Chapter 42: FLOATING MANSION
Faux stared at the gaping hole that had appeared in the sky with worry. There were massive shards of what seemed like glass floating idly around it. Almost like the fragile wall separating their reality had been shattered.
'Just how frightening was that red beam.'
Faux wondered to himself as he recalled the images of the Calamity slowly crumbling into ash, as it spewed light from its single eye. Eventually getting consumed by the entire beam.
Right now he had no idea if the calamity still lived. Where it had once been, a blinding ray of calamitous Will now stood, ascending into the shattered heavens.
The pillar of light had become fiercer whilst the smaller ones that had burned a couple of kilometres apart had long since died out.
He had hoped to reach one of the smaller pillars of lights in hopes of destabilizing the spell. But it didn't seem like that was going to be possible anymore.
Not only had the smaller pillars of lights been too far for him to reach without his teleportation, but there was also the fact that stopping just one might not have stopped the entire spell. Maybe if Sebas hadn't gotten stuck underground…
There was no point thinking about it now though. The spell was already done.
Crack
Faux's face paled as he watched thin cracks appear on the earth surrounding the ascending beam. The cracks spread, thickening the further it reached. Soon the entire mountain side including the orphanage had web-like lines running all over its surface.
'Shit.'
"Sebastian you guys have to move out now!"
Sebastian had been the closest to the western pillar. So Faux had hoped that he would have been able to intercept it to destabilize the spell, but it was already too late.
Now all he hoped for was that his Lieutenant– and extension the men he led, would be able to make it out of the manor in time.
Unfortunately, he was yet to get a reply from the kid so his worry only built.
"Kid! I know you can fucking hear me!"
Over and over he sent mind transmissions to his Lieutenant but there was no reply. He was sure the kid could hear him so why wasn't he replying?
Just then Faux's eyes widened with dread at the sounds of splitting stone.
It started small and passable. But then the manor's foundation had finally given way, mildly sinking into the earth beneath it.
Before he could even realize it, a gaping chasm had appeared right beneath the manor, swallowing it in its entirety only moments later.
Before he could put together his next words, the prices of earth that had crumbled, falling into the chasm below had begun to float.
"How is that even?"
Then came larger chunks, accompanied by debris made of fine stone.
"I'm sorry Captain… but I had failed."
Faux suddenly heard. Then he saw it the black tiled roof of the manor floating out of the chasm it had fallen in, accompanied by even more chunks of fine stone.
Pieces of the manor were now floating upwards.
"What's happening?"
Faux wondered. His head was already aching from staring up for too long.
The sight before him was impossible to believe.
'Were the heavens really about to swallow the entire torn mountains?'
Never had he seen such a level of sorcery outside of an Event.
So this is what they had been after.
But then that only begged the questions.
What really were the intentions of their attackers? And even more importantly, what lay on the other side of the gaping whole?
Two important questions but the former had to be the most essential.
If all they really intended was some terror attack against the government, then surely whatever was at the other end of that gap was surely going to end in death.
But for some reason, Faux found that hard to believe.
This orphanage wasn't the only one they had. Losing one would have cost them a lot but not that much. If Faux could even secure two out of the three secret special grade stillborns the orphanage was currently harbouring. Then their losses would drop drastically.
Calamity Cass was currently MIA though, but there were two others Diane– The dreamer, and Liam– The fallen.
If they had only come for the illborns, then why choose such an elaborate display of power?
There had to be something more, something he was missing.
There was only one way he was going to figure it out though… he needed Sebastian.
Just then something caught his attention.
Floating just like the other pieces of earth and debris was a metal tube, tilting vertically as it ascended. Considering he could see it from as far as he stood the pipe had to be quite size-able.
Which meant those had to be the underground tunnels the orphanage had been sitting on.
"Hmmm… Sebastian wasn't going to be there though."
So Faux narrowed his gaze even further, scanning the rising debris. His Will wasn't nearly replenished but still, he had enough for one last jump.
Something soon caught his eye.
"Hey, kid? Still alive right?"
Faux asked.
