Chapter 499 - Ullokai

This one took ages! I think it's still a little rough so I'll probably do another edit of it tomorrow but I think it's mostly there. If you want the more polished version, check back tomorrow night or monday once I've had a chance to go over it with fresh eyes.

Hump had always considered dungeons the pinnacle of essence density—pockets of the world where it pooled so thick it warped the land and spawned life. But this island—this prison designed to hold Loften—was even greater, yet different. It was not the twisted, corrupted essence of the dungeon, nor the pure, rich power of the world. It was same as the essence in the Remnant Realm. The dead, barren power that remained after the gods had their way with it, devoid of the world’s intent and energy. It lingered like oil against Hump’s skin.

The landscape only deepened his unease. Towering peaks ringed the island like stone sentinels, their jagged spires lost in the clouds above. From the deck of the skyship, Hump saw no way in. The wall of stone was unbroken. No sign of valleys or chasms, just sharp, vertical cliffs. Endless rock, a haze of essence, and an oppressive silence that sucked in all the crew.

Even the approach had been desolate. All around the island, boulders orbited in winds of essence. Remnant pieces of the land that had once been here before the Sundering. It required constant effort to push through, working in shifts to redirect the boulders away from the ship.

There was no way this sense of foreboding was unintentional. The gods had left this as a warning—keep out. This was no place for mortals to treat.

And yet, here they were. To tread, and free the imprisoned god.

Captain Hadbur had called all those that were part of the main expedition to discuss the last leg of their journey. Prince Marcoff was the last to arrive to the main gathering.

“There is only one way to reach the dungeon,” Captain Hadbur said grimly. “The Crown of the Winds can go no farther. We must descend into the chasm and follow it inward. Only the windrunners are small enough to make the journey.”

Marcoff looked at him sharply. “This isn’t what we agreed. We’re not at the dungeon yet.”

Hadbur didn’t flinch. “And we won’t be going farther by skyship. Trust me, Prince. I’ve made this journey before and the only way in is by making ourselves a whole lot smaller.”

“How long will it take us by windrunners?” Hump asked, wanting to move the conversation along.

“Two days. Maybe a little less if we’re fast. We’ve four windrunners, so space for twenty-four of us along with supplies. We’ll need to move quickly, for there are dangers on this island that put everything else we’ve faced so far to shame.”

“Then all the more reason for us to find a way in together,” Marcoff said. “Perhaps we could try and fly over these mountains. The Crown of the Winds is famed for its speed, is it not, Captain? It may take longer, but it will reduce our risk.”

“You’re not obligated to come,” Princess Urella snapped. “But I will be joining them.”

Prince Marcoff’s face twitched. “I am merely suggesting it may be a better option.”

“None have succeeded before,” Hadbur said. “With such stakes on the line, I would not try and be the first. We go by windrunner. Those of you going, prepare to leave by the end of morning.”

“I agreed to get our party of heroes there,” Hadbur said. “I agreed to bring you along with me. At no point did I say we would go all the way by skyship.”

***

They descended in four windrunners, the sleek ships well suited for the narrow passes through the mountains. Hadbur and three of his men flew the windrunners, while Acalin’s party, Prince Marcoff and Princess Urella, and a host of holy ones and runesmiths accompanied them on the others. Behind them, the rest of the crew waved their goodbyes, while ahead the chasm through the mountains waited. The world changed as they dipped inside, sheer cliffs rising on either side, narrowing until the sky above became a mere crack of light. The rock walls were close enough to scrape the windrunners in places if they tilted wrong, and more than once the drivers had to evade sudden jutting formations.

It was slow, and with tall walls of rock on either side, Hump couldn’t help but fear falling debris or an ambush. He kept a hand on his staff the entire time. Strange calls echoed through the chasm as the ours went on—howls, screeches, and guttural noises that sounded unpleasantly like whispers. At time, Hump spotted eyes glinting in the shadows, but whatever watched them kept its distance. None of it sounded like anything Hump wanted to meet.

Nisha, on the other hand, was ready to go. It took all her training to keep her restrained to the windruner rather than to chase after whatever was out there. Her instincts were boiling over, but she seemed to understand that they were on the hunt for bigger prey. That gave her focus like Hump hadn’t seen outside of actual battle.

“They know we’re too many,” Celaine murmured beside him, her eyes scanning the rocks. “Smart predators don’t pick fights they’re not sure they’ll win.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Hump asked.

“Too early to get nervous now,” Hadbur said, from where he steered at the front. “We haven’t even reached the dungeon yet.”

“Do you know what they are?” Dylan asked.

“There’s all sorts of nasty monsters in here,” Hadbur said. “Ghrunak were spotted when I was here last, large felines that live on the rock face, Rocwings probably won’t cause us trouble down here but I saw some from the Crown There are a number of poisonous insects and snakes to keep an eye out for, so try not to touch them if it can be helped. And then there are the Ullokai—stone spitters. Those are the ones that have been watching us.”

“I can hear them talking,” Celaine said.

“Mhm.” Hadbur gave a nod. “Smart little things. Too smart to attack us for now, but there’s enough of them here that a den is likely. Keep yourselves ready.”

Hours passed, and soon even the windrunners became too unreliable for the narrow spaces. They were forced to land and continue the rest of the way on foot. It was cold here, but Hump’s battlerobes and cloak were more than enough to keep him comfortable. Hump had never been particularly fond of hiking, but marching through an unending chasm with nothing but the occasional bones and distant monster sound to occupy his mind, this was far from a good time.

