{"id":5817,"date":"1974-07-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"1974-07-12T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=5817"},"modified":"2017-11-02T10:21:36","modified_gmt":"2017-11-02T14:21:36","slug":"quantum-quest-chapter-1-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/quantum-quest-chapter-1-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Quantum Quest Chapter 1 Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Quantum Quest
\nChapter One: One More Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The ground trembled beneath him with every step, and he knew he couldn\u2019t keep up that pace for long.\u00a0 He could hear the roar of the fire all around him, even as the beast roared and charged across that battered landscape.<\/p>\n

Rhys knew that his time was running out.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlright, Virgil,\u201d he whispered as he pushed past the agony in his lungs.\u00a0 \u201cYou told me to be here in these woods.\u00a0 Now show me why.\u201d<\/p>\n

The traveler was wrenched from that thought when the beast slammed through the nearest copse of trees, knocking down branches and scattering the autumn leaves.\u00a0 Before the creature opened its mouth, Rhys could feel the heat from its body.\u00a0 As soon as he saw the beast\u2019s teeth, those dried leaves burst into flames.<\/p>\n

Only a moment later, a wave of fire came rushing from the creature\u2019s mouth.\u00a0 The villagers had named the beast appropriately, Rhys considered.\u00a0 The Hellhound of Verna had earned its moniker.\u00a0 Soon, he would see if it also lived up to its reputation.<\/p>\n

That blast of heat barreled through the area, and when the fire evaporated into the air, Rhys was no longer in its path.\u00a0 The beast looked to and fro before glancing upward.<\/p>\n

The man had talents of his own, and he wasn\u2019t shy about using them.\u00a0 He walked up the side of the nearest tree, a healthy oak that hadn\u2019t yet been consumed in those flames.\u00a0 He ascended it as though it were a gentle uphill climb, though it sprouted straight up into the air.\u00a0 In time, he reached its lowest bow, and swung up to it with ease.<\/p>\n

Below, the hellhound charged at the tree, attempting its own ascent.\u00a0 The sphere of magic that Rhys enacted was still in place there though.<\/p>\n

Gravity ceased to exist in its truest form wherever Rhys willed it around him.\u00a0 He had long ago learned to control it, manipulating it so that he could walk up walls or perch upside down on a ceiling.<\/p>\n

The hellhound couldn\u2019t comprehend why its huge paws wouldn\u2019t stay on the trunk of that tree.<\/p>\n

That frustration became apparent when the beast opened its mouth again.\u00a0 From his vantage, Rhys saw as the inside of the hound\u2019s mouth radiated shades of red and orange.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t waste another moment, leaping out into the air as another rush of heat and flame tore through the area.\u00a0 Rhys floated down from the bough like a feather caught in a gentle zephyr.\u00a0 It was then, when he was airborne, that he saw his companion.\u00a0 Virgil\u2019s silver body caught the reflection of the starlight, and that sparkle was not lost to the man who tussled with the fire-breathing hellbeast.<\/p>\n

Though he knew that his friend was offering up what was sure to be a brilliant idea, the distraction nearly cost Rhys his life.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t feel as the creature\u2019s weight shifted, but he heard its angry growl, and looked over his shoulder just in time to see it leap into the air.<\/p>\n

As easily as he was able to manipulate that field of gravity, he released his hold on it.\u00a0 Rhys fell to the ground like a stone, landing on his knees and tumbling forward while the hellhound soared overhead.<\/p>\n

The flames in the forest illuminated the unexpected battlefield then, and his terrifying foe.\u00a0 The Hellhound of Verna towered over him, the man only coming up to the monster\u2019s chest.\u00a0 Its fur and markings reminded the man of an oversized wolf, shades of brown and grey accentuating its shape.\u00a0 Crimson eyes stared at him for a moment as the wolf spun about, and though they had caught the man\u2019s attention before, when he first encountered the beast, it was the glimmer of violet on the creature\u2019s forehead that had earned his focus then.<\/p>\n

The shard of the orb was taunting, Rhys, it seemed.<\/p>\n

Its owner, that vicious, hungry hellhound, was not so keen on games.\u00a0 Its claws raked into the ground like it was part ornery bull, and it snarled again, gobs of saliva separating and growing thin between those dagger-sized fangs.\u00a0 Each of those was longer than the blade that Rhys had on his hip, he realized.<\/p>\n

The monster hunched low, the fur along its spine standing up as it prepared to make a snack out of the man who dared to enter its woods.<\/p>\n

A shrill whistle entered the air, and the beast\u2019s ears drew back.\u00a0 It turned to its side, trying to make sense of the noise, but just as quickly, its hunger drove its attention back to its quarry.<\/p>\n

Rhys wasn\u2019t there.\u00a0 Already airborne once more, he soared out over the hellhound, until he landed on another branch, though it was considerably less sturdy than the last.\u00a0 He kept his sphere of manipulated gravity moving with him as he went along across the treetops.<\/p>\n

One other boon of his power, he was thankful for\u2014his footfalls were nearly silent.\u00a0 He was already well far away from the monster before it caught his scent on the wind and spun about.<\/p>\n

\u201cRhys, hurry!\u201d Virgil called out.\u00a0 That metallic thrum in his companion\u2019s voice carried across the forest, but it was lost beneath the sense of urgency.<\/p>\n

Once more, the traveler dropped to the ground; that time he remained on his feet, kicking up leaves and dirt as he went.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the hellhound charged through trees, ripping them from the ground at the root.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said to meet you east of the town!\u201d Rhys called out to his companion as he ran.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t see that shimmer of starlight then, but he was certain he was heading in the right direction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is east, Mister Rhys,\u201d Virgil called out.<\/p>\n

