Venustus Igneus Mergus (Lava Kelpie): The Lava Kelpie is an ambush predator of a particularly malicious kind. Found exclusively near exposed streams of lava, the Lava Kelpie takes the form of a beautiful equine. It is covered in chromatophoric scales, allowing it a kind of active camouflage. The near perfect heat insulation afforded by these scales allows it to swim in the lava streams, facilitating its unique method of hunting. The Lava Kelpie will stand near a lava stream, utilizing its chromatophores in a similar way to a cuttlefish, hypnotising its prey. When potential prey touches the Lava Kelpie, it will use a unique application of fire magic to stick the creature to it, before diving into the lava. It will then consume the fire magic released by the burning. Interestingly, Lava Kelpies are actually a species of mollusk, despite their equine appearance.
-Guide to Vendalian Biology
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Nick stumbled, his weary legs protesting his continued use of them. He had managed a small amount of sleep, but he was awake now. He neared a river of lava, a gentle slope of obsidian leading into the molten rock. Bursting through the volcanic glass were several leafy shrubs, glowing a fiery red. When a bubble popped underneath one of the leaves, it momentarily shone significantly brighter, like staring at a ceiling light, before fading back to normal. Nick sat heavily, staring intensely at the mysterious plant. There was no sunlight down here, there really shouldn't be any kind of plants here at all. The closest he could figure, the plants were consuming heat in lieu of sunlight, which was incredibly interesting if true.
"Hey Saul, you think you could grow leaves?"
I imagine so, Nicholas.
"These ones specifically? I have an idea that might get us really safe really fast."
Ah, I see. I am inclined to agree with your logic, for once. Allow me to attempt this.
Nick watched as a small, glowing red bulb emerged from the back of his left hand. Slowly, it unfolded into a shining red leaf, heart shaped and facing towards the lava stream like a sunflower. Curious, Nick brought the leaf closer to the lava, where it slowly shifted to a light yellow, running through the same colours a flame might as it rose in temperature.
Mmm. Yes, I believe this will do fine. I am able to feel my energy refilling at a significantly increased rate.
"Hell yeah! Alright, lets get to work!" Nick directed Saul to create more leaves, while working on extending the armour. As a cloak of leaves spread over his shoulders and back, Nick sat along the riverbank, working alongside Saul to make the armour not only properly function but look good. Kid also worked hard, weaving a layer of soft vines underneath all of the armour, like a gambeson. As the wood spread down past his stomach, which was looking significantly slimmer after three days of constant sprinting for his life, he carved a set of Batman-esque abs into the midriff, chuckling as he did. Following the wood was a flowing wave of bark, covering the armour with an additional layer of protection. He wasn't sure how well it would hold up, it seemed pretty fragile, but anything he could put between him and the things mauling him was welcome. Sticks and twigs stuck out along the length of his body, and the pedestrian plates he had already grown became covered in twisting roots, with vines wrapped around and through the pieces as if it was actually holding the pieces together. The helmet grew equally wild, changing from looking carved, to looking as if a piece of wood had somehow grown like that naturally. When it was finished, Nick stood up sluggishly, the added weight now noticeably slowing him down. To complete the look, Kid's basket unravelled behind him, before rethreading itself into a long flowing cloak. The vines stretched over his shoulders, and a hood formed hanging loose across his back.
Revelling in the feeling of power, Nick began maniacally laughing. The sound echoed around his helmet, causing the sound to echo and reverberate strangely. Surprised by the sound of his own laugh, Nick choked on his own spit and began coughing and hacking, equally loudly.
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Is your power trip concluded?
"I'd like to see you not let an actual suit of armour go to your head."
I never said that I wouldn't do the same.
"Exactly. There's nothing that makes you feel more powered than a suit of armour." He stomped across the plains, having reformed the bag and placing the food back inside, now overtop of the ash grey cloak. His thick wooden boots slammed into the obsidian with a dull thud, the treads he had set into the soles helping him regain the traction that his bare feet had allowed him earlier. The thing he appreciated the most about the armour, if he was being honest, was having a nice pair of padded boots. The soles of his feet had been rubbed raw over the course of the past three days, and the vines running along the inside felt like heaven.
