War and Survival

"—With all great deceivers there is a noteworthy occurrence to which they owe their power. In the actual act of deception they are overcome by belief in themselves: it is this which then speaks miraculously and compellingly to those around them.—"

- Friedrich Nietzsche,

1844–1900.

Ikem's Descent had drawn brief gasps.

It was at that moment that the grave severity of the situation dawned on all those present.

The unforgiving reality hacked away at their confidence, revealing a vast void of fear.

Sure, the Thralls on their tail had seemed to the students to be the greatest of dangers present.

But due to fear, fatigue and the unexpectedness of the situation, they had forgotten that they had been sent to uncharted territory.

One, where granted nature wasn't their ally.

Ikem went straight down without a sound. His eyes widening in fear at the aberration accompanying him.

His eyes; glazed, turned upwards, staring at his comrades above.

Not with hope though. He didn't give any thought to them trying to rescue him.

No, his eyes were focused on a single person.

More appropriately a single dwarf. Drey Iguas.

The ever present smile on Drey's face seemed to falter for a moment, forming a slight frown, before it flickered back into it's signature smile.

His eyes' appeared to be glued to the Thrall, who fell with a vice like grip on Ikem's leg.

A few moments later Ikem and the Aberration sank deeper towards the ground below, away from the dwarf's vision.

Morgen was the first to act.

With his chest still heaving heavily from exertion, he turned away from the chasm.

Starting once again another round of an impromptu race.

He didn't give thought for a moment as to why the tide of Aberrations didn't follow them across the Chasm. Even though there were a great many amongst them that flew.

The two females; Kanima and Zilah appeared to be more sensible. They chose to stay with Drey.

Who was oddly the only one with access to his Gifts and connection to his Flores.

Kanima studied Drey's face a few moments after she had torn her gaze from the Abyssal depths of the lightless Chasm.

She found his smile unnerving.

She shruddered.

And from the frown on Zilah's face, Kanima could tell that she felt the same way.

At the moment they were all shrouded in an oppressive silence.

Staring at the cliff across from them.

Due to the thick, prevalent fog, and the darkness, they could not see the swarm of abominations opposite them.

But they felt it.

What they felt was an unholy, malicious evil, with deep sinister eyes.

And they could feel those eyes gazing back at them.

The silence was broken by the shuffling of footsteps from behind.

Neither of them had to turn, because from his ragged breathing they knew who it was.

Morgen had returned.

Kanima knew he was not back because of a sense of duty, nor because of compassion.

He returned because he was just like them; Tired and afraid.

"What do we do?" Zilah asked. Her question was asked to no one in particular, yet they all pondered on the thought.

They knew what the abominations after them was.

How could they not, their infamy was spread throughout the world.

"The Phantosia Exopanthera." Kanima muttered silently.

They were known across the world as the Bane of pantheons; gods and mortals alike.

Not much is known about these Abominations, but the little that has been learned is enough to chill through the minds of every battle hardened warrior.

They devoured in a much more insidious way than the famed Erasure.

Seeping into the very souls of their victims like dreadful parasites. Ripping it apart, devouring it, and... assimilating it.

These included all the powers, abilities, Supernaturality and memories of the targets.

They could do these, even to gods.

Drey Chuckled lightly for a few moments, like Zilah's question was the most funniest thing he had ever heard.

"Well, we do the only thing we have to, the only thing we can do–live".

Drey's response was supposed to play on a reassuring note, but his words didn't sit well with a particular person.

Morgen scowled greatly.

"That is easy for you to say when you are the only one with connection to your Flores". He spoke with bated breaths.

However, Drey chose not to reply.

Kanima's eyes narrowed slightly.

Kanima was also bothered by the situation, but she chose to look past his having connection to his Flores, and asked what she thought was an even more pressing question.

"How did you know that the Phantosia would not follow us across the chasm."

Zilah's eyes turned to Drey, seemingly waiting for his reply.

Drey's smile widened even more.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" he replied.

"Try me"

"They told me" he said whilst pointing to the Aberrations standing on the cliff across them, hidden from sight.

Kanima arched her eyebrows, before staring at his outstretched hands, then to the abomination filled cliff, till her eyes finally rested on his face.

"Bullshit" she spat.

"Told you you wouldn't believe me" he scratched the back of his head. "But," he added, "Somethings are better left unknown".

His tone finally gained a tinge of seriousness to it.

His gleaming eyes turning to stare at her face.

What followed next was just silence, as the two of them stared down each other.

Morgen gritted his teeth on having to be the one to break the absurd silence.

"What next, we can't just stay here" he asked.

Zilah cleared her throat before speaking:

"I believe that there must be a way out of this, there is no way The Camp is going to throw us into this Den with no chance of survival".

"Meaning?" Morgen peered further.

"There is surely a way out, we just have to find out the how", She stated, her voice rising a pitch higher.

Her watchful eyes never left Drey's face as she spoke, perhaps searching for a change in his expression.

She found none.

She moved away, turning her back to the Chasm and faced the darkness ahead.

She spoke once more:

"I will respect your boundaries, and will not inquire further on any of the enigmatic phenomenas surrounding you, but I trust that you will try your best in helping us survive".

Drey said nothing, but he did turn away from the Chasm to face the darkness too. [Though he could still see through it].

This act itself was enough for Zilah.

She exhaled.

"Let's forge ahead, we move with the cover of the night"

Kanima slowly gazed towards the cliff across them and then, in turn, to the Chasm below.

'He must surely be dead' she finalized as she shook her head, while walking behind Morgen.

"Where are we going?" she whispered.