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SoA Ch 4.6

Deviation Actions

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Jack tossed and turned. The bed was too soft, too comfortable. He was used to piles of sand and rickety cots.  This was far too much. He considered moving to the floor, but he knew it wouldn't help. The bed wasn't really the problem.

He rolled over to face Beryl. The room was pitch black so his night vision didn't help. But he could hear her. He could hear her breathe. She was breathing deep. She didn't normally breathe so deeply when she slept. Her nights were wracked with dreams and nightmares of tall men on dark horses. If she was breathing deep, it was because she knew this place was secure. It was safe.

She hardly ever breathed like that. She never felt safe. Not out in the open desert. Not in a seedy tavern room with the door bolted. She was so tired from never resting. Now she was. Jack smiled.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Somewhere up there was a haven. A place where Beryl would never have to worry about anything coming for her again. A place where she could get all the sleep and rest she wanted. It was so close. He could almost feel the touch of leaves and the kiss of grass. He could give it to her. But he wasn't willing to pay the price.

Once again, his true colors were showing. He was a coward. It was right there, and he was too much of a coward to reach out and take it. He was too selfish to make that sacrifice.

He shut his eyes and took a deep sigh. No. He told himself no. He wasn't going to make that mistake again. Never again. He was in a position to keep Beryl out of danger for the rest of her life. He was not going to miss this chance.

Quietly, he rose from the bed. He moved silently through the room to the door. He opened it just enough to slip out. Then he shut it behind him without making a sound. Then he turned from the room and made his way back to the office.

The room didn't look any different. The lights were still on. The chairs and sofa were still in place. And the old man sat at his desk, reading over some papers. Jack went to him. The old man didn't seem to be aware. Little Joe had to make a small racket before the old man even looked up. When he saw Jack, he pushed his papers away and gave him his full attention.

"Yes?" the old man asked.

"You have to promise me something," Jack said. The old man didn't respond. "If I agree to this, you have to promise me that no matter what, you will take Beryl to that island."

"Of course," the old man said.

"Promise me," Jack said, leaning forward on the desk. "Give me your word. No matter what happens to me, you WILL take her to the island."

"As you wish," the old man said.

"Say it," Jack said through clenched teeth. "Say the words."

"I promise," the old man said, "that no matter what happens to you, I will take the girl to the island with me."

Jack glared down into the thick glasses of the old man. Then he extended a hand. The old man looked down at it a moment. Then he extended his own, bent hand. They shook.

"Okay," Jack said, tension starting to drain from his body. "What happens now?"

"Come with me," the old man said.

+++

The old man led Jack to another dark hallway. There were much fewer light bugs here. Jack asked about that, and the old man said that they ran on solar energy which was brought down from the surface. To conserve energy, the bugs were kept to minimal power during the night.

The hallway went on for a while, only turning once before ending at a wide set of double doors. The old man said something to Joe, who went to the door and pushed some buttons that were near the floor. The door slide open, tucking neatly into the walls. The old man walked into the room, slowly, almost reverently. Jack took a deep breath and followed.

The light bugs scattered to the walls and ceilings, giving a faint light over the whole area. From their light, Jack could tell that the room was large. Not quite as big as the office area, but still big. The walls, unlike the rest of the underground complex, were not polished metal or carefully placed tile. The walls here were rough carved stone. The room had been carved directly out of the earth and left in its natural state.

The middle of the room had four tall pillars holding up the world. They were also made of stone, and they looked as if they had grown here, starting wide at the ground and ceiling and tapering down in the middle. Within the circle these pillars made, the ground was smooth. Dark circles and ancient markings laced out intricate patterns. Jack saw them, his mind flashing back to the school. He didn't know what they were, but he knew they were magic.

Protruding out from the pillars, long, metallic claws hung over the circles and markings. They came to the exact center of the circle and delicately held a small, glass cylinder about a foot long. Along their lengths, dozens of gadgets and gizmos hung, flashed and beeped in the soft quiet of the room.

