Chapter 34: Seeker

Chapter 34: Seeker Lucen’s steps fell silently against the fallen leaves as he stalked the Cruncher. The looming forest was shrouded in shadows, its silence pierced by rustling sounds. His mana sense was spread around him like a globe, lighting up the world in various colours in his mind. The Cruncher veiled its mana to prevent being seen, but Lucen sensed its movement and Life mana. Helie’s whip lashed through the air, coiling around the Cruncher’s throat, like a steel serpent. Lucen surged from behind a tree and ran his spear through the creature’s spine. Kon launched from the other side, and they both sliced the Cruncher in half. The Cruncher’s top half sailed through the air and thudded against the dirt. It wore a soldier’s face and his tattered uniform. Its face melted into a clay-like mask as the skin sloughed from its false bones. Crunchers were very hard to kill, escaping its body, and stealing the bodies of its enemies. Cutting the Cruncher into small pieces was the only way to kill it. The man’s lower half began to spasm and rip nastily. Legs stayed standing, stumbling as a bone-white liquid surged from the open waist. Then they shot towards Lucen. Its mercurial form stretched from the disembowelled lower half towards him. Lucen dodged it and slashed his spear through the air as he spun away. As more of the Cruncher’s body was severed, the creature grew weaker. The topless legs stumbled, but more of the bone-white material stretched from it, and now it could barely stand. Helie’s whip made quick work of it, slashing through its liquid form each time it rose. The legs finally collapsed—too many pieces of the parasite shredded. The four Knight apprentices grimaced at the bloodless halves of the body. "That would have been so horrible if he weren’t a Cruncher," Kon muttered. "It’s dangerous," said Helie. "It kept trying to steal one of our bodies. We would have to kill anyone taken." "If it tries to get into your body," Lucen warned, "retreat and get someone to help you stop it. It isn’t easy for it to steal the body of a Knight, though." They all relaxed a bit but still watched the halves of the body. No blood, no screams. Was it really dead? The ground suddenly shook, and a cloud of dust rose into the air. They all turned and gripped their weapons. "Warren and Korgath have started fighting," said Lucen. "No more slow advances." Lucen started running, and the four young knights were right behind. They slowed down as lone Crunchers converged on the battle. These fights were short and brutal. The Crunchers silently advanced, and flesh was torn apart. Before long, Helie and the others weren’t so excited to fight anymore. They reached a break in the trees, and down in the clearing, Lucen could see Warren fighting a man with elongated limbs and a wildly amused smile. Korgath wasn’t wearing Jon’s skin anymore, but Lucen could still see the madness in his form and fighting style. His jaw tightened as he wondered where Korgath had so callously discarded Jon’s skin. But he could see the weaker Crunchers coming to help their leader, and the soldiers surrounding the clearing to prevent escape. He didn’t have time to fight Korgath. "Help the soldiers." They stormed down towards the Crunchers, who moved with an inhuman gait. Some crawled, others hopped, and they all stretched the skin they wore into hideous forms. Lucen darted between two of them. His silver spear spun in a beautiful arc, severing their legs and sending them crashing face-first into the dirt. Helie’s whip tripped many more, then Kon’s flammable gas wrapped around them, distorting the air like a heatwave. The metallic whip cracked against itself like a flint, and they burst into flames like a beacon, lighting up the dim forest. The Cruncher oozed from their bodies, slithering across the dirt like quicksilver towards the young knights. Helie was tasked with protecting them from the Crunchers trying to steal their bodies. Her whip shot through the air like a snake, slashing the streams of bone-white fluid away. The other two people in their team used their spells to slow down the Crunchers or shield Kon and Lucen. As they approached the clearing, the fight intensified, but the surrounding soldiers increased. Lucen spotted a brief flash of flame from the forest away from the clearing and his teammates. It was the signal from Aya and the others. They found Peter Cross. He was about to leave when a sudden scream split the air. A soldier was writhing on the ground as a Cruncher invaded his body. The man grabbed its mercurial form and tried pulling it from his veins as it dug into his wrist. There was a horrible grinding sound as the monster ate into his bones, drowning his voice in pain. The fire in the distance flashed once again, and Lucen took one last look at the man. He was now writhing on the ground as the creature ate him from the inside. Blood poured from his eyes, nose, and mouth. He was already dead. Lucen sprinted towards the light, watching Helie and the others to make sure they wouldn’t follow. He took one last glance at the soldier. The man staggered upright, covered in blood, vomiting his bloody organs from his mouth. Lucen swallowed his bile and continued running. ■——■ He found Aya alone by a rocky outcrop. Beyond the trees, Lucien could see a golden glow. The air felt warmer. Her guards and Liam weren’t too far, watching in case anyone came this way. Aya’s face was impassive. Her silver armour fitted her form perfectly. She raised a red staff, covered in intricate lines, and at the top was a blue crystal that hummed gently. Arcia. A mineral that, if treated well, could enhance certain magic. "Now I feel underdressed," he joked, looking over his simple leather armour and silver spear. Aya smiled politely, then she turned to the rocky outcrop. Under it, surrounded by darkness, was a golden spear glowing like the morning sun. Lucen stepped closer, his eyes running over the magnificent spear. It was inscribed with beautiful drawings of kings and their subjects, of the sky, and of people on their knees worshipping a floating pillar. The golden light seared Lucen’s skin strangely. His body groaned under its radiance. [The spear deals damage to enemies of the Empire. The Hunger mana in your body is being repelled.] Lucen frowned. He didn’t use Hunger mana in any spells or channel it, though. [It still lives in you because of me and has been growing as you devour Crunchers, who are beings of Hunger mana.] It wasn’t too bad, so he ignored it and pushed forward. Then he saw something hunched in the dark, shivering under the rags it wore as clothes. Black hair and greying, aged skin. It was a man covered in dirty bandages and scars. He quivered under the light of the spear like he was being burnt alive. "No. Please don’t come any closer," the man begged, his voice like dry sand. "I am sick, and I must find a remedy." "Peter Cross?" Lucen asked, raising his spear. "It’s okay. Give us the spear, it’s hurting you." "Then how will I find salvation..." "What is this... remedy that you seek?" The man’s head rose. He was painfully thin. His teeth had been pulled out, leaving a jagged mess of blood and festering gums behind. His mouth had been cut open to get to the teeth in the back, leaving behind a ghoulish and perpetual smile. "My—my remedy... hahhh." Peter’s voice devolved into painful moans. "My remedy is the death of that traitor, Chester Lightcloak." Lucen dashed for the golden spear, but it suddenly shot towards Peter’s wide-open hand, burning the skin as his grip tightened. "Flee, please, leave me to my sins," begged Peter. "Or you shall know the depths of true suffering."