Chapter 6: The birth of light.

With some hundred unsteady steps they reached to source of light, talking to each other on their walk. It was shining on an intersection of their tunnel and a much bigger one, at least 8-10 meters wide. The light itself wasn’t a hatch leading to the world above like some may hope. It was a globe, made from a cold to touch crystal, emitting a dim light, steadily.

With better visibility Luke could see the surrounding details more clearly. The stones were smooth polished, cracked only in places where now some new, yucky vines pierced through them. In some places metal pipes, newer and rusted, older, poked from the walls and ceiling. The current was stronger here, it must be a bigger vein in this system which other, smaller ones connect to. There was a barely visible slope in the walkways. The waters themselves were murky and frothy here. Deep, concrete gray was bubbling near the shore, throughout the river of filth one could see vibrantly colored spots, like spilled gas in a puddle, just much, much more colorful and in some places creating mist above it, even some sparks and little pops born from combustion.

He looked back at the light, seeing no visible source of power, he started taping it with his right arm. It sounded hollow and glass like, yet was malleable like hard putty under the prodding. He decided to try something else.

First he focused on the energies he recently discovered. Those surrounding him here were all in disarray. Simply clashing, conjoining, splashing against each other with no rhyme or reason.

He thought about drawing them in, like in those cultivation novels he read, but then slapped himself in the forehead.

“Duh, stupid, yeah, sure, try to absorb the waste energies, real smart of you, get turbo poisoned even more.”

“That does sound stupid.”

“Shush”

With a snap of his fingers he refocused. He looked at his right hand.

*Ok, no outside intervention, maybe time for something from within.*

He didn’t want more any more brain scrambling so he started with the warm energy within him, this whole Primordial magic thing. It was much easier to control than the Void one, it almost seemed alive and yearning to be of use. Like a dog, asking for a walk, so full of energy it can barely hold still.

Focusing on the source in his heart, the energy coalesced, then trickled down ever so strongly into his right palm. Trying to manifest it outside didn’t yield any results. It felt trapped in his skin, still, it was there so that’s something. Remembering the feelings that his previous clash gave off he tried to recreate it, focusing on manifesting strengthening effects. The energy changed flavors, got thicker. When the hand came into contact with the light source, it got stronger, not by much but Luke could feel himself slowly trickling into it, feeding it energy and raising the volume of light emitted.

“Nice.”

Making a mental note of directing the energy with specific intend in mind, he decided that’s it time for experiment number two.

He lifted his other hand, he got a closer look at it in the light which he really tired to avoid. Even with the numbing effect of drugs on his body and his mind, the whole arm still radiated pain and feeling so uncomfortable he couldn’t describe it into words. He could feel the bones still being full of fractures, his finger tips dark like a star less sky, connected by string of pure black travelling up his arm. If he didn’t know any better he could swear they were bottomless chasms.

That seeping hollowness was constant. Unchanging. Radiating from deep within.

He put his palm on the globe, immediately it started flickering, buzzing like corpse flies woken from slumber in a rotten carcass.

He heard some voice calling him to stop but was too engrossed in the feeling. The world around him turned quiet, the colors drained. He didn’t try to strengthen it, he knew it would just birth more pain to himself by trying to channel more energy. Instead, all that feeling spreading out of his bones and seeping into his muscles, he guided through the cracks in his skin, along the pathways already made. He didn’t want more light, he demanded less darkness.

Seconds went by and the effect was much more visible then before, still flickering the light became more dominant, the surroundings lost their shadows, being illuminated akin to a police siren, even in between flashes it remained more visible.

The flashes got so intense he had to close his eyes, to focus on guiding as much of that feeling out as possible, he could feel it lessening the strain on his body and mind, and that was all that mattered.

A resounding noise startled him, a squelch mixed with the sound of glass cracking. In his hand the globe shattered, spilling the vile slushy contents on his palm and dropping on his feet. At least the smell wasn’t as offensive, it smelled like rubbing alcohol. Sterile.

“Good job, fuckface.”

“I think so too, at least I got some grip on that whole magic mumbo jumbo, and I think I can vent some of that void stuff. The orb looks like it’s missing some parts, must have eaten through it to power the effects. The Mana thing feels a bit drained, but still lively, couldn’t project it for now but I feel it’s possible. Just got to picture clearly the effect I desire. I feel the more specific I will want it the harder it will be but better the result.”

“Mhm, great, but what do we do now?”

“Now, my shadowy friend, we choose what path we take. Do we go upstream or downstream?”

“What difference is there?”

“Well, if it’s like any other sewage system I can think of, it will have metals bars and doors to block out any idiots that would try to enter it or idiots like us, trying to leave it. Looking at the slope, and the entry point I got flushed down we can assume we are deep underground, there isn’t even any city noise to be heard and I think that pipes should carry that at least to some degree. So, if we go up we may end up either locked out, or be forced to travel vertically upwards through a pipe full of sewage pounding on us, or simply find ourselves in a dead end. I am weakened, but also, I can feel that little nap allowed what ever energies are tumbling in me to strengthen my body. I don’t know if it’s enough to bend metal but with those 2 energies to support me and some time, maybe it would be doable. But climbing up isn’t. I can barely stand, by back hurts like a bitch and that slime thing munched on some part of my calf in a way I can’t put much weight on it.”

