Weapon of War

The Spellwork on the Rifle was all encompassing, its handle, the trigger housing, even the breach at the back and bolt were covered in designs. Errit was studying it, taking it apart and flipping it over, inspecting it in every way he could. There were some strange designs and a button-like pad on the side of the handle. It seemed like it was made with gel but it didn't leak when it clung to the side of the weapon under his thumb.

Errit pointed at a clearing and placed his finger on the trigger. A line of sight with nothing in its way, he poured some energy into the weapon just like he had done with the Cart. Small guidelines and power indicators charged quickly, rust colored sparks drove themselves into a chain reaction as they entered the breach and then, he squeezed the trigger.

There was a kick, it pushed him back, sliding his feet backward while he maintained his balance. A beam of gold and green wildly flew out in a cone. It acted like a shotgun, unrefined and scattered.

Explosive damage hit the soil, debris soared into the air, raining dirt and leaving pits in the blast zone.

He tried it again. Using less energy to power the weapon, he saw the particles coalesce into the barrel breach. The bolt drew back ready to fire and the moment he could feel it about to fully charge he pulled the trigger. There was a thin line of green, it shot into the distance. '400 meters?' He thought, then he charge it again, readying himself to fire.

'300 meters' Again.

'400 meters' Again.

'450 meters' Errit found the average range and then threw one of the rocks nearby.

As it sailed through the air, he re-aimed and tried to hit the rock as it flew. He was way off. There were no sights on the weapon, and with the blast from earlier it seemed rather multifunctional. Errit looked for other designs or buttons. There was one on the bottom of the handle. A Crystal was removed. It looked warped and jagged, a pulsing aura was covering it. It was spidercracked in a spiral like it would break at any moment.

He searched his spacial ring for alternatives, he couldn't find one. Errit then took out the first crystal he could find. It was orange and about the right size to fit into the chamber. the springloaded mount for the crystal took into consideration that crystals came in different sizes and shapes admiring it a bit, he took aim and tried to channel into the crystal.

A hot air started to blow out of the Spellrifle. It seemed to dry and wither things rapidly like a hair dryer on steroids, some of the nearby dried grasses started to brown and burn.. Errit put the flames out with a hide and pulled the crystal out.

'That was an interesting effect.' He pulled out a pen and paper to write down some notes.

Grabbing another crystal, he tried the same idea, this time he used a deep blue crystal. It reminded him of water, there was a distinct feeling of tidal flows and pressure. Slapping into the base of the handle with the rest of the magazine capsule, it was a snug fit. He pulled the trigger while aiming to the sky.

A stream of water blasted out. It was like a firehose, pouring endlessly while he held down the trigger and gripped the blaster. The water shot for about 100 meters, it pooled, sheeted and turned to droplets when it fell.

"I don't know If I can get use things like this, but this works." Errit filled a nearby depression in landscape with water and took a bath. The water didn't have any discoloring to it, he layed hidden on the hillside soaking in his earthen tub. He took off the Mask, Errit set it by the side and quickly washed his hair, it was matted from jumping into muck. The feeling left him edgy, remembering the early brush with death and so soon after escaping the hell loop.

The Blackout Hat was like an old west undertaker hat, straight and round. It hid his eyes from inspection. As he laid in the small bath, occasionally a bird would come by. Errit enjoyed the tranquility but there was another reason the birds had come.

Underneath the bush next to the hole, a snake worked its way closer to the basin. It stopped at the waters edge and drank. Errit didn't let himself breath. In his opinion, the chances of the chains actually reaching the snake in time were slim.

'eiiiii' He held his breath.

It slithered away, seemingly unaware of Errit's presence. Errit let out a sigh when he figured it was safe. As the second sun set, a glow lit the pool, the same as the Moonflower pools had done.

Looking down, he could see the grasses coming up through bright blue waters in the depression and begin to seed. They had grown to maturity at a visible rate, his power had grown again. 'Ugghh, this is a problem.' The plants around him started to reach toward him gently, absorbing the water. Soon, it was gone. Errit put his pants on quickly, reoriented his mask and stored his gear. None of the plants that grew in the water were of special interest to him. After inspecting the area, he jumped into the Cart.

Keeping the Spellrifle in his hands, he drove into the east under the moonlit sky.. He had an eerie feeling that he was under constant surveillance.