I do not own Chaotic nor anything related to it. It belongs to TCDigital.
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The Duel at the Doors
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The Doors of the Deepmines. On foot, three days away from Mount Pillar, four days from Underworld City, ten days from Al Mipedim, and fifteen days from Kiru City. The Doors are deep enough beneath the ground that they're actually below sea level, and the only reason they aren't flooded is that the convoluted tunnels of the caves never actually go anywhere near the ocean.
Those same tunnels are now the victim of the blades of the mowercycle I ride. The vehicle is as much a weapon as it is a method of transport, with a small cockpit surrounded by a single large wheel, a wheel completely covered with large blades.
I reach a frozen portion of the Underworld, and those blades compensate for the reduced traction by shredding the ice, propelling the battlegear vehicle forward. The cold air bites at my eyes, the small holes in my helmet letting the wind in. Everywhere on my body where a joint or a gap is in the armor feels the sharp chill, but everywhere else feels the heat of my body reflected back at it.
It's an interesting question, actually. What am I feeling right now? Am I like the heat, in a hot rage? Or am I like the wind, in a cold fury? On the one hand, I'm envisioning the many ways a certain M'arrillian could suffer at my hand, while on the other, I'm seeking to end his threat to Perim as quickly and efficiently as possible.
It doesn't matter. No matter my anger, Phelphor must die.
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I see them. The massive Doors. They're not quite flush with a wall of the cave, instead lying at an angle, so that if they ever did open they would swing into the air, much like a hatch into a basement. The Doors are covered with geometric designs, including a pair of glowing green circles near the top, and the symbols of the four tribes of Perim reside on its face. On the left Door, the symbol of the Overworld, and below that the symbol of the Danians. On the right Door, the symbol of the Underworld, and below that the symbol of the Mipedians.
The cave is supported by huge pillars, smooth surfaced and carved with flowing lines in places. The floor on the cave is flat and highly polished, almost like it's covered with enormous square tiles. The Doors around surrounded by statues of a member of each of the four tribes, oriented in the same order as the symbols on the Doors, the top two clutching the Doors and the bottom two standing with palm outstretched as if to say "Stop."
In front of the Doors are four lights: blue, orange, red, and yellow. The glow of the four "keys" to the Doors, each wielded by a creature affiliated with a different tribe. Back on Earth I had questioned the logic of keeping the keys so close to the Doors, but then I thought, what if the locks start to undo? You'd need the key nearby to set the lock back in place.
Suddenly, the blue light flares up, and a stream of light connects it with the symbol of the Overworld on the Doors. There's a tremendous sound of stone scrapping stone, and I see the symbol of the Overworld slowly start to turn...
"No!" I shout in reflex. I will the mowercycle to go faster. Please, please! I twist the accelerator as hard as I can.
There are five creatures at the base of the Doors, not four. I don't even look at the four holding the keys. Phelphor is my target. And look at that, he's so cooperatively standing exactly in my way.
Phelphor's head turns in my direction. Of course the roar of the mowercycle's engine would tip him off. I'm going fast, though, maybe I can get him.
Phelphor flings himself to the side, and I barely miss turning him into a lubricating agent for the mowercycle's wheel. I throw my weight to the side, tilting the vehicle and turning it for another pass.
Over the roar of the engine, I hear Phelphor shout, "Surprising Riffs! Make those gears like rust!"
The mowercycle is suddenly enveloped with magenta light, and the wheel glows blue. I feel the battlegear decelerate, and the engine sputters and dies.
I glance over at Phelphor. One of his arms seems to have turned into jelly, and its twisted form rushes for me. Oh crap, is that-?
I throw myself off the mowercycle and tuck in my arms and legs. I hit the ground and roll, and moments later I hear the sound of metal bending and breaking. I look up to see Phelphor's mutated arm absolutely tear the mowercycle into pieces.
The wreckage of the battlegear falls to the ground. Phelphor's arm snakes back to him and solidifies into its normal shape. Phelphor starts to walk towards me, and he spreads his arms apart and grins. "Greetings, Prince Osiris! Welcome to the prison of my tribe!" I guess he's figured out that I remember now. No need for him to keep up his charade.
I stand up and reach over my shoulder for my cyclance. The controlled roll kept it safe from damage. I swing it around me, removing its strap from my body, and in the same motion I activate its power source. I don't say anything as I raise the cyclance to my eye level, aiming down its length directly at Phelphor.
I pull the trigger. A bolt of lightning erupts from the end of the weapon. Phelphor, though, was ready for it. A flick of his hands, and the line of energy enters not his body, but a column of water that springs from the ground.
