“Get down!” Djurle shouted as he pulled both the guardsman known as Pan and himself down from the horse they were riding on. He softened the ground beneath them to ease the impact but the wind was still knocked out of him.

Lightning arced across the sky a second time as the now riderless horses fled away from the riverbank. He felt the impacts of the other two guardsmen and with a single motion he erected an earthen dome over the four of them.

Guardsman Pan wheezed, “What the shrike was that!?”

Djurle replied as he sat up, softened dirt stuck in the crevices of his rocky skin, “Not what, who, and he's bad news. I'm not happy to see him again, but I'm glad he's still a show off.”

“You know him?”

“I thought I killed him.”

Guardsman Slide groaned as he sat up. “Clearly it didn't take.”

Djurle began to pull his shoes off so he didn't have to lay down to feel the dirt. As he finished, he could feel roots and shoots of grass beginning to grow rapidly from the walls of the dome.

“S&#&! Klovenites! Don't touch the plants!”

“What plaaaaAAAH-”

Djurle smashed his fist into the ground and pushed the dirt ten feet deeper, the other three all shouted at the sudden drop, while Djurle pushed himself to his standing height.

Guardsman Rox yelled, “Hey, warn us next time you do that!”

“I'm about to do that a lot, so get used to it quick.” He pulled out a small pouch from his vest and opened it up. While it was too dark to see, he could feel the crystal in the pouch, and with a snort, he spat into the bag and retightened it. After a moment, light began to emanate from the crystal. The thin leather filtered the light and kept it from blinding everyone, but it was certainly still enough to see by.

“Hold this.” He tossed the bag to Pan, who jumbled it a bit as he caught it.

“What in- Did you spit in this?”

“Eminite is one versatile material.”

“That's disgusting.”

“I agree, but it works. If we don't find a good place to put a vent, we'll only be able to stay down here a few minutes before the air turns bad, so don't breathe too hard.”

“How did you get something that expensive, and what do you me-” Rox was cut off by the sound of thunder. Djurle felt his feet tingle.

“Later! We need to move. Follow me.” Djurle began to move the dirt bubble through the ground in an effort to avoid getting attacked from above, shifting the dirt behind them to prevent a collapse.

Slide muttered, “Don't exactly have much choice there do we?”

Rox asked, “What's the plan?”

“I can't feel them, which means they must be in the river somewhere. I won't be able to get them until I know where they are.”

“Well, we can't exactly help with spotting down here.”

They all paused to think. Thunder continued to rumble above. Djurle could suddenly feel the approach of eight horses and fear struck his heart as he realized the guardsmen that were still topside had no idea what they were dealing with. He pressed against the earth and summoned a wall in front of them, hoping to deter the incoming guardsmen, and he also made sure to solidify it to protect them from the incoming attacks they'd no doubt face.

“Your friends are here,” Djurle exclaimed.

Slide spoke up, “Maybe they can help us?”

Rox asked, “how?”

Djurle interrupted, “we need to get them down here, out of harm's way.”

Pan suggested, “maybe we can do both… why don't we build them a maze?”

Rox and slide both lit up with smiles and Djurle just stared at them all, confused.

“We don't have time for games, we need serious plans.”

“I was being serious.”

“How the &*!^ is a maze supposed to…”

Slide's smile turned extra smug as Djurle began to answer his own question in his mind. “I think he gets it boys.”

Djurle shook his head and grinned. “The benefits of youthful creativity will always amaze me. But we'll need to get deeper, far beneath the roots.”

“Then deeper we go.”

He began to do so while simultaneously carving out a winding path behind them to get everyone else underground. Before the path opened, however, Djurle could feel four of the horses stomping as they started to run around his barrier. 

No! Stay put!

He tried to put up another barrier but it was too late, thunder rolled again as the lead horse cleared the side. It vanished from his senses for almost a second, followed by two separate impacts. The other three horses skidded to a stop. There was no hint of movement from where the impacts came from.

Ah &*@^ ^*”# *:@& it STAY PUT!

He got the path between his group and the surface group open near their feet, and he felt his ears pop as fresh air rushed into his tunnel.

“Which one of you is fastest!?”

Guardsman Pan responded, slightly startled by his sudden change of tone, “I am!”

“Go get your buddies, I'll make the branches behind you on your way back!”

He hesitated for a moment before guardsman Slide pushed him down the open path, shouting “Move it Pan, GO!”

Guardsman Pan went into a full sprint down the tunnel taking the light with him, and Djurle began to plan his pathways.

Just like old times.

