Lurker Beneath the Ground

I dug down a bit more, and tried my Auras again. This time, the force pushing back my Auras was stronger, a lot stronger. 'That no longer felt like a push, but retaliation. Just what the hell is buried down there? Is it really some sort of Formation?' I asked myself. Just as I was contemplating on the thing below me, I felt sudden pressure envelop me. "Ungh" a grunt left my mouth. I couldn't move, as if the gravity increased at least tenfold.

Then I heard thumping… "Thump… Thump...Thump…". It was very slow and faint, but it sounded like a heartbeat. "What the fuck is below there?" I asked myself shocked. I quickly retrieved my Auras, and tried to move away from that place. Even with my Auras enveloping me, I wasn't able to move. That wasn't the end, I felt a presence hidden below the rocky ground. It felt sinister, even more than my Bloodlust Aura.

"Move… Move… MOVE!" I screamed to myself, but stayed rooted in place. The thumping became louder, and some sort of energy seeped out through the ground. Scarlet mist appeared, as if trying to coil itself around me. My Bloodlust Aura intensified, and I was losing control of it. The longer I stood there, the bigger my desire to kill and destroy everything surrounding me grew. "Ha.. Ha.. Ha", a crazed laugh escaped my mouth. I had to get away, and I had to leave fast. I looked at my right arm, and tried to release the Power of Ice. Anything, as long as it allowed me to escape.

Fortunately the ball of mist appeared, but it was weak and fragile. More crazed laughs escaped my mouth, as I felt my Aura taking control of me. I used everything I had to condense the ball of mist, as much as I could. Releasing that ball of mist next to me would also freeze me to some extent, but it was better than nothing. I was about to release the ball, when the pressure lessened and light appeared around me. I looked up, and noticed a few figures standing over my head. I couldn't see the figures well due to the sudden light, but when I looked down again, the scarlet mist began dispersing.

Suddenly, a loud scream came from below. A terrifying scream, that I would never forget. It made my bones rattle, and my legs weak. The scream was short in reality, but to me it lasted too long for comfort. Then, silence. No more thumping, no more scarlet mist, no more pressure. I wanted to jump out of that hole as quickly as I could, but before I was able to do that, I became immobilized again. "Do you even realise what calamity your actions would've brought? If not for us arriving here in time, we would all be doomed" A voice said.

I couldn't look up, but that accent reminded me of someone. "Grey Lizards" I said out loud. There was a while of silence, until another voice spoke. "Human, why did you want to release that thing?". I tried shaking my head, but I couldn't. Instead, I replied "I didn't know about it. I was searching for you, not for whatever that thing is… What the hell is that thing anyway?". No one answered my question. Instead, one of the Lizards said, "Leave this place alone. Never, under any circumstances return to this place. Your mobility will return in a while, we suggest you don't get into such situations again. That is your first and final warning".

I shouted, "Wait! We need your help. The war…". I was cut short, "We don't care about your war Human. If you try to look for us again, we shall not be polite anymore". Before I could say anything else, they've already left. 'Damn! I have more questions than answers. Just what the hell was that thing? What exactly is lurking beneath the North?' I asked myself.

After a while, I could finally move my body. Then I heard more rumble from above. I wasn't going to stay even a second longer in that hole, and jumped out. Some kind of Formation activated, and filled the hole with rocks. Bit by bit, the area I dug up, became filled with rocks and sand. It looked like nothing happened at all. As if I was never there digging the ground.

"I have no clue what that thing was, but it wasn't something I could defy. What type of existence has such power? Primal Limits existence? Then who sealed it exactly? Hatmandor? Grey Lizards?" I asked myself. I still felt heavy, the aftermath of that thing gripping me with its power, was not something I ever experienced. That existence, was beyond anything comprehensible.

I wanted nothing to do with that place, but I wanted something from the Grey Lizards. 'I don't care if you warned me. You have my stuff, and I want it back' I thought, and headed in the same direction those Lizards left. I couldn't be sure where they lived exactly, but I knew it was further up north. I wondered if the trick with my mask would work again. The thing my Auras touched, was surely a Formation. A Formation which kept whatever that was, inside its prison. I didn't break the Formation in any way, but my interference awakened whatever was below. 'At least, that is what I think happened' I thought.

I couldn't be a 100% sure, but it seemed plausible. The Elemental Orbs acted in the same way, with the difference of direction. They were now attracted south, of course towards the area I left. 'Alright, let's get this organised. The Elemental Orbs are used as an energy source for Formations. This means I should be able to find any Formation, so long it collects the energy from its environment. Whatever is down there, should not be disturbed. That I will agree on as well' I thought.

The Grey Lizards had a way of monitoring their Formations. They arrived to that thing, because they knew something was going on. My guess was that they got notified somehow, when I touched the Formation with my Aura for the first time. 'This should mean, they are about one day worth of time, away from that location. In other words, I need to search in such radius' I thought.

It wasn't easy though. The Elemental Orbs were always attracted towards that thing's location. I could see nothing that would indicate another Formation. 'Maybe they fooled me? After all, they could pretend to go north, while in fact they headed someplace else later. Grey Lizards are not stupid, and they obviously didn't underestimate me' I thought. The question was, whether my search area was correct? Maybe they had some sort of means of traveling faster than I assumed.

I had to increase the scope of my search. Whether it was in the Land of Sands, or just outside of it. I would find them sooner or later, and get my sword back.