Snow Fight

by Winter Morgan

  The two set off to find the edge of the Corruption. The two walked for a while in uncomfortable silence. They didn’t know each other well, and despite all Asher was doing to help, Miles still didn’t really trust him.

  Asher finally broke the silence. “I really appreciate you accepting me into your group,” he began. Miles was certain he was about to ask a big favor. “You have such an amazing group of friends. I wish I could …” He trailed off. He looked so sad and lonely.

  Miles felt bad for him, and he felt guilty about mistrusting him. “You can stay with us for a bit, if you want,” Miles offered.

  Asher’s face instantly lit up. “Do you really mean it? You’re a great guy, Miles. Is there room for me in that great big tree house?”

  “I’m sure we can find a place for you,” Miles offered.

  “That would be amazing. A home is such an important thing to have,” Asher said. “You don’t realize what it’s worth until you leave yours behind.”

  Miles raised his eyebrows in surprise. Was Asher about to reveal something about his past? “Is that what happened to you?” he asked.

  “Kind of.” Asher grew silent.

  It was clear he didn’t want to talk about his past, but Miles pressed him for more details. “Where are you from?”

  Asher waved his hand vaguely in no particular direction. “I come from another world, far from here. Like you, I built houses and friends moved in. We traded and fought mobs. They taught me things about magic and the ways of the world. Same as you.”

  “What made you leave?” Miles asked, genuinely curious. He couldn’t imagine wanting to leave his friends and go off completely alone.

  Asher walked over to a nearby tree and picked at the rough bark. Miles felt like he was hiding something. “I’m an adventurer like you’re a warrior. I have to explore …”

  “Don’t you miss your friends?” Miles asked.

  “Sure I do,” he said almost too quickly. “Why wouldn’t I?” He tossed the piece of bark on the ground, his mood changing suddenly. “Hey, I’ve never been in this part of the forest before!”

  Miles heard a rustling sound and instinctively flattened himself to the ground. “Quick, get down!” he called to Asher.

  Asher obeyed, lying face down on the ground next to Miles. “What is it? More snowmen?”

  “Not this time,” Miles said, looking up. A large, one-eyed bug was circling at a distance. “It’s the Eater of Souls.”

  “That doesn’t sound good. What is it and how do we fight it?” Asher asked.

  “It’s like a giant jumping bug. I haven’t fought one yet, but I hear they can hurt you badly,” Miles cautioned him.

  Asher whipped his enchanted boomerang at the mob, killing it instantly. “Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he said smugly.

  As if in response, a dozen more bugs appeared overhead and began circling the duo. “Keep that boomerang out,” Miles advised. “Ranged weapons will keep them away.” Miles grabbed his yo-yo and with one swift stroke zipped it out to slice up the nearest enemy.

  “Nice,” Asher said. “You definitely are cut out for this!” He tossed out his boomerang and missed, but the weapon came back to his hand for another chance.

  Miles repeated the yo-yo trick a few more times until the weapon was spent, then zapped a couple with his Ice Rod. “I shouldn’t use up the Mana for these dirty bugs,” Miles realized. He switched to the throwing knives and took out the last few enemies. They made sure that was the end of the swarm, then went over to pick up the coins the enemy had dropped. “That’s a hefty pile of coins, should we split it fifty-fifty?” Miles asked.

  “No way, I only took out three. You got all the rest,” Asher protested. Miles waved away his protests and handed him half the coins anyway. “Thanks, man. Now I owe you again!”

  Miles looked around, noticing the air and ground had changed without them realizing. “The Eater of Souls only spawns in the Corruption,” he recalled. “Somehow we walked right into it without realizing it.”

  “Maybe it spread as we were standing here,” Asher guessed. “Does that mean it’s time for Purification Powder?”

  “Yes, I guess so,” Miles replied, taking out the powder and giving some of it to Asher. “Remember what Isabella said. Start at the edges and go toward the center. Then we start digging.”

  Asher watched Miles dust the ground. The purple grass instantly turned lush and green. Asher held up a palmful of powder and blew it outward across the purple grass. The powder traveled farther and faster.