The expedition made camp at a bend where the chasm widened. They’d arrived a short time before nightfall, though it was hard to tell, the haze of essence above still glowing even now that the sun was gone. They ate, slept, and started the next day, continuing with only brief pauses. The farther they went, the thicker the essence became, until it clung to them like a wet cloth, dripping from them as essence water. And then, finally, something new appeared.

A towering wall of stone filled the chasm ahead like a dam. An immense structure of interlocking boulders and floating stones. It pulsed with essence, power surging through it in waves. Hump studied it with his senses and Spirit Sight, surprised at the result. The stone was saturated with intent, layered so thickly that trying to piece it was like poking at plate armour with a feather.

“Reminds me of a spell formation,” Hump muttered.

Hadbur stepped up beside him. “This is the ullokai den.”

“They shouldn’t attack unless we give them reason to,” said Runesmith Tatsi, examining the structure with squinting eyes. “We’ve passed other dens before. Leave an offering, don’t touch their farm, and they’ll let you through.”

“Farm?” Hump asked.

“You’ll understand once we’re on the wall.”

What unsettled Hump most was the stillness. There were no visible ullokai.

Celaine led the first group up the wall, moving like a shadow across the stone, preparing rope at the top for the rest of them to follow. Nishari flew up ahead of Hump, joining Celaine at the top as he climbed with the rest of the expedition. At the top, he crested the wall and stared out across an oasis, stunned.

In the distance, a second wall mirrored the first, and between them was an oasis of life. Moss coated the ground like a carpet. Flowers of violet and blue bloomed in twisting vines. Roots wrapped around essence crystals that shimmered with inner light. The air practically buzzed with energy.

“They’re farming using essence,” Dylan murmured. “And they’re doing it where essence is barren. It’s amazing! How intelligent must they be to build something like this?”

Hadbur’s voice was low. “Intelligent enough to let us pass if we don’t provoke them. Hopefully.”

Dylan leaned toward Hump. “This could be the key to restoring the Remnant Realm. Somehow, they’ve found a way to do this even here.”

“Save it for the journey home,” Hump whispered back.

Captain Hadbur placed a pouch of essence stones at the wall’s edge. They sank into the stone, swallowed up by the den, yet still the ullokai were silent.

The expedition exchanged uncertain glances. Then, weapons at the ready, they descended into the oasis.

The air was thick with magic, dense enough that breathing felt invigorating. Anywhere else, in this would make for the perfect training ground. Conversation vanished. Even the slightest movement seemed too loud. Nisha stalked forward, her body low to the ground. Celaine stayed close to Hump, an arrow on her bowstring. Bud had positioned himself near Marcoff, axe already in hand. Emilia kept checking over her shoulder as she and Bud walked backward, covering the rear.

They were almost at the far side when Hump caught his first sight of one. Golden eyes watched from the shadows of the walls on either side. A furred, long-snouted face peeked out from the rock, sniffing at the air. More followed. Dozens of the little figures emerging from the rock and vegetation, or controlling stones to float up into the air.

“I don’t like the look of this, Captain,” Acalin called from the windrunner behind.

“Form up,” Captain Hadbur said quietly. “If they attack, we force our way through. Wizard Humphrey, can you do anything about the wall?”

“I’ll figure something out to get us through,” Hump said.

Dust fell from the upper reaches of the dam wall not ten paces ahead of them. Dozens of Ullokai moved as one, more than Hump could count. They poured out of the wall like water, lining up like a flock of crows watching them, the echoes of guttural whispers filling the air. The expedition scrambled into formation. Nishari snarled, her claws digging into the ground.

Hump reached out with his power, bronze tendrils lashing toward the dam.

He hit a wall of will.

Hundreds of them, woven together. Intent so vast and interlinked that his magic couldn’t gain purchase. He gritted his teeth and pushed, but it he couldn’t face so many separate wills working together. Not when they had an entire well of essence to draw from.

The cheeks of the creatures puffed up, tinged with bronze essence. Then one of them spat, launching a rock forward on a trail of bronze. Fast. So fast, it scraped Hump’s cheek open before he could raise a Shield, warm blood sliding down his face.

All along the wall, the creatures started to spit stone, hurling a barrage of rock down at the expedition, before disappearing back into their wall. It seemed it adapt to their wills, opening and closing where they needed it to. But the expedition’s line responded, blessings and runic abilities activated. Bud summoned a wall of ice before him, blocking most of the barrage, but they were surprisingly powerful for such small creatures. It bought them a few seconds, but they breached. Acalin stood before his party with his bronze shield. Hump had manifested a barrier before himself and his party, but it wouldn’t last forever against such an attack. Celaine shot over it with shadow arrows, but there were too many of the ullokai for her to bring down alone.

Hump heard a cry behind him and turned in time to see three ullokai scrambling up one of Prince Marcoff’s attendants. The woman fell to the ground, trying to tear them free, rolling on the dirt to try and tear their jaws from her. They tore through armour and flesh alike.

Emilia appeared beside her in a flash, spearing the trio of ullokai and dragging the woman back into the line even as more began to swarm them. Hump could form a Shield over them all briefly, but these creature’s possessed magic too powerful for him to resist alone. They wouldn’t win this by being defensive, and the ullokai were using their wall effectively to attack from safety.

“Dylan, Bud, protect me,” Hump said. “I’m going to call on lava beneath the wall.”