A few more days passed since Twist described his history. Eventually, Twist’s body was finally healed; all of his wounds were mended, and all the excess time magic was removed. The only remnants of Twist’s corruption were on the hand he had cast the spell, there were patches where the fur was still gone.

“Hmm it will probably be months before those grow back” Twist remarked as he put his clothes back on.

He was ready to get going, but Tenacia insisted he give it at least one more day. Twist didn't mind, this meant he would get the chance to look around Batokl's cavern, as well as meet the god himself.

Batokl and Twist would hit it off swimmingly. Twist would ask numerous questions regarding Batokl and his slimes, all the answers Batokl would be happy to supply.

"Do any of the local monsters give you and the slimes any trouble?" Twist asked.

"Oh not all!" Batokl answered, "The monsters around here know not to mess with me or my children! We get the brave drekavac every once in a while, but I can handle them!"

"Amazing!"

Eventually, Twist's questions went on to a different subject.

"Batokl, if I may ask, what do you know about my city of Minvaco?"

"Hmmm not too much, most of the noctav cities have their folk out and about in the Underworld, but Minvaco is the only exception. Your city is like a city of hermits, no offense"

Twist gave a smile and chuckled "You are not wrong, we have always been a secretive city, though recently I had not fully realized just HOW reclusive we were... I am concerned that someone has been putting the wool over my city's eyes, making us unaware of what is happening outside our walls"

Batokl nodded, his big goofy grin lowering into a serious frown "That has merit, have you met Dolora?"

"Sure did, she was... Loud" Tenacia said, sitting down and joining the conversation.

"Heh! You are not wrong. Dolora is a kind goddess, but also rather dramatic... But she is also incredibly wise. At the meetings of the Underworld gods, she has frequently been telling us there is something wrong deeper in the Underworld. She has been claiming to feel a dark presence somewhere, something that makes her spine tingle, a feeling of intense danger and hatred"

"When we met her, she did say something about a shadow among shadows" Twist remarked, and remembered how it was Dolora who set them on the path to meet Delphine "Among other things"

"She has said the same to me" Batokl affirmed, "Me and the other gods have been worried that there may be an infernal in the Underworld"

"That would definitely be a great cause for concern" Twist agreed, "And this infernal has to be connected to the Grand Faloon"

"The Grand Faloon? Oh right, that is the cult who is pursuing you all!"

"Yep, it just looks more and more like they are a bunch of scummy infernal worshippers" Tenacia growled.

Batokl's eyeball spun a bit, the god of slime was thinking deeply.

"I will let the other Underworld gods know, I will be meeting with them soon. If you feel you are no longer safe in my cave, feel free to leave and continue on your adventure"

Twist tipped his hat "Thank you god of slime! We might leave soon indeed

"Those stupid knights have to be getting close" Tenacia said with a grim nod.

"Just one more question if I may, Batokl" Twist quickly said as Batokl was about to leave. The god turned around and his grin returned.

"Go ahead! I have a bit more time"

"How does Dolora sense such an awful presence? Is it unique to her?" Twist asked.

"Ahhh let me explain: we gods are beings closely attuned to magic, which also means we are closely attuned to spirits! Both supernal and infernal. As you know, such spirits can't normally be sensed by mortals, even great magicians. We gods can sense when they are near and when they pass by. So it is not unique to Dolora, but I will say I feel she is especially attuned to spirits, so me and the other gods always make sure to stand to attention when she says she senses something"

"Understood! Do you think mortals could be able to gain such a sense?" Twist then asked, then flinched "Oh sorry! You need to get going"

"It is okay!" Batokl laughed, "Honestly, I could not tell you. I have not heard of such a thing, but I don't think it is outside of the realm of possibility... But all this said, I should be going! Be safe and Chaelum watch over you!"

And with that, Batokl left.

Hours later, Twist, Tenacia, and Delphine met in the middle of the cavern.

“So, what is the game plan now Twist?” Tenacia asked, crossing her arms.

“The same, to be honest” Twist answered “I have no time limit to my mission, Minvaco will be fine in its frozen state. As such, saving your brother is higher priority, so we shall see Fatana to get help for that and also hopefully get information about unfreezing Minvaco”

“And if they don’t want to help?” Tenacia asked.

