“On my way.” Malcolm stood up and started walking to the others.
“You doing okay,” Ylnah turned to Valgrin. “Seem to be doing better.”
Valgrin nodded, “Much better than I was. Still a little shaky but much better.” Check status.
<< Status
Health: 62/74
Magic: 77/140
>>
“Looks like I’ve recharged over half of my magic and most of my health.” He added.
Malcolm made his way to the purple door, where the group stood, and came to a stop himself, rocking from heel to toe. Valgrin noticed the slight upward curve of Malcolm's mouth each time he rose to his tiptoes.
“Have something you want to tell us?” Valgrin asked Malcolm.
“You know how I’ve joined the exercises Dravokka taught me and the workout Sifferal has me doing?” Malcolm paused, picking back up after Valgrin nodded. “Sandy let me know that by combining them I’ve advanced beyond the normal advancement when it comes to my haste ability. Standard is it grows with my Flurry of Blows, but the formula for movement rate is unpublished. To many variables is why, according to Sandy. Now, though, I have the ability to do bursts of up to fifty percent faster. Limited by my magic pool, physical condition, and other variables, Sandy wouldn’t tell me which ones. Nice to see my training growing areas beyond the obvious.”
“Sounds like something that will come in handy,” Izzy patted Malcolm’s chest as she grinned.
“Can’t tell, you being serious or pulling my leg?” Malcolm lifted an eyebrow.
“Pulling your leg?” Izzy asked.
“Earth saying meaning trying to get one past me, or mocking me a bit.”
“Maybe a little,” Izzy kept grinning. “You are easy to tease, but also serious in saying that is a nice ability.”
Malcolm shook his head as he smiled back.
“Ready to open the door, not sure I want to see how this place forces it on us. Everyone ready?” He glanced back at their nods, then twisted the handle. The door swung open to reveal not a room, but a rippling black curtain of magic that filled the entire doorframe, shimmering like oil on water, silver and gray reflecting the light.
“At least it’s consistent,” Ylnah muttered.
Valgrin's finger disappeared into the curtain with a faint electric tingle, then his hand, then his whole body. He stumbled sideways, blinking at the assault of burnt orange and harvest gold. Dark oak panels climbed the walls, reflecting the amber glow of a teardrop-shaped lamp with a cracked shade. The dining table, also oak, also dark, sat beneath a chandelier whose bulbs flickered randomly. On every chair cushion and across the sagging couch, faded waterwheels spun eternally between burnt-orange flowers, while bird-like creatures with too-long necks stared with unblinking eyes from the velour upholstery. When Valgrin moved, the fabric seemed to shift too, those birds turning their heads a fraction toward him. Moving, he noticed the rust orange shag carpet thick enough to hide small creatures. All of this reminded him of his grandmother’s great room, decorated in early seventies fashion mixed with some sixties kitsch. He wondered if the door on the far wall led to a kitchen with the same style.
Malcolm let out a low whistle, “Damn, this sort of looks like my house when I was a kid.”
“Looks nothing like what I grew up in.” Skwilly added with a chuckle.
Ylnah opened up a door that was to her left. “A bunch of coats. This one seems to be made of a fur I don’t recog…” The coat crackled as a deep blue bolt arced from it to Ylnah, who crumpled as soon as it hit her.
Izzy tried to catch her and was able to soften her fall to the floor.
“Ylnah!” cried Valgrin as he ran the six steps so he could kneel next to her. Skwilly beat him to her side. Valgrin noticed Izzy putting a purple potion to Ylnah’s lips, so he stayed out of the way.
A roar from behind caused Valgrin to turn. The wall opposite of their entry had disappeared. Where a kitchen should have been stood a creature that made his breath catch—a badger, but wrong. Seven feet tall on its hind legs, its familiar black-and-white face markings distorted into a skull-like pattern. Its eyes glowed amber in the darkness, tracking movements with predatory intelligence. When it opened its mouth to roar again, rows of fangs gleamed like polished steel, each as long as Valgrin's finger. The beasts claws seemed metallic, whatever material they consisted of they were deadly looking, scraping on the floor as it took a step forward.
Valgrin quickly shot three Ice Shards at the badger-monster. Each one stopped a few feet before hitting the creature and fell to the ground, useless. Another roar shook the room and a boulder flew from the monster hitting Valgrin in the chest and sent him into the wall.
“Valgrin!” Shouted Izzy and Malcolm in unison.
Skwilly squealed, nosing at the fallen Valgrin.
“I’ve got him,” Izzy called out to Malcolm. “You go get that thing.”
Valgrin's body screamed in protest as he tried to heave himself upright. A violent, wet cough tore through him, spraying crimson across his trembling hand. His vision swam with black spots as he dragged his sleeve across his mouth, leaving a glistening smear of blood. Each shallow breath sent daggers of pain through his chest.
Izzy's hands were on his shoulders in an instant, forcing him back down with surprising strength. "Don't you dare," she hissed, already uncorking a purple potion with her teeth. The viscous liquid glowed faintly as she pressed the vial against his bloodied lips.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
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Malcolm saw Izzy as she moved over to look at Valgrin, Ylnah seemed to be conscious and trying to clear her head. He turned to face the monster. So, Mr. Badger, we meet again. Mist Cloak. He twirled his sai and sent the mental command for them to become edged. Malcolm's heart thundered in his chest as he charged across the void, each footfall like a drumbeat of war. The badger-beast's muscles bunched, and a boulder materialized before it, then hurtled toward him with bone-crushing force. Malcolm threw himself sideways, feeling the wind of its passage tear at his hair as it missed by inches. A savage laugh erupted from his throat, primal and challenging. The monster's amber eyes blazed with hatred as it summoned another projectile. This time the boulder screamed past so close that dust particles stung Malcolm's cheek. Too damn close. His blood sang with battle-fury. Now. He triggered his haste ability, his form dissolving into the swirling mist that enveloped him, becoming nothing but vapor and killing intent. The creature roared in confusion, hurling a final desperate boulder that passed harmlessly through Malcolm's ethereal form. In a heartbeat, he rematerialized behind the beast, twin sai gleaming with deadly purpose. With a feral cry, he drove both blades deep into the creature's brain stem. The monster's spine arched in a grotesque bow as convulsions wracked its massive frame before it crashed to the floor, twitching in its death throes. Blood spurted all over Malcolm, the ground, and covering the beast. It groaned and gurgled, then fell silent and unmoving. Malcolm waited for a minute, then checked. The creature didn’t move, didn’t breath.