Set up a dozen yards away, a silver control station sat with cords and cables leading up the pillars and to the hanging claws. The old man hobbled over to it. He pushed a few buttons and there came a massive click followed by a hum. The claws flexed, carrying the glass cylinder up, and then bringing it down to rest eight feet from the very center of the dark circles. The hum that flowed through every other room was missing from here.

"So," Jack asked, nervousness creeping up his spine, "what does this thing do?"

"This," the old man said, smiling, "is a machine I invented. It took me years to develop. Even longer than the Travel Sphere. It is a complicated and very delicate hybridization between science and magic. Arcanology, as I like to call it. It took eight years just to figure out if it was theoretically possible. Beautiful stuff, if I do say so myself."

"How does it work?" Jack asked, walking around the circle, a good couple yards from the dark circles.

"Simple," the old man said. "You stand in the middle, directly under the glass receptacle." He pointed to the cylinder. "Then the machine does the rest."

Jack looked at it all. "What happens to the energy?"

"It is condensed into a physical substance," the old man said. "Then it is stored within the glass receptacle. I can take it down and insert it into the Travel Sphere and then use it to reach the island."

"Will this hurt?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," the old man said. "I've never tried it on a living thing before."

"And when it's done, I'll be as I am now?" Jack asked. "I'll be permanently stuck in this human form?"

"Most likely," the old man said. "When I've used the machine on inanimate objects, they remained as they were when going into it."

Jack nodded his head. Then he had a thought. "What happens if the receptacle breaks?"

"Then the energy is lost," the old man said, gravely. "It may return to you, it may just fizzle out into the universe. I can't say."

Jack closed his eyes and sighed. "Alright," he said. "I'll do it."

"Wait!" came a new voice.

Jack and the old man turned to the double doors, which had been left open. Inbi stood there in a dark robe. He had a hand on the door frame and was looking at the two by the control station. He came in, furious.

"What are you doing?" Inbi asked, coming into the room.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked.

"I heard noises and followed," Inbi said, brushing the question aside. "What's going on here? What are you doing?"

"Inbi, listen," Jack said. "This is the only way to reach the island. For any of us."

"What do you mean?" Inbi asked.

Jack sighed and explained. Inbi listened, but grew more and more shocked by the end. He was shaking his head.

"So you have to give up your wolf side?" he asked. "No. You can't do that. I haven't known you for very long, but I know how much your wolf side means to you."

"It's the only way," Jack said again. "If I don't do this, then we're stuck here. And then what? We go back to the desert and keep walking until we die?" He looked Inbi in the eyes as best he could. "I cannot let that happen to Beryl. Not if I can do SOMETHING to get her somewhere safe."

"You said yourself, it was too much to give," Inbi said.

Jack sighed. "I know." He looked to his feet. "But I have to. This is too important for me to be selfish."

"It's not selfish," Inbi said. He turned to the old man. "If you need magical energy, take mine."

"What?" Jack asked.

"I'm full of souls," Inbi said. "Surely they can suffice."

"I'm afraid not," the old man said. "I need the energy to be self-sustaining. You must feed to replenish your energies. Jack does not."

Inbi was about to argue further, but Jack put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," he said, softly. "I've made my choice. This is for the best."

Jack gave Inbi a hard stare. The demon tried to hold it, but he looked away first. The wolf could stare down a statue if he had to. Jack turned back to the old man.

"Let's do this."

+++

Beryl tossed in her sleep. She was dreaming of blood and pain. She often had these dreams when she was alone. There was nothing she could do in these dreams. She was surrounded by suffering, and it pressed in on her. It wracked her to her core. She never remembered what happened exactly when she woke up, but she knew from the sense of dread and despair that coated her soul that they were horrible.

Finally, she shot up and screamed. She thrashed in her blankets, tangling them around her feet. She tried to get up, but fell to the floor. She curled there, covering her head with her arms, eyes slammed shut in the dark, sobbing quietly.