"Yes sir, but not for long I'm afraid. I tried holding down the fort while you were gone but- but I failed. I'm with the rest of the men held up in one of my spheres. It's only a matter of time before–"
"Quite yapping I'll be right there."
So he gathered his Will in his arm and moments later sent his short sword barreling through the air.
The magnificent blade drew a marvellous arc in the sky as it neared the rising debris.
"Just hold on for a little bit longer. Faux is coming."
Faux said.
Soon his blade struck stone digging deep into its side.
His Will was barely replenished, but that much should do.
With a soft ripple, Faux had left the space he once occupied, appearing in mid-air with his hand clutching the black leather grip of his short sword.
Unfortunately, the angle the blade had landed in left Faux to dangle in the air with nothing to place his feet on.
Still, as a knight, he had no issues pulling himself back up. His great sword had been called back to the tranquillity of his soul to allow him better mobility.
Now etched on the rising stone, Faux stalked his surroundings. The giant tunnel was floating not too far below him, whilst the manor roof was far above.
Sebas meanwhile was somewhere by his left. His spell stood out amongst the rising debris.
It was a sphere made entirely out of intertwined black wood, resting idly on a massive black stone, surrounded by vague shadowy creatures.
"There you are."
He would've sent his short sword flying towards it, but his path was being blocked by pieces of rising stone.
"I need to get closer.'
So leaped into the air landing on another platform not long after. He continued this a couple of times until he made a dreadful discovery.
Pieces of earth and debris weren't the only things floating about.
Just then a hideous creature with a revolting black hide and dagger long teeth lunged at Faux.
It's maw for a head, but into nothing but stone as Faux skillfully evaded its charge.
"Ugly little thin."
Faux muttered. This was no threat to him after all.
With a single slash, the abomination was split in half spewing guts and fetid blood in all directions.
Kissing his teeth Faux said with a shake of his head.
"If only revulsion was how your kind measured power."
It was the exact opposite. Some of the most powerful abominations to have ever been killed by man were magnificent.
There were more where the last beast had come from though.
All sorts of abominations were crawling about, emerging from the shadows of the rising debris. Some hopped from platform to platform at the sight of a weakened but powerful soul.
'Shit!'
With a curse Faux dove further into the chasm below, cutting through any abomination that dared to get hold of him.
Where he had landed was much closer to the wooden sphere than he had once been. But there was still too much rubble shrouding his shot.
The abominations meanwhile, were hot on his trail, mindlessly hopping from one platform to another, even when they couldn't possibly make the leap.
Soon Faux was slashing through a couple of them. Maiming more and more of them as they rushed at him.
At some point, he had to call on his great sword, in other to hasten his assault.
Unfortunately, that took a toll on his still diminished Will reserve so slowly Faux was getting backed into a wall, quite literally!
He was currently fighting in a room of sorts with only its floor and a single wall still intact.
Two abominations stood before him with drool leaking from their maw as they encroached.
He had his back to the wall and was still too far to reach the sphere with just a single throw.
While the abominations still threatened him, Faux had decided to send his great sword back to his soul due to his diminishing Will.
Now all he had left was his short sword, with just enough Will to make two more jumps.
There was just too much debris covering his shot though, and there was also the strange nature of the space he currently occupied.
After all, he was right beneath a black hole of sorts, which enforced its own gravity. All things considered, the shot would be a difficult one to make but Faux didn't have an option.
He didn't even give it a second thought. The next moment he climbed out the window on the single wall, leaping right off the platform.
Gravity at this point made no sense. He could feel himself getting pulled about like a rag doll, but he held strong, listening to the subtle changes in the atmosphere before letting his short blade fly.
He watched anxiously as the shimmering blade curved behind one of the many pieces of debris disappearing from sight.
"One, two…"
The next second Faux had changed position now hovering far above the chasm below, with his hands clutching onto his short sword.
Now the wooden sphere was right before him, littered with maddened creatures that continuously scratched at its surface.
With a sigh he let his blade fly once more, sending it into the mass of abominations with his Will completely exhausted.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone