Verigenesis: Bounty (Rifthunters Book 1), page 24
Chapter 27
Bastion regarded Nate with cold eyes. He seemed unnaturally calm despite the unfolding crisis as his fingers twitched through a complex dance in the air. Half-formed weaves traced the jagged lines running across the backs of his hands, waiting for the last threads they needed to leap into existence.
From behind them came the furious sounds of battle, essence exploding through the forest in its myriad forms. Had the roddels finally attacked en masse? Whatever calamity had befallen the guild, it didn’t sound good.
“I’m sorry, Nate,” Wes moaned, dragging Nate’s attention back to their own predicament. “They were going to find out, and they deserved to know the truth.”
Bastion spoke before Nate could, his voice smooth. “You have acted honorably, Master Jensen. Do not apologize for possessing the courage to do the right thing. Your words have helped the guild, unlike the lies of these two here.”
“Oh, lay off,” Ellie said. “I’ve heard the terrified whispers of some of the other recruits. You wouldn’t know the right thing to do if it came up and bit you in the backside.”
Bastion’s rictus grin widened. His shattered eyes caught and reflected the light in a clash of conflicting angles. “Well, well. Perhaps it is time I put such whispers to rest then.”
Nate sensed him tying off his prepared weave. He struggled against his bonds, the loosened vines falling away from his mouth. “Wait, stop! You don’t need to—”
But he was too late. Bastion took a quick step forward and pressed a fingertip to Ellie’s forehead. The soulweaver’s spell seeped obediently past her aegis into her exposed flesh. Unfortunately, aegises offered little protection against most effects that targeted the mind.
Ellie convulsed, her eyes rolling over white. She struggled to scream through a mouth now frozen in silent torment.
Bastion glanced at Nate. “What do you think?” he asked amicably. “Do you believe ten seconds sufficient?”
“What are you doing?” Wes demanded. “She wasn’t trying to escape!”
Bastion shrugged. “I am merely teaching her a lesson in respect. Yes, let us see if ten seconds have proved my point.”
He cut off the weave, and Ellie sagged in her bonds, whimpering. Nate glared at Bastion. He wished he could make that nil-eater suffer an agonizing reclamation. It was maddening not being able to act. He’d become a verist precisely to avoid ever feeling this powerless again.
Bastion cupped Ellie’s chin, yanking her head up to face him. “Tell me,” he cooed, “Have you learned how to properly treat your betters?”
Somehow, Ellie mustered the strength to spit in the sadist’s face. The thin trail of saliva trickled down his cheek. Nate silently cheered her defiance even as he tensed for the expected retaliation.
But that didn’t seem to be Bastion’s style. Instead, he released Ellie’s chin and conjured a small handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit to wipe away the spittle.
“Charming,” Bastion said, his voice calm. The nil-eater actually seemed to be enjoying this.
He wants us to fight back, Nate realized, feeling sick. More fun for him that way. Almost casually, Bastion raised a hand, pinching two fingers together to shape a long, thin needle of essence.
A scream of pain echoed behind them, followed by what sounded like more trees splintering apart. A body tumbled through the air, crumpling to the ground a few dozen feet away. Nate couldn’t make out who it was.
He knew he should be more concerned about whatever was keeping so many powerful verists occupied. Yet all of that seemed far away compared to the casual cruelty he saw reflected in Bastion’s dead, broken eyes when he regarded Ellie.
“Leave her alone!” Nate shouted. “You want to pick on anyone, pick on me.”
Bastion spun toward Nate eagerly, as if he had been waiting for him to speak up. “Do not worry, Master Carter, I was getting to you. But perhaps you are right.”
He cast another disparaging look at Ellie. “This one is a waste of my talent. You, though… I have had my eyes on you for quite a while.”
Bastion suddenly lunged forward, his essence needle outstretched. Nate didn’t even have a chance to cry out before the needle stabbed straight through his aegis into his left eye.
