Exclamations come over the Bond.

  I can’t see!

  I can’t hear!

  What’s going on?

  Stop! I mentally shout and the voices go quiet. Who is affected, and which senses do you have which are still working?

  I follow my own instructions, testing each of my senses. My eyesight is completely gone. My physical eyes can’t see anything but darkness. I speak aloud and can’t hear my own voice. Touch is significantly muted – it’s like my arm has gone dead as I reach out for the rock wall beside me. I use the little I can feel to carefully lower myself to my knees on the ground – no point accidentally losing my balance and hurting myself. I smell nothing either – the lingering scent of chlorine has completely vanished. That’s not good – if the fellapodil releases another pulse of chlorine gas, I could die before I realise that it’s affecting me.

  My Bound start chiming in, seconding the fact that their physical senses are gone. It’s only affecting us actually in the cavern and those within a few steps of the edge of the pit – those beyond it just see a dome of blackness sitting over the hole.

  Abruptly, cries of surprised pain ring out through our Bond.

  What happened? I demand urgently.

  We were struck by something – a tentacle, I think, or water jet, Poison answers tersely. We’re backing up to try to get out of the dome.

  Be careful not to fall over the edge of the pit, I warn.

  Pain flashes through me as Dusty and Yells also cry out. It’s the strangest sensation – the Flesh-Shaping magic that constantly suffuses my body is screaming at me, but my nerves barely warn me of anything worse than a training blow. Nonetheless, I can tell that several of my ribs were cracked and, from the renewed injuries to my back, I must have been thrown into something.

  I can barely even tell which way’s up, let alone where I should protect myself from. Groping around me, I can’t even feel the floor except when a small flash of pain indicates I’ve cut myself. I could be a centimetre or a metre away from my companions and not know it. Sending healing magic through my body, my mind races as I try to work out a way to get past this shroud.

  My lungs are burning and my magic indicates they’re being damaged– chlorine again? Resisting the urge to cough, I cycle Flesh-Shaping through my lungs to clear them.

  Yells, Dusty, anyone else on the cavern floor, take a healing potion now! I think it’s used the gas attack again!

  I close my eyes and activate my magic sight – I probably didn’t need to close them, but it's a habit. I can see nothing in front of me, no connections, no magic, but when I send my mind into the earth, my awareness there is unaffected.

  Abruptly, the earth rights itself. I can tell where I am – pressed against the cavern wall a bit beyond where I had been before. I can feel Yells and Dusty’s presence – not far from me. Immediately, I reach out to them and start channeling Flesh-magic into them. I can even still detect where the fellapodil is pressing against the walls of the tunnel and the barrier at the bottom, its weight now unsupported by water.

  It can’t affect our senses in our own magic. Everyone just keep clear of the cavern until we can see what’s going on again. Those capable of magic, keep doing what you can. Windy, clear out the air in the cavern – we need to get rid of the chlorine gas.

  I cannot maintain two vortexes at the same time, she tells me.

  Then release the gas you’re currently controlling in the way I said. This is more important.

  I do not wish to catch you in my Acid Jets, Raven rumbles next.

  It’s fine, I tell him. We’re out of the line of fire, so just keep shooting them at where you remember the pit is. The fellapodil is still in the bottom of the pit and most likely doesn't have the strength to get out of it. I’m sure it can’t keep this up forever – when you can see again, give it all you’ve got.

  The two Pathwalkers with me more than half-healed from the double-whammy of tentacles and chlorine, I switch tactics. Connecting with Yells again – the feeling across the Bond one of fear but also trust – I pull at her mana. Time to end this before the fellapodil comes out with something else.

  Transforming my mana into what is most definitely lava magic is far easier this time, almost guaranteeing what the notification will say when I have a chance to consult it. With Yells’ enhancement it grows even larger, and I draw it through the earth towards the barrier.

  The fellapodil is hard at work, the cover of darkness evidently intended to hide its attempts to escape. After the last attack, its tentacles have evidently been withdrawn into the pit to hammer at the barrier, trying to worm their way into any crack or crevice they can.

  It’s also sending jets of liquid all over the barrier, presumably in an attempt to melt it away, not very successfully. When I recall what Inspect told me about its abilities, I figure I know why – it’s either using its Water Jet or Caustic jet. Water would have an effect eventually, but it would take time and if ‘caustic’ refers to ‘caustic soda’ then the substance is alkali and therefore has limited effect on limestone.

  It would probably be better off by using Water Jet and then its chlorine Gas Attack again, but it clearly hasn’t realised that. Or maybe it’s trying, but Windy is pulling off the chlorine as soon as it is produced. Either way, it’s a relief – the barrier will give way eventually under the strain, but we have a chance to kill it before then.

