The Heavens Shall Fall

Seeing the coming swarm, Siu pressed his palm against the flickering control formation and began raising the body of the stunned Prismhide. Above the bridge, the four chains holding the carriage rattled loudly under its weight as it began moving, doing it painfully slowly. Especially compared to how the Stone-shell Beetles did not seem interested in giving him the time to bring their tasty-looking, immobilized meal to safety.

Looking down into the darkness, he saw the beetles emerge from cracks and tunnels along the dark shaft’s walls. Their sizes seemed to vary a lot, as some were almost as large as Siu while others were smaller, around the height of a dog. Even if these ones were the food of a Prismhide, their roles had reversed immediately, and the beast knew that too. Despite being still stunned by Nokoh's ability, it released a long, frightened bellow, not wanting to die like this.

Sadly, it was not the right move, because the moment its cry traveled through the shaft, it made the swarm even more frantic, hurrying towards it.

“Quiet!” Nokoh shouted from the bridge, running to cross it. “Stop yelling or fighting back! We are trying to save you from being eaten!”

As they were running, the carriage moved away from the ledge and began crossing above the cracked bridge, entering the open chasm. Below it, the swarm changed direction at once, as the beetles poured toward the bridge. However, not all of them did, as the other half kept climbing on the walls, heading directly towards Siu, most likely aiming to climb over the chains that connected his station to the moving dinner table.

“Master!” Arya’s worried voice yelled at him, “We’re coming back!”

“Don't you even think about it!” He yelled back.

“They’re surrounding you!” Marly agreed.

“Stay there.”

“Master—!”

“Get the Prismhide off the carriage the moment it reaches you.”

“But—”

“Arya, do as I say!”

His tone silenced her at once, and, after that, she became surprisingly obedient.

"Be careful... Master..."

"Don't worry, I already have a plan," Siu muttered as he looked toward the carriage, which had passed above the first third of the bridge.

“Get ready!” Arya shouted at the others, being the first to reach the other side of the bridge. “Master says we handle the fatty!”

Just as he said it, a vibration traveled across the chains because the rusted mechanism had been built to transport heavy loads, but it had not moved in nearly four centuries. Every rotation of the main wheels where Siu was produced a shower of rust and powdered stone, making the supporting tower vibrate beneath Siu’s feet, drawing the beetles to climb even faster after sensing it.

Soon, one reached the base of the maintenance stairs, and Siu watched as its mandibles on its face opened and closed as it bit through one of the lower metal rungs, eating it. If the iron snapped between its mandibles like dry wood, he didn't want to know how well his body would fare, even if he had already reinforced his bones.

“That is unpleasant...” He muttered, throwing the thoughts out of his mind as three more beetles crawled onto the stairs behind the first. "Come on, you piece of rusted shit... Move faster!" He pressed more essence into the formation, and to his surprise, it accelerated slightly, but it also screamed at him as the chains began rattling.

By then, the bugs were not only climbing the walls, but they poured across the stone bridge, their bodies turning the whole thing into a grotesque, alive-looking thing. The way they climbed along the outside, going beneath it, vanishing into the hollow tunnels before emerging farther ahead, made it feel unnatural and hair-raising.

“Siu!” Seloryn yelled, her voice suddenly amplified by her powers, as one of the beetles had managed to climb onto the chains, connected to the moving Prismhide on Siu's end, and started trying to cross over to it.

“I see it!”

Drawing on Seloryn's affinity, Siu found it once again easy to switch and reached out, tapping the chain the bastard was climbing on. The resonating wave he sent through it threw off the beetle all of a sudden, making it fall into the dark, but... it was just one of many that were now crawling all over his spot, trying to get to their 'food.'

"Time to leave..." He muttered, as his fingers found a Ping Slip. “Let us see how stupid you really are.”

Although he said it, it was unclear whom he meant. The beetles? Or himself? Maybe both, because he infused it with essence and slapped it against the control platform’s outer wall. Luckily, it seemed to work for the first few moments at least. As the first thumping reverberation left it, the entire tower vibrated with it, and all of the beetles on the walls suddenly stopped.

After the second thrum, the beetles nearest the stairs turned away from Siu, wanting to descend. In contrast, others crawled sideways across the tower, searching for the predator making the noise. It seemed that their numbers had given some of them enough sense to not flee.

“It worked... For now.” Siu whispered to himself, gaining some time, but it was clear that sooner or later the swarm would start ignoring the noise and resume their assault.

Across the chasm, the carriage neared the receiving ledge just at the same time.

“Ready!” Seloryn shouted while Joren stood nearest the edge, both hands extended toward the three-meter gap separating the carriage from solid ground. His essence moved through the stone of the mine, raising the beginning of a crude ramp, clamping onto it.

Ruben waited beside him, umbrella open, not even complaining as water had already gathered at the tip of it. Beginning in a hurry to drag the beast off it, Siu kept the formation active until the carriage pressed as close to the ledge as the machinery allowed, then he locked it into position as the instrument went dormant.

“Use a Scatter Slip!” Seloryn shouted at Ruben, but Arya already had one in hand.

She leaped onto the front of the platform and slapped the red paper against the Prismhide’s belly. The creature’s body rose slightly at once, as she began pulling, already dragging the now weightless creature over to their edge... which also began dragging the beetles over the bridge, following their noses. If they had any.

“Master, come!” Arya yelled the moment they unloaded it, and looked towards Siu, who was apparently already working on just that.

The first Ping Slip continued pounding through the control tower, threatening its collapse... Which was something Siu wanted, cutting off a crossing point, making the chains fall down. Still, the beetles were beginning to understand that no predator was present and their fear gave way to hunger. By then, Seloryn moved onto the bridge, too, as she raised her flute and swung it, sending out a sharp wave of sound. A row of beetles near the far end jerked sideways when it reached them, their legs losing coordination as several struck one another and knocked them off the edge.

