Abernathy socketed the Pearl of Purification into a small slot he had built into the interior of his ute before we set off, enacting its protective properties. A small notification appeared in my heads up display, informing me of its protective aura.

  We tested it, and as long as we stayed within about 30 feet of his ute, the aura persisted. A small indicator remained in my field of vision, so it was easy to stay within range.

  The indicator was a small green circle. I focused on it for a moment and more information populated, informing me the pearl was working at 100% with no outside interference.

  Abernathy: I’m still working on the case to strengthen its radius, there is something I am working on with a bit of interference in the mana distribution.

  Chanter: Sounds good, everyone ready to start?

  Everyone confirmed and we were off, jogging lightly to keep up with the utes, which hummed gently as they rolled across the sand-strewn path.

  The mask was surprisingly easy to breathe through, and the pace was easy to maintain. My fingers itched to play, but I wasn’t sure if I could maintain the pace and concentrate enough to play.

  I pulled my lute out, deciding it was worth a try.

  Sabasion: This is amazing. I’m never walking again.

  Abernathy: Take it from me, mate. They don’t like you driving through cities.

  Katarina: You guys are missing out on some good exercise!

  Sebastian: No thanks.

  Abernathy: Yeah, you can keep that, Kat.

  I began performing Radiant Winds, Encore joining in from his perch atop Abe’s ute. I finished the song at 78%, largely due to the challenge of playing while jogging, and sent the orbs into myself and Katarina. Neither of us were winded in the short amount of time we had been running, but I already had a strong instance stored in my lute and didn’t want to waste them.

  My fingers danced amongst the strings as I began playing one of the non-magical songs I had learned from Cahl’s package. Encore cocked his head to the side as I began. It alternated swift plucks of the strings and strums that wove together in an energetic rush.

  Encore: This is new. There is no magic in this song, and yet I feel a desire to leap in drifts of snow when I hear it.

  Abernathy: Aw, I can barely hear the music, need to install some speaker interface or something.

  Sebastian: You can do that?

  Abernathy: Maybe. I’ll think on it later.

  Katarina: Should be out here running, I can hear it just fine and it is badass! I love this song!

  My fingers stumbled in the performance, but my Beginner’s Luck skill enacted and brought them back into position. Encore nodded his head in rhythm, stretching and forming the furry subwoofer speakers on his back. He added a deep reverberating bass rhythm that matched the tempo of the song.

  “Fuck yes!” Katarina shouted, leaping in the air and punching the sky with a resounding “woohooo!”

  The song was several minutes long. Encore called out in excitement as we finished.

  “I have learned this song! Anthem of the Starfell Night, what a fitting title!”

  “I have a bunch more, Cahl sent us a package filled with songs like this!” I called back. I really did feel more energized after the song, though there were no notifications or indications that any bardic magic had taken effect. Cahl’s words in the note returned to me. Music does have its own kind of magic.

  “Keep playing!” Encore called back, leaning forward and lifting his rear, waving multiple tails in the air from atop the ute. “I enjoy this immensely!”

  We worked through another half dozen songs, alternating Radiant Winds every so often to replenish ourselves, before Abernathy’s ute rolled to a stop.

  It happened abruptly, mid-song. I stumbled, pulled out of the jogging rhythm I had fallen into. Katarina reached out and caught me.

  “Easy there, luteboy.” She flashed a smile at me before turning to Abe. “What the hell, Abe? A little warning next time?”

  Abernathy: Sorry about that, but look. At the icon.

  Sebastian, who had pulled forward a little further before realizing what had happened, backed beside Abe.

  Sebastian: Shit, bad time to get out of that pearl’s radius. We need to be careful.

  Abernathy: Damn careful.

  I looked down at the icon, which had taken a yellowish-green hue.

  Purification strength 92%. Currently protecting against irradiation at a strength of 5%.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “Fuck,” Katarina breathed. “Kinda wish I had one of those cars now.”

  “It’s fine,” I replied, trying to reassure myself we well. “The pearl will keep it safe.”

  She nodded, giving my hand a squeeze before turning.

  Katarina: Well, let’s go. No reason to stop.

  Abernathy: Really hope I can get this damned amplifier working before we get too far into there. Hate only having 30 feet of protection.

  Katarina: 30 feet is plenty! Staying that close is easy!

  Abernathy: Yeah, but what if we get attacked? Didn’t you say there were irradiated monsters in this area? And will the pearl protect against them? What if you get knocked out of the radius? There are so many bad things that could happen.

  Sebastian: There are monsters, but they are further in. We have time before we will encounter them.

  A faint, distant scream carried on the wind with his words. It was high pitched with deep undertones.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked, trying to peer through the sandy winds. I couldn’t see anything.

  “Hear what?” Katarina asked, glancing at me and then out where I was looking.

  “Something out there—” I was interrupted by another scream, in the opposite direction. It was much closer, louder. It sounded insectile, a chittering sound layered in that I hadn’t picked up the first time.

  “What the fuck.” Katarina stated, emphasizing each word, as our heads whipped around in the other direction.

  Chanter: Sounds like we have some… things… incoming. Get ready.