She didn't move for several moment. Then she heard the door between this room and the demons' open. Heavy steps pounded across the room, around the bed, stopping over her. She looked up at the oddly-pretty bone face of Sheer.

"Are you alright?" the demon asked.

Beryl choked on a few sobs. "Where- Where's Jack?"

Sheer pulled her head up and looked at the beds. "He's not here."

Trembling, Beryl pushed herself to her feet. She looked at Jack's bed. The covers had been thrown off and away. Panic began to well up in the girl. She spun around, frantically, but she could see little in the darkness of the room. The only light came from the open door between the two rooms.

"Calm down," Sheer said, reaching out and placing a massive paw on her back. "Inbi's gone, too. Where ever Jack is, I'm sure Inbi is, too."

"But where did they go?" Beryl asked.

"Let's go find out."

Sheer summoned the light bugs, which allowed Beryl to grab her cloak. Then they proceeded out of the room, into the hall. Sheer tilted her head down to the ground and took a few deep breaths. Then she turned and headed back to the office. Beryl stayed close beside her.

Sheer followed the smell of Jack and Inbi through the office and through another door. From there, they walked down a long hall. As they neared the sharp turn, there came a loud humming that vibrated deep in their bones. They turned the corner and came to a closed door. Buttons were set low, about a foot off the ground.

"They're through here," Sheer said.

"Okay," Beryl said, kneeling. "I'll try and get this open."

She pushed a few of the buttons. There were three buttons, and it took a few moments to find the right sequence. When she did, the lights flashed green, there was a click and the door slid open.

Sheer and Beryl were both blinded by a bright flash of blue light. Beryl brought her hands up and slammed her eyes shut. The glow slowly faded to a bearable glare. Beryl looked through the blaze. In the center of the glow was a solid black silhouette. Beryl squinted into the glare, trying to identify the shape. As her eyes adjusted, the black silhouette came into focus.

It was Jack.

Beryl's eyes widened.

"JACK!"

The silhouette jerked, and Jack turned.

"Beryl?"

He looked right at her, though Beryl couldn't see his expression. He held up a hand, palm out, telling her to stay away. She didn't listen. She made a break. Sheer saw and clamped down on her cloak. Beryl tugged at the cloak, trying to get loose.

"Stay back," Sheer said through the cloak. "You don't know what that thing is!"

"I don't care!" Beryl shouted, tugging at her neck. "He needs my help!"

She slipped free of the cloak and fell to her knees. She was up in an instant, running. She went five feet before she was scooped up in thin, blue arms. Beryl thrashed, trying to get free, but the demon's grip was strong against the girl.

"You can't enter the circle," Inbi said. "If you break the circle, the machine won't work right, and Jack could be killed."

Beryl stopped thrashing. She looked to the light again. On the ground, in the blue light, she saw the circles. They were glowing bright red, pulsing with the hum of the machine. She looked up to Jack, who was still looking at her. From here, she could see his face. It was etched with sorrow and concern.

Then he flinched as if in pain. He let out a loud groan of pain as his head was twisted to the side, contorting his spine in sharp angles as his essence was bled from him. Beryl could see small bits of dark blue energy seeping from his collar and his sleeves. It fell up from him, coalescing into a point directly above Jack's head.

Jack bit hard against the pain that wracked his body, trying to stand tall, show Beryl that he was okay. But with each passing moment, the searing heat that ran through every pore grew hotter and hotter. He couldn't take it anymore. The pain lanced through his legs, bringing him to his knees. He clenched his fists and slammed them down on the ground.

He could feel his flesh burning. Then, from deeper in him, he felt something even more horrible. It was a sensation he had never felt before, though he had experienced it countless times. It was a sensation he secretly longed for. One that promised a good night. A sensation to be joyous of and revel in.

