Chapter 475 - Humphrey's Floating Islands

I was roped into going to Ikea today by my fiancee who said we'd be done in a couple of hours... We were not. Not even close! That shop is dangerous. And thus my late night writing was guaranteed. Got it done though! Hope you like the chapter.

Dylan’s hammock was empty when Hump stirred awake, swaying gently in the humid morning air. The camp was cloaked in a soft, silver haze that drifted through the trees. All around him, the birds called out in strange, melodic tones, and glowing inspects pulsed and chirped between hanging vines and moss-draped branches.

The soft tug of nature essence called to him from nearby. Curious, he slipped from his hammock and tiptoed through the dewy undergrowth, careful not to disturb the others. The jungle here was thick, perhaps even more so than around Drakalyn, and far wetter. He weaved through roots the size of wagons, and towering trees with bark as dark as polished stone, their surfaces veined in faint green light. Mist coiled around his ankles and drifted through rays of golden light that pierced through the canopy. The air tasted of moss and soil, and it was rich in essence.

He found Dylan beside the small creek nearby, half hidden by the even thicker mist gathered in this place. The druid sat cross-legged on a mossy stone, eyes closed, hands resting on his knees. Around him, the world seemed to breathe, the silver mist shifting slowly. Essence gathered to him in soft spirals, drawn from the air, earth, and water. Strange, wispy spirits creatures gathered to him, flickering with faint silver light in the mist like distant lanterns.

Dylan opened his eyes as Hump stepped closer. Despite the serene surroundings, he seemed disturbed.

“Can’t sleep?” Hump took a seat beside him, staring into the crystal pool. Richly coloured fish swam in its waters.

“I slept a little,” Dylan said. “It’s peaceful here.”

“Other than the monsters.”

Dylan smiled. “We’re in the wilds of another world, it feels harsh to call them monsters.”

“How are you?” Hump asked. “I know we haven’t talked about it much, but you lost an arm, Dylan.”

“I’ll get it back. Eventually.”

“I know, but it must be difficult.”

“It’s more irritating than anything. In truth, it doesn’t bother me all that much. I can get by. Better to lose an arm than lose one of you.” Dylan shot him a smile.

Hump gripped his friend by the shoulder. “You did save us. Especially Bud. You should rub it in his face more.”

Dylan chuckled. “I think he already feels guilty enough. I’m not sure he’d see the funny side.”

“It’s not for his benefit. It’s the rest of us that will benefit.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“If it’s not the arm, what is it? Lorissa?”

Dylan sighed, staring down into the creek. “Yes. I miss her, but that’s only the beginning of it. I realised that she most likely thinks I’m dead. My master too. Everyone we know.”

Hump frowned at that.

“You hadn’t realised?” Dylan asked.

“I just didn’t think about it. Everyone I care about is here. Well, that’s not strictly true, but I don’t have the connections that the rest of you do. I feel terrible now, actually. I should have considered what you were all going through.”

“You don’t need to. Bud’s worried about Henrietta, but he and his father haven’t mended the rift. Emilia and I have been talking. It’s helped. I just wish there was a way to get a message to them, just to let them know we’re alive and doing our best to get home.”

“We will find our way,” Hump said. “We always do.”

“I know.”

“This is just one more reason for us to get a move on,” Hump said. How hard can it be to free a god from his exile after all? It’s only a prison of the Pantheon we’re dealing with.”

Dylan narrowed his eyes at him. “Are you still trying to make me feel better?”

“I think so. I may also be falling back on bad jokes as I don’t know what to say.”

Dylan laughed. “I appreciate you finding me anyway.”

“Mind if I stay?” Hump said. “I haven’t truly had a chance to enjoy the affinity to nature Owalyn gave me. This place, for all the trouble it’s brought us, is calming.”

“As if you need to ask. I feel the same way. There’s nothing quite like the smell of morning dew in the forest on a crisp morning, and the feel of the world coming to life around you. The warmth of it.”

Together, the druid and the wizard sat in meditation. The sound of the rushing creek filled the air. The morning songs of birds, and the chirp of insects. The warmth of the rising sun.

***

Day two went well, all things considered.

The path had taken them into a dense cluster of tiny islands, scattered like stepping stones between two larger masses. Some were only wide enough for a single person to stand on at once, and others tilted subtly beneath their weight, forcing them to move more carefully. But for all the difficulty, the landscape was stunning. Tall, jagged rock formations jutted from the island, and as the wind funnelled through them, it created an ever-changing harmony.

Fascinating creatures made their homes among the stones. More wispy spirits drifted overhead, like those Hump saw lurking in the morning mist, carried on winds of essence. The birds would feast on them, diving from above in flocks and piercing them with their beaks, or manta ray creatures as large as horses would drift through the winds, snacking on the wisps as they went.

“You know what we forgot to ask Loften?” Celaine said. “What is this world called?”

