until the ogre could turn the tables. Elijah refused to let that happen.

So, he gave himself over to the fury, letting it consume one facet of his Quartz Mind. He focused on that, leaving the rest to other tasks. Like pulling him back before he let the animalistic rage completely overwhelm him. He’d come close before – in a different way back in the Primordial Forest, but it was similar enough that he knew precisely how dangerous his feral instincts could be – and he refused to let it happen again.

Fortunately, with eight facets of his Mind on the job, he felt secure enough to give one over to the ferocious instincts that came with the Guardian form.

Bones crunched, and organs burst beneath Elijah’s fists. He knew it wasn’t his sheer Strength at work. The creature had already been weakened by Swarm’s afflictions, the neurotoxin of repeated instances of Venom Strike, and the gaping wound where his brother’s head had once been. Still, Elijah was surprised at how easily the monster succumbed to his onslaught.

But he knew it was a little misleading.

Most people wouldn’t have the protection of Ward of the Seasons, and he could feel that, without that enhancement, he would have already fallen to the intense cold. In addition, he had the advantage of versatility as well as his cultivation – including the powerful Dragon Core – on his side. With that providing context, his victory should not have been a surprise.

And yet, it was.

Elijah pummeled the monster until, at last, it perished. The icy storm persisted for a few moments after that, but it quickly dissipated. A second later, the ice it left behind started to melt.

Seeing that, Elijah picked himself up and watched as the storm continued to fade. The study was a mess, and most of the books had been completely destroyed. However, a few of them had managed to survive, so after resuming his human form, Elijah crossed the room and gathered them. In his hands, the tomes were absolutely enormous, and worse, they were in a language he could not understand. Evidently, the universal translation that had come with the system didn’t include the written word.

“Or maybe just not this writing,” he muttered to himself. It was the first time he’d spoken since killing the old prisoner. “God,” he continued, running his hand through his hair. “I really need some company for this kind of thing.”

Indeed, the constant solitude had begun to wear on him, and he hadn’t realized how much it had affected him until he’d met with the old man. In retrospect, it wasn’t surprising. People were social animals, after all, and even the most solitary person needed some human contact.

Maybe he should have invited Jess along. If she’d seen him in action, perhaps she might’ve been a bit more amenable to his advances.

He swallowed hard, remembering all the killing he’d done.

“Yeah, probably not.”

Besides, she likely wouldn’t have survived the tower anyway. There was a reason none of Norcastle’s teams had conquered it, after all.

Elijah shook his head and pushed past those thoughts. There was nothing to be gained from maudlin regrets or asking unanswerable questions. So, refocusing on his task, he crossed the room once again, and found the ogre’s staff. The thing was at least as big around as Elijah’s bicep, and almost twice his height. A suitable size for an ogre, but for Elijah, it was unwieldy and ultimately useless.

However, he wasn’t going to just leave it behind. The thing pulsed with power, suggesting that it would be valuable. Maybe not to a human, but surely there was someone who’d want it. After all, there were plenty of other races on Earth, now. Maybe one of them was of a size to use a staff the size of a goal post.

So, resolving to take it with him, Elijah hefted it onto one shoulder and took one last look around the room. There was nothing left that either hadn’t been destroyed or simply wouldn’t fit in his pack. Satisfied that he’d taken everything he could, he left the study behind and went in search of the next two lieutenants.