Story Road Ahead, Road Behind

I seem to have something against short chapters `:p I hope that isn't an issue~

I run over to Chei, who is lying still on the ground, not showing signs of recovery from the attack she received. I gently place my hands on her side, closing my eyes to focus on healing her. I work quickly, but with care so nothing goes wrong.

I wince as I see the damage, one of her lungs was completely crushed. I work the healing energies through her, reforming everything into proper shape, and stitching together broken tissue. Then, I go a bit further, spending more energy to cause some of the dead tissues to regenerate, replacing any that was too damaged from the blow. Normally skin can just be left to do that on it’s own, but not something as serious as this.

Falling back to sit on the grass, I pant from the effort. Chei stirs, and groans as she sits up, gingerly feeling at her side. Her eyes widen as she sees the Ogres, and she bows to me, “You never said you were a priest. I thought you were a mage of some form, but I never thought to be travelling with one so skilled.”

I smile at that, as Alex comes galloping up in his centaur glory, “Well, it isn’t easy to be granted this magic. Harder still to use it skilfully. The lower acolytes can manages cuts and bruises at best.”

Alex holds a hand down to Chei, which she gracefully takes and stands up. Alex nodded at me, thankful for my help. As I ease myself up, Chei went back to the Tree of Life at and rested a hand on it’s trunk, “Thank you for waking us. Could you do me a favour, and send a message to the Village, telling them that the Ogres have ventured all the way here?”

The tree rustles, and a giggle can be heard, “Oday! Anything for da centaurs!” The tree rustles even more, almost as if straining. As I sit down on one of it’s massive roots, the tree stops, done with sending the message somehow.

Chei crosses her arms, thinking, “Hmm… Hopefully, no more come down. It is rare to see them around here. Anyway, Alex, your reactions really are a bit slow. we need to have you adjust to your new body, before we leave. We don’t want to tax Thomas to much now, do we?”

I chuckle, “No complaints from me. Training would be good though, I can get some practice in with this Frozen Blade. Perhaps another thing for you to try, as we stay here a bit.”

Alex nods, and picks up his trusty sword. After a moment, they put it back, and pick up a large fallen branch, stripping the leaves from it, “Centaur training first, before the bread wears off. I don’t think it would be a good idea to use a proper sword for that.”

And so, for the next hour or so, Chie led alex through some exercises, to help familiarise himself with four legs. Galloping, weaving through obstacles, and sparring whilst moving. As they sped back and forth across the grassy plain, I swung my blade in the opposite direction, trying to perform various tricks on a boulder in the distance. Freezing it, slicing it clean in half with the chill wave, forming an ice wall between me and it. The first was easy. The second nigh impossible so far, but I did manage to chip it a little. And the wall shattered far too easily, which I found disconcerting. I need to look into improving that.

By the end of the hour, I was exhausted, and Alex had just as much trouble readjusting to human legs as they did last time. We rested in the shade of the tree of life, as some centaurs of the village galloped up, some pulling carts. Looks like they were planning on taking the ogre bodies away.

I stood, and waved as the Centaurs came closer.
Eh, we both have our times when we have shorter chapters. Sorry for not noticing this yesterday, adding it now.
 

As we finish training, a mysterious figure comes out of the shadows, wielding a red blade. All of us go on guard, and the wielder sheathes it.


“Hello, travellers. My name is Xen, wielder of the scissors.” The mysterious character says, swinging her scissors.


Scissor blades, hmm… That seems familiar. I dismiss the notion, and the Tree of Life speaks up. “Xen! My old dwend!”


“Ahh, Yamen, my old friend. I assume these guests are harmless?”


“Darmledd, indeed.” The tree of life says.


Suddenly, we hear a pounding against the ground. Xen gets armed, and a herd of bison stampede us. I see a blur of red, and the dual-cows fall over. Xen sits down on the tree.