But not this time. This time it was horrible. It was betrayal. It was the ending he dreaded, but dared not to voice for fear of bringing it to life. But here it was and there was nothing he could do.  He felt it deep in his bones. He felt it rush through his blood. He felt it in the very pit of his soul.

As he knelt there on the ground, knowing what was coming, he let out a scream. The scream was deep, pained, full of anguish and terror. It went on for a long time. Beryl watched Jack kneeling, head back, screaming to the heavens. The sound cut into her. She had never heard such pain coming from Jack before. She closed her eyes and buried her face in Inbi's cape, trying to shut out the sound.

But she couldn't. She heard every note as the scream echoed in the large chamber. And she heard, with confusion and fear when the scream, slowly but sharply, shifted and morphed into a piercing howl.

Then, suddenly, the light was gone and the room was in blackness. The only light came from the glowing cylinder of blue energy hanging in the middle of the room. Beryl could hear the old man grumbling across the room, trying to get light

Beryl looked up and away from Inbi. She looked to the circles. They were still glowing a very faint red. Then, after a moment, they faded to complete black. In the very dim light, Beryl saw an inert lump in the center of the circles. She pushed away from the demon and ran to it.

"Jack?" she called. "Jack? Are you alright?"

She ran with tears in her eyes. Then she stopped in her tracks a few feet from the form laying still on the ground, surrounded by magic circles. She had expected to see Jack, splayed out on his back, breathing hard and heavy. But she didn't. Laying there, collapsed onto its side, was a massive wolf. It barely breathed at all.

+++

"Is he going to be alright?" Beryl asked.

They had moved the wolf to the medical center. The machines and devices there took the wolf and ran several automated tests. Then they spread him out on a bed and hooked him up to several tubes. The old man stood at a computer screen, looking over the test results as they came through.

"He should be," he said. "Looks like he's just exhausted and a little dehydrated. Give him some time to rest and he should pull through."

Beryl nodded and took a seat by the bed. She reached out and ran a hand over the wolf's head. The ear twitched.

"What do we do now?" Inbi asked. "You have your energy. Can we go to the island now?"

"Not quite," the old man said. "I will need to do a few tests to make sure it is safe."

"And then we go up?" Sheer asked from the hall. She was too large to enter the room safely.

"Assuming everything goes to plan" the old man said, "and my theories are correct, yes. Then we will be able to ascend to the island."

"How long will the tests take?" Inbi asked.

"It shouldn't take more than a month," the old man said.

"That long?" Inbi asked, concern in his voice.

"Yes," the old man said. "And that's cutting it short. I should spend no less than six months testing the energy, but we also have to consider the timing of the island itself."

Inbi and Sheer frowned at each other.

"What do you mean?" Sheer asked.

Beryl wasn't listening to this conversation. She was focusing intently on the wolf's face. His mouth was open, and he took quick, panting breathes as though he were hot. Beryl felt his face. He was warm.

"Jack?" she whispered. She fingered the necklace around her neck, wondering if it would still work. "Jack? Can you hear me?"

The wolf's ears twitched at her voice. Beryl put a comforting hand on his head. Then one orange eye popped open. Beryl smiled. She leaned in closer.

"Jack?' she whispered.

The wolf whimpered. Then it licked at Beryl's face. She put a hand on his face and coaxed it back down. He let his head drop.

"Jack?" Beryl asked again. "Do you understand me? Do you  know what I'm saying?"

The wolf looked at Beryl through his orange eyes. There was recognition there. And kindness. But there was something missing. Something that Beryl always saw in Jack whatever form he took. He was missing the spark of human intelligence.

"As far as I can tell," the old man was saying, "the island will only be in range of the Travel Sphere for another six weeks. That leaves very little time to test the energy and make sure it will suffice."

"You killed him," Beryl said.

The demons and scientist turned to look at the girl. She was still staring hard at the wolf, shock in her eyes. Then she whipped around to face the old man.

"You took his mind!" she screamed. "You ripped out his mind!"