“We then either go to the surface for help, or we take on the behemoth by ourselves.”

“And how are you going to be saving a dwarf from a horrible colossal machine filled with guards and a necromancer?” Delphine asked nastily.

Twist shrugged “Stealth and improvisation I guess.”

“And how are you going to find it?”

“That won’t be hard at all” Tenacia said with a wry smile “Remember they’ve sent people after us, they want us dead. There is no doubt they will have the Brass Behemoth itself come after us once they are done with whatever they are doin’ deeper below.”

“Yes, for better and for worse the Behemoth is going to look for us” Twist agreed.

Then his ear twitched.

He had heard something move somewhere in the cavern, and it wasn’t the soft squish of the slimes. It was heavier and sturdier, like metal boots stepping on the stone. The sound came from behind.

“There they are,” said a familiar voice, "I was afraid they would have left by now"

“Heh, I guess they rested on their laurels,” said another familiar voice.

Speak of the infernals, it was Klamka and Lionel.

“What is the range on your magic?” Klamka whispered.

“Far enough, I’ll cast a lightning bolt spell to stun the bat.” Lionel replied.

“Good idea, keep him from casting magic in retaliation. Then I’ll rush down to get the dwarf and you cover me”

“That’ll work!”

“What’s up Twist?” Tenacia asked, noticing Twist’s worried look.

“The knights are here” he whispered quickly.

“Wait, where?” Tenacia asked, eyes widening.

“Power of storm make a bolt, stun the bat with a jolt!” Twist heard Lionel chant.

The target was too far to pause, so he used some different time magic.

He grabbed Tenacia’s arm and placed Delphine on top of his hat.

“Speed up us three, help us all flee!” he shouted. The crystal on Twist’s staff glowed brightly as he held it above him. Tenacia felt strange as the glow engulfed her, it was like the strange feeling you get when you suddenly notice how much you control your own body and how much it feels. Everything around seemed to slow down, which it seemingly was. The small roar of the waterfalls in the cavern slowly got deeper and eventually stopped altogether. As Twist dragged her away, Tenacia looked back at where they were and noticed the familiar Twist had seen, as well as a a large fluctuating bolt of lightning that moved sluggishly.

“Whoa! Are you slowing down time?” Tenacia asked, her eyes agape.

“Oh absolutely not! There isn’t enough vis in the all noctav on Fiahn to slow down even a small room’s worth of time for a second! I sped us up, so fast our perception is different”

“Wait, you sure you should be using magic?” Tenacia asked looking at Twist worriedly.

“Not a problem! After a good long rest I am overflowing with vis! I won’t accelerate us for long either” Twist said smiling broadly. Indeed, they ran just a few feet away until Twist yelled “Slow us back to normal!”.

Tenacia saw the world speed up to its former speed.

"Good, now let's get out of there!" Delphine shouted.

Tenacia was going to object, she wanted to fight these two. Then she remembered how Twist was newly healed, then nodded in agreement. She didn't want to risk Twist getting hurt.

“My we’ve been running away from things a lot recently eh?” Twist laughed.

“Eeeyup, let’s just run normally now okay? Save magic for when we need it” Tenacia said, getting out of Twist’s grasp.

“I fully concur” Twist said as he put Delphine on his head.

“Less talking more running!” the hat yelled. Twist and Tenacia then bolted away as fast as they could through the cavern.

To Twist and Tenacia they had walked a small distance away, to their aggressors they seemed to teleport in the blink of an eye.

Klamka watched the lighting bolt strike where Twist was, leaving a burn on the rock.

“Well dang” Lionel commented “He seems to know space magic too if he can teleport like that.”

“I don’t think he teleported; I think he just moved extremely quickly a short distance” Klamka said “So time magic”

“I guess ol Karogoz didn’t exaggerate the bat’s time travelin’ abilities. Now what?”

“Charge, there is no way they can outrun us and these slimes will be no threat”

“Gotcha princess”

They carefully leaped from the alcove onto the ground to out of the cavern wall. At this the slimes noticed them, and all began to hop toward them like a small army of bouncy balls.

Lionel ignited his short sword and cut through the slimes easily.

