Ch 34: Poltergeist

Entering the strange chamber deep within the ruins, the group finds strange machinery. Alexander seems to know something, but for now they attempt to claim the herb. Then the wild anomaly appears...

            Stepping into the faintly lit room, everyone found themselves in strikingly different surroundings. While overgrown with roots, vines, moss, and various other resilient plants growing within the Deus Calx itself, the room had clearly been the home to amazingly advanced technologies as everywhere strange devices and controls were scattered throughout the room. Most impressive, however, was an enormous glass cylinder that was attached to the ceiling in the middle of a large hole in the floor. Looking over the railing around the hole, it seemed as though it were a bottomless chasm. The cylinder seemed to stretch down into the chasm as far as you could see, and within it glowing EDE churned and twisted, overflowing out of a crack in the cylinder far below them. The overflowing EDE poured out like water, but shortly after leaving the cylinder it dispersed into the air. Looking around the room in wonder, Amy had forgotten her fear as she exclaimed, “Wow! Are we really still in a dungeon?” Picking up a dead twig and tossing it into the chasm beyond the railing, as he watched it disappear, Grey muttered, “I doubt it. Just what is this place?” There was a grim look on Alexander’s face as he stared at the glass cylinder. Looking at the crack in it down below in the chasm, he said, “I would say this must be the catalyst that created your humanoid anomaly Catherine…” Likely more fascinated than any of them, Scott quietly said, “I’ve never seen any technology that uses EDE on this scale!” Looking at Serius, as Serius turned to him and their gaze met, Alexander said, “I’m rather certain I already know what this is, and I’m sure you do as well…” Serius closed his eyes and muttered, “Yes. There’s no doubt.” Turning from the cylinder to look at the two with suspicion, Grey said, “Well you think you could enlighten us then? Cause I’m totally in the dark. What the hell is all this?” Stepping away from the railing and starting to look around for what they’d come here for, Alexander said, “Nevermind for now, we need to get the Cruciamentum and leave this place. I certainly don’t want to see what mutation that anomaly went through with all this EDE at its disposal…” Spying a cluster of Cruciamentum growing in the far corner of the room, Alexander began making his way over to it. Suddenly, Amy became rather alarmed, and she shouted, “Alexander, stop! I’ve got a bad feeling there’s something very dangerous coming!”

            On his guard, Alexander scanned the room as loud, eerie laughter echoed through it. Turning to the others, he shouted, “Get ready to run, I’m grabbing the Cruciamentum!” Dashing forward, Alexander had almost reached the Cruciamentum when he suddenly saw a pair of red glowing eyes upon the wall above the plants. In realization, he thought, “It was waiting for me to try and take it?!” Alexander quickly leaped back as from the wall itself long curved blades suddenly swung forth at him. Seeing this, everyone rushed to his side, their weapons ready as they watched the blades sink back into the wall. Staying behind Grey, Amy said, “How did it know?! I mean, it’s like it knew exactly what we were after!” As they all gathered together, they eyed the walls warily, and Serius said, “It’s possible it knew what the word Cruciamentum refers to during its life and it somehow retained that knowledge. Beyond that I cannot say.” Searching the room for any sign of the anomaly, Grey thought in frustration, “It’s like we really are fighting a ghost! I mean, I know Altera Veritas’s anomalies are able to pop outta walls, but usually I can sense a strange fluctuation of EDE when they do that! This thing… I can’t sense it all!” Then Grey felt a bit of dust land on his cheek. Slowly looking up, he saw a dark shadow with glowing red eyes above them, and he quickly shouted, “EVERYONE MOVE!” Grey pulled Amy with him as everyone moved away just as the creature came down and slammed its long curved blades into the ground. Turning to look at their attacker, Grey was shocked at its appearance. While it wore a dark robe somewhat like Altera Veritas’ humanoid anomalies, the blades that came from the sleeves of its robes were curved like the blades of a scythe, and it wore a chestplate over its robe that was black on the right side and gray on the left side. Also, it did not wear a hood, but a regal looking faceplate which almost made it appear to be wearing a crown. Most strikingly different however was that from the back of its head came very long dark grey hair. Staring at it in terror, Amy shouted, “W-what IS that thing?!” Holding his sword ready as he eyed it warily, Alexander said, “I assume this is the one, Catherine?” Looking rather unnerved herself, Catherine replied, “Yes, that’s it! Reaper!”

