{"id":199,"date":"2021-08-09T12:31:11","date_gmt":"2021-08-09T16:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/?page_id=199"},"modified":"2021-08-16T17:59:44","modified_gmt":"2021-08-16T21:59:44","slug":"chapter-13","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/index.php\/chapter-13\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 013: Into the Lion&#8217;s Den"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"290\" src=\"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Etherno_logo-sm.jpg\" alt=\"Etherno\" class=\"wp-image-52\" srcset=\"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Etherno_logo-sm.jpg 768w, https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Etherno_logo-sm-300x113.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"has-text-align-center has-large-font-size wp-block-heading\"><strong>Chapter 13: Into the Lion&#8217;s Den<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<aside id=\"custom_html-2\" class=\"widget_text widget widget_custom_html amr_widget\"><h2 class=\"widget-title\">Advertisment &#8211; Help keep Etherno free<\/h2><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    google_ad_client = \"ca-pub-6329442091957906\";\n    google_ad_slot = \"2637632844\";\n    google_ad_width = 728;\n    google_ad_height = 90;\n<\/script>\n<!-- 728x90, created 3\/31\/09 -->\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\nsrc=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script><\/div><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin flew low enough to skim the treetops that were barely visible in the moonless darkness. He pushed a hair more power to the servitors on his hands and looked back over his shoulder. Kasai glided along telekinetically behind him on his right. The servitor carrying Tannin was behind and to his left. Cerina and Saija followed behind him, each also suspended under a servitor. Onin still wished they\u2019d taken the monorail. He\u2019d need the energy it took to make those servitors if they ran into a Natas. Flying was worth the energy for the extra stealth, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The walls of the Matari Enclave came into sight. Onin waved to the others and they landed about four miles out. Onin re-absorbed all but one servitor, which provided enough light to see his immediate surroundings. Insects chirped overhead in the trees. The forest floor was almost completely black. Onin waved the servitor forward and followed it through the forest. Kasai reached out and took his hand. Comfort spread through him at her touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNice night for a stroll,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cShh!\u201d Onin waved his hand at Tannin. \u201cWe\u2019re supposed to be sneaking up to the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cOh, yeah, stealth. Right, I forgot. \u2018Cause the big glowing ball of light there won\u2019t be spotted,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin paused mid-stride. Tannin had a point. He hadn\u2019t even thought about the light, other than he wanted to see where he was going. Not that he\u2019d admit that to Tannin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI\u2019m going to turn it off once we get closer,\u201d he said grudgingly. \u201cRight now, we\u2019d never find our way through the forest without some light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cTrue, but why can\u2019t we talk, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cFine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Tannin slowed his pace and fell back to walk next to Saija.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, how\u2019s the leg?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHolding up good so far,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cUh, I never really said sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">There was silence for several more yards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, uh, I\u2019m sorry I stabbed your leg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIt\u2019s fine.\u201d Saija\u2019s speech was clipped. \u201cWasn\u2019t just you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cYeah.\u201d Onin heard Tannin run his fingers through his hair. Either that or Saija had just scalped him. Probably the former. \u201cI still had something to do with it, and I hadn\u2019t apologized, so I wanted to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIt\u2019s fine, okay, just drop it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin hoped that for once in his life Tannin would listen and let it go. Saija had obviously forgiven all of them, but the way she\u2019d lost her leg was still just as obviously a sore subject. By some miracle they walked the remainder of the four miles in silence.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside id=\"custom_html-2\" class=\"widget_text widget widget_custom_html amr_widget\"><h2 class=\"widget-title\">Advertisment &#8211; Help keep Etherno free<\/h2><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    google_ad_client = \"ca-pub-6329442091957906\";\n    google_ad_slot = \"2637632844\";\n    google_ad_width = 728;\n    google_ad_height = 90;\n<\/script>\n<!-- 728x90, created 3\/31\/09 -->\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\nsrc=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script><\/div><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"75\" height=\"50\" src=\"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/dragon.png\" alt=\"dragon\" class=\"wp-image-41\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin leaned out from behind a tree. The forest ended and left about 200 yards of open grass between them and the wall. He couldn\u2019t see any guards, but then the moon was only a sliver, and fog had started to set in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Tannin leaned out from behind the tree right below Onin. \u201cSo, do we just waltz right up there and jump the wall?