“You were saying? Those double-cows interrupted me. Anyways, I am the girl of might. Ah, Alex, I knew I recognized your face. Anyways, I would like to accompany you on your quest. By the way, if you deny, your throat will be slit.”
@XenoCat, you were referenced.
 
I glance at Xen warily, but shrug and say, “That blade of yours would be much better fighting beside us rather than against us, so I have no objection.” Glancing at the other two, they nod showing similar opinions.

Xen crosses her arms, and sits on a tree root, “Darn straight. Now, where are you lot even headed? Or are you telling me you plan on getting cosy under ol’ Yamen here?”

We glance at each other, not having really planned that far yet. Chei speaks up, “I don’t really mind where, as long as it isn’t to the North.”

I look at Alex, who’s face practically lit up. I think for a moment, and sigh, “I’m guessing it will be dangerous there?”

“Very. It is basically the worst place we could go right now.”

I look at Alex, and we nod, “Danger seems to find us anyway Chei, so it is a bit pointless now. You seem to know what awaits us up there, so it is the better option. No offense.”

I can practically see the colour drain from her face, as she mumbles, “Great… Now we will have to deal with them…” She takes a deep breath, and walks to where we were practicing before, “Fine. On the condition we leave tomorrow morning, and get a bit more training in today. We don’t want to delay too long, but you guys could really use it…”

Alex looks a bit annoyed at that, but I wholeheartedly agree. And so, the two of them gallop of once Alex has some more bread, and I begin practicing with the Frozen Blade. Xen smirks at me for a moment, then turns to chat with the Tree of Life, catching up on things. I am too distracted to eavesdrop, but they seem close.

Night falls, we turn in for the night, and rest is had. And so, at the crack of dawn, we get up and head on North.
Uhhh... Not familiar with @XenoCat , nor have I watched KLK yet. I hope I didn't butcher the character anywhere `:confused:
 
I glance at Xen warily, but shrug and say, “That blade of yours would be much better fighting beside us rather than against us, so I have no objection.” Glancing at the other two, they nod showing similar opinions.

Xen crosses her arms, and sits on a tree root, “Darn straight. Now, where are you lot even headed? Or are you telling me you plan on getting cosy under ol’ Yamen here?”

We glance at each other, not having really planned that far yet. Chei speaks up, “I don’t really mind where, as long as it isn’t to the North.”

I look at Alex, who’s face practically lit up. I think for a moment, and sigh, “I’m guessing it will be dangerous there?”

“Very. It is basically the worst place we could go right now.”

I look at Alex, and we nod, “Danger seems to find us anyway Chei, so it is a bit pointless now. You seem to know what awaits us up there, so it is the better option. No offense.”

I can practically see the colour drain from her face, as she mumbles, “Great… Now we will have to deal with them…” She takes a deep breath, and walks to where we were practicing before, “Fine. On the condition we leave tomorrow morning, and get a bit more training in today. We don’t want to delay too long, but you guys could really use it…”

Alex looks a bit annoyed at that, but I wholeheartedly agree. And so, the two of them gallop of once Alex has some more bread, and I begin practicing with the Frozen Blade. Xen smirks at me for a moment, then turns to chat with the Tree of Life, catching up on things. I am too distracted to eavesdrop, but they seem close.

Night falls, we turn in for the night, and rest is had. And so, at the crack of dawn, we get up and head on North.
Uhhh... Not familiar with @XenoCat , nor have I watched KLK yet. I hope I didn't butcher the character anywhere `:confused:
Adding it now!
 

As we head up north we come across another sign. All it has is one arrow, and it says “C. Centaur Grove.” We decide that centaurs are good, and head down the path.


“Welcome Strangers.” A beautiful black stallion centaur snuck up behind us. “I am a C. Centaur. Follow me to our village. There we will give you food and drink.”


We follow the stallion, and come across a small village. “Why don’t you humans go get berries. We make fantastic wine out of them. They are on the tanglebushes.”