“Hmmm, smells like roasted limes” Lionel remarked.

“Let’s trap them in a pincer. you take the left and I take the right”

“I hear ya princess!” Lionel chuckled. They then ran forward towards their quarries.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Delphine turned and observed the two knights.

“They are trying to flank us!” she shouted. Some slimes tried to cover them, but both Klamka and Lionel were able to dodge and get closer.

Twist began to think. He noticed not all the slimes were attacking, others were simply laying there, apparently non-aggressive. He noticed a whole group of them coming up, then he grabbed some as he ran.

“And those are for?” Delphine asked.

“I’ll figure that out!” Twist panted, he soon several slimes in arms, which then all then combined into one huge slime. The slime then began to envelope him.

“Ahh friendly, isn’t he?” Twist chuckled as his entire midriff was enveloped in slime.

“Pretty sure its trying to eat you!” Tenacia yelled, she then grabbed the slime with both of her arms and tore it off him.

“Hello again my pear-shaped escapee!” chimed in Lionel, getting closer.

Tenacia looked behind her and Lionel dashing at her, his sword aflame making his silver armor look flaming itself. Tenacia just glared at him and threw the giant slime at him.

"Shaddup you gormless greedygut!" she hissed.

Lionel tried to cut the slime, but this slime was so big all he did was cut into it halfway. The slime extinguished the flames and quickly latched itself onto Lionel’s chest.

“Oh crap!" Lionel exclaimed, he shook his sword to shake the slime on it off, but it remained stuck. The other slime meanwhile slime quickly coalesced around his whole torso. The magi knight fell to the ground with what would have been a big clang if the slime hadn’t broken his fall.

Tenacia smiled, though the smile vanished as she saw the gleam of another sword. Klamka raised her sword to cut Tenacia who had no time to react.

“Pause!” Twist bellowed, turning with his staff pointing at Klamka’s sword.

Klamka swung with all her strength to cut Tenacia… It would have been a lot more impressive if her sword was still in her hand.

“Hey!” she cried, she looked at her hands. Then she turned in rage to her sword hovering her midair.

“Unpause!” Twist yelled.

The sword fell to the ground with a clang. Klamka quickly leaned to pick it up... Then felt something heavy bash her over the head.

“I said no magic!” Tenacia growled at Twist. She shook one of her hands, sore from whacking Klamka's helmet.

“No fear Tenacia, just a simple pause!” Twist replied, “And one more spell for extra assurance”

Twist grabbed Tenacia and shouted “Once more please, help us flees! I mean flee!”

The three sped forward once again, but the improper incantation messed something up. They were rushing forward at light speed, but their perception was the same. Both Twist and Tenacia sped to the other end of the cavern and rammed into a wall.

“Make us slow down to normal” Twist’s muffled voice said, his staff glowed in response “Sorry Tenacia…”

“It’s okay Twist, just please be more careful…” Tenacia replied, holding her nose in pain.

Twist and Tenacia pushed themselves from the wall and went to the nearest tunnel. Tenacia grabbed Twist’s arm.

“Uhh what are you doing?” Twist asked worriedly.

“Looking over you, o’course”

“What do you meeeeaaAACK! NOT AGAIN!” Twist screamed as Tenacia lifted him up onto her shoulder, lit the everlasting lantern, and ran down the tunnel at full sprint.

Klamka laid down for a few seconds, her head rining, then gathered her marbles. She got up and was about to follow her targets, when she heard Lionel yell for help. She turned and saw Lionel being engulfed by the large slimes, more slimes leaping into it making the slime even bigger.

Klamka ran over and slashed constantly at the slime, but not trying to cut it all in half. Instead, she she cut off pieces, taking off more partsof the growing huge slime until Lionel could detach himself. A few small slimes were still attached, but with renewed air his reignited sword took care of them.

“Thanks Klamka! I owe you one!” Lionel said, patting Klamka on the back.

“Add it to the list, let us move” Klamka said replied.

Tenacia continued to run as fast as her strong legs could carry her. Past stalagmite and stalactite, she ran like the wind.

“Run faster you cow!” Delphine said “I can hear the footsteps of those armored clunkers gaining on us!”

