Slothy whined as more of the strange shell creatures emerged from the mists. She was tired, and it wasn’t fun anymore.

A dozen of the things lay in a path behind her, but they just kept coming. It was as if they didn’t understand that she was a princess!

The clicking intensified as the creatures drew even closer.

“Fuck off, ya bastards!” Gavin yelled from her back.

Slothy swiped another one out of the air, crushing it beneath her paws.

She was trying to decide whether she should try and run through them or not when it happened.

The clicking was just starting to speed up again when a light appeared in the sky above Slothy, and she slumped.

“Wha’s wrong, beastie?” Gavin asked. “Don’ give up, lass!”

Slothy ignored her pet for the moment and decided to take a nap.

She was tired and didn’t need to deal with this anymore.

Her little person was here now.

“GET AWAY FROM MY SLOTHY!” Bell descended from above, fury pulsing from her like a supernova. Her blades came with her. A storm of knives moving at speeds too fast to see hit the surrounding creatures, their shells cracking as they fell in droves.

“HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!” Bell roared, and her Ringer swung, a glowing blue form the size of a tree in her rage. The startled dwarf atop Slothy stared in wonder as Bell vented her fury at the monsters in the mist. So great was her slaughter that a fine black rain began to fall as the black ooze inside the creature was flung into the air in such large numbers.

The creatures soon retreated, with Bell flying off after them… none would escape her if she had any say in it.

Gavin watched the glowing light fade into the distance as Slothy began to snore.

“Ye Gods,” He wiped a few spots of black ooze from his head with a grimy hanky. “These people are fuckin’ bonkers.”

A single clicking noise came from the mist ahead of them. Gavin slowly turned, seeing a single survivor of Bell’s onslaught floating out of the mist ahead of Slothy’s sleeping form.

“Ah, Beastie?” He shook Slothy, but she just rolled onto her side and kept snoring. “Beastie!” He tried again.

Slothy slept on.

Gavin searched frantically for a weapon or sight of the enraged Bell returning, but there was no sign of either. Just the dead bodies of the shattered shell creatures.

With one eye on the thing ahead of them, he darted from body to body, trying to find something, anything to use.

It was almost within reach of Slothy.

In desperation, he grabbed a long, sharp, chitinous leg from one of the fallen creatures and yanked.

He fell over, the ooze not holding it at all.

Looking behind him, it was reaching for Slothy…

“No, ye don’t, ye GREAT BASTARD!” Gavin roared as he ran up the sleeping Sloth-Bear and launched himself into the air from her shoulder. He brought all his strength to bear as he brought the improvised spear down on the shell.

There was a loud crack, and it stuck in the shell.

“Ha!” Gavin yelled, pushing it further into the shell. “Got ya, aye!”

Tentacles wrapped around his legs, pulling him down. He got one foot on the lip of the shell and pushed, bringing the other on up and braced against the shell as well.

A large wet eye on the end of a large stalk rose next to him as he struggled to hold on and jab the spear in further.

“What are you lookin’ at?” Gavin snarled, headbutting the eyeball. A high-pitched keening sounded for a second, and then the clicking returned as more tentacles wrapped around his legs.

“Ge’ fucked!” Gavin swore, wrapping his arms around the spear as the tentacles started to pull even harder. “I’ll take ya with me, ya creepy shite!”

A loud crack sounded, the combined strain of the dwarf and the thing pulling him down finally enough to crack the shell open.

“Hah!” Gavin yelled in triumph as it fell, riding the shell down as it fell from the mist. “Eh, Gods!” He waved at the smell, “Ye bastards stink, aye?”

A couple more clicks sounded in the mist.

“All right, then!” Gavin yelled, grabbing a second smaller chitinous claw for his other hand. “Come on, then!” He ran up the slumbering Slothy again. “Ol Gavin’s waiting, ya smelly wee bastards! Come on! No one’s hurting this ‘ere beastie on ma watch, ya ken!”

