Book One: Onslaught

Chapter 2: Plunge

The valley that was to be their home for the next few days was widening before their very eyes. It spanned out as far as they could see, fading into the horizon where the sun was beginning to kiss the earth. Trees bent around them and scattered leaves went everywhere, painting the sky with green dots riding currents of air. Their chaperone turned to them at the edge of the precipice, bags under his eyes indicating that he hadn't been able to rest with the knowledge of what he was about to put the youth through.

"Listen ye lousy bastards. I don't like you very much, none of the youth here are ever pleasant to those who were here before the war with the Farlands. However, I don't gain anything from your deaths, so be careful. Do whatever it takes to survive, if killing is necessary, obliterate. If food needs to be found, don't be scared to eat the rocks beneath your feet. Be wise, be clever, and trust in each other. Let the Gift that runs in your veins guide you, the code of the universe is at your fingertips whenever you need it, make sure to use it." Not another word leaves his lips while he begins to slip into his own shadow, fading down into the ground and leaving no trace behind, save for fading sigils and the faint echo of his voice that fell upon the chasm.

"No sense in waiting around then!" Lucas becomes the first to spur himself into action, leaping forth into empty air with a loud woop. Strong gusts send his scarf into a frenzy of flapping and waving all about him as the fabric expands into a parachute about twice his wingspan.

"He's right, The Fotarco corps needs all the forces it can gather, we're the few that were born with the Gift. Let's get this over with, we've survived worse." Despite the encouraging words Lux's words come out hurried and wavering. She looks towards Cole expectantly, the fraying ends of her orange bracelet untangling more with every passing second.

A simple nod indicates the boy's acknowledgement before he speaks with a light tone. "Yeah, not much worse than Reg's cooking, come on!" a loud yelp erupts from Lux as she's tackled off over the edge, the two spiraling down in a mix of screams and giggles.

Reg shakes her head and smirks, letting out a snort and noting that the ground was shifting beneath her very feet. Looking over the edge she sees the walls of the valley shifting to form a slide that slowly evens out, slowing down the falling pair.

"Guess it can't be helped, watch my six Gale, don't get distracted by it though." With a wink she taps her feet on the floor to Accesses, sigils illuminate the drafts around her. The odd letters swirl about and work to lift her up, gently transporting her after the others.

"I'll miss them if they die." The sole mutter is lost to the world atop the entrance to the Seventy-One, forever hidden from the ears of all, a meaningless moment of compassion. Dust rises from the ground and falls upon his lap, legs crossed while he waits for the familiar scent of wet fur. At last he turns to hear nearly noiseless footsteps and sees a bear coming towards him slowly.

"You know, for a beast you somehow manage to look angry..." Gale remarks in a nonchalant tone.

"What? Found out I killed your brothers? That eminence guy really should stop torturing you poor creatures." Though the words are full of spunk and bravado, Gale knows the danger he's about to face, already his forearms begin to position themselves to cover his face.

"Only a matter of time, child. You know it won't be long until my master recruits you, you're wasted doing this pointless garbage, you don't even know what you are." The once hidden steps grow heavier as the monstrous animal stands up on its hind legs and grows. A necklace on its neck becomes alight with white Code that seems to power the creature. When it finishes its growth it stands well over eight feet and instantly barrels towards him filled with an unparalleled animosity.

Every instinct in the man's body gets triggered, and his brain chooses: kill. He charges forward to meet the assault. The air around him vibrates and his own skin begins to manifest metal that protrudes forward. It keeps growing and sharpening, until a gleaming blade is fully extended forward from his fist. Just as the bear comes to swipe its claws at his head, Gale lunges forward and thrusts his newly formed edge into the creature's heart. Though the claws don't graze his head, the bear still manages to tear at some other part of his body. He doesn't register it at the moment, too focused on his opponent to care. The taste of metal fills his mouth, and a fuzzy warmth fills his head when he falls forward. The pair stays locked together, a gleam of sunlight shines into Gale's eyes from the blade protruding through the bear's ribcage. Crimson drips from where it entered the bear's chest all the way down to his arms. When he finally disengages, he notices the bear's necklace had begun to disintegrate like the others he had encountered, causing the mutated thing before him to shrink back to a normal bear. When the monster returns to its original shape, Gale finally notices a hot liquid seeping out of him. He runs his hands all over his midsection, until he begins to run his fingers along a deep gash.

"FUCK." The second he registers what the opening his fingers were tracing meant, the pain slams into him like a pile of bricks. He nearly blacks out as the blood from the new wound in his abdomen spills out, but manages to sink through his shadow and arrive at the bottom of the valley.