  “That’s neat!” Miles copied Asher’s movements, and within minutes they had turned the whole surrounding area green. “Where’d you learn a trick like that?”

  Asher shrugged. “I figured it was worth a try.” Something in the way he said it made Miles think that wasn’t the whole truth, but he let it go. They had a long way to go before their mission was complete.

  “Ready to start digging?” Miles asked.

  “I’m ready when you are!” Asher replied, taking out a weird tool that Miles had never seen before.

  “What is that?”

  “Oh this? It’s a Laser Drill. Neat, huh? It’s the best digging tool around. We can get through the Corruption in no time with this.” Asher fired up the drill and it instantly cut through ten layers of corrupted dirt.

  “Wowee!” Miles whistled with admiration. “I’d like to get my hands on one of those!”

  “You’ll have to find a Martian saucer first.” Asher said casually.

  “You’ve seen one?” Miles asked.

  “No, not me,” Asher said modestly. “I had a traveling companion once, like you. She gave it to me. As a gift.”

  Miles couldn’t believe someone would give away a tool that valuable. He put aside his curiosity, though, because he saw there was much work to be done. Miles began hacking the dirt with his pickaxe. It had once been his favorite mining tool but next to the drill, it felt like he was using a wood slab.

  They were far down and still hadn’t dug out the last of the underground Corruption. Suddenly, Miles heard a burrowing sound. “Asher, is that you?” he asked nervously.

  Asher appeared on his other side. “Is what me?”

  “That swishing sound,” Miles replied, swapping his pickaxe for his wrench. “Sounds like a snake.”

  The ground shook. A snake broke through the corrupted dirt and flew out toward them. “A Devourer,” Miles exclaimed, remembering what Matthew had taught him. He released his wrench, hitting the snakelike creature in the head. “Use a ranged weapon if you can.” More snakes poured out and began circling.

  Asher pulled out a handful of spiky balls. Miles noticed they looked exactly like the ones Isaac had thrown at the unicorns. Asher tossed them at the approaching snakes. His aim wasn’t great, but every other hit destroyed a piece of an enemy. Miles repeated his wrench throws with more accuracy, but his hits were less potent. He shot the remaining snakes with the Dao of Pow, confusing them enough that he could finish them off with his yo-yo and Asher’s poorly aimed explosions.

  “I think we got them all,” Asher said proudly. “We make a good team in a fight.”

  “Sure we do,” Miles responded politely, though he felt he deserved more credit than his partner. “How is the underground Corruption situation?”

  Asher jumped into the large pit he had dug and examined a handful of dirt. “There’s one more patch of Corruption and my drill is out!” he called up. They were out of powder, too. Then he remembered the Holy Water. Isabella said it was for an emergency and this seemed like a good time to use it. He tossed the bottle down to Asher who uncorked it and purified the last bit of corrupted land. “We’ve done all we can for now,” he called up to Miles. “Let’s head back.”

  Miles gave him a hand getting back up and the two of them climbed to the surface. As they traveled back to the Hallow, Miles was grateful Asher wasn’t in a talkative mood. Something was bothering him about Asher and he was trying to put his finger on it. He h
ad been uncomfortable talking about his past. And he had that suspicious alien weapon from his former companion. But what was bothering Miles most was the spiky balls. The Tinkerer had always kept a stash ready to toss in a fight. Asher had disappeared right when Isaac was taken down. Could Asher have taken Isaac’s weapons after he was killed, or even before? Miles didn’t like being suspicious, but Asher was not making it easy to trust him.

  Chapter 12

  THE RETURN OF THE FROST LEGION

  Miles and Asher made their way back to the Hallow, appreciating the changes they made in the landscape with their hard work. As Asher chatted about their daring mission and narrow escape, Miles found it harder to keep his suspicions to himself. That, combined with the fact that he had finished all the snacks he had packed for the journey, was making him very grumpy.

  “I’ll bet that’s the last of the Corruption,” Asher said confidently.