She rushed at the old man, fists up. Inbi reached out and scooped her up, holding her against him. Beryl continued to thrash and flail. Inbi held tight, trying to calm her. Then came a vicious growl. Inbi and Beryl turned to the table. The wolf was up, fangs bared back in an angry snarl. His orange eyes were glaring at the blue demon.

Then the wolf leaped, pulling the tubes from his body. Inbi let go of the girl and brought his arms up to defend himself. The wolf sank his fangs deep into Inbi's arm. Pale blue mist seeped from the wounds as Jack tore and thrashed the arm back and forth. Inbi groaned in pain, trying to pry the wolf away.

Sheer tried to force her way into the room. The wolf saw this and let go, jumping back to stand between the demons and Beryl. The teeth marks began to heal instantly. Everyone froze, eyes on the wild wolf in the room. Slowly, Beryl went up beside the wolf and put a hand on his shoulder. The wolf swung his head around and looked at her.

"It's okay, Jack," she whispered. "It's okay."

The wolf listened to the sound her voice more than the words. His lip fell over his fangs. He turned from the demons and the man and went to a corner. He curled up, tucked his tail over his nose, and tired to sleep. Beryl could only watch as the man she knew and loved slipped away from her entirely.

+++

It took slightly more than five weeks before the old man was satisfied. The tests went through easily and the old man said repeatedly that he was confident that they would be able to breech the magic field surrounding the island without a problem. Though, he did say a few times that he wished he had more time.

They all gathered back in the massive hangar. The wolf that once was Jack sat beside Beryl. She was holding the lead to a harness that was wrapped around the wolf's chest. The wolf had proven to be unpredictable in the last month. Sometimes he'd be calm and placid. Other times he would be a snarling mass of fang and fur. He never left Beryl's side.

Inbi stood with Sheer. Secured on Sheer's back, Karra was not happy. She had protested quite loudly the night before when Inbi had told her that she'd be going with them to the island.

"There is no way in Hell I'm going with you two!" she shouted.

"Karra," Inbi tried, "please. If we can show you that the island is real-"

"The island is nothing," Karra said. "Nothing but a floating lump of rock and lies." She glared hard at Inbi. "Do you honestly believe there's some magical oasis up there? Some little spot of paradise that this horrible waste of a planet has left unblemished?"

"Why not?" Inbi asked.

"Because nothing that good can possibly exist in this world," Karra said. "The world is a cruel, unforgiving monster that devours anything good."

"But the island isn't on the world," Inbi said. "It's up there, away from the heat and the drought. "Who knows what could survive up there?"

"It's nothing but a barren wasteland," Karra said in a low voice. "Nothing but despair and false hope."

"I'm sorry you feel that way," Sheer said. "But you're going to come with us tomorrow, whether you like it or not."

Karra turned her glare on the dragon-horse.

"If it's as awful as you think," Sheer continued, "I'm sure the old man will be willing to bring you back here. But you are not going to walk away without knowing for certain."

Karra took a few slow breaths. "Fine," she said at last. "I'll go, but when we find out how horrible and unbearable it is up there, then I get to kill you both."

Now she sat quietly on Sheer's back, waiting. She looked down at Inbi, picturing a bullet entering his head. It would be soon. So very soon. She flexed against the shackles the old man insisted she wear. She could bear them a little longer.

The old man stood on the platform, holding the glass cylinder. Inside, an almost liquid substance sloshed around. It was a deep blue and gave off a faint glow. It looked like it should have been heavy, but the old man knew it actually felt lighter than it would empty.

He held it close as he climbed into the Travel Sphere to attach the cylinder to the machine. The receptacle was waiting for him. He moved the cylinder around and slid it into the tube. A quick twist and it engaged. Satisfied, he exited the Travel Sphere, rubbing his hands as best he could.

"Alright," he said happily. "All aboard."