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI\u2019d suggest more of a crouching run,\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNice one,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWill you two be quiet? They might hear us,\u201d Kasai whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNo they won\u2019t. I\u2019m making sure of that.\u201d Cerina smirked. \u201cI\u2019ve been generating a sonic barrier around us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cGood.\u201d Onin leaned back behind the tree. \u201cSaija, can you portal all of us right up next to the wall?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, why didn\u2019t we just portal here from Dabrath?\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cBecause\u2014\u201d Saija ticked off the reasons on her fingers. \u201cLong-range portals use a lot of energy, and I might need that to either fight or get us out of here. We can gain valuable intel on defense or surveillance devices from a long approach. And, for the zillionth time, I CAN\u2019T PORTAL TO SOMEWHERE I HAVEN\u2019T BEEN!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Cerina snickered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Saija spread her hands apart, and a portal appeared in the gap. She grabbed the edge and pulled it open wider. Onin looked over to the wall. He couldn\u2019t see anything through the fog now. He stepped through the portal, Kasai\u2019s hand still in his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin stepped out of the portal and dropped to a crouch. The only sound was the footsteps of Cerina, Tannin, and Saija as they stepped through the portal behind him. He listened and heard nothing. He squeezed Kasai\u2019s hand and nodded to her. The ground started to rise\u2014wait, the ground was still, it was the five of them that were rising into the air, as though they were in an invisible elevator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The top of the wall was about three feet wide and flat. He stepped onto it and looked around. The fog was too thick to see more than a few feet. Onin raised his hand and concentrated. A hot spot formed in front of him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Tannin asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cInfrared servitor.\u201d Onin gave the invisible servitor a little more energy. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t draw the attention a big ball of light would, and if they have infrared sensors, it should look like a bird.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cCool, I didn\u2019t know you could do that. Why aren\u2019t they all like that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cFor one, I can\u2019t see them. Makes it hard to keep track of them. Two, their combat abilities aren\u2019t quite as high. Arcing electricity makes a lot of light.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cAh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin sent the servitor down and over the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNothing down there. Kasai?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI\u2019ve got a telekinetic platform ready. Just step off,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThis part makes me nervous,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhy? If you fall, you can just strengthen yourself,\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cReinforce. And that doesn\u2019t make it not scary\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cCome on.\u201d Onin took a deep breath and stepped off the edge of the wall\u2014and onto solid nothingness. He shuddered and resisted the urge to look down. \u201cOkay, this is extremely unnerving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">In moments they were on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat now?\u201d Tannin asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWe look around, see what we can find.\u201d Onin pointed to the left. \u201cThe main gate is that way. If we head in that direction, we should come up behind the village.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">After fifteen minutes they hadn\u2019t encountered anyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cAre you sure this is the right way,\u201d Cerina asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI\u2019m pretty sure it is. Kasai?\u201d Onin turned to face her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cPositive.\u201d Kasai nodded. \u201cWe should be almost to some of the buildings that are farthest out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHow big is this village, anyway?\u201d Tannin asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cFairly small.\u201d Onin looked around. \u201cIf I remember correctly, there\u2019s about three large buildings and, oh, around ten or so house-sized ones. They didn\u2019t say, but I got the idea it\u2019s used mostly for entertaining, and the Matari actually live deeper into the enclave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">They should be close to the village by now, but Onin didn\u2019t see anything. Of course, the fog made that more difficult. The servitor had gone on ahead, but it hadn\u2019t reported anything either. He generated another infrared servitor and pulled it over his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The fog vanished. Trees and small animals lit up blue, yellow, and red in the infrared view. Odd. Most buildings gave off at least some infrared radiation. He should be able to see at least some kind of heater exhaust, or, even if the building was well insulated and didn\u2019t have an active heat source, a body inside it would raise the temperature enough to show a slightly brighter blue outline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHey, Kasai?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cShouldn\u2019t we be in about the middle of the village now, or is my sense of direction really off?