《Ground Chuck: A Structure novel? Novella?...story.》 Chapter One Screams don¡¯t normally drown out the noise from heavy industrial shredders. Today was different. Charles Ahjex made sure of that when he fell into the hopper of Ol¡¯ Grim. The spinning blades grabbed his feet within seconds. Pain emptied all thoughts from his head. Primal screams burst from him out of instinct. Shock hit him when the blades chewed above his ankles. The pain subsided, and his thoughts turned into panic. His screams formed into guttural pleas for help. A chill spread through his body, followed by a tingling sensation. His body spasmed when the tingle exploded into an electrical bolt. The last thing Chuck saw was his crimson blood flowing down the grey hopper wall ### Confusion reigned while Chuck regained his ability to process thought bit by bit. He relived the last few seconds he could remember, allowing dread and panic to battle with confusion. The mental wrestling match only took a few seconds before he could form coherent questions. I survived? How? Why can¡¯t I see anything? Am I at a hospital? Why can¡¯t I hear anything? Chuck lay still, working hard at stilling his thoughts and breath. Which set off a fresh round of panic. I¡¯m not breathing? What is going on? All of Chuck''s effort poured into sensing the surrounding area. The more he tried, the odder he felt. Muscles wouldn¡¯t respond to orders. He couldn¡¯t tell if he could speak or not¡ªhe had no awareness of his mouth. Something surrounded him, but he couldn¡¯t determine if it was water, air, or something different. Don¡¯t panic. Keep it together. Maybe I¡¯m still in shock. I wish I could figure something out. He focused on trying to find any sound. A few seconds into this attempt, something scratched at the edge of his awareness. Grab it, don¡¯t let it get away. Are my shouts being heard? Am I shouting at all? ¡°Can you hear my thoughts?¡± Chuck focused on connecting with whatever was out there. It responded by growing stronger. Chuck wanted to shout and dance for joy. He failed at both. His failure didn¡¯t stop him from trying again when a raspy whisper echoed in his mind. ¡°Mmrga whiyrak tobarn.¡± ¡°What?¡± He thought back. Great, I get someone, and they don¡¯t speak, or think, English. ¡°Wukng un rit grafinor.¡± Chuck quelled his growing frustration, focusing on the positive result of making some sort of connection. ¡°I¡¯m Chuck; I mean, that¡¯s my name. Right now, I¡¯m more confused and scared than I am anything else. Not even sure I¡¯m Chuck anymore. Where am I? What happened to me? How did I survive the shredder? Did I survive the shredder? Who are you? I''m asking too many questions, but I have a lot of them at the moment. Did I fall into Ol¡¯ Grim? Maybe I imagined or dreamt that. Is that what happened? Any answer will do, even if I don¡¯t understand what you''re saying. Is it saying if we¡¯re just thinking? Why can¡¯t I talk? Or hear? Or¡­¡± ¡°Stop thinking!¡± ¡°I understood that!¡± Chuck jumped mentally. He¡¯d given up on attempting to jump. ¡°It took me a few minutes to find the right mental paths to connect with you. This isn¡¯t easy for me. You¡¯re not the result I expected.¡± ¡°Result?¡± Chuck froze, wondering what the voice meant. A mental sigh washed over Chuck, the only response to his question. ¡°What do you mean¡ªresult?¡± A shrill, whiny voice filled Chuck''s head. ¡°What level do you cast spells at?¡± ¡°Two of you? Spells?¡± The silence stretched into minutes before Chuck reached out again. ¡°Anyone there?¡± The second voice answered. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re here. Can¡¯t you hear us arguing?¡± "I only hear this thought talking thi¡­.¡± Chuck¡¯s mental scream ripped through the conversation. Sharp stabs of pain radiated through him. The pace of the piercing pain sped up. Each spike sent a fresh wave of flame through him. His screams drowned out the voices, shouting words he couldn''t understand. Shock fought with the pain¡ªI can hear? The thought filled in the seconds of pause between strikes. His brain struggled with the excitement and joy he felt during the immense suffering he faced. Chuck held his breath when the sharp pains turned to deep, constant internal pressure. He tried to twist, but he still had no awareness of his body. Something inside him burned with an icy chill. Snaps of electrical shock danced through him. His cries still mingled with the other voices, though his joy had faded. A wet ripping noise filled his ears, followed by shouts of shock and amazement. "What are you doing?" Voice one asked him. Chuck managed a garbled groan. "Seems to be painful. Give him a few minutes." The shrill voice responded. Voice one spoke again, "Is he changing to a reppah?" In clipped words, Chuck asked. "What is a reppah and what do you mean changing?" He finished with a low moan. "Reppah is a¡ªuh¡ªhold on." Voice one paused for a moment, "Bird or at least that is the closest thing to it you''d know." How does he know what I know? "Are you done shifting around?" The shrill voice broke in. Chuck paused. "I have no idea. I don''t know what happened this time. A lot of pain, then it stopped. Now I can hear, talk, and move a little." Chuck twirled what he believed were his arms. "I don''t think those wings are big enough for you to fly with." Shrill voice commented. "Wings? I don''t have¡ªor at least I didn''t have wings before. And for the record, what are your names¡ªI''d like to identify you by some way other than your voices." Shrill voice jumped in first. "I''m Marlivan¡ªmost call me Marl. As far as wings, when you shifted from being a blob to this new sort of reppah-looking thing. You now have stubby wings, a sort of beak with flexible lips, and huge black circles for eyes." "I shifted? A blob? I have eyes? I can''t see a thing." Voice one spoke up. "You showed up as a pink, meaty blob. When the reppah landed and started pecking on you, you started shifting. Oh, and I''m Whyth." "With who?" Chuck asked. Whyth sighed, "Really? Whyth is my name, W-H-Y-T-H." Chuck nodded; he hoped. "Oh, sorry. Now, can someone tell me what is going on?" Whyth cleared his throat. "I pulled you here. I was looking for a magic user, and you flashed bright and strong. We need your help." "Hold up, my help? Magic? And I was mostly asking about not being able to see¡ªfor starters." "Does this hurt?" Marl poked Chuck''s side. "No, barely feel anything." "Hmm, what class are you?" Marl asked. "I pulled for a magic-user, so that''s what he is," Whyth replied with an edge to his voice. "Magic-user? Class?" Chuck''s confusion infused his questions. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Marl seemed to ignore Chuck''s questions. "I''m not sure you got the right class, Whyth. May be some magic involved, but not what we were hoping for." "Will someone start answering me!" "No need to shout, Chuck, and we''re working on answering you." Marl softened his tone. Chuck let out a long sigh. " Sorry for shouting, but right now, I can''t follow all the jumping around. And that just adds to the growing list of things upsetting me. I can''t see. I think I should be dead. You keep asking me questions that make no sense. Magic? Class, what type of class?" <> Chuck screamed out the word that flashed in his mind. "What...where...what? Brain damage? Has to be. I got words flashing in my mind now." "Duplicemist?" Whyth repeated the word Chuck screamed. "What is a duplicemist?" "How the hell should I know?" Chuck''s reply took on an edge of brittleness. Marl quieted Whyth and then spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper. "Chuck, I believe I now have a better understanding of what might be happening. It''s not the full picture, but it''s enough to start. I''m going to ask you some simple, probably stupid questions. I''m not trying to upset you. Just wanting to get all of us together in understanding some things. Is it okay for me to start asking?" The silence lasted for a few moments before Chuck answered in a muted voice. "Slow and simple sounds like a brilliant plan." "Whyth, I may have you fill in some gaps, but unless I ask you to speak¡ªjust stand by and listen for now. Chuck, I''m sure I''ll cause you to think of more questions, but let¡¯s work through my first few before we jump and chase down any side questions, okay?" Chuck nodded, paused, and then asked. "Did you see me nod¡ªmy body still feels weird enough. I don''t know if I nodded or not." "Your head nodded. Before we get to your body, though¡ªwhat is the name of the world you come from, and does magic exist there?" Marl kept his voice calm. "Nam..." Chuck caught himself, "Sorry, I forgot to stick with answers only. Earth and there are magic tricks, but no real magic on my world¡ªsome might disagree, but overall, let¡¯s say no." Marl continued. "So, you don''t have classes, levels, or statistics that you work on improving?" "Umm, those words have meanings¡ªbut I''m thinking they don''t mean the same to me as they do to you. Are you talking like in a game where you level up in your class by earning points?" The silence lingered a moment before Marl replied. "That is close to what I mean, yes. Except not in a game, but for your life." Chuck snorted, "We could argue semantics about occupations and promotions, but to answer in the spirit of your question. No, we don''t have those things for our life." Marl took a deep breath. "We do here. Here being Crawtna. It sounds like things are a lot different here than they are where you''re from. Whyth, since you could cast something to translate for us, I''m assuming you knew Chuck is from Earth?" "Yes," Whyth paused a beat, "tracked that when we first started sharing thoughts. The Structure has information on Earth, so he''s not the first one from there encountered. I pulled from the archives to get the information and find a language." Chuck tried to bite his bottom lip. His inability to find a bottom lip proved just as effective in keeping him from asking a bunch of questions. "Thought so, thanks," Marl said. "Back to you, Chuck, this will get more confusing and unbelievable for you as we go on. Before we go down that path, would you like to work on being able to see?" "Yes!" Chuck barked, then lowered his volume. "Sorry, didn''t mean to be so loud." Marl chuckled. "No need to apologize. Umm, you''ve figured out you may not look like you used to, haven''t you?" Chuck caught the tension in Marl''s question. How bad off am I? Do they even know what I used to look like? "I have tried not to think about it much, but yeah, I doubt I look the same as I did the last time I looked in a mirror. If I fell into a shredder, I''ve got some mangled-up legs¡ªand the way I feel, it may be worse than that." "Mmhmm. Not trying to scare you, just prepare you, but it is on the worse side. Whyth, I doubt Chuck knows what a kuwwan is, so what animal would be something close enough to a kuwwan that he''d be able to picture it." "Cattle from the archive, either steer or beef, would best fit the situation," Whyth answered. "Steer?" Chuck let a question slip. Marl ignored Chuck. "Before we work on you being able to see. I need to let you know you look like mangled beef. Mangled beef, but surprisingly little blood." It took a few seconds for Chuck''s world to stop spinning. Mangled beef? How? He forced a sound to come out of his mouth. It started as a groan and then became words. "How? What do I look like? Am I alive? I don''t think I''m breathing." Marl cleared his throat. "I can''t answer the how. As far as what you look like, you started as a mound of meat, and then when the reppah attacked, you altered your shape to have a vague resemblance of the reppah. Anything to add, Whyth?" "Not much. I have been kicking around the Duplicemist word. I wonder if it''s Chuck''s class? It isn''t in the archive but flashed in his mind when you asked about class. If it is his class, could it be some sort of duplication, which is why he started to take on the form of the reppah?" Chuck found it difficult to understand the quick conversation about magic concepts, including duplication, absorption, mimicry, contact, consumption, and many unfamiliar terms. In minutes, he felt more lost than he had since this all started, and the panic rose again. Deep breaths. Calm the thinking. Deep breaths¡ªhow can I if I don¡¯t breathe? Panic will not help you now. Keep it together now¡ªfall apart later. Keep it together. Think calm. Calm. Calm. "Hold on, please." He interrupted. "I''m not following most of what you''re saying¡ªbut I think I have the basic idea. I, somehow, can duplicate things I come into contact with? Why did I have words flashing in my mind? This isn''t getting me any closer to seeing." Both Whyth and Marl stumbled over each other''s words in apologizing. Marl continued, "We should''ve had that discussion later, but yes, it seems likely. We''ll have to test it out to determine your abilities. As far as the words in your mind, that would be the Structure, which will take a few hours, or days, to explain. So, let¡¯s work on your sight first." "That would be a step forward, thanks. What do you need me to do?" Chuck fought to keep the fear out of his voice. "Let me touch you. If we''re right about your ability to duplicate, you should be able to focus on my eyes, and they will form for you. We can''t give you many more hints than that, though." Chuck felt a weight on his right side. He focused on seeing what touched him. A trickle of warmth flowed through his body to where he thought his eyes should be. This must be a nightmare. Play along; nothing else to do except maybe scream. Think calm. He yelped a little when a grey light formed, and in a matter of seconds, he made out shadowy forms. "I think it''s working¡ªI''m beginning to see shapes." "The things I thought were your eyes are bulging and shifting. I''m going to bring some light in front of you to see if you can tell the difference in brightness." Marl kept his tone soothing. Chuck''s head jerked backward. "Ow, I saw the..." <> "What?" Wait, that was in my head again...Control fire? Don¡¯t freak out. I''d