“There’s a lot of things we didn’t ask him and that’s what comes to mind?” Bud asked.

“I just don’t know what to call it. We can’t keep calling it ‘this place’. It’s silly.”

Hump perked up, a brilliant idea forming. “I could come up with—”

“No!” Everyone interrupted.

Hump frowned. “The fact all of you snapped at me is a little hurtful. Why can’t I name it? Wizards are good at naming things.”

“Ah yes,” Emilia said. “The fantastic spell names such as Wizard Light, Essence Blast, Rock Shot. Incredibly original.”

“They may not be original, but they are practical,” Hump said. “What about Rivers of Lava? That’s a cool name.”

“Master Vivi used to talk about wanting to acquire a spell called ‘Terella’s Tidal Torrents and Ocean’s Oblivion.’,” Dylan said.

Hump frowned at him. “You’re not helping my case.”

Dylan raised an eyebrow. “You don’t like it?”

“More words don’t make it better,” Hump said.

Dylan shook his head. “I’m not even going to jump into how wrong that statement is. You’re not appreciating the alliteration.”

“I will admit, that’s the one thing I like. But the wizard’s name is in there and that hardly counts! Though, I’ll admit, any spell with ‘Oblivion’ in the name immediately catches my interest.”

“Exactly.”

“Thank you, Dylan. You’ve made a wonderful point,” Hump said. “What do you think up Humphrey’s Floating Islands? Catchy, don’t you think?”

“That’s just awful,” Emilia said. “Why would you put your name in it? It’s not even your world.”

“But Dylan said—”

“The locals are going to very impressed,” Bud said to her, ignoring him. “We show up, naming their home, and already naming it ourselves. Humphrey the Conqueror.”

Celaine winced.

“I know you’re making fun of me,” Hump said, “but I really like that title.”

“I knew he was going to say that,” Celaine said.

“Humphrey the Conqueror,” Hump repeated, savouring the words. “Bearer of Infinity. Wielder of the White Flame.” He whistled. “Okay, I really like it now.”

Emilia stepped close to him. Close enough that she was looking down at him, studying him closely.

“What?” Hump asked. “Celaine, this feels inappropriate. Bud?”

“Oh relax,” Emilia said. “I’m just trying to figure something out.”

“Figure what out. Actually, don’t answer that. I feel like I don’t want to know.”

“I was just wondering how someone so short can fit so much ego in.”

Hump rolled his eyes as the others burst into laughter. “Are we back to short jokes? Really?”

“We’ve been walking a long time,” Emilia said. “And I can only look at so many floating forest islands before my mind starts losing its way.”

“And I’m the one that suffers for it. It’s not even a good one! I’ve caught up to Celaine now.”

“Almost caught up,” Celaine said. “Not quite.”

“You know what,” Hump said, folding his arms in feigned crossness. “None of you are welcome of Humphrey’s Floating Islands! Especially you, Emilia. You’ve made a powerful enemy this day.”

Celaine took him by the arm and hugged it to her side. “Am I really not welcome on Humphrey’s Floating Islands?”

Hump paused. “Perhaps I could be convinced. You’ll need to work for it though.”

“Eww,” Emilia said.

Celaine raised both her eyebrows.

“Not like that!” Hump said quickly. “I was more thinking a written apology. You know, something from the heart, as well as a promise that no further short jokes will ever be made.”

“Uh-huh,” Emilia said. “Sure. That’s what you meant.”

***

Celaine pointed at something in the distance. “Look at that!”

Hump followed her finger to a distant rocky spire, spotting a four-legged creature with a sleek, predatory build, its fur streaked in molten reds and golds, like sunlight shone from within.

“That might be the strongest monster yet,” Hump said as they all stared at it.

“It’s definitely the most beautiful,” Dylan said.

They’d seen a few more powerful creatures that day, though only from a distance. Mostly lurked beneath them on the deeper islands, where essence was denser. It wouldn’t be long before Hump and the others had no choice but to risk those depths, but for now they stuck to the islands that kept them relatively close to the outer edge of the islands.

They followed him to a crescent-shaped isle no more than twenty paces across, carpeted in enormous, flowering plants with broad petals that curled upward like open hands. The entire surface was alive with motion—the blossoms shifted gently as if breathing, closing when they approached, opening behind them. The terrain forced them into single file, and they moved carefully, stepping only where Dylan instructed.

Celaine drew her bow at the pulse of essence nearby, a large flower opening to reveal a maw as she stepped close to it.

“Put that away!” Dylan waved at her with his arm.

“The flower started it,” Celaine barked back.

“It’s a flower. Are you really going to shoot a flower?”

“Where I come from, some flowers try to eat you.”

Dylan chuckled. “Then don’t walk too close.”

The islands continued to get smaller as they walked, until they stood in a cloud of small rocks. The larger plateaus led downward, toward the lower levels. It left Hump wondering what they’d find if they descended the islands farther. From what he could see, there had to be hundreds of them spaced out below, creating a ladder into the depths, where at the very bottom molten essence waited.