He was revelling in his new boots when suddenly Saul exclaimed.
Nicholas! Over by the stream! Go immediately!
Instantly on edge, Nick scanned the plateau for threats, lowering into a more balanced stance as he did. Loose shards of obsidian crunched underfoot as his boots braced against the ground, prepared to send him sprinting at the slightest warning. Under his breath, he hissed, "What am I looking for, Saul?"
The horse! Ride the horse!
Horsie! Kid joined in.
Finally, his eyes alighted on the something that could almost be called a horse if you weren't wearing your glasses that day. Its hooves were a deep inky black, like a hole in the world even atop the obsidian slab. The legs stretching up were relatively normal, although they were constantly shifting through fiery whites and reds in colour. The body pulsed the same colours, flowing in intricate, organic patterns. There was no hair on its tail, or indeed anywhere on its body, instead the colours mixed across a glossy, smooth surface. But it was the head that truly gave away the disguise. Surrounding the mouth was a series of tentacles. Two longer ones emerged horizontally, while two shorter ones stretched forward from the top. It looked eerily similar to a cuttlefish mouth. The only hair on the thing's body at all was a fiery mane, constantly waving in a non-existent breeze like a streak of flame. Nick was wary, but he had learned to trust Saul's judgement calls.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He slowly crept forward, taking care not to frighten the creature that was making intense eye contact with him. His boots clacked as he slowly approached, until he was directly next to it. Its wriggling, tentacled mouth was incredibly off-putting, but he ignored it as he brought his hand up to rest along the beast's shoulder. Nothing happened for a moment, making it all the more surprising when Nick's hand caught on fire.
His eyes widened comically, but before he had a chance to begin screaming, the horse bolted. Nick's feet immediately slipped out from under him as his hand, still touching the horse, was now fastened in place. This would have been concerning enough if the horse was not bolting directly towards the nearby stream of lava. The heat bombarded him, almost a physical force as they approached the molten rock. As his feet became submerged, the heat grew unbearably. His limbs were still intact because of the armour, but even with it his feet were burning. Nick wrenched back and forth, desperately trying to let go of the horse, until with a pop his hand shot free. Nick fell backwards, already thigh deep in lava. His screams echoed around the massive cavern, as he slowly dragged himself out of the river, fire climbing up his armour. By the time he collapsed on the beach, his armour was blackened and cracked. Spots of lava clung to him, constantly burning until they slowly dripped off. Nick's voice was hoarse, his legs severely burned. He screamed any time they brushed against the padding lining his armour, the sound tearing its way from his throat each time.
The monster nickered at him, its tentacles spreading out menacingly. It cut through the lava like a knife through butter, turning around to drag him under once and for all. Nick cried out again, desperately crawling backwards. His legs screamed out in pain as they brushed against the padding. Saul was silent, but the continued movement of his armour proved he was still aware. Nick put this to the test shortly. Gritting his teeth, he directed Saul to stand him up. His jaw quivered, muscles twitching from the force as he barely stopped himself from screaming again. He desperately dropped into a fighting stance as the monster approached.
Sparks flickered behind the beast's hooves as it charged towards him. It reared onto its back hooves, preparing to crash down on his chest, but he managed to slip to the side. As he stumbled, an errant, panicked thought caused a roughly carved longsword to sprout into his hands. Shocked, he took advantage of the weapon, planting the surprisingly sharp tip into the monster's hindquarters. The horse's own movement drew a long line of glowing orange blood across its leg as it sprinted away. A horrific, grating scream echoed from the creature's mouth as it wheeled around.
Anger flickered in its eyes, an anger matched within Nick's own. He raised the sword, doing his best approximation of a sword stance based off of television. The tip wavered, and he struggled to keep it pointed at his foe. His mind ran a mile a minute, trying to come up with a plan that would let him live long enough to murder Saul. Its legs were thin, he figured if he could break them it wouldn't be able to chase him and he could run. As the horse and Nick circled each other warily, he had Kid shoot a vine to wrap around a nearby shrub. To cover up the movement, he charged. His skin pulled at his muscles, the burns sticking to the padding. This time he did cry out, but he forced himself to keep moving. Darkness crept at the edges of his vision, contrasted by the flashes of light flickering across his eyes. The inside of his visor shone green as he frantically swung the sword.