Pain exploded through his mind, pure agony radiating out from the point of impact. It felt like his eye had been ripped out, the socket doused in acid and filled with scrabbling fire ants.
Nate’s head didn’t just hurt. He could feel it throb like it was on the verge of shattering apart with each terrible beat of his heart. It was impossible to think, to focus on anything but the pain.
Mercifully, the sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Panting for breath, Nate blinked rapidly. He was relieved to find his eye undamaged now that the tortuous weave had dissipated.
Bastion no longer stood in front of him. Nate searched the area. Had he been called to the frontline? Then Nate glanced down and found Wes astride the soulweaver, ramming an icy fist into his smug face.
From Bastion’s feeble struggles, it was clear he wasn’t built for direct combat. He might have muscles because of his verigenesis, but evidently very little practice using them. Not so easy when your victims actually fight back, huh?
Bastion slumped to the ground after a few more punches, and Wes rose on shaky feet. His Ice Skin gleamed with flickering firelight.
“How?” Nate croaked. His throat felt dry, and the memory of the pain still wracked his body with shudders.
Wes forced a grin he clearly didn’t feel. “Shirt of Slipperiness, remember? The vines had loosened enough that I could slide right out of them.” His grin faded. “I…I couldn’t just sit there and let him do that to you guys, no matter what he thinks we did.”
Nate nodded. “Nice work. Now help me out of these bonds. We need to flee while they’re still distracted.”
Wes hesitated, eyes shifting from Bastion to Nate. “We could stay,” he finally said. Seeing Nate’s expression, he quickly added, “Obviously, the guild’s not perfect. But if we stay, we could help change things. The Riftwalkers need us. And we need them.”
“We were getting by just fine before they showed up,” Nate said.
“For now, sure. But everything I said before is still true. Without the guild, we’re just three lowly Apprentices against a Null-cursed Immortal. With them though, we have a real shot at accomplishing the impossible.”
Ellie cast a disparaging look down at Bastion’s prone form. “You actually want to work with them, even after what he just did to us?”
“Bastion was way out of line,” Wes admitted. “But what about Bill and Kris? Sandra and Dale? What about Harold?” He turned to Nate, his eyes pleading. “I know he’s always had your back, Nate. There are plenty of good people left in the guild.”
Nate grimaced, crossing his arms. “You heard what Commander Grisham really thinks of us. Even if we wanted to strike some kind of deal, she’d never trust us again. The three of us started this journey. Now it’s up to us to finish it.”
Wes’ face contorted with indecision, and Nate’s heart twinged. He knew that if he told Wes to stay with the guild, his friend would listen. Nate could tell him that he and Ellie would be fine to continue on their own, releasing him from any sense of obligation he might feel toward them.
But that would mean leaving behind his best friend. And losing a valuable fighter. As much as he loathed thinking that way, it was true. Without Wes, their chances of securing the bounty would shrink considerably.
So instead, Nate bit down on the words and said, “Please, Wes. We need you with us on this. I need you.”
Nate felt like the worst person in the entire Nexus as he watched the war of emotions play out on his friend’s face. Wes was nothing if not faithful. It was how Nate had known he could always rely on his friend to have his back. Now he was attempting to twist that sense of loyalty to work in his favor.
Wes began to wordlessly tear at the vines still binding Nate. For better or worse, Nate had won. This is good for him too, Nate told himself. Even if he doesn’t realize it, earning this bounty will benefit him as much as it does me.
It was easier to break free of their restraints than he’d expected. Without Commander Grisham consciously controlling them, the vines made little effort to keep them restrained. It was a testament to her powerful Resolve that they’d persisted at all with her attention elsewhere.
In a few quick moments, Wes had torn away enough of the vines that Nate could wriggle out. He summoned his Ice Blade and swiftly cut through Ellie’s bonds. Moving around the remnants of their prisons, they finally got a good look at the massacre unfolding behind them.
Fire crackled everywhere, the forest floor ablaze in patches where there were still leaves left to burn. Over a dozen of the grand trees had caught, their crimson boughs transformed into flaming infernos. Within that hellscape, a massive shape loomed, almost as tall as the trees themselves.
