Chasmfall (The Weirkey Chronicles Book 4), page 17
The one thing that did still trouble her was the amount of time remaining in the Chasm. If the event lasted for three days as was commonly said, then they still had plenty of time to harvest materials and retreat. Yet the fact that the exact time was variable, and the ambiguous fate of those abandoned within, left Fiyu considerably less sanguine. If it was up to her, they would have retreated, though she acknowledged that risks were necessary at times. She would have to trust in Friend Theo's knowledge.
He had assisted her many times, yet she had felt something within herself sliding ever since he and Friend Nauda had saved her life. Unlike an elder relative, she did not feel that respect and obedience was the appropriate response. Instead, he was her peer and they could travel forward together, sharing their knowledge and lives. If so...
Distracted by the unfamiliar thoughts, Fiyu failed to fully check the next rock she used as a hand-hold. It broke beneath her fingers, and the momentum sent her tipping over the side of the narrow ledge.
Before she could fall far, Friend Nauda caught her wrist. Since Fiyu had only just begun to slip over the edge, she was quickly able to right herself and obtain a secure position. There had been little danger, since Friend Theo moved ahead and had been prepared with his technique, but Fiyu still felt ashamed to have made the error.
"Sorry for grabbing you," Friend Nauda said. She had indeed released her as soon as she was stable, almost as if guilty, so Fiyu made sure to smile at her.
"It is okay, Nauda. Thank you for helping me."
As they continued crawling above the river, however, Fiyu found her thoughts surprisingly turbulent. Instead of feeling shock at the touch, the wrist where Friend Nauda had touched her glowed with a warmth that crept through the rest of her body. It was not so dissimilar from when she was grateful for her friends, but the fact that it occurred even when touched forced her to acknowledge what she was experiencing.
Her relatives had prepared her for this, of course. After a sufficient number of years of adulthood, she would begin to consider close companions as potential lifemates. Relative Guchiro had been of the opinion that it would be another decade for her, and she had thought that sounded reasonable. In a decade, she would have known herself and been well-established as a soulcrafter. Now, she found a confusing mix of sensations welling up within her...
Pausing momentarily, Fiyu took a deep breath and forced that part of her to recede. It could be explored later, while not under such dangerous conditions. Like many other impulses, it could reemerge when she was safe.
That task completed, Fiyu continued along the path with a clearer mind. Friend Theo and Friend Nauda were indeed valued companions, whatever else they might be. She would do her utmost to support them as they continued exploring the Chasm of Lamentations. So far, it had been as profitable as Friend Theo had suggested, so their findings would open up fascinating new paths for their soulcrafting.
Eventually they reached a much larger ledge that had been carved from the chasm surface, so they sat down to rest. By Fiyu's count, they had been inside the Chasm of Lamentations for nearly a full day, so even supported by cantae, they desperately needed rest. With relatively few words, they set up camp and traded watch times, which only affirmed her belief in her companions.
Fortunately, shielded as they were, no one disturbed them as they all rested deeply. When Fiyu awoke refreshed, she found that Friend Nauda was still finishing her slumber while Friend Theo sat at the edge of their camp, cantae twisting within him in a way she had come to identify with his new gravitational sense, even if she couldn't determine the details. She washed her face and went to sit beside him.
"I'm trying to push through all the interference to examine the situation on the surface," Friend Theo said. He looked upward, which Fiyu had not often done since the walls of the chasm stretching skyward were always a strong point of reference in her own senses.
Though she still primarily used her personal senses, Fiyu did look upward with her eyes. The sky was a ghostly strip of blue overhead, almost entirely swallowed by the chasm walls rising on either side. Even though the river was becoming broader, the cliffs still dominated her vision. Contortions of reality that felt deeply disturbing to her senses twisted over the center of the river in higher concentrations, no doubt proving dangerous to anyone who wished to fly overhead.
Most strikingly, to any sense, the chasm ahead of them finally left its straight path and turned to the left. Even through all the disturbances, Fiyu could easily feel the density of the earth: the river cut into the western plain, eventually driving it against the spiritual barriers that defined the Chasm. Beyond that, she thought that it straightened out again, partially shifting underground, but the terminal point dissolved in a haze of interference.
"I don't sense any fighting on the western side," Friend Theo said not long after, "but I don't trust cantae senses very far here. How does it feel to you?"
"I will try." Fiyu focused on the lack of pressure above the stone walls, seeking anything that disturbed the air. She could still feel people to the west, few moving quickly, therefore... "I believe that the truce to the west has held. There is no fighting, at least not compared to the battlefield to the east. Fewer people than I expected, perhaps because they have harvested what they can and are retreating."
"How many of them are close to the river? Someone might try to walk north along the peaceful side, then drop into the chasm and fight from there. I can't feel anyone close, but it's such an obvious strategy, someone must be trying it."
"Ah. There is... a somewhat large group further back from us, with a well-equipped camp. I cannot determine their exact activities, but Rulers there could reach the river in under an hour, easily."
"Try to keep a sensoryorgan on them when you can." Friend Theo tilted his head to look behind them and to the east. "It feels like the Strongholds have largely deadlocked one another, but I'm not sure. Do you think anyone has pressed further north than us?"
