Ch28: Dangers, Part Two

"What do you fear, lady?" ...

"A cage... to stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire."

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King

The world trembled, a quake that extended into the sky. Ven glided on the turbulent air, eyes locked on the vast worm below. He road the thin line between the beast's head and the edge of the clouds, a position he'd held for the last few hours.

"This thing is great for farming energy..."

The terrible vibrations were swallowed by his aura, turned to power, and shoved into his cores. It was just as effective as eating the grubs, more so. It's a shame to kill it... It had given him a free meal. There were other worms on this planet, but none of them had potentially eaten the way home.

"Sorry big guy..."

Ven folded his aura away and circulated his cultivation. His body arched through the sky, a meteor that plummeted toward the worm's rocky skull. He met the stone with fists extended, coated in a layer of dense, white energy.

Ven burnt a hole, just large enough for his body, and tunneled into the creature's mineralized shell. Thick, chitinous hide replaced the rock and the worm trembled. Sensitive bugger, aren't you? Ven narrowed his stance. The vibration weakened, enough to satisfy Ven's needs.

"Now, to find your brain..."

The shell around him abruptly ended, replaced by an expansive void. Ven tumbled from a hole in the sky, toward a small, moon-sized world.

"What..."

Ven spun in the air, his aura extended. He soared over the tiny planet, confused by the surroundings. It's like a tiny solar system... A miniature star hung in the sky, the only source of light. The largest planet was a gas giant the size of Earth. The world below him was a natural paradise. Pristine lakes and rivers divided the land into small continents. Two, island-sized icecaps covered the poles.

There's life down there...

Not just plants and animals, but a civilization. Vast ziggurats covered much of the surface, stone and metal creations the size of mountains. Some were pyramids, others resembled domes. The largest was in the shape of an immense collum. It extended into orbit like a primitive space elevator, if space elevators could be primitive.

The top of this pillar opened, hundreds of octagonal gateways that irised apart around its circumference. A swarm of small, circular objects emerged from the holes. The dense cloud rushed to surround him, a wave that stayed a meter away.

Ven drew in his aura and squinted at the spheres. Small, round windows, spaced a foot apart, reveal a surprise. Ants... They were the size of small dogs, their cold eyes locked on his body as they piloted their strange vessels.

"Hello!" Ven waved his hand, a smile forced onto his face. "I'm looking for the insides of a giant worm..."

The vessels swarmed, a rush that swallowed Ven's vision.

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"HUAN!"

The gateway to the second level trembled. Flecks of rock fell from the ceiling, shaken free by the mad king's attacks. He raised his bloody fists, unconcerned about the damage to his flesh. A bellow escaped him as he drove home another blow. The gate mocked him, unmarked and unyielding.

"Perhaps together..."

The King glanced back. Aangors somber face hung, suspended over his shoulder. He'd forgotten about the ape's presence.

"Alright," The King nodded. He shifted to the side as Aangor lined up beside him. "Three... two... ONE!"

The mighty ape's fists hammered together, twin pistons that matched the king's raw force. Two blows landed together, and the door opened a crack, before it slammed shut once more.

"AGAIN!" The king crowed, a wicked smile on his face. "STRONGER!" His muscles bulged, half-transformed into a draconic nightmare.

Aangor nodded. A great breath rushed into the ape's lungs. His muscles swelled, veins exposed as pulsing worms. Red seeped into his eyes as he raised his fists.

"NOW!"

They struck together, two beasts fueled by the fear of loss. The gateway lurched, a crack of stone that sent the king's ears into a harsh buzz. It opened wide, so quickly that it rebounded shut once more. It hung, slightly ajar, as a downpour of rock flowed from its mouth.

"I'm coming Huan!" The king lept forward, past the door and into the shadows beyond.

"Wait!"

***************************************************

The world shifted and spun. Ven - pressed tight between thousands of ant-craft - was dragged through space like a fish in a net. They don't seem to be trying to hurt me... the pressure was firm, but not overbearing. Or, maybe they are, but they're too weak... Regardless, they carried Ven toward the tower.

In seconds, his body was stuffed into one of the holes. A suction force drew Ven onwards. It IS a space elevator... These ants had progressed quite far. The power of teamwork, I guess. Ven shrugged as he embraced the rush of air. It took little time to reach the bottom. A chamber, packed with ants.

They had metallic armor with technological accessories. Lazer-guided weapons, radar dishes, and other incomprehensible works. All mounted on sturdy shells, pointed square at Ven's face.

"Take me to your leader," Ven raised his hands, an attempt to look non-threatening. "Please?"

An ant, their outfit covered in speakers and antenna, skittered forward. It pointed a small probe at Ven, aimed at his mouth.

"Uhhh... Hello?" Ven spoke into the mesh-covered sphere. "My name is Ven," He pointed to himself "Vendak Soth."

The ant chittered. Its forelegs tapped at the dials on its chest. The speakers it wore crackled, a hiss that tuned up and down the audible spectrum.

"VENDAK SOTH." The ant's machinery croaked. "UHHH... HELLO?"

"Yeah..." Ven raised an eyebrow. "That's my name, how about you?"

"YEAH... THAT'S MY NAME, HOW ABOUT YOU?"

"Alright..." Ven shrugged and pointed to the surroundings. "Ground, sky, ant, rock, legs, antenna, armor..."

Several minutes passed as Ven narrated the objects around them. He'd reached the bottom of the barrel, stuck with things like 'fingernails' and 'molars.' He was about to draw on the ground and create more things to name, when the ant stopped him.

"WE ARE THE COLONY. WHY HAVE YOU COME? HOW DID YOU TRAVEL BEYOND THE BOUNDARY?"

"One question at a time..." Ven scratched his head. "First, I came to find a gate," He made a circle with his arms. "A big, round thing that takes you to a different place."

"WE KNOW OF THE GATE. TELL US HOW TO TRAVEL BEYOND THE BOUNDARY, AND WE WILL TAKE YOU TO IT."

"Well... the boundary is the skin of a huge creature." Ven looked into the sky. "This whole place is inside it, somehow..." He shrugged. "to get out, you just need enough force. I cut my way in, so you can cut your way out."

"COME, THE GATE LIES BELOW."

The ants swarmed Ven en-mass, a wave that carried him down the tunnels and into the dark.