NOVEL NEXT 1.17. Night Falls
James entered the next research room and found boards filled with notes and a map of the world. Luna was drawn to it right away and marveled over the discovery.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Earth," he answered. "That's what our planet looks like if it was stretched out. Mind you, the world is round, not flat like that."
"How do you know all of this?"
Chuckling, he reminded her of his mother. "If we are in the East, then we are in Asia." Tapping the continent, he drew a finger to Europe. "This continent sank below the ocean and was claimed by the Forsaken of the deep when the land was rent. Asia was largely spared, but Africa was cut off and I don't even know if people live there anymore."
"Africa?" Her curious eyes were wide as she studied the map.
"Mind you," he started, "this is all second-hand knowledge from my mother. Africa is this continent." Tapping it, he added, "there might be cultivators that we've never run into before. East and West communicate as often as we can, but the West was hit hard. Have you ever seen one of the rents?"
Shaking her head, she turned to him. "No. My tribe always avoided the wastelands and the edges of the world."
"I haven't either," he admitted. "Father said he had been to the one in North America. It bisected the continent and cut us off from South America. The chasm was so vast and filled with Forsaken that he lost his entire party while fleeing. He was missing an arm when he returned and died shortly after."
Taking his hand, she whispered, "I'm sorry. Let's agree not to go to one."
"It's fine." Letting go of her hand, he started looking over the reports. "It looks like they were just beginning to research the rents when this city fell. They don't have anything to show for their efforts."
Still looking over the map, she nodded. "That sucks. I was hoping to learn more."
"We will," he promised. Picking up another page, he frowned. "Then there is this…"
Walking over to him, she brushed her tail against his back. "What's wrong with it?"
Rereading the report, he set it down. "The scientists that were researching the world moved to a nearby sect. They were cultivators. We might get answers if they are still alive."
"You want to willingly go into a sect?" she questioned.
"Not really," he admitted. "But they also might know about the giant Forsaken."
Shivering, she leaned into him. "We should get out of here before it finds us. We'll need to leave the city before nighttime."
"I agree." Leaving the room, he took the lead back into the tunnels. They would have to travel quickly if they were going to flee the city before night fell. He could survive, but she couldn't. Not in the winds that decimated the world.
An hour passed before they came to an exit leading up into the city. They hadn't passed any Forsaken, but they did hear many of them scurrying away as he released his hold on his soul. The world seemed to shiver at first before settling and Luna hummed pleasantly next to him.
Reaching the ground level of the city, they found themselves in another shelter-like building, filled with broken glass and a broken door. He had come across a few of them in his time wandering the city, but he only had one that he used.
"Let's move quickly," he said. "Do you know where the sect is?"
"East," she said, "get me out of the city and I'll direct us."
Nodding, he stepped outside and scanned the streets. They were on the opposite side of the city as their normal shelter. With no time to head back to it, he turned towards the edge of the city and started jogging.
Luna burned Qi to keep up with him, pulling in just as much as she was spending. Her core thrummed with power as she bent the air around them, quickening their pace.
Just as they were reaching the edge of the city, the ground trembled as the giant shifted. With a deafening roar, they looked back and watched a skyscraper collapse to the ground, but they never caught sight of the Forsaken.
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Sharing a look, they agreed to pick up their pace as the sun began to set. They didn't have much time to reach a shelter before they would succumb to the winds of night.
"I came across a few houses with basements when I fled the pack of wolves," Luna stated.
"Any nearby?" he asked.
Sniffing the air, she started looking around. In the distance, they could make out a small town and she pointed it out. "We'll find something there. I rested in a town similar to that one."
Nodding, he focused his senses on detecting the world. All around them, he could see souls fleeing. Their white flames grew distant as they pushed hard. Minutes passed before they arrived, having crossed miles of distance to reach the town.
"Find something quick," he said. "I can survive. You can't."
Still sniffing the air, she frowned. "I smell humans and death. Blood only a few hours old is lingering in the air."
"Are they still around?" he asked.
Nodding, she started walking down the crumbled street. Sniffing the air every few feet, she adjusted her heading before stopping at a house. With a growl, she pointed out a closed basement door.
"I'll go first," he offered. "We don't know how strong they are and they might attack you for being a demi-human."
Frowning, she grabbed his arm. "Be careful."