Huh, Tanglebushes. make good berries. Small world. Inside the village, we see more centaurs, all with black fur. We find a dining hall. As we sit down, in stools modified for centaurs, similar to the ones in the first centaur village. They serve us a purple wine, and purple meat. We dine, and we get sleepy. Not super sleepy, but we seem to want some rest. We go to bed, and we wake up the next morning.


Thomas and Xen aren’t back yet. Strange. I feel a malicious feeling, and as we walk outside, I seem refreshed. Everything is darker, though.


“Welcome, newbloods.” An older centaur walks up to us. “Newer Corrupted Centaurs are always a treat for us, teaching them how to be properly evil. Now, this might seem like a surprise to you, but all of us here are rather bornbloods, newbloods, or oldbloods. What this means is that we were one of the oldest seven corrupteds, newer than that, or already born here. We killed your friends, and they will be taken care of properly. Later. By you.” Strangely, I feel satisfaction on them being dead. This feels good.
 
I hear an abundance of swearing, and I groan. Another good dream, forever lost to the land of sleep. My body feels stiff, and there is a slight pounding in my head. A feeling that I have not felt since becoming a follower of Nageel, but I can’t quite put my finger on wh- Ohhh. Partying too hard.

Having come to the obvious conclusion that whoever was swearing merely woke up without something important, or worse, with something they did not expect. Grinning a little at the thought, I roll over, trying to sleep off the increasingly harsh pounding in my head.

… Pounding. Not just in my head, but also in my ears. I strain, and listen to the string of cursing, trying to figure out just what on earth they were doing. “... You bette… out or I will STICK MY SWORD SO FAR THROUGH YOU, THE WITNESSES WILL FLEE NONSTOP FOR DAYS TO AVOID MY WRATH! AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON-”

Huh. That doesn’t sound like post-party confusion. Sounds more like Xen going on a murderous rampage, on those centaurs we found… And I can’t remember how I fell asleep. Groaning, I roll back over, grumbling. Now I kinda want to swear, too.

I sit up, and look around. the only light is from the other side of the door, seeping through the cracks. I am unarmed, and so is Xen, who has yet to notice me, nor has she stopped her tirade. Chei and Alex aren’t here, but I suppose we were captured by centaurs. I just hope they are okay. I seem to be forgetting someone...

I wonder if the other two were disarmed as well, and where our swords are kept. I miss my Frozen Blade, and I am pretty sure from Xen’s vehementness that she wants her Scissor blade as well. Alex is unlikely to part from his, and I don’t know if Chei was attached to her sword. Maybe we could convince her to use Mountain Hewer.

And just as I realize who I was forgetting, from outside I hear a thud, a high-pitched scream, and something crashes against the door. Suspecting what comes next, I grab Xen by the arm, and yank her away shouting, “Get down!”

The door goes flying across our cell, and in the hallway I can see a few armed centaur guards on the floor. And standing in front of them, was the Golem, holding our swords out for us, hilt first.

Never will I question it’s loyalty again.
 
I hear an abundance of swearing, and I groan. Another good dream, forever lost to the land of sleep. My body feels stiff, and there is a slight pounding in my head. A feeling that I have not felt since becoming a follower of Nageel, but I can’t quite put my finger on wh- Ohhh. Partying too hard.

Having come to the obvious conclusion that whoever was swearing merely woke up without something important, or worse, with something they did not expect. Grinning a little at the thought, I roll over, trying to sleep off the increasingly harsh pounding in my head.

… Pounding. Not just in my head, but also in my ears. I strain, and listen to the string of cursing, trying to figure out just what on earth they were doing. “... You bette… out or I will STICK MY SWORD SO FAR THROUGH YOU, THE WITNESSES WILL FLEE NONSTOP FOR DAYS TO AVOID MY WRATH! AND DON’T GET ME STARTED ON-”

Huh. That doesn’t sound like post-party confusion. Sounds more like Xen going on a murderous rampage, on those centaurs we found… And I can’t remember how I fell asleep. Groaning, I roll back over, grumbling. Now I kinda want to swear, too.

