Veins illumined in pink on the brick wall. Rare magic casted aside its veil in the most drudgery of locales.
Fifty yards back, Chris stepped out from a newly placed trunk black as ash and lit with streaks of fire, the bark melding into a V at his knee and sprouting a thick vine to continue the chain.
“Chris!”
He limped a step or two before regaining strength in his spine and turning back to face Tim. He startled at the sight. “Whoa.” His gaze shot to his hands. His skin lit with the same white sheen.
The veins formed an archway and down to the foundation, presenting a sealed door. Its remaining veins closed in where a handle would be, and set an outline of a downward pointing dagger.
Its blade resembled Tim’s. He equipped it and waited as veins melted into the stone. The wall accepted his offering with a strange suction, stripping the dagger from his grip and catching it in the mold perfectly.
The white gem glowed. Edges split and opened rays of brighter light.
Chris chuckled with glee. “I knew it!” He pointed as the knife turned. A latch inside clicked. “I told you,” he said with a playful punch into Tim’s arm.
Chris cleared his throat. Taking out the other gems he addressed Jil and Khempal. “On behalf of the COIL Alliance, Childockia and Hai Trade Commission are invited to choose who will take home this year’s jewel.”
“What’re you talking about?” Jil asked.
Khempal was playing it silent, watching the pandemonium as though it were a classroom of children during a test. “Choose from whom?” she asked.
“You two, I imagine,” Chris said, offering a hand to the door. “It’s our gift to you.”
“In exchange for what?” Khempal asked, businesslike in her calm but pointed question.
“The Artisans and the Cartel won’t stop,” Chris said. “The Murphy was out here to hunt the prospect of the jewel being local; they didn’t make it in time. Don’t delay. The world is changing and we’d like to be friends for each other’s benefits.”
Chris emphasized the last part with a sly smile at Khempal who didn’t seem to get why he expected to do that and live, but that faux pas would be dealt with later.
Maybe a little bit now. “You’re so lame,” Tim said.
“Not as lame as you. Everyone could tell when God made you a whole lotta lame got stuck…” He window wiped his hand in front of Tim’s face… “around here, maybe a bit down here, but mostly all up here. See that smile? Lame with a capital A.”
“You’re stalling,” Jil said. “Or are you rushing our decision? Either way you’ve told us squat.”
“The Cartel invested a lot to force this jewel out somewhere else.”
“Force it,” Tim started. A twitching in his forehead distracted his thought. He scratched and continued, “I know we think it’s rigged, and I think I’m looking at you doing the same thing, if I had to guess. How’s this possible?”
“People in the know, know. The guardians didn’t want to admit they would participate, push comes to shove, but then ours gave you that dagger and I knew this would work out. If we survived, that is.”
“So, everyone’s corrupt and you’re the one with the cookie, so why not?” Jil asked Chris.
“Why…” Chris laughed. “It's a chonker of a cookie. I mean. Crunch.”
“Dryfu,” Tim said aloud. “Is this guy for real? Is this some kind of doorway to a jewel? I thought we had to hunt for it, not steal the right whatever.”
“More treasure chests are unlocked by politics than you realize,” Chris told him.
“He’s right,” Dryfu admitted. “You’d be a fool not to collect the jewel. Even as a purely defensive strategy.”
“Who’s really gonna get upset at a couple of priests?” Chris asked.
“You’re up to no good and you know it,” Tim said, playing into the brotherly lenience to put it on the nose without technically starting a fight.
“No more than usual,” Chris said and lifted his hand a little higher toward the door. “Yet you keep coming along for the ride.”
Another weird twitch pricked at Tim’s forehead, this time twice as strong. He swatted at it as though it were a fly, but nothing was there. Danger Sense tickled and prodded him to move. The target was already on his back as the Leifman, and they didn’t have the jewel yet.
“These terms remain preliminary until we fight, correct?” Tim asked.
“The jewel is the fight,” Chris countered. “More in-depth terms have been relayed to Jil and Khempal.”
“We’re good to go,” Jil said.
“Agreed,” Khempal said to Chris. “The alliance is signed.” Then to Jil, “I wouldn’t be here without you rescuing me.” She bowed her head slightly. “We concede the jewel to Childockia.”
“Please take a moment to really capture the wondrous joy of discovering the Leveling Jewel,” Chris said.
