“So… what do we do?” Jim questioned as he sat back to digest Elena’s frankly terrifying realization. “You’ve told us all about what even a weakened version of that rat… thing… was able to do, albeit with a little help from some madmen, and the full version of it damn well ate a hero right off the bat. Hell, that Mavier fellow was able to fight all three of us at once, and it was pretty obvious from that freaky rat cloak of his had a play in that.”

Elena ran her hand through her mud-flecked hair, fingers working up and down absentmindedly as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. “The worst part is that we don’t even fully know what the mud can fully do. I have a decent grasp on the rats. That night in the city, I saw them do everything from turning people into fucking puppets, to massing together into large, unstoppable waves of hunger and death. As for the mud, however, all we have to go off of is Bill’s report. Hallucinations, memory loss, some sort of mass confusion or insanity? It seems to affect the mental state more than the physical. No giant waves of mud swallowing people up, no monsters either. Just people losing themselves…”

“Crazy shit.” Carlos murmured, and the rest echoed his statement in agreement. “I mean, do we even have the firepower to deal with this? I’d give us fifty-fifty odds against that demon and his pile of rats. Shit, I’d even say sixty-forty, in our favor since we outnumber him. And what did you say, Elena? You had guessed before we had even set out that Mavier was probably equal to a hero and a half now, maybe two heroes depending on how closely he was working with the rats.”

Elena smiled bitterly in agreement. “That is true. And what do we have to work with? No offense, but you two are green as fucking grass, and…” She angrily gestured to the stump that was left of her left arm. “And though I hate to say it, my current strength can’t be compared to that of a full hero right now. In a few years, with enough time to change my fighting style to that which does not use a shield, and the training to work around my lack of a left arm throwing off my balance, maybe I could say otherwise.”

Carlos shifted in his seat to better face her, interest written all over his face. “So that incident really changed things for you that much?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Elena sighed in response, biting back the rising retort in her mouth once she saw the younger man’s genuine curiosity. “I learned from the best swordsmen the kingdom had at the time when we were summoned. I say at the time, because the kingdom used to have better once, but they all got themselves killed in various wars against the demons. So, I learned, but it appears I didn’t learn to be flexible enough in my understanding. Didn’t have to, no one ever thought that a hero even could be wounded this badly against anything but something that would threaten the world. And if I was wounded by that, well, line of duty and all that. No one would care, and it wouldn’t matter as my team would cover for me. Well, fast forward a number of years, and I’m so used to fighting with a shield and longsword that when I start to fight my body tries to naturally follow what I’ve learned, what I’m used to.” She laughed bitterly, staring deep into the crackling fire. “Well, that never seems to work out so well for me, that’s for sure. So, I have to waste more of my focus on my movements, which makes it more difficult to focus on my opponent. Little things, Carlos. The little things cascade into a heaping waterfall of big things.”

Carlos rested his hands on his knees as his face scrunched up in thought. “Crazy stuff, but I guess if you say it like that it makes sense. Well, at least Jim isn’t as green as I am. He’s at least been in fights before.”

“Haha, only ones in school, and that was quite a while ago,” Jim responded with soft chuckles. “Sure, I was a bit of a rascal back then, but if it weren’t for this fantasy magic stuff, that Mavier guy would’ve torn me apart.” He flexed his fists, experimentally whistling as his skin once again rippled with a brilliant golden sheen, changed back to its normal tan color, and then rippled once more to be coated in gold. “Body enhancement or reinforcement or whatever, it sure is handy. Kind of reminds me of those fancy Japanese cartoons my son sometimes watches. Seems like there’s always some youngster out in front of all the bad guys, screaming things and powering up by changing colors.”

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Carlos actually laughed at Jim’s musings. “Yeah, that one with the dragons? And the balls? Really kind of feels like we’ve fallen into something like that.”

“Hm, I think my son had mentioned watching that one in the past. Wasn’t that the one with the monkey guys? Son whatisname or something?”

“Nonono” Carlos waved his hands in protest. “It was the one with the vegetable guy. And the freezer alien!”

“What the hell is a freezer alien?” Jim asked in confusion.

“Well… it sort of goes like this…”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Elena sat wearily by the fire and watched Carlos excitedly try to explain something about dragons and balls to Jim, all with much hand waving. She was feeling a bit sick at how they seemed not to be taking this seriously, although she supposed everyone had their coping mechanisms. While she was lost in thought, Bill leaned over to speak softly in her ear

“Ma’am, I’ve taken the liberty of setting a watch for the night. The men have all eaten, though there were a few of them still so affected by the mud that the other lads had to force feed them. If that’s all, I’ll be turning in for the night. I suggest you do the same, Lady Elena.”

Elena half turned her head, nodding as she patted Bill on the shoulder. “I’ll sleep shortly, when I get a chance to slip away without those two noticing.” She glanced back them, watching with a faint, sad smile on her face as Jim asked a few more innocent that immediately sent the younger man into another passionate explanation. “It would be a shame to interrupt them when they’ve managed to distract themselves from the looming horrors on the horizon.”

Bill stared at the two as well with understanding in his eyes. “Well, then, may you sleep well, Lady Elena.”

“Good night to you too, Bill.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

One soldier, two soldier.

Three soldier, four soldier.

Five soldier, six soldier.

Seven soldier.

A nice number.

A nice number, ripe to replenish what that grey fellow burned up.

A nice number, fit to feed a hungry little fellow tonight.

Yes, things were really working out today. Easy pickings, and lots of them.

One unmoving body, two unmoving bodies, all in total seven unmoving bodies, all missing their faces, were heaved over a pair of broad shoulders, their heads all positioned so that they would not drip even a dab of blood on the silky-smooth suit that covered him.

Freshly shined dress shoes traveled confidently over the rustling grass and the man hummed a simple folk ditty as the air gradually filled with the stench of iron, with occasional sounds of something… pulsing.

Finally, the man stopped and set down his burdens as he reached the lip of a perfectly circular hole in the ground. The mouth of the hole was about as big as two grown men, and the sides of it were so incredibly smooth that it would have been impossible for mere men to dig it. Or for them to climb out, when the digging was done.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

Seven bags of meat, ones that the man did not even consider as human anymore, thudded one-by-one down the hole. Several of them groaned and made barely recognizable sounds of fear as they were thrown down. One or two even tried to beg with the man, as they were hoisted up by his strong arms.

But the man couldn’t understand them, for he had cut out their teeth one by one with his scalpel, and he had reached into their mouths with his dainty, long fingers to pull out their tongues.

He wouldn’t want anyone calling for help when he had come to all that trouble to infiltrate their camp in the first place, would he?

The last squirming bag of meat disappeared into the yawning pit, and the man dusted his hands now that part of his work was done.

What now? What now? To take care of those who stank of rats? Or have a little more fun first? Meet some new people? Try some local, or exotic, cuisines?

The man in the suit shook his head in his indecision, looking towards the sky, the beautiful moon, in its harsh glory, for some sort of answer.

There was none, for the moon was just the moon.

Still, faintly on the wind, he could hear it. His lord.

So faint, that he could barely hear it. Wailing, screaming. He did not know what his lord meant. What It said.

But he would head back to the human’s camp.

Why?

Well, that batch of stew those orcs were cooking up smelled pretty good.