like to control fire, sure. A jolt of energy vibrated through Chuck''s body, and a slight gasp escaped his lips. <> I have no...Chuck grunted as a new round of pain hit when several sharp daggers buried themselves into his body. He saw the light glittering off blue grasshoppery things flying at him, slashing and biting him when they landed on his raw pink skin. Fire and flight¡ªyes, I''ll take that. A rush of heat enveloped him. A flickering glow drew his eyes. Wispy, translucent flames fanned out from his stubby, odd-shaped arms. He flapped them. His stomach lurched when his feet jumped off the ground. Fire and flight...I can do both? The biting continued. He drew his arms around himself, sending waves of warmth over his skin. The fire crackled over the attacking bugs. Each let out a shrill scream and fell to the ground. He waved his arms in front of him, scattering the swarm headed his way. With a slight kick of his legs, he wobbled through the sky after them, throwing his arms out to keep a sense of balance. Flames shot out of both hands. Throwing it? Oh yeah, control fire. Chuck focused on forming a ball of fire in his hands. Flames shifted from his body and began swarming in his right hand. "Huh?" was all he could utter when the flame flickered out. He groaned in pain as he splatted on the ground. "Are you okay?" Chuck looked up at the concerned brown-skinned Whyth. "I think so. Confused, excited, and hurting, but okay." Marl peeked over Whyth''s shoulder. "That was impressive for someone who doesn''t cast magic." His grin showed off his sharp yellow teeth, a contrast to his deep green lips. And not freaking out over green lips sort of puts it all in perspective, doesn''t it, Chuck? With a grunt, Chuck pushed himself to his taloned feet. Can I change to get normal feet? He looked over at the squarish green man. "Marl, I''m guessing?" Marl confirmed with a nod. "Well, when you touched me, things happened." Chuck shared what had happened with Whyth and Marl. Whyth rubbed his long-fingered hands together. "That would have been the Structure. Given the name of your class and what happened, I''m guessing you can duplicate things and have some alchemist abilities. Combine those together, and you get..." "Duplicemist!" Chuck shouted. "Concocting fire and flight gave me those fire-wing things." "Since you''ve duplicated some of my shape," Marl pointed out, "technically, you have fire-arms." Chuck groaned. "Fire-arms, really?" Whyth coughed, grabbing the other¡¯s attention. "Those bugs attacked Chuck, not us. So, I think it is safe to say the Bythnahr knows where he is, and he could be dangerous. We need to move." "Me? Dangerous?" Chuck shuffled after Whyth. "You have a strong magical presence. That must be what they are tracking. We need to find a way to dampen that." Marl fell in beside Chuck as they stepped into a denser part of the woods. "How do we dampen me?" Marl looked up at the sky. His green skin took on a yellow cast. "I know someone who can do it, have to go into town to talk to him. I''ll need to grovel a little. We didn''t part on the best of terms. He and I..." Whyth''s barked laugh drew all the attention to him. "What?" Marl asked. "I was looking through the archive to see if I could learn anymore for Chuck. Still had the focus on the part I used to let you know beef was the word to use. I should''ve read a little further on. According to this one term to use for ground beef is ground chuck..." Marl and Whyth''s laughter lasted well into the woods. Chapter 2 Chuck waited and waited for both of them to tire of the joke. They wound down fifteen minutes later. "Now that you''re over that, there is still a lot of crap I don''t understand. What are the Bythnahr, and why would they send things to attack me? Would be where I want to start." Marl wiped at his brown eyes and took a deep breath. "The bad guys. Ugly creatures look a little like the bugs that just attacked us, ''cept bigger, uglier, stronger, and scarier. They invaded Crawtna about two years ago, manipulated the Structure somehow..." "At least that''s the working theory," Whyth took over the answer. "However, they arrived, then hit hard and coordinated. When everything settled, they sat themselves up as the new ruling power of Crawtna. They are stripping us of magic and other resources to support some military action on a different front. About a month ago, they altered something that increased the magic they siphoned off by triple, maybe even quadruple. Seriously affecting all magic, other than theirs, on Crawtna. Which is where you come in." Several minutes passed by as the trio covered a narrow path. Chuck cleared his throat. "Are you going to finish?" Whyth turned back to look at Chuck. "Finish what?" Chuck''s meaty paw smacked his side. "I came in for what?" "Didn''t I tell you that when you popped in?" "Other than me not being what you expected, you''ve said little to nothing about how I got here." "Whyth, quit playing with him." Marl groaned. "Not playing with him." Whyth stopped and turned to face the others. "Hoping he''d put it all together. Need someone quick to put all the pieces together if we have any chance." "I''m not quick as a rule and even if that were the case¡ªway too much shock and confusion going on. Not to mention pain and even more confusion." "Fine." Whyth spun around and marched down the path. "With the siphoning of magic, the Bythnahr have crippled their opposition¡ªus. They can''t eliminate magic, but they have reduced its availability. Without the access spells, there is less for us to use, and it slows down our ability to recharge. That''s the quick explanation, at least. I attempted to bring in a magic user from outside the Structure, hoping to bring magic energy outside of Bythnahr''s control. Along with that, I wanted a strong enough magic-user to help us counter or remove whatever the Bythnahr did." "Did any of that work?" Chuck asked. Most of the gruffness left Whyth''s voice. "You know nothing about magic, so didn''t get a magic-user. You flashed a huge amount of magic when you got here. Not been enough time to determine what that did to availability." Whyth and Marl let Chuck walk along in silence, processing what he''d just heard. Magic, I can do magic. I''m not human anymore? Can I get back home, and if I could, would I go back just to be dead? Why am I thinking all this so calmly? So many changes I''m not even sure what is who and who I am anymore. Knowing some of that would be a start... << STATUS
Component: Charles (Chuck) Williamsyn
Class: Duplicemist Class Note: Rare/Unique class, does not comply with standard Structure guidelines; Class is fluid - most attributes will shift based on component usage; Not all information is available, will need to be discovered by component
Structure Note: Acclimation steps 70% complete, component responding favorably
Class Level: 3rd
Health: 40/60
Magic Pool: 15/50
STATS
Strength: variable
Reflexes: variable
Endurance: 55
Resistance/Willpower: 45
Charisma: 10 (can be variable)
Intelligence: 40
Wisdom: 45
ABILITIES
Manipulate: Level 3
Absorb: Level 3
Concoct: Level 2
Control Fire: Level 2
Fire-Flight Level 2
>> "Whoa!" Chuck stumbled, catching himself against a deep brown tree trunk. Both Marl and Whyth jumped, shouting in unison. Chuck quickly relayed the message from his mental display. "Structure info flood," Marl muttered. "I''m not sure what to make of all of that." He raised an eyebrow in Whyth''s direction. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Long, slender brown fingers tracked through the rough patches of wiry tan fur across Whyth''s cheeks. "A lot there isn''t standard. Never heard of anyone having so much variable. Depending on the class, you may fluctuate speed, so that would be a limited variable, or change form to be variable in strength. You, Chuck, seem to have all that and more." "It''s the rare, unique designation that slapped me," Marl added. "I''ve never heard or read about that before. That just adds more reason to us getting to Vassyn''s as fast as we can." "Vassyn?" Chuck asked. "He¡¯s who we were going to have dampen you. He''s much smarter than either Whyth or me, and maybe he can help you out with more than a dampening. Whyth, get us moving. Chuck, you can ask as we step on." Chuck replayed the message and what his new friends had shared before saying anything. He explained his understanding of ability scores and was thrilled when the others confirmed he understood it well. Those weekends playing a few RPGs and some video games paying off, it seems. "And Whyth, you want me to keep you up to date on when my magic pool increases, right?" "Curious if you recharge faster or at the same rate as I do. Right now, it seems I may be recharging a little faster than before you showed up, but," Whyth gestured to the trees and brush, "this isn''t an ideal situation to measure such a thing." "And manipulation means nothing to either of you?" Both Marl and Whyth shook their heads in response. Time to see what I can do then. Chuck focused on the word manipulation. A small twinge of power jumped through his thoughts. He focused and pulled at that strand. Dirt shot up around him, fire burned through his legs. Marl screamed, Whyth yelled. He cried out and collapsed to the damp ground, panting. "What in the name of Criznak did you just do?" Whyth slapped violently at the dirt along his smock. Chuck rolled over and stared at the blue-orange sky and groaned. Marl''s green block of a head obliterated the view of the sky. "Did you try to cast something?" He growled. Chuck found enough of a voice to croak out a weak "Yes." "Aknarka! Idiot, get up and run. All of us run west as fast as we can, as long as we can." Marl didn''t wait to see who obeyed his command. His stubby legs churned against the ground. Whyth''s eyes grew wide, and he fell in right behind Marl. Chuck pushed up and decided to join them, not having anything else to do other than try to close the sizeable lead the others had on him. "Why are we running?" Chuck yelled after the pair. He couldn''t make out the words Marl threw back at him. "What?" He watched Marl''s shoulders rise and fall, then he stopped and turned back to the running Chuck. "You just sent a message to the Bythnahr, and it won''t be long..." Marl disappeared in a flurry of drab olive wings. Suddenly, two six-foot-tall tubes of insect-looking worms with wings stood between Chuck and the others. The tubes quivered, antennae swayed above the tubes, and the praying mantis forelegs twitched back and forth as if trying to lock in their target. Chuck shifted all of himself to the left, aiming for the opening the tube mantises had left. Before he''d finished shifting, the farthest tube mantis appeared in front of him. Chuck fell backward. The striking foreleg flashed right above his new eyes and snapped back in place. Scrambling backward, he used his taloned feet, stubby fingers, and anything else that he could get to move in order to push against the ground in an attempt to gain traction and speed. He rolled, squeezed himself smaller, and leaped off the ground, dodging multiple strike attempts from the relentless creatures. They seemed to fill in every gap, ready to strike. Chuck''s flexibility seemed to be his only defense. Fire! Cast fire, you idiot. A flash of flame bounced along the chiton of the closest tube mantis. The olive green brightened, then resumed its unimpressive hue. The monster replied with another near hit on Chuck. No fire. How do I stop them? Chuck thinned out his body, causing the latest attack to briefly slide across his bright pink skin. They''re moving way too fast. Magic? Can I get some of that? Have to let them hit me with one of those raptorial legs. Hey, remembered something from biology class. A leg tip tore up the ground next to Chuck''s eye. Focus or die. Here goes nothing. Chuck watched for the next swing and rolled to take it in a fattier part of his middle section. A quick gasp of pain escaped. This had better work... <> Yes! Absorb now, yes! Give it to me now! C''mon. <> Replaced? A ripple of heat radiated from Chuck''s core. His brain lunged at the new power floating within him. His stomach heaved as he rolled into a tree trunk. Focusing his eyes, he saw the two tubes spastically jumping around. He fought off a laugh when he realized they were about fifteen feet away. Spatial Leap for the win! Chuck focused on creating a flame in his right hand, a spark fired, and promptly fizzled. Did I run out of magic? <> Gotta learn how to control spending. How long to recharge? Chuck dropped behind a tree and watched each of the tube-mantis vibrate their four antennae. He saw Whyth cast a beam of light, hitting one creature. It screeched and leaped ten feet closer to Chuck. Based on its actions, it hadn''t found Chuck yet, but it would only be a matter of time. A soft popping sound accompanied a quick flurry of dust. The tube mantis used its own spatial leap to close on Whyth from behind. Chuck leapt to his feet, screaming and waving. The second monster spun and sped toward Chuck with blurring wings. Chuck saw Whyth jerk when he turned and saw the creature swinging one of its vicious-looking forearms. Not enough time for him to react. Recharged enough? Chuck opened himself up to allow a slight surge of energy to flow through him¡ªhis mind''s eye pictured him next to the tube mantis tackling it. His stomach lurched again, his vision cleared, and he fell. A sharp stab in the back hit Chuck, a crunching noise along with a high-pitched whistle followed close behind, then Chuck cried out when he slammed to the ground. << INFORMATION: Siibtis (contribute to death absorb) activated. Magic Pool 75 of 75, Health 80 of 80>> Chuck''s back arched as his body spasmed in the dirt. Seconds passed before he regained control. Looking up, he saw Whyth staring down at the dagger-like claw sticking out of his side, his fingers trying to keep the dark blue blood from spilling out. Whyth looked up at Chuck. Pain radiated from his eyes. "I''ll be okay. Go get the other chelp and smash it like you did this one." Whyth''s