Kael and Allocen had just left the building and went towards the cave's wall.
"Let's go and check if someone is hiding in the caves," said Kael as he led the way. Allocen followed him silently.
They got near the wall almost immediately, and they started to search around, hoping that they would notice some rock not in its place, or something that looked like a secret passage.
"I'll use my magic," said Allocen. Kael was searching on the wall and stepped back. Allocen then put his hand on the wall and used his magic. In that part of the wall, countless spikes emerged from it, but there wasn't any free space, the wall was completely full of spikes.
'Guess they aren't hiding here…' thought Allocen as he retrieved back all the spikes and went towards another part. Kael followed him silently.
"Are you searching for some part of the wall created with some magic?" asked Kael to Allocen, who stood in front of a new part of the wall.
"Yeah, my magic only works on natural ground, not on the one created or modified with magic," answered Allocen as he put his hands again on the wall. Kael watched all the spikes that came out almost immediately, but sadly the result was always the same, no free spaces.
"But, like, aren't you supposed to be born with earth magic like other people? If they can do it, why aren't you able?" asked Kael, remembering when they fought against Jarko in the obsidian cave. While Jarko could control the obsidian around, Allocen could only generate dirt, not being able to control anything else around.
"Maybe it's because my power is somewhat different… I don't know," said Allocen as he retrieved all the spikes back into the ground. Together with Kael, they moved to a different position.
"Is it because of that other thing you can use? Like, I mean the black spikes," said Kael. Allocen made an expression that no one had ever seen, it looked both surprised and full of anger at the same time. Kael remained shocked to see that expression. Both of them remained still; around them, there was only silence. Darian's group hadn't started to fight yet in the city.
"Like, I never asked, to be honest. The others have noticed it, but it isn't something you like to talk about, right? You barely use it," added Kael. Allocen looked over his hand.
"It's just… it reminds me too much of my past. It's something that I should not have…" answered Allocen as he looked somewhat sad. Kael watched him directly as he kept looking over his hand.
'Maybe it is something difficult to talk about for him…' thought Kael as he got closer to his friend, putting a hand over his shoulder. Allocen, feeling the warmth of his friend's hand, lifted his head with a strange expression. It didn't look sad, but rather happy, not because of Kael's small gesture, but because it felt like he had done the right thing. Kael wasn't able to read his full expression; he only saw his smile and felt happy.
"Let's go," said Allocen as he tried to calm himself down. His strange expression was magically gone, and he had returned to his old self.
'I hope he keeps it a secret, or else…' thought Allocen as he looked over at Kael with his usual expression. Kael walked normally; both of them were getting closer to another wall.
Suddenly, as Allocen was about to create more spikes, some seedlings appeared right behind them.
"Attention!!" shouted Kael the moment he noticed them.
"Reverse field!!" shouted Kael again. The gravity around the three seedlings changed, and they got pushed onto the ground.
Allocen, after hearing Kael shouting, immediately turned around and helped him in the fight. He first summoned the golem in case some of the seedlings freed themselves, and then he opened the ground beneath them, trying to bury them.
The seedlings tried to resist as much as they could, but soon enough they were inside the ground, probably dying drowned. But while Kael felt relieved, Allocen remained alert — he didn't know if that actually killed them; they might still come back.
"Kael, I don't know if they're dead… make us light! They might come from underground!!" shouted Allocen. Kael returned to alert and changed the gravity for both of them. They were both flying. The golem remained on the ground, waiting for any of the enemies to reappear once again.
And after a few seconds, the seedlings returned, they emerged from the ground by making a single hole. As the three of them jumped around, Allocen's golem was ready to punch one of them. As the punch landed, one of the seedlings was destroyed and exploded. Allocen raised a wall from the ground so that they wouldn't get hit.
"Make us return to the ground," said Allocen calmly as Kael slowly removed the magic from both of them. They both landed safely. The golem was taking care of the other enemies.
'He should not eat them… they'll return anyway,' thought Allocen as the golem only tried to slam his hands against the enemies. As Kael wanted to get closer to help the golem, Allocen stopped him with his hand and shook his head.
