Verigenesis: Bounty (Rifthunters Book 1), page 30
Vince allowed the portal to close with a wave of his hand, reality resealing itself around the emerald breach. The spot in which they’d arrived looked identical to the rest of the barren landscape, save the nearby fiery rift that Nate assumed would return them to the Molten Vale.
Nevertheless, he suppressed a shudder as he glanced down at the ground. Was he imagining it, or was there a pair of slight indentations in the grass to mark where he and Ellie had lain writhing in agony?
“Do you, ah, think we could head somewhere else before we attune?” Nate said, his voice cracking.
Vince shrugged, and Ellie briefly squeezed his hand before pointing to a gnarled tree a couple hundred feet away. “How about over there?”
Nate nodded, and they crossed the distance. His and Ellie’s movements were noticeably slower than Vince’s; the soul sickness, coupled with their lack of vera, made them tire far too easily. When they finally reached the tree, Ellie settled down with her back to the trunk. Nate joined her, finding comfort in her closeness.
Vince took up position nearby. “I’ll stand watch. As soon as you two are done attuning, we’ll get moving again.”
Nate closed his eyes and ran through his typical meditative routine. It was more difficult than usual with only the barest trickle of vera left deep in his core. Eventually, however, he achieved a state of blissful unity. He floated along his essence currents as he gradually restored all thirty of his lost vera.
He had almost finished with the process when he suddenly felt a presence watching him. My guide! Always before, his guide had shied away as soon as he noticed it. This time, however, the presence remained hovering just at the edge of his perception. Nate called out to it, seeking to forge a deeper bond between it and himself.
A series of images flashed before him, and a feeling of warmth radiated throughout his body. After all his failed efforts to communicate with it, his guide was actually trying to reach out to him. It wasn’t a message it sent, not exactly: more like an impression.
A frozen field thawing to reveal blossoming flowers. A small fire that refused to go out even as it was buffeted by a heavy wind. A single falling snowflake joined by millions of its kin.
Was it trying to show him a specific location it wanted him to go? The images could’ve come from a hundred different sectors, and the backdrop was never the focus in any of them. No, Nate realized. Not a place; a feeling. It’s sending me images of hope and resolve. It…it believes in me.
The sensation of connection faded away, and with it, any impression of his guide. It had turned its attention elsewhere. Even so, Nate’s heart swelled with pride.
His guide must’ve sensed his earlier distress and been waiting for him to attune. It hadn’t granted him its blessing for Journeyman, not yet. But this at least felt like a start.
Nate opened his eyes some time later, feeling like a great weight had been lifted from him. His guide hadn’t abandoned him after all. No doubt the restoration of his vera and subsequent lessening of his soul sickness played a role in his improved mood as well.
Ellie came out of her own attunement not long after he did, and they set off with Vince across the arid plains. The sector turned out to be relatively small, only a couple miles wide.
They encountered little of note save a herd of humpbacked verabeasts that looked like a cross between a camel and a hippopotamus. They seemed peaceful enough where they grazed at the grass and shrubbery, but their group gave the creatures a wide berth just to be safe. The last thing they needed right now was to get bogged down in unnecessary combat.
“Where are you leading us?” Ellie asked as they walked.
“Your guild went this way after they left you,” Vince replied. “And if they went this way, you can bet it’s because that compass of yours told them to.”
It took them half an hour to reach the edge of the sector. Nate’s heart sank when he saw two rifts positioned within a couple hundred feet of each other. He had hoped the path forward would be obvious.
Without the compass, they had no way of knowing which route the guild had taken. If they were two sectors away from the Lord Protector instead of only one, they might waste days exploring branching rifts before they discovered the correct course.
“Any lucky guesses?” Nate asked morosely, gesturing at the pair of rifts.
Vince huffed in mock outrage and pointed to the leftmost rift. “You think I would’ve left without seeing which one they took? No faith!”
Nate grinned. Maybe the old spaceweaver wasn’t so bad after all. Ellie, meanwhile, moved up to study the indicated rift.
“That’s odd,” she said.
“What is?” Nate said.
“Well, that sector’s not in the Registry, even though the portal next to it and our current sector are. In fact…”
She leaned in so close to the rift that Nate worried she might tumble through. “Yep, just as I thought. It’s remarkably well-formed, but the rift is definitely unstable.”
“And the biome?” Nate asked. “Any idea what we can expect?”
“Not sure. I’m picking up mostly kinetic essence. It’s got a strange cast to it though: maybe sonic or thunder? And it’s reading as…”
Ellie fell silent, her eyes widening.
“What?” Nate asked. “Don’t tell me there’s another anomaly in there.”
She shook her head, her face pale despite her crystalline aura catching the light. “The magic in there…it’s registering as Master-class,” she whispered.
Nate’s heart froze. He had never even heard of a Master-class sector, let alone been in one. So far as he knew, there wasn’t a single Master-class sector recorded in the entire Registry.
The strength of a sector depended on the amount of ambient essence that accumulated there. Mortal Stage sectors were relatively common. Heroic Stage sectors were rare, if not exactly unheard of. But the sheer amount of essence required for a sector to reach the Immortal Stage had to be staggering.
