The gentle dawn spilled faint orange hues across the rooftops of Otherrealm, casting elongated shadows as Roy approached the watchtower. A pang of anxiety stirred in his chest when he realized that, despite scanning the structure closely, he couldn't see Zehrina waiting above. Maybe she's just sitting down, he reassured himself quietly.
Eryndra, sensing Roy's unease, walked silently by his side as they ascended the tower steps. Each creak beneath their feet amplified Roy's apprehension. When they finally emerged onto the platform at the top, Roy's heart sank. The watchtower stood starkly empty, touched only by the cold breath of morning air.
He exhaled softly, disappointment evident in his voice. "Guess she really left after all. That's alright, though. I'm just glad we managed to free her from Keeper's grip."
"It's her right," Eryndra replied evenly, though a subtle tightness in her tone puzzled Roy. He couldn't quite pinpoint the reason behind her displeasure.
Roy rested his palm against the chilled stone of the watchtower's ledge, gazing out toward the looming presence of the Fourth Wall. "Well," he began quietly, "guess we better get back to the ship. We've still got to finalize tonight's performance, so."
His sentence trailed off as something caught his attention in the distance: a violent swirl of dust erupting beyond the wall. He squinted, trying to discern the cause of the disturbance. "Wait a second," Roy muttered, stepping closer to the edge.
Through the slowly settling cloud, Roy glimpsed shattered wagons, their pieces scattered chaotically across the barren ground. "Looks like a caravan's under attack."
Eryndra leaned forward, eyes sharpening. "That looks serious."
Roy swallowed, urgency flooding him. "Let's get down there, fast."
She raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. "You sure you'll be alright?"
"I've got my barrier," Roy reassured her quickly, a trace of bravado in his voice. "It held back an ocean, remember? Nothing's getting through that."
Eryndra smirked, holding her arms out toward him expectantly. "Alright then, jump in."
Roy sighed dramatically. "Do we really have to do this every single time?"
"Absolutely. Now jump."
"Could you at least lower your arms so it's less awkward?" he grumbled.
"Nope," she said stubbornly, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Jump."
"There are people literally dying down there, Eryndra."
"You're wasting time talking."
Reluctantly, Roy surrendered, hopping into her arms with a grimace. Immediately, she launched off the tower, landing nimbly on the ground before leaping powerfully again, clearing the Fourth Wall with ease.
The wind screamed past them, making communication nearly impossible. Roy buried his face against Eryndra's shoulder, fumbling to activate his comm link. "Serenity," he shouted, "if you can hear me, caravan under attack outside the Fourth Wall! Bandits or worse. Send Warrex, Lutrian, and some Presidroids!"
A faint confirmation beep was all he heard, but it was enough. As they raced closer, the dust parted enough to reveal the horrific source of chaos: a towering beast lumbered amidst the wreckage, nearly the length of a school bus and twice as tall.
Thin, broomstick-like limbs dangled grotesquely from its enormous torso, each capped with disturbingly human-like hands wrapped in thin, vine-like hair. Its hunched body resembled a giant wedge of bread, as if something had taken a ragged bite out of its flesh. From atop its back jutted a hideous cage, woven crudely from debris, strands of hair, and sticks, appearing like a twisted birdcage crudely embedded in the creature's spine.
Roy's stomach twisted sharply at the sight of two pale, terrified faces locked inside. The ground around the monster was littered with bodies, some freshly slain, others grotesquely decayed as if rotting instantly. Roy's mind raced, dread swelling. Could this monster cause instant decay?
Eryndra's teeth clenched, her expression turning fierce as she dashed closer. Without warning, hair-like tendrils lashed out at them, zigzagging violently. She swatted the first aside easily, but more surged from all directions, targeting Roy specifically.
Instinctively, Roy summoned his barrier, and tendrils collided forcefully against the shimmering blue shield. Panic surged through him as he watched the hair slowly, insidiously dissolve into the barrier, burning away its edges like paper curling in invisible flames. "Eryndra!" he shouted desperately, fighting to reinforce the shield, but it continued eroding before his eyes.
Before Roy could cry out again, the tendrils suddenly froze and shattered. Eryndra skidded to a halt, twisting protectively away. Moments later, from the sky descended Zehrina, frost and lightning crackling around her fingers. She landed gracefully before them, a slight scowl forming.
"I distinctly recall telling you two to meet me at the Dawn Watchtower," Zehrina scolded, shaking her head. "Not the Dawn Guard Tower."
Roy blinked, relief and irritation mixing oddly within him. "And how the hell am I supposed to tell those apart?"
She rolled her eyes, smirking. "If you'd bothered staying in town more than a few days at a time, maybe you would."
Roy stared, stunned briefly at the sass and genuine spark in her demeanor. Internally, he couldn't suppress a flash of pride; Zehrina was finally claiming an identity of her own.
Maintaining the banter, he countered sarcastically, "Well, I'm sure I'll figure it out someday."
She sighed dramatically, though a teasing smile curled at the corners of her lips. "I suppose I'll have to teach you the city's layout once we're at sea, Captain."
Roy matched her playful tone. "You little shit."
Zehrina's expression shifted, suddenly serious, as she pulled out her contract. "Listen, Roy. If you're willing, I want to add 'Property of Roy Gunn' to my contract."