  Identifying the weakest areas of the barrier, I feed my lava mana out of the rock near those spots. This second time around, I realise that I can actually choose to increase or decrease the concentration of…something. If I had a better geological knowledge, I might know what it is. But all I can tell is that it affects both the speed of the lava flow and the amount of mana I have to dedicate into creating it – the more of this element I use, the faster the lava moves and the less mana I need for it.

  Considering that this new magic has already proven to be a real mana hog, and that speed is definitely an objective here, I pour magic into increasing the proportion of this element.

  Once created, I direct the lava to spread across the surface of my limestone barrier. The fellapodil flinches away from the molten rock, pressing itself to the opposite side to the one I’m working on. Its tentacles take on an even greater urgency, hammering desperately at the rock around it.

  I spread the lava further, adding more heat into the liquid to make it flow faster. I reduce the temperature a moment later, though – I sense that the limestone below the lava is beginning to get a little fragile. Old memories from school remind me that at a certain temperature limestone burns to become quicklime, a much more fragile substance. Since I don’t want the barrier accidentally disintegrating, I pause for a moment to both reform that section of limestone, and reinforce it a little with earth-mana.

  Moving more slowly and carefully, I realise that as long as I don’t raise the temperature too high, I can balance the lava with the burning point of the limestone. The temperature absorption nature of the water pressing underneath it also helps.

  The fellapodil becomes more and more frantic as my molten lava gets closer and closer. It shoots liquid from its tentacles which cool the surface of the lava, but a little extra heat melts away the crust that forms enough for the lava to continue creeping forwards.

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  Then I sense that its efforts might be about to show fruit – one of the sections of limestone is about to collapse. I draw more mana from Yells and cause lava to erupt from that very location.

  Another shriek batters my ears, loud and painful enough for me to hear it even as disconnected from my body as I am now. At the same time, Yells warns me wordlessly that she’s getting very low on mana.

  Disconnecting from her, I rely on my own mana pool, almost entirely full thanks to my natural and enhanced mana regeneration. It’s enough to send lava spilling across the full span of the barrier, leaving no space for the fellapodil to escape its heat.

  In a last-ditch effort to take us with it, the fellapodil drops its dark shroud and frees our senses. The sudden onslaught of sound, light, smell, and touch after having had none of those for too long is more than a little disorientating. The fellapodil further shrieks and makes my vision white out as pain explodes from my ear drums.

  Cries from my Bound ring out, felt more through the Bonds than heard. Suddenly, burning, scalding pain washes over me. My vision returns – though my hearing doesn’t – only for me to see a black tentacle swinging towards me.

  I just about manage to roll out of the way, but it continues on – to slam straight into Yells. I see her fly into the air like a ragdoll and hit the wall of the cavern.

  I feel the blood drain out of my face – Yells has an even lower health pool than I have and she wasn’t full to begin with. Using the last of my mana, I throw up a barrier between the two caverns, then, reeling with the ill-effects of using far too much mana in a short space of time – fatigued, nauseous, and so dizzy that I can barely stand – I crawl over to Yells.

  She’s still alive – that I know from the Bond. But barely so. She needs me now. It doesn’t help that my eardrums keep getting battered with painful, barely audible shrieks. Reaching her, I pour in the magic, going straight for the most dangerous wounds – the two ribs which have punctured her lung, the pressure on her heart, the cracked skull and bleeding in her brain. I’m vaguely aware of Dusty hauling herself over and pouring a healing potion down Yells’ throat, and immediately take control of the healing magic which enters her system to direct it to the most urgent areas.

  By the time I’ve got her health regenerating rather than trickling away, the fight is pretty much over and I’m completely done. I couldn’t magic my way out of a paper bag right now and I have the worst migraine ever.

  I was feeling pity for the fellapodil, and maybe a hint of guilt – being cooked alive is a bad way to go for anyone, and technically we started this fight, unless we count the first time I encountered it as the initial salvo. But now, after pulling my companion back from the brink of death while still covered in chemical burns myself, I’m just grateful that it’s too weak to try that again.

  The shrieks are almost inaudible now and have completely lost their ear-piercing quality. My own hearing partially restored, I can hear the sound of my Bound fighting. Unable to get up physically, I borrow Sirocco’s vision.

  She’s soaring around, guiding the Warriors and River in throwing their poisoned darts and javelins into the spots which Raven has eaten away with his acid. At the same time, I see that half of the creature’s tentacles have been successfully tied up with the ropes of spider silk – it probably couldn’t have attacked us again even if it had succeeded in getting through the barrier.

  Then I see something that makes me immediately demand answers.

  Why are the Tier ones in the fight? I told them to stay back!

  The creature is almost dead, Bastet tells me. We thought it would be good for them to take part in the kill.

  And you agreed to this, Raven? I ask incredulously since his three hatchlings are also down there, attacking the tied-up tentacles with great enthusiasm. What if it has one last trick to pull out which kills them?

