NOVEL WEB Chapter 223: Globbed
“Sending the drone through now.” Gamma says as she puts on some accompanying goggles that are in the same color as the cat sized drone she just put down.
The drone quickly flies through and disappears into the purple miasma.
“Seeing anything, Gamma?” I ask as Gamma is staring ahead of her intently.
“It looks rather empty on the other side, apart from something that looks like a core resting on a pedestal. There’s a beam connecting it to the portal over here.”
“Can you interrupt it with the drone?” Sid goes to stand next to her while he himself stares directly at the portal. “Or maybe destroy it?”
Gamma shakes her head. “I definitely can’t destroy it, this thing doesn’t have weapons. I can try to interrupt the beam though.” Gamma's tongue appears at the corner of her mouth as she performs some actions on the little joystick she is holding. But after trying for a minute or two, Gamma shakes her head again. “Interrupting it doesn’t seem to do anything. It’s like it’s just passing through.”
“That means we go to plan B, right?” Sam asks from up high.
“Slashing the portal you mean?” I ask back.
She nods. “I think going through the portal should be our last possible option.”
“Can’t say I disagree with that.” Veanya agrees. “Amicia, could you turn on your stance for us?”
“I will definitely try.” I walk a couple of steps back away from the portal and close my eyes. Focussing for a moment as I always do to gain my angelic form. I feel the weight of my sword appear in my hand and the feeling of my wings sprouting from my back, signalling my success.
Gamma is collecting her drone back already. “Okay, Amicia. Go ahead.”
“So just slash it with everything I’ve got?”
“Yes.” Veanya gives me a nod. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll imbue you with power again.”
I nod back and immediately start channeling energy into my sword, standing right in front of the portal. “Alright, her we go.” I lift my sword above my head with both hands and bring it down with all of my power. The resistance the portal gives to my slash very much reminds me of the purple devil I fought before, but apart from that, it doesn’t seem like my slash is affecting anything. Even with two more swings, it results in nothing.
“Amicia.” Veanya comes to me to lay a hand on my shoulder. I can feel her energy flowing inside of me. This time I can feel the distinct elements a lot clearer than yesterday. While they still combine into one big ball of chaotic energy inside of me, it feels way more manageable, although not yet completely controllable.
From the look on Veanya’s face I can see that the effort required to put power into me is a lot less as well. “I think you are good to go, Amicia.” She gives me a confident nod.
“Okay, here goes attempt number two.” I loosen up my shoulder and then hop into the air. I really need to make this hit count. I then drop myself from midair and swing towards the portal with even more force behind my swing. This time the reaction the portal has to my sword is a lot more extreme and actually not something I had expected. I feel air rushing from the portal for a moment after which it seems like the portal is sucking air back in, and this changes a couple of times more in the short moments that I’m slicing through the portal’s surface. As for visuals though, it doesn’t look too much different apart from the occasional spark of light.
In the end I land back on the floor with a still-functioning portal in front of me and a Veanya who is staring at the portal with an unamused glare. “That’s not good. Now we will have to go in there to destroy the core and that brings some other issues with it too.”
“How does the portal stay open long enough for us to get back through to the other side…” Sid replies.
“Exactly.” Veanya nods and then flies back up to talk with Sam.
“Isn’t there a way you can make a bomb and send it with your drone to the other side, Gamma?” I approach Gamma and turn towards her.
“I guess I could try.”
“Hmm, better than to go in.” Sid agrees and approaches Gamma as well.
“It’s an expensive drone to make time-wise, but yes, I’ll try to figure something out.
As the three of us are grouped up together to discuss the drone, with our backs turned towards the portal, for a second we are oblivious of the danger that poses.
The next thing I know is Sam crying out to me with an almost hellish scream. “Amicia!” I tilt my head up towards Sam, she’s racing towards us on her horse. “Behind y-” Her scream gets cut off by my entire vision being engulfed by purple and a force pulling me off my feet. Before I can react further to whatever is happening, I lose consciousness as I hit my head against something.
-A couple of moments earlier from Sam’s Point of view-
Ami’s slash has done pretty much nothing to the portal as Veanya flies up to me. In the meantime I can see Ami approach Gamma to discuss the next course of action. I hear something about making a bomb when Veanya starts speaking to me.
Don’t worry, Sam. We’ll figure something out without having to go through…”
“Mhhmmm.” I nod, somewhat ignoring Veanya as I try to pick up what they are discussing down below while still keeping an overwatch over the area. That’s when I see a very subtle change in the portal’s surface tension. A slight rippling, not unlike that you would see when a breeze would waft over a pond of still water.
At first I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me but I quickly realise the potential danger of the situation as Ami and our two other friends have their backs turned towards the portal. But just as I’m seeing the danger of the situation at hand, the surface of the portal changes dramatically as it starts to bulge out towards the ground party. Fear engulfs me as my body starts to move involuntarily towards them. “Amicia!” I yell out towards my girlfriend with all my might. Hurting my throat in the process. "Behind you!” The last thing I see of her before the purple miasma of the portal consumes her and our two comrades both, is a confused glance in my direction.
But just like that, in the matter of a fraction of a second, the spot they were standing on is empty and the portal is back to its normal state, at least for a moment that is. Because as soon as I look to rush into the portal myself, it just completely dissipates in front of me.
“Nooo! Amicia!” Without even thinking I jump off the horse and run the remaining distance towards it, frantically trying to find a way to get the portal started again by touching the stone columns that flanked the portal. I quickly look back and see Veanya stunned in place on the spot where we were just conversing at. “Do something!” I yell at her before I turn my attention back to the portal. To no avail.
Panic starts to set in as my breathing becomes erratic. My vision goes blurry as tears start running down my cheeks. I just start punching the pillar, hurting my fist in the process, as my mind just can’t compute the thought of having lost my girlfriend because I was not fast enough. As much as seeing her hurt yesterday hurt me, this feels immeasurably worse.
“Sam! Stop it! You are hurting yourself!” Veanya takes hold of hand and pulls my body away from the pillar with her other.
“I need to get to Amicia!”
“I know, I know. But hurting yourself won’t help at all.” Veanya shakes my body and then turns me towards her. “Look at me. We are going to get them back. But we need to think about this. No rash actions or the same thing might happen to us.” As I look at Veanya’s face it’s clear that she has cried a little bit as well but at the same time I can see a determination in her eyes that makes me feel at ease just a little.
I close my eyes and nod. Just as I do, I can start feeling the pain starting to swell on my right hand. When I open up my eyes again and take a look, I see that I bruised my hand quite badly and that my knuckles are bleeding thanks to the rough surface of the stone I was hitting.
“Come, let me bandage that for you real quick before it starts to get infected. We don’t have a healer with us so we need to be very careful for now.” Veanya gently takes my hand and starts with some first aid. In the meantime I can’t help but stare at the place the portal was before.
“I’m going to get you back Ami… I will.” I whisper under my breath.