== VORTEX QUEST 2-2 ==
== OLDBLUE ==
True to their word, the Goblin clan was willing to lead the demigods to Oldblue.
Big-Stick and his lieutenant saddled two Varks the size of horses. The creature's round spine and bone ridge made it a suboptimal riding animal. Only Marcus was happy to try it.
The others declined, Xane and Goro because their holes were too sore for the minute, Chay because he had a plan.
The pantheon leader clothed himself in an excess of cloud and made Goro grab Yanik when nobody was looking. The figment held onto Chay's shoulders as the umbralist floated along on bubbling darkness, trailing the Vark riders.
"You missed out," Xane said, cheery like he hadn't been in a while. As he hop-levitated along, he tossed sparks, reshaped and recolored his hair a few times and had rings of light dancing around his arms like rave wristlets.
Chay could tell the magical artist was relaxed like after a dose of nectar.
"Maybe," Chay admitted. "But it was just too big."
"Not likely," Goro interrupted. "The Wretcher's muscle cock was about that at full flex."
Xane gestured at his friend. "There you have it. Grow some balls and sit on a mega-dick, hehe."
The travelers emerged into the wider cave system.
Phivvinum's ectoplasm tended blueish and chunks of reflective silver were omnipresent. The most stunning addition to the vista were the sparkling strips of crystal - as if the world had grown right through gigantic geodes interspersed with skulls.
The Kobold settlement along the path were more technological, their tents of bone, iron and leather connected by cable grids and pipes, alive with arcane, deep red lightning.
Chay kept his distance from the riders, to keep Yanik on his shoulders well obscured. The figment seemed to drift in and out of consciousness, sometimes drooling, sometimes glancing around in a panic.
The group dipped in and out of crawlway tunnels broad enough to accommodate the ride, skipping dozens of miles.
Xane kept falling back, enamored with the sparkling of fractured geodes among the glowing lichen and lanterns. Realm liners flew overhead, drawing Chay's attention. The upside down sailing ships were more numerous here, indicating a more densely connected and advanced region. The demigods couldn't make too big a splash before they had a plan.
The ride was long enough that the troglodytes stopped at a waterfall for a sip. The demigods drank, too, cooling off to fight the nectar craving.
Their target was something like a temple entrance built into a cliff. Over the rough stone pillars was an effigy of three animal heads – a goat, a raccoon and a fish, perhaps a koi.
"We don't have a sacrifice," Big-Stick said. "We're not going in. You can speak without an offering but don't expect to get knowledge gifted."
"Okay," Chay said. "Thanks."
Marcus slipped off the Vark and massaged his legs. The two Goblins took off.
"Man," Marcus said, lightly squatting. "If you're not built that broad it's a bitch to sit on something that huge."
Xane chuckled. "Could have levitated like the rest of us anytime, lazy ass."
"Hey, not everyone likes a busy ass, gobbo whore."
Chay raised his arms and let his smoke dress dissipate. "Guys, no shame among gods."
Yanik dropped off Chay's back. "Am I free?"
Before Chay could answer, he noticed his aegis glowing, as did Xane's. They both magically covered up but the glow had clearly intensified. A demon was closing in.
Yanik threw his arms up. "I'm free! Freee!"
"Keep it down," Goro growled.
The bound soul of a man ran around like he couldn't see more than a few feet ahead. Either he was incredibly short sighted or had a bout of stupidity.
"How do we control him?" Xane asked and stepped in Yanik's way.
"I don't know," Chay answered. "I just couldn't say no to freeing a slave. Yanik, listen."
"I'm freeeee."
The figment ran past the helplessly shrugging mage and ran into the open. Chay was about to follow, smoke pouring off him, when he heard wing flapping.
A Wretcher swooped from the side and snatched Yanik by the pits. Without slowing down, the minor demon carried the slave off toward the ceiling.
"Fuck," Chay said.
Marcus facepalmed. "Some problems solve themselves, huh?"
"Good thing the Wretcher didn't see us." Xane said. "Though I wouldn't have objected to ride on demon muscle dick."
"Let's not free slaves again," Goro said, facing Chay. "They're not `real' until the final cycle and then a last death will free them."
Chay nodded. Goro had spoken with characteristically little emotion but the umbralist could tell the big dude had been briefly terrified by the appearance of the Wretcher and the issues this could have caused.
"So," Chay said, feeling awkward. "Meeting with Oldblue, huh? Anyone need to pee first?"
The demigods politely faced away from each other with hands behind their necks and let loose, hearing each other's splattering as the aegises made the streams go wild.
"Hey Xane," Marcus said, looking half over his shoulder. "Taken a liking to pissing on yourself?"
"Fuck off," the shortest demigod said. "Y'all complained I wasn't being solidary when I controlled my stream. I'm doing this all for you Marky-boy." He turned and humped into Marcus' direction.
Chay considered letting the group know Xane was lying and had indeed started to find enjoyment in the perversity of it. No, some things didn't need to be shared.
