Soulwielder Book Two: Corruption

Corrupted Continent

The craft landed and Lily pushed open the side doors to peer outside. I walked up to the open door and stared at the wasteland before us.

The water at the shore was tinted purple and a strong breeze blew through the area. I stepped down onto the grass and felt it crunch as if it was dead.

Yet the grass didn't look dead, it was dark purple and seemed to be frozen in place unless I stepped on it. "This is so weird," I murmured.

I looked at the bottom of my shoe and what Unity had told me about the corruption had been true. I wasn't slowly turning into a being of pure darkness.

"Incredible! All of the living things in the area have been entirely drained of Life Energy!" Unity mused.

Lily, Dustin, and Kipp climbed out as well and started looking around. "Everything is the same as the last time I was here," Dustin noted.

Lily started writing down various observations about the area. "Are there any animals here?"

Dustin nodded. "Mhm. I've seen creatures unlike anything else here. If the storm clouds and plant life weren't any indications, the Corruption has greatly altered how this place functions."

Kipp marveled at the water. "In school, they were telling us that the Corruption would infect us and make us evil, so how come we aren't turning evil?"

"I've always wondered why schools teach that old wives tale," Dustin replied. "The Corruption can only spread with exposed life energy. Which it then uses to take more life energy. Since it was isolated on this part of the planet, however, it was trapped."

I inspected one of the trees. "That's so weird. Lily, were you told any of this?"

Lily shook her head. "Not directly, no. But I saw plenty of trips here in files so I figured it couldn't be as dangerous. They probably just say it to keep people from going here and messing with the Corrupts."

Something about it didn't sit right with me but I decided to brush it off. "That storm doesn't look like it's showing any signs of clearing." I changed the subject.

"Well then, we may have a bit of a problem since it's hardly safe to journey into the depths of the jungle," Dustin said.

I tried to think of some way to clear the clouds. "Any ideas, Unity?"

"We could fly over them." Unity suggested. I was expecting some Soulwielder related solution but that was an equally valid one.

"Hey, Dustin why don't we just fly over the clouds?" I asked.

Lily deadpanned. "Avian they go on for miles, how are we supposed to find a Soulwielder Temple if we can see the ground?"

"We could always go to the Soulwielder Temple south of here. I have the coordinate information." Unity responded in my head.

I twisted my face into bewilderment. "Unity what do you mean? You've never said any of this before."

Lily tilted her head. "Avian why are you talking to yourself?"

"Maybe the Corruption energy made him nutty." Dustin half-joked.

I shook my head. "Nothing, I just remembered that I have the coordinates for a temple that's a ways away. Let's start there." I suggested.

Lily and Dustin both still seemed concerned but didn't say anything else as the four of us got back into the hovercraft and I told Dustin the coordinates.

I sat down and decided to try questioning Unity again. "Unity, what's going on with you? You're suddenly telling me all this stuff you've never said before."