Leafy tendrils as thick around as a human torso writhed at its base like a swarm of tentacles, holding it aloft, while barky skin coated its upper torso and four powerful arms. Each arm ended in a tangle of branches sharpened into claws, one of which was clutching a convulsing verist oozing blood.
Atop the monstrous abomination was a great wreath of leaves, shaped into the rough visage of a leering face. The surviving verists scrabbled about its base, their attacks mostly ineffectual against the creature’s powerful aegis.
Wes stared in wide-eyed horror. “Null take us,” he whispered.
“Expert-class or above for sure,” Ellie said, sounding awed. She’d pulled her goggles down over her eyes to help her get a closer look. “Identified as the Guardian of the Forest.”
Well, that at least explained the cryptic Registry entry about the forest’s wrath. Nate wondered if it had been his errant flames that had conjured the vengeful verabeast. If so, his carelessness may have inadvertently saved them. He couldn’t wait to rub that fact in Ellie’s face.
“We need to go,” Nate urged. He saw a verist he thought was Commander Grisham lash at the guardian with her own much smaller vines, chipping away at the monster’s aegis.
Ellie nodded, rushing after him as he bolted in the opposite direction from the blaze. Wes cast one last mournful look at their former allies. Then he reluctantly turned and followed them deeper into the forest.
Nate wasn’t sure how far they ran before finally calling a halt. They had long since passed beyond the din of battle, and this section of the forest was peaceful—and roddel-infested—once more. Still, he knew their best bet was to keep moving.
He was certain the guild would continue the chase as soon as they could defeat or slip away from the Guardian of the Forest. The commander wasn’t the type of person to leave a job unfinished. He just hoped they wouldn’t have the help of an accommodating soulbinder this time.
Ellie leaned back against one of the towering trees. “Well, I guess that’s that then,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Nate asked.
“If there was any lingering doubt what our standing with the guild would be when this was all over, I think that pretty much resolved it. Good riddance so far as I’m concerned. From what I’ve seen, we’ll be better off without them.”
“How can you be so apathetic?” Wes demanded. “You must’ve jumped through all kinds of hoops to join the Riftwalkers. Now, less than a month later, you’re willing to quit like it’s no big deal?”
Ellie shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve learned to take life as it comes at me. A month ago, joining the Riftwalkers seemed like the best way to fulfill my dream of exploring the Nexus. But now here I am, part of a team doing just that. That’s more than enough for me.”
Wes balled his hands into fists, appearing like he wanted to press the issue. Then his shoulders slumped. “Yeah, well, I’m not so sure we did the right thing. Commander Grisham had a point. No matter how we try to rationalize it, this all started because of our selfishness. Maybe we deserve to fail.”
“We will not fail,” Nate said firmly. “It’s not selfish to seize the opportunities you’re given. I know things seem rough right now, but we just need to keep pressing on. Trust me, it’ll all be worth it.”
Ellie nodded. Wes still looked unconvinced, but after a lengthy pause, he followed suit. Satisfied, Nate reached into his bag. He let out a pent-up breath when his fingers wrapped around their trusty compass. Such a small thing to have so oversized an impact on their futures.
Thankfully, a quick check of the compass showed that their mad dash had taken them in the general direction of the next rift. They rested a few minutes longer until Nate’s impatience won out. Then he led them at a brisk pace deeper in the woods, unable to help the sense of paranoia that gripped him at every errant rustle or passing breeze.
Chapter 28
In the end, Nate’s worries proved unfounded. Less than a day later, they reached the edge of the great forest and found the next rift waiting. They passed through that sector…and the next…and the next, all without any sign of pursuit.
According to the Registry, there were over two dozen rifts exiting from the Vermilion Enclave. Each of those then led to still more branches. Commander Grisham would need the Source itself on her side to randomly stumble on them without the aid of further scrying.
