The Heavens Shall Fall

“There,” Siu muttered as he returned his shoulder to its place with a wet pop and a suppressed hiss. “Good enough...”

“Master...” Arya stared at him as he tried to move it, and her expression made it clear that she thought differently.

“I can move it, and it no longer hurts.”

Before Siu could continue, Arya just stepped forward and wrapped both arms around him, pressing her face up against him while her tail curled around his waist, not letting go. Just then, Marly landed on his shoulder and immediately joined her, clinging to the side of his neck with all four limbs. He could do nothing but shrug because, while in the air, he had felt their fear through their bond even after the danger had passed.

“You were going to die...” Arya muttered quietly, making Siu pat her head.

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“That does not matter...”

“No,” Siu admitted, shaking his head. “It probably doesn’t.”

"Master..." Arya pulled back just enough to glare up at him. “Never do that again.”

"You know I can't promise that," He answered, tapping the top of her head. "We are cultivators, after all."

"Master...!"

“I promise not to make that exact jump again.” He said with a chuckle while Arya let go and squinted at him.

“That was a trick answer..." She pouted, "Master, are you a fox boy in disguise...?"

“Yes.”

"Uuuugh!" She stomped in place, turning her head away, pouting even harder.

"Well, I for one," Nokoh approached him, patting his shoulder, “I say that was a true, Paragon-like move.”

"Hey," Seloryn turned toward him, putting her flute away, “Do not encourage him.”

“I’m serious.” Nokoh nodded at Siu. “Seeing the situation, deciding immediately, risking everything, then destroying the battlefield behind you so the enemy cannot follow? That's more than just a regular disciple's work.”

"Could have done it better," Ruben chimed in suddenly, but then quickly added, "However, Nokoh has a point."

"Let's move instead, hm?" Siu flexed his injured shoulder, looking back and forth between them. "You can all praise me back in the sect while we are soaking in a bath."

“Right!" Joren piped up, too, staying next to the Prismhide, "Can we celebrate after leaving the mine? Please?"

By now, the beast’s breathing had grown steadier, and that was not necessarily a good sign.

“Right.” Nokoh nodded, his smile also disappearing. "We indeed need to go, because I am getting close to my limit.”

Luckily, the remaining route to the surface was the same one they had followed during their descent, with only a long climb while dragging a twenty-meter beast that weighed more than a building. Thinking about it, Siu picked up the front restraint line, putting it over his good shoulder, looking at the others with a smile.

“Let’s go.”

The moment everyone joined the effort, dragging it remained awful while the Prismhide scraped through the tunnels, even with Ruben's water helping it along the way. Maybe it felt worse to drag it around than before because each of them felt way too tired... At one steep incline, Ruben’s water slipped away from beneath the beast and came rushing back over everyone’s feet, and the Prismhide slid backward half a meter. The moment it happened, every rope snapped taut, and Siu nearly lost his footing. Arya also screamed something unkind that nobody understood, because of the noise of earth rising from the ground as Joren raised a wall behind the beast before it could slide farther.

The only reason there was no argument was that they were indeed tired of starting to curse each other. And because the mine seemed to have finally exhausted its supply of surprises of throwing monsters at them. Of course, Siu did not mention that aloud, as he learned not to jinx the group further. Soon, they had to take down their glasses, as the cave became way too bright when they reached the entrance and saw the setting sun welcoming them back.

“It's the sun!” Arya said, and for the first time, she wasn't waving a fist at it.

They subconsciously pulled harder, dragging the darned thing quicker than ever before as the final tunnel rose toward the abandoned mine entrance. It was good to see some color again, even if it was the blue sky and the brown earth. Naturally, they weren't the only ones who sensed the change because the Prismhide reacted violently to the brightening surroundings. Its body went stiff, and a low, frightened sound came from its throat.

“It really does hate sunlight,” Ruben muttered, looking at it, making Seloryn speak up at once.

“Keep it suppressed, Nokoh!”

“I am trying.” He spoke up with a strained voice and shaking hand, "It began fighting really strong... Geez...!"

