"Unfriendlies?"
Noble stood, instinctively calling on the Zenith as she did.
"Their proper na by the Spell is Scorchlings, but that sounds too cute for sothing that could lt your face off, don't you think?" Teddy nodded seriously. "So, can you see them?"
Noble tried to feel for the emotions over the immolating heat of the volcano. Normally, she ignored anything below a certain register because it ant they were too far away, but tiny things would produce the sa result, would they?
Adjusting her sensitivity, Noble suddenly felt thousands of tiny points of hatred spreading across the lake of lava.
Her second sight locked onto these points, and she could see a subtle difference between the lava and the creatures floating among the molten rock.
"I can now..." Noble swallowed. "Teddy, does it always look like that?"
Maybe this was a case of ignorance was bliss.
The assistant shook her head. "I an, I've seen them once or twice, but never like that."
"Bee?" Fort stood beside his wife. "How big of a problem are we talking about?"
Noble rose higher to get a better view of the lava below. "The Scorchlings are stretched across the surface like a blanket."
"Do we need to evacuate the city? Notify the Queen?" Fort ran through the protocol in his head. Where could they take this many people, where they wouldn't freeze to death or be thrown into a Nightmare?
"I'm not sure." Noble had no imdiate answer either.
"What are their powers? Can we counteract them sohow?" Blaze's analytical mind was already on the offensive.
"Give a sword, and I'll fight them off." Brock balled his fist. "I'll cut them down to size...smaller size?"
"Calm down, Boss, Mrs. Boss, mini-bosses." Teddy waved her hands in front of her. "There is no need to evacuate anyone. Those little minions don't do well outside the heat. I am shocked they ca up to the side at all earlier. I was surprised by their number, not their might. I'll take care of it."
"Wait...minions?" Noble's question went unanswered as Teddy moved toward the edge. As she got closer, she dropped to her hands and knees to crawl up to the precipice.
Fort furrowed his brow and whispered. "What is she..."
"Sh! This is stealth mode!" Teddy said no more.
Looking out at the lava, she shook her head. "Tsk. Goodbye, Unfriendlies."
The molten rock began to bubble as one by one the little spots of hatred blinked out of existence. An entire ecosystem of nearly microscopic beings was wiped out.
And without Teddy lifting a finger. At most, she had breathed.
Noble watched the lava beco clean and free of contaminants.
The ground rumbled, and for a mont, Noble feared that they would set off an eruption. But the earth below seed to settle, and nothing more occurred.
Teddy stood and dusted off her hands. "We are good to go!"
"She's right. They are all gone." Noble ca close to the ground and exchanged glances with Fort. They both had the sa thought.
'That is terrifying!'
"I have a question," Blaze broke through the stunned silence of the others. "Why are those things considered unfriendly, while you like the germs that helped you earlier?"
Teddy nodded. "Ah, I can see your confusion. My germs I usually control don't actually have brains and feelings in the strictest sense, so they cannot be corrupted. Though I suppose a nasty virus is already a corrupt thing, it isn't the sa as a Nightmare creature. Friendlies won't kill you unless I tell them to. Unfriendlies will kill you every ti. Does that make sense?"
"Kinda?"
"Not at all."
The family was split on their responses. In the end, it didn't matter whether they understood. The lake of lava was cleansed. Though Noble suspected those creatures were a bit like the pollen at the bottom of Ender's Deep. She would have to check on the status of the volcano again soti soon.
For now, they could retry the experint in peace. The three n donned their suits once more and approached the fissure. Fortunately, the tumultuous surface of the lava and the unexpected rumbling hadn't affected Blaze's device. Under the right conditions, molten rock could have shot up the fissure and lted the entire machine, but that had not been the case.
Blaze checked the bolts and fixtures just to be certain everything was in order.
"It looks good. Let's load the water."
The second half of the canisters was brought and emptied into the cistern. The rope was attached to the valve, but Blaze did not bother setting the cord.
"Mom? Whenever you are ready."
Noble nodded, her eyes swirling as she funneled her hope into her telekinesis.
'Please work this ti!'
"Now!"
The valve moved, and the water emptied down its designated chute. Up it rose as steam into the bell and turned the turbine within it.
Suspense mounted as the first second passed.
Blaze frowned. "Sothing's still wrong. I don't think the seal is holding."
Now that Noble knew what to look for, she could see it too. The place around the lightbulb was losing pressure again.
The experint would end like the first. They would have to wait longer before trying again and make sure to use stronger material to ld the pieces together. The result was disappointing, but not the end of their work.
Teddy stepped forward with determination in her eyes.
"Not on my watch!"
Her hands closed. An almost invisible film ford around the base of the bulb, going inside the breaches.
At first, nothing seed to change. Then it was like sothing caught. The whirring of the turbine quickened. Pressure built up in a way it hadn't before. This ti, even Noble could feel the charge in the air. It was subtle, but the wisps of hair around her temples began to stand on end.
'Work!' Noble tried to will the contraption into obedience.
However, so things could not be rushed.
Two more seconds passed, and the cistern was half empty. Steam poured up in such great asure that it seeped out of the place where the bell t the ground and billowed into the air.
"This is it!" Brock announced.
How he knew could only be attributed to his connection with his younger twin, but no one doubted his words.
They froze, afraid that even the slightest movent would break the fragile balance of the world around them.
Then, it happened.
Instead of a spark, the filant inside the bulb began to glow. It shone softly at first, but then the small bulb began to glow in earnest.
"I did it? I—I did it!" Blaze's mouth hung open.
"You did it!" Brock hoisted his younger brother in the air.
"That's amazing!" Noble patted her son on the shoulder.
"Congratulations!" Fort watched the modern marvel with wide eyes.
As the water continued to be transford into steam, the tiny beacon of light grew brighter and brighter against the afternoon sky.
Soon it looked like a brilliant star. The more energy that built up, the more it transferred to the only outlet.
Noble realized the problem right before it ca to a head.
"Get down!"
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