Even in total darkness, he could feel it when Pan reached the end of the tunnel, he could feel the impacts of the guardsmen's feet as they dismounted their horses, and as they made their way inside. With every step they took on the return trip, he opened up branching dead end pathways to confuse anyone who might try to follow, even though he knew they wouldn't try while he was hiding here with the group.

Guardsman Pan came around the corner first, followed shortly after by Lieutenant Zebulon, Ezkutu, Tecovis, then the rest. All of the group appeared shaken, though Djurle noted that Tecovis and Zebulon seemed to be handling it better than the rest.

Guardsman Dionis wasn't with them.

&*!:$.

Zebulon, through gritted teeth, asked “Djurle. What's the plan?”

One of Charm squad's members got flustered. “What do you mean ‘what's the plan’!? Lieutenant, we can't fight those-!”

Zebulon immediately snapped to face him and grabbed him by what little collar was peaking out of his curiass.

“You listen here! I will not tolerate any doubt from you! Doubt is dissent, and I will NOT HAVE dissent amongst my men! You saw what happened when you don't listen, AND IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! UNDERSTOOD!!??”

He stared at the Lieutenant with his mouth agape. 

Slide's brow furrowed under his helmet.

When the recruit didn't answer, Zebulon pushed him against the wall. “ANSWER ME RECRUIT!!!”

“Yes sir! I understand.”

“Good! Now. Djurle, what are we dealing with, and what are our options?”

Djurle wordlessly made an indentation into the ground with his powers, the shape of it matched to scale with the labyrinth he was building, and included paths He was still making while he was talking.

“Here's what you're working with right now. I'm making it bigger before I leave. Did you see how many of the poachers were floating on the river, or what they were floating on?”

“Six, and no.”

One of Dauntless squad spoke up, “Wait, you're leaving us?”

“Their leader has a bone to pick with me, and someone has to keep him occupied.”

Rox's eyes went wide, “You're going to let yourself get captured!? That's insane!”

“I can't take them all alone, and they won't come down here while they know I'm helping you. If they think they have me, they'll get bold.”

Zebulon nodded, “Then we can take advantage of their overconfidence.”

The doubting guardsman started to shake his head. “Their overconfidence? What about-”

Zebulon interjected “Don't you DARE finish that sentence recruit! We will succeed, because THAT is what we are trained to do. We are the Protectors of Thruf, and protect this city we shall.”

Tecovis Looked at Djurle, then with a heavy sigh he said, “Zeb's right. We can't let this city get destroyed because of our fear. Splitting them up from their leader is a sound strategy. Once they're inside we can split them up even further, and when they're divided, they can be conquered. Is this map accurate?”

“If it's not, I've lost my touch.”

“Alright then, do what you need to. The rest of us need to come up with a proper plan.”

The guardsmen began to come up with a strategy as Djurle continued to work on the maze. Djurle would also interject his own suggestions from his experiences dealing with the different poacher types. All new paths he introduced appeared on his map, and a few suggestions made by the guardsmen, such as concealed pit-traps, were built into the greater work. Djurle solidified the walls, ceiling, and floors to prevent rapid plant growth from breaking through them, as he could feel the roots shooting through the dirt like grasping tendrils seeking to devour them. 

Sweat was beginning to drip down Djurle's sides under his vest as they finished their plan. With carefully measured breaths he said, “Alright… It's time.

Ezkutu stood up and gave a salute. “Thank you, Spirit of Earth,” she said.

"Little early for that."

Djurle began to walk down one of the corridors towards the river. As he was about to round the first corner, he stopped and looked back to Tecovis.

With a grin, he said, “Coco.”

Tecovis's jaw set.

“If I don't make it back, you can keep my geode light. And… tell your father I kept my promise to him.”

“You can tell him yourself. Now go.”

Djurle set off at a jog down the twisting halls he had created, his physical stamina unhindered by his efforts on the maze. At the end of the hall, he stopped to catch his breath. Then he stomped his foot to get a good feel for the surface above him.

The boulder they had passed on their way to the tree caught Djurle's attention again.

Still no movement on the ground. It’s definitely Fusil up there. None of the other Sons of Thunder-Fist know me well enough to think of that.

Djurle took a deep breath to prepare for an assault before he created his path to the surface. As the dirt began to shift the roots from the grass began to shoot out towards the motion. Djurle solidified the walls to cut them off and ran up the open path. With explosive force, Djurle breached the surface and once there, he looked towards the river. Floating on a raft of vine-bound pecan trees stood a group of five, two klovenites with their tree bark armored skin accentuated by whatever enhanced their powers, two lumanites who's normally translucent skin glowed with power from within, and the Man he loathed to see most of all. 