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHmm,\u201d was all Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">He turned to look at her and his eyes widened. Tannin and Cerina had a normal infrared outline. Saija\u2019s was normal too, except for her artificial leg, which was blue instead of the normal green. Kasai, however, glowed white all over. Apparently, the heat he felt whenever she held his hand wasn\u2019t just because he found her attractive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIt is foggy.\u201d Cerina waved her hand in front of her face. \u201cBut I don\u2019t see a village anywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin re-absorbed the servitor that was over his head. He thrust a palm up, and a regular servitor shot up into the air. The fog slowly started to dissipate. Onin ran over behind a tree and waved at the others to join him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">A few more seconds and the fog was gone. Onin gaped at the empty clearing. Not a building was in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo\u2026\u201d Cerina drew the word out. \u201cYou sure you didn\u2019t dream all that after all?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIt was here.\u201d Kasai\u2019s voice was barely audible. She took a few steps forward and turned to the left. \u201cThere\u2019s the gate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The gate was just as Onin remembered it. Except for the lack of guards. And the lack of a path. And a village was missing. Weird would be an understatement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, what happened here?\u201d Onin spun on his heel. \u201cThe village was right here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThat strange quasi-kinetic feeling,\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat about it? Could they have moved the entire village?\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI don\u2019t think so.\u201d Kasai bit her lower lip and twirled her hair around her finger. \u201cIt\u2019s more like, I don\u2019t know\u2026 an illusion or hologram or something. Like they were mentally and physically projecting it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cCan they do that?\u201d Saija said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI\u2019ve never heard of a hologram that realistic,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI still think you imagined it.\u201d Cerina leaned against a tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNo. It was real,\u201d Kasai insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, now what? Do we just sit here, wander around some more, or what?\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWe\u2019re here. I say we explore.\u201d Onin pointed northwest. \u201cWhen we were here, there was a trail that went off in that direction. I say we go that way and see if we can find anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhy?\u201d Cerina looked over in the direction that Onin had indicated. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing here now. If it was a hologram or something, it\u2019d just be a fake path anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cBut why have a fake path that led out of the village?\u201d Saija looked over at Cerina. \u201cIf the whole thing was fake, why bother faking anything other than what they needed to? Besides, Onin and Kasai\u2019s research indicated that the Matari might possibly be some kind of spectral being, kinda like the Natas. If that\u2019s the case, the village might be real, sorta. Just not here, now, to our perceptions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cTcsh.\u201d Cerina rolled her eyes. \u201cThat\u2019s a stretch. We\u2019re supposed to find something we can\u2019t see?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Saija took a step forward. Tannin grabbed her upper arm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cLet it go. We can\u2019t convince her; she\u2019ll have to see for herself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cFine.\u201d Saija took a deep breath and spun on her heel. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">After an hour of wandering through nothing but more trees, Onin was even starting to get doubts. He and Kasai had seen the village. He was sure of it. He was less sure they\u2019d find anything tonight. Perhaps the Matari could only be seen when they wanted to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d Kasai pointed ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin generated a servitor and sent it up into the sky. He concentrated and could see from the servitor\u2019s perspective. Something shimmered ahead. He sent the servitor in closer. A boulder was in the middle of a path that hadn\u2019t been there before. As he watched, the boulder flickered. For an instant, a stone building was next to a paved road. The next, it was gone, and the forest was back, sans boulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat the\u2026\u201d Onin blinked and was back to his own sight. \u201cThat was weird.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat?\u201d Tannin asked. \u201cGiant mutant rats?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin blinked and turned slowly to stare at Tannin. \u201cWhere on Gesara did you get the idea that I saw giant mutant rats? Who even thinks up such nonsense?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d Tannin nodded and clapped Onin on the shoulder. \u201cWhat was I thinking? We\u2019re in a forest. It\u2019s much more likely to be mutant raccoons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSeriously\u2014\u201d Cerina cocked her head to the side. \u201c\u2014is he brain damaged?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHe\u2019s just trying to lighten the mood,\u201d Saija said. Then, in an undertone, \u201cI hope\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin shook his head and ran forward on the trail, Kasai right behind him. The boulder was in front of them, completely solid. Onin walked past the boulder, then turned to stare at it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, what\u2019s so weird? Rocks in the woods. That\u2019s normal.