            Twirling his swords in his hands, Grey said, “I’ll admit it looks different, but he doesn’t look so tough to me!” Sternly, Alexander warned, “Grey, don’t be reckless! Have you forgotten what happened back in Silens?!” Suddenly Reaper rose up into the air and flew at Grey, lashing out with both of its curved blades. As Grey blocked, the power behind the anomaly’s charge was too much, and the fiend pushed him skidding backwards until Grey found himself pinned against the wall behind him. Struggling against its blades with his own, Grey thought, “Damn! This thing is strong after all!” As the others rushed to help him, suddenly the floor itself rose up and created a wall between them and Grey, and in surprise Scott exclaimed, “What the hell?!” Quickly Alexander moved to go around the wall, yet the floor rose up again, blocking his way. Puzzled, Alexander thought, “What is happening here? Is it using a form of nature based ability to…? No, this material shouldn’t be compatible!” On the other side of the wall, Grey struggled against the cackling anomaly, and locking blades with it again he pressed against them and shoved the monster back. As he moved in to strike again though, the floor rose up between them, blocking his way. Then he felt as though the floor beneath him were quivering, and realizing what was about to happen, he leaped back as the floor rose up from under his feet. Watching it rise all the way up to slam into the ceiling, Grey muttered, “Not good…” His fears confirmed, the floor once again quivered, and he turned to run for his life as the floor rose up in segments again and again. Soon there was nowhere to run, as he could find no openings in the wall that had come up between him and the others. Seeing the rising floor coming ever closer to him, he thought, “This is no joke! If I don’t think of a way out of this fast, I’m dead!”

            Remembering EDE was part of the material used to make up the ruins, Grey thought, “If it’s partially made of EDE, maybe EDE Dissipation can destroy it!” Activating his EDE Dissipation, he struck the tip of one of his blades into the wall between him and the others as he thought with desperation, “Work!” Through the room echoed an earsplitting shriek, and the rising of the floor halted. To Grey’s relief, long cracks began to creep across the wall from the point where he’d struck, and at last the wall gave way. Quickly Grey stumbled out of the breach in the wall, and as the others rushed over to him, he muttered, “That must be what it’s like to be claustrophobic…” Suddenly, Alexander shouted at him, “Look out!” Rising out of the floor behind him, Reaper launched a surprise attack on Grey. Swiftly he turned and attempted to defend himself, but Reaper’s bladed right arm sliced deep into Grey’s left arm. Unable to keep hold of it through the pain, Grey’s left hand sword clattered to the ground, and as blood seeped through the torn sleeve of his jacket, Grey muttered, “Son of a…” Reaper was just about to strike again, but it swiftly backed off as Serius leaped high in the air and came down at it with his stone fist. Coming up next to Serius, Catherine called up the overgrown vines that stretched across the floor beneath Reaper to rise and capture the anomaly in their grasp. His bow formed, Scott took aim and unleashed a barrage of lightning arrows at Reaper as it struggled in the grip of the vines. Yet the floor rose up in Reaper’s defense, the arrows exploding harmlessly upon the solid slab of Deus Calx. Breaking free of the vines, Reaper floated through the risen floor to face them once again, having passed through it as thought it had been passing through water.