The five passengers walked onto the platform and circled around to the back of the Travel Sphere. There was a hatch here that they could use to enter the cargo hold. Inside, the old man had already stored his own things. Most of it was machines and devices with unknown purpose. There was also some food and water for emergencies.

"Wouldn't do to reach the island, just to die because it took too long to find the water," the old man had said.

The old man went to the control panel. He pushed some buttons and flipped some switches. The faint, ever-present hum that was consistent throughout the underground complex slowly died down and faded away. The light bugs began to dim and retreat to the far corners of the room. Only a couple dozen remained, circling the old man as he moved to the Travel Sphere. Once he was in the pilot seat, these bugs faded as well.

He sat comfortably in the cockpit. He moved his hands to the controls. He wrapped his bent, wrinkled hands around them. Pain radiated from his knuckles. His arthritis had been getting worse over the past month. He tried to block out the pain. He flipped a few switches and the propellers around the sphere's diameter began to spin. Another button released the power cords.

"Hold onto your hats," the old man said over the comm. system.

+++

Out in the desert heat, a few animals poked around, looking for food, water or shade. A pair of bandits wandered by, careful of the perpetual sandstorm that never ended and never moved. It was a very normal day.

Then there came a shift. The bandits turned and looked at each other. Then the ground began to shake. The horses panicked and bucked. The bandits, caught by surprise, were unable to keep hold. They fell to the ground with a crash.

They tried to get to their feet, but the ground shook too much. They looked at each other in confusion. Then, off in the distance, they saw something happen to the sandstorm. They watched it swirl violently before slowing. The dark brown wall faded to a light brown, then to tan. Soon, blue sky could be seen through it. Then it was gone altogether.

The bandits looked at each other in shock. They turned to retrieve their horses. Then they rode back to camp to tell their leader what they saw. They missed the tiny sparkle rise from the ground and shoot into the sky and make its way west.

+++

The Travel Sphere moved smoothly through the sky. It wasn't the most aero-dynamical craft to ever take flight, but it made good progress. The old man sat smiling in the cock pit. His hands throbbed a little, but he could look past that. He was finally doing it. He could live with a little pain.

It took several days before they came within sight of the island. The old man checked the power gauges. The main fuel cell was almost drained. The backup was untapped. Confident that they had enough power to reach the island, he moved the craft forward.

"Get ready," he said into the comm. system. "We're approaching the island now. If you're not strapped in, do so now. Things are going to get rough."

Deep in the cargo hold, a wave of excitement washed over everyone. Sheer sat hunched to the wall. She was too large for the seats. They had to secure her using the same nylon straps that they had used for the boxes of equipment. Inbi and Karra were seated next to each other. They both looked forward or to the side. They avoided eye contact completely.

On the other side of the hold, Beryl sat strapped to her chair. The wolf was at her feet, under her seat. Beryl was the only one who he would let strap his harness to the frame of the seat. It wasn't the most secure way to travel, but the wolf wouldn't allow anything more.

Beryl felt the pang in her heart, seeing him reduced to an animal. She had always known this was what he was born as, but she never realized what the meant exactly. Did he still know her? Did he care about her?

Did he still love her?

Beryl bit back tears. She reached down and felt for the wolf's face. The wolf saw the hand and reached, licking it lightly. The contact sent more waves of sorrow through the small girl. She pulled her hand back and pulled her feet up from the floor. The wolf saw this and whimpered.

The old man deactivated the comm. He would need every ounce of energy for this next part. He maneuvered the Travel Sphere into position, moving at a counterclockwise circle around the island. He reached over and popped open a plastic cover protecting a pair of buttons from accidental use.

This was it. This was the moment of truth. All of his research and experiments told him that this would work, but there was still that thrill of fear and the unknown. He remembered all of the drones he had lost to this island. Crashed, mangled and spread out over miles of the desert floor. He thought about how easily that could be him. He pushed the fear aside. This would work. It had to. He took a deep breath to steady himself. Then he gave the first uncovered button a hard push.

