Triddian was overwhelmingly serious and far too intense for Michael’s liking. It made every interaction with him feel just as intense as the first. Still, the five of them got to work. Michael thought it was a little odd that no other Ancients were there to help, but Triddian assured him that it was necessary. Though, as became usual he refused to elaborate at all.

Sharon took the lead mostly, explaining finer details of the different way to use the crystal, but for some reason never mentioning the book or anything about it. Instead, she spoke as if she had learned it all from teachers. With her information, Triddian seemed to take the premise and push it even further. Even going into using it on the Ancients themselves. It went remarkably quickly, taking maybe a couple hours before he seemed to have everything he needed for whatever his plan was.

Then, a guard burst into the room, and with a slight bow he spoke, “Oh Great Triddian, the shattering of the corrupted form seems to have accelerated the shift. It will be upon us tonight at the latest.”

Triddian paused for a moment as he looked past the soldier towards something far in the distance. “Ignore any further preparations and instead bring everyone to the pit.”

The soldier bowed deeper and gave a curt reply, “Yes my lord,” before quickly turning around and storming out.

“So like, any reason you didn’t tell him?”

Triddian simply looked down at Carolyn before walking to where the throne used to be. Part of it had started to regrow, but it was barely more than the bottom of the legs. “It seems you have sped many things along,” his voice wasn’t accusatory, more like he was reading a definition out of a dictionary.

With his hand over where the throne had been, a deep hum rang out from his throat. In a burst of action, the crystal jumped up in jittery chunks as he formed a new throne. It was much less ornate and covered in jagged spikes with only the seat itself seeming to be smooth at all. Still, it had gone from nothing there to being a throne in just a couple seconds.

He turned to the small group of four as he sat down on the new throne. “I prefer moving forward, so I will forgive your many transgressions. If you wish, I will even find places for you here, in the shambling crystal.”

Sharon and Carolyn looked at each other apprehensively, while Michael just seemed confused and Avialian looked conflicted.

“I mean, that’s kind of a lot to bring up all at once. I don’t think, I mean, we might need some more time.”

“Time is something you do not have.”

“What do you mean?”

“When the shift comes you will either have joined our new revolution, left the shambling mound, or be dead.”

“Well, if we decide to leave, are there any supplies you could give us?”

“You may take as much crystal as you need of course.”

“Well, what about any food, or water?”

“I already said that you may take as much crystal as you need.”

While Michael scrunched his face in confusion, Sharon tugged on the back of his shirt. “The crystal…sustains them…”

Michael turned towards Sharon who looked slightly nervous, meanwhile Carolyn was biting her lip, and looked ready to start pulling her hair out. Avialian seemed lost in her own little world as she stared blankly into the distance.

“Well, what are your thoughts?”

Sharon grabbed onto the bottom of Michael’s shirt and squeezed it tight as she looked towards the ground.

“Like I’m up for a new adventure, but I’m also totally down for heading back.” Carolyn glanced over towards Triddian for a moment before turning her eyes away and looking at Michael. “But I’m also like pretty nervous about what the big guy there intends to do with us if we like join up with his gang.”

Michael put a hand on Sharon’s head and ruffled her hair slightly. She seemed shocked and maybe a little irritated which made her let go of his shirt and push his hand off of her. “Sorry,” he said quietly as he stepped past her and looked up at Avialian.

“Well, what about you?” he asked her.

She seemed to almost have a heart attack, as if she hadn’t realized she wasn’t alone. She coughed and fiddled with her clothes as she came back to reality. “I am not sure. It is a strange feeling being back here again. It is an odd mix of comfortingly nostalgic while also making me even more homesick somehow.”

“Probably because it’s like before you were born or whatever.”

“Michael, I think…that I will go…wherever you decide…Your survival instincts…are much better than…mine are…Though the idea…of staying here does…make me anxious…”

“Yeah like, I totally agree with Shar. You’re like much better at this stuff.”

“Wait, you’re going with me, but you could totally split off and be just fine here.”

The two girls rolled their eyes and said in unison, “Like you’re so oblivious…”

Michael just sighed and shook his head. It was continually made clear to him that trying to understand these women was a task for a much greater man than him. He looked up at Avialian and asked her, “What about you? Do you have any advice on what I should do?”

“I am not sure. Maybe you should wait until we all arrive at the pit to make your decision? It will give you more time to think, and I think time to think about things could be most beneficial.”

“That sounds like a good solution to fix things for now at least.” He nodded, before turning around towards Triddian who was patiently sitting in his now jagged throne. “Well, I guess we need more time, but we can at least go with you to these pits if you like.”