Fusil, the youngest of the Sons of Thunderfist. His shock white hair, piercing blue eyes, and copper toned skin had previously been permanently etched into his memory, his wooden legs which started halfway down his shins, however, were a new sight to Djurle, along with a jagged scar across his left cheek.

“FUSIL! YOU WANNA SURRENDER THIS TIME!?”

“There he is! Catch that stone faced coward!”

Djurle focused his mind towards the large boulder-

"I'LL TAKE THAT AS A NO!"

-and sent it hurtling towards the raft. Two massive trees grew to stop it in the middle of its arc. Djurle, anticipating this, caused it to shatter in the air which sent thousands of pieces of shrapnel raining towards the poachers.

No piece would hit its mark however, as lightning shot from Fusil's palms towards the stone shower incinerating each piece before any damage was dealt.

Djurle erected a wall from the earth as another bolt of lightning Shot towards him, the thunder causing his ears to ring. Djurle then smashed the ground beneath him to lob two more chunks of earth through the air. The two trees grew rapidly to intercept one of them, the other clipped the raft, shifting it to one side. As they were distracted with the chunks, he peeked around to gauge the distance between him and the raft. 

I have you now!

With a forceful motion, Djurle created a pillar beneath the river And speared the raft from below. He watched as the raft split In two and was thrown a dozen feet in the air. Grasping vines from the raft caught the klovenites and the lumanites then attached themselves to the trees. Fusil stopped mid fall as sparks flew from his body. One other, a gurnian that he hadn't seen initially also caught his eye as they splashed back into the river.

“Is that The best you got, you old pebbly bastard!?

Two more bolts of lightning streaked towards where Djurle was hiding.

“Come on then! Where's that spunk!? You didn't lose it when you dropped a mountain on me, did you!?”

“If you call that a mountain.... maybe you need to go visit a real one!”

Thunder roared in Djurle's ears as he forced the earth to accelerate him beyond his normal running speed.

&^#*! That ticked him off. 

Djurle pulled a hunk of dirt out of the ground to protect himself from Fusil's attacks as he zipped around to get a good angle on the tree-dwellers who were still recovering from their fall.

“Oh no you don't!”

A stunning bolt of lightning blasted in front of him causing him to recoil from the flash and noise. Though dazed by it, he pressed on.

And then the world went dark.

Not again! I hate lumanite poachers!

Relying on the rumbling ground to perceive what was around him, he created a solid spike under the earth behind the poachers and launched it at the trees they were in. The violent vibrations of impact shook the trees down to the roots and his vision returned. This helped him aim a second, and a third. 

Without warning, something wrapped around Djurle's leg and tripped him, causing him to tumble and lose his mobile cover. He attempted to erect another dome, but another plant of some kind dragged him out faster than he could make it, and both darkness returned and searing white pain surged through him as crackling energy poured into every fiber of his being.

Fusil's voice rang out from the directionless void, “You think I'm just gonna let you harass my charges after all you put us through!? Put ME through!?”

Another burst of energy, more powerful than the last, blasted through Djurle. The pain was so deafening, he couldn't hear if he was screaming. The blood coating his throat made him believe he was. 

During a brief moment when the pain stopped, something that felt like bark wrapped around his wrists and ankles, then what little sense of direction remained vanished as he was lifted away from the earth.

“Good job you two! Don't let him touch the ground again.”

Many more branches began to wrap around him, embedding him in a cocoon of wood and plant matter. Only his face was exposed.

“Was that it? I thought you said he'd be tough, Fusil.”

“I said he'd be a problem. Stay here with me and keep him blind. You two, go see what happened to those horsemen Djurle was protecting. Capture them if you can, kill them if they become too much trouble. You, go fetch Arraina out of the river, make sure she's still alive, then get her back to camp.”

As he was speaking, the sound of footsteps through tall grass suggested to Djurle whereabouts he was facing. Sweat had completely dampened his skin, and the restraints certainly weren't helping him in that regard. He could feel it pooling in the crevices of his cobblestone armor.

From his left, he heard Fusil speak, a twinge of sadistic sarcasm colored his words.

“Hello Djurle.”

A palm touched his still-exposed forehead and the world flashed again. His body writhed against his restraints, but he was unable to move. When the pain subsided, he could feel warm spots in the wood, and a hint of smoke reached his nostrils as he gasped for air.

“It's so nice to see you again.”

“*&%@ you… Fusil…”

“Oooh that's no way to treat an old friend now, is it?”

“You're right… friends ask about… each other's well being… how's your &^$* legs?”