"I have already been monitoring that," Fiyu said with a slight smile, knowing that he would be pleased. "The Authorities obviously outpaced us by far at first, but when we traveled along the river beneath their fights, we moved ahead. For several hours there was no one near us, but the time we spent harvesting the cavern and resting has allowed many to catch up. The area further north remains largely clear, but likely not for long."
"Then let's look even further north. The interference is getting worse, but I think if we combine our senses, we should be able to determine some more."
Friend Theo did not truly mean what he said, since they were too weak and too unfamiliar with one another to combine their senses of the world. A much lesser version of the technique was possible, however, and they cast cantae to the north together. Brushing their souls was a strange thing, but with Fiyu's body firmly focused on the threats, she felt only determination.
Though a bit clumsy, Friend Theo's sense of gravity was quite powerful. Through his cantae, she could easily feel the sharp lines of the canyon overhead as they widened. She ignored those broad patterns and instead searched within, trying to filter out the chaos of the river to locate the oddities within. It took several minutes, but eventually she felt that she had acquired a clearer representation of the path ahead.
"There should be something ahead," Friend Theo muttered, almost to himself. "A larger space opening to the east, before the final stretch of the river. But I'm struggling to find it..."
Fiyu shook her head. "You could not find it because you are looking for something separate from the river. It feels to me as if a barrier has been eroded, and the river has partially flooded that space."
"But there's a cavern there? I thought it would still exist."
"There is a partially underground region to the east that contains a number of angular structures that I believe must be buildings. Many of these are flooded or otherwise damaged. This leads to a larger shore region alongside the river that could be safely navigated. It does not last until the widest part of the river, but there appears to be an island in the center that may have another structure."
"There it is." Friend Theo smiled thinly and stared to the north. "The first structures you felt are ruins, though they were largely picked over before. The shore is one of the safer spaces near the river, so others may arrive there as well. But it's that building on the island I'm most interested in. When I visited here before, I wasn't able to reach it, so unless someone else looted the building, that might be our next most valuable target."
"And on the journey there?"
"Keep a lookout for flowers tucked into the chasm walls, but we aren't likely to find anything until we reach the shore, and only if we get there first."
Now that they knew the path forward, Friend Theo was obviously determined to hurry again, stopped only by decency in not jolting Friend Nauda awake. As soon as she roused, they would all likely be pushing forward, to explore these ruins and the shoreline. Then the island, and beyond...
Though they had still only navigated part of the Chasm of Lamentations, Fiyu was increasingly certain that the moans surrounding all of them were growing louder. She wondered how loud they would become by the time they reached the ominous density pushing against her senses at the end of the river.
Chapter 18
Though Theo never drove them at a truly reckless pace, Nauda couldn't help but feel his impatience simmering. According to the constant monitoring from Fiyu, their path taking them along the river had helped them get ahead during the early chaos, but now they were moving slowly compared to groups above. He was clearly driven to reach the shore first and felt they were falling behind.
Personally, she enjoyed the more casual hunt for sublime materials along the chasm walls. It was almost nostalgic to walk along the edges, enjoying the flowers clinging to the rocks even while searching for those with cantae, peering into tiny crannies. They didn't find anything as powerful as the sublime materials in the pit of poison gas, but without a sense of constant danger, she enjoyed it more. Yes, she probably should have been more worried about the river, but they usually had firm footholds, so she relaxed a little.
The sublime materials she found weren't anything to ignore, either. Perhaps not the legendary materials that people hoped to find in the Chasm of Lamentations, but still valuable. Certain flowers held very dense cantae and could be used to manufacture dyes or paints. Occasionally she found sapphire-like gemstones in the rocks that would make a valuable addition to many chambers.
When the paths along the side of the river finally extended out to a broader shore, she was almost disappointed. It was rocky at first, but as it expanded to several paces of shoreline under the rocky overhang, Nauda started to understand why Theo had wanted to rush there.
Moisture dripped from the stone overhead, thankfully not harmful. Instead it nurtured a more lively environment than any she'd seen so far in the Chasm, plants growing richly between the sharp cliff face and the river. Any sublime material that managed to survive next to those violent waters clearly had potential, and they'd spent the past years regrowing. Since their group had arrived first, they would be able to find some of the most valuable before they were picked over.
"The only dangers here are the river and the sky," Theo said. "If you see either change significantly, we may need to react. But other than that, you can harvest anything that looks valuable. We're particularly looking for a bush that looks like it's made of spun glass. The bush itself isn't a strong sublime material, but the roots are worth quite a bit."
"What do we do if the river or sky change?" Nauda asked.
"Unfortunately, there are too many different outcomes to cover them all. Just pay attention and listen if I panic. If anything happens to me, use all your safety equipment and hope."
Well, that was better than the presumption he might once have demonstrated. Nauda led the three alongside the river, examining the plants carefully for any that might be worthwhile. She didn't notice any flowers equivalent to those on the chasm cliffs, but there were more than a few that would have sold for a decent amount back in Tatian.