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“So downstream?”

“We should find a reservoir where all that shit comes together, will probably still have to face some obstacles. The worst I can think of is having to swim through a blockage or finding more critters the deeper we go and the more magic is gathered there. If there is a reservoir, there should be a way to leave it to the surface. They have to have a way to enter it to clear it in case of any blockage. I’m just hoping for that and them nor using teleportation or some sewage bending over the distance…or some magic draino. Hey, maybe the magic folk aren’t that environmentally friendly and we can leave into some river or something. This city has a lot of them.”

“Still, wouldn’t going upstairs be easier?”

“Yeah, you may be right, the thing I’m still concerned about it that when the Nazi Hunchback I told you about ripped the manhole cover I saw some magical symbols, I’m no specialist but it seemed like some wards or spells and while I was quite fucked at the moment I could still feel how complex and energy dense that thing was. And while I like you, I know trying to force it open with the Void would kill me instantly, so sorry but I’m not doing that, plus I doubt it would work.”

“Maybe there are other manholes unguarded by any spells?”

“Eh, doubt it buddy, if they are sealed like that, it means that the whole sewage system contains stuff dangerous or annoying enough to make sure it stays below the city. Even those slimes, if they could somehow enter beyond the veil into the magicless nothing short of a car would kill them, and with how quiet and painless they are, and amorphous they could kill tens of people and raise a panic. And even if they couldn’t. They stink like hundred ripped asses and could eat those nice flowers outside.”

“Nice flowers?”

“I’ll tell you about it later, focus for now, If we give it a day of me being unconscious, a day of work before that, then we can say I’m at around 2,5 days without food, I’m battered. Water is of bigger concern right now but I rather die then be forced to drink any more of that. I don’t know how my body changed but I feel I got a lot more in me. And with my little stash of happiness I can go without food or sleep for at least 3 more days before I collapse. With the risk of me not waking up at all and any critters we may meet I rather forgo sleep until we are safe. I say we go downstream, fuck around and find out.”

“Not like I have any other options, I’ll join with you, but don’t expect me to fight anything for you, I could feel those energies you used and I don’t want any of that.”

“Sure, let’s say you are our last resort.”

“So move those dirty legs of your and let’s go”

“Yup, it’s time to move.”

And so they traveled deeper into the bowels of the filthy labyrinth. Luke, drained of at least some of the Void Taint haunting him felt a bit better if more sensitive to physical stimuli. His head felt lighter, and easier to focus. He decided to try and get familiar with that warm energy, and on his way use it to strengthen his body or be able to at least light up his path.

Step after step, the echo of rushing water and feet clacking against moist stone resounded. Minutes turned into hours, Luke’s body was getting adjusted to it’s new possibilities. Sadly, it wasn’t getting healthier per se, just stronger. The damage and the sickness was still there. His handling on the energy got better with the passage of time, he could guide it, strengthen somewhat his limbs( the tainted one the least but he could suppress the Void in it a bit from spilling out), and even make himself light up a bit like a firefly. That was quite fun for a bit.

When he tried to birth fire from his palm nothing happened. He felts like too big of a burden was put on him, his image not clear enough and something lacking. It was that feeling of something missing to complete the puzzle.

So like with every problem, he separated it into smaller ones, ones more manageable.

Changing the size and placement of it from his palm to the top of his index finger yielded some results. Instead of a ball of lames he wished for a spark to manifest. He could feel the power drain lower significantly but besides that, still nothing.

He focused, remembered all the time he got zapped by a power socket, or when the tram’s power lines would create lighting chains, making that buzzing noise, flashing and startling the hell out him.

Diving into his memories and imagination, he tried to really comprehend what a spark is. The birth of flame, the jolt of pain, the carrion of heat and energy, the seed of flashing light.

Packing that into a neat little package of thought and intent he jammed it into the flow of his energy, guided it again into his finger tips and voila! It worked, after hours of walking and trying, he got the same effect of a flint lighter without any gas in it. Sparks ejected from his finger in a short burst startling the little fella.

“You could have warned me Luke.”

“Sorry, still, you must admit, impressive!”

“Not really, but sure, good for you.”

“I think that calls for a little prize for this Grand Warlock of arcane arts, a crystal to replenish my lost energy, Muahahaha!” He exclaimed, sniffling through his stuffy nose with a smile on his tired face.

“ I don’t have a clock but I’m pretty sure snorting from a baggie after line every 30 minutes isn’t that smart”

“Do you even know what a clock is?”

“The thing that goes tick tock? And don’t deflect the topic.”

“TICK TOCK, good one!” he answered chuckling. The drugs were hitting strong that day. He already felt carefree, his injuries were something just beyond his field of thought, just a fleeting memory.

But he knew better, under all of that they compiled, the body was getting tired, the mind was getting looser in its frame and the Will weaker.

*Don’t think about it, just power through, step by step, go forward.*

After a quick break they resumed their journey, from one light fixture to another, following the flow of scum through the endless corridors.