Meeting

Rahab and how it galled had no choice but to flee as the water drained from the room, exposing him to the vicious sunlight. He had cultivated his limbs for centuries, but could not use them in life. They were capable of supporting his weight in this realm, and now he remained thwarted. The tentacles were not giving up on him, yet he knew that should he escape the building they could not harm him. But they drained the rooms whenever he went near them. Cautious experimentation had revealed that while no flame existed in this plane, entrance into light heralded blinding pain and slight disintegration. Strange really, as when he was even slightly underwater, there was no pain, but being merely wet was no shield. He couldn't even wait until night, for night no longer existed. The humans had rallied, and at great magical expenditure maintained permanent light beyond the clouds. He had to find a way.

Then, so suddenly he was suspicious at first, the idea came. Water did not shield light, it merely bent it. Indirect light was too weak to harm him. He could telekinetically compress water and use it as a powerful projectile. So why couldn't he make some sort of tent to shield himself? No reason except it hadn't occurred to him. He knew any lapse of concentration would leave him a heap of ash, and the tentacles would seize their chance. But they would otherwise merely wait him out. In the circumstances, why delay?

Sure enough, as soon as he advanced, momentarily able to resist the light, four tentacles materialized and advanced uncertainly. Resisting the urge to fire water projectiles, which would decrease his shield, Rahab sped up, reviving his shield whenever he passed a water source. He was faster than the tentacles, but it was difficult to maintain his shield at a full sprint, and by the time he'd outpaced them he had suffered some nasty burns, and his shield was growing dangerously thin. He knew it would be unlikely he'd make the sanctuary.

He made the sanctuary, though he had to rip out the grate in the gatehouse to enter it disappeared and reformed behind him when he passed. Flinging himself gratefully into the waist high for a human ponds beside the bridges, he waited for his burns to heal before going on. Melchiah and Zephon were ahead, and he didn't want to appear limping. On the threshold, he paused. Zephon was perched above the lintel, trying to mask himself. Rahab entered. Two razor sharp limbs struck Rahab's throat. But he had long ago wisely grown thick scales on his throat, and he reached up and flung Zephon into the centre of the room, surprised at how he could do that so easily. A number of Zephonim scurried over to tend their lord, and Rahab noticed how hungry they looked. Come to think of it, so did Melchiah and Zephon. A number of strange green monsters looked as though they thrived. There was a certain amount of relief in Melchiah's voice when he said "Much as it would have sustained us, I should have been very displeased if he had killed you. Limbo, though more entertaining than life, nevertheless palls without stimulating conversation." Rahab grinned. Very displeased? He looked irredeemably bored, but it was difficult to judge. Melchiah's form had a permanently melancholy expression. Guessing his thoughts, Melchiah shifted to his pre-decay form to return the expression. Looking insulted, Zephon followed suit. Concentrating, Rahab was about to try when he realized he'd already achieved it. They sat and talked until Dumah flared into existence. He got closer. Then he halted. At the abyss. The other brethren sighed, got to their feet, and departed the sanctuary, Rahab making sure to summon his shield first. Rahab, unable to resist, had to ask Melchiah how he'd crossed. His brother tried to look crafty for a moment, failed, and said simply "Things repair if you damage them in this plane. So I reversed the process in my mind. This plane seems to be responsive to thought. I was thinking about my pre-decay form, and I assumed it. I doubt Dumah will do that. He never had much imagination."

Sure enough, Dumah was standing at the edge of the lake, terrified. Of course, he was wearing metal armour. Although, when he saw them, he unthinkingly assumed his pre-decay form, and, feeling light, readied himself for a leap. A tentacle sprang from the heart of the abyss, catching Dumah in mid air. Rahab couldn't help admiring the efficiency of the strike, but as he was thinking this he was already in the midst of a perfect swallow dive. He severed the tentacle, flung Dumah towards the others, then planted both feet on the tentacle stump and propelled himself back onto the central crag. On the sanctuary side, Dumah was just picking himself up, and a stunned Turel was with him, staring at Rahab.

"Rahab, I had everything well in hand. Telekinesis would have sufficed to rescue Dumah." Then, with some amusement, "And you go and commit a completely selfless act and ruin my entrance."

"Raziel found you also?"

"Oh yes. Some three millennia ago, I believe."

Melchiah broke in. "How do you sustain yourself in this realm?"

Turel laughed. "Shall I tell you? Perhaps I could have you beg. But that would be unjust. I have had centuries to adjust to this plane. Very well. Those tentacles you have encountered are quite nourishing, if you can catch them. Those yellow diamonds also sustain, but they are rare. Tentacles, on the other hand..."

Dumah grinned, slightly unsteadily,

"Let's hunt."

Yep, its done. Maybe I'll do a sequel at some stage. Come on, review. O r flame, I don't want to mess up the sequel.