He nodded from his throne before slowly rising up again. “Very well then. Follow me and do not delay or get distracted. I will not risk missing my opportunity to protect any of you who wander away.”

Triddian wasted no time, and as soon as he was up, he started to walk out. Without even getting a chance to respond back to him, the four of them were pretty much forced into quickly hurrying after him. There were a lot more Ancients around than they had seen. Outside of the front of the throne room it reminded Michael of a homeless encampment. Small shelters were set up all over the place that looked barely big enough to fit more than one or maybe two of them. It was crammed full of Ancients rushing around. They were all grumbling frustrations and seemed to be preparing to leave. Some with packs on their backs, others with only those strange spears.

Triddian stopped ahead of them and yelled out with a voice so loud it practically echoed in the open air. “We are leaving for the pits! The time has come for a great transcendence! If you are not there before I arrive, then you will become the ground up chalk for our path.”

Things were busy before, but with his announcement it turned into a flurry. More and more things seemed unimportant after his announcement. Especially when Triddian began to walk again. It seemed the threat of being forgotten was more than enough to ensure they hurried.

They five of them stayed quiet as each seemed to be thinking about what was coming. It wasn’t until they were ten minutes out of the camp that Carolyn finally spoke. Even she seemed uncomfortable around Triddian’s intimidating presence, but her natural hatred of silence had finally overcome that fear it seemed.

“So like we’re just going to the pits because it is big enough for like everyone to fit right? You aren’t like planning to have one big thing in there, right?”

Triddian stayed silent, and that seemed to make Carolyn more nervous.

“Because like, I enjoy new experiences like anyone, but like I mean, I just, like, well I mean when my old friend Stacy wanted to dig up some dirt on her mom, we both did some wild stuff. Like the old groundskeeper for the cemetery like needed us to dig up a grave in these weird overalls that totally smelled like wet dirt. It was like so totally grody! I couldn’t like believe it, and Stacy she was like so on board or like whatever. Which was lucky, because…”

“Carolyn, is now really the time for another one of these?”

“Oh, like right sorry.”

“Triddian, what would we do? In your new society you’re making I mean.”

“What else? You would contribute to society just like everyone.”

“Sure okay, but how?”

Triddian looked back over his shoulder at Michael. His glare seemed more inquisitive this time. “In whatever way you can do the most of course.”

For some reason Michael thought back to the most definitely dead jet ski rental attendant. He realized he never even got his name. “Well, let’s say, for example, that I get a job and hate it. Like I’m good at it, but I can’t stand doing it. Would I be stuck there, or could I do something else I enjoyed more?”

Instead of answering, Triddian simply turned away from Michael, and looked off into the horizon as he continued to travel forward. Luckily, Avialian tapped Michael’s shoulder and whispered, “You simply misunderstood him. It is doubtful that you could appropriately contribute well when you yourself are miserable.”

“So what, it’s like paradise?”

Avialian sighed before looking up towards Triddian. “That was the idea. Although I had always believed that was just another story to comfort us. It seems I may have been wrong.”

The rest of the journey, they continued to talk about different worries, theories, or just ideas on what they could do. Triddian barely interjected, seeming to be more focused on other things than talking unnecessarily. The conversation seemed to have lightened the mood at least somewhat though, and Michael was really reassured by that. Although, he was still unsure about whether to stay or risk trying to leave.

“The time has come!” Roared out Triddian as they abruptly came up to a sheer cliff. “Our salvation has come, and oh so much more!”

The pit was exactly as advertised. A giant hole in the ground currently filled to the brim with Ancients chattering. Some applauded and cheered for him, while others appeared more skeptical. However, all of them went silent as he held his hand up.

“I will be the catalyst to our ascension! No crystal shall hold us down any longer!” As a low thrum echoed out from his throat the crowd began to join in.

It was slow at first, but one by one the Ancients in the pit below began to contort and glow strange shades of purple. For a while their forms were growing jagged and monstrous, but he just kept going. Slowly but surely, their forms started to go back to how they were. The crystal compressed down leaving just a light purple sheen on their outer shell. For Triddian though, there just seemed to be a purple glow somewhere deep inside him.

“That is all…you needed to…save them, correct?”

Triddian turned around and smiled. “Of course. The crystal no longer holds sway over us, but…” he took a step forward with an ominous grin plastered on his face. He looked slightly less composed than usual, almost a little wild. “With a little help, we can become so much more!”

In a flash, he lunged for Michael, reaching his out with a crazed, bloodthirsty look on his face.