Paired Sequence

Part of my continuing work The Mathematicians

“Why are we here?” Oz asked. 

He, Ergh, and Naut were nestled in the drop-off between the path and the cliff hidden in a rocky recess. 

“It’s important that we support Cordy and Turei, it’s always been the six of us,” Naut replied. 

Being the smallest of the three, Oz shuffled uncomfortably being sandwiched between Naut’s muscled frame and Ergh’s sheer bulk. 

“Not that I’m enthusiastic about facing down Justine’s fury and whatever monstrosity she’s hauling out of the depths, but shouldn’t we be down there helping them?” Oz asked. 

“We had our chance to talk to her many times before it got to this point,” Naut said turning his gaze to Oz, “All of us.” 

Ergh also took the opportunity to turn an irksome gaze towards Oz and a low rumble emitted from his throat. 

Oz pulled his hood down further sinking into its depths. 

“Don’t take that tone with me big guy,” Oz said raising a finger to Ergh’s face. 

He continued, “You have Turei and Naut here has Cordy, we all saw Justine the same way. I don’t see either of you bedding down with her anytime soon.” 

Naut sighed. “I understand. She always seemed motherly to us despite being the same age.” 

Ergh shifted his massive body to peek over the edge of rocks and down into the dark where the path led to a massive stone platform overlooking the shaft leading to the abyss below. His vision drifted from the figures of Cordy and Turei to Justine at the edge of the platform who was constructing mathematical sequences of fire and sending them down into the depths. 

The roughhewn path in front of Turei and Cordy ended in a set of stairs of highly polished stone leading up to the platform of the same make. The silhouette of Justine and her ritualistic motions reflected in the dim flashes of light from the fiery mathematical formulae. The pair stopped in the center of the circular platform; Cordy’s spear made a resounding final tap. 

“What are you doing Justine?” Turei called out. 

Justine finished carving the air with fiery numbers and sent the pattern down into the depths. 

“I don’t remember ever being so infantile that I had to answer to you, any of you.” Justine turned to her friends. 

“Where are the boys?” 

Cordy motioned with her spear towards the path above that overlooked the platform. Justine followed her motion and could barely make out Ergh’s crest of hair peaking over the top of broken stalagmites, she smiled. 

“Naut traverses with spirits of the deep. Oz makes deals with demonic things in the dark. Cordy learns the ancient ways with the Long-lived. You and Ergh practically break your bodies altering physical capabilities and combat. All the while everyone sits back and watches. And yet... the moment I do something of my own, everyone has a sudden interest. 

“That’s not what this is about Justine, we’re just worried about you,” said Cordy. 

“I DON’T NEED YOU TO WORRY ABOUT ME,” Justine shouted. 

The sudden outburst put the pair on their guard, and they instinctively took defensive stances. Justine smiled at this. A feeling of justification for her actions flooded her mind. Sensing this Turei and Cordy relaxed, whatever shame they might have felt for raising arms against their friend was lost in years of experience in suppressing emotions. 

“Everyone else has something. All of you have everything. I have nothing,” Justine said. 

“That isn’t true,” said Turei. 

“Oh?” Justine cackled the echoes bouncing off the cavern walls and disappearing into the darkness. 

“You have us,” Cordy said with definitive resolve. 

Justine turned her back on them, “That isn’t what I meant. You’re too late. The sequences are already in matrix. It can’t be stopped.” 

Cordy and Turei looked at each other for a moment before walking forward and taking position on either side of their friend. 

“We never intended to stop you,” said Turei. 

“What are we facing Justine?” Cordy asked. 

“So, the eight sequences form a positional matrix. Even though they are their own sequence they represent a singular point,” explained Oz. 

“You wouldn’t need eight for something like that,” said Ergh still peeking over the edge. 

“It’s a three-dimensional creation,” said Oz. 

“That still wouldn’t-.” 

“It needs a point of origin and a destination,” said Oz exasperated. 

“What’s going to happen?” Naut asked. 

“Theoretically, Justine is trying to form a perpendicular existence to her own. An inverted version of herself.” 