blood-covered hand pointed to a few shards of green poking out from under Chuck''s lumpy form. Jumping up, Chuck stole a glance at the mangled tube mantis and smiled. Body slam, better than a tackle. Wonder how high I was? He scanned the clearing and targeted the second monster. His stomach heaved, and he crashed into the middle of the tube, tumbling over the prone creature. He took the sound of breaking eggs as a good sign he''d finished this one off as well. Need to hone in on my height. Tackling still works, though. Once he rolled to a stop, a quick glance confirmed his suspicions. His glance moved to see Marl working on Whyth''s wound. He did a quick visual check to verify he still had feet, then pushed himself up onto them and walked over to check on the other two. What was this Siibtis thing? <> Um, thanks? Chuck paused mid-stride, waiting for an answer. When none came, he finished his walk over to Whyth and Marl. He nodded at Whyth. "You going to be okay?" "Seems so. Marl is admirable at wound care, and this one looked much worse than it actually is. I can heal myself if needed, but I¡¯d rather not spend magic points." Chuck kicked at the grass with a talon. "Safe to say they found me because of me casting that spell?" Marl grunted his yes. "Thought so. I am so sorry, especially to you Whyth, since you got hurt. I got lost in trying to learn who I am and forgot about what it could mean." Whyth shrugged. "Understandable, given all you''ve had flying your way in a short time. Next time, ask us before trying, though. We need to get moving. If they''re tracking magic, we just released more than you did before." "Understood." Chuck''s eyes lit up. "And do we have plenty to talk about." The three resumed their walk through the woods as Chuck explained the latest round of changes he went through. Chapter 3 Thirty minutes into their walk, Chuck came to a stop. "I need to rest a little. My body is still getting used to being like it is, so it is taking me more effort to keep moving. Plus, it would give me a chance to review a little to make sure I''m understanding everything." "Makes sense to me," Whyth answered. Marl nodded, and they all found a spot along the path to sit. "I struggle to believe that it''s been only a couple of hours, give or take, since I showed up in Crawtna. I think this is the first time I''ve had to sit and let things sink in." Marl sipped from his bottle and mumbled his agreement. Whyth traced a line in the dirt with a stick, then looked up. "Never thought things would turn out like they did. Sorry, I pulled you into this." "Whyth, stop apologizing. I''d be dead back home." Chuck leaned back against a tree trunk. "For review, high-level, the Structure limits how much magic, health, and abilities I can have per level, but as I gain levels, I should get more of each. But, since my class is unique, I won''t know where I am on gaining a new level until the Structure lets me know. That limit is why the Fire-Flight went away. I tried to activate it again but can''t. Instead, I got a message that I must have Control Fire for Fire-Flight to be available and that Spatial Leap can''t be deactivated for a few more hours. So, it''s not gone. I just don''t have room for it along with the others at this level." Whyth pointed a long finger into the air. "Correct on all accounts. Also, something I''ve rolled around in my head. I think you''d be better off with Spatial Leap, at least until we can test out the range. Need to choose anything that comes your way that helps hand-to-hand fighting. Siibtis is a huge skill to have at the ready." "Tis at that. It already recharged you and gave you more MP, which benefited all three of us." Marl flashed a smile full of pointed teeth. "Don''t have to tell me. Pleasant surprise to get the extra boost along with recharge. The next one of my questions is, what is the Structure? How did it start? Who maintains it?" Marl chuckled. "You don''t seem to understand the concept of ''one'' more question. The Structure is too much to tackle now. I can give you a little info. Whyth can fill in anything he thinks you need to know, and you''ll have to dig a little when we get to town, Enthii, and you have time. There''s a small library and several historians, bards, and researchers you can talk with about it." "Okay, if you could give me enough so I have a foundation to keep figuring things out, I''d appreciate it.¡± Marl stood up and paced. "First, the Structure is a framework that puts restraints on all of us. It seems to keep someone or a group from gaining too much of an upper hand, though the Bythnahr seem to be trying to thwart that control. As a side note, the Structure seems to reward those who come up with a way around it¡ªit might negate your advantage, but you''d get some boon to compensate. Any questions or input before I move on to the next point?" A few seconds of silence passed before Marl started up again. "How did it start? Lots of opinions and ideas, but I don''t know of anyone sane who claims to have THE answer. The basic concept that is most accepted is some group or governing body put it into place to prevent war or abuse, or to control a population. From that initial purpose, it''s grown and pulled more worlds and people groups into the system." "It takes over systems not already in the Structure?" Chuck asked. Whyth jumped in with an answer. "It does. Can take years, and by that I mean one to a few hundred, for a world or people to get pulled in. It hasn¡¯t happened in nearly four hundred years. Based on what I''ve been told, it seems to seek subjects that are, by the Structure''s definitions, in need of rescuing." "And before you ask, those definitions are vague guesses on anyone''s part," Marl added. "On to the who question¡ªif you haven''t guessed it yet, we don''t know. Again, many opinions, but there is less consensus on the who than the why. My personal best guess is some sort of magic user group started it, and it is probably operating on its own now." "I agree with Marl," Whyth said. "According to the archive, the best term I can find to explain it to you would be it''s a self-sufficient AI system. Hope I got that right." "Right enough for me to understand," Chuck replied. "I can relate the Structure to some games I used to play back home, so with that foundation and your information, I think I have a solid footing. Or at least not totally in freefall. Guess we should get moving again." Chuck rolled forward and stood up. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Whyth started walking down the path, talking over his shoulder. "Game thing is a common...uh...commonality among everyone and seems to be universally helpful in understanding and communicating the Structure. Plenty of debate on if the Structure seeds worlds with the games first or if it¡¯s modeled after something that is universal." "A question not structure related. I got attacked two times in a short period of time. Why hasn''t the Bythnahr attacked again? I''m not complaining, mind you." "I was going to ask the same question. Whyth?" Marl asked. "The Jumper deaths both released a lot of magic. Best guess is that flooded this area, so it¡¯s hard to track magic signatures. Chuck''s been magically quiet long enough to make that even more difficult. Structure limitations could be at play. The Bythies coordinating the attack may have hit a limit." Shrugging, Marl replied, "Seems reasonable to me." "I''m not sure I know enough to figure out reasonable or not." Chuck added. ### Soon as they made it to Enthii, Whyth split off to go find Vassyn, Marl took Chuck and headed to a public park to wait for Whyth. Chuck''s head twisted and turned, his gaze bouncing all over the buildings and people. He''d been expecting a medieval-looking town. The adobe and cob buildings were a jolt to his expectations. Right angles gave way to gentle curves. Most of the colors were variations on washed mud and earth, but since Crawtna''s mud came in reds, oranges, greens, and browns, the town avoided drab and dull. Each building a unique piece in a town-sized mosaic. "I must confess, I expected a less refined town. Paved streets, streetlights, bicycle-ish vehicles, and many other things I didn''t expect.¡± Marl''s forehead wrinkled. "Why wouldn''t you expect a town to have town things? Do yours on your world lack?" "No, no, not at all." Chuck shook his head. He felt warmth grow in the area he thought was his cheeks and ears. Does my blush show up? "To be honest, I expected Enthii to be...um...more backward than my world. In most of the stories and games where magic happens, the world seems to be based on an older, less technical time." "Hmm, I know of a few technical things we don''t have or need. Some are because it doesn''t work here, some are because magic handles things¡ªbut we''re not, as you called it, ''backward''. In fact..." "Hey, Lumpy, she asked you a question." A large, blue and cream fur-covered creature thrust his finger at Chuck. Next to the muscular beast stood a lithe, pale woman who snarled at Marl and Chuck. "Uh, sorry, I was talking to my friend and heard nothing." Chuck bobbed his head. The diminutive woman curled her lip. "I asked what a Bythy lackey was doing in Enthii?" "Bythy lackey? You have me confused with someone else or..." "Calling Rahmys a liar, are ya?" Chuck decided the furry one of the duo looked like a bipedal cross between a badger, fox, and meerkat, long and lanky, with muscles on top of muscles. "No, not a liar, misinformed." Marl stepped in front of Chuck. "We''re not looking for any trouble, and we are no friends of the Bythnahr." A barked laugh twisted Rahmys'' snarl to a feral grin. "Hear that Graff, guess theys no Bythy friend because they said so." She slid around Marl and poked Chuck in his stomach. "You got the look of something they''d try to create and make such a disgip of the whole..." Chuck watched Rahmys mouth drop open and heard the two grunts she got out as his body shifted. Concentrating on her form, he tried to duplicate hers. In a matter of several seconds, he stepped back a rough, lopsided copy of the woman. Both Rahmys and Graff stood staring, a few more grunts the only noises they made. "They didn''t make me. In fact, they''ve attacked me twice since I came to this world..." "Again? Aknarka! You probably pulled them in for a third time." Spittle flew out of his Marl''s mouth as he spun to face Chuck. "Let''s hope that was low enough, and there is enough magic here to mask what you just did." Marl jumped up on a bench and began frantically searching the sky. Rahmys cocked her head. "That''s not something I''ve ever seen before." She called up to Marl, "If I understood correctly, you''re saying we could get a visit from some of the Bythnahrian troops?" Without taking his eye off the sky, Marl replied. "Exactly what I''m saying. We''ve been attacked by jumpers and a swarm of baruva so far. We were coming here to see if Vassyn could dampen his magic so they couldn''t track him. He appeared in Crawtna in a blaze of magic a few hours ago." "Vassyn won''t help you," Rahmys said. Marl looked down at the woman. "How would you know?" "Easy, deaduns can''t help you." Jumping down to the ground, Marl sputtered, "Dea...dead, you said dead?" "Technically, I said deaduns, but same idea." "When? How?" "Two days ago. Suspect an attack from the Bythnahr. His insides were all on the outside when I found him." "You found him?" Chuck asked. "I am, or was, his assistant. Graff here is a friend who is watching over me for the foreseeable future. Not sure if I''m on their list or not." Chuck pointed at Rahmys, "Assistant? Could you do the spell to dampen my broadcasting magic?" "Maybe. Not sure if I should or not. I''ll buy you''re not one of theirs, but I still don''t know who you are." "Hi, Rahmys." Whyth joined the group. "Just found out about what happened. You doing okay? Marl, what happened? You don''t look happy?" Rahmys flipped her long lavender hair over her shoulder. "You? With them?" She pointed at Marl and Chuck. "Yeah, I''m the reason Chuck is here. We are looking for help with our cause. Didn''t find what I was looking for but may have stumbled on something as good or better." Chuck looked from Whyth to Rahmys and back again. "Our cause? We''re on the same team?" "Would seem so, Lumpy, would seem so." Graff shook his head and smiled, then flicked a sharp, narrow blade into the air, his eyes darting around the area. "We best be getting then. Follow me." Rahmys trotted down the street. The rest of the group followed behind. Chapter 4 Head down, the hood to the cloak Rahmys had lent him pulled tight, Chuck tried to blend in next to Graff as they entered the tavern. His feet slid on the wooden floor, the sawdust losing the fight with spilled beer, making each step treacherous. The laughter, shouting, and squeals bounced off the walls and assaulted Chuck''s ears. He hunched over a little more, doing his best not to draw attention. He saw Rahmys raise her hand and wave at the barkeeper, who nodded back. "Good news, the back room is ours for the taking." She called out over her shoulder. Graff grunted his approval. "Not much longer, Lumpy, and we can relax a little." "Good," Chuck sighed, "I feel like everyone is staring at me¡ªand one of them will attack at any moment." "Let em try," Graff snarled and laughed at the same time. "Ain''t had a good fight in a few days. Be good to make sure I''ve not lost any of my skills." "I have no doubt your skills are in top form and always are." "True, true, Lumpy, if''n they ain''t, I''d be dead by now." Graff slapped Chuck on the back and snarl-laughed again. A glance around the bar matched the chaos assaulting Chuck''s ears. Tables with people crammed around them, no room for chairs. Glasses rose in the air, along with the voices belonging to the various hands. Blue-taloned fingers, brown furry paws, more types of hands than Chuck could keep track of. The booths along the walls were shadowy caverns with glints of light reflecting off mugs and weapons. Graff and Rahmys had undersold the rough clientele and dangerous atmosphere of The Prancing Plynort, a local establishment for Bythy haters of all sorts and sizes. Rahmys opened a heavy door, glanced back at everyone, then ducked inside. Chuck felt Graff''s hand press against the small of his back. The next thing concerning him was keeping his balance while being pushed through the door. "I can walk, you know." He called back over his shoulder. "But not fast enough, it seems, Lumpy." Chuck concentrated on Graff''s paw against his back. The warmth of the touch spread over Chuck''s back. He sent a trickle of energy up Graff''s arm. The sense of control surprised him. Moving and concentrating taxed his capability, but his confidence in his ability grew in a matter of moments. The flow of power now went both ways. Chuck felt a change in his body¡ªa sense of strength and vitality accompanied the new muscles. Pain stabbed through his back when Graff pulled his paw away. Gritting his teeth, Chuck strived to hold on to the connection. His eyes shot wide when he realized the attempt was successful. New muscles were forming and growing. How do muscles work without bones? Do I have bones now? Graff, shuffling away, drew Chuck''s attention. His vision blurred for a moment when the connection snapped. << ADVANCEMENT: Manipulate advances to level 4. Absorb advances to level 4. Component can now maintain connection without physical contact up to a distance of twelve inches. Connection must be established with physical contact before separation occurs. Non-physical connection will last up to thirty seconds.