Chapter 113 - Controlling the Storm

Hump felt the tug of his essence, not just on his soul, but on his mind. It flared wildly around him, aimless and beyond his control. It had no point of focus, no target. Yet still it was filled with his intent, infused with his anger, fueled by his life. When he’d called upon it, he had no intention of surviving. He’d let emotion take control, and now he would pay the price.

Strength drained from him with every passing second, taken from him by his own essence. It spread out around him, becoming more and more unrestrained, and he grew colder. The power called for him to let go. To give in and let it take over. As the cold pierced deeper, a part of him wanted to let it. He was beyond exhausted, and with the gorger defeated, he’d done what he set out to do. It was enough. There was no shame in letting go now.

Another part of him fought on, holding back the tide even as it boiled. His essence howled like a raging storm, and he heard a dragon’s roar in his mind, fighting to unleash its power. He tried to suppress it, but he was too sluggish, too weak. A burst of essence escaped from his side, exploding in a cloud of blue, red, and bronze, like a single wing of mist before disappearing into the void. He wondered if he’d struck someone with it. Had he lashed out at Bud, Dylan, or Celaine? Had his lack of control taken the life of one of the townspeople? Or further damage the collapsing temple?

Fight it, Hump. Fight it. At least as long as you can.

Gods, he felt pathetic. Was he really going to fail this close to escape after he’d fought so hard to get there? His own essence was nothing compared to the gorger’s power, and he’d managed to resist that long enough.

He fought to take back control, willing his escaping power to return to him. And to an extent, it worked. At times it felt like he might overcome it. He was so close, but then he’d make a mistake. He’d slip up, and each time it left him colder and weaker. His mind grew a little more clouded, and the world beyond his realm more distant.

After what felt like a long time, light pierced the void. Cracks of ice formed along the veil, seeping through, then behind them came the green of life. It sifted through, so full of warmth that Hump’s own essence reached out for it, absorbing it hungrily. Heat flooded him, and distantly, he head voices calling.

“Come on, Hump!” he heard Bud shout. He was frantic, a roaring echo almost overpowering his voice. “Wake up. Come on!”

“We need to go,” Vivienne snapped. “I can’t hold this.”

“He’ll make it,” Celaine said. “He’ll come, trust me. Just hold on.”

“You’ll have to carry him,” she said. “We’re all going to die at this rate.”

Hump sighed. They were waiting for him. One final push, that was all it would take. One final push to make it all worthwhile.

He took a deep breath. The first step was to calm the storm.

He gathered what will he had left, throwing the cold and the pain to the river. It shot off around him in a thin stream, joining the rest of the storm. Then he reached out with his mind. He felt its touch like fire, so full of energy he almost recoiled. He pushed through the barrier, grabbing the whirling storm of power in his mind and hauling it to him. The moment he felt a connection all the warmth he’d regained was dragged from him. He willed it to slow down, to come back to him. All he did was make it worse. The waves rushed against each other, breaking and reforming, a self-made cyclone of power fighting to escape.

And in there lay the key. This was his soul. It was his world. All this power was only responding to him. He’d let his emotions fuel the essence and given the dragon reign. Now he had to take it back. There was no room for doubts. Essence could not be moved by the weak of will or mind. He needed to be certain. Out in the rest of the world there were other factors standing against him, but here he was alone. And after a month in the gorger’s dungeons, there was one thing he was certain of. He vowed he would survive this. His will was resolute.

This was his essence, his fear and anger, and it would obey him.

He reached out for the storm and he commanded it to stop. He felt the change immediately. The fire turned cool and the void became still. Only silence remained. Slowly, he drew his essence back, breathing it in like hot summer air. It seared the iciness of his soul and he felt alive again. He felt whole.

And in the silence he realised something. He’d taken back his essence. He’d commanded the dragon to return to the depths of his soul where it belonged. His warlock side hadn’t taken over, even when he’d thrown himself to it entirely.

He could control it.

He had won.

Hump opened his eyes. Water surrounded him. It roared through the chamber, so loud it was like the world would be consumed by it. he jerked, struggling on instinct. His arms and legs were trapped, gripped by something.

“You’re alright, Hump,” Bud shouted. “We’ve got you. It’s over. Can you stand?”

He was holding him under the arms, his face tinged with pain. Celaine had him by the ankles, and Dylan’s hand was pressed to his chest, expending all the power he could to keep Hump going. Blood coated the druid’s stomach, three wounds that looked deep enough to leave Hump incapacitated, yet they hardly seemed to slow him down. Bud’s chest plate was caved in, and judging from his face, he was injured.

“With the rest of you still going, I don’t think I have much of an excuse.”

They helped him to his feet, and Hump took a few seconds to look around. They were a single point of light in this world of complete darkness. Vivienne held a spellstone that shone brightest of everything, sending shadows streaking through the temple’s depths. Water rushed in all around them, roaring through the chamber. Waves broke against an invisible barrier—the only thing that kept them from being engulfed.

“Oddly enough, this is far from the worst way I’ve woken up this week,” Hump said.

Celaine gave him a strange look. “Well that’s not grim at all.”