“I am afraid she is right” Twist said, he listened closely and whilst their pursuers were still rather far, they were getting closer quickly.

“Yeah yeah, how about you get us somewhere with a spell Delphine?” Tenacia snapped “Oh right, you can’t cast magic, you old hat!”

"I'm a hat and I could still run faster than you!"

As they argued, Twist listened. Behind, he could hear Klamka and Lionel’s pursuit, followed by the splashes of slimes pursuing them. Then he angled his ears forward, then he heard non-metal feet running along the ground in front of them.

“The knights aren’t our only problem now” Twist said.

“Ahh we can handle two nights and a monster” Tenacia said with a confident smile.

Twist kept a close ear on the upcoming beast. The feet falls weren’t heavy, they were actually quite light… Then Twist gasped.

“I know what it is!”

“Gotcha, what is it?” Tenacia asked.

Twist was about to answer, then he paled as the beast revealed itself.

It was a gangly bipedal beast with that was covered mostly in dark fur, its eyeless canine face was the only part of it that was furless. The creature slowly walked forward on its long and thin legs, making a high-pitched whining sound.

“Again, I ask, what in Gehenna is that thing?” Tenacia asked, face scrunched in disgust.

“A drekavac” Twist whispered, his eyes wide in fear.

Tenacia dropped Twist, who quickly got up and pointed this staff at the drekavac.

“So how does this thing fight?” Tenacia asked, raising her fists as the beast walked closer.

“It makes an extremely loud screech” Twist said, “Let me take care of this.”

“No Twist, you keep that vis ready for emergencies” Tenacia said sternly, “I’ll take this thing on! Anything else it can do?”

“Well the claws on its feet are sharp, but that is about it”

“Good!”

“Are you sure you want-“

“YAAAAH!”

Tenacia tackled the drekavac, its whine became a fierce squeak. Its sounds grew higher as it prepared a shriek, but then Tenacia’s got its mouth into a chokehold to force it close.

Twist looked in amazement as Tenacia wrestled the foul creature.

“That is one way to do it” Delphine said, a tad impressed.

Twist nodded, then his ear twitched. He heard metallic footsteps coming closer. He turned with his staff at the ready.

“Keep the drekavac gagged Tenacia, I’ll handle the knights!” Twist declared.

“Gotcha!” Was all Tenacia could muster as the drekavac put up a fight. It was much stronger than its thin and fragile frame suggested. Even the sounds it made when its mouth was closed shook Tenacia's bones.

Twist waited and watched the darkness before him closely.

Then out of the darkness came a huge slime, flying through the air and hitting Twist square in the gut. The noctav was knocked back and slammed into Tenacia and the drekavac. All of them were now stuck in the big fat slime, Tenacia struggled as half of her was in it, whilst the drekavac tried to remove its completely covered head. The whole slime jiggled as the drekavac tried to shriek.

“Darn” Twist said, trying to get out of the slime himself, most of his arms were in the slime, but his hands were free. He got ready to cast a spell, then his ears rose as he heard a shattering noise. The light of this staff dimmed.

"Heavy air around us... Wait, why can't I feel the magic around me?" Twist's eyes widened, "Wait... Antimagic field!"

Lionel walked forward and wiped slime off of his hands, he had been the one throw the slime. Then Klamka strode forward, one less mason sphere on her armor.

"Antimagic bomb" she stated, wiping slime off of her hands.

“And that’s what you get for sliming us” Lionel chuckled, wiping slime off his breastplate.

“It is the end of the road half-dwarf and noctav, you are both coming with us to Behemoth” Klamka coldly said, unsheathing her sword and pointing it at Twist.

“I refuse! Why are you two knights even serving those crazed cultists anyway? You lunatics part of their twisted faith?” Tenacia asked angrily.

“Nope, it is for money mainly” Lionel interjected, he shrugged a bit embarrassedly when Twist and Tenacia glared at him.

“What about you ma’am?” Twist asked, turning to Klamka “What is your stake in all of this? You’re clothes look paladinish, so I assume you are a follower of Chaelum?”

Klamka looked at him for a bit, there was contempt in her eyes but also interest.