“That much essence simply doesn’t gather on its own,” Vince said skeptically. “Otherwise we’d all be rolling in as many drops as we could ever want.”
“This is it,” Nate said, staring at the swirling rift.
Lightning crackled along its edges, and a thrumming hum reverberated out from its center. This was what they’d been searching for; it had to be. Somewhere in there, the Lord Protector waited for them. Along with the Riftwalkers…and Wes.
Nate tried to quell the sudden doubt that welled up inside him. They’d barely survived an encounter in a Novice-class sector. How could they possibly have a shot in the Null at getting through a Master-class one? Their mission was doomed to fail.
Glancing at Ellie, he noted the tension in her muscles and the fierce resolve in her expression. She was afraid of what they would find, but determined to face it all the same. Her words to him from the Ward replayed through his head: Essence isn’t the only reward worth having.
Nate squared his shoulders. He and Ellie would keep moving forward, no matter what happened. Losing here would suck, but it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Besides, if his guide believed in him, who was he to question its judgment?
Vince alone seemed unfazed. He cracked his knuckles, striding confidently forward. “Well, we might as well get a move on. I’m gonna be really miffed if we let your guild nab the prize because we were standing around here yapping.”
Nate turned to Vince. “Before we go in there, you want to give us the SparkNotes version of your kit?”
Vince shrugged. “Not a lot of combat potential, to be honest. Twin Gate takes a lot out of me and is too slow to be useful in the middle of a fight. Beyond that, Blink makes me harder to hit, and Hasty Retreat gets me out of tight jams…though as you saw in the Sleeping Grotto, where it sends me isn’t always convenient. Depends on my focus and how much of a rush I’m in.”
“At least you ended up in that crevasse instead of in the middle of the air,” Ellie remarked.
Vince laughed. “Who said it put me inside? Only thing that saved me from a nasty fall was my quick reflexes. The spell that got me into that crevasse is actually my most offensive. Shift let’s me move an object a small distance in any direction. Works on living creatures too: the less prepared someone is or the weaker-willed, the easier they are to Shift without their consent.”
Nate nodded thoughtfully. That last one could at least come in handy to knock someone off balance or move them into a surprise attack. It wouldn’t be enough to take an enemy out on its own, but it might help turn the tide in a close fight.
It occurred to Nate that Vince had named four weaves, not three. That meant he’d reached the Journeyman tier, the lucky nil-eater.
Maybe once this was over, he’d pick the spaceweaver’s brain for any tips he had to help Nate ascend. In the meantime, though, he needed to stay focused; they had a job to do.
“Alright then,” Nate said. “I guess I’ll take point. Without Wes, I’m the closest thing we have to a tank.”
“A tank?” Vince asked.
Ellie rolled her eyes, and Nate suppressed a chuckle. It was nice to see her doing that to someone else besides him.
“It’s a common gaming term,” she explained. “It refers to someone intended to be in the thick of things so they keep the enemy focused on them and take all the hits over anyone else.”
Vince shrugged and clapped Nate on the back. “Better you than me.”
Nate suddenly felt very conscious of his lack of Frost Armor. Now would be a great time to have the more complete coverage it had offered. He’d just need to get by the best he could with dodging and his Frost Shield.
“As for the rest of you…” Nate continued. “Vince, you stay back by Ellie. Try to Hasty Retreat yourself and her to safety if anything goes wrong. Otherwise, just watch for any openings you can give me with Shift.”
“Sounds good, chief,” Vince said, tipping an imaginary hat.
“Ellie, your job is the same as it always is.”
“Snipe the crap out of anything that comes our way?” she said with a grin.
Nate grinned back. “Yep.”
“Aye aye, hotshot.”
Ellie moved to the right of Nate, standing a couple of feet back. Vince mimicked the position on his left. It’s showtime. Taking a deep breath, Nate steeled himself for whatever might await them, and stepped through the crackling rift.
Chapter 36
The first thing that struck Nate was the ethereal music, as crisp and clear as if he were wearing headphones. The delicate piano medley spoke of unsolved mysteries and undiscovered secrets. Yet, looking around the grand hall in which they’d spawned, he could find no source for the sound.
“Do you all hear that?” Nate asked.
Ellie gazed about with wide eyes. “It’s beautiful,” she murmured.
“I don’t trust it,” Vince said. “With how much raw magic this place has whizzing about, it can’t mean anything good.”
Nate agreed with Vince, though he was less concerned with the music than with whatever other threats it might portend. Ornate columns stretched from floor to ceiling, offering plenty of opportunities to hide an ambush.
He stepped cautiously away from the rift, checking behind each of the pillars as he passed. The music moved with him. There was something inherently anxious about the restrained tune, like it was building to a grander crescendo.
Bright light fixtures left the space feeling well-illuminated despite its cavernous size, partially easing his nerves. Everything was made of finely crafted marble inlaid with veins of gold. If there was any kind of pattern to the chaotic gold tracing, it eluded him.
This room appeared to be an entryway. Two hallways branched off to the east and west. Nate ignored those for now, noting several doors down each. Directly ahead, at the far end of the room, wide marble stairs led up to a second-floor balcony circling the chamber. More doors were visible along its perimeter.
