01-18-2021, 08:34 PM
The extremity to which Nox adorned himself with supplies gave Nikolai a moment’s reflection. He exchanged a glance with Marcus as Karim’s final question replayed in his mind. Was such preparation necessary? In his brief interlude as an Atharim, days-long escapades weren’t on the training agenda. Nikolai had a meeting with the Consulates and new Patron of Dominance IX that evening. He had no intention of being away that long.
The tunnels were unusual. Their grim interior was far from the plush luxury of the Grand Palace and briefly reminded him of his complacency with materialism. Nox’s warnings were fresh, but honestly, Nikolai may have included warnings about spider bites as fervently as monster gnashes. He had no intention of receiving either.
Like the others, he too spun up orbs of light. Nikolai’s were perfectly formed spheres, smooth as glass, and hovered as if on string, ten in total. The among of the power required was minimal, but the dexterity to move so many threads along was the more difficult feat. None the less, by now, it was second nature.
The potential of an Ijiraq’s appearance was also close to mind. Yet with so many present having overcome them in the past, it would take an entire hive attacking at once to best them. The risk was lower than a spider bite, in his opinion.
He climbed through a hole lined with bent rebar and broken bits of concrete. On the other side, the underworld shifted to something wild and natural, and so too did a shift in Nikolai move. The rocks were slicked with moisture. They gleamed reflections of their lights. The air flooded his lungs with chill that invigorated to the bone. Without specific reason, he cast out tendrils of power into earth, seeking hints of the surrounding bedrock. It gave him pause, and for a moment, he closed his eyes and tasted the elements as if they tickled his very tongue. Limestone and siltstone pebbled beneath his senses. Deposits and crevices sang their tune like the vibration of a musical string. In the far depths were hollow caverns that he couldn’t tell for sure but may have been filled with water. Farther still as if reaching into the core of the planet, was the sulphury churn of magma.
The earth gave him strength, and when he opened his eyes, he was ready to unleash it.
The tunnels were unusual. Their grim interior was far from the plush luxury of the Grand Palace and briefly reminded him of his complacency with materialism. Nox’s warnings were fresh, but honestly, Nikolai may have included warnings about spider bites as fervently as monster gnashes. He had no intention of receiving either.
Like the others, he too spun up orbs of light. Nikolai’s were perfectly formed spheres, smooth as glass, and hovered as if on string, ten in total. The among of the power required was minimal, but the dexterity to move so many threads along was the more difficult feat. None the less, by now, it was second nature.
The potential of an Ijiraq’s appearance was also close to mind. Yet with so many present having overcome them in the past, it would take an entire hive attacking at once to best them. The risk was lower than a spider bite, in his opinion.
He climbed through a hole lined with bent rebar and broken bits of concrete. On the other side, the underworld shifted to something wild and natural, and so too did a shift in Nikolai move. The rocks were slicked with moisture. They gleamed reflections of their lights. The air flooded his lungs with chill that invigorated to the bone. Without specific reason, he cast out tendrils of power into earth, seeking hints of the surrounding bedrock. It gave him pause, and for a moment, he closed his eyes and tasted the elements as if they tickled his very tongue. Limestone and siltstone pebbled beneath his senses. Deposits and crevices sang their tune like the vibration of a musical string. In the far depths were hollow caverns that he couldn’t tell for sure but may have been filled with water. Farther still as if reaching into the core of the planet, was the sulphury churn of magma.
The earth gave him strength, and when he opened his eyes, he was ready to unleash it.