Tim’s forehead twitch ramped up, followed by a tickle along the back of his ears. He stepped through the door intent on getting the jewel before whatever was on their heels showed up. Chris mumbled something about “for what happens next” and scooted in after Tim and the girls.
“What do you,” Tim began, interrupted by the spreading pink outline in the dark. It opened a path from his foot to the circular room–oddly perfect in its circuit to the other side.
A bulb flashed gray light in the center. Raised on a dais, the source produced aura light for the rest of the room to uncover itself from the dark.
The pitch-black room became a museum in a jar with a single item revealing itself and its remote display. Its aura essence captured Tim’s attention in its depth and sprawling glory. This thing had the Fear of God on his homescreen. If it were a pebble, it had been at the feet of God longer than anything Tim had ever seen standing.
Congratulations! Tim Leifman you have been awarded the Leveling Jewel!
The multishaded rock looked like a bar of soap squished in someone’s fist. Not the famed prize of the Hunt he’d expected.
“The last few years the Artisans have really sapped the beauty from its color,” Dryfu said. “It used to be pure white.”
Chris stepped up to the dais, gaze locked and hand opening in harmless admiration. “It’s beautiful.”
“Only the one it chooses can accept the jewel,” Dryfu said.
Chris lowered his hand toward the dais.
“Are you stupid?” Dryfu said and zipped into a corkscrew for Chris’s hand.
Too late, Chris’s finger tapped the stone. The essence in the jewel rumbled into a quick beat of get the hell out quick.
Chris. Tim cast Aura Ward - Permanent.
Crack!
White lightning erupted across the stone in a reverse extraction that sent the bolts from the stone into an Aura Ward casing.
The stone rattled a few times before resting on the dais. The way it held still despite the explosion made Tim wonder if this thing was worth trying to lug out. Maybe he’d ask Thron if the big guy’s alright.
Tim threw a glare at his brother. “What the hell was that? Did you try to destroy the Leveling Jewel? Is that how you managed to trick it into appearing to me? You knew it wouldn’t to you, and if you couldn’t have it, what, you say no one can?”
Chris cowered against the wall, clearly seeing Khempal and Jil on either side of Tim ready to beat the answer out of him if need be. “It was supposed to break, sure, but into pieces we could spread out among the O.R.”
Tim accepted the Leveling Jewel into his inventory without taking his eyes off his brother. The sands of loss drained in his sorcerer pupils as he watched his prize disappear.
“Consider our agreement void,” Tim said. “And I’m keeping the Jewel. Brother Priests, sure, but no longer on the same side. Your honesty didn’t last ten minutes. I won’t bother with ten more seconds. We’re going to fight the Murphy now, by ourselves.”
“Good luck.” Chris flared his nostrils and shot a yellow powder in a thick cloud of suffocating gas.
Metal clanged on stone. Tim’s face lit with the heat of fire without flames to extinguish. A vine wrapped around his hand, placing two pods in his palm along with two spliffs. Tim could tell when an olive branch had been extended. Danger Sense swept after his brother but found nothing.
The door slammed shut. Something heavy smashed into the wall outside, though nothing crumbled inside. The Murphy found them.
As a reward for being the one to discover this Hunt’s Jewel, you are granted a ten-minute respite from battle to apply tinctures, potions, etc. Enjoy a taste of the leveling to come!
Tim’s internal XP canisters billowed up in his spirit as visions of the sugar plum fairy and those bubbles that Charlie burped to float, or whatever, filled him with energy and... A fireworks barrage of leveling set off across the many strengths and skills Tim possessed. Now with greater power! He arched back and shook his head as though he were the Maxwell man being blasted by speakers, but cooler, disregarding the slobber hanging off his cheek. “Ya ya ya yall. Ya ya ya. Woo hah! I got you alllll in check!”
Current Quest Evaluation for XP deposits based on Progress or Otherwise
Quests in process:
Master the Oil and Water path. Moderate success.
Find the Leveling Jewel. Success!
Capture Chane. Indeterminate.
Recapture Squire’s Castle. Indeterminate. Time remaining to earn 15% boost, 5 hours.
Build up and protect the Burg. Indeterminate.
Mini-quests:
Find Chris and keep him safe. Egh. Failing.
Find Jil and team and help them with their mission for Childockia. Yeah. Rising Success. Granted you survive.
Unlock the secret of his relationship with the dealer, Jao and what it cost to buy the door. Well, wouldn’t that be nice. Gonna go with failing. You still have no idea who your brother is.