The glass cylinder holding Jack's energy began to vibrate. Electrical impulses were sent through the near-liquid. The energy began to agitate. It expanded and pressed out through the top, through a little opening that channeled the energy to the golden spires on the top.

Outside the golden spires began to move. Each one began to spin clockwise. Slowly at first, but building speed. They began to make harsh whispers as they cut the air. As they reached their highest speed, the tips began to glow with deep blue energy.

Then the three spires began to spin counter clockwise, around the top of the Sphere. The harsh whisper slowly became a harsh screech. The energy poured down the spires, coating them in a deep blue film of magical energy.

From each of the twirling spires, a bead of energy dripped down the side of the Sphere, leaving three swirling line tracing to the very bottom of the sphere. Once the three drops connected, the energy began to spread. It filled in the gaps, coating the entire sphere in deep blue.

Finally, the energy expanded to form a long oval bubble that tapered to points at the top and bottom. The bubble engulfed the entire craft, whirling propeller blades and all. They were completely sealed off from magical influence, but still allowed in the air they needed for lift.

Inside the glass cylinder, the near-liquid magical energy had been nearly depleted. The once full cylinder had but an inches of substance remaining. The energy sloshed back and forth as the craft rocked. Then, suddenly, as the old man knew it would, the cylinder began to fill. The deep blue expanded, feeding on something entirely unknown to replenish itself. In two heart beats, the cylinder was completely full once more.

Smiling hard now, the old man looked through the blue covering of the energy shield. He locked onto the island and slowly advanced. It was still several miles away, but the island's energy field was entirely unpredictable.

About a mile and a half from the island the Travel Sphere shook. It wasn't very violent, but it was definitely new. The old man pressed forward. The island grew larger and larger.

Then, a mile from the surface, the Travel Sphere hit a barrier. There was a bright flash. The energies of the island collided with the energies of the travel Sphere, combining to create a blinding light. The old man shut his eyes and turned his face away, but he didn't stop. He pushed the Travel Sphere forward.

The light intensified. The old man had to look. The energies of the island were stripping the Travel Sphere's away. Absorbing them into itself. The old man reached out and pushed the second button under the cover.

The cylinder vibrated again, filled with sparks and gave a violent pulse. Half of the energy burst from the cylinder only to be replaced almost instantly.  It traveled along the cables inside the glass walls of the sphere and shot into the spiraling spires. The spires glowed brightly and injected the new energy directly into the Sphere's shield. Instantly, the shield was strong again, forcing the island's energies away.

And still the old man pushed forward. If he could just get through the surface. The first hundred feet or so, then the energies should stabilize and they'd make it. They just had to push forward. He pushed the second button again and the shield pulsed with new life.

+++

If there had been anyone on the ground below the island at that moment, they would have been quite startled. There, in the middle of the sky, in broad daylight, a deep blue star had formed. It twinkled softly at first, and then grew in intensity. It shone bright enough to see with the glare of the sun. It sparkled and twinkled, almost seeming to dance. It darted around, traveling in a vague circular pattern. And every once in a while, it would flash and flicker.

And then, as quickly and quietly as it had appeared, it vanished. It had burned out. Of course, there was no one there to see. The desert below was completely void of any life. And if there was someone looking at the sky at that moment, they'd have been looking the other way at the little black speck that was said to be a floating island paradise.
Last one.

Total pages: 98
Approximate Word Count: 39,830

Part 1: [link]
Part 2: [link]
Part 3: [link]
Part 4: [link]
Part 5: [link]

Inbi and Sheer belong to my opponent: ~EmberPheonix
© 2012 - 2024 Gen-Kavik
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nekosd43's avatar
WHAT NO. NO NO. SO MUCH NO.

SDLGKHD;KFGJASG I CANNOT FORM THOUGHTS.

WHAT HAPPENS? I AM DYING. ROUND 4 IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. I MUST KNOW GEN WHY. WHYYYYYY.



I am, as always, in love with your writing. And with Jack.