  “You’d lose all your coins with a bet like that.” Miles sighed. “We’re going to need a lot more Purification Powder to rid this world of Corruption. And it’s totally unfair that we need to use what we earned to pay for the Purification Powder to get rid of the Corruption. Everyone benefits from it but only we have to pay.”

  Asher nodded in agreement. “I hear you loud and clear, Miles. It’s not fair that you do all the work and make all the sacrifices but everyone gains from it. That’s why I got out of the game and became an adventurer. I travel alone and take care of myself,” he said proudly. Miles thought it was probably the most honest thing he had ever heard Asher say.

  As they approached the Hallow, a message appeared: “The Frost Legion has arrived.” Miles and Asher broke into a run to warn the others. “The Frost Legion is back! Weapons ready, everyone!”

  “You know how to make a grand entrance!” Sarah called out as Miles ran past her.

  “Stick with me, Stylist. You’ll never be bored!” Miles called back as he ran up the tree house steps to grab his Mythril Armor, Palladium Repeater, and Cobalt weapons he had crafted ages ago. He was excited to be able to finally put them to good use. Fighting these snowmen was getting a little routine with his old tools.

  He threw open the storage chest, but all he found in the inventory was a pair of binoculars and a bone feather, neither of which were his.

  Miles slammed his fist on the lid. “Stolen! I can’t believe it!” He heard a commotion from below and looked out the window. The Frost Legion had arrived. This was the most dangerous legion yet, and he had to get down there, even if he had lame weapons.

  He arrived in the thick of the battle as his friends were already throwing wrenches, fireballs, explosives and other projectiles at the snowmen. He felt proud to be a member of this team of dedicated fighters, and even more proud to be considered its leader. He looked over and saw Asher slashing at snowmen with better aim than he had shown in the past. On closer inspection, the sword actually looked like the Beam Sword the armored skeleton had dropped when he and Sarah defeated him.

  That proves he’s a thief, Miles thought. That sword was mine. The thought made him angry. Angrier than he had ever been. In a rage, he brought his broadsword down, hacking at every snowman that moved. He then took out his wrench and shot it into the oncoming crowd, taking out five or six with each throw.

  When the fight was over, a message appeared. “The Frost Legion has been defeated.”

  “It’s about time those things stopped coming around,” Asher said, carefully placing the sword back into his inventory. He saw Miles looking at him and recognition flashed across his face. Asher could tell Miles was angry and he didn’t seem surprised. Asher dusted himself off and announced, “Well, if that’s done, I’m off to mine for some potions. Back in a bit!” Then he dashed off.

  Without a word, Miles followed him.

  “Hey, where ya goin’? Miles, I can give you that makeover now!”

  “Maybe later, Sarah. I have some business to attend to,” Miles replied as he stalked after Asher.

  He didn’t have to travel far before he saw Asher in a clearing. He was lying on a rock, hands behind his head and looking at the sky as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He jumped up as he heard Miles come near. “Who’s there?”

  Miles was still so angry, he didn’t trust himself to speak. He stood there and waited for Asher to notice him. Asher put his hand up to shield his eyes from the sun. “Oh, hi Miles! What’s up?”

  “I’d like to see your sword please,” Miles demanded.

  “Which one? I have a few,” Asher answered.

  “The Beam Sword,” Miles said quietly. “The one you were fighting the Frost Legion with.”

  “Oh, is that what it is? It’s a nifty little thing. Glows, too,” Asher said, trying to sound casual as he took the sword from his inventory and handed it to Miles. “Bought it off a Goblin a while back.”

  Miles examined the sword. It looked exactly like the one he had gotten in the cave. He flicked the sword toward a tree and a bullet came flying out.

  “I had no idea it could do that,” Asher said, clearly surprised.

  “You bought it and didn’t even know what it could do?” Miles challenged him. “You’re smarter than that, Asher. I think you’re craftier than you let on.”

  “And you’re smarter than I thought you were,” Asher said. He jumped to his feet and grabbed the sword from Miles. “I’ll take that back, thanks.” Asher pointed the sword at Miles. “I try to stay away from danger, if you couldn’t tell.”

  Miles cursed himself for not being ready for an attack. He drew his broadsword and clashed it against the Beam Sword Asher was holding. “You stole that from me.”