>> "What are you grinning about over there?" Marl''s voice brought Chuck''s focus from the notification. "I just...oh crap...it happened so naturally, I used my manipulation and absorb magic and advanced." A blue furry paw pointed over the table. "Everyone on that side move away from the table." Graff lifted the table''s edge. It tipped along with the floor underneath it, revealing a modest-sized storage space. "Chuck, hide down there until one of us lets you out." Rahmys pointed while looking back at the door they''d shut behind them. "I didn''t sense any casting, so I don''t think you triggered anything. This group walking around with a strange, robed figure could attract attention¡ªbest be prepared than surprised." Jumping down into the pit, Chuck almost knocked over a stack of small crates. The dust clouded up, tickling at his nose. A clattering at his feet drew his attention to a short, glowing wooden rod. A black bag lay next to it. "If you hear the lid moving, put the light in the bag," Graff instructed. "Ready for me to close this?" "I guess so?" "Ya don''t sound too sure of yourself," Graff replied. "I''m not but it doesn''t seem like there is another option." "Don''t seem to be..." The sound of the floor falling back into place cut off whatever else Graff said. "Good thing I''m not claustrophobic," Chuck said to the barrels and crates around him. "Though I''m not all that fond of the dark, this glow-stick isn''t nearly powerful enough to provide much comfort." If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Sitting on one of the crates, Chuck strained to make sense of the muffled voices coming from above. He caught enough to know he played a central role in the conversations, which didn''t catch him by surprise. Some type of underground storage or cave kept coming up. He couldn''t tell if they needed to go there or if someone was coming from there. About twenty or thirty minutes later, a banging sounded, followed by scuffling feet and someone walking across the floor. Mumblings soon turned to shouts. Shuffling feet became percussive strikes reverberating through the floor. If someone opens the door to this, having the light stick in a bag isn''t hiding me any...is there anything I can duplicate? Can I cast without drawing attention? A body hitting the floor helped Chuck decide casting wouldn''t be an issue. He began searching for anything he could duplicate. A quick attempt proved that he couldn''t duplicate a crate, so he began looking around and behind everything in the storage space. Within a few minutes, he discovered a worm-like thing crawling on the wall behind a stack of crates. He picked it up and allowed a trickle of energy to flow between him and the garter snake-sized worm. The noises above him kept jarring his concentration. The physical contact seemed to allow for those lapses. He felt his body retract on itself, condensing to a point where pain seared through him. I''m going to drop this thing when my hand disappears. As quick as the thought occurred, he lay the worm on the floor and lay next to it, maintaining contact. All the muscle mass he''d duplicated from Graff vanished, his body shrunk, consuming itself as he became more worm-like. The pain ebbed and flowed, excruciating to almost non-existent. Sound diminished, thoughts scrambled, pain attacked and retreated, and still he shrunk. Where is everything going? When do I explode? After something just short of an eternity had passed, the pressure and pain stabilized. Both still existed, but they were consistent. Chuck shuddered, laying still on the floor, allowing his body to acclimate, then he wiggled toward a gap between a couple of crates. I¡¯m about three times as long as the real worm. Excess mass had to go somewhere? Moving sent another wave of sensations through his system¡ªeach contraction, each slither sent a dagger of icy pain through him, followed by an eruption of flaming agony. His body threatened to explode out of the confines he''d pushed it into. Every movement amplified the need for his body to burst open. How badly have I damaged myself? <> I''m draining my magic holding this, or just to get here? A metallic crash followed by another heavy thud put Chuck''s question on hold. Wiggling as fast as possible, he slithered between crates just as blinding light filled the pit. Status check on magic pool? <> He groaned inwardly, the pain dropping back down to stabbed with knitting needles intensity, by his reckoning. Looking up, he could make out a shadowy figure looking down, scanning over the containers. "Boss, don''t see nuttin'' but boxes and barrels. No mage. No monster." A second figure appeared next to the speaker, looked into the storage space, then looked toward someone Chuck couldn''t see. "What''s this stuff down here?" Graff''s voice sounded over some muttering. "Supplies, ones that go disappearing, so they keep em hid down there. At least that''s what I''ve been told." A fresh wave of agony running through Chuck canceled out all sound for several seconds. A portion of his lower half bulged, stretching his skin to near the rupture point. He willed it to shrink, sending an intense hurt throbbing from tip to tip of his form. "...if you do, I may overlook the fact you knocked out one of my guards, and your girlfriend sent pots and pans raining down on another." Chuck decided the owner of the second voice led the intruder group. Two feet landed, with a thud, in front of Chuck. "How many do you want me to open?" Graff called up to the shadowy figures. Boss shadow pointed, "Those three to start with." Graff walked away. Chuck heard a scraping noise. "Full of ale," Graff called out. The walk, scrape, and declaration of contents repeated five times before boss shadow determined no more barrels needed to be opened. "Crates are too small for it to hide in, so you can stop opening things." The boss stepped back. "Nulzah, time to finish up here." The other shadow grunted as his arm thrust forward. Chuck decided it was Rahmys'' scream he heard, right before Graff bounced off the floor in front of him¡ªa silver spike protruding from Graff''s eye. Chuck''s mind froze. A red haze dropped over his vision. His form expanded, rocking the crates he hid between. Chaos sounded above him, Whyth shouting, Rahmys screaming, other voices fighting to drown out any other. A pair of feet landed next to the fallen Graff. Marl''s whispered voice drilled into Chuck. "Do not do anything and waste what Graff has done. For you, for us." Control yourself. Marl''s right. Torturous seconds passed while Chuck fought his body, finally keeping it from expanding any further. "Cast lock on the door." He heard Rahmys call out. "Already done," Whyth answered. "Chuck, where are you?" Marl asked. "It''s safe to come out now." Crates bounced off Chuck''s body as he allowed himself to grow back to his previous form. He pushed backward, falling against the wall. Graff''s lifeless body in front of him. The rage he''d clamped down on clawed through him, coming out as a ragged growl. "Who were they, and how do we kill them?" Chuck stood up on shaky legs as he spat out the words. "Rhalyxa spawned town guard," Rahmys snarled. "All of them work for the Bythy. We don''t kill them, not yet, whole town would be full of the charpa bugs if we did." Chuck didn''t know all the words Rahmys used, but the tone she used led him to agree with her sentiment. "Where did you go?" Marl asked Chuck. "I duplicated some worm-snake thing and slid between the crates. Damaged myself getting that small¡ªnearly lost control of my form a couple of times." He answered. Whyth joined Rahmys at the edge of the pit. "Can you climb out? Or do you need help?" Using a crate as a ladder, Chuck pulled himself up. Whyth and Rahmys helped him out of the hole. Marl jumped up afterward. Rahmys brushed the hair out of her face. "We need to get moving before they decide to come back here and cause more problems. Marl, close the door." Marl nodded and tipped the table back. "But what about Graff." Chuck sputtered as the door thumped closed. A section of bottom shelves against the back wall slid sideways, and a blue-furred snout poked out of the tunnel behind it. "The body will vanish in around an hour. Stop stalling and get moving, Lumpy." Chapter 5 "How, I mean...uh," Chuck sputtered, "...aren''t you, um, I''m back to fully confused." Graff stepped out of the tunnel and helped Chuck through the door. "The spell is called Tangible Reflection. Not the best title, but it works. Allows me to create a duplicate image of myself that has substance. I can control actions and interactions to a point. Worked to convince them. Rahmys had me cloaked. In the fight''s chaos, I cast an illusion that let me crawl into the tunnel. Wouldn¡¯t do for them to bump into me. The fake me sticks around about an hour after I stop casting." A blue light ahead guided Chuck further down the tunnel, making space for the rest of the group. "Should be a roundish room up ahead on your left. We can stop and collect ourselves." Rahmys called out from the back. In a matter of minutes, they all took a seat along the walls, glances bouncing at each other. Chuck willed himself skinnier, growing taller in the process. Everyone shifted a little, taking advantage of the extra spacing. "I have questions." "Of course you do, Lumpy." Graff cocked his head. Rahmys leaned forward. "Before you ask anything, I must cast a stronger, dampening spell. The one I cast earlier served its purpose to help hide you¡ªbut it won''t last much longer." "When you say dampen," Chuck shifted as he spoke. "Will it reduce my ability to do magic?" "Nope." A quick shake of her head caused her lavender hair to spill over her face. "Only dilutes the magic signature, not the magic itself." "Then go ahead. I''m tired of causing all these issues for everyone." A hint of whine entered Chuck''s statement. The air rippled between them, reminding Chuck of the refractive waves above a fire. Why didn''t I feel this power crawl over me when she cast it the first time? Lower power spell or... <> Level four? What do I lose to make room for it? <> Not a helpful answer...okay, somewhat helpful, but also confusing. If no abilities need to be deactivated to add this one, then yes, I''ll absorb. <> Talking back? I''m just getting used to this system, so I wanted to make sure I stated things correctly. <> Understood, and no need to get all snooty with me. Chuck waited a few seconds before determining his conversation with the interface had been terminated. Status of abilities. <> He watched Rahmys'' face contort with effort, her fingers wiggling in his direction. Several minutes passed before she fell back against the wall. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Finished." She dabbed the sweat away. "Took more effort than I expected. My magic is drained." Chuck''s eyes widened. "I absorbed your Dampen Magic. Would that make it harder and more draining?" She shook her head, and Whyth spoke up. "Not as I understand absorbing¡ªshouldn''t impact her at all. I''ve been watching my magic pool and it seems to be regenning at a faster rate than a few days ago. Rahmys, monitor yours. Maybe our friend here is increasing magic flow to some degree." Chuck shifted against the wall. "Speaking of me and my potential benefits. Do we have time to start explaining why you brought me here, in a little more detail, other than to help magic happen?" The group exchanged glances, shrugs, and a few head nods¡ªthen all eyes turned to Marl. "Why me? Whyth is the one that brought him in." Seconds of silence passed before Marl sighed. "Fine, let the green guy answer. You know, the one with the least magic." "He likes you best." Whyth grinned. "Prytha take you," Marl growled through pointed teeth. A quick smile flashed when he turned to Chuck. "To start with, we need help restoring the flow of magic. It got stuck up in the mountains somehow and those around here that cast aren''t smart or powerful enough to fix things. You''re the help Whyth recruited. Think that covers it all." Chaos consumed the room¡ªChuck watched jaws lock and fingers slash at the air. Voices fought against each other to be heard. "Shut! Up!" Chuck allowed himself to grow to reach the ceiling. "Shut¡­wow, never had a group of people react to me so quickly." Rahmys shrugged. "Seldom someone yells at me in voice and by physical shape, got my attention." She pointed to Chuck¡¯s enlarged form. The rest of the group grumbled their agreement. Chuck took a deep breath and allowed his body to resume its earlier size. "I''m sorry for yelling at y''all, really I am. I''ll try to keep the anger out of my voice for this. Now, I''m done with being played with, being ignored, and not being taken seriously. I understand it¡¯s been a whirlwind since I got here, and we''ve not had the luxury of time. However, the games being played now are frustrating at best. Infuriating is actually where they hit me. This ground-up body is not my normal form! My last memory of my home is being ripped to pieces. Then I end up in a, to me, weird world where magic happens. Not only that, but I also find out that I''m on the most wanted list by some power group. I get attacked, not once, but a few times." Everyone watched as he stood and made his way to the doorway. Chuck turned around. His eyes scanned the group. "All of that and the chasing of you," he pointed to Rahmys, "to hide me away. None of it! None of it makes sense to me. I''m floundering and a step away from a mental meltdown! I''m getting answers, or we''re not going anywhere." With a grunt, Graff stood. He smoothed his muzzle fur and stepped over to Chuck. "Don''t threaten. Not me. Not Rahmys. Your friends, do whatever you want, though I don''t recommend threats. That all said, though," Graff turned to face everyone else, "I''ll be helping Chuck here enforce the threat he made." He held up a paw to quiet the objections. "Yep, I''m a hypocrite, nuthin ya can do about that. If we need his help, we need to help where we can. I''d rather be a hypocrite than someone who uses others for my gain." "Don''t need to be so¡­.so¡­." Whyth started. "Right?" Marl offered, which brought about nods from everyone. Whyth leaned forward, then stood up. "I''ll fill in a little more detail now, may not have time for everything. Getting you completely squared away on everything will take weeks, if not months. Marl, though overly simplified, had the center of it all. You have some from our talk when we headed this way. I''m not dodging, but just letting you know we don''t have all the details ourselves." Whyth turned to Rahmys. "I have little more than that, Vassyn kept a lot to himself. Do you have anything you can fill in?" "Some, but Vassyn shared little more with me than he did with you." Rahmys looked up at Whyth, then Chuck. "Do you know what ley-lines are in your world?" "Lines around the world where some sort of supernatural energy flows is the concept. Not proven to be true, though," Chuck answered. "Here, the idea is a reality. Here magic energy flows not so much lines, it is more like rivers, springs, lakes, and creeks. They don''t flow in straight lines, some are narrow, some wide. There are pools where the energy congregates, and there are springs where the systems are fed. Vassyn researched the source of the springs and never found a clear answer, at least one he shared. The Bythnahr found a way to block the springs¡ªnot all, yet, but it seems to work on some sources. Vassyn discovered the primary source for this area, and it¡¯s blocked. Whyth''s idea was to bring in a magic user from a different world and maybe they''d have a different source and could help us unblock ours." Rahmys stood up and walked up to Chuck and motioned for him to get out of the way. "Now, we need to keep moving. I''ll answer questions along the way." Chuck watched everyone exit and head down the corridor. With a shrug, he followed behind. Chapter 6 Am I crazy, dead, or having a nightmare? I vote for nightmare, if I get a vote¡­as long as it starts pre-shredder. Chuck kept shuffling behind the group, smiling back when one of them turned to make sure he hadn''t run away. He looked down at the pink, meaty stubs he thought of as his fingers¡ªam I ever going to be normal again? At least my level of normal? His head jerked when a bright flash caught his attention. Nobody else reacted, and the light disappeared before he could determine a source. "Did anyone see that?" "See what, Lumpy?" Graff turned and asked. Chuck gestured, "The flashing light." Everyone shook their head and kept on moving. "Great, more evidence I''m losing it," Chuck muttered to himself. He saw the spot on the wall where the light flashed this time and walked over to it. Reaching out, his stubby hand went through the stone, a soft yellow light danced around his wrist. He kept on walking¡ªignoring Marl''s call to him. Blinking several times, Chick got his eyes to adjust to the kaleidoscopic colors bouncing off the large crystals along the walls and ceiling of the chamber. He spun around, taking it all in, deciding he''d walked into some large geode that held every color he''d ever seen. A little techno music and we could host a small rave in here¡ªmight get twenty people in here. Chuck jumped, falling to the ground, when a voice echoed through the chamber. "No more than fifteen would be allowed and those would need prior approval." "Wha¡­who¡­where?" "You were contemplating and activity beyond allowed parameters¡ªI informed you of those parameters." The voice answered. "That''s not wha¡­wait¡­you read my mind?" "I didn''t read, I listened." "Whatever. Who are you?" "I am what you would call the Structure. You''ve entered a monitoring station, unapproved. State your purpose or leave. To do neither is to face repercussions." "I didn''t intend to enter. I walked through a rock wall." Chuck''s head kept jerking around, trying to find a speaker¡ªeither a person or mechanical. "If you didn''t want me in here, you should''ve had the place locked and shouldn''t be flashing lights to capture my attention." The silence stretched for several seconds before the voice sounded again. "Component''s points carry validity. Structure determines to inform. Component was allowed entry to the world as a tool of balance. Current quest is acceptable." Chuck tried to scratch a non-existent chin, leaving a meaty paw to rest on his chest. "Quest? Allowed? So much said without clarifying a thing." Stolen novel; please report. The voice sighed. "I don''t get paid enou¡­" The voice ended abruptly, replaced by static. Chuck counted to thirteen before an unknown voice replaced the static. "Technical issues require reset of voice module." More static. After a few seconds passed, a female voice spoke over the static, paused, then returned without any underlying noise. "Voice module reset complete. Answering component questions. Allowed referenced your arrival in Crawtna. Your quest, as defined by those employing you, is to open up the area''s magic replenishment flow." "Did someone get replaced? Your voice and demeanor are different, and what did you mean about pay?" "As stated earlier, the voice module needed to be reset. In the reset, the tenor of the audio changed. This is the Structure." Chuck paused and sucked at his bottom lip. Odd sensation with no teeth. "May I ask a couple of questions?" The lights flickered and settled on a pale blue with an occasional flash of lemon-yellow. "Answers may or may not occur." "Guess that is better than nothing. How do I do¡ªwell, how do I do the stuff I''m supposed to do?" "Question is too broad for specific detail. However, instructions on how to use your abilities may not be given even with more detail. It is up to all components to search out mentors and instructions on what needs to be done." "Okay, but according to you¡ªI''m unique, so how am I going to find someone who knows what to teach me or what I can do?" The light shifted to a solid lemon-yellow, then displayed dozens of shades while cycling through the color wheel, landing back on lemon-yellow. "Comment processed and component''s point validated. Current group of components have capacity and capability to continue mentorship. Upon occasion, the Structure may provide further information as it deems necessary. This method is already in use." "So helpful." Chuck tapped a finger on his newly formed chin¡ªwhich brought a question to mind. "How do I get better at controlling my form? That''s not a question anyone can help me with." "Practice of the ability. Pushing yourself beyond previous use, such as when you compressed to the form of a remuk, you earned a sizeable increase in the ability. At higher levels, you''ll be able to form an outer layer, such as skin. Initial efforts will not look realistic, but as levels increase, most observers won¡¯t be able to tell it is not real." The lights flickered when the voice stopped. "Remuk, the worm-snake thing? If I got a sizeable increase in the ability, why didn''t my level go up?" "You had just advanced the ability to not need to maintain physical contact. The increase in ability from the remuk did not amount to enough to earn a new ability level, but did advance you to where you should advance to another level soon. And yes, a remuk is the ''worm-snake thing''. The time allotted for our conversation is waning." Chuck''s eyes widened¡ªhis arms windmilled frantically. "Wait! If I understood you correctly, my ability could improve to a point where I can become chameleon-like, duplicating my surroundings?" "Chameleon is unknown. Accessing archive." The lights dimmed, and the voice fell silent for a second. "This word is not in the archive. Explain." "I thought you had all the data on the worlds pulled into the Structure." "That is so. Earth is yet to be integrated. Some beings from Earth, yes. The entire planet, not yet." Chuck described a chameleon, answering a few questions for the Structure. "Yes, at advanced levels, you could use your ability to blend in with your surroundings. Now, I will deactivate this station and allow your friends to come through the entrance." A darkness enveloped Chuck right before the wall behind him disappeared, and his friends stumbled through the new opening. Minutes of questions, along with some prodding, passed by before they agreed Chuck was unharmed. Rahmys herded and commanded the group to get moving down the hall¡ªto which they all complied. They''d traveled several yards when Chuck spoke over their questions. "One thing I forgot to mention. I think the Structure isn''t all AI like you think." He explained the first voice and its mention of pay...which set the entire group off on a variety of tangents regarding the Structure. Everybody shut up and froze when the growl bounced off the walls of the corridor. Chapter 7 "Umm, what was that?" Chuck whispered. "Don''t know," Graff answered while he slipped to the front of the group. Another growl, deeper and closer than the first¡ªfroze Chuck''s next question in his throat. A thump. A cry of pain. Scampering claws on stone. It all happened in the blink of an eye¡ªa heartbeat of silence followed, broken by the sound of something falling to the floor. Rahmys'' scream shattered the short-lived quiet. "Graff!" Sliding around Marl so he could see, Chuck felt a cold chill running through him. Graff lay on the floor face up with a dark stain spreading over his robe. From the center of the stain, a dirty-white shaft pointed to the ceiling. Rahmys knelt next to his head, her hand pressing against the flow of blood. Whyth ran to join her. His hands matched hers, frantic movements and bright red with Graff''s blood. Marl shoved past Chuck, sprinting down the hall, a long dagger in each hand. Chuck stood, frozen, his brain struggled to keep up with what he saw. He watched Rahmys throw her head back and howl. Whyth''s blood-stained arm wrapped around her shoulder. Marl ranted from down the hall as he walked back to the group. "Too early for a dungeon crawl. There shouldn''t have been any monsters here." Rahmys'' monotone voice matched her vacant stare at the corridor wall. "Will it come back?" Chuck whispered. Marl answered as he came to the group. "Sounded like it ran away. I didn''t see anything up ahead." He drew closer to the shaft and examined it. "Yep, a dowan spike-spear. It takes them at least four hours to shoot another, and that is assuming it has one ready. Could be up to twenty hours. It all depends on how far along it was in growing the replacement." Chuck looked over at the group. "This feels like the wrong time and maybe the wrong questions, but I need to ask. I don''t understand anything about what grows a dowan spike-spear or much of anything else. What about a dungeon crawl? I know what those are, at least in my world. None of this makes sense to me." Marl motioned for Chuck to follow him a few steps from the mourning Rahmys. "Letting those two cry it out for a bit. They knew him. I met him at the same time as you. It¡¯s still hytto, but you need to know a little more." Marl took a deep breath. "Remember our discussion about gaming and some similarities? The dungeon crawl is one of them. We may have different words for it, but it¡¯s all the same thing, and the Structure uses them. The energy flow we talked about earlier, the path to get to the source, the spring, to use Rahmys¡¯ analogy, it''s a full-out dungeon crawl. There''s a bit more to it. We''ll talk about that later. Anyway, it''s dungeon halls and rooms, based on what we''ve heard about it. Monster encounters and all the stuff that goes with a dungeon crawl all lead to a boss room. That bossroom also has the spring. Got it so far?" Marl looked up at Chuck. "In general, at least enough for you to keep going." "Not much more, for now. This hallway is part of an old underground network that the Bythy opposition currently uses. A monster shouldn''t be down here. Either the Structure turned this into a dungeon crawl, or someone brought at least one monster down here. That monster being a dowan. As monsters go, not a major menace. They are typically solitary and not overly aggressive. If this one is normal, it has a den nearby and acted in defense. It grows those spike-spears along the top or front of its spine, mostly bone, and it shoots from a hole along the top of its head, positioned between its ears. To reload, it must move the next one up and into its, um, cannon, I guess would be the best word. Depending on when it shot its last one, it could take four to twenty hours before it is ready to shoot again." Chuck rested his hand on Marl''s shoulder. "Thank you for explaining. I know