Enter (Day 96)

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He felt like muscles might burst under the strain as he struggled to support his weight in the relative darkness of the tunnel. It was difficult not succumbing to despair as he regarded the sheet of sheer rock ahead of him. Shafts of dim light could be seen filtering through it, however--there was definitely something on the other side. Considering how late it must be, Terakiel could only imagine he was seeing tiny shafts of moonlight. He was inches away from the outside world but completely walled off from it.

A wordless groan escaped his lips as he shifted his weight. The journey up had been enormously strenuous and now he had nowhere to go. Gripping tightly to the rock formation, Terakiel probed the rocks above him experimentally. Perhaps they were not as solid as he first imagined. Although it seemed the rocks were not entirely structurally sound, they were more than sturdy enough to break through with the strength of one man. If he'd had tools he might be able to break through with some time--but even then, it would be an extremely difficult task to do one handed.

"Aisen!"

There was no answer, of course. And what would he be able to to do to help? Even if he had decided to follow, there was little hope he would make it this far. The man had been squeamish about traveling down a narrow corridor; this tunnel might well provoke him into passing out. In a fit of frustration, Terakiel punched the tightly packed rocks ahead of him and he was showered with dust for his efforts.

 He couldn't let it end like this. He acknowledged that he deserved no better, but is life as no longer his only concern. Aisen was an innocent bystander that he had unwittingly transported into the midst of an unforgiving wilderness. Worse still, he had coerced him into exploring the depths of this cave--for no other reason than because he'd had a feeling it might be important. If he died here, then what then? Aisen would find his way out of the cave after some time, and then he'd be stuck. Maybe he'd eventually find his way to civilization, but--there was no guarantee.

There was no point in leaving things to chance. There was no point in stubbornly refusing to rely on the resources he had available either. He had done bad things with the terrible, unpredictable energies that he had access to, but with time perhaps he could learn to control them. Aisen seemed to know of those who had managed to reign in and control those forces. If he had the power to do so, it would be irresponsible not to try.

Terakiel glared daggers at the wall of rocks blocking his escape route. He felt himself floating away once again to that black, starless world. He struggled to maintain his grip on the rock formations and simultaneously not lose himself on the physical plane. He clenched his other hand into a tightly balled fist and concentrated on the cold, sickly hunger that always lingered beneath the surface.

This would require more energy than lighting a fire. As disgusted as he was with the idea, he would have to do what he had only done once before. He knew it was possible to break through those rocks--the destructive power of his energy could likely break through any material a man could name. He was terrified of what he was about to do but also recognized that it was his only option. There was no going back. If he let go of that rock formation for whatever reason he would tumble to his death. If he passed out from the strain. . .

It didn't matter. This was his only chance--and Aisen's only chance. A low shriek escaping his throat, Terakiel thrust his hand violently up into the rock formation and suddenly felt his hunger dissipate. For a split second, nothing happened. Then, fire ran through his veins and the tunnel was cast in bright violet light. For just a moment, the details of the tunnel could be seen in sharp relief as an unearthly bolt of wild, untamed energy snaked out of Terakiel's outstretched hand. The wall of rocks exploded into dust, showering the man's face with dozens of tiny pebbles.

Groaning, Terakiel struggled to keep his grip on the rock formation. He wasn't done yet. He couldn't afford to break down or to pass out. He had to pull himself out of the tunnel. He had to find a way to get back to Aisen, but there was no time for that now. His arm was in a tremendous amount of pain from having supported his weight for so long and if he didn't concentrate on getting out then his effort would be for nothing.

With his free hand he wildly explored the outer rim of the hole he'd created. There was much more light now, but it was still relatively dim. He couldn't make out the details of the outside world he'd revealed. After only a moment he discovered a handhold and grasped it as well as he could. He would have to use both hands to pull himself up--and there was no use in waiting around. Although the pain in his left arm was unbearable, he let go of the rock formation and grasped the handhold with it. A wave of cold fear gripped him as he realized how precarious his position was--but he dismissed it ruthlessly.

Planting his feet on the wall of the tunnel to support himself, he hurled himself bodily up onto the lip of the hole he'd created. Grunting with the effort, he managed to scrabble up onto the surface of what he hoped was the outside world. With a great sigh, he rolled onto his back, finally out of the tunnel, immensely relieved to finally be able to rest his excruciatingly tired arm.

Although he had to find a way to get Aisen through that tunnel, Terakiel had no plans to move from that spot for the next few minutes. He stared at his right hand. Only moments before that hand had birthed a bolt of violent lightning capable of breaking through solid rock. Why was he responsible for such terrifying power? For what reason was he given this dubious gift? He had the potential to destroy other human beings effortlessly--the thought of others having access to that kind of power was terrifying. How was such a thing regulated in the outside world?

Terakiel was broken from his reverie when he noticed that he was not looking at the night sky, but the roof of a very large cavern. He slowly rose to a sitting position and examined his new surroundings. The room was bathed in ambient light, but it was not clear from where it originated--but what drew his attention most was at the center of the cavern. It was a planar stone.