Chapter 18: A Toast to Alteep

A Toast to Alteep

 

Strangely, Logan felt completely fresh when he teleported. The continued uses had started to wear on him, but after his little cat nap Logan was topped off on gas again. It gave more confirmation that these visions of the Void and beyond were dangerously real. Logan didn’t have the time to consider the consequences of that now, but they assuredly existed.

 

Instead, Logan just used his newfound energy with abandon, reappearing repeatedly across the landscape until he once again found himself on the edge of Alteep starring in. This time the town was completely different, even with all the decorations still out. 

 

Namely because it was empty of the crowds from only 15-20 minutes earlier. Logan could still hear sounds of merriment, but not a soul was in sight. Well, that technically wasn’t true, Logan could see their souls. It looked like Gregor and Amar were right, as a huge crowd was gathered toward the center of the village.

 

Logan took off at a sprint, deciding that teleporting in front of the general populace seemed like a good way to start a panic. Something told Logan that any evacuation that took place would have to be relatively timely, at least if anyone wanted to actually evacuate.

 

The village itself was larger than Logan had expected from a distance. As he was pounding down the boulevard, many residences and places of business passed by, even if most were only one story tall. Thinking about it, that may have been why Logan assumed it was a smaller village, because he was so used to buildings having height to them.

 

As he passed by the end of what appeared to be a market area, Logan arrived in the town square. Or at the edge of it, as it was packed end to end with villagers, all with a drink in hand. On a stage in the center of the square, a man who looked like Gregor was giving a rousing speech about the importance of community.

 

Well how am I supposed to get their attention now…

As Gregor and Amar engaged the horde, time started to blur. Bristled appendages swung from every direction as the two ended up back to back against the swarm. Five spiders meant eighty legs in this case, so when it felt like the attacks had no pause, it was because they didn’t. Thankfully the horde mother was still lumbering into combat.

 

Using just a single blade was hindering Gregor’s defense, and he was having to weave masterfully to compensate. Legs rained down like a hail of insectoid icicles. Four legs came in unison from the left, and Gregor contorted under them, only to rise up into a block on another two attacks.

 

Gregor was worried at this rate they might never get a chance to recover, but Amar had other ideas. Thick cords of plant life burst up and wrapped around their foes, granting them a slight reprieve. Gregor was going to make the most of this.

 

Launching into action, Gregor became a dervish of steel. Everywhere he looked and some places he didn’t, twisted legs fell from demented spiders. Mandibles joined them in pairs, and by the time the spiders had extricated themselves from the roots, all of their opponents sported signs of the counter attack. Still, Gregor hadn’t managed to inflict lethal damage on a single target.

 

“I used all the grass around here in that Root, we should relocate!” Amar shouted over the growing blaze around them.

 

“We can get back closer to the town, we just have to be aware how close we end up!” Gregor yelled back. 

 

At some point, Gregor and Amar would lose this fight. That point was when the horde mother would join the combat, as they didn’t have the strength to fit something of that size head on. Gregor hadn’t ever seen something alive be so big as the enormous spider queen. Something of that nature boggles the imagination, even just looking at it.

 

Gregor and Amar pushed away from the regathering abominations, and picked their way through the flame-ridden fields. Expecting resistance, Gregor remained prepared to intercept any attack. However, the spiders were unexpectedly skittish around their own toxic flames.

 

“Gregor, I may have a plan to hold them back for a while.”

 

“I think we may be of a like mind on this plan.”

Logan had decided to screw tact, and go for maximum wow factor. He hoped the man currently speaking could keep the crowd under control enough for this, but Logan didn’t have time to dawdle around.

 

You are reading story Through the Void (and Back Again) at novel35.com

POP! 

 

Logan was suddenly on stage, next to the man speaking. From up close, he really did resemble an older version of Gregor, enough to make it obvious that he was Gregor’s father. His wild hair flowed out in a mane that made Logan nostalgic for his own hair. However, now was not the time to lament.

 

“Ahem, I am Logan Brewer, and I am here to warn you of an attack. Please stay calm.” Logan said all of this while raising his empty hands. “Gregor and Amar Ket are fighting against the abominations right now outside the city walls. Anyone capable of fighting should head out to help them, just head to the fires on the north side of the village.”

 

The crowd in front of Logan just stood there, slack jawed. It had been obvious that his sudden appearance and vocal urgency wasn’t going to get them to stop celebrating and fight on a dime. Still, Logan had hoped otherwise.

 

“Son, I don’t know who you are, but-”

 

“I’m not your son.” Logan said while pointing north. “He’s out there fighting for his life right now.”

 

This seemed to get the man’s attention. He gave Logan a once over, and then looked very intently into Logan’s eyes. Then he gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod, then turned to his people.

 

“You heard him, folks. Guardsmen, I want you in the fields within five. Civilians, make your way to the grain house on the south side of town. Keep orderly, follow Mrs. Greatwood direction in the procession. We all know Alteep has faced worse threats before without fail, do not worry! For Alteep!” 

 

With this Gregor’s father raised his large mug and knocked it back. All around him, citizen’s of Alteep joined in the toast, downing their drinks before sorting into their various groups. The children hardly even fussed, and Logan watched as the village of almost a thousand people orderly followed directions. Before his eyes, lines of guards lined up, and although a few were clearly inebriated, no one shirked responsibility now. Runners were sent to fetch the various groups patrolling the streets as well.

Gregor’s father stood again on the stage, and this time, he shouted, “Men, let us show our attacker’s Alteep’s strength! Forward!”

Logan didn’t stick around to watch any longer. The seconds he could save by teleporting there might be the only thing that would keep Amar and Gregor alive.

 

With a series of successive ‘pops’, Logan found himself back on the edge of the village. To his surprise, the two people Logan was looking for were standing only fifteen to twenty feet beyond the dividing line. They were both running back and forth the pools of flaming napalm goop like headless chickens as the spiders on the opposite side mirrored them in a strange ritual dance.

 

“What the absolute fuck is going on here?” Logan shouted exasperatedly.

 

“Logan, you’re back… We… have been…using the… flames as a wall.” Amar said while sprinting forwards. At the end of her trek, she batted out with a Bear Claw at spider, through one of the few gaps in the napalm covering the ground.

 

Suddenly, the situation made a lot more sense. Logan realized that the spiders weren’t mirroring the people, but the other way around. Which meant…

 

“So the spiders are weak to their own fire?”

 

“It appears so, they seem to have given their own fire attacks a wide berth, although I believe I saw the behemoth step in a puddle or two.”

 

A smile crept onto Logan’s face.

 

“Alright it’s time to light em up then.”

You can find story with these keywords: Through the Void (and Back Again), Read Through the Void (and Back Again), Through the Void (and Back Again) novel, Through the Void (and Back Again) book, Through the Void (and Back Again) story, Through the Void (and Back Again) full, Through the Void (and Back Again) Latest Chapter