Orange blood fell to the obsidian ground in ribbons as the horse passed once more, and Nick's arms shook from exertion as the sword clattered to the floor. The beast continued past, attempting to turn yet again, but the grey vine along the ground caught its hooves. The strand stretched as the monster barrelled through it, forming a v until it snapped back, dragging the horse's legs with it. With an otherworldly screech, it toppled to the ground. Nick jumped for it, feeling his hand close around a solid wooden handle. He reeled back, his face a desperate snarl behind his mask as he brought the weapon down. A wooden mace crashed into the horse's leg with a crack, the limb bending at an odd angle.
Nick's eyes widened at the pained scream the horse let out. His mask flashed open just in time for him to vomit all over the ground. The beast's cries echoed throughout the cavern. As the bile stopped rushing from his throat, he made eye contact with the horse's alien eyes. They were clouded over with pain, pleading with him. Nick closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and brought down the mace once more. Another crack rang out, now perfectly audible in the silence that followed. His chest heaved, sweat dripping down his now uncovered face.
"Saul, what the fuck was that?!" He screamed. Saul was silent for a moment, before rousing. Only confusion emanated from their bond.
Nicholas, what has happened?
"YOU TOLD ME TO TOUCH THE HORSE! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. You were just waiting for the opportunity, weren't you?"
I do not know what you are talking about, Nicholas.
"THEN FIND OUT! RIFLE THROUGH MY MEMORIES AGAIN, SO YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU DID TO ME!" Saul did just that, falling silent again, until he returned with a gasp.
Nicholas, I- I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen, I didn't-
"You didn't what, Saul? Have me walk the fuck up to a monster I would have otherwise completely avoided? Didn't leverage my trust in you in order to BURN MY FUCKING LEGS? Just what didn't you do, Saul?"
I- please, Nicholas. I couldn't- Against his will, Nick felt Saul pressing his memories down their bond, forcing him to know what he was thinking. His rage flared up, urging him to scream at him once more, but the anger faded more and more the longer he watched, until it guttered out completely leaving only pain. Saul didn't have sight, per se, but he had something similar. It allowed him, as a purely spiritual entity without a dedicated body, to observe other spiritual effects. This helped Nick avoid regular monsters, zombies lacking a spirit, as well as allowing him to directly perceive magic and magical effects. When Nick looked through Saul's perception, he saw a constantly shifting mass of lights, like a knot of pure magic, that launched at Saul. It wrapped around his spiritual form, though how that worked without actual bodies eluded Nick. As he watched, the ball of lights strung him up like a puppet, wrapping him in a harness of magic. He felt the same mounting horror that had gone through Saul as he gave orders he didn't mean, betraying a trust against his will. Tears streamed out of Nick's eyes, now for a reason besides the pain. He couldn't muster the will to remain angry, not after that. He sighed.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Saul. There's nothing you could have done." The words hurt coming out, the pain that he had let off through anger now trapped inside him with nowhere to go.
No I... I could've done... something! Anything! The upper class tone he usually adopted had fallen away, to reveal what he really was in this moment. A scared kid, out of his depth. Nick, while in the greatest agony he had ever experienced, only felt in this moment sorrow, for the suffering of his friend. He closed his eyes, and the pain fell away. And in front of him, surrounded by a swirling void of purple and grey, was a kid no older than him. Saul sat, hugging his knees and desperately attempting to muffle his cries. Nick approached, his physical body not responding to the impulse, and yet he moved.
When he got closer, he could see that Saul looked almost identical to him, but with wooden skin and vibrant green hair. Nick noted these differences as he crouched down, placing his hand on Saul's shoulder. The first friend Nick had ever made in this world, the one who had stood by him throughout the most terrifying moments of his life, the one who knew him better than any person on any world, Saul looked up at him with shining, flooded eyes.
Nick pulled his best friend into a hug.