WM [99] Traveler

Bjorn took a deep breath and plunged into the monolith. It wasn’t water, not really. It didn’t feel like liquid, yet it moved around him as if it were. His body passed through the stone as though it were no more solid than a dense current, yet it clung to him, pressing in on his scales like wet clay trying to swallow him whole.

Immediately, he felt blind. His limbs and tails moved smoothly, his many heads twisting and undulating as he adjusted to the strange sensation. Inside of the liquid rock he was blind aside from the head he kept outside the monolith. Opening his eyes inside would be a good way to have stone scrape against them and he preferred to not lose an eye so foolishly.

He kicked harder, propelling himself upward. His lone exposed head blinked against the wind and watched the towering monolith stretch high above toward the next skyland. The distance wasn’t impossible, but it wasn’t going to be easy, either.

 “I really hope this isn’t a one-way trip.” Failsafe muttered.

Bjorn was about to say something when he felt something press against his body. It then moved within the liquid rock along with him. Bjorn remembered the monster that lived inside of the mercury river, so of course something would live in the weird rock formation thing too.

“Failsafe, we have company. What kind of monster would be in something like this liquid rock?”

“Oh, uh give me a second.” Failsafe said.

It was subtle at first, a shift in pressure, a flicker of something brushing against his side before vanishing. Bjorn twisted his heads instinctively, but there was nothing there.

He pushed himself faster, his hydra body slicing through the dense not-stone, each kick carrying him higher. But the presence remained. Trailing him. Matching his speed.

Then something latched onto his side. It cut through his Chaos Scales Armor as if it weren’t there. A sharp, twisting pain bloomed beneath his scales. Bjorn attempted Intimidation Roar but the magic infused sound didn’t travel through the strange medium. He figured that any of his other breath attacks would face the same difficulty. 

He jerked to slash at the affected area but there was nothing to attack, just a wound. Then another force pulled at him, dragging him sideways. Trying to pull him deeper into the rock but Bjorn fought against the pull. If he was dragged in fully he would be at the complete mercy of the monster. 

Bjorn thrashed, his tail whipped, his claws raked through the dense stone-fluid. He felt something slimy and thin wrap around his leg, more limbs, more unseen things, wrapping and tightening, trying to drag him deeper. His exposed head whipped upward he had to push himself.

Bjorn kicked off with all his strength, his powerful hydra form launching through the thickened rock.The monsters holding onto him didn’t let go. They pulled, their grips tightening like bone-thin vines constricting around his limbs and necks.

Another flash of pain, another bite this time, sinking into his underbelly. He couldn’t tell how big it was, or how many there were. All he knew was that he was bleeding, his own dark blood dissolving into the suffocating rock.

“Failsafe what are these things?” Bjorn asked.

“I think it is one monster called an abyssal stalker. It hunts in what was called liquid rock which matches what we are currently swimming in. Apparently it pulls things inside and drowns-uh… suffocates…it keeps them from breathing.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” 

“They aren’t very strong outside of the liquid rock.”

“That doesn’t help me now,” Bjorn yelled. “Does it say anything about biting through magical defenses?”

“Uh… yeah. They ignore them.”

“Of course they do,” Bjorn spat.

He snarled, twisted, and then, tore free. A chunk of his flesh was ripped away, leaving a ragged wound along his side, but Bjorn didn’t stop. He surged upward with desperate strength, ignoring the tearing pain, ignoring the thing slithering just beyond his senses.

The stalker was chasing him now, its unseen limbs snapping for him. Then Bjorn burst out of the monolith onto the solid ground on the new skyland.The sudden absence of resistance sent him flying, his body flipping midair before he crashed onto the ground. His tail and legs slammed into the stone, skidding before he dug in, stopping himself just shy of the edge.

Panting, he twisted his necks back toward the monolith. Bjorn heaved a breath, blood dripping onto the stone. Bjorn imagined that some other abomination would jump out after him and continue to fight with its grotesque form. Nothing happened, the monster didn’t follow or jump out at him. He felt his wounds close like itchy patches but he was all and all fine. Then he saw a shimmer of shadow magic and  sighed. 

“You have to be shitting me. More spinefangs?” Bjorn said.

He wasted no time and shot water breath, coating the land around him as he squared up for yet another brutal fight.

***

Bjorn sat on his haunches looking out over the bloodied ground, there had been even more of the Spinefangs than on the first skyland. He was carefully observing every detail for any sign that more of the creatures were in ambush. This island, unlike the others, had vegetation that seemed normal. Grasses mainly, which for once made him feel like he was outside of the Chaos Lands. It was by far the largest Skyland and even encompassed part of the mountain range. 

There were also clusters of other skylands nearby though getting to them would be one way as there was no way to get back. Bjorn let himself heal before pressing forward. There was a forest as part of the skyland going well into the mountains in the distance. He wanted to find mana tree roots but if there were full mana trees up here it would be even better. 

“Oh, goodie my side project is done.” Failsafe said cheerily.

“What side project?” Bjorn asked.

“The progress tracker between levels. Remember we were talking about adding that so you can see how close to level up you are. We decided on percentages. I am finally done with it.”

