Chapter 2392

Chapter 2392

The change arrived silently, prickling across the back of all their necks.

Finally, Elhume moves Don Beigon muttered to himself as he looked at the horizon. Behind him, he could feel all the joviality falling out of the gathered individuals.

All of their bravery had fallen away when the shadow of their tyrant. The laughter and babble had been silence. And honestly, the Don couldnt blame them. Even though he had spent the last several hundred years preparing for exactly this challenging confrontation, his heart still started to flutter.

It was not a soft heart or wise maneuvers with which Elhume had claimed his peak. He had forged his crown with power.

The strange Vulpine husks came first, crackling with overwhelming power but walking with stumbling steps. Then the sky darkened, as though Elhumes disapproving attention could warp even the weather. The crowd of Nether Lattice converts cowered before that darkness. The grand Engraving that advanced the portal's climb began to sputter and spark, affected by the adverse shift in energy.

Then came the fists, puffing into the sky. Timeless, Timeless, Timeless, Timeless, Timeless. First hundreds, then thousands, then what felt like millions of prepared fists popped into existence. Until the shambling husks became an afterthought, until the darkened sky seemed harmless, until Don Beigon had difficulty breathing beneath their hovering weight. They formed a floating, drifting wall of violence, a briefly stayed but promised doom.

We must flee, The humanoid hawk whispered. All of the members of the Nether Lattice shivered behind her. Their eyes had grown wide and panicked.

Despite the situation, the Don couldnt help but chuckle. He felt a sour note of satisfaction. It is far too late for that.

The fists began their journey forward. They covered the horizon to the point it was just a teeming wall of knuckles. Their approach seemed like the entire world was closing up around the ground.

It felt almost inevitable that they would be crushed in Elhumes palm.

Don Beigon began pulling more deeply from the Nether Lattice. He borrowed and borrowed from their well of significance, throwing more and more energy into the struggling grand Engraving, sending it roaring to life with this impending threat. He felt the debts he owed to these individuals piling up. Yet each moment meant that his journey through the Path to the Pinnacle would be that much easier.

Through the hanging portal, the Don could sense a heaviness beginning to gather. Small motes of oblivion crowded the edge of the portal. Soon, he thought to himself.

Don Beigon! The humanoid hawk squawked out her displeasure. She fluttered her arm wings, caught between conflicting impulses and emotions. Now is not the time for this! We must gather our power- Nether Lattice, move together and stop him from dooming us all!

As I said, too late.

The Dons lip curled as she began to try and cut off his access to their significance. He had helped them in their haphazard construction efforts, which meant he understood exactly how precarious the current Nether Lattice had become; no longer did a Lathis sit atop the pyramid, a cabal clustered and crowded the top plateau. Their responses were sluggish, requiring a majority of their wills to accomplish her request. He caught the eyes of a few unobtrusive figures of influence within the Nether Lattice. Older debts were called in to be paid.

When the hawk humanoid tried to shut the tunnel, a few key individuals counteracted her decision. The Nether Lattice wavered. Its power remained open to him, and Don Beigon did not stand on ceremony.

He pulled and pulled, dumping out all the significance they possessed.

*****

Raymund Ballast kept his back straight and his chin lifted. In his body, he denied any presence of exhaustion. Report.

A group of six, five standing and one sitting, tense individuals gathered in the makeshift command tent they had erected at the edges of the ghastly plains in which they found themselves. They had just broken through the encirclement not once but twice, to give the Vulpis Squad a picture of how bad their situation had really become.

Hieffal sniffed and looked at her. Perhaps it was the pain or the slow collapse of his image, but there was an icy certainty at the center of the previously jovial man. Speak for yourself. But more than our individual power, we are acting as Nether overflow stabilizers for the Ghosthound while we are in this separate temporal flow. Cannot you feel it? Fiero isnt stupid. So long as we exist out here, the shift in Randidlys core is being accelerated. Yes, restraining Pines arrival is important, but that doesnt solve the problem of Randidly kicking him off the throne. So I say, we are missing something. Before we run, we need to find it.

We dont have the personnel to send another scouting expedition. Everyone is too exhausted, Clamman shook his head.

I believe Heiffal suggests a full mobilization, Raymund said slowly.

Of course, Charlottes gaze grew alarmed. Thats impossible. In your condition-

Ive survived this long, havent I? Besides, Ive absorbed more Nether than the rest of you. It should hold me together long enough to see this through. Heiffal looked around at the group, his eyes chips of ice. Look at our situation. We wont get out of this without paying a price. Better I pay it than some of you with real potential-

Sir! Edgar interrupted with a sharp step forward. Your potential-

Heiffal waved his hand in dismissal. My significance grows quickly, but thats just because my image is almost completely gone. My potential is nothing significant.

If we get you back to the Alpha Cosmos, Charlotte began, but Heiffal silenced her with a look.

Into that heavy silence, Raymund sighed. His own instincts twitched. He wondered how Techetadore recuperating, in the Alpha Cosmos. ...I trust Heiffals instincts. We cannot allow ourselves to be dead weight for the Ghosthound. The group will move tomorrow. Vant, take over from Jieu; he will need time to bank his fire before we proceed. Charlotte, assist him. At the half-shift mark, proceed to the injured quarters. I hate to ask this of you, but we need-

Ill beggar myself to get them back on their feet, Charlotte bowed. As Hieffal has said, I think the Nether Ive accumulated can keep me going, even when my image has been drained to its last drop.

Raymund watched them go. Clamman went as well, to take his own much-needed rest; Raymund knew the Canines pride was hurt he wasnt given an extra task in the interim, but he acknowledged his own limits.

If we possessed lassitude and opportunity, we would all grow rapidly away from this killing field, Raymund thought sadly. But our opportunities might have run out.

Meanwhile, Edgar stepped tentatively up to Heiffals side. Might look a bit grim now, but look on the bright side; at least its your left arm thats deteriorated. When we make it back to the Alpha Cosmos, return to Kharon your right arm bowling form wont have suffered. Youll be able to show Commissioner Arrietti a flawless game.

Keh, Heiffal turned sideways for a brief second. Then he smirked at Edgar. Ive actually been thinking about that bastard quite a bit. Yea, definitely, when this is all over lets go back and see how good that human has become. No one respects perfection as much as he does.

Edgar bowed and left.

When he was gone, Heiffal began to weep. Silently but openly.

After a few minutes of standing vigil, Raymund released a breath and said the line he had been practicing for several weeks. I could borrow a portion of your injuries, you know. Perhaps a brief respite would allow you to-

We both know it would only hamstring you, at the most important time. Heiffal sniffed, damming his tears. He leaned sideways and spat, then looked at Raymund with clear eyes. No, your talents are better spent elsewhere. I have a different request. How much can you repeatedly use your powers? Compounding the borrowing? The way my significance accumulates, when it is spent, it comes back faster. So if you were to borrow the significance in my body, allow more to accumulate, then borrow more? Would such a process be possible?

It is possible. But not advisable. When such significance is returned- Raymund paused. He suddenly understood. His gaze toward Heiffal sharpened. Why?

The certainty and resolve in Heiffals eyes felt like facing a deluge of glacier runoff. Just insurance.