\u201d Tannin took a step forward and knocked on the rock. \u201cYup, solid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Tannin crossed his legs at the ankle and leaned against the boulder with his palm. \u201cYup, not going\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The boulder flickered out of existence, and Tannin fell over on the ground. He jumped up and ran behind Onin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat the mutant raccoon was that?\u201d he yelled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cAgain with the raccoons?\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI like raccoons.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Saija took Tannin\u2019s arm and turned it over, looking at it. \u201cYou\u2019re not hurt, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI think I\u2019ll live.\u201d Tannin held his hand to his forehead in a dramatic posture. \u201cI don\u2019t know, though. You\u2019d better make sure I didn\u2019t get a splinter or pick up a poisonous insect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cAww.\u201d Saija ran her hand up and down Tannin\u2019s arm, eyes glinting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI think I\u2019m going to be sick,\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Saija and Tannin both giggled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWould you two knock it off!\u201d Onin glared at them. He wasn\u2019t sure if they were flirting, or just trying to pester Cerina, but now wasn\u2019t the time. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to figure out what\u2019s going on here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The boulder turned transparent, then faded away, to be replaced by the stone house with a wood door and a tile roof. A minute or so later the stone house disappeared again, and the boulder was back. Onin waited for the house to re-appear then ran toward it. As soon as he reached the area where the forest path turned into a sidewalk, the house disappeared, leaving Onin standing in the middle of the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">He turned and trudged back to the others. \u201cIs it just me, or does it seem to change when we get close?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cYeah.\u201d Kasai shifted her weight to her other leg. \u201cThat\u2019s the same style of house we saw when we were here last time. Right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin stared at the curve of Kasai\u2019s hip where her right hand rested on it. She had such a nice curve to her hip that flowed to a narrow waist\u2014Onin blinked and focused on Kasai\u2019s face. The tip of the index finger of her left hand was in her mouth, and she looked lost in thought. \u201cCould it be another dimension, or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cCould be, but how can we get in?\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI might be able to help with that,\u201d Saija said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cYou can?\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI said, \u2018might.\u2019 I don\u2019t know.\u201d Saija frowned and turned to stare at the boulder that had reappeared. \u201cI might be able to portal us inside\u2026maybe\u2026 If it is another dimension.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWorth a try,\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHow long do we have to stare at this stupid bolder before the house is back?\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI dunno. Go poke it,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNo way!\u201d Cerina glared at Tannin. \u201cWhat if I get stuck or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin sighed and generated a fingertip sized servitor. It blinked and shot out toward the boulder. The instant it made contact it disappeared in a shower of tiny sparks. The boulder faded out simultaneously. Saija lifted her hand and opened a portal. The other end of the portal opened next to the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWow.\u201d Saija grunted. \u201cHurry! This is taking a lot more energy that it normally does.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin ran into the portal. Kasai grabbed his hand as he was halfway through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">It was daylight. Onin froze in shock. The forest was gone. A handful of trees surrounded the old house, and a stone barn was where they had been standing moments before. The sidewalk Onin now stood on curved around the house\u2014and up into the sky, supported by nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Tannin and Cerina stepped out of the portal behind him, and finally Saija. She dropped to her knees and sucked in air. Onin grabbed one of her arms. Kasai got the other, and they led her over to sit on the steps of the stone house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cAre you alright?\u201d Kasai asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cYeah, I\u2019m fine.\u201d Saija took another breath. \u201cJust used up a lot of power holding that portal open. Never felt anything like that before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin dug around in his backpack and handed Saija an energy bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThanks.\u201d She bit off a large hunk and gulped it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cEasy there.\u201d Kasai patted Saija\u2019s back. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to choke.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cMmm.\u201d Saija nodded while she chewed. \u201cIt\u2019s been a very long time since I\u2019ve been this hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThat\u2019s kinda got me worried. How are we going to get out?