“Think he’s dead.” He shouted to the room. “How’s everyone?”
Izzy’s volume matched Malcolm’s, “Ylnah is almost recovered, from what I can tell she got zapped with some sort of freezing spell and hypothermia almost took her. Valgrin, have to wait until he regains consciousness. The potion I gave him starts with knocking him out, then heals his body. I think he had some broken ribs, maybe a punctured lung, hoping the one potion does the job.”
Skwilly sat next to Valgrin’s head, he looked up to Izzy, “What happens if it doesn’t?”
“I don’t have another that would heal the lungs,” Izzy told Skwilly. “So, we’d have to cast a few spells to stabilize him and get him to a full-blown healer.”
Malcolm came walking toward them, “I looked around that area and Mr. Badger was the only monster.”
“Mr. Badger?” Skwilly asked.
“A name I gave him, looks sort of like one,” Malcolm replied.
Ylnah sat up, scooting across the shag carpet to use the wall as a backrest. “Wonder if we can stay in here to rest up and get a nap in? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I could use some sleep.”
Izzy patted Ylnah’s shoulder, “Sleep sounds like a good idea for you and Valgrin. Malcolm and I will take watch for an hour or two and you get a nap in.” She moved over to the couch and sat down.
Malcolm swooped in from around the back of the couch to sit next to her.
“That was where I was going to sit,” Skwilly drew out his words in a mock whine. “Move over.”
“Not a chance Twinkle Toes.” Malcolm teased back. He patted the space next to him. “There’s plenty of room next to me.”
Skwilly snorted, “I think I’ll just stay over here and join Ylnah in napping.” He threw his snout into the air, twirled a couple of times, then laid down.
“You sure do have the melodrama down,” Malcolm observed.
Skwilly raised his head, sniffed, then said, “Thank you.” His giggling did diminish the impact a little.
Ylnah reached over and scratched Skwilly behind the ears. “Mmmm, that’s the deciding factor,” the priggy leaned into the scratching.
“You’re such a cuddle-slut,” Malcolm fought to keep the laughter out of his voice.
“And…nothing wrong with that.” Skwilly moaned while cocking his head so Ylnah could get the other ear.
Malcolm lost the fight against laughing. “You have point.” He turned to Izzy and cocked his head. She joined him in the laughter, reaching over and scratching behind his ear.
“I feel safe with you guys watching over me.” Ylnah pulled her hand back and curled up in a ball.
Everyone battled trying not to wake Valgrin.
After several seconds, Malcolm coughed and then stood up. “Hate to admit it but she has a point. As good as it feels to release a bit of tension. Not doing the best job of watching for the next surprise.”
With that they all quieted down, Skwilly and Ylnah closed their eyes to take a nap.
Izzy stood and walked over to the table where Malcolm was standing. He pulled out a couple of chairs and she sat down, him taking the chair next to her.
“I have a good view of the void and the nappers. You?” He asked.
Izzy nodded, “I can see everything but the wall behind us. Hopefully one of us will notice if it goes away.”
“I think we’d notice a wall missing.”
“Didn’t see the other one until your Mr. Badger roared.” Izzy pointed out.
“Point made, but we're a little more hyper-aware now.”
“True,” Izzy looked over at the nappers then whispered back at Malcolm. “You notice anything weird with Valgrin?”
“Weird?” Malcolm whispered back, “What do you mean?”
“Reckless? He’s been almost dead in this room and the one before. He showed a little of that reckless side back at the paaluns cave as well.”
Malcolm stroked his chin, lips pursed in thought, “Maybe he’s taken a few chances, but what choice would he have had otherwise? He heated up the water so the rest of us would survive, and the boulder to the chest isn’t something he could of predicted. Maybe he’s a little less careful, but so far I’d say he’s acted as the situation dictated.”
“Okay,” Izzy reached over and laid her hand on Malcolm’s thigh. “He seems to have changed since that trip up north. I wondered if he’d gotten tired of waiting on the Structure as far as getting back to his family.”
“Listen, I know his family is his first love. That’s a given,” Malcolm patted Izzy’s hand. “I also know if he felt your, Ylnah’s, or any of our other friends, lives were at risk—He’d gladly put himself in harms way, to the point of possible death, to save any of y’all or me. Well, maybe not gladly, but he'd do it. He’s been my moral compass for many things, and a damn good listener when needed. I may not always listen, but he’s never steered me wrong. He is one of, no strike that, he’s the best friend you could ask for.”
From across the room, Valgrin offered up a feeble, “Thank you.”
“Didn’t know you were awake. That was all just fibbing to build you up.” Malcolm stammered out, red faced.
“Oh, I know.” Valgrin replied, “And I would switch it around and say the same about you and the help you’ve given me over the years. Other than the moral compass thing, that I’d seek a second opinion on.”
Malcolm barked a laugh, “I’d expect you too.”
<
“You heard the lady, lets head back out to the Swiss Dot hallway.” Malcolm helped Izzy out of her chair and they made their way across the room.