After an hour they found a bush that gave off wispy distortions, and drawing too close produced some sort of reaction. As the light dimmed, Theo urged them all to put on their masks. Nauda felt as though some danger passed them, but since none of them were harmed, they were able to continue smoothly. Once she adjusted to the patterns, the struggle was to remain alert.
They'd found a few of the more valuable plants, and Nauda was just beginning to think that it might become a relaxed exercise in flower-gathering, when she felt the cantae surge above her.
By the time she looked up, three Ruler-tier soulcrafters were already rappelling down the side of cliff. No, not solely rappelling... each had their hands sunk into the cliff itself, sliding through the stone to control their descent. Above them, the atmospheric disturbances were going crazy, as if they'd agitated the mist by passing through. Against that blue backdrop, the gray of the Asplundat Movement armor was quite clear.
"Turn back!" Theo called up, before she'd decided how to respond. "Didn't you see the distortions? You can't just throw yourselves down here!"
The implication of his statement made Nauda check her environment apprehensively... was the river frothing up more than it normally did? But before she could fully analyze everything, one of the Asplundat Rulers turned around, revealing himself to be Homez. "Apologies, but we need to harvest the shore too. Stay there and we can negotiate something."
If they waited until the Asplundat soulcrafters reached the ground, they'd be at a disadvantage. Nauda considered whether or not to strike first, and it seemed that Theo didn't need any time. "Throw a boulder at them," he ordered as he drew cantae from his soulhome.
After only a slight pause, Nauda decided to follow his plan. She tore a large stone from the shore with both hands and then heaved it toward the three climbing Rulers. As she would have expected, one of them released a hand from the cliff, using a stone-covered fist to deflect her projectile. Even thrown with her full strength, it could only briefly halt the group before dropping.
Then Theo's gravitational field caught the stone, sending it plummeting. She saw Theo's hand twist in a familiar movement as the stone hit the water. Whatever he did, the stone hitting the water led to an eruption of the white death.
The column of water forced the Asplundat Rulers to scatter in three different directions and caught one of them in the leg. He cried out in pain and tumbled, barely catching himself by one arm on another rock. Homez pushed off, flipping higher in the chasm, while the female soulcrafter instead leapt straight off the wall.
Toward their position.
While they were in the air, Nauda had a split second to glance back and consider strategy. Fiyu was prepared, as expected. Senka was diving behind another rock and covering her head, which would get her out of the way - she'd been much less annoying than usual lately, Nauda sometimes forgot she was there. Theo had raised his hands facing one another, as if already trying to generate one of his black holes.
She wished that they could communicate, in the last instant they had before the battle began. Had Theo been bluffing earlier, or had their arrival actually brought on some sort of danger? Was he just bloodthirsty or did he have a reason to start his most dangerous attack from the beginning?
With no time for any of those questions, Nauda's only real choice was to defend her friends.
The first threat was the female Ruler who landed on the shoreline beside them. Nauda charged at her staff-first, beginning with a binding technique. Though the Ruler's armor managed to prevent her from getting a spiritual grip, Nauda easily shifted her physical grip and struck the Ruler across the face with the forks of her staff. It didn't break through the Asplundat armor, but it did send her staggering much closer to the river.
From the opposite cliff, the third Ruler prepared to push off toward them. Fiyu unleashed a storm of light bolts, which he mostly ignored because they deflected off his armor. But he should have been paying more attention, because a swath of the bolts shattered stones above him, sending them raining down toward his grip.
He barely managed to push away in time, a desperate movement that Nauda was easily able to intercept. She swept her staff into his injured leg as he landed, then kicked him in the chest, driving him directly into the female Ruler before she could advance. Both stumbled closer to the river, unable to move freely with such a threat at their backs.
It could almost have ended then, but at that moment Homez flipped overhead. While upside-down he released two bolts of gray cantae. Nauda knocked the nearest aside, more concerned about Fiyu... and then realized her mistake.
Fiyu had dodged back, but the cantae bolts had been a distraction from the beginning. Homez landed beside Theo, both fists thrusting toward him. Theo managed to leap away, but the spherical stones struck his cantae and dissipated it before it could form a black hole.
Before Nauda could assist him, the other two Rulers struck her simultaneously. She began a spinning defensive pattern with her staff, keeping them at bay briefly before one of them managed to grab it in one rocky claw. The other Ruler formed a sledgehammer around their hand and struck. Nauda was barely able to raise an arm and intercept the blow.
It shot pain through her arm, and the two soon began to overpower her. She was strong, but not strong enough to overpower two competent Rulers simultaneously. Worse, with her staff gripped...
A torsion bolt hit the arm grabbing her staff, sending stone fragments shattering in both directions. The momentary delay gave Nauda time to pull it free and strike each of them a blow to the chest. Just enough to crack their armor a little and knock them back, earn herself some space.
Unfortunately, over her shoulder she saw that the battle wasn't going well. When Theo had assisted her, it had cost him, because Homez nearly had him pinned against the cliff, striking repeated blows he could barely dodge. Nauda realized that Homez had seen the power of his black hole technique and would never give him enough space to complete it. Worse, she wasn't confident in her ability to overpower him, even before the other two Rulers were considered.
