Neo-Odyssey

Chapter Nineteen

Collin slumped down to the ground, back resting against a cool stony cave wall as he took in a few deep breaths. His heart was beating out of synch, as fluttery as his lungs were breathless. Exhaustion had already been taking its toll, despite Solaerion's best efforts to keep him moving at a steady pace, and with this out-of-the-blue news he felt deserving of a few precious moments of respite.

"I didn't anticipate this, Collin. I... anticipated she would have taken longer to awaken...." Solaerion stated calmly, yet carefully, floating a few paces away from the prize fighter.

"Two days has been long enough."

"Perhaps..."

Perhaps. He always had to talk like that. Every time he opened his nonexistent mouth it was to say too little and too much all at the same time. Collin didn't know what odd calculus went on in the armored lightbulb's head to parse out what was appropriate to say, however, the more time he spent with the angel, the more certain he was that the creature put the same amount of effort into choosing his words as the odd rando off the streets.

"So, how long did you think she would be out for? All things considered?"

Solaerion hummed, fluttering gently in place with his luminescent yellow wings of light.

"I couldn't say. Not for certain. It was up to her, ultimately. And free will is the one thing my kind don't have a good grasp on. The best we get is a kaleidoscope of countless futures to consider, with only one grain of possibility lucky enough to come to pass. Given her occupation, the life she lived, her general predispositions, I would have thought she'd have been stuck in her head for weeks."

"So, why wasn't she?"

Solaerion jerked down to the rocky floor with one emphasized flap of his wings, leaning on his spear as he made contact with the ground.

"Hard to say. I'd put it down to a concerningly speedy acclimatization to the supernatural. Clarice is an intuitive girl, and that's all you need to know about that."

Collin shrugged, taking in one last great gulp of air before picking himself back him.

"How much further?"

Solaerion held out his offhand, flashing three fingers to Collin, before leaping backwards back up into the air, hovering into a gradual incline, the light radiating from his heavenly figure flaring out enough for the humble human to make out his surrounds in more clear detail.

Three hours... only three more hours...

Walking a few paces over to the ledge Solaerion had been stood atop moments before, Collin felt goosebumps rolling up his exposed flesh as a gloomy, chill wind battered against him. Looking down, he couldn't help but admire how far he'd come since yesterday. Looking up, he was reminded that the home stretch, while almost passed, would still be a pain to surmount.

The tunnels didn't make sense to him, though, he figured even normal cave systems were tricky business to navigate. Two days of long marching, scaling up and down inclines and deep pit shafts, squeezing through narrow cracks and hauling Clarice around all the while had taken its toll on even his formidable physique. His mind was foggy, despite Solaerion's guiding light, and so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he'd lost track of how deep down they were per say.

However, this shaft he'd been climbing up for five hours already, and something about that just felt... surreal. Too much so. Unless they'd made enough distance to end up under a mountain, which he supposed wasn't impossible, he couldn't make sense of the geography.

Not that that was the most stand out concern of their trek.

He walked over to the nearest ledge corner of the cliffside alcove he'd been cooped up in, and started scanning with his eyes the best handholds to get out and back up on the ascent. Rapping his right index and middle finger against the rocky wall all the while. The echoing din it made was strangely soothing, if eerie.

It ceased soon enough, Collin gripping a few choice handholds with enough force to bruise flesh, his rough worn skin finding appreciable purchase. Then, with a few string hefts and choicy contortions he'd angled himself out and back onto the sheer rock wall, resuming his climb with all due urgency.

"Remember what I've told you. Try to keep centered. Focus on yourself as much as the task at hand. If you overdo it in your current state-"

"Yeah. Yeah. I remember. You don't need to repeat yourself. I haven't forgotten."

"I know Collin... a reminder never hurt. Especially after other matters have made room in your head."

Collin, despite how the angel chaffed on him, couldn't argue with that.

So he focused on the climb. And himself.

One hand up, one hand loose, both feet firm, one foot up, one hand grasping, then the other hand loose.

Simple, rhythmic, calming.

Exhausting too.

Collin had gone two days without food or water. Not a moment's respite, not even after popping off to leave Clarice with that weird pseudo-hotel down at the base of the shaft. The journey was almost over after all. If he gave in to relaxation at the home stretch, he'd have been out like a rock for God knew how long.

So, slow and steady, he kept climbing up... and up... and up...

Focusing on the climb, focusing on the past few days events. Keeping a clear head. Staying attentive to the task.