Ruben also stepped beside her as water spurted from the tip of his umbrella, like sharp, piercing jets as they struck a beetle across the shell. At first, the creature barely noticed as it ricocheted off, but then Ruben increased the power behind it, and the second shot went through not only the stony bug, but the two others behind it.

“Keep the path open!” Arya shouted suddenly, as she stood beside the Prismhide, gripping one of the restraints, but every part of her body leaned toward the bridge. “Master is coming!”

“Is he?” Ruben yelled, "How?! Where?!"

"That reckless bastard..." Seloryn muttered, looking upwards instead.

Siu looked at the now-shaking control platform, ready to collapse, then at the bridge, taking deep breaths while gazing down at the swarm climbing between them. Naturally, the maintenance stairs were already covered and crumbled; he wouldn't be able to return from there. The carriage was now empty, but returning it was already out of the picture. He could attempt to cross the chains... but then again, it was about to snap.

So, with no other choices, he stepped toward the edge of the platform. Measuring it, the distance to the bridge was significant and too far for an ordinary jump... But then a Scatter Slip appeared between his fingers, slapping it onto himself.

At the same time, he pulled out a second Ping Slip while his legs kicked off and he jumped. Suddenly, the machinery crumbled from being constantly resonated by the Ping Slip, making the whole chain and carriage tumble down into the darkness. Still, Siu was not even looking at them, because he was feeling like Marly, sensing the wind catch his body, which was now weightless, flying through the air thanks to the force behind his kickoff. It was still a fear-inducing experience as the enormous chamber opened around him... but he tried not to think about that. His focus was on the bridge instead while he spread his arms, trying to control his direction.

“What is he doing?!” Joren yelped when he noticed him 'flying' over the black abyss.

“Being Siu!” Ruben shouted back, watching just the same.

Naturally, the swarm reacted to his movement as the beetles raised their heads and several began climbing over one another, trying to reach him despite the impossible distance. Maneuvering himself over the bridge, Siu looked at the Ping Slip in his hand, taking another breath, because the hard part was just about to start... he couldn't let all of them cross over, because they wouldn't be able to escape them.

“Get off it!” Siu shouted just then.

“What?” Seloryn yelled, not even understanding why he said it.

“Get off the bridge!”

"You..." Comprehension appeared in her eyes after, biting her lips, “Ruben! Back!”

“You cannot be serious!” He yelled, too, but they began backing off.

By then, Siu had infused the Ping Slip and thrown it down. It landed near the center of the bridge, already resonating as its vibration exploded through the bridge. Every beetle froze at that moment because not only was it frightening them... The bridge groaned even louder when the previous crack began spreading again across the center.

From above, still flying across the chasm, Siu saw it run through the stone like black lightning. The center of the bridge dropped next, beginning to fall apart, starting from the middle, heading towards both ends. The beetles' clicking returned all at once, incredibly frantic as the entire swarm vanished into the chasm amid broken pillars, rock, and stone, killing hundreds of them... most likely.

As the bugs tried to cling to the stumbling pieces, or each other, the collapse spread toward both ends of the bridge in a flash, just when Seloryn and Ruben threw themselves farther back as the far section tore away from the wall, disappearing down below. It was the loudest noise the mine had ever seen in the past few hundred years, but for Siu, it wasn't even noticeable, because he could feel how his weight was... returning.

“Oh... Fuck...!”

The formation slip died the next moment, as Siu’s full weight returned, and he was still above the chasm. Close to the far ledge, where Seloryn and Ruben were... but not close enough, so he began plummeting. Sensing it, Arya screamed first, while Siu reached for the ledge, but his fingers closed on empty air. However, he saw something else, too: Ruben’s umbrella snapped open, and a whip of water exploded from it, wrapping around Siu's wrist and making him grab onto it at once.

His fall stopped hard enough to wrench his shoulder out of his socket, but he just inhaled, holding it all down while his body swung into the cliffside. His feet struck the wall first, sending loose stone tumbling into the darkness, but it also created a makeshift ledge to stick his toes into, holding onto dear life like a weird goat.

Above him, Ruben nearly went over the edge, but Seloryn caught his waist, holding onto him, pulling back, while Arya caught Seloryn and Cho’Wa seized Arya’s tail in his jaws.

“Not the tail!” Arya yelled out in pain, but nobody released anyone.

“Pull!” Ruben shouted through clenched teeth as his water whip tightened around Siu’s arm.

Finally, a few moments later, Siu reached the edge, and his free hand caught the stone, already pulling himself up. The moment he did, Arya released Seloryn, lunged forward, and grabbed him by the back of his robe, helping as best she could, while Marly slid down Arya's hand, biting into Siu's clothes, doing the same. They actually pulled on him with enough strength to throw him over the ledge, causing Siu to land on top of Ruben, while Seloryn fell across both of them.

“Everyone alive?” Seloryn moaned, panting for air.

“No,” Ruben answered beneath everyone. “You killed me.”

“You are talking...” Arya answered, joining the pile, trying to dig her Master out.

“I am haunting you... Especially you, Siu...” Ruben said with another groan.

"I'll take that..." He chuckled, "Thanks..."

"Sure..." Ruben snorted as Seloryn pushed herself upright, climbing off the others before she looked toward the chasm.

The bridge was gone, and only fractured roots of stone remained attached to either side. A handful of beetles clung to the distant walls, no longer able to just cross over, not that they were now so sure they should. Not after most of their swarm was gone.

"Well..." Joren and Nokoh walked over, helping everyone up. "Don't do that a second time."

"Can't," Siu grinned at them, holding onto his arm, trying to pop it back into place, wincing when he succeeded, "We don't have a bridge anymore."