“And?” 

“She needs to find the point where they intersect and find a way to establish a mutual state. Establish control.” 

“All while maintaining those eight sequences in matrix?” 

“Yes.” 

“While that existence is trying to do the same thing?” 

“Oh, not likely,” Oz said matter-of-factly. 

Naut gave him an inquisitive look. 

“It’s an inverted existence so it will have the same goal but oppositional methodology to her own.” 

“Meaning?” 

“It will probably try to kill her,” Oz said shrinking into himself realizing what he was saying. 

“Perfect, do you have any idea what she made?” 

Oz thought for a moment, “It could be anything. That’s why she came down here. The darkness peaks the imagination and its isolated. Whatever destruction comes of this will be restricted to here and likely trapped.” 

“Is there anything we can do to help?” 

“No, the more people there are increases the number of distractions and adds to the complexity of keeping everyone alive, including whatever madness she’s brought into existence. We can only watch.” 

A roar sounded from the depths. A loud bestial cry of something born in the darkness announcing to the world of its emergence. The echoes of its birth cries faded and were replaced by loud booms as whatever it was began to climb up the rock wall leading up to the platform. 

Turei and Cordy were all too familiar with battle and maintained an air of calm. Justine herself was no stranger to it but lacked the extensive experience of the others. She found solace in the demeanor of her friends and silently waited as the encroaching booms became louder. 

The booms stopped. There was a palpable silence, and the tension kept the three of them in place. A low rumble like that of a massive grindstone turning with a rasping undertone. As the rumble continued a massive serpentine head peeked over the edge of the platform. 

“You and your damn fantasy books,” said Cordy, she struck the bladed tip of her spear on the ground, and it ignited in green flame. 

Two ruby red eyes fixated on the three of them and with a massive lurch the beast hauled itself over the edge. A massive lizard with plated scales and horns upon its head arched itself menacingly at the three of them. It opened its mouth and something between a growl and a hiss emanated from between daggerlike fangs. 

“At least it doesn’t have wings,” said Turei drawing her billy clubs, “Any chance it doesn’t breathe fire?” 

As if to answer her question, lines of power swirled down the creature’s forearms, the numbers alternating their sequential order faster than any of them could calculate and when they ended the claws of the giant lizard burst into flame. 

“Of course,” said Turei. 

Turei and Cordy separated from Justine sidestepping to flank the beast on opposite ends. The red eyes fixated on them. Justine was already searching for her target focal point and stared off into space. Silent understanding had passed between the three. 

The beast reared up as Turei tossed one of her batons at it. The lizard raised its flaming arm and the weapon bounced off its palm with a shower of sparks. The beast hop dodged towards Turei as wave of bright flame passed over where it had been standing. 

Cordy cursed. The thing was agile for its size. Tough too, thought Turei, she caught her baton as it sailed in an arc back to her. It's big, it can use power and it's intelligent. It probably knows what Justine was attempting. Turei caught Cordy’s eye. The slightest nod was all the affirmation she needed. 

The beast had curled in upon itself, its head lowered, and its backside raised. Its massive tail that had been waving to and fro threateningly now stretched out still and erect. It lunged forward. Burning claws swiped the air where Turei had just been, anticipating it she had leapt towards the flanks of the beast. She slammed the handles of her clubs together and the tips lit up with equational power. A stream of Cordy’s bright green power arced towards her that she caught with one baton. 

Turei wasn’t the beast’s target. After missing her it had continued its charge forward anda second leap brought it close to Justine. It opened its mouth rasping a defiant hiss that burned the air. Its jaws opened wide, the promise of death at the tip of every fang. Searing claws struck the polished floor as it made its final lunge towards Justine. The jaws snapped shut around absolutely nothing mere inches from its target. It felt the pressure against its tail and arched serpentine neck around to see what restrained it. 

Cord’s power flowed from one end of Turei’s impromptu staff and out the other end. Filtered and refined energy had lassoed around the beast’s tail. The beast turned forward, it would not be denied. It lunged with the fullness of it’s weight to snap at the woman in front of it. 