The column recedes, crackling with energy, and Phelphor continues to walk forward. "I knew you would be the first to remember!" he laughs. "Your mind is slippery, evasive. Might I even say... damaged?"
I fire another pulse of electricity, and again Phelphor blocks with a column of water.
Phelphor brushes his liquid shield aside and continues to approach. "Ah yes, damaged is the word I'm looking for!" He claps his hands and smiles. "How amazing that a man with such a debilitating condition as yours has developed such a stable existence!"
I flip a switch near my thumb and pull the trigger again. This time a funnel of wind erupts from my cyclance. Predictably, though, Phelphor has a counter for that too, a sudden cage of ice surrounding him that the wind simply flows around.
The cage of ice shatters, and still Phelphor approaches. "Come now, at least sate my appetite for conversation. Sarah wasn't much for speaking, she was interested in fulfilling more intimate needs."
This cyclance is accomplishing nothing. I eject its power source to prevent it from being used against me, then toss it aside. I lift my leg and draw my dagger from my boot.
"Is that really what you want to do?" Phelphor asks. "Do you really want to fight me?" {you Do NoT WaNT To FiGHT, you WaNT To TaLK.}
"Out of my head, frog," I snap, ejecting the intrusive thoughts from my mind.
Phelphor's smile melts away, replaced by an angry expression. He still approaches. "Why is such a fragile mind as yours so full of will? I see the connections, the framework of your mind. There's no rhyme or reason, no structure to support itself. Your memories are connected to each other in haphazard ways, and the slightest push against your mind sends the entire structure into a tumultuous wreck. So, with such a weak structure, why is your mind so strong!"
I draw my sword and hold it at the ready. Longsword facing Phelphor, tip pointed up at a forty-five degree angle, ready to slab, slice, or block. Dagger held in a reverse grip, ready to catch an attack aimed at my more vulnerable left-hand side.
Phelphor points at me, and his smile returns. "There's no reason for me to fret about it now, though. I'll simply beat you down and take a closer look when you're broken in a heap at my feet." His hand glows-
I flick my left arm in front of me, and my aqua shield hums to life. The fluid field of energy catches a ball of light as it springs from Phelphor's finger.
Phelphor's grin falters for just a second, and then it's back. "Of course, I don't have to beat you. I could just... wait."
I hear a sound like the crack of a massive whip, and the stream of blue light fades. The symbol of the Overworld is now turned on its side, the top of the symbol facing the statues instead of the top of the frame of the Doors. An orange stream of light hits the Danian symbol, and it begins to turn.
That's right, Phelphor's controlling them. If I stop him, their minds will be released from his puppetry. I can't remain defensive, I must attack.
I run straight for Phelphor, sword held high and dagger held in front of me. I shout, and the shaping of my helmet transforms my shout into a roar. Phelphor suddenly drops to one knee and raises his arms, and the swing of my sword is suddenly blocked by an archway made of ice.
"There we go," Phelphor grins. "What's the phrase you Humans use? Ah, yes. Let's dance."
The archway forms itself into a thin transparent sword made of ice, and Phelphor grabs its handle. Phelphor whips the sword around, and I catch the blade with the flat of my dagger. I swing my sword again, and Phelphor leap backwards. My blade strikes the ground, and Phelphor charges forward, raising his sword up. I flip my dagger in my hand and aim it at his stomach, and he has to leap over me to avoid my strike.
Phelphor somersaults through the air, and I turn my body so that the blade of his sword strike the armor on my back harmlessly as he flies overhead. He lands on the ground behind me, and I turn, planting a foot of the ground and pivoting clockwise over that point, building up the speed of my swing with every muscle of my body. If Phelphor blocks, I will shatter his blade, and my sword will bury itself into his flesh.
Phelphor seems to know my plan, and instead of blocking, he bends backwards, and my sword cuts a path an inch above his skin. Bad move, Phelphor, that's why I turned clockwise. My dagger points down and prepares to disembowel Phelphor as it passes.
There's a flash of light, and I'm suddenly flying through the air. I land painfully on my back, my armor protecting me somewhat while also adding momentum to the motion of my arms and legs. I use the spikes on my back to catch the ground, flip me, and then plant my feet on the ground.
My sword is missing. It flew out of my grip when I was struck by the light. I see Phelphor reach down and pick it up, then aiming both my sword of metal and his sword of ice at me.
There's the sound of a huge whip cracking, and the Danain symbol has turned all the way. A red light streams to the Underworld symbol now.
I rush forwards, switching my dagger to my right hand. I can't afford to keep up my defenses anymore. I just have to strike hard and fast, trusting my armor to protect me and Phelphor's lack of armor to be his end.