He made it to the top before he knew it. Only realizing how beat he was after that final haul up and over the ledge, panting profusely on his back as Solaerion's light gave him a good look at the ceiling.

A mural. Huh, haven't seen too much architecture.

It wouldn't have been out of place at some offhand archeological dig. A crudely carved image of an egg, or maybe a cocoon, followed by sequential engravings of something bursting out of it. An armored warrior with bestial ornamentation, or maybe a scaly monster, or a flat out demon.

Collin would've put money on that last one, considering the actual factual angel hovering behind him, if said angel's light didn't flicker tellingly at the thought of its mythological opposite number.

That, and the framing of the character was clearly done in a glorifying manner. Undoubtedly depicted in tribute to someone, or something.

"Eeeek!"

Collin nearly jumped out of his skin as something in the distance squealed. He only avoided falling to his potential doom with a quick, instinctive flash of his hands to the nearest handholds.

Perking his ears, he heard things scrambling in the distance.

"Solaerion?"

The angel didn't answer.

Fine, be that way.

Collin hauled himself to his feet and squinted, making out a thickly muscled, pallid thing just shy of Solaerion's light. Its eyes were like dull headlights in the dark, glaring white oversized bulbs, as were the several dimmer sets that peered out behind the lead creature.

"H-human?"

The voice said again, skittish, confused. The creature seemed to shift back and away from the light as it spoke, a terrible scraping sound accompanying the startled movement as something hard and sturdy tore up the stone beneath the creatures feet.

As Collin approached, they backed away, muttering silently amongst themselves in a tongue the human being couldn't understand if he tried.

"Excuse me-"

That seemed to hush them. And stop them in their tracks. No, more than that... the shadow of the lead creature.... its barely visible stony form was...

Shaking... I see... guess you thought show would be better than tell, Solaerion.

"-I'm not sure what you're all expecting, but I assure you, I'm here as a visitor. A guest. I'm not trying to make trouble..."

"Visitor," one whispered, "guest," another murmured...

..."friend?" The foremost one inquired. Daring to venture tensely into the light.

Colling nodded. Stretching out an arm to the spidery, vaguely humanoid creature.

It clasped his hand and arm gently with its own, clearly wary of its own strength, shaking with the delicacy of a child afraid to break a fragile curio. Its flesh was stone cold, with a texture akin to cement. Except for the three overdeveloped claws it and its kin sported on both hands, which reminded Collin of the feel of gemstones. The tips idly scratching against his dust coated skin in spite of its exceeding carefulness.

"I take it you don't get many humans around these parts?"

The creature cocked its head quizzically at an angle which would've broken a human neck.

"Human... sometimes. Canvas like you... never..."

"Canvas? What do you mean? Is that what you call off-islanders?"

"Eherm..." Solaerion sounded, finally deigning to speak up himself, "I'm here to see Karabos, I trust he's present?"

The creature released Collin from its grip and scurried over to Solaerion, making all sorts of enthusiastic erratic gestures before the glowing celestial being.

"Yes, Tree-Keeper. Light of Valor can come... Utopian was ex-pect-ant. Canvas though...."

"Collin. My name is Collin."

The creature winced at his mild displeasure, as if struck. For a moment, the light of Solaerion flared up brightly though, seeming to calm the creature before it could have a panic attack.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, should have asked. Should have been polite."

"It's fine. Look, I don't mean to be a bother, but I have a friend down below waiting for me. So could we hurry up and meet this Karabos person?"

The skittish creature scurried away from Solaerion, beckoning with its arm for Collin and the angel to follow. Which, of course, they did.

The ground beneath them was smooth and even, as were the walls and ceiling, far more so than any of the tunnels they'd used beforehand. More than that, they were all decorated, not just the ceiling. Engravings of an alien nature, basic glossy paints in primary colors, the odd statue here and there of monsters and warriors in odd and bizarre forms. Collin couldn't say the styles or designs matched anything he was familiar with, and Solaerion was being as informative as he usually was.

It only took a few minutes of strolling through the corridor before they reached some new chamber. Greco-Roman style pillars flanked the entryway, and above the entrance loomed an unusually detailed placard engraving of an orb set inside a hollow, cymbal-like disk with many grooved lines running through it.

From that point, Collin could hear two voices echoing out into the corridor. Some loud boisterous argument taking place inside, between someone with a tinny tinge to their speech, and another slurring and wet.

"Karabos, I just did the job you asked me to. Got it? I get that the mistfolk've been sent into a scurry, but that isn't my problem. I'm up to my neck in backlog requests as is, I can't just drop everything to idle around your territory making sure the tunnels are clear!"

