The Homeseeker: An Elemental Adventurer LitRPG

Chapter 13 - Lightning Strikes

Zalan felt the moment that Rep was struck by the lightning. Zalan was using Rep as a crutch and the electricity flowed through Rep like a missile tearing into Zalan's soul. The energy was overwhelming, a burning, straining sensation, easily enough to kill both Rep and Zalan.

Except that Zalan felt the muscle of Elemental Power now.

It was so clear in that tiny moment. Like putting one's hand on a hot stovetop and having to draw it away, Zalan felt the instinct of the power of lightning. And just like he would react without thinking to the hot stove, he acted without conscious thought. The fluke of him drawing sparks earlier with the Elemental was nothing compared to this real experience. He knew exactly what muscle this was.

He drew all the immense energies of the lightning into himself, ensuring that it passed harmlessly through Rep. Then he thrust a hand into the air to throw all the lightning away at once. The lightning that had come down exploded from his fingertips, going back to the clouds that dealt it.

The force of throwing lightning skyward was immense, driving Zalan down into the sand all the way up to his waist. The sky flashed a brilliant blue as the clouds were forced to accept the offering of lightning and throw it away elsewhere. Rep looked up at the sky, then felt himself up and down, amazed that he didn't feel any pain after being certain he had just been struck by lightning. Zalan had saved his life.

"That was incredible!" Rep laughed, looking down with an astounded smile before becoming horrified. "Zalan!!"

Zalan had lost consciousness, sinking slowly into the sand. Rep dove forward to keep Zalan's head above the sandy water pooling up in the desert floor and fired a dozen small flares into the sky, unable to carry Zalan into a shelter himself. Worse yet, it seemed every building around them was falling apart in the rain or being hit directly by lightning and exploding. There was nowhere to hide and he knew he was unable to run. He strained himself, trying with all his might to drag Zalan out of the sand, but his companion was too deep within. It was all Rep could do to keep Zalan's head above the elements trying to cut off his air flow.

"Help! Someone! Dear God, save us! Please!" Rep cried into the night. He was crying freely now, unable to mask his fear of Zalan perishing in his arms. He held a flame close to Zalan's face, trying what little he could to keep him warm and alive. Rep felt Zalan breathing, but it was frail and felt as though it could stop at any moment.

Rep was out of ideas, slowly sinking into the sand, himself. He tried desperately to keep himself and Zalan above, but struggling only brought them both lower into the earth. Rep was almost glad that Zalan wasn't awake to witness his grisly fate. The sand consumed them, now up to Zalan's chest and Rep's stomach.

"I apologize, Zalan," Rep said to him. "I never should have brought you here."

Just then, faintly, he heard something that did not sound like the storm. A voice?

"Elemental?" Rep raised his head to look around. "Have you returned? Stop the storm!"

The voice called back and the way it didn't send a shiver down Rep's spine made him certain it wasn't the Elemental.

"Hello!" Rep screamed, squinting through the winds and rains, igniting a fire in his palm to try and see far enough.

"...coming to help! Keep your flame active!" the voice reached him. A man's voice, sounding impressively loud and cutting through the storm.

"We are here!" Rep yelled, elated to hear another person's voice. He pulled Zalan as hard as he could from the grip of the sand. "This way!"

"I hear you! We will be there soon!"