Phelphor points both swords at me, one at my chest and the other at my stomach. They ricochet of the metal of my cuirass as I approach, and Phelphor throws himself sideways to dodge my dagger. I plant a foot on the ground, swing my momentum around that point, then charge again at Phelphor.
Phelphor aims both swords at my head, around where the holes for my eyes are. I lower my head and catch the swords with the horns on my helmet, then throw my head back to wrench them from his grip. Phelphor catches my wrist as I thrust my dagger at him, and he throws me over his shoulder.
I hit the ground again, this time on my chest. I skid along the ground, and my attempts to stop myself with my hands fail. I see a seam in the ground, a place where two giant tiles meet, and I thrust my dagger into it as it approaches.
My body slides over the dagger, over my hands, and I push down and flip myself over. My boots hit the ground, and I turn back to Phelphor. I quickly glance at my dagger. Crap, the blade snapped off.
There's the sound of a giant whip. The Symbol of the Underworld stops turning. A yellow light connects with the symbol of the Mipedian tribe. My tribe. The last tribe.
I toss the useless handle of the dagger aside, and I clench my fists and charge at Phelphor. The M'arrillian grins and lifts his hands, and two orbs of water rise from cracks in the ground. I hear him taunt as I approach. "You're running out of time, Osiris! A pity, you tried so hard only to-"
I activate my aqua shield as I swing my left arm, my dominant arm, and the field of energy erupts while my fist is a foot from his face. I can see Phelphor prepare some kind of block, but too little, too late. The aqua shield's energy expands, adding its own reach and simulated mass to my punch, and I catch Phelphor in the face with the edge of the shield.
Phelphor sprawls to the ground. The two orbs of water lose their support, and they splash to the ground.
I look around. Where's my sword? I need my sword to finish him off! As satisfying a beating him to death with my fists would be, I'm running out of time! The Mipedian symbol is-!
The Mipedian. I spin around and charge at the Mipedian holding the yellow key.
There's no time to try a non-violent method. The symbol is already rotated halfway. I grit my teeth together and raise my fist. "Sorry," I mutter.
My punch connects the side of the shield with the side of the Mipedian's head. He staggers sideways, but he still holds up the key. I punch again, this time to his shoulder, and his hand begins to shake. I strike the back of his head with the broad side of the shield, and he crumbles to the ground. The light from the key fades, and the symbol grinds to a halt ten degrees away from unlocking.
I deactivate the aqua shield and kneel down beside the Mipedian. I lift off his hood and examine the damage. There's very little, just a cut, though I definitely gave him a concussion. "I'm so sorry," I whisper as I stand. My chest feels tight, and my heart feels hollow. "I wish I didn't have to do that-"
{YOU! INSOLENT! MEDDLER!}
My mind is alight with fire. I can't feel my body, there's only Phelphor's blazing voice.
{I WAITED TWO THOUSAND SOLANS TO PUT MY PLAN IN ACTION! I LANGUISHED IN THE BITTER COLD! SUBJECTED MYSELF TO AN EON OF SOLITUDE! AND AT THE VERY LAST MOMENT, YOU STEAL AWAY MY TRIUMPH!}
I'm going to die. He's going to scream until the very fabric of my consciousness is torn into pieces and left to burn in the blaze of his voice.
{YOU FILTHY MAGGOT! YOU FESTERING SORE UPON THE FACE OF PERIM! ENJOY YOUR LAST MOMENTS OF LIFE AS I DROWN YOUR SOUL IN THE FLAMES OF MY WRATH!}
Everything is tumbling around me. Shouts and screams and fire.
{YOU DISGUSTING HUMAN! YOU WRETCHED PRINCE! YOU LOATHSOME MIPEDIAN!}
The pain and fire flare brightly-
And then vanish.
I'm on my hands and knees. My body is shaking. My helmet has fallen off, and it rolls to rest next to the key.
{you aRe a MiPeDiaN...}
What? No!
{PiCK uP THe Key.}
No! I won't do it!
{PICK! UP! THE! KEY!}
My body stands up on its own. I scream and struggle as my legs take me to where the key lies. My waists bends, and my hand snatches up the key. I burst into tears as I lift the key into the air.
{uNLoCK THe DooRS.}
A yellow stream of light erupts from the key and strikes the symbol of my tribe. It begins to rotate again. Nine degrees, eight, seven...
This can't be happening!
Six... five... four...
Stop it! How do I stop?!
Three... two... one...
No! No! NOOOOO!
There's the sound of a giant whip cracking, and the creaking sound of stone sliding against stone.
The doors fly open. An ocean's worth of water shoots into the air, then starts to come down. I'm frozen as it approaches.
The wave hits me, and I black out from the blow.
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Up next: The Flood
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Like I said before, Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.
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