Activating Spirit Sight, Hump searched for signs of danger. “Do you see anything, Celaine?”

“Nothing we need to worry about. At least not yet.”

“Neither do I. It’s concerning how few we’ve spotted since we arrived.”

“I suspect,” Dylan said, “the wildlife here has been forced to adapt to hide their essence better than in our world. The ambient essence levels are very different, and the lifeforms seem more reliant on it to survive. We may be dealing with the kind of monsters found in the northern parts of the Fallen Lands.”

Celaine let out a breath. “It would explain why we haven’t seen many. If each of these jungle islands is full of such creatures, we may find ourselves in trouble quickly.”

Hump looked up at the islands nearby. Dylan’s vines were making useful bridges, but it was slow going when they were moving through such small sections, and the gaps only grew wider farther ahead. The distance city still loomed in the distance, jewel in the sky, even higher than where they now stood. The path to it was even less clear than it seemed the day before.

“I don’t see another choice but to head down,” Hump said. “We’re barely making progress navigating through this. Those islands are significantly larger.”

Bud shrugged. “I’m not worried about a fight. We could do with the practice. Dylan’s needs to get used to using one arm so we can leave him to do most of the work.”

“That’s a good idea,” Emilia said, her face deadpanned. “Better to get used to it now than later.”

“No it’s not!” Dylan snapped. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Don’t overthink it, Dylan,” Hump said. “You’re hardly ‘armless.”

Dylan glared at him. “How long have you been waiting to use that?”

Hump grimaced. “If I’m honest, I’ve been resisting since you woke up. I didn’t want to say it too soon.”

“It’s barely been a couple of days! And that wasn’t even a good one.”

“Okay. Clearly, you’re still sensitive about this whole thing if you can’t appreciate a fantastic pun.”

Dylan gave an exaggerated shake of his head. “It was a terrible pun. Come on, let’s get this over with.” He walked ahead of them, leaping off the end of the island to one farther down.

***

They’d set up camp on the edge of an island about four levels down, just a short distance from the next crossing point. They would set out at first light, once visibility was good enough to spot anything nasty lurking in the gaps between islands, then rush ahead. Nisha was already out cold—she’d had plenty of flight time today fortunately, but down here that would change. It was too dangerous for her to go off alone.

At least, that was the plan.

A thunderous crack echoed through the islands, followed by the roar of essence discharging and a great boom.

Everyone looked at each other.

“Do we check it out?” Celaine asked, already on her feet.

“Someone could need us!” Bud was already moving.

“Or two monsters are fighting,” Hump called after him.

Bud glanced back. “This might not be our world, but we’re still adventurers. We need to make sure.”

Hump groaned but pushed himself to his feet. “Why do you have to be a noble knight? Some of us are tired.”

A piercing screech tore through the sky, laced with powerful intent. Hump felt it to his core, vibrating against the walls of his soul. Whatever made that sound was powerful.

“That was strong,” Dylan said. “Way stronger than the monsters we’ve seen.”

“Then we’d better move,” Emilia said sharply, tightening her grip on her staff. “If someone’s under attack, they won’t last long.”

They abandoned their provisions without hesitation, sprinting toward the island’s edge, weapons half-drawn and minds racing. The wind whipped past them, carrying another scream on its back—shorter, more pained.

“You know another thing we never asked Loften?” Hump said as they ran. “Whether the people in this world are even human.”

They all glanced at him.

“What else could they be?” Bud asked.

Hump shrugged. “I don’t know.”

There was another boom, a plume of fire erupting from the jungle island below them. Then, Hump heard a shout, the words to faint to hear.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

They reached the cliffside and stopped dead.

Amongst the trees below, a battle raged on. A massive creature raced between the trees, its body all muscles and toned, built low to the ground with thick limbs, and a long, whipping tail. Course fur covered its flanks, dark and matted, but its head and forelimbs looked like another species. Beaked, sharp-eyed, and covered in brilliant feathers that radiated gold essence. Great wings extended from its back, each beat of them driving it through the trees speed that left shockwaves in its wake.

“That’s a griffin,” Dylan said, the wonder clear in his voice. “There hasn’t been a griffin in Alveron in over a thousand years. They went extinct. Beautiful, vicious, power creatures, but they have their charming side.”

“In what way?” Celaine asked. “Doesn’t look too charming.”

“For one, they mate for life. It’s one of the reasons researchers believe they went extinct so quickly. The loss of one was the loss of a mating pair.”

“Hey, Dylan,” Hump said. “Does that mean we should expect—”

Hump was scanning the forest for the target of the creature, when a second screech split the air—this one from above. Hump looked up just in time to see another griffin dive out of the clouds, claws outstretched, eyes on them.

“—another one,” Hump finished.