The tunnel to Oldblue was mostly dark. Bones were piled up along the tunnel walls. Were those the offerings?
Xane let his light wink out when they reached the inside of a huge geode. They stepped onto a wooden platform near the bottom center. Several large, raised areas lead to other tunnels, blocked by iron spikes.
With clanks and screeches, iron spikes shot from the sides of the entrance and cut off the pantheon's retreat. Chay made a quick analysis. It would only take a few hits to bend a sizeable hole into the barrier. Still, this was concerning.
The sound of something large rustling over stone became audible, then louder. The spikes of a different tunnel retracted.
"Guys?" Marcus said. "I thought Oldblue is a Gobbo Chick."
"Same," Chay said. "We were wrong. Not a demon, at least. But prepare."
A blue, two headed Wyrm entered. Just as large as the Amber Wyrm they had fought in the crucible, towering from her high position. The serpentine creature coiled into a loose heap and glanced down.
She had a goat-like head on the left, a koi head on the right, and a long-healed stump in the middle.
"Um, hi?" Chay said. No language came to mind. The snake was just a beast. This was a trap. But he sensed no ill intent from the creature – yet.
Chay felt something like fingers tapping around in his brain. Oldblue projected at him.
[Fascinating,] a voice spoke into his mind. Ancient, vaguely female.
"Holy shit," Xane said. "You're a telepath?"
[I am an Esper Wyrm. Rare but not unheard of, at least if you live in the abyss, which you don't.]
Pie jumped from her ring and rose to eye level with the Wyrm. The two heads regarded her without comment.
Marcus leaned over to whisper to Chay. "Are we going to have a problem?"
[No,] Oldblue sent into their heads. [I'm merely fascinated. Never had the pleasure of meeting demigods. Your memories are... delectable.]
"Hey," Xane shouted. "You leave my memories alone, bitch."
The thaum-mage pushed off the ground and hovered to eye level with the blue being. The others rose after him. Chay placed a hand on the bodybuilder's shoulder and gently pulled him back down.
The koi head leaned forward. [I'm not removing your memories, only learning about you.]
The voice had sounded different. Were the heads separate individuals?
[We're one being in some ways,] the goat head answered the unasked question. [Separate in others,] the koi finished.
"So you know everything now, huh?" Chay asked. "Do you know why we want to speak to you?"
[Indeed, Chay the umbralist, slayer of demons and more. You want to close the vortex. Lucky for you, I may know some people who would only be too happy to hear that.]
The koi head took over. [Of course I also know some who would wish you eradicated. Which ones I shall contact is up to whether we can find a deal beneficial to me.]
"You already know what we can do," Marcus said, bouncing on his heels. "Just get to the point."
The two heads wiggled. Perhaps a snake-shrug.
The goat mind-spoke. [There is not one vortex getting built in Phivvinum, but three. King Miph'grix has made his realm the center of industry after all. Many champions are vying for his accolades. You will need a lot of help to prevent every single one from finishing.]
The koi continued. [Naturally my contacts come at a price.]
"Name it," Chay said.
Oldblue shook both her heads. [I have enemies, too. Another Esper Wyrm. For you to take care of her, you first have to learn to close your mind.]
"Teach us how," Chay said. "Then we go kill your rival, then you put us in touch with whoever wants the vortices shut down.]
[Acceptable,] the koi head said. [But the memory of the lesson is one I will eat, to keep my secrets.]
Chay got affirmative glances from his members. They ascended to a platform closer to Oldblue.
"Get started."
[Done,] the goat head said. [You are now capable of sealing your minds.]
"W-what, huh?" Marcus made.
The goat rolled her snake-eyes. [I told you I would eat the memory of the lesson. You've been here for a whole Ring Span. Now, try resisting one last time.]
Something plugged at Chay's brain and memories flooded into the open, intermingling with others.
The time Marcus had jerked off to pics of his best friend's girlfriend. The time Goro found out his nude pics had been leaked everywhere and he punched a wall, crying. The memory of Xane cumming three seconds after entering a pussy. Of Marcus pissing himself during max reps at the gym. Of Xane getting black out drunk with his pants missing on his front lawn after his first break up. Of Marcus getting caught masturbating. Of Goro's first time creaming out a load from prostate stimulation to an instructional video. Of Xane trying to shoot his load into his own mouth.
Wait, if Chay was seeing all that, what memories of his were being dragged into the open? He desperately wanted to shut the connection down.
On instinct, he slapped away the probing finger in his brain. One by one, the embarrassing memories snapped back into their owner's mind.
"Okay," Marcus said, sounding not-okay. "That was fucked up. But I like knowing I can shut it down."
"So... what did everybody see?" Xane said.
Chay sensed trouble brewing. "Truce not to mention any of it?"
"Fine by me," Goro said, speaking for everyone.
The leader took a deep breath. "All right, Oldblue. Who needs to die?"
[She calls herself `Might-Fate' nowadays,] the goat head said with a telepathic groan. [You'll like this one, she's got a nectar storage.]