I sit up, and look around. the only light is from the other side of the door, seeping through the cracks. I am unarmed, and so is Xen, who has yet to notice me, nor has she stopped her tirade. Chei and Alex aren’t here, but I suppose we were captured by centaurs. I just hope they are okay. I seem to be forgetting someone...

I wonder if the other two were disarmed as well, and where our swords are kept. I miss my Frozen Blade, and I am pretty sure from Xen’s vehementness that she wants her Scissor blade as well. Alex is unlikely to part from his, and I don’t know if Chei was attached to her sword. Maybe we could convince her to use Mountain Hewer.

And just as I realize who I was forgetting, from outside I hear a thud, a high-pitched scream, and something crashes against the door. Suspecting what comes next, I grab Xen by the arm, and yank her away shouting, “Get down!”

The door goes flying across our cell, and in the hallway I can see a few armed centaur guards on the floor. And standing in front of them, was the Golem, holding our swords out for us, hilt first.

Never will I question it’s loyalty again.
Adding it now :D
 

“And here is the bathroom!” Larry says. Larry is our tour guide. He shows us all around. We got high ranking really fast, and we got to see our friends today. It’s unfortunate that they can’t be corrupted, but they will make good slaves.


“You will be the field masters, and your little friends will be your servants. They will do you every whim.”


I hear a yelling, and xen comes running out, with blood on her. I get in stance, but she just takes down larry, and gets on my back. I can’t control myself, and she takes me to the dungeons. I hear Chei running after me. Damn mortals.
 
My finger, they have a mind of their own `:confused:
I see Xen successfully returning with Alex, and Chei running after. Good, I was hoping that it shouldn’t be too hard to draw them away. I also hear something about a “Larry”, but it can’t be that important.

I breath deep, hoping my guess is wrong. It felt like we were down there for half a day, which should have been long enough for the bread to wear off… And Alex is still a centaur, still corrupted. That makes things harder.

I leap atop Chei’s back as the two speed past, the Golem throwing the sword up at me as I right myself. The construct crumbled to the ground, a slight shimmer running up the blade. Handy trick, that. Will make getting around much easier, but it doesn’t seem to like having it’s spirit held in the sword too long.

Xen spares a glare for me, between all the ones she is shooting off at passing centaurs, “So, next part of your ‘Master plan’! Get out, find a safe spot, clear their heads?”

I nod, resulting in a curse. Well, we can’t just beat them back to their senses. I got my hands on some of the wine we tasted earlier, and it is more potent than that. Swinging Mountain Hewer in a broad arc, the power of the blade smashed down the entire front wall, and knocks the breath out of me. Yep, sticking to my Frozen Blade after this.

Out the front we go, and bolting across the hills. I close my eyes, and focus on Mountain Hewer again. A thrust of the mighty blade, and a cave explodes out of the dirt, with us tumbling in shortly after. I reseal the entrance, except for a small crack for air and light.

As the Golem reforms himself, I pant as sweat drenches my body. Just… Just one more. With a swing of my Frozen Blade, the two centaurs get trapped in giant hunks of ice, pinned to the wall just as they finished getting up.

The Golem catches me, and I lay there in a daze as Xen takes over as planned, “Uugh, you could have given my the dirt-sword, ya pansy… Anyway, you, Chei. The one who ain’t going to be transforming back any time soon. How long were we gone?”

She spits at us, rather unladylike. I giggle a little, still dizzy. A slap from Xen, a scowl in return. A few more slaps, another giggle from me, and Chei bursts out, “If you puny mortals must know, it was 4 hours. Not that it matters, we shall break free soon enough, and you will pay fo-!” A punch to the jaw this time. Ouch.