After a moment's pause, the palm and the pain returned. 

“You think you're so clever, huh!? Your tricks aren't worth the pit to me!”

“Still worth… more than you… you useless pile o-GAAAAAAAAH!!”

“SHUT UP!”

The raw energy coursing through his veins began to burn him from the inside out. He could feel his muscles tearing themselves apart as he involuntarily spasmed against the wooden cocoon.

#^@& this hurts!

I gotta break out of this!

I can't do this!

Yes, I can.

I've been through worse.

I can do this.

I can handle it.

I can handle it.

I've just got to keep him occupied.

Have faith in the guardsmen.

Oh I'm gonna regret this.

“Is… Is that the best you can do?”

“Believe me, this is barely an ounce of what I have planned for you.”

“I've seen… mapache… that were more… threatening than you…”

“You won't have to worry about seeing anything when we're done.”

“Fusil?”

“Not now.”

“Fusil, if you keep doing this you're going to burn the tree!”

“Maybe I want to see him burn with it!”

“I know he took your legs but-”

“NO! THERE IS NO ‘BUT’! He took my DIGNITY! He scarred me for LIFE! Do you know how long it takes to learn how to walk again on these things!? Do you have ANY IDEA how many MONTHS I spent just learning how to STAND!?”

He felt a hand firmly grasp his face, covering his mouth.

“DO YOU!?”

Before he could think, Djurle felt his entire body shriek as Fusil blasted him again. This time, the pain didn't stop for a few minutes.

When the shocking finally ceased, it took all of Djurle's willpower to keep him from crying. He wasn't going to give Fusil the satisfaction of watching him crack.

But no matter how hard tried, he couldn't get his breathing steady. Even after almost a minute of silence.

"I take it... surrender... isn't an option... for you?"

"Like I'd ever do that."

“How… Did you even… survive?”

“I don't owe you any explanations, dirt man. I'm only here to watch you squirm. With all the suffering you've caused me, it's only right that you suffer too. Maybe I'll keep electrocuting you. Maybe I'll torture your friends in front of you, since you seem so keen on protecting them. Maybe I'll take your legs like you took mine… or maybe… I'll see if I can't find your wife again.”

Djurle's blood began to boil with rage. Whatever chance Djurle had of showing him mercy died in that moment.

“I'm… going to… kill you Fusil…”

“You already tried that, remember? It didn't work.”

“This time… I won't miss…”

“How do you expect to hit me if you don't know where the ground is?”

“You forgot something…”

“Do tell.”

This is going to suck.

Djurle took the deepest breath he could muster.

“...My skin is made of stone too.”

As soon as he'd said it, he forced every point of stone on his skin to sharpen and explode off of him, shattering his wooden bonds off of him entirely.

It was like he'd fileted himself alive.

He hit the ground and immediately knew where Fusil and his lackey were standing. Striking out with the earth Beneath him, he killed The Lumanite who had blinded him, and with his sight restored, he struck out towards the terrified expression of Fusil.

Fusil managed to weasel his way out of the stone spikes intended for his heart, and with a single shockwave, he blasted Djurle back twenty paces.

“DJURLE!”

A voice came from behind Fusil, the voice of Tecovis Shavar.

And I'm not alone.

Djurle used the earth to push himself up from the grass, and when standing he shouted, “GET HIM TECOVIS!”

He saw the armored man, covered in dirt and a single scratch bleeding down his cheek, rush Fusil and swing his blade towards the poacher’s head. Not wanting to relent, Djurle would charge as well. With his attention divided and his lackey dead, sparks flew from his body and Fusil propelled himself into the air.

Djurle focussed his mind towards the ground once more and began to pull out a chunk to throw when a terrible sensation came over him.

No, NO! NOT NOW!

All of his energy left him, his body froze, his heart went empty. It was like starving, and knowing no amount of food could satisfy the hunger.

All he could do was watch as Fusil flew away.

“Coco, don't just stand there, do something!”

Tecovis snapped to face Djurle, anger and annoyance in his gaze.

“What am I supposed to do Djurle!? I can't just fly after him!”

“You could have stopped him right there!”

“How!? I'm not like you Djurle! I'm only human!”

ONLY HUMAN!?

Tecovis's expression shifted, as if he were only now seeing him for the first time.

“Djurle?”

Another wave of hollowness came over him and his vision began to blur. His knees hit the ground. His hands followed shortly after. Whatever emotion he was feeling then slowly faded into nothing. Unable to feel even fear, a single thought began to loop in his mind.

Maker of the land I tread… Please… Don't let me die today…