“The opposite honestly, I am a member of the Ironclad, a group of mage hunters. We eschew all things magical, including Chaelum. My stake is the good of my country. I agree that those cultists are indeed crazed, but they are allies of my homeland and ruler.”

“So you are helping them just because they are friends of your home?” Twist asked.

Klamka nodded.

“Is that really it?” He prodded, disappointed in the answer “No offense but that seems naïve, who helps someone they barely know?”

“Is that not the very definition of compassion?” Klamka responded pointedly.

“Hmm! That is a good point, but still you have interacted with them, correct? Don’t they seem suspicious or even unhinged to some degree?” Twist asked.

“Certainly, but if my father and king trusts them then they have my trust.”

“Ahh, so you are a princess?” Twist queried, surprised and fascinated.

“Yes, and that is quite enough questioning” Klamka hissed, realizing she had revealed too much information “Regardless of the identity of this cult, this Grand Faloon, I have been sent on a mission that I intend to fulfill it. You and your half-dwarf friend are coming with us.”

“Can I be left out of this insanity?” Delphine asked.

Klamka gasped and Lionel jumped back in surprise as they realized the purple hat on Twist’s head was alive.

“Quit gawkin’ at me!” Delphine hissed.

“Wait, you’re hat speaks?” Klamka asked Twist tentatively, “How can it still move in the antimagic field? Is it some sort of powerful artifact? We were not told of it.”

“Oh she isn’t my hat, I have that put away at the moment so she can rest on my head” Twist chuckled, “This hat, my hostile friends, is the great oracle Delphine”

Klamka’s jaw dropped and Lionel failed to stifle his own laughter.

“Yes yes! Lets all laugh at the talking hat! Ha ha ha!” Delphine raged.

“All jokes aside, Delphine has proven to be of great assistance to us!” Twist said.

“She has?” Tenacia began to ask, but then quickly reiterated “Yes she has! As helpful as an oracle can be! Up and beyond the call of duty!”

“I see… Well great oracle, I am sorry but we will be taking you as well. It is quite clear you have been an accomplice-” Klamka explained.

“ACCOMPLICE!?” Delphine roared, her raucous voice echoing through the tunnel.

“Me an accomplice to these two would-be Underworld spelunkers?! Do you know what I’ve been through with these two in just a few days?! And for that matter what I’ve been through for the last one hundred years?!”

Delphine continued to rant, Klamka winced, and Lionel held his hands on the ear holes of his helmet. Even the drekavac stopped it struggling to push its head deeper into the slime, Delphine’s cacophony too much even for it.

Tenacia would have covered her ears if her hands were free. Twist simply winced; his own hands also stuck in slime. Sometimes he wished he didn’t have super sensitive ears.

His mind ran. Batokl was still out hunting, so they could not get his aide. Something had to be done, or they would be caught.

Twist looked around the cavern, then at Tenacia, then his eyes turned to the drekavac in the slime with them. It was clearly getting angrier, it tried to screech, causing bubbles in the slime.

Twist thought for a moment. He had to buy them time, he had to distract the knights.

Klamka held her ears and said “Great oracle! Please calm yourself, I am sure we can sort this out and-“

Then she noticed Twist was smiling beneath Delphine, a broad and exaggerated smile. She lunged forward and grabbed Twist by the collar, holding his face in front of hers.

“Just what is so funny?” she growled “There is nothing funny here.”

“You two are getting yelled at by a hat” Twist chuckled “It is pretty darn funny!”

Klamka scowled at Twist, who only kept smiling.

“-idiots! All of you, idiots! And disrespectful! Deplorable! Dim-witted! Di-“

“Shut up you raggedy old hat!” Klamka roared, pointing her sword at Delphine now, “Or I will cut you into napkins!”

Delphine didn’t back down “Try it you ironheaded idiot! That overgrown butterknife couldn’t cut a piece of straw, let alone me!”

“This sword has been passed down from generation to generation, and it is still as sharp as it’s always been!” Klamka hissed, “It alone is older and wiser than some moronic oracle like you!”

“Ha! I’ve been oracling since before your great-great-great-grandparents were in diapers!”

“Is oracling a word?” Tenacia asked Twist.

“I have no idea” Twist admitted.

“Klamka, chill out” Lionel said, “We got more important things to worry about!”