I feel a bit clearer now, and groan as I sit up, “Not too harsh, Xen… We will probably need them on the way out of this impromptu hiding place.”

“Impy what now? And fine, you princess. You take back over.” She begins to clean her blade off, muttering.

I turn to Alex, and free his bag from the ice. Rummaging around, I see that he has still been eating the centaur bread. I look up, and ask him, “Did you turn back at all? Or did you eat before the change back?”

He scowled, and tried to headbutt me. I was at a safe distance though, so he settled for glaring for now, “I did for a moment, and it felt disgusting, being forced back into that puny form. I also felt grossly tired and weak just before I took a bite, uugh.”

Oh thank Nageel. Alex should be easy enough, at least for now. The drug only knocks out humans, not corrupts them, so Alex just needs to wait. Whether he is permanently corrupted as a centaur is an issue though… And so is Chei. I reach into her with my magic, and try to free her from the effects.

Inside her, I find barely any trace. Not in the stomach, not in the heart… Not in the core either, that invisible centre of magic. Odd, that is where most hypnosis takes hold. The rest go for the head… I poke around as gently as I can, not wanting to have the effects backlash. That could go… Unpleasantly. I find what I am looking for, a slight malaise hiding within her eyes and brain.

Darn. It is woven in deep, and shows no sign of letting go. A harsh approach will take her sanity with it… I work slowly, oddly calmed by the curses spat at me by Chei in the background, and Xen’s returning threats. One hook pried free, and another… Unwinding a dark thread here, and an evil whisperer there. I hate hypnotic magic, it is a pain to remove…

After nearly an hour, the effects are gone from Chei’s mind, and a very groggy Alex is unconscious, back to human form. I make another check that only the eyes remain, and Chei smiles at me, “Saved yet again, I see. Sorry for the trouble.”

I smile shakily, worn by the day’s events. I would reply, but I am too darn tired… I lightly pry away some of the magic from her eyes, and she suddenly screams. I let go, and he goes limp, panting. Backlash! “Chei, talk to me. What happened?”

“It… it burned. And my vision went darker than it already is. The corruption made everything look… Darker.”

I hesitate, afraid of my options. Blind her forever, or leave her eyes be, and hope the effects don’t spread once more? I glance at Alex, and sigh… “Can… Can you still fight with your eyes darkened?” She nods, and I go to Alex next, prying free the remaining effect on him. Thankfully, turning human forced the spell out of his eyes, but I remove it all just in case.

And so a very, very tired priest Thaws their ice, and trembles as I climb onto Chei’s back. “Let’s leave this place…”
 

My finger, they have a mind of their own `:confused:
I see Xen successfully returning with Alex, and Chei running after. Good, I was hoping that it shouldn’t be too hard to draw them away. I also hear something about a “Larry”, but it can’t be that important.

I breath deep, hoping my guess is wrong. It felt like we were down there for half a day, which should have been long enough for the bread to wear off… And Alex is still a centaur, still corrupted. That makes things harder.

I leap atop Chei’s back as the two speed past, the Golem throwing the sword up at me as I right myself. The construct crumbled to the ground, a slight shimmer running up the blade. Handy trick, that. Will make getting around much easier, but it doesn’t seem to like having it’s spirit held in the sword too long.

Xen spares a glare for me, between all the ones she is shooting off at passing centaurs, “So, next part of your ‘Master plan’! Get out, find a safe spot, clear their heads?”

I nod, resulting in a curse. Well, we can’t just beat them back to their senses. I got my hands on some of the wine we tasted earlier, and it is more potent than that. Swinging Mountain Hewer in a broad arc, the power of the blade smashed down the entire front wall, and knocks the breath out of me. Yep, sticking to my Frozen Blade after this.

Out the front we go, and bolting across the hills. I close my eyes, and focus on Mountain Hewer again. A thrust of the mighty blade, and a cave explodes out of the dirt, with us tumbling in shortly after. I reseal the entrance, except for a small crack for air and light.