  Sebastian: Things? What things?

  Katarina: Sounds nasty. Think we’re about to find out.

  The screaming, rumbling, chittering sound arose again in the opposite direction, much closer now.

  “That is a seriously creepy sound—” Katarina started to say, when something erupted from the sand to the left of Abe’s ute.

  It slammed into the side of the vehicle, shoving it up on one tread and sending Encore soaring into the air. Wings sprouted from his back as he was lifted by the constant hot air that blew through the desert.

  Whatever collided with Abe’s ute disappeared into the sand once more. The left side of his glass dome was covered in a network of thin cracks.

  Katarina: What the fuck was that??

  Abernathy: I don’t know, but the ute wont take another hit like that. We need to go!

  He started rolling ahead, Sebastian maintaining the same speed. Kat and I searched for any sign or indication of the beast’s location. Several overlapping screams echoed in the distance.

  Encore: Prepare yourselves, they come. Three from the north, two from the south.

  Chanter: What are they?

  Encore: I know not. I see only disturbances below the sand. They come! Now!

  I pulled the two explosive coins from my inventory and pivoted to the left as Katarina pivoted to the right. We worked with unspoken coordination, splitting our focus in opposite directions.

  Something, a large shape covered in tan, chitinous armor with a multitude of legs and a wedge-shaped head sporting two massive pincers, erupted from the sand to my left. It was close to eight feet long. I twisted and threw the coin, aiming for its open mouth. It flew between the pincers and into the creature’s gullet. I sensed the potential for activation as it collided with the inside of the giant centipede-like creature — which was labeled as an Irradiated Duskcrawler Hatchling. I released all three charges and the duskcrawler’s head ballooned out slightly. It raised its head,sending a spray of gore into the sky before collapsing to the ground, motionless. It’s wedge shaped head was deflated, hollowed out by the explosion.

  I glanced to my right and saw Katarina leaping over another of the creatures, driving the bladed end of Wind’s Edge into it’s head and pivoting. Another duskcrawler leapt toward her from where it had been buried in the sand. I flung out my second coin, missing it’s mouth. It became wedged between the left mandible and its head for a brief second. I activated the explosion and the beast flailed, half its face a mess of blood, broken chitin, and pulpy flesh. Its mandible flew off, spinning through the air.

  Katarina kicked herself free from the insect she had slain, flipping through the air and scanning the ground with keen eyes. She kicked off a platform of condensed air, launching a flying kick with her bladed prosthetic leg held out.

  Encore: Behind you Chanter!

  I turned and saw a small mound of raised sand barreling towards me. I enacted transform, doing the equipment shuffle I had practiced dozens of time, and shifted into my Alpha Arctic Kobold form just as the duskcrawler erupted from the dune.

  Earth stance. Falling stone. I shifted my stance and performed one of the katas Katarina had drilled into me with a keen eye and ready willow branch. My massive clawed fist slammed down on the wedge-shaped head. I pivoted as I hit, and the duskcrawler bounced off of the road past me, dazed.

  I reset my stance and lunged at the creature’s back, driving one of my clawed hands into the joint where its triangular head met its body. There was resistance, but my sharp claws cut through the canvas-like flesh that connected the plates of chitin. I felt something semi-solid and slippery, grabbed it, and yanked, pushing with my legs and ripping the insect’s head free from its body. The body writhed and seized for a moment before curling in on itself.

  Katarina walked over, smiling, as I shifted back to my wood elven form and gear swapped.

  “Damn fine job. You executed that kata perfectly.”

  “Must have a good teacher, or something.” I replied, smirking. The smile was short lived as I saw Encore’s message.

  Encore: There are more coming. Many more. one is very large. I am returning, but they will arrive moments after. Prepare yourselves.

  “They’re easy enough to kill,” Katarina looked at the corpses surrounding us.

  “Did you see the names?” I asked, pulling out my lute and beginning to perform Kinetic Overload. “Hatchlings? Babies?”

  “Yeah. If these huge things are babies, I hate to see the momma.”

  A roar split the air, a physical sensation in my ears. It was different from the others, deep, and grating. I felt it in my bones and in the back of my teeth.

  Encore soared out of the sky, a streak of white, shifting into his wisp form and tethering with me, consuming a magic point, enhancing the song as I finished. I sent the energy into Katarina and immediately began performing the song again. Encore mirrored the performance rather than assisting.

  Now that I knew what to look for, the signs were obvious. Small mounds of raised sand approached us from both directions, more than a dozen. A larger shape heralded the others. It’s back rose above the sand, tan chitin dappled with red spots. It moved at an alarming speed, hundreds of legs shifting the bulk through the sands and sending an arc of sand spraying into the air behind it.

  I was halfway through the performance but knew I wouldn’t be able to make it in time. I sent some mana into the performance, speeding it up with Quicken Song. The bonus traveled through the link I shared with Encore, draining a few more mana points but also quickening his performance.

  A wave of sand exploded towards us as the massive insect lunged at Katarina. It’s nameplate came into view just as I saw its glowing, green eyes, which glared at her with intelligence and hate.

  Irradiated Duskcaller Broodmother