Roy hesitated, confusion furrowing his brow. "What? Why?"
"I don't trust my life being tied even indirectly to my former master," she explained firmly. "I'm hoping this shifts my bond completely."
"Fine," Roy relented cautiously, "but the second we're safe, we amend it clearly stating your freedom. My 'ownership' is strictly symbolic. Think of it like buying a balloon only to release it. You owe me nothing."
Zehrina huffed impatiently, swiftly writing her amendment. "Yeah, yeah, we'll hash it out later."
As she finished writing, Roy suddenly gasped, stumbling slightly as if punched hard in the chest. His heart plunged, a nauseating sensation overwhelming him. Harmony immediately chimed urgently into his ear, "Captain, your mana levels dropped by almost forty percent! Are you alright?"
"I was going to say that," Serenity interjected testily.
"Shut it, Serenity!" Harmony snapped. "Roy, are you okay?"
"Fine," Roy managed, slightly breathless. "Just felt like my soul was getting yanked out... Must be the contract."
"Contract?" Harmony asked sharply.
"Later," Roy muttered quickly, cutting off further discussion.
When he looked up at Zehrina again, something about her aura had changed profoundly. Now, he felt an unmistakable connection, just like the one he had with Eryndra. Even if darkness concealed her, he knew he'd sense her presence clearly.
As Eryndra and Zehrina moved protectively in front of him, Roy noticed their movements subtly synchronized, almost eerily. Roy couldn't help but quietly appreciate the view, a subconscious thought slipping out aloud. "Nice. I've got Eryndra and Elf Eryndra."
"Your comms are still open, you idiot," Serenity immediately scolded him.
Before Roy could defend himself, Harmony chimed in teasingly, "Wait, does that mean you find Zehrina attractive too? Because, technically, you did admit Eryndra was conventionally attractive."
"I was forced into saying that," Roy protested, flustered.
Harmony quickly added, "If Eryndra is attraction, by extension..."
"Shut up!" Roy interrupted playfully. "Maybe save the teasing for when we're not in the middle of a fight?"
Roy glanced toward Zehrina and Eryndra. "Can either of you identify whatever this monster is?"
A few tense moments passed before Takara's voice crackled through his earpiece. "Master Everran's manual has entries on hundreds of monsters. He's been alive, for like, centuries, so he's encountered nearly everything. Hold on…"
Half a minute later, she returned. Pages flipped audibly as Takara muttered names under her breath, voice growing increasingly bewildered. "Baderiak, King of Moles? No. Fu'un Sokk Goblin? Nope. Dear God, what the hell is 'The Quiet That Devours Souls'?!"
"Are you done reading bedtime stories?" Roy snapped impatiently. "Get serious!"
"Roy, shut up," Takara hissed, excitement edging her voice. "You won't believe this. I swear I'm looking at a page with freaking Bigfoot on it!"
"Takara, stop this madn—" Roy froze abruptly, eyes narrowing in disbelief. "...did you just say Bigfoot?"
"Yes!" she shouted triumphantly. "Well, it looks exactly like those goofy, blurry photos people have 'captured' over the years, but in here it's called 'Barkstrider of the Rift.' It's ten feet tall and has beautiful hair!" Takara squealed in delight, eagerly flipping to the next page.
"We must find it…" Roy declared, voice thick with grave determination.
Harmony tried desperately to restore order, but Takara talked right over her. "Huh, weird. This next one is labeled 'Self-Proclaimed Second Coming of the Immortal Family.' Right beside it, Master wrote, 'Hahahahahahahaha! That proclamation lasted all of twenty days. I sent them packing the second I embarrassed their boss!'"
"Sounds like he wrote that when he was a kid," Roy remarked dryly.
"It's dated a year ago, so…" Takara replied awkwardly.
Roy paused, confused. "Wait, is this his personal manual or something?"
"It's a school textbook, actually," Takara clarified, giggling.
Roy sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, I'm officially out of excuses for your joke of a teacher."
Several more page flips later and takara cleared her throat. "This one looks similar to a Belbakk. It's got the cage-like structure on its back," Takara explained.
"No," Harmony quickly interrupted. "Check again. A Belbakk's arms are way too thick. This thing has thinner limbs."
"But the cage matches exactly," Takara protested weakly.
Harmony pressed on, insistent. "Look at the hands, the Belbakk has three fingers. This one has five."
"Alright," Takara conceded with a sigh. "You're right. I'll keep looking."
Meanwhile, Eryndra took the initiative, lunging at the beast with astonishing speed. Yet, the monster evaded her with shocking agility, leaping sideways. Roy braced for screams from the trapped victims inside its cage, but they didn't even sway. It seemed as if they occupied a separate space altogether.
"Could they be isolated somehow?" Roy murmured.
Zehrina moved gracefully, riding a ribbon of black dust, looping behind the creature and launching a volley of frosted lightning that narrowly avoided striking the cage. She caught one of its limbs, freezing it to the earth.
Seizing the opportunity, Eryndra vaulted onto the monster's back, gripping the cage's door and pulling with immense strength. Despite many audible cracks, nothing budged.
"What the hell is this made from?" Eryndra growled, her vents blasting fully open.