Rushing over to Grey, Alexander quickly began healing his injury as Amy looked on with concern. As the others stared it down, Reaper suddenly raised its arms as though it were spreading a pair of wings. Struggling to hurry his healing along, Alexander said, “Catherine, what’s it doing now?” Shaking her head, Catherine said, “I don’t know! Last time it simply chased us out, I had no idea it had these strange powers! All I know is that nothing we did could hurt it!” Reaper’s bladed arms morphed into humanoid arms, and to their disbelief it began channeling EDE into its hands. Spheres of energy formed in its hands, and then beams of dark energy flew out in all directions from its hands. Yet not a single beam came anywhere near them, instead impacting the walls and ceilings. As the walls began to glow with dark light, Alexander shouted, “Group up! Amy, barrier now!” Hesitating briefly as everyone gathered around her, Amy raised her barrier around them all just as bolts of dark energy rained down at them from the walls and ceilings. As Amy strained to hold the barrier against countless explosions, Serius said, “We may wish to consider a tactical retreat.” His left arm sore but mostly healed, Grey said, “No, I’m not leaving without the Cruciamentum! Richter and Mythra… I won’t let them die!” The bombardment of energy bolts finally stopped, and as clouds of stirred up dust settled, Reaper was nowhere to be seen. Then Reaper rose from the floor inside the barrier itself, and with Amy in its sights, it struck out with one of its bladed arms at her. There was no way for Amy to move away in time, and cringing as the blades came at her, she suddenly heard the clang of blade against blade. She opened her eyes as Grey, who had stepped between her and Reaper, parried with his remaining blade and followed up with a powerful thrust as he shouted, “Go to hell you goddamn circus freak!” His blade pierced its chestplate, and with a shriek it sank to the floor.

            Watching his blade evaporate as he stared at Reaper’s corpse, Grey rubbed his arm and said, “Why isn’t it disintegrating like they always do when they die?” With a shrug, Scott said, “It looks dead enough to me. Let’s get what we came for and get out of here…” Fully in agreement, Alexander made his way over to the corner and began picking the Cruciamentum. Staring at the corpse as well, Catherine muttered, “Not that it wouldn’t be a relief if this was over, but something isn’t right here. Last time it was seemingly invincible, yet you killed it with a single sword?” Walking back over to the others, a boquet of Cruciamentum in hand, Alexander said, “Whatever the case, we have what we need. Now we just have to find a way out of here.” Then Alexander saw something out of the corner of his eye, and with his sword he turned and knocked away a chunk of debris that had flown at him from nowhere. Confused, he said, “Did you all just see that?” Before they could answer, all around the room pieces of debris, dead plants, anything that wasn’t bolted to the floor seemed to rise into the air of its own accord. Looking on in disbelief, Scott said, “I don’t think it’s just you Alexander! This is getting just plain nuts!” Soon they all found themselves pelted by the floating objects, and quickly raised their hands up and attempted to shield themselves. Deflecting a dead vine with his hand, Alexander shouted, “Amy, barrier!” His command distracted her attention, and in that split second a broken metal pipe sailed at Amy and struck her in the side of the head. Grey caught her as she fell, but it was apparent she was out cold. Seeing a bit of blood running from a cut where she was struck, Grey said, “She’s hurt! What the hell’s going on around here?!” His question was answered as an eerie laugh echoed through the room. Quickly Grey turned to where Reaper’s corpse had lain. It was gone.

            In disbelief, Grey exclaimed, “It’s gone! Reaper’s gone!” Knocking away more debris, Serius said, “We have the Cruciamentum, let’s retreat!” Nodding, Alexander said, “Agreed, we-!” Then the floor beneath them quivered and everyone went flying as the ground itself struck out at them as though it were alive. Landing hard on his behind, Grey started to get up just as Reaper rose out of the ground before him and raised its blades with a maniacal laugh. Grey threw himself to the side as Reaper’s blades swung down, and forming his own blades again, Grey got to his feet. Yet Reaper quickly struck again, and the force of the strike sent Grey flying as he blocked. As the back of his head impacted the hard metal of the railing around the large chasm in the center of the room, Grey was knocked unconscious and simply laid there slumped against it. Turning itself on the others, Reaper charged at Scott, who had just struggled to his feet. Seeing Reaper coming at him, he raised his bow at Reaper and fired a barrage of lightning arrows, but Reaper once again raised the floor up to block his attack. Expecting it to come through the wall again, Scott drew his staff and ran towards it. Yet Reaper instead rose from the floor behind Scott, and channeling EDE into one of its bladed arms, it flung a wave of dark energy at him. Coming to Scott’s aid, Alexander deflected the wave with his EDE charged sword and said, “Serius and Catherine are getting Amy, while we’re getting Grey! It’s time to get out of here! Whatever is going on, we’re not up against just any anomaly! I’m starting to wonder if that thing is its true form… It’s almost as though the entire ruin is our enemy!”