\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWorry about that later. If this is the Matari dimension, or whatever, they might be able to help with that, seeing as we might have been here before,\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWow. Floating concrete.\u201d Tannin craned his head around as he looked up at the sidewalk. \u201cRemind me not to eat the cafeteria\u2019s mushroom lasagna ever again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cShut up.\u201d Cerina smacked Tannin\u2019s arm. \u201cThat\u2019s not funny.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNo. \u2018Surreal\u2019 would be a better word.\u201d Tannin scrunched up his nose and blinked at the floating sidewalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Cerina took a step towards Tannin. \u201cOh, look who can use big-boy words now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThe question is\u2014\u201d Onin stepped between them. \u201cWhere do we go from here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cUp.\u201d Kasai pointed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Tannin shrugged, Saija nodded. Cerina glanced at the curving sidewalk and shivered. Kasai slipped her hand into Onin\u2019s and they started up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The world turned around them. At least, that\u2019s what it looked like. Onin kept his eyes on the stone house as they walked along the sidewalk. It felt like they were walking in a flat, straight line, yet, the house was now at a ninety-degree angle to the part of the sidewalk they stood on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThis is weird.\u201d Onin stared at the sideways house. Either he or the house should be falling over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI think I\u2019m going to be sick.\u201d Cerina hugged her stomach and kept her gaze on the sidewalk at her feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI\u2019m totally serious about those mushrooms,\u201d Tannin swept his arm in the direction of the sideways house. \u201cWhat else could explain this? I bet I\u2019m going to wake up in a few hours in our dorm room with a killer headache, or whatever kind of hangover or whatever you get from \u2018shrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Saija raised an eyebrow. \u201cIt\u2019s not the mushrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cFor one\u2014\u201d Saija held up a finger. \u201cThe cafeteria\u2019s looked and tasted just like ordinary mushrooms. Two\u2014\u201d She held up another finger. \u201cI had the same lasagna, so\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHa!\u201d Tannin pointed at her. \u201cI knew it! We\u2019re having the same hallucination!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Saija\u2019s eyes narrowed, and she jabbed Tannin in the forehead with her index finger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cAgain, knock it off, you two. We have to see if we can find the Matari,\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The scenery didn\u2019t change much over the next mile. Floating trees suspended in nothing, Two more stone houses set back from and on opposite sides of the path\u2014and on different rotational planes from each other. Something flew past Onin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cDid you see that?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSee what?\u201d Kasai whipped her head around. \u201cWait\u2026 is that a fish?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">It was a fish. Swimming through the air several yards off the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI think\u2014\u201d Cerina slowly drew the words out as she stared at the fish. \u201c\u2014that we might owe Tannin an apology about his mushroom theory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin shook his head and kept walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Finally, they came to an area where everything looked normal. Or at least everything was on the same axis, and nothing was flying that shouldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThank goodness!\u201d Cerina dropped to her knees and laid down on her back to stare up at the sky. \u201cI thought I was gonna spin off into the air any second there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Kasai took a deep breath. \u201cIt is nice to be back to something that looks as it should.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI wonder\u2014\u201d Onin looked around at the flat grassland. \u201c\u2014in here, are the normal parts normal, or weird?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cDon\u2019t care. As long as \u2018up\u2019 is the same direction for everything,\u201d Cerina said<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, what do we do now, boss?\u201d Tannin looked over at him and raised his eyebrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThere are houses over that way,\u201d Onin shrugged and pointed ahead of them. \u201cSomeone had to have made them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">He walked up to the closest house. It was made of stone with a tile roof like the others they\u2019d seen. Wood door, and clouded windows on the sides. At least this one wasn\u2019t moving. Onin knocked on the door. No response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo\u2026\u201d Saija peered in one of the windows. \u201cThese windows are glazed or frosted or something, I can\u2019t see anything. Assuming people of some sort live here, where are they?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cMy guess would be they\u2019re hiding, or they\u2019ve fled the area,\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cScared of us or something else?\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cGood question.