============

Bud heard the Dwarf yelling in the distance long before he saw him. The Bud patrol was moving slowly, killing the strange creatures in the mists before they were seen.

He was not surprised the Dwarf was not so lucky.

While fully aware he had only ever met one of their species, he would be willing to bet heavily that ‘quiet’ and ‘stealthy’ were not words often used to describe the dwarfs.

What was a surprise was finding the Dwarf standing on Slothy’s sleeping form and threatening the two mist creatures. There were many bodies of the things around here, and he sensed Bell nearby.

It seemed she had passed through and left Gavin, of all creatures, on guard.

The dwarf’s many disparaging comments about Slothy had not endeared the stocky humanoid to Bud.

This… this was unexpected.

“Ge’ back!” Gavin roared at an approaching Shell. “You’ll no touch a single bit of fur, aye?” It ignored him and came on anyway.

Bud drew an arrow but hesitated as the dwarf leaped, hammering the broken legs he was holding into the shell as it fought to pull him inside.

“FUCK! YOU!” Gavin roared, driving the points through the shell and jumping back as it died.

The other came forward, trying to get to the slumbering bear, and again, the dwarf threw itself in the way.

This time, he was grabbed and pulled towards the large opening in the shell.

Bud drew, aimed, and fired.

The Shell shattered from the impact, and a rain of block ooze flooded over the dwarf as it dropped him.

“Ah, Gods!” Gavin gagged. “It got in me mouth!” Gavin heaved and gagged. “Gods Below, it tastes like yesterday's unwashed arsehole!”

Bud raised a hand and gestured, the Bud Patrol rushing out of the mist and forming up around Slothy.

Gavin waved as he tried to find something clean to wipe his mouth clean with.

Bud carefully tucked his own spotless cloth out of sight.

If Bert had taught him one thing, it was that pettiness can be good for the soul.

“Never thought I’d be glad to see a walkin’ skelly,” Gavin said as Bud emerged from the mists and gave Slothy a scratch behind her ears. She rumbled contentedly in her sleep.

“Not happy to see us?” Tru’nal asked archly.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Ach, I’m always glad to see a fine tall lass like yer fine self!” Gavin grinned… the line was spoiled somewhat by another attack of gagging.

“What happened?” Bud asked, his hand still resting protectively on Slothy’s head.

Gavin told them what little he knew from within the Barn and how they had ended up out in the mists, then he gave a blow-by-blow of Slothy’s demolishing of the undead bear and, finally, Bell’s arrival and fury.

“I see,” Bud nodded thoughtfully. “And then?”

“Nothin’ much,” Gavin shrugged. “Jus’ you lot turnin’ up.”

“You did not encounter more of the creatures?” Bud asked.

“One or two,” Gavin said. “I think the pixie lass killed most of ‘em.”

Gavin looked around, seeing at least three more corpses that had marks consistent with the improvised weapons Gavin was still holding.

“How did it trick you out of the Barn?” Sal’ali asked. “It got us when Slothy was taken.”

“Aye, me too.” Gavin nodded.

“You went after her?” Bud asked.

“Of course,” Gavin patted Slothy’s paw.

“She kidnapped you,” Sal’ali said. “You have been very vocal about that fact.”

“Well, she’s only a littleun, aye?” Gavin said. “Cannae help no understanding things.”

Bud pulled out his clean cloth and handed it to Gavin.

“Oh, ta!” he said, wiping his face and hands.

“Bud!” Bell called cheerfully as she appeared out of the mists, “Everyone okay?”

“All fine here,” Bud called. “How are Bert and the rest?”

“Bert will sort them,” She nodded. “It was Felicia.”

“I assumed.” The skeleton waived at the mists. “It is a logical place for her to attack.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Bell rolled her eyes.

“Bert warned this would happen, didn’t he?” Bud asked innocently.

“Maybe,” Bell admitted grudgingly. “Stop smirking!”

“I am a skeleton; I can’t smirk,” Bud said, turning away.