Once again, black smoke came out of his arms and entered the creature, while he did his best to keep its body immobile. Picking up speed, the group dragged the beast through the immense stone arch, and the moment direct sunlight touched its crystalline plates, the entire creature flashed. Suddenly, bright, colorful rainbows shone over the stone ruins, making everything twinkle and bathe in a sea of colors. For one strange instant, the Prismhide looked less like an enormous burrowing hog and more like a fallen piece of ornament. It was... beautiful.

"Apparently it's too much light for it to go invisible, huh?" Ruben muttered, squinting at the sun, unsure what to make of the sudden lightshow.

"It's more because of your effort to hamper its circulation." A voice answered him, and only then did Siu and the rest notice the man waiting for them.

He stood near one of the old pillars, leaning against it leisurely, with his hair let down completely. Everyone stopped at once, dropping the harness they were holding onto, and even the Prismhide stopped breathing.

“Senior Orzimar...” Seloryn said with a sigh of relief that they didn't need to bring it back all the way to the Sect.

"Good job," The Reclusive Elder continued as he looked over the group.

"Have you been watching this whole time?" Siu asked as the elder's gaze passed across their dirty faces and exhausted expressions before he looked at the Prismhide.

“I just got impatient,” he said, waving his question away. “You took your sweet time with it after all.”

"..." Ruben’s mouth opened to say something, but Siu spoke before he could.

“It was heavier than expected.”

“Than expected?” He raised a brow and the corner of his lips. "It's a beast, born from the earth. What did you expect?"

“The book said fourteen meters.” Ruben still grumbled in the end, "We prepared for that, and ran into a bigger one."

“And now you understand why your friend, Quillian, is so obsessed with updating his personal library.” Orzimar answered nonchalantly, "Time always changes everything, so our knowledge has to be kept refreshed. Still, you managed, so be proud of yourselves.”

"Master," Arya leaned toward Siu and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear, “I think he is posing before us on purpose.”

“I know,” Siu whispered back, not suppressing his voice.

Orzimar’s gaze shifted to her, still smiling, only to make Arya smile just as innocently. Which was followed by her flinching when the elder lifted one hand and moved a single finger. After he did so, every clasp around the Prismhide opened, and the locking mechanisms snapped apart at once. At least, they weren't ruined, but it still made the group tense up.

“What are you doing?” Nokoh asked as they hurriedly stood back from the creature.

"Boy," Orzimar glanced toward him reassuringly. “You may stop. Retrieve your affinity.”

“If I stop, it will—”

“You may stop.” He repeated kindly, reminding them who he was, so, simply looking towards the others once more, Nokoh drew out his black smoke, dispersing it.

The moment he did so, the Prismhide inhaled like a whale, as its entire body expanded and flipped itself back over after a few tries, its six legs flailing comically for a moment. Siu stepped in front of Arya without thinking, as everyone who still had a slip to block the coming explosion raised them between their fingers. Watching them, the Prismhide raised its head, and its massive tusks pointed toward Orzimar as it opened its mouth and released a furious bellow.

"Relax," Orzimar raised his hand at it, and a piece of quartz grew from his palm while he spoke. It began as a white crystal no larger than his finger but then quickly lengthened into a thick, translucent shard, glowing faintly pink in the sunlight. After it formed completely, the Prismhide stopped roaring, and its nostrils visibly flared, while it tilted its head like a curious but frightened animal. "Come, take it," Orzimar said as he held the quartz toward it.

To their surprise, the beast took one cautious step... Everyone watched in silence as the twenty-meter monster approached the elder, who appeared small enough to stand beneath one of its tusks. What was happening? However, in the end, the creature lowered its head and the quartz disappeared between its jaws, scooped up by a grey tongue.

Crunch!

It was eating it. The tiny eyes it had even closed the next moment as it began making deep, rumbling noises like a cat's overtuned, boosted purring. It was clearly being super content, munching on a delicacy. Soon, Orzimar produced another quartz crystal, and the beast ate that too as its six legs bent, and it lowered its body to the ground in front of him. Its head settled near his feet, tusks resting on either side, the enormous tail scarping the ground as it began wagging very slowly. It looked like a monstrous armored pet waiting to be scratched.

