Chapter 313: Hard choices
Irwin watched in awe as the Earth Titan hung in the Pyroflux above him. He didn't even notice the absence of the horrifying resonance from the lure as he watched it spin around. Its rugged, rock-covered fins flailed futilely, only resulting in spinning it faster. It might have looked funny if it wasn't creating a massive centrifugal force in the Pyroflux that was actively trying to rip every plant and rock from the seabed.
Three small eyes and one big one, he thought, seeing the similarities with the Chaos Whales. The same eyes, the same general shape, minus some differences, and roughly the same size category. Were they related somehow? Was that why Earth Titans were on so many worlds? But how did they get here then?
Confused, his mind still slightly fuzzy from his ordeal, he dumbly stared at the Earth Titan's most massive difference with the Chaos Whales: its maw. Filled with teeth that looked able to chew through a mountain, it was opening and closing like a castle-sized gate while the burning, angry, molten lava-eyes were swirling in their immense sockets. There was none of the gentle intelligence that he'd seen with the Chaos Whales. Instead, all he saw was pain and hunger.
Why.. isn't it sinking to the ground? Irwin thought.
The thought jogged his fuzzy mind out of its lethargy, and he shook himself. What was he doing? He needed to get his ember- his child! He felt his breath starting to run out, and he knew that he would need to either create steam or find air somewhere within the next few minutes.
Feeling the ridge he was holding crumble, he summoned his hammer to its most massive size. As he held the handle, he was slowly pulled up a dozen feet until he stood on the hammerhead, holding the handle. From his elevated position, he could clearly see the Earth Titan hovering hundreds of feet above the seabed, blocking his ability to see up. Not that he cared about that right now.
How is he doing that? He thought, staring stupidly at Tang.
The giant Fiz'rin looked like a tiny spec compared to the Earth Titan as he stood below it. He was holding a massive rod, one of his arms sticking into one side, and a glowing stream of Pyroflux, bubbling and shimmering, shot from its top. Even from this distance, Irwin could sense the intense heat, and the Pyroflux around it was starting to look odd- different. The almost beam-like stream of Pyroflux was constantly shoving the Earth Titan up.
'Kid, hurry up! Tiscian said the Earth Titan would only be stunned for ten minutes, and I'm not sure how long Tang can keep this up when that monster starts really trying to get down!
Irwin knew the Ganvil was right, as he was struggling to hold his breath. Unsummoning his hammer, he clacked his tongue, triggering his soundwave teleport.
A rush unlike anything he'd sensed before came as he felt himself move to the maw of the Earth Titan. The speed at which he was moving was intense and much faster than any other time he'd used it. Before he really understood what was going on, he was passing into the maw, moving between the large space between two of its teeth, and reappeared just in time to slam against a spongy wall that was very slightly indented.
The enormous cavelike mouth was constantly moving around him, and he saw another wall rapidly approaching. Letting out another click, he shot away and down the throat, which was large enough for an entire castle to pass through without touching the sides. The next time he reappeared, the swirling pyroflux all around him was pulsing to the beat of a heartbeat that created constant soundwaves that clashed all around. The soulforce emanating inside the Earth Titan was like powerful waves, and Irwin felt his own soulforce and soulscape almost buckle under the stress.