Ellie sighed. “I’m really missing that compass right about now. I get the distinct feeling this won’t be a small sector.”
“Aye,” Vince said. “I’m not too keen on spending hours, maybe days, searching this place from top to bottom. Any idea where to start?”
Nate thought about it for a moment. “I guess we should begin with this floor and check room to room. If the guild passed through here recently, we might find some sign of them; if not, perhaps we’ll discover a clue to point us toward the Lord Protector. Everyone keep your eyes and ears peeled for any hints of fighting or talking.”
“If we can hear anything over the Null-cursed music,” Vince muttered.
Ellie beamed at Nate. “That actually sounds like a reasonable plan.”
“What, are you saying my plans usually aren’t?”
“Let’s just say that your plans can be a bit…reckless.”
Grumbling under his breath, Nate led them down the eastern hallway. Their feet scuffed loudly off the marble despite their best efforts at stealth. Hopefully, there was nothing nearby to hear their noisy approach. He summoned a Frost Shield just in case.
Nate paused before the first door, checking it over: locked. Of course. He turned to Ellie and Vince. “I don’t suppose either of you know how to pick a lock?”
When they both shook their heads, Nate sighed. Time to do this the hard way. Icy energy coalesced around his hands, weaving together into the pattern for Ice Blade. He allowed the essence to gather as he shaped it into a large two-handed ax. Then he brought it down against the door with a resounding crack.
The thick wood splintered beneath the blade, but didn’t buckle. It must’ve been reinforced by the ambient essence in the sector. Several more swings widened a gap large enough for Ellie to squeeze a hand through. With a click, she disengaged the lock.
No sense rushing in and getting ambushed. As anxious as Nate was to make progress, he took the time to peep through the hole he’d made. The room was small, filled with velvety chairs and the kind of tables that were too narrow for anything other than setting down drinks.
“I don’t see anything suspicious,” Nate said. “But I’ll do a quick sweep just in case.”
Several minutes later, he’d confirmed to his satisfaction that there were no signs of the guild or the Lord Protector inside. They continued on to the next door twenty feet down the hall and repeated the process.
They searched all manner of sitting rooms, parlors, and lounges, each more luxurious than the last. Every door they checked was locked, every room abandoned save for its ornate furniture.
Nate couldn’t imagine what lord’s manor possibly required so many areas just for entertaining guests. Of course, this sector didn’t need to obey common sense: it was nothing more than the random result of accumulated essence seeking an outlet. No one actually lived here, save whatever verabeasts it generated. Well, and now the Lord Protector.
The music was their constant companion as they searched, the rhythm timed to their steps. It was the music that first alerted Nate something was different when he stepped over the threshold into a new chamber. The now-familiar piano medley suddenly faded to the pounding of drums. It sounded like a war march intended to strike fear into an enemy army.
He surveyed the room, the ax he’d used to break through the door still clutched in his hands. Metallic chandeliers hung with glowing crystals cast a comfortable pall over the massive dining table that dominated the space. Its wooden top was bare now, but it was easy to imagine the glorious feasts it might accommodate.
“Fascinating,” Ellie said. She must have noticed the change in music as well. “Do you think its reacting to our actions? Either way, we should stay on our guard. I’ve already got my bindings in place.”
“Hard not to be on edge with those drums pounding away,” Vince said from behind them.
Nate caught a hint of movement at the far end of the room, where a small stage had been erected to offer dinnertime entertainment to the guests. Squinting, he tried to make out what it might be.
“Hey Ellie, look over there and tell me what you see.”
Ellie pulled down her goggles, studying the stage. Then her eyes widened. “Duck!”
Reacting on instinct, Nate threw himself to the ground just as something whizzed past where his head had been a moment before. He tried to track where it went, but it was too quick for his eyes to follow.
All he’d been able to see was that it was long and narrow, maybe about two feet in length. An arrow, perhaps. But if so, who fired it?
Another blur—or perhaps the same one—darted at Vince, piercing his side…and passing harmlessly through him as his body flickered in and out of focus. It was like a heightened form of his body’s normal insubstantiality.
Nate was momentarily confused. Then he remembered Vince describing his spells. That must’ve been his Blink weave in action.
The flitting object paused in mid-air on the other side of Vince. Perhaps it was equally confused about how it had missed. That gave Nate his first good luck at it: sleek and black with a conical opening at one end and intricate metal filigree across its surface.
“Is…is that a clarinet?” Ellie asked in astonishment.
Personally, Nate had no idea what a clarinet looked like, but he was willing to trust her judgment. It did sort of look like an instrument to him, even if it was currently trying to impale them rather than produce music.
The clarinet zipped again, this time toward Ellie. Nate dashed forward, stretching out with his Frost Shield as Ellie fired off several quick blasts of cold essence. The clarinet nimbly dodged all of them. I’m not going to get there in time.
Ellie tried diving aside as he had, but the clarinet was prepared this time and adjusted its trajectory accordingly. Hoping he’d be quick enough, Nate infused the Frost Shield with a point of vera to extend its reach. Then he flung it forward.