  “You can’t prove anything. It’s in my inventory and I say I got it from a Goblin. It’s your word—or sword—against mine.” Asher began dueling with Miles. He was more skilled at this type of combat than with ranged weapons, Miles noticed.

  “Cut it out, Asher. I don’t want to hurt you. I just want my weapons back and I want you to leave. I promise if you do that, I won’t come after you.”

  “Why would I leave?” Asher asked, grinning. “I have a nice home in the Hallow, and good friends, all thanks to you. But now I don’t need you anymore. If you leave, I won’t have to hurt you.”

  Miles jumped up onto a rock and tried to win an advantage over Asher as they continued their sword fight. “You talk a big game, Asher, but you’re all talk, no game.”

  Asher whirled to avoid Miles’s blade, but he stumbled and the broadsword blade cut his shoulder. “Ouch! That hurt!” Asher exclaimed.

  Miles realized he was getting the best of him. Asher was hurt and his attacks were getting slower and sloppier. Miles kept up his steady stream of hits against Asher’s sword. He didn’t want to hurt the guy. Miles only wanted to defend himself. Asher held up a hand. “Can we call time out for a second?” He was panting.

  “Time out? Who calls time out in a battle?” Miles replied, but he held up his sword for a moment. “But if you need a time out, I’ll resume beating you in a few moments.”

  “Thanks, pal. I’m thirsty.” Asher pulled a potion bottle from his inventory and downed it, becoming instantly invisible. “Ahh,” said Asher’s disembodied voice. “That’s much better. See ya!” Asher’s voice and footsteps faded away.

  Mile picked up the discarded Beam Sword and wiped it clean, placed it in his inventory. For once, I’m not happy that I was right, he thought as he headed off to break the bad news to his friends.

  Chapter 13

  BACK IN THE HALLOW

  Miles was happy to find that everyone was together back at the Hallow. They were seated at the long dining room table he had crafted when he built the extra rooms. Sarah was the first to notice his arrival.

  “You can’t avoid that makeover forever, you know,” Sarah joked, making room for him at the table. “I know where you live now.”

  Autumn looked past Miles. “Where’s Asher? Didn’t you leave with him?”

  Miles snorted. “Yeah, more li
ke tracked him down and exposed him.”

  “I know you’ve never trusted him, but aren’t you being a little dramatic?” Isabella asked. She had such a trusting nature. Miles felt bad telling her the truth, but he had to be honest. It was the only way of protecting them all.

  “He stole my sword. The one I got with Sarah in the cave,” Miles explained. “I went after Asher to give him a chance to explain where he got it, but he attacked me.”

  “Where is he now?” John asked.

  Miles shrugged and laughed. “I have no idea. He could be here in this room right now.”

  Everyone looked around, confused. Jack even looked under the table.

  “Invisibility potion, eh?” Cedric asked. “He bought that from me before you left. Said it was his favorite escape route.”

  “Yeah, I was beating him in a sword fight but he called time out.”

  “You can’t call time out in a sword fight!” Jack shouted.

  “Agreed,” Miles said. “When he called time out, he drank the potion, disappeared and that’s literally the last I saw of the guy.”

  Autumn was trying not to laugh, but she couldn’t help herself. “So you’re a great warrior and you get taken by the oldest magic trick in the book?”

  Miles laughed along with her. “I never said I was perfect. But I also told you guys I didn’t get a good feeling from him. Many of you were suspicious of him, too!”

  Isabella looked like she was about to cry. “Why would he turn on you like that?”

  Miles shrugged again. “I don’t understand what the guy is up to. Sometimes he’s helpful, generous and happy to be here. But he took my sword and …” Miles didn’t want to accuse him without evidence, but everything pointed in his direction. “He may have stolen other weapons, too.”

  “That’s a big accusation. Do you have any proof?” John asked.

  “I don’t,” Miles admitted. “But I can’t worry about him now. I can only warn you all against Asher and caution you not to trust him. We have the Corruption to fight.” He turned to Isabella. “So, Dryad, how are we doing against the Corruption?”