Quirking a brow, he asked, "am I growing on you?"
"Yes," she admitted. "Don't be a jerk about it."
Chuckling, he couldn't help but shake his head. It wasn't less than twenty-four hours ago that they hadn't been talking for months. What changed in her mind was a mystery to him.
Grabbing the handles of the basement door, he pulled them open. The winds of night were starting to grow in strength and warmth was washing over them.
"Anyone down here?" he called out. He didn't have to wait longer than a second before he heard something shuffle. "I can hear you! I'm coming in!"
Walking slowly, he kept his sword ready to summon as a light glow filled the bottom of the basement. Luna followed behind him, adding to his echoing steps and closing the door.
"We don't mean you harm," James said. Pulling in his soul as tight as he could, he stepped fully into the basement and found two women and two men standing upright with their weapons ready and Qi swirling around them.
Raising his brows, he stopped. All four of them were covered in blood and smelled ripe with blood and death. Their robes were torn and ripped and had been mended by hand many times.
"What are four earth cultivators doing out in the wastelands?" James asked.
Luna stepped up next to him. "They are foundation level. Explains their state."
"What do you want?" a woman asked, stepping forward.
Frowning, he glanced back at the doors. "The sun is setting. We are stuck in this basement with you for the night. Settle down, or I'll throw you out."
"Something isn't right about him," one of the men whispered.
Luna smirked. Leaning in, she whispered, "do you have your soul suppressed?"
"I do," he whispered back. "I don't want them to piss themselves."
A small laugh escaped her before she called on her Qi and blanketed the area. "Stand down to your senior."
The group quickly lowered their weapons. Their leader stepped forward and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Senior Sister, but we don't know you or what sect you come from."
James sighed and took over. "We are wandering cultivators. We have no sect ties, but as you can see, Luna is at the core stage. She has survived for months out here with me."
All four of them turned to him with frowns.
Is something on my face? Rubbing his cheek, he felt their piercing gazes. Should I ease up on my soul?
Luna quickly grabbed his hand and shook her head as if sensing his thoughts. Turning back to the group, she sighed. "You four look like shit, but I can tell you are only in the middle foundation stage. This basement is great for your Qi and we will not draw on it."
"So you say," the woman stated.
Frowning, Luna held her head high. "My name is Luna Rys, core cultivator of air Qi and follower of James Matson. We mean you no harm."
Raising their weapons again, James sighed. "This isn't going well."
"Do it," Luna said.
All four of them turned their weapons on him. With a roll of his eyes, he said, "Put down your weapons or feel my wrath." His dull tone carried over the room.
"No," their leader growled.
"Fine," releasing the hold on his soul, he watched the world bend as all four of them were struck by the pressure that made Luna terrified of him. With a smile, she let go of his hand as all four cultivators lost control on their Qi and dropped their weapons.
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he noticed all but the woman had dropped to the ground with fear filled eyes.
"What are you?" the woman managed to ask before sinking to her knees.
"We tried to warn you," he said with a shrug. "Can we start over?"
The woman quickly nodded and he pulled in his soul and pushed it down. The group clutched chests as they gasped. Each breath sounded desperate as they tried to recover.
I'm really going to have to keep a grasp on my soul if I go to a city. It's scary to see how they react.
"This is James," Luna said, gesturing to him. "He's kind of scary when he wants to be."
"No shit!" the woman snapped.
Scanning the room, James perked up. "They have a bathtub!"
Following his gaze, Luna clapped. "Thank God! I can properly bathe, and you can clean my tail!"
Raising his brow at her, he glanced at her tail which was still matted and sickly looking. "We are going to need hours to fix that."
Frowning, she pulled her tail to her front. "You said you'd find me a tub months ago. This is your fault."
"What?" the woman asked.
Waving her off, James walked over to the tub. It even had a plug, despite it being dirty and in need of a good scrubbing. Holding out his hand, he started pouring white water into it. "Use your wind to scrub the water around."
Luna quickly joined him. Moving the air with a few waves of her fingers, they worked to scrub the dirt from the porcelain. Ignoring the group of cultivators that were still recovering, James watched as Luna started unraveling her chest wrap. For the first time, he noticed how dirty and stained it was, and her shorts were no better.
"Try not to stare too much," she teased.