Chapter 7

Release the Dam

"Orthel." I slowly said, putting the journal by my side. "We'll look at this more later. However, for now we have some people to bust." I put the book in my sylladex. "There's a tower over there, do You think that's where we'll find the culprits in there?" I pointed to the guard tower. He just shrugged, his broad shoulders slumping. "Oh… And one more thing…" I looked to him. "Just how old are You?" I asked him.

"my wriggling day was nearly a sweep ago. I'M 7 SWEEPS OLD RIGHT NOW." He explained. Wow, he's a lot older than us. We just turned 6. I gestured my head to the tower and we made our way.

"Duneblitz. You have to understand. If You follow us and theY see You with us then You'll be rejected from Thistlebreeze Village. It's not too late to turn back." I told Duneblitz.

I don't care. I pulled you into this mess and I won't leave you alone in it. Duneblitz looked confident.

I stared in shock for a moment. She'd be willing to throw her life away for me? "I… Are… Are Your absolutelY sure?" I stuttered.

Of course. Do you mind telling him? Duneblitz said.

"Orthel, Duneblitz would like me to tell You that she would like to travel with us. Would that be okaY with You?" I asked.

"sure. THE MORE THE MERRIER." He shrugged. "are you okay with it?"

"I'm fine with it. After all, I'd be dead without her." I nodded. He just nodded and looked darkly to the tower. Then, at that moment, it clicked. His speech changing, him being more serious, he was sober. The question that came to my mind quickly dominated all the other things I was thinking about. 'He is sober, but he isn't killing me?'

"so the reason why the denizen hurt you. WAS BECAUSE OF THIS DAM?" I could hear anger leaking through his words. I nodded and he got out his barbed whip, only, it had a glint on it. He looked like he was ready to kill anything that was in that tower. Before I could even blink, he sped to the tower. In just a few seconds, even though the tower was on the opposite side of the river, he was there and about to break the door down. I ran to his side after a few seconds, it took longer for me to get across but it wasn't by much.

He broke the door down on his first try with a body slam. His eyes seemed wild and untamable. He gripped his whip and stormed through the door. I was nervous. I knew Duneblitz could sense it. By the time I darted through the door Orthel had already engaged combat. Two of the goblins were on the floor with blue cuts around their necks. Orthel had his whip around the last goblin's throat. It was gripping at the whip but jerked away when he touched it. Orthel jerked the whip back and decapitated him. A memory made itself known in my mind, on that day. The same thing had happened in my life time, only it happened to a seadweller who had been about to kill me.

I shook my head and dismissed the thought. 'Duneblitz. I don't recommend You come in.' I thought quickly. I was about to say something but Orthel spotted the stairs and raced up them.

I considered myself somewhat fast, since I ran from other trolls that I didn't know and I always outran them. But… I have to admit, Orthel was way faster than me. I took swift strides to the stairs and skipped a few. Orthel was at a control panel and seemed to be typing in numbers and pushing buttons and pulling levers. His hands flew across the keys as if he had been working with it for his entire life.

"Orthel?" I asked quietly.

"what is it sarona? IS SOMETHING WRONG?" He asked me and stood up as straight as he could without his horns making holes in the ceiling.

"What are You doing?" I asked.

"we're not going to get anywhere unless we stop asking questions. I'M RELEASING THE DAM TO FREE THE WATER. why are you scared?" He looked deep into my sunglasses, as if looking into my very soul. His eyes held sweeps of hardship and intelligence. He towered over me but didn't make it seem imposing.

'WhY am I scared? He's obviouslY not intending anY harm to me. He's different than the other Juggalos, he isn't going to kill me. MaYbe I was wrong, isolation isn't good for socialization.' I thought.

"sarona! WATCH OUT!" He yelled. I spun around with my steel staff in hand. There was a goblin with a dagger that was about to stab me. I swung the staff as hard as I could and hit its head. I heard a sickening crack and saw blue blood everywhere. I balanced myself by planting my feet away from eachother. The skull was cracked clean open and the skin was coming off, causing blue blood to pool around him.

"Thanks… Orthel." I nodded. I turned back around and relaxed my posture. I heard the furious pinging of trollian on both of our computing devices.

(?)FI: - i need help!

FI: - the grand glub approahes and i'm still here!

FI: - please! i'm going to get ulled!

That's… Strange… It's the same color as that strange troll's text, the one that shouted '-ERIDAN!'. But it' s another quirk and another name. fishyInvestigator.