As the Golem reforms himself, I pant as sweat drenches my body. Just… Just one more. With a swing of my Frozen Blade, the two centaurs get trapped in giant hunks of ice, pinned to the wall just as they finished getting up.

The Golem catches me, and I lay there in a daze as Xen takes over as planned, “Uugh, you could have given my the dirt-sword, ya pansy… Anyway, you, Chei. The one who ain’t going to be transforming back any time soon. How long were we gone?”

She spits at us, rather unladylike. I giggle a little, still dizzy. A slap from Xen, a scowl in return. A few more slaps, another giggle from me, and Chei bursts out, “If you puny mortals must know, it was 4 hours. Not that it matters, we shall break free soon enough, and you will pay fo-!” A punch to the jaw this time. Ouch.

I feel a bit clearer now, and groan as I sit up, “Not too harsh, Xen… We will probably need them on the way out of this impromptu hiding place.”

“Impy what now? And fine, you princess. You take back over.” She begins to clean her blade off, muttering.

I turn to Alex, and free his bag from the ice. Rummaging around, I see that he has still been eating the centaur bread. I look up, and ask him, “Did you turn back at all? Or did you eat before the change back?”

He scowled, and tried to headbutt me. I was at a safe distance though, so he settled for glaring for now, “I did for a moment, and it felt disgusting, being forced back into that puny form. I also felt grossly tired and weak just before I took a bite, uugh.”

Oh thank Nageel. Alex should be easy enough, at least for now. The drug only knocks out humans, not corrupts them, so Alex just needs to wait. Whether he is permanently corrupted as a centaur is an issue though… And so is Chei. I reach into her with my magic, and try to free her from the effects.

Inside her, I find barely any trace. Not in the stomach, not in the heart… Not in the core either, that invisible centre of magic. Odd, that is where most hypnosis takes hold. The rest go for the head… I poke around as gently as I can, not wanting to have the effects backlash. That could go… Unpleasantly. I find what I am looking for, a slight malaise hiding within her eyes and brain.

Darn. It is woven in deep, and shows no sign of letting go. A harsh approach will take her sanity with it… I work slowly, oddly calmed by the curses spat at me by Chei in the background, and Xen’s returning threats. One hook pried free, and another… Unwinding a dark thread here, and an evil whisperer there. I hate hypnotic magic, it is a pain to remove…

After nearly an hour, the effects are gone from Chei’s mind, and a very groggy Alex is unconscious, back to human form. I make another check that only the eyes remain, and Chei smiles at me, “Saved yet again, I see. Sorry for the trouble.”

I smile shakily, worn by the day’s events. I would reply, but I am too darn tired… I lightly pry away some of the magic from her eyes, and she suddenly screams. I let go, and he goes limp, panting. Backlash! “Chei, talk to me. What happened?”

“It… it burned. And my vision went darker than it already is. The corruption made everything look… Darker.”

I hesitate, afraid of my options. Blind her forever, or leave her eyes be, and hope the effects don’t spread once more? I glance at Alex, and sigh… “Can… Can you still fight with your eyes darkened?” She nods, and I go to Alex next, prying free the remaining effect on him. Thankfully, turning human forced the spell out of his eyes, but I remove it all just in case.

And so a very, very tired priest Thaws their ice, and trembles as I climb onto Chei’s back. “Let’s leave this place…”
Awesome chapter today! Adding it now!
 

As we rush out of the dungeon, a horde of centaurs comes around the corner.


“Hold it right there, prisoners.” A centaur walks up to us, and puts us in magic metal rings, that don’t let our hands separate. They call them handcuffs.


They push us behind bars, in the ground. The centaurs sneer at us, and throw food. “You can’t beat us! We’ll corrupt you all and kill you if we have to! The mortals, first!”


A hushed whisper comes over us. “We can escape if we work together. Perhaps we can threaten to kill Chei, and make the golem protect us.”