it''s a pain to have me asking all these questions. I want to keep them to a minimum, but at the same time, I think I need to know." "I''ll try to do a better job of being a guide for you. It¡¯s easy to get caught up in what is happening and forget that you haven''t been here more than a few days." Marl looked back at Rahmys and Whyth. "Better go figure out what we do next." Marl was several steps in front of Chuck when another growl filled the hallway. Chuck spun around in time to glimpse an ash-gray dog-like creature. The hole on top of its head sent a shiver of fear through him. Marl screamed to get out of the way, the dowan lunged to the empty spot Chuck headed towards. Engaging Spatial Leap sent Chuck shouting in pain. He misjudged the height of the hall, and the rough stones were sandpaper on his skin. He fell to the ground with a meaty plop. The dowan leaped, its jaws snapped down on Chuck''s lumpy thigh. His scream echoed down the hall. Swinging his arm, he moved extra pounds of meat to his forearm, creating a club. The monster yelped and let go. Chuck groaned and smacked the dowan in the head with a backswing. The creature slammed into the wall and crumpled to the floor, vanishing in a cloud of smoke. "Shadow beast!" Whyth shouted. <> Yay for me. Chuck stood just in time to notice a tall humanoid figure striding down the hall towards him. The orange-glowing eyes drew his gaze. "Out of the way, Chuck," Rahmys screamed. He condensed himself to half his size and rolled to the wall. A burst of green light flew over his head, splashing along the chest of the new threat. It may have grunted on impact. Chuck wasn''t sure. It lifted a hand, pointing at Chuck. An orange tongue of fire shot out towards him. Control fire! Control fire! Panic set in, and Chuck visualized the flame turning against the caster. A jolt of pain pierced through his head, then the jet of flame expanded and flew back toward the sender. A wave of heat flowed over Chuck as the flame expanded into a sphere, engulfing the creature in the hall. Another sharp pain rocked Chuck, and the fireball disappeared¡ªleaving nothing behind. <> "Did you kill it?" Marl called out. "I don''t¡­" Chuck gagged and then vomited. Wiping his lips, he looked back at Marl. "I don''t know what happened." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Marl ran over to Chuck. "Are you okay?" Nodding, Chuck allowed himself to go back to his normal size. "Best I can tell, yes. Casting control fire hurt and left me nauseous. Not sure what I threw up, I''ve not eaten a thing in this body. Do I even have a stomach?" Rahmys and Whyth came back from where the caster had been. "Nothing down there to tell us anything," Rahmys said. "Is there a room around here where we can rest? I don''t know if I can keep going without sleep or rest or whatever it is I do now." Weariness colored Chuck''s tone. "We passed one right before," Rahmys paused and swallowed. "Right before Graff got hit." "Should we bring him with us?" Whyth asked. Rahmys nodded. "I already cast a preserve spell on him, so yeah, let¡¯s bring him with us. We can leave him in the room when we leave and come back for him later." Once in the room, Chuck dropped to the ground and let his head fall against the wall. "I need a few minutes before we talk about what just happened. That okay?" The rest of the group nodded. Status check, everything, please. << STATUS
Component: Charles (Chuck) Williamsyn
Class: Duplicemist Class Note: Rare/Unique class, does not comply with standard Structure guidelines; Class is fluid - most attributes will shift based on component usage; Not all information is available, will need to be discovered by component
Structure Note: Acclimation steps 95% complete, component responding favorably
Class Level: 4th
Health: 50/75
Magic Pool: 70/80
STATS
Strength: variable
Reflexes: variable
Endurance: 55
Resistance/Willpower: 45
Charisma: 10 (can be variable)
Intelligence: 40
Wisdom: 45
ABILITIES
Manipulate: Level 4
Absorb: Level 3
Concoct: Level 2
Control Fire: Level 4
Dampen Magic: Level 4
Spatial Leap: Level 2
Fire-Flight Level 2
Unspent Points: 20
>> Unspent points? Spend them on stats? I can activate Fire-Flight without deactivating anything else? <> Structure, can I name this display something other than all the stats or everything? <> If you can make it default only when I ask for a full status, yes, otherwise I¡¯ll ask as I need. Last thing I want is a display popping up distracting me at the wrong time. <> Chuck studied the listing, muttering and shaking his head when he lost track of his point disbursement. Structure, is it correct to assume that my intelligence level impacts my magic pool? <> How is it calculated? <> That¡¯s helpful. The lack of response didn¡¯t surprise Chuck. A little more help, please. I don¡¯t want to bother my friends just yet. I¡¯ll tell you what I think it means, and you can correct me¡ªthat way, you¡¯ll see that I¡¯m not just pushing the work over to you. When it says variable, I¡¯m guessing that is because my form dictates a lot of that. If I form into a stronger form, my strength will go up¡ªthe same is true for the other variable stats. <> Do I just tell you how to spend? Also, do you have a name? Feels odd to call you Structure. <> I think I¡¯ll give you one, sometime, have to think of a good one. Endurance is primary for health? <> Okay, add ten to intelligence and ten to endurance. Need to survive long enough to build up the other stats. Oh, and activate Fire-Flight . <> Another quick question. I advanced two levels on Control Fire at once. Is that what caused me to throw up, or was that something else? <> It''s the word typically that worries me. After a minute of silence, Chuck dismissed the display and closed his eyes, counted to three, then let the room know he used his minutes. Chapter 8 The silent response to his declaration caused Chuck to look up and scan the other three in the room. Marl and Whyth returned his gaze. A lavender curtain of hair blocked his view of Rahmys¡¯ face. Graff lay motionless next to the far wall. Marl raised his chin in Chuck¡¯s direction. ¡°Looked like you were leveling up.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm. What did we just face? The creature and whatever that was at the end?¡± ¡°The dowan was actually a shadow beast in dowan form. I''m not sure about the thing that shot fire at you,¡± Marl answered. Thinking through his list of questions, Chuck found one he needed to ask. ¡°Did I kill it?¡± ¡°Aaarrrggg!!¡± Rahmys jumped up to her feet. ¡°Questions! All the hytto¡¯n questions. You were there. You saw. You heard. We don¡¯t need to relive it all again.¡± Tears streamed down her face. Her shoulders trembled from her sobs. Chuck pushed himself to stand. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset¡­¡± A stream of purple light flowed from Rahmys¡¯ pointing finger. It crackled on the cave wall a couple of feet from Chuck¡¯s head. Tiny shards of stone pricked along his body. Marl and Whyth both shouted, leaping toward Rahmys. Her mouth fell open. Her eyes grew wide and round. Her hand bounced off her thigh, and she dropped it to her side. Marl and Whyth grabbed hold of her, keeping her from collapsing to the ground. With a sudden lurch and twist, she broke free and stumbled to a halt in front of Chuck. ¡°Rawlt. I don¡¯t know¡ªI mean I am so¡ªrawlt¡ªsorry. I don¡¯t know why I did that. Sorry¡­¡± She flung her arms wide and embraced Chuck, the rest of her words too muffled to make out. Several seconds later, she giggled and stepped out of the hug. ¡°Nothing personal, but it¡¯s unsettling to hug you. You¡¯re way too squishy.¡± Chuck stood, staring back at Rahmys, a grunt his only response. She blushed and momentarily looked down at the ground, then looked back up. ¡°I can only offer that my brain misfired, or I became overwhelmed. Neither are valid reasons for my actions.¡± She looked back down at her feet. ¡°I am deeply sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been on the verge of doing something like that¡ªnot knowing how may be the only reason I haven¡¯t yet. I understand.¡± Chuck concentrated and his hand reformed into the best replication so far. He rested his pink fingers on her shoulder. ¡°Good control,¡± Marl commented. ¡°According to the Structure, I should gain the ability to refine my skill, so it actually looks like skin, or close enough.¡± Rahmys patted Chuck¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s head on down the hallway. We can seal the room and leave Graff for now. We should be close to one exit that is outside of the village. I want to get in the open, or at least out of these tunnels. We can talk and answer questions along the way or once we get there.¡± Whyth turned from the closed door. ¡°Sealed, minor one¡ªeasy to break, but will require enough effort he should be safe.¡± They turned and shuffled down the hall. Chuck noticed Rahmys¡¯ slumped shoulders and Whyth¡¯s vacant look and kept the questions to himself, for now. Marl came alongside him and gave him a quick nod and smile. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Rahmys called out. She waved her hand over the wall and a ladder extracted from the stone wall. She scurried up as fast as it appeared. Whyth close behind. ¡°Can you climb it?¡± Marl asked Chuck. ¡°Should be able to.¡± He grabbed a rung and started up. Lengthening his legs, he climbed through the opening above him. Marl closed the hatch behind him, then walked over to the group of stones where everyone else sat. ¡°Chuck, thank you for letting me think and process.¡± Rahmys¡¯ weak smile added extra weight to her words. Whyth nodded, ¡°Thanks from me too.¡± Rahmys plucked at an invisible thread on her sleeve. ¡°Time for questions.¡± Clearing his throat, Marl jumped up. ¡°Let¡¯s start with an answer to Chuck¡¯s last question. I don¡¯t know if you killed it, the caster, that is. The shadow beast wasn¡¯t really alive. I¡¯ve been thinking about the mage and the beast. Could it have been smoke magic instead of shadow magic? Either way, it would seem we¡¯re dealing with someone who has strong fire magic in a secondary slot, if not primary.¡± ¡°The eyes and colors around him, along with him casting fire, would be giveaways.¡± Whyth smiled, taking the sting out of his sarcasm. Returning the smile, Marl responded. ¡°Agree, thought I¡¯d settle us all down with a dose of obvious.¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡± Rahmys scratched at the rock she sat on. ¡°I think I know who that was. She¡¯s a Dark Mage, and her name is Chartris. She and Vassyn were rivals. He never shared the story with me, but something happened in their past. Something that neither ever got over. Both would go out of their way to undermine the other. With Vassyn being killed a few days ago and she¡¯s showing up down here, it makes me wonder if she¡¯s involved. If so, I doubt his death is related to Bythnahr. I don¡¯t see her throwing in with the Bythies.¡± ¡°Any reason she wouldn¡¯t?¡± Marl asked. Rahmys cocked her head. ¡°I guess it is possible. Her politics were of the local kind. Jealous of the pull Vassyn had around here. She sided with the Rynthar faction, and they played along the boundaries of ally and enemy of the Bythnahr. Still doesn¡¯t seem to fit. She¡¯d not make a power play for the benefit of others.¡± Marl kicked at the red and blue fallen leaves. ¡°Unless the Bythies offered her control of the region for helping them?¡± ¡°We must keep that in play at least,¡± Rahmys responded. Chuck broke in. ¡°Dark Mage sounds ominous.¡± With a shrug, Rahmys turned to Chuck. ¡°Can be, but no more than a Light Mage. The title Dark and Light can be misleading regarding magic types. Some of it is how they align with traditional scopes of control¡ªnight and day type things. Both play in shadow magic¡ªyou can¡¯t have shadows without light, but the substance of shadows is dark. Some of the traditional powers have a flavor of dark is evil and light is good, but those are only words and don¡¯t apply in truth. There are evil dark things and there are evil light things. Same thing as far as good, too.¡± ¡°Hmm, and does this Chartris do fire magic too? I think Marl called it a secondary slot.¡± Chuck asked. ¡°She does. Vassyn, for all his hatred of her, respected her abilities. He told me her abilities in fire magic were more like a second primary mastery, not a secondary ability. If she can weave shadows and smoke together and use that to create beasts, they¡¯d have the power of a shadow beast, along with the solidity offered by the fact smoke has a physical form.¡± Marl spun to face Rahmys, his mouth open. Chuck beat him to the question. ¡°So that spike thing was solid because of the smoke magic, not shadow magic?¡± Rahmys nodded. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re catching on.¡± Her voice cracked, and a tear slid down her cheek. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to bring up a memory.¡± Chuck quivered. ¡°Thank you. Not your fault. The situation forces us to charge ahead. Now, we have to be aware of a possible second front or a powerful addition to the one front we knew about. As far as you killing her, I doubt it. Though you probably shook her up. I doubt she¡¯s ever had someone turn her spell against her. I hadn¡¯t thought about that until just now. What did you cast, and at what level?¡± ¡°Control fire. I advanced two levels because of what I did. Landed on level four.¡± Whyth shook his head, joining the discussion. ¡°That was more than a fourth-level casting, let alone the second-level.¡± ¡°Or Chartris didn¡¯t use her full power.¡± Rahmys offered. ¡°True. She may not have seen Chuck as much more than a novice.¡± Whyth replied. ¡°I feel like a novice would overstate my abilities right now.¡± The wave of laughter at Chuck¡¯s quip brought a much-needed release of tension to the group. Chapter 9 Rahmys stood up and stretched, wiping the back of her hand across her cheek. ¡°What do we want to do about resting? I doubt going back to town is safe, and none of us has the equipment for camping.