“You are so smirking!” Bell protested.

“I am literally incapable,” Bud insisted.

“You have smirk energy,” Bell huffed.

“Uh, excuse me?” Gavin called.

“What?” Bell asked.

“Shouldne hang around here, aye?” Gavin added.

“Don’t worry,” Bell laughed. “I killed everything in the area when I got here.”

“Actually, there were a number after you left,” Bud pointed them out.

“What?” Bell growled. “How?”

“I suspect they are not entirely here until they are.” Bud shrugged.

Bell looked again at Gavin. The dwarf was industriously scrubbing at his face, trying to get the gunk off it.

She looked at Bud, who nodded to her.

Bell smiled. She always liked to see her baby's new pets settling into their roles. Unlike Bert, she saw nothing wrong with having a Dwarf as a pet.

“Here,” Ric handed Gavin a spare knife. “Not good to be unarmed out here.”

“Thanks, lad!” Gavin said.

“Take this as well.” Gor’tal handed him a hammer mace one of the elves that attacked them had used.

“Ooh, ta!” Gavin seemed much happier now.

“Alright, you lot,” Bell clapped her hands. “Let’s get back to the Waystation.”

“The beastie is sleepin,” Gavin said apologetically. “She didn’ee wake when I tried.”

“Slothy!” Bell called. “Time to go home!”

Slothy rumbled and sat up with a yawn. After a scratch and a shake of her head, she sniffed the air and scooped the dwarf onto her back before lumbering off toward the Waystation.

Bell grinned as they set off into the mist.

=========

“You sure we shouldn’t go get them in the Express?” Wendy asked doubtfully as she remotely reversed it back into its spot on the Waystation.

“No, they aren’t far now,” Bert smiled at his daughter. “Bell is with them, so it’s better to wait than split up any more than we have to.”

“Okay,” Wendy sighed. “I’ll just be happier once I know they are all okay.”

“Me too,” Bert admitted.

“Soo, are we going to talk about what happened?” Wendy asked.

“Once we get out of this mist,” Bert shrugged.

“Is she really gone?” Wendy asked.

“I doubt it,” Bert admitted, his shoulders tensing. “How’s Scruff?”

“She’s fine, I think.” Wendy crossed her arms. “Doesn’t want to talk about it just yet.”

“She’ll talk when she’s ready,” Bert reassured her.

“Do we even know who these people were?” Wendy asked.

“Sort of?” Bert hedged. “Some kind of champions for Felicia.”

“Weird,” Wendy said.

“Yup,” Bert agreed.

“What’s that?” Wendy asked, pointing into the swirling clouds around them.

Bert stared, seeing a shape moving slowly towards them out of the mist.

“It looks like a… floating conch shell?” He sighed and changed his hand into a crossbow, summoning his shield as he did so.

“Is it dangerous?” Wendy asked.

“I’m not taking a chance,” Bert said as he aimed a crossbow bolt at it and fired. The glowing heat rune on the bolt illuminated a path to the shell, which cracked, then shattered, whatever was inside catching fire as it fell. The crackling flames showed other shells in the shadowy mists behind it.

“Lights!” Bert yelled, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up as goosebumps rose on his arms.

The lights atop the walls of the Waystation came on, casting a warm light into the area.

Clusters of shells were approaching from every spot they could see, and a faint clicking noise could be heard.

“Okay,” Bert said, backing up. “New plan, get the Express, and go get the others back here now.”

“On it!” Wendy ran up the drawbridge and into the Waystation as Bert stared to fire at the approaching shells. They went down easily, but there just always seemed to be more of them waiting to take their place.

The air horn of the Express sounded behind him as Wendy rolled it down the ramp and off into the mists.

Bert tensed as she approached the line of creatures, but they just shattered against the tough metal of the Express, not even slowing it down.

Wendy gave another blast of the air horn as she drove out of sight.

