Ylnah dove sideways as the appendage smashed into the causeway, sending stone shards flying like shrapnel. Before anyone could react, two more tentacles erupted from the churning water, one wrapping around Malcolm's ankle while the other slammed into Izzy’s chest, knocking her backward. Valgrin’s katar flashed in the morning light as he hacked at the writhing limb gripping Malcolm, black ichor spraying across the ancient stones. Another tentacle broke through the waters surface, twisting it swung towards Valgrin—then retracted quickly, two arrows lodged deep into it’s flesh. The damaged tentacle gave up it’s hold on Malcolm and slide through the ichor and back into the water.

  Malcolm's white-knuckled grip released from the causeway's opposing edge, his boots skidded on the slick stone as he scrambled upright. "I owe you!" he bellowed to Valgrin, while hurling himself at the nearest writhing appendage. His twin sai became silver blurs, tearing into the pulsating yellow flesh with savage precision. Black ichor erupted in high-pressure jets, splattering his face and chest as the creature's otherworldly shriek pierced the air.

  “I don’t see any eyes,” Skwilly shouted, “not sure I can help.”

  Valgrin fired off several Ice Daggers, taking out the tentacle poised to strike at Ylnah, again.

  “Try, might work. Not any worse off.” Malcolm shouted back to Skwilly.

  “Close!”

  Bright lights flashed at the edge of Valgrin’s closed eyes.

  “No change!”

  Valgrin quickly opened his eyes, preparing for the next attack. Two more tentacles burst through the lake’s churning water, brown weeds dangling from each. Izzy fired two arrows, one hit drawing the tentacles attention to her. The other swung at Valgrin, who fell flat to the cold stone, the tentacle brushed his back leaving a wet trail behind it as it swung past the prone Ice Elf. He popped up just enough to leap after the appendage, driving his katar deep into the rubbery flesh. Freeze! He pulled deep from his magic driving it through his weapon. The wound around the blade began to frost, then freeze, the tentacle falling still. He pulled out his katar, his head swinging wildly looking for the next attack. He didn’t have to look far.

  Malcolm now had two attacking him, even with his heightened speed he couldn’t keep up. Valgrin sprinted across the slick stone to aid his friend, stumbling as he tried to stop. A thrust of his weapon sliced into the dripping tentacle and helped prevent him from falling into the growing pool of black blood. He cast an Ice Spear at his current target, piercing through the thickest part just above the water’s surface. The churning water erupted over the stone as something resembling an ugly, upside down cone with at least four eyestalks rose from the water, it’s shrieks ringing in Valgrin’s ears. He threw another Ice Spear at the cone, missing it as it submerged into the white foam.

  Three more tentacles erupted from the water, their mottled yellow flesh writhing and convulsing in the air like electrified pythons. A bronze-colored lasso of light, crackling with arcane energy, whipped around one of the thrashing limbs. The tentacle seized violently, its flesh smoking and bubbling where the light touched, before going rigid as stone.

  “Wha…” Valgrin exclaimed.

  Malcolm’s outburst cut Valgrin off, “Who di…”

  Izzy screamed as a tentacle slammed her to the stone, rearing back for another strike.

  A tan furred creature scampered onto the bridge, another bronze-colored lasso encircled the tentacle attacking Izzy, with the same violent result as the first. A third lasso took out another tentacle.

  “Who are…?” Izzy gasped.

  “Sorvush, that tis me. Imma here to clear up the way. Itsa my job it tis.” The furry creature bobbed as it shot out two more bronze bolts of light, taking out the last two tentacles.

  Ylnah patted Sorvush on the back, “Thank you for the help.”

  “Like said, my job it tis.” The creature seemed to grow taller as it spoke.

  Now a talking meerkat-spider monkey mix, with six arms? Four arms and two legs? Valgrin echoed his thanks as well as the others.

  “So you’re the guard for this path over the water?” Izzy asked as she walked over, straightening her tunic. Malcolm at her side, fire in his eyes.

  “Guard? Me not tha…” A tentacle crashed over the causeway landing on Sorvush. Just as quickly it receded back into the water. The furry creature no where to be seen.

  “Where did he go?” Malcolm growled as he looked all around.

  “Did the tentacle…um…eat him?” Ylnah’s voice was filled with disbelief as she asked.

  Izzy looked up from staring at the water, “I didn’t see a body go in, just the ghastly yellow abomination.”

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  “Didn’t see one either,” Skwilly confirmed.

  “No body went in. Was sent to my tree.” Sorvush came running back over the bridge to get to the group as it pointed back to a tree.

  “Didn’t notice that before, not sure why?” Valgrin squinted at the tree. Charcoal and pitch twisted together in near-spirals up the trunk, like smoke had been frozen mid-curl. The branches jutted at unnatural angles, as if broken and healed wrong countless times. A handful of tan-gold leaves trembled at the tips, catching light exactly as Sorvush's fur had when he'd scampered across the causeway.

  “We need some explaining here,” Ylnah said to Sorvush.

  “Not much to say. I come to control Egirt, it sends me to my tree, me come back. It my job.”

  “That is all you do?” Izzy asked.

  “Bug people kill me, I go back to tree.”

  “Why do they kill you, and are they really killing you if you come back?” Valgrin took his turn at asking a question.

