Scouring Majula (Ellen's Friends Book 3)
Page 11
It didn't need to be anything complex. A small, one room cabin with a bed would suffice. She could already picture it in her head. It was a cozy little house made of logs with a brick chimney. Barry was waiting beside the door, a smug grin on his face, and Tear stood right behind him. Both were urging her to invite them inside.
Her face started warming up. She stuffed a few more pieces of monster meat into her mouth then hurried outside.
Ellen's eyes immediately went to the collapsed part of the watchtower, and all of her pleasant thoughts vanished. The world was not a nice place. No, it was a crumbling wasteland full of things that wanted to butcher her and everyone she cared about. It was showing her a bit of kindness right now, but it definitely had something awful in store for her in the future.
After breakfast, she continued down the pristine road, the rest of the group following behind her.
"I should've asked the chief about these towers," Brendon said after a while. "They aren't that old. Someone from the village had to have come out here recently and built them."
"It was the chief's sons," Sycamore said, his face buried in one of his books. "One of the villagers I met yesterday told me about them. He didn't remember anything at first, but it came back to him once I started pressing him. He also told me a research team headed south out of the village a few weeks ago. He couldn't remember what they were researching, but I'm sure they had a hand in that strange explosion."
He closed his book.
"It's probably going to stay a mystery," Sycamore said with a sigh. He looked to Alice. "I'm glad you found some new clothes. They make it a lot easier to tell you and Ellen apart."
"That's why I did it," Alice said quietly.
After everything Alice had said about her showing others her underwear, Ellen could not turn down an opportunity for a counterattack. "She didn't change her clothes because she wanted to, she actually drank too much and made a huge mess in her old pants."
Alice looked horrified. "Why would you say that?"
Ellen smiled. "Because it's true." Or at least, it was half true, but the others would never know how much she'd exaggerated. "I was there when it happened. Remember?"
"I thought I smelled something strange," Tear said, sniffing the air. She moved away from Alice. "I hope there's another stream up ahead."
"But I'm not wearing those clothes anymore," Alice said, her voice racing. "And it doesn't matter because I never-"
"I told you not to drink so much," Sycamore interrupted. "I'm not the best source of worldly advice, but I do know a few things, especially about alcohol. You should be grateful Ellen didn't leave you in the middle of the village with your pants full."
Alice turned bright red. She opened her mouth, presumably to argue, but then Brendon started chuckling and she lowered her head in defeat.
It was almost time for lunch when the forest became gray.
The change happened so abruptly Ellen made it over a dozen steps before she fully noticed the color shift. Every part of every tree, from their lowest roots up to their highest leaves, plus the ground beneath them, was gray. Many of them looked half or nearly dead. Something seemed to be sucking not just the color but also the life out of them.
She looked over her shoulder expecting to see a gray tidal wave washing over the forest, but only the trees beside her and on the road ahead were different. Starting at a seemingly arbitrary point a few paces back, the forest still had its normal colors.
The others paused behind her. They looked confused at first, but after a few moments they too noticed the change.
"Are we still in the same dimension?" Sycamore asked. "What happened to this place?"
Tear pulled her bow from her back and held it up as if she was expecting a fight. "There's something really wrong with this area. It doesn't feel safe at all."
"I don't think there's a need for weapons just yet," Brendon said plainly. "This is a nice change if you ask me. I've been staring at pink for so long that my eyes are starting to ache."
There was something terribly off about the area, but it did not seem dangerous. Not yet, anyway. Ellen faced forward and continued down the pristine road.
The others followed silently behind her, their eyes studying the strange scenery.
Even the sky was gray, Ellen noticed after a while. Or maybe the sky had always been gray, and the trees as well, and everything she'd seen before today was some kind of hallucination.
She shook her head. While that probably wasn't true, this dimension was strange enough she couldn't completely rule out the idea.
She ate lunch on the move; not even Brendon wanted to sit down beside the odd colored trees.
It was not long before she spotted a clearing in the distance ahead. If there had ever been any trees in the area, all traces of them had been removed, and a hole as wide as a small house sat in their wake.
She followed the pristine road straight up to the hole, which she discovered was actually the entrance to an underground tunnel. It was well lit, by what exactly she couldn't tell, but it did not feel the least bit welcoming. Or warm. A bitter cold air seeped out from inside. The tunnel itself sloped downward at a sharp, barely traversable angle, and it was so long she could not see where it ended.
"What do you think is down there?" Ellen asked, peering into the strange earthly maw. Had the tunnel been created by someone burrowing down through the road, or had something underground dug its way up to the surface?
There was no answer. She turned around.
The others were standing a short distance away, their attention on a pile of broken slabs of stone.
"He's been here!" Alice cheered. "We're getting closer!"
Ellen joined them. Alice was clamoring over a rock with several words carved into its face while the others watched.
"Read it again!" Alice said.
"But you already know what it says," Tear whined.
"Read it again!"
Tear sighed, then read: "Alice. Hope you made it out of the castle. I'm waiting for you. Amadeo."
Alice squealed with delight.
"I wonder how far ahead of us he is," Sycamore said. "Do you think if I set off a few of my explosives they'll get his attention?"
"That last explosion we saw didn't get his attention," Brendon reminded him. "I doubt yours will be any different. Our best bet is to keep moving and hope he turns around."