Turei planted her feet firmly and pulled with all her might. Beads of sweat streamed down her strained muscles. Maintaining the sequences on her batons and limbs was hard enough, doing so and restraining this monstrosity was overwhelming, and Cordy’s power wild and unhinged was making it damn near impossible. 

Cordy was in no better circumstances. She knew her power’s capabilities and tendencies. Maintaining a steady stream that wouldn’t overwhelm her friend but maintain integrity while acting as the anchor for the tether was consuming all her strength. She audibly recited the stream of equations to maintain her focus as she felt the weight of the beast pull against the connections inside of her. 

Back and forth over Turei and the monster struggled against each other. The beast tried to gain purchase with its claws in the glassy stone surface but whatever logic governed the stone refused to grant anchorage to its strength and searing claws. 

Stone was Naut’s specialty; the science of the earth granted him its secrets, but doing so at a distance was impossible for one such as him. Thankfully Ozwald was such a master at it and felt his friend’s hand on his shoulder enhancing his capabilities. Maintaining it long term would be impossible if not for Ergh enhancing their flow of power. Denying the creature stable ground was about all they could do, hopefully it helped. 

The giant lizard screeched as it slid backwards again. Turei felt elated at her small success but knew the situation couldn’t be maintained. She didn’t have the stamina for it and small flickers in the stream indicated Cordy was starting to falter. She closed her eyes and resolved herself. She would hold no matter what. Justine, Cordy, and the others were the only family she had. She didn’t understand why Justine made everything so complicated but that was Justine and she’d tear her own arms off helping her. The beast lurched again, and her words took on a new seriousness. 

Then stillness. The strain on the tether ceased nearly toppling Turei backwards. But she maintained her hold. It didn’t matter Cordy collapsed a second later and the stream of green power that formed the tether flared up and blinked out of existence. Turei spared a worried glance towards Justine. Justine was cradling the beast's head in her hands. Whatever was happening was beyond Turei’s ken and would be settled between the two of them, she ran to Cordy aiding her exhausted comrade. 

Silent moments passed as the spectators recovered their strength from their own participation and anxiously awaited the results of the exchange. Justine and the beast stared into each other’s eyes. Unspoken declarations of defiance were made and met with understanding and acceptance until finally an accord was established. 

Justine turned to her beleaguered friends and the massive serpent moved in tandem as tendrils of fired moved about them. Turei and Cordy staggered to their feet and smiled. Neither of them could imagine what their longtime friend had gone through, but it didn’t matter. A sense of change emanated Justine but it was something all three had become accustomed to and each had faith that everything would be alright, that they would always have the same bonds. 

“I told you it would never work out,” said Oz. 

“Umm, it looks like everyone is alive and we have a new... friend,” said Naut. 

“It might even eat more than Turei,” said Naut. 

Ergh chuckled, “Not likely.” 

“That’s not what I meant. I meant for me and Justine.” 

“I don’t think it's a problem anymore but what are you talking about?” asked Naut. 

“Not a problem for me, you two on the other hand.” Oz shrugged. 

“Care to explain for the unenlightened, King of Words,” Naut requested. 

“I know books aren’t your forte, nor studying, particularly anatomy and biology, but what you haven’t noticed is that THING is a female.” 

“What’s your point? It’s a reflection-.” 

“An inverted reflection,” Oz interrupted, “Its as much a manifestation of latent desire as it is a mirrored and idealized perspective.” 

Naut became silent while Ergh stared at the ground. They understood perfectly what Oz was getting at. It confirmed what they had suspected about Justine, what Oz had deduced long ago. 

“Should we talk to her about it?” Naut asked. 

“I can see why you get along with rocks so well. Is there a particular field you want to fertilize after you come out the back end of that thing, just curious,” Oz’s sarcasm was thick. 

Ergh joined Naut in observing the young women from afar as they embraced each other and took turns stroking the jagged protruding scales of the beast. The beast feigned indifference to the attention and took to staring into the gloom where the boys stood. Regardless of whether it could see them Naut was certain it was aware of them.