Chei answers “No, that would never work. For our next meal, let’s ask for bloodied cows. we smear the blood over one of us at night, and hide the meat. The others could cry for help, and they would have to clean it up, or it would stink the place up.”


We agree with Chei, and start the plan.
 
Chei made her request, and although they laughed at us for it, they said that they would see if there were any cows spare. And then, we waited in silence.

I sat staring at my frozen blade. With our hands bound like this, it would be awkward to fight, even once we bust out. The Golem can slip it’s cuffs off by reforming in a different spot, but I told it not to, to avoid suspicion. Best save that for when the guards come.

They are certainly taking a while to find a cow… They probably intend to kill most of us, rather than go through the effort of converting us into centaurs, then to corrupt us. Less time to work in for me… I hold my sword tightly, and focus, imagining a small icey core with Medlock’s energy in it. Surely some part of her remained, after having the bone converted. And an Ice Golem on our side would be fantastic.

A full hour of silence. No cow, no Ice Golem. Just a small puddle of water under a ball of ice. I hesitate, and try to imagine a baby hydra instead, crafted of pure ice. I feel a resonance with the sword, which gets my hopes up!... And then it fades. Maybe it was lack of sleep, and being on edge from waiting.

Sighing, I turn to Chei, “How are your eyes?”

“Still darkened. I have gotten used to it, but it is unnerving. I’ll try to let you know if it gets worse, or if I feel myself slipping…”

I nod, and sigh as I turn back to the bars. Are all the guards busy elsewhere? Just as I contemplate an early breakout, I hear the clopping of hooves. It’s about time.

We all get ready, hoping the guard came with a cow, and not a headman’s axe.
 
Chei made her request, and although they laughed at us for it, they said that they would see if there were any cows spare. And then, we waited in silence.

I sat staring at my frozen blade. With our hands bound like this, it would be awkward to fight, even once we bust out. The Golem can slip it’s cuffs off by reforming in a different spot, but I told it not to, to avoid suspicion. Best save that for when the guards come.

They are certainly taking a while to find a cow… They probably intend to kill most of us, rather than go through the effort of converting us into centaurs, then to corrupt us. Less time to work in for me… I hold my sword tightly, and focus, imagining a small icey core with Medlock’s energy in it. Surely some part of her remained, after having the bone converted. And an Ice Golem on our side would be fantastic.

A full hour of silence. No cow, no Ice Golem. Just a small puddle of water under a ball of ice. I hesitate, and try to imagine a baby hydra instead, crafted of pure ice. I feel a resonance with the sword, which gets my hopes up!... And then it fades. Maybe it was lack of sleep, and being on edge from waiting.

Sighing, I turn to Chei, “How are your eyes?”

“Still darkened. I have gotten used to it, but it is unnerving. I’ll try to let you know if it gets worse, or if I feel myself slipping…”

I nod, and sigh as I turn back to the bars. Are all the guards busy elsewhere? Just as I contemplate an early breakout, I hear the clopping of hooves. It’s about time.

We all get ready, hoping the guard came with a cow, and not a headman’s axe.
Adding it now! Great, great chapter today!
 

“Here’s your meat.” The man throws in some meat, and we instantly start lathering me with it. I make a loud scream, and I hear clops. The door swings open, and I hear three more screams.


“Thanks, bastards.” I hear Xen’s voice. I hear a few more screams, and a whisper. “The coast is clear.”


We all get up, only to see a small man, scrawny, but handsome. “I’m the scarecrow. I can mimic other’s voices and appearances, as long as I touch them. Come with me.”


As untrusting as I am, we didn’t have a choice but to go with him.


Suddenly, the small man turns into a feminine centaur. “Let me seduce you, and we could come to a deal, and we will betray my people.” I feel compelled to do so, but know I can’t. It feels wrong, and I know he tricked me.