Further develop vine ability to enhance Protection and Battleground abilities. Somewhat. Needs work. Or give it up.
Recruit Krows. Success. The battle wasn’t looking good for them, but your distraction and ultimate defeat of the Murphy saved a remnant who’ll follow you always.
Uncover the secret of the Pads treasure. Moderate. You have powerful clues, but a far steeper hill to climb to reach the heart of this dungeon. This quest has been promoted to Epic status!
Help the Hai Trade Company withstand the Cartel’s efforts to overtake shipping and land transportation. Moderate. This is also only in the beginning stages. Your alliance with Khempal and the freeing of Aeu’s spirit will open many doors to working with the HTC. It will also add to your enemies as you’re in the heartland of their opposition with the cartel. Lean into this relationship with the HTC as you navigate your Jewel acquisition.
Warning: Jewel integrity is at 12%. Strongest Caution.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Tim disengaged from the HUD warning and cast a Danger Sense ping on a cloud kicker c-mana explosion.
The size of the Murphy opened a chasm of fear in Tim’s chest. He pushed around its edges on a mission for his friends.
The energy pulsing from the jewel bubbled erratically. He had to spend it now and disconnect or risk his Ward cracking.
The Jewel Recognized Growth in the following:
Ranger now Level 20.
Aura Mage now Level 17.
Priest Level 6
Gained new skill: Bridges > Healing extends in bridges up to three feet at Level 1 and up to three targets.
Tier 4 unlocked! Strength maximizing…AF regen rate increased 15%. C-mana regen increased 20%.
A list of skill upgrades appeared.
Specialty skills (growth of 5 levels)
Hunting Lv 11
Magic Hunt Lv 15 - Tier 4 perks - AOE increase to 2,500 yards. Decreased cost and difficulty in “key” creation and unlocking of up to Tier 5 protections.
Peel Lv 5
Aura Bow Lv 5
Crafting Lv 5
Spirit Memory Lv 7
Danger Sense Lv 14
Double Whammo Lv 5 - Now Triple Whammo Lv 1!
Ward Lv 5
Dose Lv 5
Battleground Lv 10 - AOE doubled. Strength +35%.
Moderate Growth (2 levels gained)
Aura Armor Lv 4
Light Burn Lv 3
Sniper Sight Lv 3
Tracking Lv 7
Hunting Lv 8
Skinning Lv 6
Magic Hunting Lv 13
Swoon Lv 3
Aura Blades Lv 5
Small Blades Lv 12
Foraging Lv 6
Draw Lv 4
Poison Resistance Lv 6
Torture Endurance Lv 5
Parrying Lv 9
Hand to Hand (Rryeg’s Form) Lv 3
Party Oversight Lv 10
Healing Lv 10 - AOE doubled. Strength +35%.
Recovery Lv 10 - Stamina boost +35%.
Ally Maker Lv 8
Politician Lv 6
Interrogation Lv 5
Analyze Lv 7
Familiar Lv 3
Trapping Lv 4
Aura Form Lv 3
Aura Bond Lv 3
Cleanse Lv 3
MP Regen: baseline 8 per ten seconds
HP Regen: baseline 12 per ten seconds
New MP MAX: 505
New HP MAX: 1089
What?
It doesn’t seem right to me either, but it is what it is, as your kin say.
109 AP to Spend.
Dryfu collapsed and rolled off the ledge.
Tim caught him and set him down gently, still working on his breathing and escalated heartbeat from so many levels. The HP and MP took his breath. One hundred and nine… “Dryfu, can I get a little help here?”
The guide’s chest rose and fell in micromovement. At least he was still alive.
“Can you hear me?”
Dryfu nodded, eyes still closed.
“Great. This is a wealth I don’t want to mess up. I like my current ratio, though Charisma needs to get upward of 15. Not that appearance is everything, but I don’t want to be the weird priest as I take on an ambassadorial role along the O.R. and in the Pillar alike.” Tim paced as he tried to supercharge his thoughts while the cats in his head kept scrambling. “Physical strength is appealing for crafting some hardcore armor and weapons. I want to churn out titanium arrows and forge my own pearl shooters.”
Sounds like you want to be a townsperson. Equipping your people in whatever tasks they need for your grander mission.
“Well, not really. I want to enjoy the action.”
And you’d take it if a blacksmith showed up with higher specs so you could focus on wisdom or something else?
“I like that. Of course. I was getting there.”