“Indeed, being the pawns of a wicked cult” Twist said accusingly.

“Like I told you, whatever pays the bills” Lionel said, shrugging again. Though Twist could see in his eyes some unease.

“Besides, you are hardly one to talk, bat” Klamka growled, turning to Twist again and brgining his face up to hers, “You are a practitioner of dark arts from the deepest realms of the Underworld. Are you not some form of infernal?”

Tenacia bristled at this “This is rich coming from the mage hunter! You anti-magic lot are afraid of anything you don’t understand!”

More bubbles formed in the slime as the drekavac kept shrieking.

“It does seem like you are superstitious” Twist said, trying to think of a way to get under Klamka’s skin.

“It isn’t superstition. Do you know how dangerous magic is?” Klamka retorted.

Twist thought for a moment “Honestly yes, as someone who has been among mages for so long, yes I do. To hunt and stamp out all magic though is, frankly, stupid.”

“Extreme methods are sometimes necessary.”

You and my mother would get along well, Twist thought bitterly.

“I must disagree” he said out loud, “Magic is dangerous, but can also be a great asset. I’d also like to say that forbidding the worship of Chaelum is also rather ridiculous.”

“We need to rely on ourselves, not some esoteric spirit."

"Can we though? Having our future purely in the hands of mortals sounds like the perfect way to destroy ourselves."

Klamka’s face turned red, and she was about to argue further, when the slime that contained Twist and Tenacia began to shudder as more bubbles filled it.

One bubble got especially huge and popped

The drekavac’s screech was finally released and the slime was blown asunder by its force. Everyone’s hands went right to their ears as the penetrating screech made the whole tunnel shake. Tenacia grabbed Twist, who was roiling on the ground in agony, and dragged him back to Batokl’s cave. Klamka and Lionel tried to intercept her, but the utterly horrible shriek made them fall to the ground pain as well.

The shriek echoed through the tunnel, it was so loud no one heard the rocks fall down

When the dust settled, the drekavac fell to the ground, utterly exhausted.

Lionel opened his eyes and got his ears off his head. All he could hear rught now was a long high-pitched tone. He turned and saw Klamka getting up too. She looked ahead and scowled, Lionel turned and saw Twist and Tenacia were gone. Then they both turned and saw the huge mound of rocks and earth blocking the way to Batokl’s cavern.

“Well, I have a hunch we can’t get to them right now” Lionel lamented, though he couldn’t even hear himself.

Tenacia panted, looking at the cave in that now kept Lionel and Klamka away.

“Ohh thank goodness… Twist, I think you saying Chaelum helps out is pretty darn accurate” Tenacia remarked, though all she heard as a drone in her ears. Twist kept his ears covered and said something, though Tenacia couldn’t hear him.

The two looked at each other tiredly and returned to Batokl’s cave, hoping the slime king would return soon.

They wouldn’t have to wait too long, Batokl returned with a bunch of meat inside of him to feed his slimes. He soon found his wards had hearing damage so once again put his healing slimes to work.

Tenacia and Twist as slimes entered their ears to heal whatever the drekavac’s shriek harmed. Soon they could hear again.

“Thank you very much Batokl!” Twist said happily, taking off his hat to Batokl.

“You are welcome, friend” Batokl bubbled, his eye returning to its calm look with a big round pupil “I am happy you two are safe again, what happened that caused your hearing to be so harmed?”

Twist and Tenacia explained how Klamka and Lionel had found the cavern, then the encounter with the drekavac.

“Ahhh I see… So your pursuers know you are here now” Batokl said, frowning in concern.

“Yep, and on that note; can you help us get higher in the Underworld?” Tenacia asked “We confirmed where we want to go, and we need to get up to… Oshea right, Twist?”

“Correct! The layer right above us”

“Hmm I see” Batokl said concernedly “Are you sure? You do not need more rest?”

“Your hospitality has been great Batokl, but we gotta get going” Tenacia explained, “These two are tough, and while you could probably handle them, there is also the matter of their reinforcements”

Batokl’s eye bobbed up and down in affirmation.

“That is fair, then let me help you one more time! I know a good route that will get you to Oshea lickety-split” Batokl said, with a wide smile.