“I’ll take a look.” Bjorn said.

Bjorn opened his menus and saw he leveled up twice which was a shame as it meant he was already getting less returns from killing the spinefangs. He already didn’t want to fight them and now he would get less for each one. He placed his twenty points, splitting them evenly between Primana and Primana Regeneration.

Status Menu

Name: Bjorn Isin Scalebound
Species: Lernaean Hydra
+ Level: 54 < 56

+ Level Progression: 53%
Vitality: 178 / 195
Restoration: 270 / 270
Constitution: 140 / 140
Strength: 120 / 130
Dexterity: 100 / 100
Stamina:100 / 115
+ Primana: 115 + 10 = 125 / 150
+ Primana Regeneration:  115 + 10 = 125 / 150  (+225 from bond)

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“That’s nice, now we can tell how much each monster is giving me in terms of experience. I imagine I will eventually be able to fight pretty much anything right?” 

“Well,” Failsafe said. “Unless there is a True monster type deal.”

“Failsafe please stop trying to jinx us.” Bjorn said.

Failsafe tried to make his voice spooky. “Wait, remember those shapes in the warp? What if those are True Monsters? They were big and looked alive.” 

Bjorn huffed, closing his menus as his wounds finished sealing. His gaze lingered on the blood-soaked ground, there had been so many Spinefangs this time. Even though he was healing, the exhaustion was starting to set in. At least this place felt normal… for the Chaos Lands. The grasses swayed in a gentle breeze, the mountain range ahead loomed with familiar solidity, and for a moment, he could almost forget that he was still in the Chaos Lands.

A small hand curled around one of his claws. Bjorn glanced down, unbothered, and met the wide, innocent eyes of Kali. The little girl walked alongside him, her tiny bare feet pressing into the soft earth. It was a shame she had lost her shoes when they escaped that liquid rock. He should probably carry her. She barely reached his shoulder, her simple white spotless dress swaying as she moved, her dark hair falling in a tangled mess over her face. She was leading him somewhere, pointing out that she knew the way. It was just like her to move so confidently like she had always known the way.

Bjorn followed contentedly but was still vigilant for more monsters. He was careful to not run into the delicate child beside him.

“Where exactly are we going, Kali?” Bjorn asked, his voice casual.

Kali giggled. “Somewhere safe,” she said, her voice too soft, like a whisper that barely reached his ears. “You were hurt badly, we need to go somewhere you can rest.”

“Great,” he rumbled. “Wouldn’t mind a break after all that.”

“Bjorn.” Failsafe’s voice cut through the moment like a knife.

Bjorn blinked. “What?”

“Who in the Celestial Planes is that?” Failsafe demanded.

Bjorn snorted, rolling his eyes. “The kid,” he said, nodding toward her. “She joined us back on the previous island. You don’t remember?”

“We didn’t pick up a kid.” Failsafe said. “That never happened. Bjorn we need to get away from that thing.”

Bjorn stopped walking. “What are you talking about?” He gestured with one of his heads at Kali, who stood just ahead of him, head tilted, waiting. “She’s been with us since the last island. Remember she was nearly suffocated by that stalker.”

“Is everything okay Bjorn?” Kali asked.

“It’s fine.” Bjorn said.

“Are you sure? We are almost there.” Kali said with a worried expression. “You were hurt worse than we thought, you look bad. Let’s hurry it’s this way.”

Failsafe’s voice rose. “We’ve been traveling alone. Why would we be traveling with a little girl? Where would we have found a little girl?”

Bjorn frowned. “Because—”

“We are in the Chaos Lands?” Failsafe pressed. “How the fuck can she even understand you? We speak mentally but she responded.”

Bjorn’s breath hitched he was right something didn’t make sense. Why would they bring a child through this place? Why would they even find a child here? His mind unraveled at once, the fog over his thoughts torn away in a single, jarring moment of realization.

Kali wasn’t real. His gaze snapped back to the girl only now, he saw her properly. Her arms were too long, fingers tapering into sharp, blackened claws. Her hair obscured most of her face, but beneath the strands, her mouth was too wide, her lips curling at the edges in a way no human’s should. The dress she wore was too clean, untouched by dirt despite walking through miles of rough terrain.

It seemed to realize that he was no longer under its spell. The monster waited no time in turning to run. It bolted into the trees, its limbs twisting unnaturally as it melted into the shadows of the forest. Bjorn had not realized how long he had followed the creature. He was deep in the forest. The trees around him warped, their shapes stretching. The sky overhead seemed darker, the normalcy of the skyland shattered in an instant.

Bjorn turned in a slow circle, his heads swiveling in every direction.

“Failsafe, what in the Infernal Planes was that?” 

“I think it was a Sanguine Traveler.” Failsafe said. “They aren’t supposed to be real though. They are really dangerous because they charm people and implant memories to get you to follow them into traps or ambushes.” He then said proudly, “But I am a magic construct so charms and memory manipulation don’t work on me.”

“Well. Great. If it happens again, bite me with the head you control.” Bjorn said with a sigh. “I think we aren’t going to like this forest so stay alert.”

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