Dryfu chuckled. Sure you were.
Underneath the ribbing was a celebratory release. They’d done it! Tim found the Jewel! No matter how much Dryfu might tease him, he had to give him credit for this. Which, yeah, he hunted a lot and made it to the last man standing, but Chris hand-delivered the jewel. It felt like dirty money. The result of being in the dark when the biggest deals went down.
No longer did he have his little world with the apartment and small campus to secure. This meant if anyone touched him it would be both the highest risk and the greatest goal. Charisma represented the ability to “influence” his “will” upon the world. Creepy to think about, but if he made that a ditch stat, it could mean spinning his wheels while his enemies found a way to thwart his every effort. Dryfu was right, of course. Wisdom was the obvious spear tip in his plan. Not only did it help with applying gained strength to the situation, but it also helped him manipulate magic and aura.
He pulled up his stats, ready to feel it out.
Current stats:
Str 19, Dex 16, Con 22 (-1 racial), Wis 23 (+2 seconds to c-mana), Int 14 (+2 racial), Char 7
Tim made a mental Notepad:
17, 20, 12, 25 (72 spent, leaving 37. 26 spent on Int makes Char 18
Str 36, Dex 36, Con 34, Wis 48, (+35 seconds to c-mana), Int 40, Char 18
Well, crap. Stupid last stat.
He considered taking six out of Strength. Lately he seemed to need a strong fist more than good looks and whatever “influence” meant…
No, look at the bigger picture.
He tried again:
Str 30, Dex 30, Con 34, Wis 48, Int 40, Char 30
Strength, Dexterity and Wisdom doubled… Intelligence, nearly three times. Charisma, over four. Yep, do it.
Pleasure eclipsed the prior level ups in a head clearing euphoria. The percussion of leveling were countless, yet each chiseled the ceiling off his prior growth with seemingly impossible glory.
It let go. Tim tried to reach for Jil, maybe he could transfer some leveling magic to her. Nope. His shoulders were dead. Legs too. The ground was hard. Why his face wasn’t numb he didn’t know. But it wasn’t!
Funny how important the bone under your eyebrow can become in the blink of an eye. Hello little bone!
“Tim,” Jil said and knelt beside him. “Are you okay?”
“Congratulations!” He slurred.
An image from his last ping shot to mind. Thron’s bracer lying face up like a discarded dog bone. It resembled broken pipes. With his increased Wisdom and Intelligence, he saw it clearly right away. “I found Thron.”
“Yes!” Jil said. “But what about you? Are you okay?”
It smelled like mushrooms pressed into a rain-soaked sock. Tim checked his shirt. The smell was there but it wasn’t the source. He sniffed his way to the leveling jewel, which was now black with small pockets of a lighter slate where the damage apparently wasn’t as severe.
Jewel: 1% health
“Crap. That’s severe.”
Jil and Khempal took in the same level of awe.
His timer to shield removal read: 07 seconds remaining.
Tim’s mind processed shock and kicked it aside to get moving. Maybe he had spent that time in the changing of the leveling jewel. Or maybe the jewel was malfunctioning or too weak to hold the full ten minutes. None of that mattered any more than bootscooting it the heck out.
Back out the only access currently being pounded by an arm of the Murphy half the size of the tunnel outside.
Right…
5 seconds.
The safety aura hadn’t impacted the world around it, not really. The door hadn’t broken in because it was in proximity to the jewel finder. Dryfu, if we leave will the protection follow?
Yes. Don’t forget the jewel.
“Hot digitity dog… wrapped around a cat. Let’s go.” Tim swept the jewel from the dais. “I’ll cover you. Dryfu, take them to Thron.” C-Mana, Flee and a Holy Roller skedaddle of double Strength and Dexterity yanked him into a flowing forward jet on ice skates. He snatched his dagger back through an equip switch and Peeled through the Murphy’s six-foot fist. His blade sliced Ranger Bleed with an oshi poisoned first dose. Strike first, strike hard.
His gotr blade carved easily, the poison almost throwing the skin back to get out of the way. It split open a tunnel into the aura beast’s blob, clearing a path for him to Peel while also forcing the enemy to cringe and focus on him. Dryfu soared along a corkscrew powered jet of his own while Jil and Khempal sprinted behind him.
Vibrating resistance cut Tim’s Peel short. The arm was connected to the host, and when he erupted with the power in his skill, the Murphy sent mighty reinforcements by way of packed aura so thick he barely made it out. Tim rolled into a sewer stream, unequipped his blade and swam for dear life.