\u201d Onin walked around to the back of the building. The others followed him. \u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s the Natas. That\u2019d explain why the Matari cut funding to ABG, and why this place is deserted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cCould be a little of both. If the Natas did attack here, any survivors would be terrified of any other strangers coming around,\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">They checked the surrounding houses without any results. All the doors were locked. Not a person or animal was in sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWell, time to keep moving, I guess. There\u2019s nothing here.\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cBut where?\u201d Kasai looked around. \u201cWe could wander around here forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Just then a branching path on the sidewalk shimmered into existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHow about that one?\u201d Tannin gestured toward the new path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cOh, yeah.\u201d Cerina rolled her eyes. \u201c\u2018Cause that couldn\u2019t scream \u2018trap\u2019 any louder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIt should lead us straight to whoever we\u2019re looking for, then.\u201d Onin raised his hand and generated a servitor, which zipped off down the new sidewalk. The servitor didn\u2019t send back any energy, or telepathic echoes. It traced the path for a while and sent back a mental picture of a large wooden structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cDid it find anything?\u201d Kasai asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNot really.\u201d Onin frowned. \u201cThe path spirals and turns and stuff, and there\u2019s a building at the end that looks normal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">He shrugged. It might be a trap, but he had a gut feeling that it was more of an invitation. Onin tapped a finger against his leg. The information from the servitor didn\u2019t provide any hints. He\u2019d just have to trust his hunch and hope he made the right choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin squared his shoulders and headed down the sidewalk. Everyone else trailed behind him. The trees started to get thicker. And\u2026 weirder. Before, they looked like normal trees. Well, normal in everything except the whole \u201cgrowing in mid-air\u201d thing. Now they looked like poorly rendered imitations of trees. Sharp, blocky green triangles where branches and individual needles should be. Onin peered at one of them. The trunk was square and flat brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cUh, anyone else getting creeped out by this?\u201d Saija asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cCome on.\u201d Cerina jabbed a finger at Saija. \u201cWith your past, this can\u2019t be the weirdest thing you\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019m scared. No, this isn\u2019t the grossest or most\u2026 off\u2026 thing I\u2019ve seen, but it is the weirdest.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Kasai looked up at Onin, then over her shoulder at Saija. She let go of Onin\u2019s hand, fell back a few paces and took Saija\u2019s hand in hers. Saija flushed and looked at the ground. Onin stared at Kasai. He\u2019d rather she hold his hand, but Saija obviously needed a friend more right at this moment. He smiled. Not many people could forgive a person who had tried to kill them not that long ago. Kasai was wonderful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHey, what\u2019s that?\u201d Tannin pointed at the ground a dozen or so yards left of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">A shadow floated over the ground. Only, it wasn\u2019t a shadow. More like the reverse of a shadow, like someone shining a spotlight on the ground. Onin shaded his eyes with his hand and looked up. A giant cloud of light drifted through the sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cJust when you think this place can\u2019t get any weirder\u2014\u201d Onin turned back forward and jumped. \u201cWhat the\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">They stood in front of a large stone and metal castle. It looked like a spaceship had artfully crashed into something out of the medieval era. It was roughly circular and had twisting stone and metal towers rising out of the wall at irregular intervals. They stood in front of a raised wooden drawbridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Tannin frowned. \u201cI swear this wasn\u2019t here a minute ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIt wasn\u2019t.\u201d Saija had stepped behind Kasai, and she was visibly trembling. \u201cThis is sickeningly familiar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cOh?\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWell, not\u2014\u201d Saija waved her hand around. \u201c\u2014this. But\u2026 I don\u2019t know\u2026 this feeling. I feel the way I did when the Natas that occupied me was communicating with its master.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cThere might be a Natas nearby?\u201d Onin generated a servitor and put it into sentry mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI don\u2019t know. The Natas are spectral beings. The Matari might give off the same feeling if they are, too. Or it might just be this place, if it\u2019s some kind of spectral dimension or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Another anti-shadow drifted overhead. Onin squinted up at it and watched as it came down and went through the door and inside the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cJust what are those things?\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI wonder\u2026\u201d Kasai let go of Saija\u2019s hand and walked up to the drawbridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cHello?\u201d Kasai paused and took another breath. \u201cMatari? It\u2019s Kasai and Onin!