"Don't risk it," said him. Kael then decided to stay ready to make the gravity heavier if something got too close to them.
The seedlings both jumped on the golem, trying to fuse with and kill him, but it didn't work. They tried to plant themselves inside that body, but it wasn't working, it was like they could only enter living creatures' bodies, and this golem was controlled by Allocen.
Soon enough, the golem was able to destroy another one of them. Kael modified the gravity around himself and Allocen; as soon as the remains from the destruction of the seedling's body got closer to them, he changed the gravity so they crashed into the ground.
"We should be safe…" whispered Kael. Suddenly, as the golem kept trying to kill the small seedlings, they heard a voice from behind. They turned almost immediately and saw him — Kael and Allocen recognized him instantly. It was Gyardibus.
"You know… it's so annoying when people enter my garden," said him with a crazy look in his eyes. Suddenly, he moved his hand, and in front of him, the statues made of plants — the ones formed once the seedlings entered a person's body, rose from the ground.
There were three. Kael immediately changed the gravity for the three zombies as they rose, making it heavier. The zombies still got up, but very slowly. After a few seconds, they were standing on their feet, even though the gravity was much stronger.
Suddenly, Allocen's golem killed the last remaining seedling, and Allocen erupted a wall from the ground to protect both him and Kael. Right after that, he made the wall disappear, and the golem appeared behind it, jumping directly toward the seedlings.
As the golem landed, he smashed his hand on the ground, the zombies' bodies were destroyed. While Kael felt relieved, he first glanced over at Allocen, who was still focused on the fight, then directly at Gyardibus, who was simply smiling.
"You think that's enough?" said Gyardibus. Suddenly, the bodies of the zombies reformed once again, as if nothing had happened, and they were slowly crawling on top of the golem's body.
Allocen immediately created some spikes to hit them, but the zombies weren't scared, they took the hit of the spikes and kept crawling like nothing had happened. Kael modified the gravity for them; it was so strong that the three enemies were pushed into the ground, unable to move.
Kael kept making the gravity heavier for them, their bodies crushed against the ground, making holes. Allocen, understanding what Kael was about to do, made his golem step back a bit. Gyardibus remained still, watching them. It was impossible to read his expression, but he didn't look sad at all.
Suddenly, as Kael changed the gravity for the zombies, they were both sent up to the roof. Kael kept modifying the gravity for them, first making it heavier, then lighter. They slammed into both the cave ceiling and the floor. After that, he directly threw the zombies toward Gyardibus, who summoned from the ground three more zombies that took the hit and blocked.
Kael remained shocked to see that the zombies whose gravity he had modified were still moving freely. They returned to their feet and could move once again.
"Do you even know how it feels to see someone coming into your house and playing with your furniture?" whispered Gyardibus, mad. Kael and Allocen barely heard him.
"What are you even saying!!" shouted Kael, both mad and annoyed.
'How are these creatures still alive… the seedlings would have died… why didn't they get killed!?' thought him as he looked directly at Gyardibus.
"I'm saying… HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOMEONE CAME INTO YOUR HOUSE AND PLAYED WITH YOUR FURNITURE!!!" shouted him, really mad, anger in his eyes as he looked directly at the two Alterids. Suddenly, more zombies were summoned, there were around fifty.
"TAKE THE INTRUDERS!!" shouted Gyardibus. Kael and Allocen took a few steps back; there were too many zombies, and Gyardibus was looking at them with fury.
"We have to escape, Allocen!!" shouted Kael as they both headed away. The golem tried to take care of the zombies, but there were too many of them, it could barely resist before the zombies would consume it.
"Mhmm, that would be such a good statue… but why isn't it working?" said Gyardibus, clearly annoyed. The zombies were focusing only on turning the enemy into a statue, but it wasn't working.
'Let's hope the golem will resist… we don't have much time,' thought Allocen as he and Kael kept running away. Suddenly, a blue portal opened right in front of them. Behind it, they saw Dane, who smiled in a creepy way.
"Where do you think you're going?" said him. From the portal emerged his creature, and it was about to rush toward the two humans.