Now headed in absolutely the wrong direction, he sent a Danger Sense ping into the dark beyond. The alleys ahead had spots of predators and dangerous trap animals. Nothing he couldn’t avoid if a Murphy weren’t on his tail. He sent another ping behind him. Considering Chris’s gift, and final words, he truly believed he meant well. In his mind, this was the best decision. Tim couldn’t imagine that would include poisoning him with Trojan Horse pod potions. He stroked up for air, cast Battleground and Protection and braced for impact.
The arm saw its chance with him rising to breathe.
Tim welcomed it.
The crash of packed aura broke the spell with little resistance and smashed Tim’s spine upright. He flew upward and flipped to face the ceiling. His breath caught in his throat. Health warnings flashed in his HUD. Paralysis hindered any attempt at Peeling. Even if he could. His health was still too high to activate Aura Form. He needed the second. Here it comes. His face met the hard end of a bored pipe now erupting in activity and scaring gashes across his jaw and neck.
The second impact of head to rock cracked him silly.
He woke not recalling how he landed. His successful notification informed him Aura Form engaged right before the arm swept through him. Tim spent a hefty MP chunk to cast Spirit Memory, Draw and Magic Hunt.
His spell torpedoed him back around from the collision, then shot into the arm toward the creature’s heart. Spirit Memory burned through visions of victims pre-carnage, where trees swayed and fields kept their color. Dinners by firelight in the safe enclave of home and familial love. The Murphy had ripped through hundreds of lives like this in service of… It tried smashing through a corner in the tunnel to expunge him from its insides, but his Aura Form held intact and he passed through without harm.
Draw replenished the cost to keep the form going and he added Battleground, finally. A whoosh of relief swelled up in blue waves.
The Murphy punched back, hitting Tim so hard he thought his lungs were flat. The Murphy reformed its aura into hardened spears and nets, trying to stab and strain through Tim’s Battleground spell. Tim blocked with Rryeg’s form, absorbing hot gashes and casting Draw with each one. The Murphy’s attacks weakened. Draw funneled AF into Healing and Tim started gaining ground on the face-to-face tug of war.
Faces and scenes flew into Tim’s mind of the artisans deploying the Murphy to clear Squire’s Castle and find the aura generator. Tim cast Magic Hunt and slipped off on a thread to see this wasn’t the only one they used to burn a scar from the north into Wachamia. The deeper Tim dug into the memories, the more political maneuvering and leaders he witnessed shaping the current atmosphere. It explained how the Drakkon both became involved and how he could strengthen their relationship on the other side of this.
He also saw the Sheriff and Princess Pearl fighting the cartel side by side with Kari and a powerful host of fivel armed to the teeth with sharp bone armor and belching blue fire spells.
The Murphy leaked info as Tim passed through. On top of the visions, he also kept a finger on the pulse of Danger Sense scan breaking its drill bits to try and expose defensive weaknesses. So far, he picked up that Dryfu escaped into a side passage close enough for Jil’s whistle to signal Roz to meet them in an unoccupied tunnel.
The murphy pinched off some boarish beasts to charge the sidewalks and slid a wall of serpents into the water to cover the middle.
Tim would distract it soon enough. For now, he thought he’d share a little pick me up along with a hello to let them know he saw them and is at work. He hurled an Aura Light ray heavy enough to carry like a fastball through the aura current. It burst out the Murphy on a beeline over the serpents, then in a wave of light sprinkling Keeper to mist over his friends as they prepared for battle.
A beam splashed against the upswing of Roz’s chime and misted Battleground and Keeper on his friends.
Healing bridges cascaded light in glowing white motes spiraling around Roz in a descending staircase while a second bridge arched for the slumping Thron. Its light revealed a mask of blood and the white of his teeth. His fight was far from over.
Tim left them to it with Pilk’s blessing and returned to his deep dive. His Magic Hunt hit a wall he felt closing around him as his progress halted.
Aeu, are you in here?
The Murphy flashed him with a breathtaking assault of heat and thorns raking his insides.
I’m here to set you free.
A chain wrapped around Tim’s waist and squeezed him like a tube of toothpaste. He gasped. His Aura Form faltered as a spike of pain shot up into Tim’s heart. Draw was hot to the touch, producing as much waste as usable components. His HP spun through single digits faster than he could count the tens by second as he passed into the 200s.