  “If kill me, Egirt settle down sometimes settle down for many days. So you kill me now?” Sorvush’s gaze went from person to person.

  Valgrin lunged forward, his katar intercepting Malcolm's descending sai with a metallic clang that reverberated across the causeway. "No!" he shouted, pushing Malcolm's weapon aside with enough force to make his friend stumble backward. "We're not killing anyone," he added, positioning himself between Malcolm and the strange creature, his breath coming in ragged bursts.

  Malcolm snarled, “Get out of my way.”

  “Stop!” Valgrin stood his ground. “This isn’t who we are.”

  “Isn’t it? That Eager thing came close to taking a few of us, if not all of us, out. We’ve killed other things to keep ourselves safe.” Malcolm’s chest heaved as he tried to get around Valgrin.

  “First it’s Egirt,” Valgrin grunted as he pushed Malcolm back. “Second, this is different from the others. This is killing an, as far as we can tell, innocent. Sorvush, how did you end up in this position?” Valgrin called out over his shoulder.

  “Um…I in prison, I think.” The furry creature responded.

  “You think?” Izzy asked, as she put her hand on Malcolm’s shoulder trying to calm him down. “And you two, this is no way for friends to act.”

  Sorvush squinted as he cocked his head, “It long time. Memory…um…faded.”

  “And this is a perfect way for friends to act if one of them is being stupid.” Malcolm stressed the last word as he glared at Valgrin. “We wouldn’t be killing him, he just goes to his tree.”

  Valgrin held up his hand. “Truce, of sorts. No attacking until we get answers.”

  “And if those answers confirm what I just said?” Malcolm didn’t relax but took a step back.

  “Sorvush, explain what happens when someone kills you, please.” Ylnah stepped up to the tan-furred creature.

  “I get killed. End up at tree. I come back for more.”

  “See, he comes back.” Malcolm pointed at Sorvush.

  Valgrin shot a look at his friend, “Sorvush, does it hurt? Are you guaranteed to come back, no matter what?”

  “Hurt, yes, much. Body on fire from inside and outside, then meets. Lots of pain, brain spins can’t make sense. Then wake up under tree. What does garuntee mean?”

  “Guaranteed. It means, how to put this…you know you’ll always come back,” Valgrin explained.

  “Oh no, Structure always count and say each time I get dead, ‘one more down’. I ask how many I get, it not answer.” Sorvush hugged itself with the second pair of arms. “I not know til wake up.”

  Ylnah looked down at the creature, then back up to the others. “So, if we kill him, we won’t know for sure he’ll come back. I think I side with Valgrin on this.”

  “We gave Pelhiglo a second chance and he tried to kill us. We cave the dungeon core a second chance and he may have been trying to kill us.” Valgrin’s finger jabbed in the air as he plead his case, “Why kill this creature when its not tried to kill us at all.”

  Malcolm exhaled, shaking his head, “The tentacles could have killed Ylnah and Izzy, may have taken all of us out. When he first described how it worked, seemed a no-brainer to me. Now, there’s second thoughts.”

  Izzy smacked his shoulder, “Second thoughts?”

  “Ow,” Malcolm rubbed his shoulder, “that one actually stung a little. You getting hit by Swampy, I don’t want to lose you.” He paused, looked over at Sorvush, then to Valgrin, then to the ground. He looked back up, his voice nearly a whisper. “I got scared, okay. If he comes back, no cost. But, now sounds like I should shut up and lick my wounds. Sorry, Valgrin. Sorry, everyone. Maybe we can run to the other side before Swampy wakes back up. It’s been a minute or so since we saw him.”

  Sorvush bounced on his feet, “No see wall block the other end. I walk through, but not back.”

  “Great,” Valgrin sighed, “Do we have to defeat the tentacled monster to make it disappear?”

  “You still not kill me?”

  Malcolm jumped in, “No, I was being stupid. What is the best way to get rid of Swampy?”

  “Swampy is a bad name. It’s in a lake, not a swamp.” Skwilly pointed out.

  “Jeesh, let me have the name. Already moved on from the other.” Malcolm’s palm slapped his forehead lightly.

  A bronze light flashed around Sorvush, “Free! There is no need for you to do anything to defeat the Egirt, or Swampy as you call him. I was magically forced to tell you about how killing me could make your life easier. The fact you asked for details gave me hope, and you delivered, removing the curse. Which I couldn’t tell you, that was magically enforced as well. By choosing not to kill me, the Egirt is vanquished and the Force wall has been removed. I don’t have to die and I can leave the tree.” Sorvush jumped and danced a short jig. “Sorry for that, just its been over a hundred years that I’ve been under that curse. I’ve been killed over thirteen thousand times, I was in a higher traffic area for the first sixty years. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Think we can rest and recover over by your tree?” Ylnah asked.

  “Yes,” Sorvush started to run down the causeway. “Keep up! I can’t wait to put together something to celebrate this with.”

  Valgrin looked over at Malcolm.

  “Okay, don’t rub it in,” Malcolm held up his hands then he smiled. “In hindsight, you might have been right.”

  “Might have been?” Izzy slapped his shoulder again, playfully.

  “Ow, now that that’s over, shall we join him?”

  The group jogged after the tan-furred creature.