Bert had given up using his bolts. It was like trying to stop a tide by building a wall one grain of sand at a time. He was incapable of firing fast enough.

Fortunately, these things seemed to burn extremely well.

He had switched to summoning large Heat runes beneath groups as they approached, causing them to burst into flame.

With these runes, he had already closed off three sides of the Waystation, but the last was proving a challenge. Even using some of the Waystation’s mana, this was pushing his limits to breaking point.

Bert was sweating and panting as he tried to summon another rune. It felt a lot like trying to lift too much weight but in his head instead of his muscles.

The approaching rumble and crash sounds were a welcome sign the Express was almost back.

The vehicle burst through a line of Shells with Slothy holding onto the top. Bert was pleased to see the cab stuffed with people. If it was that full, they got everyone out.

“Boo!” Bell yelled as she flew down next to him. “Miss me?”

“Of course,” Bert grinned. She seemed to be waiting for something. “What?”

“I was waiting for the rest of the joke?” She asked, suddenly seeming awkward.

“I don’t really have time for jokes, sorry.” Bert winced as his headache kept building. “What rest of the joke?”

“Never mind,” She rubbed her hands against her trousers. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Get everyone on board and then drive off?” Bert suggested. “They don’t seem dangerous to the Express, so….”

“On it!” Bell said. “As soon as you are all inside, I’ll get us moving!” She flew off towards the control tower, then flew halfway back, “Missed you too!” She buzzed off again.

===============

Bert collapsed into his chair in the control tower. Bell hummed happily as she drove the waystation through the Valley of the Mists.

Everyone was back on board and getting some much-needed rest. It had not exactly been a good day, but it ended with everyone back on board, safe and sound. So that was something.

“You should get some sleep,” Bell said. “I’ve got this.”

“You need sleep too,” Bert said, sitting up straighter and wiping at his face. “I’m okay.”

“Just sleep, you idiot,” Bell laughed at him. “You can take over from me later.”

“If you’re sure.” Bert felt his chair shifting and lay back.

“I’m sure,” Bell laughed. “Sleep well.”

Bert opened his eyes in a dark hall. No, not dark. Black. He could see just fine, but everything from the stone floor to the walls and the ceiling was entirely black.

“Oh, fuck sake!” He grunted to himself, “What now?”

A soft chuckle made him look round. A black desk was behind him, with a pair of black chairs and a… figure, an even darker black blur.

“Please, take a seat, Mister Hudson.” The shape gestured to one of the chairs.

“Who are you, what are you, and can I opt out of whatever the fuck this is?” Bert sighed.

“Sit.” The figure waved, and he was sat. There were no in-between states. No thought or movement. Just a command and a new reality. “Thank you.”

Bert tried to speak, finding he couldn’t remember how.

What the fuck was going on?

“Who I am is so far beyond your understanding that it is irrelevant. What I am is… complicated. Suffice for now to say that my kind was here before there was mortal life or light, or well… anything in what you call the universe. As far as opting out, there is nothing to opt out of.”

Bert gestured at his mouth, and the being nodded.

“Why am I here?” He asked, finally able to remember how that worked.

“A good question,” The figure said blandly. “You are here to get an explanation of recent events.”

“I’m listening,” Bert said.

“I’m having difficulty deciding how to explain it all to beings as intellectually limited as you.” The figure hesitated.

“Smart enough to figure out you just called me stupid,” Bert said tartly.

“Yet not smart enough to change my mind,” The being sighed. “Let's try this… bad lady made you cry. I made bad lady go away.”

“Ha Ha Ha,” Bert monotoned. “Why?”

“I know you might struggle to understand this, mortal, but this isn’t really about you.” The figure leaned back in their chair. “As long as she remains a Watcher, she can no longer affect you.”

Bert and the figure stared at each other for a while.

“Why are you still here?” It asked eventually.

“You brought me here, pal,” Bert said. “I have no idea how to get out.”

“Of course, such a limited species.” It waved a hand, and Bert felt himself fading back into sleep.