  I doubt it has, Raven replies confidently. The chance to benefit from a Tier three’s death is worth the risk.

  I sigh. I suppose that they would all know better than I in this particular context. And ultimately, though I don’t want the alcaoris hatchlings to die, Raven is even more dedicated to their survival than I am. If he thinks it’s worth the risk, so be it.

  Alright, fine, but keep an eye on them.

  I will, Sirocco assures me briskly.

  You need to rest and recover, Bastet adds. Well, she’s not wrong. Once I regenerate the mana and recover a bit, I’ll have a lot of injuries to heal on all three of us down here, Yells particularly. And ultimately, I’ve probably done enough in this fight – my Bound can take it from here.

  And so I watch the final ten minutes or so of the fellapodil’s life through Sirocco’s eyes. I see as Bastet breathes fire onto the creature, Windy uncharacteristically helpful in sending a gust of wind to help it flare even bigger and engulf more of the sorry-looking tentacle monster.

  The fellapodil doesn’t look so black and indomitable any more – the flames and acid have eaten away at and burnt so much of its skin. Down below, where it’s made contact with the lava, it’s even worse off – several tentacles have lost sections of their length to its heat. And yet it still lives, a testament to the health pool of a Tier three.

  In the end, I don’t know what kills it – the heat or the poison which the samuran Warriors and River have been relentlessly peppering it with. The poison is evident in the blackened flesh around where the darts or javelins have landed, veins of green and black disappearing into the healthier flesh.

  Finally, though, I feel a sudden rush of Energy enter me. Sensing the moment that my Core starts straining under the influx of Energy, I redirect it into the ‘debt’ – though more levels would be good, I might as well use the Energy that would otherwise be wasted to increase the time the portal will stay open.

  Pushing myself to my feet, I stretch carefully, making sure that I haven’t accidentally missed any injuries. I inspect Yells too with a critical eye and her spikes ripple with blue satisfaction as she is able to stand on her own two feet. Though she’s not fully healed, she’s significantly better after all my efforts. Dusty is fully healed – her injuries were less, but still not exactly insignificant.

  Not needing to exchange words, I grin tiredly at them, then lead the way back to the main cavern.

  There’s a strong, burnt smell of calamari with a hint of fish and a large dash of noxious fumes – from the lava, I realise as I get closer. The molten rock isn’t molten any longer, but it’s probably still very hot. The fellapodil looks deflated in death, most of its muscles relaxed though some of its tentacles still twitch in post-mortem spasms. We know it’s dead, though, from the influx of Energy.

  Looking around I see relief, joy, and elation.

  “Come on, let’s go up top for now – we’ll get the Core out once we’ve had a moment to rest,” I tell the group. I’d also like to look at my notifications – and level up if I get a chance.

  Pack leader, Pack leader, Lathani says excitedly, practically dancing next to me as we head out via the slope. I think I can Evolve!

  “What?” I ask in surprise. “Are you sure? Safely?”

  Yes, I’m sure! I’ve finished working on my internal matrix! And I sense that if I Evolve now, with this Energy, I will have a really good Evolution!

  “That sounds fantastic, Lathani,” I tell her frankly, “but let me just quickly look at you when we get to the top, alright?”

  She dances on the spot again, though this time I sense it’s more impatience than excitement.

  Fine, she allows sulkily. But don’t take too long!

  “I won’t,” I promise.

  True to my word I go over her internal matrix as quickly as I can though still paying attention to detail, not wanting to miss something that could turn her Evolution very wrong.

  “Well,” I say as I pull my awareness out of her internal matrix. Lathani is waiting with bated breath, clearly praying to anyone who will listen that my evaluation is positive. Around us, almost everyone is gathered, watching in interest. The only exceptions are Dusty, who is still focussing on a massive bubble of yellowish water, and Windy who appears to be meditating. “I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t have a good Evolution.”

  Lathani practically jumps for joy.

  Then can I Evolve? Can I? Can I?!

  “Keep your mother’s and Bastet’s advice in mind,” I warn her sternly, then flash her a smile. “But sure, go ahead.”

  Not needing any more than that, Lathani closes her eyes, focusses, and then what seems like a tsunami of purplish sparks erupts from her and begins orbiting her form, completely masking it.

  Sharing a glance with Bastet and River, I feel their excitement like it’s my own. Fenrir paces forwards and lies down almost touching the wall of sparks – clearly he wants to be one of the first to see her after her Evolution. The other samurans murmur quietly amongst themselves as Ninja and Storm slink forwards to sit on either side of Fenrir, Lathani’s honour-guard.

  Though I’d love to watch every second of the Evolution like those around me, Dusty is waiting for me to tell her what to do with the chlorine-laced water she’s holding together with her magic.

  As I walk over to speak to her, something else abruptly draws my attention. A second shower of sparks erupts – from Windy.

  here!

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