The Atlantian System: Creation

Leta’s hold on the nixie began to loosen as it neared its end.

Out of the water, the process of consuming the beast was quick. In less than a minute, its appendages had vanished, and its last sight on Earth was Leta’s otherworldly gaze and a celestial ring hovering above her.

It looked like a halo.

Or maybe a crown.

[Inert nanites: 856,492 consumed. Total inert nanites: 5,536,456]

‘No time to celebrate yet.’

Leta’s attention snapped to the nixie Hayato had managed to hook, which was still causing a commotion in the water as he and Allister worked together to haul it out.

Her silver hair spun around her head as she turned and called out to Atreus. “Spear!”

With impressive agility, she caught the spear canister thrown by Atreus and activated it. Leta brandished the weapon and, like the warriors preceding her, lunged forward with a fierce war cry.

Slipping between the creature’s ribs, her spear impaled its left lung and embedded into the stone walkway.

Half out of the water and half in, the nixie screamed in pain, one hand trying to pull the spear from its body while the other tried to claw through the cord around its neck.

“Allister!” Leta shouted as she put all of her weight into the weapon to keep it anchored.

With a strong tug, Hayato pulled the cord, lifting the nixie’s head, while Allister swung his battle axe and struck the creature’s neck with a grunt.

It took two strikes of the blade to completely detach the head from the body.

Freed from the cord, the creature blinked its eyes in disbelief as its head fell into the water, appearing shocked by its own demise.

Not long after that, the lifeless body began to dissolve into a sludgy ash, blending with the water swirling in the channel, as though the natural world was reclaiming its rightful possession.

Leta let out a sigh of relief as she removed the spear from the stone, causing the nixie’s body to finish dissolving into the water.

“Holy crap.” She breathed heavily as the adrenaline of the fight began to fade.

She noticed movement in her vision as Allister reached out his hand to assist her in getting up and out of the channel. One hand holding her spear, she grabbed his hand as he lifted her out the the churning water and onto the walkway.

“Well done, lass.” Allister chuckled as he slapped her shoulder so hard she almost fell back into the water below.

“Jezzus, Al!” Leta groaned with a mix of anger and frustration, rubbing where his hand had left a stinging mark.

“Took years off my life when I saw you go under.” The giant shook his head as the team began to go through the normal process of collecting and stowing their weapons.

Leta flicked the switch to compress the spear. “Yeah, that wasn’t exactly fun.”

“You handled it well.” Atreus added on the other side. “Most people panic in such situations, but you used the tools you have available.”

Allister smiled, showing his sense of accomplishment. “A little black and blue, but all parts are still attached. I’d call that a success.”

Much to Atreus’s annoyance, Bonnie shook her fur and barked in approval.

Annoyed by the wolf’s behavior, Atreus secured his remaining throwing knives in their designated pockets within his jacket. “It’s not over yet. Now that we have removed tonight’s targeted dens, our next goal is to reach the Vault before it locks for the night.”

“Awesome.” Leta exhaled, her head rolling back on her neck like a gladiator preparing itself for the next fight.

Hayato made a quick pivot and promptly led the team back in the direction they had come from.

While Leta was putting the spear canister in her pocket, she felt a thin film-like material that made her pause.

She frowned and slowly removed it, realizing it was a folded piece of paper wrapped in a plastic sandwich bag, which definitely wasn’t there when she put on the jacket. Scrolled in harsh letters as if the writer’s hands were shaking were the words ‘FOR OLETTA. ONLY READ IF ALONE’.

Leta felt a surge of fear as her heart leapt into her throat, causing her to glance back at the channel below. Once again, the water was still and undisturbed, causing her anxiety to grow at how the item had gotten into her pocket and when.

“Everything alright, Leta?” Allister questioned at her back, causing her to nearly jump.

“Oh! Uh, yeah. Everything is fine.” She hurried to say, shoving the bag back into her pocket.

Throughout the rest of the journey out of the tunnel, Leta stayed quiet, her eyes carefully surveying the murky waters for any potential threats, while her fingers hovered over the trigger of her spear.

They had made a turn and were out of sight of the den when a tawny-haired head slowly pushed up from the water depths, grey eyes reflecting in the darkness like a cat as long fingers gripped the stone sides of the walkway.

The watcher lingered, hearing their footsteps grow distant, then submerged and disappeared from sight.