Beyond What's Known

Chapter 1

Yellow lightning crackled as the Western gate's portal closed, sealing away Evanlyn Caelum's daughter in a different realm.

In reality, the lightning was bright green, signifying where Alana Caelum had been sent- the 99 Caverns. But Evanlyn's Thugglett maintained the illusion of yellow lightning until the portal completely shut. When its job was done, the small red slug hopped away, fleeing into the forest at Evanlyn's request. And as far as the Dark Slinger was aware, the little girl had been sent to the Burning World.

It had been an attempt on Evanlyn's part to avoid the 99 Caverns being the Dark Slinger's next target. The trick seemed to work - the Dark Slinger was under the assumption that she had condemned her daughter to a life far away from the slug energy she was bonded with, on a surface world she had no experience in.

That knowledge gave Evanlyn hope even as she collapsed on the ground of Palida Cavern, slowly bleeding out from a wound she'd managed to hide from the Dark Slinger until now. She knew she wouldn't be able to beat him, not with his strange, corrupted arsenal.

She had heard tales of corrupting slugs by utilizing the evil beneath Slugterra, but she had never experienced it until tonight, and she was ashamed to say that she knew she would be unable to beat the Dark Slinger. So her priority had been getting her daughter out of the West. Now, at her final order, her slugs left her bandoleer, giving their beloved slinger one final glance before fleeing into the forests of Palida.

I did it, Evanlyn thought with relief. A small, shaky smile formed on her face. For the first time that night, her muscles finally relaxed. The Dark Slinger, who had been staring at the now-empty gateway, whipped around to face her, his face twisted with fury.

"You wretched slinger!" he roared. "Your husband is dead, and your child is gone, because of your actions! You lay bleeding out, and you smile!"

Evanlyn didn't reply, but let her gaze drift over to Nathanael's body. He laid in the grass a dozen feet from her, and if it weren't for his tattered gear and the diadem of Geoshard crystals on his head, he would look like he was sleeping. Her heart ached for her husband, who had so readily accepted his fate. She may have refused to hand over Alana, but she knew who was truly to blame for her loss.

"You're... the one... who pulled the trigger," she croaked, looking up at the man who stood before her. The only reason she was able to keep fear from her features was the knowledge that he couldn't do anything to her now. She was dying. "This... this was you."

"I was willing to spare your family," the Dark Slinger argued, clenching his fists. "All you had to do was come with me to the East. You're much too valuable to let die like this. So much wasted potential. You were gifted with power but so willing to lose it."

Evanlyn was struggling to breath now. Her lungs felt stiff, or maybe they were just filled with blood. She wasn't sure, but she also knew it didn't matter. She felt distraught at her own demise and that of her beloved Paladins, though the knowledge that it would all be over soon created a strange feeling of peace in her mind.

But still... she had to know.

"Why... why did you do this?" she coughed. "What.. happened... Junjie?"

The Dark Slinger's eyes widened, and his fury wavered into confusion, then searching, then understanding.

"Ah, yes. You did visit him, once," he murmured. "I see now. It was years ago, before you had your child. He thought highly of you. But it's no use speaking to him. This slinger hasn't been himself in years."

Evanlyn frowned and blinked a few times. Her vision was blurring.

"What...?"

Then she happened to glance down, and she saw the corrupted Boon Doc staring at her intently, as if he was addressing her. She tilted her head, then her eyes widened. The corrupted slug's black and red eye narrowed, and it nodded with a malicious grin.

"You?" Evanlyn whispered. Disgust and horror weighed down on her heart.

The slug nodded, and so did the Dark Slinger.

"Your energy was enough to save you from the Eastern Champion's fate," the Dark Slinger said. "I could not risk taking you as a host. At best, it may have weakened me long enough to be defeated by your Paladins. At worst, your energy may have cured me. Regardless, perhaps I should have taken the risk. I have no use for a dead Caelum."

Evanlyn wanted to ask more questions, ask how the young champion she'd once met had fallen, but she was finding it harder and harder to focus. There were black spots dancing in the corners of her eyes. Her mouth tasted of iron.

"I'll leave you to die here," the Dark Slinger continued. He turned away from Evanlyn, glancing at Nathanael. "Your people can find you themselves. I'll let them deduce your plans for the gateway. They'll know you tried to escape, or at least get your daughter out, and failed. They'll know you couldn't even protect your family."

He loaded a corrupted Forgesmelter and, without warning, fired it at the foot of the now empty gateway. Evanlyn winced at the blast of heat combined with the flash of dark energy. It created a heap of molten lava at the stone steps leading to the circular gate.

"And they'll think there's nothing left of the girl to even bury."

Evanlyn knew her daughter was safe, and would be in the care of Will soon enough. But the thought of what remained of the West thinking their golden child was nothing but melted bone made her stomach churn.

"I will find her one day," the Dark Slinger sighed. The corrupted Boon Doc nodded to himself, as if giving himself reassurance. "I will use your family's energy, for my orders now or for my own goals. I will not fail."

He watched as the red hot light from the molten lava faded at the same time as the light of life left Evanlyn's eyes.

"One day, my journeys will lead me to Alana Caelum again."