(Sarona)IF: Who're You? What wrong?

(?)FI: - thank goodness! my host isn't responding when i troll him!

(Orthel)RM: isn't that feferi?

IF: That one troll who shouted '-ERIDAN'? No.

IF: It's a different quirk.

IF: Who's Your host?

FI: - Mr. Khaann, he said that he needed to take are of something but he hasn't responded!

IF: Khaann? Hmm…. I actually know him.

RM: HOW?

IF: Not important right now.

IF: What stage are You at?

FI: - the thing that the kernalsprite ame out of is at three minutes.

IF: I'll be Your host. You don't have much time. Prepare.

I hurried and took out a drawing pencil. I became her second host and started drawing platforms above the surface of the water that her house was under. I saw her, she was a very young seadweller wearing a shawl with an Aquarius symbol colored fuchsia and a blue dress that reached below her knees. She had pants underneath that reached down to her feet. The trimming was her blood color and she had grey water shoes on her feet. She had a spear… Or a javelin… Made out of a pole and a conch shell at the top. She had shoulder length black hair and she swam as fast as she could to the surface. She shot onto the platform that I made and ran up the ladders. I saw the kernalsprite block thingy count down to one minute. She was speedy at this and caught up to me. I made a huge board with a triangle-shaped thing in the middle and she got on one side. I dropped the kernalsprite block on the other side and it launched her into the portal.

(Sarona)IF: Are You okaY?

(?)FI: - thanks to you i'm fine. thank you!

IF: Just out of curiositY, are You on one of our teams? Red, Blue, ours, or Other?

FI: - blue, Mr. Khaann invited me.

IF: We were on red but Karkat made us leave.

(Orthel)RM: we've had trouble with him.

RM: HE'S BEEN VERY RUDE.

FI: - Mr. Vantas isn't so bad… he does shout a lot but i don't blame him.

IF: I admire Your patience with him.

FI: - it's gotta be tough

FI: - leading an entire team

FI: - if he messes up then he'll put the blame on himself…

IF: I never thought of it that waY…

RM: he should know better than that.

RM: THAT'S NO REASON TO DISREGARD THE DEATH OF A BELOVED LUSUS.

IF: It's still no reason to call someone illiterate, stupid, alone, so on and so forth.

FI: - really? Mr. Vantas did all of that?

IF: Yes, he did, which is whY ringMaster and I broke off of his team. NobodY reallY knows about our team besides You.

"Orthel, keep on releasing the water, if we do that we might be able to find the next portal." I nodded to him and he nodded back. He walked back over to the control board and started typing in numbers.

(Sarona)IF: No matter, You need to get going, look for another portal. HopefullY Your host will respond soon. Good luck!

(?)FI: - thanks!

FI: - wait, i never got your name!

IF: You can call me Sarona what's Yours?

FI: - i don't have one yet. i only turned 5 sweeps a ouple days ago.

IF: What can I call You?

FI: - you an all me Fi!

IF: Alright, I'll get You out of there as soon as I can.

I captchalogued my combooker and relaxed. Orthel hit one last key and the water gushed from the dam. He turned and walked over to me he gently grabbed my hand and said, "let's go, the portal might be nearby." We walked downstairs to the door and opened it. Standing by the door was Duneblitz.

What happened? Duneblitz galloped and knocked me to the ground.

"Woah, woah, it's okaY, we got the freshwater out of the dam. Calm down." I spoke to her softly. "Did You see a portal open nearbY?" I asked her.

Is that what that is? Duneblitz looked into the forest and I saw a blue portal.

"Yes! That's it!" I smiled. "Let's go!" I got off my side and stood up. "Come on Orthel!" I hurriedly walked into the forest and to the portal, he wasn't far behind and we went through the portal.

A/N: Hey, sorry for the short chapter. And before I forget again until next week,

Disclaimer: I do not own Homestuck. Homestuck belongs to Andrew Hussie. Hussie is not a girl, nor is he a teenager. I only own Twenty-One Characters here(Including Ancestors, Beforus, and Humans). So far the trolls that have been revealed to be mine are: Sarona, Orthel, Fi, Khaann, Duneblitz, SOD, and the Dragon. I own the Lands of Islands and Fantasy and obviously Thistlebreeze Village.

Okay, ridiculously long Disclaimer out of the way, what do you think of the story this far? Bad, good, horrible, terrific, anything? There is more to come next week, so thanks for reading!