"Ahaha... Good boy..." Orzimar placed one hand against its snout as the Prismhide’s tail struck the ground, making drumming noises now.

“He wanted a pet...?” Arya asked suddenly, while everyone looked dumbfounded.

“Yes.” Orzimar said without looking at them, "I did. I didn't specify anything though, because I didn't want to interfere. I was curious how you would interpret my request and go about it. You see, a corpse would have satisfied the mission, too.” he continued. “It would have shown competence, and you would still have earned your first construction.”

"But...?" Ruben’s eyebrows rose, sensing there had to be a but in there somewhere.

"I wouldn't have given you my all when creating it." He smiled nonchalantly, looking down at the beast, moving to start scratching its tusks. “I like Prismhides.”

"Well," Arya nodded seriously, "They are very round and shiny.”

The Prismhide nudged Orzimar’s hand still, and then the elder just produced another piece of quartz, feeding it, continuing to speak.

“I am impressed to see how your association interpreted a problem. I applaud how you recognized that a living specimen was more valuable than a dead one, then accepted the additional difficulty without being told to do so.”

"Well, the part of wanting it intact was a big clue," Seloryn crossed her arms, making it hard to tell if she was angry or not."

“You can kill without doing much damage,” Orzimar answered, shaking his head. "Most groups would have been thinking I'm after the plates, as those are the valuable characteristics of such a creature."

“Well...” Joren mumbled, looking at the others, but said no more, not wanting to ruin their good luck.

“Will the sect be angry?” Arya asked suddenly, making everyone look at her questioningly, including Orzimar. “The bridge." She said, looking around, also confused why they were confused, "And that thingy we used to bring the fatty over the hole. We totally destroyed that!”

"And?" Orzimar asked, actually taken aback.

“So... No?” She asked, playing with her hair, "It's... okay to make a mess?"

"Depends on where," Orzimar’s mouth shifted slightly, holding back a clear laugh, "It was abandoned, so any damage done to it was already expected. When the mine is reclaimed a few hundred years from now, it will be part of the sect's missions. Disciples will come, kill the beasts within, demolishing more than what you did today. Then, after they are done, using it as proper training, others will move in and restart the mines. It's all part of the raising of new disciples. Do you understand?"

"No," Arya said simply, shrugging once.

"I do," Siu muttered, placing a hand on her head. "I'll explain back home."

“Let's make it official!" Orzimar said suddenly, clapping his hands. "You passed. The Gemstone Terrace will receive its primary gate and a central headquarters building. However, the construction will not be rushed,” he added. “The original spatial formation must be respected, and I will not place inferior work upon land reinforced by the first Sect Master. Be patient until I call upon you.”

"How long will that be?" Ruben asked, but Orzimar just looked toward Siu, speaking to him as the Wardens' leader.

“When it is finished, you will know first. You will have a base suitable for the Spirit Wardens, I promise you that.”

“A perfect one?” Arya asked with a cheeky smile.

"Hm..." Orzimar considered the tricky question, tilting his head. “For what you have earned so far, yes. But keep up the same work for next time, too; we don't want to mix and match the future buildings of your association, do we?" He laughed while everyone else just groaned.

"Can we... go?" Ruben asked, nudging Seloryn, and the moment he did, Orzimar's smile just widened.

"See you all later... Wardens."

With that, Orzimar just clapped, and a formation flashed below his and the Prismhide's feet, disappearing in a colorful twinkle, leaving them alone, and with a bit of mixed feelings. Although they succeeded, they didn't get anything for it yet...

"If," Ruben spoke up once again, looking at the others, "Our new headquarters won't be up to par... I'll quit."

"Don't worry," Siu looked at him, smiling, "I would bring that up to a Grand Elder. We won't be swindled so easily!"

"You can do that?" Everyone asked suddenly, making Siu simply shrug and open his arms wide.

"I don't know, but for sure, I would try!"