Chapter 87 - Essence of Another Realm

Hump gasped a deep breath, becoming suddenly awake. His heart shuddered with the flow of essence. Warmth pulsed through him, radiating from the essence stone in his hands all the way to his core. No, it was more than that. The power stormed through him, irrespective of his will. From his core, it flooded the rest of his body, spreading out through his channels, filling his muscles until every one of them was tensed.

There was no pain. If anything, it was euphoria. Hump felt strong.

“Hump, are you alright?” Celaine asked. “You look strange. Your veins are bulging.”

Hump opened his eyes. A violet stain coated his vision, but it was the essence around him that drew his attention. The whole room shone with the same violet essence, swirling around him in a great torrent. It rose off him like mist, nothing like the streaks of power that usually escaped him. This escaped from every part of him.

He raised his hand and studied it. The veins bulged like Celaine had said, visible through his skin like dark bruises. He rolled up his sleeve to find they continued up his arm, throbbing with the beat of his heart. He clenched and unclenched his fist, cracking his knuckles, feeling the power in his grip.

“Hump?” Celaine snapped.

Bud strode over to him and crouched down. “Gods, I knew we shouldn’t have done this. Hump, are you alright?”

“I’m alright.” Hump’s voice was strained and raspy. “Better than alright. I feel strong.” Essence flooded out on his breath, dissipating into the air around him, joining the torrent in the room. The same torrent that raged inside him.

But essence could be controlled. Storms could be calmed. The world could be moulded to one’s will, it only had to be strong enough.

Hump drew a deep breath and willed the torrent to begin circling him in the way he envisioned. He guided it to the river that ran through him, circling the power around his core. He smiled as the power grew purer, as it merged with his own rather than fought. His body was acclimatising quickly, and with every second he felt more and more in control. He rotated it faster, holding it within his body rather than letting it dissipate. Enjoying the warmth and strength that filled his muscles, and the power that went all the way to his soul.

He felt the urge to let the power loose. To cast a spell and see what it was capable of. His essence leapt at the thought as if in agreement, bouncing through his channels, fighting to break free. He wanted to let it. He wanted to experience what he could do with this newfound strength.

He heard Bud and Celaine’s voices but couldn’t make out their words. He struggled to care. All he could think about was bursting to his feet. He felt the essence fight against him, more and more escaping his body by the second. With every fibre of his being he will it to stay, fighting against the force that drew it out. Directing it through his body until he could feel every part of himself growing with heat. His body grew with heat. He felt it in his bones, his muscles, even his organs. Exhilarating energy that drove him to move. To act. To give into his inhibitions and lose himself to primal power.

He held up a hand, deciding to start simple. Just a shaping exercise; one he’d performed a thousand times before. There was no need to think, his essence reacted with his thought alone. He just held up his hand, and the power poured from each of his fingertips, forming a ball of vibrant purple light above his hand, fuelled by five streams of lightning.

A hand gripped him suddenly, tight around his wrist. So tight it hurt. The ball of essence dissipated from his hand, and he whirled to face the knight that held him.

“You need to stop.”

Hump tried to pull his arm back, but the grip was too tight. The knight had him. He called upon more essence, filling his arm with all the strength he needed, envisioning a spell in his mind.

“Let it go!”

Hump heard thunder in his mind, echoing from his very soul.

He gasped, the spell dissipating as his focus slipped. This wasn’t the plan. He was just supposed to study the essence, not use it for anything, let alone give it control over him.

“I’m… sorry…” he stammered. Just getting words out was hard.

“We’re with you, Hump,” Bud said firmly, releasing his wrist. “We’re here for you. But we can’t do anything to help. You need to let this power go.”

Hump nodded. He breathed, fighting the urge to reach out for the power again. He gripped the essence stone in his lap and closed his eyes, willing the essence to return to it. It left him in in a rush, and with it, he felt his warmth drain away. His strength faded. He felt as weak as a child, like he’d casted a day’s worth of spells in only a few minutes.

He slumped against the side of his bed, his vision blurring. Behind him, he felt an arm prop him up, and glanced to his side to see Celaine knelt beside him.

“Thank you,” he said quietly. “It’s gone. It’s back in the stone.”

Bud let out a long sigh. “Gods, that was stupid. You went too far this time, Hump. You said you could handle it.”

Hump shook his head. “I handled it.”

“You looked like you’d lost your damn mind,” Bud said.

“Which is why you were both here,” Hump said. “We’re fine, Bud. And it was worth it. I was right, there’s no way Vivienne could not know of the strength these stones possess, which means she’s been hiding it.”

Hump looked around the room to find a crack above his head, marking the top of the wall and the ceiling.

“You did that,” Celaine said. “When your spell fell apart.”

Hump gulped. “Maybe it did get a little out of hand.”

The room door slammed open, the wood splintering as Dylan barged into the room. He searched around frantically, weapon at the ready. When he saw nothing, confusion overtook his face.

“What happened?” he asked. “I felt something, and…” he seemed to realise the three of them were on the ground, then frowned at the crack in the ceiling. Then he saw the essence stone in Hump’s hand. “You used the essence stone.”

Hump sighed. “Honestly, Dylan. Your timing couldn’t have been more awful.”

“Gods, I knew this would happen,” Dylan said. “You all need to come with me.”

“You knew what would happen?” Celaine asked. “Why do you want us to come with you? Actually, more to the point, why are you even here?”

“There’s been a development. Priestess Elowen found something. She’s at the temple now.” His eyes fell back to the essence stone. “We can discuss the rest of this there.”

“Why don’t you tell us now,” Hump pressed. “Vivi knows more about these stones than she’s let on, doesn’t she?”

Dylan bit his lip then shook his head. “We’ll talk once we’re finished. I’m not the one you need to speak with.” He glanced at the door, saw it swing on his hinges and groaned. “Jacob’s not going to be happy about his door.”

“You know what, Dylan,” Hump said, standing up. “Neither am I. I paid for this room in advance.” He threw the essence crystal back in his bag, slung it over his shoulder and grabbed his staff. “I think it can wait until after we find out why Vivi is hiding essence stones from another realm though, don’t you?”