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">No response. Did Kasai think that\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIf you\u2019re the Matari, we\u2019re here to help,\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Still no sign of a response from inside the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cMaybe no one\u2019s home here, either,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWait,\u201d Onin held up a hand. \u201cDid you hear that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">There it was again. Faint, but definitely a squeak. Seconds later it squeaked again, and the drawbridge started to lower. Kasai took a step back and grabbed Onin\u2019s hand. She stretched her other hand out behind her and grabbed one of Saija\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The drawbridge settled onto the ground with a solid thunk. Onin crossed the bridge into the castle with the others in tow. The inside was nothing like what he expected. Which, given the nature of this place, didn\u2019t surprise him. A yellow sidewalk ran from a clearing in a forest toward a group of stone houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhoa,\u201d Kasai said. \u201cD\u00e9j\u00e0-vu.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhat? Sure, it looks a little like that first place with the houses where we were, but it\u2019s not the same,\u201d Tannin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cNo, that\u2019s not it. This is where Kasai and I were when we went to the Matari Enclave,\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cCan\u2019t be. That\u2019s miles behind us,\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI think that they brought us here that night,\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cOr reality isn\u2019t a firm concept here.\u201d Saija shrugged. \u201cIt could be that in this dimension, this place doesn\u2019t have a fixed physical location.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cSo, where do we go? There are, what?\u201d Tannin leaned around Onin and looked at the sidewalks. \u201cThree different paths here. Which one do we take?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWe took yellow last time,\u201d Kasai said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cJust because you took it last time doesn\u2019t mean anything. You were here for a completely different reason last time,\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cI think we should stick to the yellow path,\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Saija nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cDon\u2019t look at me.\u201d Tannin shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m still voting this is all mushroom induced.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cKnock it off with the mushrooms, already!\u201d Cerina smacked his arm. \u201cWe\u2019ve already established\u2014never mind. Why am I arguing with an idiot? Lead on, Onin.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin started down the yellow path. Everything looked exactly the same as it did the last time he and Kasai were here. The light started to dim the farther along the path as they went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWhy not?\u201d Tannin muttered under his breath. \u201cWe\u2019ve had sideways houses, trees growing in mid-air, and low-res trees. Why not varying light levels?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cIt was just after dark when we were here last. I think they\u2019re trying to recreate that visit almost the same as it was then,\u201d Onin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cBut why? What\u2019s the point?\u201d Cerina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">\u201cWe\u2019ll know soon enough,\u201d Saija said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">The path ended at the same wood and metal building as last time. Onin glanced at Kasai, raised an eyebrow, and jerked his chin toward the door. She stared back at him and nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"bookws\">Onin reached out and pushed the door open.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside id=\"custom_html-2\" class=\"widget_text widget widget_custom_html amr_widget\"><h2 class=\"widget-title\">Advertisment &#8211; Help keep Etherno free<\/h2><div class=\"textwidget custom-html-widget\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    google_ad_client = \"ca-pub-6329442091957906\";\n    google_ad_slot = \"2637632844\";\n    google_ad_width = 728;\n    google_ad_height = 90;\n<\/script>\n<!-- 728x90, created 3\/31\/09 -->\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\"\nsrc=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/show_ads.js\">\n<\/script><\/div><\/aside>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/index.php\/chapter-12\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"147\">&lt;&lt; Previous Chapter<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/index.php\/table-of-contents\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"34\">Contents<\/a> |<a href=\"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/index.php\/chapter-14\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"202\"> Next Chapter >><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aarondemott.com\/newsletter\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.aarondemott.com\/newsletter\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/etherno.aarondemott.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/env_sm.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-178\" width=\"33\" height=\"20\"> Be notified when the next chapter comes out!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/storage.ko-fi.com\/cdn\/widget\/Widget_2.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\">kofiwidget2.init('Buy me a cup of tea', '#29abe0', 'V7V05ASUY');kofiwidget2.draw();<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chapter 13: Into the Lion&#8217;s Den Onin flew low enough to skim the treetops that were barely visible in the moonless darkness. 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