Of course, the Riftwalkers were the least of their worries if they didn’t find some trace of the Lord Protector soon. They’d encountered no more of that strange violet essence since the cave where they’d faced the fungitera, nor had they seen any other signs of the Immortal’s passage.
Nate could feel the bounty slowly slipping through their fingers with each passing hour. They were running out of time.
On their fourth day after the Vermilion Enclave, something in the compass finally changed. They were walking along a crystalline beach logged as the Prismatic Cove.
Multi-hued specks of gemstones took the place of regular sand, and the sky above shimmered with an aurora of cascading light that left rainbow reflections in the water. It lent the water the illusion of shifting between shades of emerald, ruby, and sapphire.
Until then, the vera needle had been consistently thin, harnessing the same amount of magical energy. When Nate checked their heading this time, however, the needle had more than doubled in thickness. He watched it quiver in tiny, erratic motions.
“What do you think?” he asked Ellie, proffering the compass.
Nate prayed the seer’s binding wasn’t already deteriorating on them. By his count, they should still have two days left, but who knew how far they could trust the seer’s word? Especially if it was her who sent the Riftwalkers after us.
Ellie took the compass and studied it through her thick goggles. While she did, Nate watched Wes where he paced beside the water.
The last few days had been rough on his friend. Wes had always been a man of few words, but there was a tension to his silence now that made Nate uneasy. He worried Wes might be depressed after how they’d left things with the guild.
“Hey Wes, come look at this!” Nate called.
Wes didn’t react. Nate couldn’t tell if he simply didn’t hear or if he was pretending not to. He stifled a sigh. It felt like his friend was slipping further and further away from him.
He’ll be fine once we win that bounty and can put this whole sordid mess behind us. Or at least, that’s what Nate told himself. He wasn’t certain if he truly believed the words anymore, or if it was just wishful thinking.
“The vera concentrations are spiking as they near realignment,” Ellie said at last, breaking Nate out of his brooding.
She handed him back the compass, a wide grin splitting her face. “Or to put it more bluntly, we’re getting close.”
“How close?”
Ellie shrugged. “No idea. Closer than we’ve been, at least. It’s difficult to judge without measuring a continued rate of change. It could be this sector or a dozen sectors from here. Only time will tell.”
It turned out it wasn’t that sector…or the next…or the next. Yet with every rift they passed through, the intensity of the compass grew and grew.
“Three more,” Ellie informed them a half day later. She carefully examined the compass through her goggles as they gathered around the latest rift. “Well…close to three. Three, plus or minus one.”
Just three more rifts standing between us and the bounty. It was hard to believe that, after more than a week of delving deeper into the Nexus than any of them ever had, they were finally this close to the finish line.
Soon, two hundred thousand drops and all the power and recognition that came with it would be theirs. Nate would finally become the hero he’d always wanted to be.
He glanced at Wes, hoping to see some reaction to the news. But Wes continued staring silently into the rift’s scintillating swirls. Perhaps part of his attitude was nervousness about the upcoming confrontation with the Lord Protector. Nate could empathize.
Despite the confidence he’d shown Wes, he knew he’d need to consider how best to approach such a dangerous foe. Reaching the traitor was only their first test. The greater challenge would be bringing him to justice.
“Oooo,” Ellie said, pulling up the information in the Registry for the next sector. She sounded like a kid on Christmas morning itching to open a present. “This one should be neat.”
“What is it this time?” Nate asked warily. The last time Ellie had been this excited for a new sector, they’d had to hop from bubble to bubble thousands of feet in the air. Now that had been a terrifying experience. Especially when one of the bubbles had popped.
Sure enough, Nate’s heart sank as Ellie continued. “It’s Apprentice-class, Weird designation.”
Great. That meant whatever tried to kill them would be inexplicable, as well as powerful. ‘Weird’ was the term used for any sector in the Registry that didn’t fit the normal categories like Verdant or Cavernous.
They were by far the rarest type of sector in the Nexus. The floating bubbles had been a Weird sector. So had the anomaly where they’d fought their clones.