¡± The group looked around the cluster of rocks they were sitting on and the rocky ground around them. A few feet away, several stones jutted out of the side of a small hill. Marl kicked away some of the colorful leaves, revealing more stoney ground. ¡°Don¡¯t think any of us are going to find this all the restful.¡± ¡°Could have Chuck flatten out and be a meat bed.¡± Whyth chuckled. ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°I know Whyth was joking, but is it even a consideration, Chuck?¡± Marl asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work that way. I¡¯d be in pain from you on top of me and the rocks below me.¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m comfortable, I can live with that.¡± Whyth quipped. Rahmys cleared her throat. ¡°A little seriousness would be helpful.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Chuck nodded at Rahmys. ¡°What direction do we need to head to get to that magical spring thing?¡± ¡°Dunno,¡± Rahmys answered with a shrug. ¡°Vassyn kept the whereabouts quiet. Graff had an idea, but he hadn¡¯t shared that with me yet. All I know is there is some sort of gate, and only three can go past that gate at a time.¡± ¡°Three, why just three?¡± Marl beat Chuck to the question. Rahmys shrugged again. ¡°Dunno that either. Three pass the gate, and if one comes out or dies, it¡¯s still a couple of days before it resets to allow anyone else in. Now, back to the question at hand--where are we going to sleep?¡± ¡°We did just leave tunnels and rooms.¡± Chuck looked back at the ladder they¡¯d all used. ¡°Do we want to risk that?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather not, Whyth, but what other options do we have?¡± Rahmys pointed out. ¡°Could stay at mine.¡± The group jumped. Marl pulled out his daggers. Rahmys and Whyth stood ready to cast. Chuck looked them over and groaned at his lack of readiness. ¡°Jumpy lot now, aren¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Show yourself,¡± Marl called out. Chuck¡¯s gasp harmonized with everyone else when two brown eyes appeared on the rocks on the hill. ¡°Rockbound,¡± Whyth whispered. ¡°Where?¡± the stone asked, followed by a rumbled laugh. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not every day you find out a children¡¯s story is more than a story.¡± Rahmys¡¯ voice had a dash of awe. ¡°I shock you, but you find a walking mound of lumpy meat normal?¡± ¡°Hey! ¡± Marl guffawed. ¡°Gotten used to him. You¡¯re a new one to us. What did you mean by we could stay at yours?¡± The eyes blinked, then widened. " That¡¯s more like it. Looking for a safe sleep? Mergrex can share his with you. Cost you storytime; Mergrex doesn''t hear stories anymore." The group continued to stare at the wispy, translucent figure. His friends'' wide eyes and open mouths let Chuck know there was something special about Mergrex. "Rockbound," Whyth whispered again. "Yes, hard to believe," Rahmys answered "Why hard to believe? Mergrex is here in front of you." Marl nodded. "You are, no doubt about it. Just, well, your kind are rare to us. Nearly mythical." The gray, wrinkled face vanished into the stone to pop out elsewhere, his mouth close to Marl''s ear. "Mergrex didn''t think about that. Rare?" A ghost of a hand appeared to stroke his pointy chin. "Mergrex likes that, but Mergrex is real. A small cave is not far, and all of you can share it." Chuck tugged at Rahmys¡¯ sleeve and whispered. "Can we trust it?" Everyone flinched as Chuck screamed, startled by the sudden appearance of Mergrex''s craggy face right in front of him. "You question Mergrex and his integrity? You know nothing of the Rockbound. The offer of help is no more!" Whyth waved his hand. "Wait, Mergrex! Chuck is new to this world and truly knows nothing about many things. Those of us here who do know of your kind also know that your word is as solid as the rocks you are bound to." Mergrex''s wrinkled face softened, and he reappeared in front of Chuck, his form flickering slightly. "Mergrex understands. Apologies for the outburst, young one. It is not common for Rockbound to interact with outsiders, and mistrust can be expected. But Mergrex will prove his intentions." With a slow, deliberate movement, Mergrex extended a spectral hand towards Chuck. "Take Mergrex''s hand, and you will feel the truth within." If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Chuck hesitated momentarily, glancing at his companions'' expectant faces. Curiosity and a glimmer of trust sparked within him, overriding his initial doubt. He reached out and gingerly grasped at Mergrex''s ethereal hand. Chuck felt it shift to become cool and hard, taking the form of pliant stone. A surge of warmth spread through Chuck''s body, tingling his fingertips. Images and emotions flooded his mind, revealing glimpses of Mergrex''s ancient memories. He saw the Rockbound''s dedication and their unyielding sense of honor. Then the world went red, and fire burned him from inside out¡ªthe scream that bounced in his head came from his mouth and one other. He shuddered when the pain increased, then lessened when he bounced across the stoney ground. The connection severed with a jarring punch between his shoulder blades. Chuck¡¯s vision cleared. He looked up at the blue-tinged leaves on a tree, a rock poking him where he¡¯d felt the punch. A scurrying of feet announced someone headed his way. Within seconds, Marl''s concerned green face blocked his vision from seeing anything else. ¡°Chuck! You okay?¡± Marl dropped to his knees. The genuine concern on Marl¡¯s face caught Chuck by surprise. His voice cracked as he answered. ¡°I¡¯m okay, not sure what just happened. Is Mergrex okay?¡± ¡°Mergrex is fine.¡± The Rockbound¡¯s warm, rumbling tone sounded a little pained. ¡°You, young one, have experienced great pain, and Mergrex was not ready to feel that from you.¡± ¡°Pain?¡± Rahmys asked. Chuck took Marl¡¯s offered hand and got up, stepping over to a rock he could sit on. ¡°Emotional or physical pain, Mergrex?¡± ¡°Is not all physical pain also emotional? In the spirit of your question, I believe the correct answer would be physical¡ªyour legs, primarily.¡± Chuck nodded. ¡°If my experience is a guide. That was the pain of my legs being torn apart by the shredder. I felt it, too, more than what I recall. Maybe Whyth¡¯s magic shielded me from the worst of it, the pain that is¡ªdeath being the worst of it all.¡± Mergrex hovered next to Chuck. ¡°Mergrex must apologize for bringing that back to you. I sensed such a thing and curiosity drove me to explore that which I should not have.¡± Chuck shook his head. ¡°There is nothing to apologize for. It is what it is.¡± A grunt accompanied Mergrex¡¯s glower. ¡°Young one, do not dismiss an apology. It diminishes the one offering the apology if you belittle it and, in doing so, leave it unaccepted.¡± Wide-eyed and stammering, Chuck responded. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean¡­I accept your apology. Never would I want to diminish you. Before the pain hit, I saw and understood the integrity and depth of who you are, and I am humbled to have experienced it.¡± Mergrex¡¯s chuckle vibrated the stone Chuck sat on. ¡°You have learned quickly. Mergrex would like to share something else with you to make amends for the pain we shared. I saw much of who you are before the pain overcame us. Mergrex has magic you can absorb.¡± Once again, the shimmering form offered out a nearly substantial hand. This time, the surge of warmth carried an assurance of safety and calmness. A slight tingle tickled at Chuck¡¯s palm. <> Yes, absorb Stone Walker. <> Crap. Need to find out if there is a way I can keep more spells active other than leveling up. A gentle warmth flowed through his body. Much better to absorb this way. Wonder if it¡¯s because Mergrex gave it to me instead of me just, well, taking it? Chuck felt a pull to use the new magic. ¡°Stone Walker, Phase Shifter? Thank you! Now, before I go getting myself in trouble, what does it do?¡± Chuck asked. Mergrex¡¯s shadowy fist solidified and knocked on the stone Chuck sat on. ¡°Phase Shifter covers the lower levels of the spell¡¯s abilities. You can take on a phased form and slip through stone. You won¡¯t have any substance, only a slight outline of yourself in this form. Do not assume that you may pass unseen. Anyone paying the slightest attention will see a shadowy form slip in and out of the stone. Any being able to see into stone will notice you moving through it. When you experience resistance, you must exit within a few seconds or become part of the very stone yourself¡ªpractice on a thin wall or just a step into a rock. ¡°The more experience you have, the longer it will last, and eventually, you will progress to Solidification Mastery. You¡¯ll walk through stone without phasing¡ªyou¡¯ll have a body the stone flows around you instead of you flowing in the stone. Increased duration, but there is still a limit. At the highest levels, you will move as Rockbound does through stones without the worry of becoming trapped.¡± Mergrex smiled and crossed his arms. Marl whistled. ¡°I know a few stone manors we could visit when we¡¯re done. We could retire early and wealthy.¡± His laugh and smile at Chuck¡¯s sputtering spread through the group. ¡°Don¡¯t get ya self all worked up. I¡¯m not up for that type of activity other than when it¡¯s a matter of survival.¡± ¡°Good to know, ¡° Chuck nodded, ¡°Good to know. This is more than I can thank you for Mergrex.¡± ¡°It is good, and you are welcome young one. May it aid you in your quest to find a way home, and if it doesn¡¯t, may it keep you alive and allow you to visit Mergrex again.¡± ¡°That is something I look forward to. However, if I recall, before I rudely offended you, you commented that we might stay in a nearby cave. Is that offer open again? And in case I didn¡¯t do this formally, I am deeply sorry to have ever doubted your word.¡± Mergrex nodded, a sense of satisfaction emanating from his translucent form. "Apologies accepted, young one. Mergrex knows that trust must be earned. Now, let us seek shelter in the nearby cave. It will provide respite from the dangers of the night." With a sense of unity and newfound trust, the group followed Mergrex toward the cave. When they entered the cave, they found a modest but secure space sheltered from the elements. Mergrex conjured a soft, ambient glow, casting gentle light on the group. Rahmys shared some dried meat she picked up at the tavern, and they all relaxed, caught up in their own silent thoughts. Whyth cleared his throat, bringing everyone¡¯s glance at him. ¡°I believe we owe Mergrex some stories.¡± The Rockbound¡¯s hands clapped together. The loud crack surprised the room. ¡°Sorry, friends. In Mergrex¡¯s excitement, I allowed my hands to gain substance. It has been many days since Mergrex heard any news. The Bythnahr severed my connection with the other Rockbound when they diverted the magic flows.¡± ¡°So, their actions to weaken this area hurt you too?¡± Chuck asked. ¡°Aye, this is true. The magic source is dammed up and Mergrex can¡¯t go through some of the stone I have traveled in the past. The marshes have risen and keep me from journeying to the source.¡± ¡°You could guide us to the source?¡± Rahmys leaned forward. ¡°Nay, not the source. To the edge of the marsh leading to the source, that Mergrex can. The water breaks my connection with the stone, and I cannot step into the marsh for fear of being no more.¡± ¡°Good reason not to go in.¡± Marl mused. ¡°We want to discover a way to reopen the source, so any help you can give us would be welcome.¡± Mergrex nodded his agreement to help. ¡°It is a good thing for you to try. Mergrex will lead you.¡± Rahmys tried to hide a yawn behind her hand. Whyth fell victim and yawned with her. ¡°Ah, tonight Mergrex will ask for no stories. Those can be shared on our walk tomorrow. Rest now," Mergrex urged, his voice carrying a soothing tone. "In this sanctuary, you are protected. Mergrex will share stories. You must let the tales of the Rockbound lull you into a peaceful sleep." As the group settled down, their eyes heavy with exhaustion, Mergrex shared stories. Chuck forced his eyes to remain open, fascinated by the history of the Rockbound. The gentle snores of his new friends and the soothing tone of Mergrex¡¯s stories motivated Chuck to surrender to sleep. Chapter 10 The coolness of the stones washed over Chuck as he stepped into the cliff wall. He¡¯d taken every opportunity during the morning to slide in and out of any rock he could. Careful to never go deeper than two or three steps. The cliff allowed him to walk parallel with the group for several steps. He¡¯d just celebrated making eight steps without the resistance Mergrex had warned him about. Gelatin, watery gelatin, that¡¯s what this feels like. Chuck smiled. And I must escape before it sets. He looked over his shoulder at the shadowy forms walking down the path. He noted how being in the stone dulled all the colors outside. Rahmys¡¯ lavender hair looked dirty gray, Marl¡¯s green skin looked murky. Chuck stepped back into the sunlight and paused a second to let everyone catch up. ¡°It is good to see a smile on your face, young one. Mergrex shares in your joy at stone walking.¡± ¡°I had one question come to mind. Is walking through¡­um,¡± Chuck motioned back to the cliff, ¡°natural stone the same as walking through stone cut for walls or other construction?¡± ¡°Excellent question, most excellent. Unless whoever worked the stone did something to the stone, there would be no difference. I have walked within many walls over the years and have yet to find a difference of note.¡± Chuck nodded. ¡°Good to know. How much longer is the walk? I haven¡¯t been paying much attention to our progress.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Rahmys¡¯ drew the word out. Marl clicked his tongue. ¡°Now, now, we both know you¡¯d be testing out your new toy, the same as Chuck. All of us would be.¡± ¡°I would,¡± Rahmys agreed. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t change my response. I have to take any opening I can to keep all of you in your place.