Chapter 88: Selachimorpha Cloud Formation

“Travis.”

Travis’s eyes snapped open, the light of early morning peeking over the edge of the raft edge beside his head. “Shit.”

“Indeed.” Loth said, from where she loomed above him. “The rest of the Party forgot you existed when they went exploring this morning. Do you have some kind of mnemonic camouflage Ability upgrade? And do you perhaps use it to avoid taking watch at night?”

Oh, right, she has the highest Focus in the Party.

Travis Oilton

Master Decoy Level 25

38 +15 Strength

75 +17 Kinesthetics

75 + 27 Resistance

25 +15 Focus

37 +12 Acuity

Charges: 40/40

Free Points: 0

Primary Abilities: Center of Attention*(Mnemonic Camouflage)**, Taunt**,

Secondary Abilities: Mirage*

Item Abilities: +55% Charm Potency(75% shirtless), Luring Noise, Stinky Escape, Outflanking, Holdout Dagger(Last Stand), Defensive Blade of Agronosh, Leeching Charm

“…No?” Travis said, sitting up and cancelling the effect.

“You use it to dodge enemy engagement, not chores you find unpleasant.” Loth tutted at him. “I wouldn’t even know you had it if you didn’t abuse it. One of these days, we’re going to leave you behind somewhere you don’t want to get left behind.”

“Okay, mom,” Travis said with a yawn and a stretch. “My Build is perfect for getting left behind, so-“

“Your build is perfect for gaining, surviving, redirecting, and losing enemy attention. Nothing else. If we leave you behind in a cavern filled with poisonous gas, you have the same chance of survival as everyone else. Less, even.”

Loth cocked her head, glancing between him and the flotsam below, where Will was presumably out scouting the dangerous wreckage.

“How are you so normal?” She mused.

“Don’t compare me to Will.” Travis said reflexively before biting his tongue. Typically Travis would disparage William Oh at length, but the attitude towards him among the rest of the Party was something approaching…Worship.

And it wasn’t hard to see why. Their Party leader seemed to consistently luck into riches and support beyond measure, and as long as that wealth and support continued to trickle down to Travis…Best not stick his foot in his mouth.

“In most cases normal is good.” Loth said, her gaze returning to Travis. “It’s abnormality that demands explanation.”

“So you agree that he’s a freak.” Travis said, shoving the covers aside and rolling to his feet.

“Yes. The kind that conquers The Tower.” Loth stuck her tongue out at him. “Are you foolish enough to expect a normal person to succeed where all others have failed?”

“…Fair.” Travis said, yawning and rubbing his eyes. He was still pissed that only Will got to fight Frederick Wyrd shortly before the opportunity to avenge Oilton was snatched away forever by an ambitious assassin, but his rational mind knew Travis wouldn’t have survived it if he’d been the one facing his father’s killer.

Nothing rational about it, Travis thought, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he studied the skeleton of a ship hovering in midair, supported by thousands of tiny flying insects, while tight chains of worms held together by spidersilk were carried back and forth, painting resin across exposed wood that had been shaped by highly disciplined termites.

Like everything else Loth does, this is going to be over the top. Like life’s a test, and she’s trying to impress the teacher for extra credit.

“Hey, Alicia!” Travis heard June’s distant voice and glanced over at where Alicia was leaning over the side of the raft, scanning the ocean below.

“That cloud is moving against the wind!” Came June’s muffled voice from beyond the edge of the raft, and Alicia craned her neck, turning to look up and behind.

Travis followed her gaze, and wished he hadn’t.

The cloud looming above them exploded with flying sharks…So many flying sharks.

It was still a few hundred feet distant, but the cloud formation was…so big. Mason spotted a…coral-like solid formation generating the cloud cover that was being ripped away by explosions and flying sharks.

Mason lifted his staff and immediately dumped at least fifty Charge into Conflagration, as the cloud formation immediately became riddled with explosions that caused dead sharks and broken Cloud Coral to rain out of the sky.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

And more were coming.

Alicia rushed over to her bow and yanked it out of her pack while Reggie paled and made religious symbols across his chest.

“I’m landing us!” Loth shouted a moment before the floating raft lurched under them, descending at an angle, down and away from the fake cloud.

The sharks approaching them filled the sky and the shimmering sunlight reflecting off their silvery backs made a strangely hypnotic pattern…

Like light on the bottom of the pond I swam in as a kid…

PAIN!

“OW!” Travis shouted as Loth clawed his leg.

“Partner with Mason!” she shouted, pointing at their Nuker as she hustled past, pulling Reggie out of the same stupor and instructing him to hold on tight.

Travis nodded and moved over to Mason, who was scowling as the sharks began to spread out from their home, making it harder and harder to catch a decent amount of them in a single explosion.

“On my decoy.” Travis said before putting the mouth harp hanging around his neck between his teeth.

Mirage

39 Charge remaining.

Luring noise

38 Charge remaining.

Two mirror images split off from Mason. Each of them had the ability to draw enemy aggro independently, ever since they had been upgraded with the Iber fly Sacrifice.

But only if they were being looked at.