“Sorry, but no.” I say, calmly.


“Then we’ll kidnap your friends, put them in the dungeon, and lock you up until you give us information.”
 
I narrow my eyes at the exchange. Again with us being treated as hostages. These centaurs must want Alex pretty badly, or whatever information he supposedly has. I take a swing with my Frozen Blade, aiming for Scarecrow’s head, “Sorry, but I have already escaped from your dungeons today. Twice, even. I have no desire to make it a third.”

The assailant ducks under the chilling wave of air, glancing at the deep gashes it leaves in the pillars, “As you wish. The friends die instead, and we take him alone.” Suddenly, Scarecrow charges forward, and tackles Alex to the ground.

A small cloud of dust rises up as they impact the ground, and when it clears, I am faced with Alex, and… Alex. I curse, “He can take the appearance of those he touches… Us included.” I stand back with the other hopelessly as the two Alexes fight, each scowling as blades meet shields. It seems this Scarecrow isn't that bad a fighter either.

A few more blows, and Chei speaks up, “Aaarg, isn't there anything we can do to help? I don’t want to attack the wrong one by accident, but still…”

Mid swing, one of the Alexes calls out, “I'm the real one! Attack the imposter!”

Ducking under the blow, the other tries to ram using their shield, “Yeah, like my friends will fall for that!”

I hesitate, as both the second Alex to speak up and Chei have a good point: Which one is the liar, and which the real Alex? I think for a moment, trying to find some way to separate the two… A secret, or a weakness of some form… And then I grin, whispering to the others, “I’ll distract the real Alex. As he stumbles, attack the other one.”

The others hesitate, except for the Golem which silently nods. They agree, and I turn back, grin still spread across my face, “So, I have a question: Did I look pretty in that illusion dream you had?” I was of course thinking of the one where I was a cannibal. That should unsettle him.

One of the Alexes practically light up the room with an intense blush, not the reaction I was expecting. As they get sent flying back with a blow from the imposter, we charge forward, yelling, “Get him!”
 
I narrow my eyes at the exchange. Again with us being treated as hostages. These centaurs must want Alex pretty badly, or whatever information he supposedly has. I take a swing with my Frozen Blade, aiming for Scarecrow’s head, “Sorry, but I have already escaped from your dungeons today. Twice, even. I have no desire to make it a third.”

The assailant ducks under the chilling wave of air, glancing at the deep gashes it leaves in the pillars, “As you wish. The friends die instead, and we take him alone.” Suddenly, Scarecrow charges forward, and tackles Alex to the ground.

A small cloud of dust rises up as they impact the ground, and when it clears, I am faced with Alex, and… Alex. I curse, “He can take the appearance of those he touches… Us included.” I stand back with the other hopelessly as the two Alexes fight, each scowling as blades meet shields. It seems this Scarecrow isn't that bad a fighter either.

A few more blows, and Chei speaks up, “Aaarg, isn't there anything we can do to help? I don’t want to attack the wrong one by accident, but still…”

Mid swing, one of the Alexes calls out, “I'm the real one! Attack the imposter!”

Ducking under the blow, the other tries to ram using their shield, “Yeah, like my friends will fall for that!”

I hesitate, as both the second Alex to speak up and Chei have a good point: Which one is the liar, and which the real Alex? I think for a moment, trying to find some way to separate the two… A secret, or a weakness of some form… And then I grin, whispering to the others, “I’ll distract the real Alex. As he stumbles, attack the other one.”

The others hesitate, except for the Golem which silently nods. They agree, and I turn back, grin still spread across my face, “So, I have a question: Did I look pretty in that illusion dream you had?” I was of course thinking of the one where I was a cannibal. That should unsettle him.

One of the Alexes practically light up the room with an intense blush, not the reaction I was expecting. As they get sent flying back with a blow from the imposter, we charge forward, yelling, “Get him!”
Great chapter! WIll upload now!
 
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