¡± She grinned, raised her nose in the air, and took several swaying steps down the path before giggling. Chuck felt his ears heat when Whyth caught him staring at Rahmys¡¯s rolling hips. Whyth grinned and shook his head, then answered. ¡°We¡¯ve been walking for about three hours. Leaves us six or seven more hours until we come to the marsh''s edge. Be close to dark by then, so we may want to stop before we get that far.¡± ¡°Think we can go that far without a rest stop?¡± Marl asked. The group agreed to try as they headed down a path leading away from the cliffs into a grassy meadow. Mergrex spent several hours of the journey asking Chuck how he¡¯d gotten to Crawtna and his life back on Earth. Chuck was thankful that the back and forth helped pass the time¡ªeven if he had to fight off some melancholy from time to time. A piercing shriek brought conversation and movement to a halt. Everyone¡¯s heads jerked from side to side, trying to find anything that may have made the abrupt noise. ¡°Anyone see anything?¡± Marl whispered. ¡°Mergrex does not see anything unusual.¡± ¡°Neither do I,¡± Whyth added. Rahmys shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue what is usual or not,¡± Chuck muttered. ¡°I feel more than a little exposed out here in the open like this. Should we make our way to those trees?¡± Marl pointed to a small copse a few hundred yards ahead and to the right. ¡°What if that is where the creature that made that noise is?¡± Chuck countered. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Are we going to stand here and argue?¡± Rahmys hissed. ¡°Let¡¯s keep going in the direction we were, for now, and all of us stay alert.¡± She started walking again, and the group followed. All of them stopped suddenly when the shriek sounded in front of them. ¡°Still don¡¯t see a thing,¡± Whyth said. The group grumbled their agreement. ¡°Meet it head-on? Or¡­¡± Chuck looked at everyone, but nobody replied for several seconds. ¡° I could cast something to see if we can flush it out,¡± Whyth said. ¡°Probably an argath or some other furry little creature.¡± ¡°Never heard an argath sound like that, though,¡± Marl answered. ¡°Me neither,¡± admitted Whyth. ¡°If no one objects, I¡¯m going to spray some water over there.¡± Shrugs and grunts led Whyth to extend his arm and fan his fingers. Streams of water shot out of his fingers in short bursts. He stopped after thirty seconds, the grass in front of him bent with the weight of the water from his spell. ¡°Keep moving?¡± Rahmys asked. ¡°Mergrex would suggest such.¡± ¡°Better than standing here, doing noth¡ª¡± Crashing over the conversation, a deafening roar erupted from the grassy meadow. The group spun around, their eyes widening in terror as a massive creature emerged, towering over them with razor-sharp claws and gleaming fangs. Its scaly hide shimmered in the sunlight. Chuck stared and trembled, freezing for a moment. Then, Rahmys shouted, "Run!" and he snapped out of his trance-like state. Without hesitation, he joined the group sprint towards the trees Marl had pointed out earlier. Chuck questioned the reality of the hot breath on his back. He risked looking over his shoulder and took a small amount of comfort in the gap between him and the monster. The comfort vanished when massive gray wings spread from the creature¡¯s back, and it lifted from the ground. "It can fly!" Chuck''s voice cracked as he screamed, his eyes wide with terror at the sight of the creature lifting off the ground. Fear motivated him to find out he could run faster. Rahmys planted her foot and spun around, running backward. Her eyes widened as she cocked her head. ¡°What?¡± Chuck asked, not missing a stride. She stopped and pointed behind Chuck. ¡°It¡¯s gone?¡± Chuck twisted his head, then came to a halt, his eyes scanning the sky. ¡°Flying? Can¡¯t see it, though.¡± ¡°Keep heading to the trees!¡± Marl shouted. ¡°We can think about it after we get some cover.¡± ¡°Good point,¡± Rahmys replied. Both she and Chuck turned and resumed their run. Chuck stopped at the edge of the woods, joining the others. How can my lungs burn if I don¡¯t breathe? Do I even have lungs? ¡°Anyone see where it went?¡± Marl asked, his head tilted back as he scanned the underside of the tree canopy. Everyone answered with shakes of their heads. Whyth pointed at Chuck. ¡°Your legs are longer.¡± He looked down and noticed they were longer and thicker. ¡°Hmm, not sure when that¡­Oh, I bet it was when I saw that thing¡¯s wings. I told myself to run faster. Guess in the moment, I didn¡¯t notice the change.¡± ¡°Something to practice and work on.¡± Whyth scratched at his chin. ¡°Longer arms, extra arms, a whole lot of advantages come to mind. Especially if you can make the changes with little concentration.¡± Chuck¡¯s laugh came out like a bark. ¡°I concentrated, screaming to myself to go faster. But, I had nothing other than faster in my head. Brain did the work on its own? I mean, I have been manipulating myself for situations already.¡± Whyth nodded. ¡°Point, guess I just hadn¡¯t noticed it as much.¡± ¡°All valid points.¡± Marl grumbled, ¡°Doesn¡¯t help us figure out what is happening.¡± A rumbling growl grew to a roar. The enormous monster rose from the grass, wings outstretched, and leaped toward the group. Everyone turned and crashed through the sparse underbrush, deeper into the woods. They all stumbled to a halt when Mergrex appeared in front of them. ¡°Illusion! The monster is but an illusion.¡± In near unison, the group turned and stared back at the monster as it made its way into the trees. Tree limbs passed through the wings without damaging either. Marl grumbled under his breath. Chuck blinked his eyes. ¡°Is it me, or is its form changing?¡± He paused for a second, ¡°And is that streams of shadow going into it?¡± ¡°Chartris,¡± Rahmys hissed. ¡°She¡¯s herded us to these trees with her illusion, but it¡¯s not an illusion anymore. If we attack now, it may still be weak enough to kill it.¡± ¡°Kill a magic spell?¡± Chuck asked. ¡°Like you did the dowan, terminate it might be a better way of putting it,¡± Marl answered. ¡°Running might be a better plan.¡± Whyth pointed at the beast. The wings flowed into the creature''s body. Its muzzle twisted as it expanded in size. Dark gray fangs now protruded from the bottom and top lips. Swirls of black and gray surrounded its form. Chuck whispered. ¡°It¡¯s shrinking if going from huge to only giant can be considered shrinking. How can something getting smaller seem like it¡¯s getting much bigger?¡± ¡°Consolidating magic to give it substance.¡± Rahmys¡¯ whisper was softer than Chuck¡¯s. ¡°Much higher level of magic than I can do.¡± ¡°Mergrex cannot help but admire the level of skill it takes to do that.¡± The ground shook when it took its next step. It blinked. When the eyes opened, they were glowing orange. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± Marl muttered. Chapter 11 The monster took another step forward, swaying when its foot hit the ground. ¡°Sense of balance off?¡± Whyth asked. ¡°Maybe not fully formed or Chartris is at the limits of her ability.¡± Rahmys answered. ¡°Should we run or try to attack?¡± Chuck looked up at the tree canopy. ¡°Any of you have healing? If so, how much?¡± ¡°I can heal a little more than a hundred points,¡± Rahmys responded. ¡°Can¡¯t regenerate or combat poison, straight healing only.¡± ¡°Not as much point-wise, about sixty. With minor regeneration and I can neutralize most poisons.¡± Whyth offered. ¡°Sounds like enough, then. Be ready.¡± Chuck jumped up. ¡°Spatial Leap for the win!¡± His stomach lurched. Too high. Chuck watched the tops of the trees as he fell toward them. Next time need to think about something more specific than ¡®above¡¯. He concentrated and took on the form of a large mace head, the spikes being longer than normal. He flattened a couple and kicked with them¡ªsending himself into a rolling tumble. A few seconds later, a lumpy, rotating ball of spikes crashed through the tops of the trees. The blue leaves sliced, and the dark bark battered at him. A sharp pain caused him to howl. Within seconds, the monster¡¯s cry of pain drowned out Chuck¡¯s scream. A hit! Chuck scrambled as he morphed back into humanoid form. A cloud of dust and leaves rose as Chuck jumped from the creature''s back. It turned to face Chuck¡ªblocking him from the rest of the group. Didn¡¯t plan on that. A wave of pain flooded through his body. Health and magic check. << STATUS: Health: 40/83, Magic: 57/88>> Took over half of my health. Could I survive another? What happens if I die? Wake up in the middle of being shredded? Wake up dead back home? A growl brought Chuck¡¯s attention back to the beast. He jumped backward to avoid a swiping claw from mangling him. He stepped into the circle of sunshine coming through the hole he¡¯d created. The creature stopped its second swing. Looks like the sunlight thing is working. The monster jerked and spun back towards the group. Chuck tried to see what they were doing but couldn¡¯t. He focused on the things¡¯ shoulders. The attacks seemed to slow down. An unexpected shimmer of orange washed over the creature, and then it leaped forward. Chuck heard shouting and a scream from his friends. Spatial leap for the win? A sudden wave of nausea hit Chuck, and he started falling toward the treetops again. Much better on the height. He made the spikes to his mace form shorter and thicker, then started spinning. The trees battered at him again, however the sharp pain didn¡¯t repeat. He barely kept the sphere and spikes in shape when he made impact with the monster this time. Its screams of pain and rage filled the woods. Chuck reformed into his regular form as quick as he could, relieved that Rahmys stood just an arm¡¯s length away. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Need some healing, please.¡± He said before crumpling to the ground. Her fingers on his forehead were soothing, the warmth radiating through his body even more so. ¡°You lost some body mass, I think, at least. Your body doesn¡¯t read like others.¡± She gazed down at him. ¡°Not surprising since I¡¯m not like others.¡± Chuck laughed. Health and magic check. <> << STATUS: Health: 78/78, Magic: 32/88>> Barkskin? Can I form that for only parts of my body, or is it an all-or-nothing? <> Chuck looked up to Rahmys, ¡°How¡¯s Mister Cuddly?¡± Rahmys blinked a couple of times. ¡°Oh, got it.¡± She looked over her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s not looking so good. The sunlight, along with whatever physical damage you did, didn¡¯t finish him¡ªbut the others are doing a decent job of¡­and actually just finished what you started. It just dissolved into a gray cloud and dissipated. Good work, Lumpy.¡± Pushing up from the ground, Chuck nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Everything okay?¡± Rahmys shouted. ¡°Good, I have one more thing to deal with here.¡± ¡°What would tha¡­OW!¡± Rahmys¡¯ slap echoed off the trees. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± Chuck shouted, his hand covering the deep red welts. Chuck heard several feet scuttle to a stop behind him. ¡°What called for that?¡± Marl¡¯s voice filled with disbelief. Rahmys stood up and glared down at Chuck. ¡°Never do that again! Just disappearing on us. We had no idea that was you crashing through the trees. What if one of us hit you with lightning or fire?¡± She paused, chest heaving. ¡°Idiot! Tell us first. Great idea and it worked, but you¡¯re still an idiot.¡± She stomped away. Whyth watched her walk away. ¡°She does have a point.¡± ¡°Aye, that she does.¡± Marl nodded and followed her. Mergrex reached down and helped Chuck to his feet. ¡°Mergrex agrees with the others. You, young one, were foolish¡ªand brave. Let us catch up with the others.¡± Several moments of silence hung over the group as they made their way back to the meadow they¡¯d ran from. Once they got out of the shadows, Chuck cleared his throat to get everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Look, in hindsight, I agree that wasn¡¯t the smartest of moves. It may seem like I keep stating this, and I do, but only because it¡¯s the truth. I¡¯m still learning all of this stuff you all take for granted.¡± Chuck attempted a shrug. ¡°I admit, there wasn¡¯t any thought of you casting magic at me, mostly because that¡¯s still not a normal thought for me. It is getting more normal. I thought it through enough to make sure one of you could heal me. Also, it doesn¡¯t seem like I have internal organs anymore, so I figured I could take the blunt force damage at least once.¡± Mergrex held up his hand. ¡°Ah, friend, you have internal organs, in a manner of speaking. When Mergrex and yourself were joined, I saw your physical being¡ªyour lungs, heart, brain, and everything else is mixed up together but all still there. So, losing any of yourself would be to lose a little of all of those things.¡± ¡°Hmm, that makes sense¡ªas much as any of this makes sense and reinforces what you all have been saying. So, I will try to do better. You all deserve it,¡± Chuck paused momentarily and rubbed his chin. ¡°And I would like to avoid getting slapped in the future.¡± The apology and joke cleared the air. Discussions about what happened flowed freely as they continued to walk. ¡°I know we¡¯re not at the marsh yet, but I think we should look for a place to make camp for the night. Our brief encounter took enough time that we won¡¯t be able to get there before nightfall.¡± Marl said. ¡°Mergrex suggests a place a few yards over there.¡± He pointed to his left. ¡°There are some surface stones, a few feet high, and there is a flat place next to them.¡± Taking Mergrex¡¯s suggestion, the group made their way to the stones and set up camp. Chuck leaned against one rock and allowed himself to fall into it for practice. Dusk found all of them tired and ready to sleep. Mergrex agreed to take first watch. ¡°Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s a quiet night. Had enough adventure for the day.¡± Whyth proclaimed, then wiggled down into his bedding.