Eldritch

 

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!

HELP!

There is a tsunami of the most vile kind rushing in our direction!
The plains in that direction are mostly empty, and the castle is still a bit above its highest edge, but as soon as this thing reaches the village, the same will be gone.
Oh my god, I'm going to kill hundreds of people!

I cannot let this happen!
I need to do something!

Please, whatever I can, whatever is possible, whatever governs my body, help me out here!
Please, stop this wall of impending doom!

I reach out with my hand in the wave's direction and think as hard as I can about stopping it.
But the wave just won't do so.
However, I don't give up here.
I think harder and harder about stopping it.

Promptly something happens.
Instead of the wave, the ground before it obeys my will and rises.
A wall surges forth, while the rest of the ground lowers.
However, it doesn't do so in a way one would expect of ground.
Rather it looks like when an overweight person pushes a flap of fat together on his stomach.
All smooth and round, a wall bulges up there, till it's as high as the wave and still grows further.
Just in time, as the wave was terrifyingly fast.

Eventually, it crashes into the wall.
The impact is deafening but surprisingly this flabby thing holds well.
Yet the successive splash, caused by the pressure behind, is beyond any expectation.
The liquid is gushing to the greatest heights above.
And then comes down again.
From what I can see with a little enhanced eyesight, most people in the village manage to get into a building in time.
This most unnatural rainfall still hits some, but it's apparently not causing anything.
Gratefully it wasn't acid.

Next, the strange wall I somehow pulled up sinks down again.
Behind it, the black color of the liquid fades and turns into translucent blue.

Water!
It extends so far that I can't see an end.

For some reason, my stomach still feels churned but the feeling subsides.
Before my totally erratic expression can return to normal I feel two impacts and subsequently a bouncy pressure on my back.

 

"YES!!! You're the best, Iori!" (C)

 

Goddamnit, Chiaki!
Now's not the time for hugs of joy!

Eryna meanwhile looks as perplexed as I feel.
Without being able to say a single word she stares at the new horizon, featuring a waterside.
Her finger wanders several times between me and the newly created ocean.
Then her legs give in and she falls to the ground.

 

"This is too much." (E)

"Sorry, I didn't want this! You have to believe me!" (I)

 

While saying this, I somehow get the idea that the mere fact that something like this can happen by accident might not be too soothing to her.

 

"Is this really all we are? Just a playground for, for... this?!" (E)

 

She points out at the water.
It's not perfectly coherent but I understand her mumbling.

 

"But now you have a beach! You'll love it! Believe me!" (C)

 

I am not sure if that's a sound argument.
The woman is still trembling.

 

"Our whole existence is a lie! A terrible joke! We're nothing!" (E)

 

Uh, did I again break someone?
I certainly should try to say something reassuring.
If I'd just be able to come up with something.

 

"I, I know, me being responsible for, well everything, isn't the most soothing thought, but I honestly have no intention to harm anyone." (I)

"In terms of divinity, you could've been dealt worse than having Iori as your origin. There's neither an evil god, nor hell, nor any kind of primordial sin or threat coming straight from your creational origin which you'd have eventually to deal with. She's as nice as one can be and this is a good place. Well, apart from the monsters that is." (C)

 

I should probably look into that... Right?

 

"I am going to work on that matter. Hopefully, it will turn out alright." (I)

 

Not like I want to disturb a sensitive ecosystem.

 

"What is this all about? Are you making fun of me?" (E)

"No! I'm desperately trying to convince you that I'm normal and you shouldn't expose me. You're going to cover for me, right?" (I)

 

Now she looks appalled.

 

"If, if I don't, what will you do?" (E)

"I don't want to do anything, that's the issue! But you know that they might freak out. You're already freaking out! If you tell them, I don't know what might happen! What if they decide we're evil or dangerous and attack us? I won't allow my family and friends to come to harm!" (I)

"And most of us aren't defenseless either." (C)

 

Maybe I should try to sweeten the deal.

 

"I'm sorry for everything, Eryna. If there's anything you wish for, I'll see what I can do." (I)

 

Hopefully something small.
Don't want to draw too much attention.

 

"I don't know. This is all just too much!" (E)

 

Chiaki taps her on the shoulder, causing her to flinch.

 

"Maybe later. You can think about this as long as you want to. For now, it's enough if you calm down." (C)

"Great magician..." (E)

 

Seriously?
Does she still have that title in her mind?
At least, it seems this worked to calm her down.

 

"So, what now? What just happened will certainly cause a huge uproar." (I)

"Feign ignorance? It's not like anyone suspects us to be responsible for terraforming events." (C)

"But it's still suspicious that this happened just now, so soon after our arrival." (I)

"You, you don't need to worry." (E)

 

Huh?

 

"Nobody suspects you in particular. Some assume that you might have a hidden talent but mostly they just want to bind the others to this place. Nobody assumes it's... this." (E)

 

She points at the recently formed ocean.

Good to know.
Not so good is that Eryna is now so apprehensive of me.

 

"Great! Then all that's left is to figure out how we get ready to go to the beach! I mean, just look at this water! I can't wait to get in there!" (C)

 

For some reason, while the ocean is black, the water close to the castle looks nice.
Or rather, it's clear enough that one doesn't have to worry that something in there is going to kill you.
However, with my enhanced sight, I just saw, far in the distance, a concerning ripple on the surface.

 

"Beach? You, you want to enter that liquid?" (E)

"It's just water." (C)

 

I am terribly sure that's not the case.

 

"I am as well not sure if this is safe to swim in." (I)

"How could it not be? As long as you decide everything here I cannot see what might go wrong." (C)

 

Didn't she see that wave?!
There are obviously things at play that I cannot fully grasp.
For example, the fact that I couldn't stop the wave.
Was it maybe because it already accelerated as it did?
Like I can't stop the bullet I shot midair?

However, if I put up a standing order that nothing can attack the people coming to the beach this might work.
Well, can't hurt to do so.
The beach is safe!
You hear me?!

 

• Safe
   
• Safe
   
• Safe

 

I seem to have a thing with the number three.
The moment I feel the familiar sensation of the order taking place there's something like a barely perceivable shift in the feeling of that beach.
It might've worked.

And it also kinda confirmed my worries that there was a reason for this order to be put into place.

 

"That water looks really great! Now this can be a real vacation!" (C)

 

And all of this hassle only because of Chiaki.

 

"I need a break now, Chiaki. Wait, there was one more thing. Here!" (I)

 

I concentrate and form a flesh emitter in my hand.
If Chiaki squishes it I will know that she's in danger and needs me to come and save her.
And nobody needs this more than this troublemaker.

 

"Oh thanks for... this." (C)

"It's something like a mini alarm. Destroy it and I'll come running. Or whatever apocalyptic way of traveling I'd choose to be fast enough. I hope this is clear but it's only for emergencies. Don't misuse it." (I)

"Oh, thank you, Iori!" (C)

"Now that that's settled I need to go." (I)

"Okay! I'll fetch you later then!" (C)

 

I sigh and leave the room.
Nobody is really paying attention to me when I step out, as the newest terraforming act to this whole world seems to have caused a minor uproar.
So I make myself as small as possible without physical alterations and leave before anyone can link my person to this event.