Photo by Peter Herrmann on Unsplash
“Thank the gods, a safe room.” I collapsed onto the bed closest to the door. The soft blue glow of the wards protecting the room lit up the coarse stone walls and four narrow beds that filled the bulk of the rom. I took off my helmet and examined it. The magic had kept it from being dented, and probably stopped my head from being crushed by an ogre’s club. I need to get that enchantment on the rest of my armour.
“Coming into this labyrinth for this ridiculous quest was a terrible idea.” Javier hopped onto the bed farthest from the door. “Next time you suggest something this foolish because you’re bored, I’m hitting you with a sleep dart. “
“I always have sublime dreams when you use those.” I grinned back at her. Despite the ringing in my ears I was having fun. I enjoyed fighting monsters and probably enjoyed being in danger more than was healthy. My part-time job at a smithy was neither well-paying nor exciting. And there isn’t a real risk of dying. The magic of this particular labrythin meant that staying dead was rare. But having nightmares about dying are less so. “Besides you’d be cleaning linens at The Cottage inn, if you weren’t here.”
Javier crossed her arms and scowled, a look made far more potent by the exceedingly sharp knives she carried. Otherwise, she’d look like a human child, instead, she looked like a psychotic human child. I’d learned long ago to never call a halfling cute, even if they were. “If I get bitten by another Kraig cat, I might prefer that.”
Theodore, my sister, fellow human, and a sorceress leaned against the wall to catch her breath. Dark red mud coated her robe, the spit of a nasty frog demon. “If this job pans out, we can all retire. Personally, I’ll take fighting monsters over folding laundry or waiting tables. I’ve tried both.”
“Besides you’d miss us.” Caleb closed the door behind him, and seemed to meld into the shadows of the room. We weren’t sure what he was exactly, but we didn’t care. He fought, was stealthy, and his blows left wounds of shadows. “As for me, what other life could I embrace and use these powers for good? Most are afraid of me, but you three were not afraid.” He smiled, his pointed bright white teeth gleaming in the shadow of his countenance.
Theadora took off her robe, and it floated out of her hand and started glowing. The red much sloughed from the rich blue fabric beneath and splatted on the floor. “I’m glad—“
“You need to stop being boring!” A purple sphere appeared in the middle of the room, within was the face of Yeldenyall. “People are bored of watching you safely defeat things. Have some style will you!”
“Did they miss the bit where an ogre nearly took my head off!” I snapped. “Or when Theo almost gotten eaten by a frog demon?”
Yeldenyall turned to me. “Fans want your helmet on Jace. They like your hair and for some reason think you’re pretty.”
I rolled my eyes. “If they don’t want to see my helmet they can pay to make it invisible. And being matted with blood wouldn’t do my hair any good.”
The sphere made an angry sigh and turned to Javier. “And you, can’t you at least try to be cute? We could get you a pet, something furry and adorable. Really sell that dangerous but cuddly vibe.”
“Burn in hell, Yelden.” Javier made a rude gesture, and her pet snake hissed and rattled it’s tail.
“You first.” The sphere disappeared, and so did the runes on the wall. That’s not good
“Neither of you could play nice for five seconds?” Theadora tugged her partially cleaned robe from the air and put it on.
I shoved my helmet back on. “People like a rebel, don’t they?”
“And it should be entertaining,” Celeb added as he stepped back from the door.
A beak pierced through the wooden door, spraying splinters. I raised my shield and braced.
Another blow and the door exploded. The handle clanged as richochted from my shield into the wall. The beast beyond was bizarre. A bird head supported by a waist tall centipede body, only instead of slick insectoid legs it had hundreds if not thousands of tentacles. On its back was a massive pair of butterfly wings, and below the bird head was a pair of flexing black arms that looked like they should be on a gorilla.
“Someone needs to stop letting bored wizards play monster maker.” Theodore said, dark red energy making her glow as she prepared a spell.
“Well, they can’t be bored now.” Javier muttered.
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