The traveler grumbled as he shifted directions ever-so-slightly.\u00a0 In only a few moments, he ascended a small hill, and saw his ally beside a forked tree up ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet moving, Virgil!\u201d he bade.\u00a0 \u201cIron or not, he\u2019ll tear right through you!\u201d<\/p>\n

His companion did as told, spinning about and climbing up the next hill.\u00a0 \u201cRight through, Rhys,\u201d he bade.\u00a0 \u201cThat thing will keep going long after you\u2019ve collapsed from exhaustion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys growled in contemplation.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t remind me,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n

He felt the hot breath of his pursuer, but he was certain he was running as fast as he could.\u00a0 As he neared that strange tree, he leapt into the air\u2014that time without the use of his power.\u00a0 His feet landed in the divide where the trunk split off in two, resonating with a thrum.\u00a0 He hopped down again, turning around just in time to see the beast make one final lunge at him.<\/p>\n

That tree did not fall like so many of the others.\u00a0 That tree endured.<\/p>\n

With his lips parted in amazement, Rhys watched as the twin trunks closed in, tightening around the hellhound\u2019s neck.\u00a0 In a mere moment, the beast was rooted in place, as sure as the tree was.<\/p>\n

\u201cGet on with it!\u201d Virgil called out from up above.<\/p>\n

Sure enough, the hellhound was pawing at the tree, trying to wrench its head from the snare it was in.\u00a0 Rhys took a deep breath, and hopped toward the monster, his eyes fixed on the purple glimmer in the tuft on its brow.\u00a0 Out came the dagger, the beast snarling at the sight of it.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 Rhys knew that it was the only way.\u00a0 It was the only way to put the orb back together.\u00a0\u00a0 It was the only way to draw one step closer to home.<\/p>\n

The tip of the blade slid in just at the bottom of that sliver of what looked like glass.\u00a0 Those snarls gave way to a shocking yelp, and a violet flash burst forth in the area, like a huge bolt of lightning.<\/p>\n

When the light faded, the hulking beast was no longer present.\u00a0 Instead, in the crook of that artificial tree, a much smaller animal stood, very much confused and scared.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what the villagers had seen before,\u201d Rhys surmised.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig enough to bring down some livestock, it would seem,\u201d Virgil stated as he walked back down the hill.<\/p>\n

The closer of those travelers glared at the canine, noticing that those red eyes remained there.\u00a0 The hellhound hunched low, bowing, it seemed.<\/p>\n

Rhys clicked his tongue and lunged at the creature, scaring it out of the tree.\u00a0 It leapt from that unforeseen perch, and took off into the forest, toward the burning, smoldering trees it had left behind moments before.<\/p>\n

\u201cShould we not have disposed of it?\u201d Virgil asked when he drew close enough to hear a sigh escape his friend\u2019s lips.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been through enough,\u201d Rhys said.\u00a0 \u201cYou know that it was the orb that caused the aggression and the power.\u00a0 It was that piece of the Void that changed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virgil nodded, pulling his hood down a little further past his brow.<\/p>\n

That was never enough to shield the truth from Rhys.\u00a0 He knew what was there beneath the leather cowl.\u00a0 Just enough violet light cast out from that darkness.<\/p>\n

Of course, Virgil knew that it wasn\u2019t quite a secret.\u00a0 Rhys was the first one to find him\u2014the first one to help him understand what life was, and how he had managed to be blessed with it.\u00a0 As long as he traveled with Rhys, it seemed that blessing was set to continue.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t hurt that Virgil had earned his keep during their pilgrimage.<\/p>\n

He drew nearer, merely out of habit at that point, and felt the fluctuation of the shard in his forehead.\u00a0 A subtle hum attuned to another noise from his friend\u2019s hand and another louder one from the pouch by Rhys\u2019 side.<\/p>\n

That odd song stopped all at once, and a much louder sound howled to life behind them.\u00a0 The travelers turned to see the rippling vortex just before them.<\/p>\n

Rhys stepped away from Virgil, and the portal shrunk in size once more.\u00a0 A silver brow arched as the metal fellow considered that decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d he asked.\u00a0 \u201cIsn\u2019t it time to move on to the next\u2014?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhys nodded.\u00a0 \u201cBy all accounts, we should be going.\u00a0 But this last one was draining, don\u2019t you think?\u00a0 I could use a rest before we see what next monster or villain stands before us.\u00a0 Time will be waiting for us no matter what.\u00a0 This is our best chance for a moment of respite.\u00a0 The people of Verna will be very welcoming now that their monster isn\u2019t going to be bothering them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot them, but maybe their livestock,\u201d his companion muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn any case, they\u2019re able to handle the hellhound from here on out.\u00a0 With the orb fragment no longer influencing it, we\u2019ve done our part.\u00a0 Now, if you don\u2019t mind, I wouldn\u2019t mind getting back to Verna before midnight.\u00a0 Perhaps the tavern is still open, and we could get some warm honey mead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virgil followed Rhys back through the forest, the faraway flames dying out in the night breeze.\u00a0 \u201cAs always, I\u2019ll be watching you drink it, and wondering what it\u2019s like to be able to taste something.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the two travelers conversed about their differences, the forest behind them grew quiet\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026except for a small, rippling portal, which started to grow once more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Quantum Quest Chapter One: One More Time   The ground trembled beneath him with every step, and he knew he couldn\u2019t keep up that pace for long.\u00a0 He could hear the roar of the fire all around him, even as the beast roared and charged across that battered landscape. Rhys knew that his time was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5776,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[1578],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Quantum-Quest-Quarter.png","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-1vP","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5817"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5821,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817\/revisions\/5821"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}