The Sentinel seemed to have been sated by the power source within the chamber, but its appetite was going to be a problem. I knew I couldn't rely on finding more of these ancient ruins. It would be preferable if I could study one of these ruins soon. That said, this time, I think I came out with everything valuable. The journal, the Fleg gun and the bag.
The bag contained shots. Round balls made from a soft metal. They were the size of the tube on the gun. About a thumb width. The bag was heavy, and I hadn't counted them all, but I suspect it held about 50 shots.
Now that I was in the sunlight, I could see the gun more clearly. Its design seemed different from the specifications shown in the book. The tube was made of bright polished metal, and the gemstones seemed larger and placed in different locations, as well as being multicoloured. One white, and two blue. It was still well crafted, and when I held it up, it felt balanced.
I opened the book and looked over the diagrams once again, checked that my stance matched the book, and the position matched as well.
"Let's see how this works," I said, mainly to myself, but Sentinel responded as well and moved towards me. Watching and maybe judging. I couldn't tell.
I followed the instructions from the diagrams, flipping the pages carefully. There was a breach on the side of the tube. I shifted it, sliding it up and across. It opened with a soft click. I placed one of the balls within the chamber and slid the breach closed. Once closed, there was no gap to be seen. A precision that indicated incredible engineering skills of the creator.
I placed the stock against my shoulder just like what was shown and placed my feet solidly on the ground. I pulled the trigger.
And nothing happened. There was a click and movement within the chamber, but the ball just sat there. Mocking me, The Sentinel joined in and started to vibrate as if it was laughing.
"You think it's funny?" I asked. It was capable of laughing. It ought to have a name; I couldn't keep calling it the Sentinel.
I received a response that was more confused than anything else. As though it didn't understand the concept.
"Well, if you don't have one, I will call you Ryn." The name came to me on a whim. Ryn bounced a little in the air. Suggesting he agreed to the name.
"Need Fleg," said Ryn into my mind.
I felt like an idiot; of course, it needed to be powered. The diagram even showed the lines going from the figure to the gun. I focused on the energy or the Fleg around me. Ryn stood out like a beacon. A fast, multicoloured current of energy was circling him, also flowing in a figure eight pattern.
I focused on some of the smaller currents. I grab the nearest with my hand and guide it towards the gemstones on the side of the gun. I was being as careful as possible, tentative even. I was terrified of breaking it like my spear. The gems absorbed the energy like a flower drinking water; the thread disappeared into the faceted stone. I felt the changes in the gemstone. It was filling some tank I couldn't see.
I took my stance once more and pulled the trigger. The gun fired, but the shot only went about twenty meters away and hit a tree with less force than if I just threw it.
I stared at the small impact on the rough bark of the tree.
I looked up at the forest canopy, seeking guidance. "That was … disappointing," I muttered.
Ryn bounced on the spot again, which I took as him agreeing with my statement.
I had been too cautious, too safe. I had to assume that the gemstones could handle more power. I walked over, picked up the ball and inspected it for damage. It was the same as when it went in. I dusted off the ball and placed it back into the tube.
I returned to my shooting position. This time I didn't hesitate. I drew a river of Fleg towards the gun. I weaved the Fleg into the gemstones until they hurt to look at. I raised the gun and fired again, but this time, a pressure wave was released from the gun in all directions. Knocking me off my feet and cracking the trunk of a nearby tree. I landed with a thud on the hard ground.
Was that too much? Or was it the wrong kind of Fleg? I didn't know. But I needed to check the gun to see if I had damaged it. I rolled it over in my hands and found no damage. I wasn't sure if that was a safety measure or if I was just lucky.
The ball hadn't even left the chamber. I went back and studied the book, looking at the pictures. There was something I was missing. Some knowledge that would make it all make sense. Ryn moved closer to the gun. I stared at him for a bit and noticed the different colours of Fleg flowing around his body. The wolf had purple Fleg, while Ryn's was mainly green and blue. The atmosphere was white.
I looked at the gun, this time truly observing it. It had different colours of gemstones attached. They were white and blue. A thought was brewing in my mind. Maybe I need to channel different colours into the gemstones. It seems the logical choice.
This time, I was hoping that the third time was the charm. I took my positions and siphoned some of the Fleg off of Ryn and white from around me. Charged the gemstones until they were about half full.
I pulled the trigger.
The shot left the tube with a boom that echoed through the forest. Birds flew away from the sound, and my feet left the ground again. This time it was recoil from the gun. I flew backwards and landed hard on my back. The air was driven out of my lungs. My ears were ringing, but I couldn't get the smile off my face.
There was a crater in the trunk. Not a hole, nor a dent. A crater, with splinters of wood facing outwards from the impact. The bark was black and smoking. The wood had been scorched. I knew if anything living had been hit, there wouldn't be much left.
I inspected the impact location and found that the ball had been flattened and was still glowing red. This was going to be a problem. The weapon was powerful, but I was limited by the number of balls contained within the bag. Therefore, I would need to create my own or find alternatives. I poured a little bit of water on the ball, and it sizzled and spat before finally cooling enough to remove.
Ryn was following me around. "Hungry, food." He echoed his normal single-mindedness. I had taken a fair amount of Fleg from him.
It was another one of those mysteries. There was so much I didn't understand. What do the different colours mean? How does it all work? What was a Sentinel's purpose?
First, I would need to hunt. "Okay, don't worry. We will get you some food."
I scaled a nearby tree, and I ran from limb to limb, seeking out the flow of energy I had felt before with the dire wolf. I saw the small current of purple Fleg. I followed it to its source. A Monster that was a twisted thing. A Warager a cross between a boar and a badger. Claws tore at the ground as it walked. The energy surrounding it was laced with malice.
I set myself up on the highest limb that would support my weight. I knew I would only have one shot. I loaded another ball from the bag. I raised the gun and sighted down the tube. I waited until its head was down, sniffing at the ground and aimed for the base of the skull. I charged the gemstones and fired. The kick nearly knocked my shoulder off.
The ball passed straight through the back and hit the ground with a thump. The Warager followed soon after with its own thud. It collapsed like a puppet's whos' strings had been cut.
Sentinel beat me to the corpse. I didn't even have time to find the magic-infused organ before he had drained it. I just had to hope the other parts were worth something.