            Alexander pulled Scott aside as a nearby section of the floor suddenly rose again and lashed out at them. Rushing to where Grey laid unconscious, they quickly hoisted him onto Scott’s back, and as Reaper zoomed after them, Alexander defended Scott as it brought its bladed arms down at him. Clashing with Reaper, as they crossed blades again Alexander shoved the anomaly back and said to Scott, “Take the Cruciamentum and go!” As Alexander took the rare herb from his pocket and offered it to him, Scott said, “I’m not about to just abandon you! I-” Cutting him off, Alexander shouted, “Think about the situation! You’re in no shape for this! You asked me to have faith in you back in Silens, now I’m asking you to have some faith in me! I’ll follow as soon as I can, now go!” Hesitantly Scott grabbed the Cruciamentum, and then he made his way to the door of the room where Catherine and Serius waited, Amy held cradled in Serius’ arms. Yet as Reaper saw them on the verge of escape, the floor rose up and covered the door of the room. As it moved to go after the others, Alexander quickly stepped between them and the monster and lashed out with his blade. As their blades met, Alexander grappled with Reaper for a moment, and then chanted, “Septimo Spiritus Terra!” Resounding from his sword’s blade as dark green runes glowed upon it, a sonic shockwave directed at Reaper blew the creature sailing away from him, and aiming his blade after it, Alexander chanted, “Pluvia Eversio, Vultus Ignis!”

Shooting from the tip of his sword, arrows of fire raced after Reaper, who finally managed to stabilize itself in the air. Seeing the barrage of fire arrows coming towards it, Reaper brought the tips of its bladed arms together and gathered dark energy at the point where the tips met, and from the dark mass of energy, multiple beams of darkness shot out in rapid succession and blasted the arrows out of the air. Standing before the blocked entrance, Scott said, “Just how do we get out of here when the entire building is trying to stop us?!” With a sudden groan, Grey started to come around, and muttered, “What’s going on…?” Thinking quickly, Catherine said, “The exit’s been blocked! How did you destroy that wall before?!” As Scott put him down, Grey wobbled a bit. Then forming one of his swords, Grey activated his EDE Dissipation and struck the tip of his blade upon the wall. Over where Alexander was clashing with Reaper, Reaper suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream. Puzzled by this, Alexander looked over at the entrance where the wall that had risen over the door fell to pieces in the face of Grey’s EDE Dissipation, and he thought to himself, “I knew it! There is a connection! Whether they are one in the same or have some form of symbiotic relationship isn’t clear, but now I know for certain now that we face more than just a wild anomaly!” Rushing to the door as well while Reaper languished in pain, Alexander somehow tripped and fell to the floor, his sword sliding across the ground out of his reach. Struggling to get up, he could see that one of the vines froom the plants that had overgrown the room over the centuries had taken hold of his leg as though it were alive. As he struggled against it, a dark shadow fell over him as Reaper hovered over him with its razor sharp arms raised to strike.

Reviews

[Ryan Henderson]

Very, very good chapter yet again! The dialogue flows fluidly and the pace of the story is just right! I like the dialogue going on during the battle, like when everyone is strategizing, but I think my favorite part would be when Grey muttered 'Son of a...' when he got hit. Sadly, there was not a lot of humor in this chapter, but that is okay. Not every chapter can be hilarious. I think the humor was lacking because Mythra was not there :3

I loved the way the battles are described, and the spell names are really cool as well, which adds to the intense tone of the battle. I like how the characters have actually improved In fighting since the beginning of the book. This is a good thing that you made. I also think that the training scene in Mythra's house added to this fact. Scott is not a wimp anymore! Yay! (Although that fact was shown in his battle with Douglas.) Although, the battle would be so much cooler with Mythra...

All in all, very good chapter! Now if only Mythra wasn't down with poison...