Tim harnessed enough aura in a c-mana spiral to collect everything he had. His rounding up of power included memories of reading Aeu’s book. He returned to a passage that stuck out on the first two reads of the aura beast chapter. The sentence connecting the prior page hit a snag in its flow atop the new page. At first, he thought it was a typo in translation to this printing, and maybe part of the sentence was missed.
He studied the new page’s section with Magic Hunt just in case. A weight hung on the rim of his spell. He cast Draw like a flick of the wrist to snap up a fish on the line. The weight blew out as though released to the ether. The letters lifted off the page, sorting in an alphabet soup swirl before lowering on a feather’s touch to blaze a new order of words on the page. Now the paragraph read:
The first Murphy was named after a man by the same name, who wrote scathing reviews of establishments in exchange for goods and services from their competitors. The humor and delivery style of paper crochet figures left at the door of the reviewed establishment made Murphy famous. Pride built through this growing following and increased wealth led Murphy into the path of a man named Ted.
Everyone in Witesbu knew not to mess with Ted. His flame toasted sandwiches and salted potato skins were the bestselling delicacy across the country. Turns out there was a bit of black magic in their making and when Murphy’s review called this out, Ted went Ted. In the ashes of his ruined business, he whipped up a cone of destruction on Murphy’s head. The spell…
Tim’s newly translated sentence finished the description as “contained a cornerstone that when struck would dismantle the creature and set it free.”
The prior version of this sentence said, “will increase in strength as the creature feeds on aura.” Tim spent more MP on Magic Hunt and tried a swirl of Foraging into the mix. The weight from an appearance of Aeu’s aura capped around the next paragraph. He pushed on the spell’s tip and the bubble burst. Letters rearranged to say:
This cornerstone is found in the final stamp of the shape of Ted on Murphy’s human face. Imprint these letters on his forehead and the spell will collapse. The aura monster will transform back into a wraith cursed to haunt the capital of Witsebu, posted as a message that you had blood on your hands. You ruined a good thing. Now you’ll smell of my best cooking but you and no one else will ever be able to eat at Ted’s again.
The Murphy sent a spike of pain through Tim’s back, exiting his stomach, pulling his powers out with his aura intestines. Spasms wracked his body as agony blazed hot. He tried in vain to reach his abilities. The force held him on its lance of terror. It was too much.
Tim accessed his pods from Chris. Unable to lift his hand to his mouth, he tried Draw with a clenched fist. The pods absorbed and sent a tsunami of cool healing into his back.
Spirit Memory hooked a line, Aura Ward encasing around the memory of Ted’s original spell. Murphy’s wiry brown hair melted into his head as his anger mixed with the aura and transformed him into a glowing pink donkey. A long arm of malleable poop ushered out under its tail. “Eeeeahhh,” the donkey brayed.
Tim Swooned the will of the beast in this origin to its aura source. Instead of stamping his head and executing Ted’s planned aftermath, he stamped Aura Ward on the donkey’s forehead.
Now it read: Free Rides
Tim accessed the rings and cast Aura Ward to encase its obedience. Teach you to come into my house.
The cornerstone cracked. Its floor shuddered. Spirits by the hundreds flew out through the slivers of light. A spring of power surged up from the foundation. Tim accessed the rings and spun them like two tires bowled down a hill, flicking his wrists to infuse them with Draw. If the core erupted, his Aura Form wouldn’t survive, and neither would anyone else within miles.
Walls crumpled. Tim’s rings fit into a groove and melted into a brilliant pink and red flash. Boom.
The reaction sucked on Tim’s chest and popped. Sparkling Aura Dust Tsunami. Pain released him as the lance evaporated. He splashed in the water below and rested in its embrace. Just for a bit. At sea for too long, he was so close to shore.
A second splash whooshed nearby.
The Murphy, as a donkey of normal height. Reduced from predator to servant, kicking frantically not to drown. Tim helped it and guided it to the sidewalk where it shook off some of the water. It looked Tim in the eye. “Eeeeahhh.” Aura blazed pink in its brown eyes and carried on a current as an aura bubble.
Tim absorbed it with his will. It felt like a full meal without the heavy gut. “Woo hah! I got you all in check,” Tim finished for him, with his best Busta Rhymes. He slapped his hands together in excitement, clapping loudly. “Ha. Word is bond. You’ll serve us well.”