"Think before you speak, human. I paid you for your services transporting the bounty of the sea to my domain, didn't I? I'll do so for this, enough to make it worth your while."

"Hah! I doubt that mon ami. Besides, you're no slouch yourself. Why don't you do it?"

The creature made a noise reminiscent of a sigh, a chittering slur that reminded Collin of a chainsaw rev.

"Don't antagonize me. I'll not sully my pacifism over something like this, and every Guardian I have on hand who can fight is already stretched to the limit on their regular patrols throughout my Republic."

"Which is your problem, not mine. I'm already running late for a priority rendezvous with Myr up in... hmmmm... is someone-"

By this point, Collin had come close enough to get a good look at the pair. One a tan colored chitinous creature that resembled a human to an uncanny degree, despite its size and arthropodal features. Its body was caked in sandy grit which clung with a magnetic firmness, shifting slightly with every movement, yet not a single grain flying loose of its carapace or the flexible leathery muscle of its joints.

The other was a large man, larger than even Collin, dressed in a simple looking brown and copper getup that reminded the martial artist of an old-timey diving suit.

While both turned to look at the newcomers at roughly the same time, only the one that Collin assumed to be Karabos remained nonplussed. The deep sea diver looking fellow, meanwhile, immediately got to his knees the moment his cyclopean helmet turned towards Solaerion.

"Le Créateur!"

"Ça va bien," Solaerion replied fluidly, voice taking on a pitch perfect French accent just as the armored person had.

"Grâce à Dieu, ce n'est pas trop grave.... hmmh... ehermmm"

They got back to their feet, clearing their throat in a manner that caused a strange compounded echo between their helmet and the already echoing chamber they were all stood in.

"I don't recognize you," they said, pointing to Collin, "and I know every human on this island... at least, I know the ones who aren't in league with the mistfolk. Which, considering the heavenly Seraph of valor has not smitten you, I doubt you'd qualify as. Which begs more than a few questions."

"I could say the same, frenchie."

"Frenchie?"

The stranger paused for a few moments, before erupting into laughter, their helm sounding off like some steampunk alarm bell.

"Ehehahahaha! French! You recognize my native tongue then?!?"

"I do."

Without warning, the French fellow started power walking over to Collin, getting him in a bear hug faster than the experienced combat sportsman could react. A hug with felt like it came from a literal bear with how bone crushing it was.

"You're from outside then! Aren't you?! Though...."

The stranger let Collin go, backing away a few steps before removing their helmet with a hiss, revealing the pallid face of a twenty-something human with bright yellow eyes and greenish-gray hair.

"...you seem a bit short. And you're dressed like you came straight out of the 80's."

"And you're dressed like a diver from the 1880's. So, looks like we're on the same page."

"Oui. It looks like we're both strangers in a strange land then. Though, I get the feel that we're not quite on the same page, am I right, heavenly spirit?"

Solaerion gave a curt, slow nod.

"It'll be better for the both of you if you don't rush into a mutual understanding. Gradual immersion is the best way for out-of-place mortals to adjust to New Eden, as you can attest, Tennille."

"That I can. The grand design is never wrong. So, I take it you have need of me?

Solaerion shook his head.

"Truth be told, I came here for my own reasons to discuss important matters with Karabos regarding... you know..."

"Ah, then we should get out of your way as you do the Creator's work."

"That you should," Karabos piped in, narrowing his bug eyes at Solaerion.

"Whatever it is you have to say, Seraph, I don't suppose it would intersect with my own interests enough for you to get the frog over there to lend pressing aid to me and mine?"

"Of course... of course... it serves all of our interests. Tennille, there are more humans out there. They came into these parts after crashing their airbus down into the mistlands. I'll need you to bring them over to Karabos Republic for a temporary stay, the exact specifics of which I will soon be going over with our current host. They only have a few fighters amongst their ranks, none of whom are ready to throw down with the 'locals'. The site is a two day trek from here with Collin and his companion, Clarice Ferrell, who is lounging down at the Check-Inn. I trust you'll see this task through to the best of your abilities?"

Tennille put his helmet back on, twisting it in place with a click and hiss of something steamy.

"When have I ever let these lands get the better of me, heavenly one. So, Collin, are you ready for the climb back down, or do you need a minute to catch your breath?"

"A minute. I think I need a minute."

Collin paced over to the nearest wall the second after he spoke, slumping down against its cool smooth surface, daring to close his eyes for just a moment or two.

Or three.

Or four.

And before Collin knew it, he was out like a light.