Hump gave her a smile. “I’ll admit, I’m glad to be back.” He looked around. “Even if we are trapped in what looks to be an underwater temple.”

“About your friend,” Bud said. “I’m sorry, but there was no helping her. We had to leave her behind.”

Hump bit his lip and nodded, then looked around at the townsfolk. He counted fifteen. It seemed not all of them had made it either. His heart started to race, and a pit opened in his stomach.

“Did I…” Hump trailed off. He couldn’t even ask.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Dylan said. “The water picked up, and a few slipped beyond the barrier. Bud managed to restrain you once that… creature was dealt with.”

Hump nodded. This was better than he’d expected when he’d first escaped the gorger’s dungeon. Getting any of the townsfolk out at all was a bonus. He knew that, yet it still felt like he’d failed. From the grim faces around him, Hump thought everyone else felt the same way. At least for now, dwelling on it was the worst thing he could do. Get out first.

He looked to his friend. “Thanks.”

Bud smiled. “No problem, I’m just glad it worked. That was the first time I’ve managed to freeze essence without affecting a physical object.”

Hump scrunched his nose. He decided to ignore the fact Bud saw him as a physical object and focus on the important matter. “So you almost turned me into a block of ice?”

“Almost being the key word here,” Celaine said. “Here. They got a bit wet.”

She handed him his spellbook and staff. He flipped open his spellbook to check for any damage, but it seemed the artefact could cope on its own.

“All looks fine.” He attached it to his belt. “So what’s our way out?”

“It was a boat,” Dylan said. His wounds were closing, green essence flooding them. “Though it won’t be much use to us now.”

Hump frowned, quietly asking Bud, “A boat? We’re underwater.”

“Magic boat,” he said. “I’m guessing we’re going to have to manage without it now.”

“I can get us back to the surface,” Vivienne shouted over the rushing water. “This barrier is full of air. The only reason we’re not floating is because I’m stopping it. The spellstone won’t last forever through.”

“How long?” Hump asked.

“Long enough,” she said. “Hump, get ready. You’re going to need to get the temple doors open.”

Soon after she said it, the wall came into sight, illuminated by the blue light of her spell. They were made of stone, the familiar three-eyed insignia he’d seen on the other side staring back at him.

“What do I need to do?” he asked.

“I broke the channels when we first entered, you just need to activate the formation.”

Hump placed his hand against it and closed his eyes, letting what remained of his essence seep out. He felt cold pain lance up his hands, spreading to his fingers like a cramp. He clenched his jaw, and reached out. His essence connected to the channels with a jolt of intent, and he felt it dragged throughout the formation. The formation activated with a large crack. The doors slid apart from each other, disappearing into the walls as water poured in. It rushed over the top of the barrier, obscuring everything from sight.

There was a loud crack, as the doors started to open. Water poured in over the top of their barrier, obscuring everything from sight.

Vivienne stepped forward, the rest of them following close, huddled tightly around her. And then they were out. Vivienne took a few moments to collect herself, taking long, deep breaths. The barrier shimmered with light, then they started to float up.

The lake bed stretched on beneath them, faintly illuminated by the light of the spell. Long vines of algae formed a forest full of fish. Behind them, bubbles of air rushed up to the surface from the temple like an explosion. The walls were crumbling in faster, crushed beneath the weight of the lake. Hump watched it fall to ruin, stunned.

Hump felt his spellbook shake on his hip. He took it from his belt and opened it.

Spellbook
Three-Eyed Seal

Description: A powerful locking enchantment designed with a channel pattern that can be altered to restrict access to only those that know it.

Below the description, a complex formation took form. He didn’t recognise a single rune. They looked familiar, but the shapes were slightly different, and the lines more sharp compared to Alveronian, appearing more like God Glyphs. Considering the simplicity with which he’d activated it, he was stunned by the complexity. It dwarfed Vivienne’s summoning ritual, and it had all been crammed inside a single door. A door divided down the middle no less.

He glanced at Vivienne, whose face was unreadable as she watched four years of searching crumble before her eyes.

“Vivi,” Hump said, holding it out for her to see. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Her eyes widened at the sight of it. “Thank the gods. Hump, these are the Old Marks. I’ve seen pieces of them in the past, broken lines with missing runes and damaged lines, but never a complete formation. I’m not sure anyone has.”

“Not a total loss then,” Hump said.

She shook her head. “No. This is fantastic.”

“Good,” Hump said. “We can make a copy when we get back.”

She brought them to the surface at an angle, rising slowly from the depths. They were near a small island, clear of anything but a few trees. Once the water was shallow enough for them to walk, Vivienne let the spell end. Fresh air breezed past, and Hump breathed it in with a sigh. He stepped onto the shore, and dropped to his knees, feeling the grass in his hands. It came with a relief he hadn’t expected. He slumped to the ground, rolling onto his back and staring up at the lightening sky. The sun would be up soon; the moon was nearly gone beyond the horizon. He’d survived.

Hump laughed. He couldn’t help it.

“What is it?” Celaine asked, looking at him like an insane person.

Hump stared up at her and grinned. “I honestly thought I would die. At times, I wanted to. And now it’s over.” He laughed again, rolling his arms around in the grass. He didn’t care if he looked insane.