"And which direction do we move in?" L.L. asked. "We can either keep following the road, or we can head underground." She looked to Alice. "You know this person better than us. Which path would he follow?"
Alice was too busy clamoring over the note to notice her.
L.L. lunged forward and grabbed her by her wrists. "We're trying to help you," she shouted, "so pay attention!"
"What's wrong with you," Alice complained. She tried to pull herself free, but she couldn't escape L.L.'s grasp. "Let go of me!"
"We've spent over a week wandering around this dimension because of you," L.L. said. "Either start helping us out or we're going to leave you behind."
Ellen winced. That was probably the worst thing she could've said. Alice still didn't have much trust in anyone. Having L.L. threaten to leave her behind would only make things worse.
She stepped forward and grabbed L.L.'s arm. "Let go of her," she said. "You're not helping."
Sycamore grabbed L.L.'s other arm. "What's with you lately? If you're going to take your anger out on someone, at least pick on someone who deserves it. Like me."
L.L. said nothing. She released Alice, who stood watching her with an especially hateful look, her hands halfway to her weapons.
Whatever had gotten into L.L. seemed to be over now. Ellen let go her arm and relaxed.
She blinked, and when she opened her eyes she was laying on her side with a terrible pain in her cheek.
L.L. had attacked her. She couldn't believe it. What had gotten into her? Were her real feelings finally coming to the surface, or was her sickness taking over?
She stood up. So did Sycamore, who lay nearby, a red mark on his cheek. "She's losing it," he muttered.
He ran after L.L. Ellen followed.
Tear was already trailing right behind L.L. "Leave her alone!" she shouted. "If you try to hurt her, I'll shoot!"
Would she really attack L.L.? Ellen had her doubts, but at the same time, this dimension seemed to bring out the worst in everyone.
She caught up to L.L. then trailed behind her, weary of making a move while L.L. was on high alert.
"What are we doing in this place," L.L. muttered. She sounded exhausted now, or maybe delirious. "Don't you know how dangerous it is here? Your friend is gone. Nobody can take on this world by themselves. We tried to teach you that, but you didn't listen."
"I don't need your help," Alice said. "Why are you doing this? Just get away from me!"
"I'm going to show you just how dangerous this world can be. You need to learn. Everyone needs to learn."
Ellen crept up closer to L.L. She'd have to act soon. L.L. was hell-bent on catching Alice, for what purpose she had only a faint idea, but chances were it would not end well for anyone.
She was almost close enough to tackle her when L.L. spun around and took a swing at her. The crimson blade passed so close to her face the air it stirred up ruffled her hair.
"You need to be taught a lesson as well," L.L. said, "but she's first."
"We know the world is dangerous," Ellen said. "You gave us your lecture back when we were inside that castle, and again when we first came to this dimension. Why are you bringing all of this up again?" But the answer was obvious. "You're sick. You need to snap out of it before you hurt someone."
"I'm the only one here who's sane," L.L. said. She eyed Tear, who stood fixated on her with her bow aimed and ready to shoot. "Try it. It'll be the last thing you ever do."
L.L. faced forward and continued after Alice.
Everyone in the village had been calm and complacent. Why was the sickness making L.L. so violent? There were too many questions and no time for answers. Ellen grit her teeth and resumed her pursuit.
Sycamore caught up with her. "This is just awful," he muttered. "Why do the strong ones have to go berserk? If Brendon turns on us then we're done for."
Where was Brendon? He could probably reach L.L. easier than anyone. She'd taken off so fast she had forgotten all about him.
As if given a cue, Brendon shouted: "Lindsey!"
L.L. stopped in place and looked to her right. Brendon was standing out in the open, his great axe in hand.
"I know what you're going through," Brendon said. "I'm sure the visions are bothering you, but you can't let them affect you like this."
"You don't know anything," L.L. scoffed. "Don't try to stop me. I'm stronger than I was back then. Nothing's going to get in my way this time."
"You've slipped," Brendon said sadly.
Violet energy gathered around him. He raised his axe into the air, and a swirling mass of axes appeared above him. The summoned weapons quickly grouped together and took the shape of a gigantic axe.
Ellen remembered that axe well. It was a living weapon. Back in the Monad Fortress, Brendon had once summoned two of them to save her from a giant, nasty monster that'd cornered her.
L.L. was not half as durable as that monster. Hopefully she'd realize that and come to her senses.
"We should take her weapons," Ellen whispered to Tear and Sycamore. Both nodded.
It was a good a plan as any. Those who had the ability to create magic weapons seemed to lose their magic when separated from their weapons. Or if nothing else, a hit from L.L.'s fists would not hurt as much as one from her swords.
"Put your weapons away," Brendon said. "We have a long road ahead of us. Cutting down the kids isn't going to make it any shorter."
"It's for their own good," L.L. said. "You've been overly confident lately as well. I think I need to teach you a lesson too."
She raised her swords into the air. A whirlwind of violet energy gathered around her. It was thick enough to obscure most of her body.
Ellen pulled back, taking Tear and Sycamore with her. They were completely outmatched. If L.L. really was going to summon her full power, they needed to run.
Brendon's living weapon shot forward and took a swing, not quite at L.L. but at the ground before her. It tore open a wide hole in the ground.
Despite having well over a hundred axes bearing down on her, L.L. held her ground.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Brendon asked. "I think we both know how it's going to end."
Energy continued to swell around L.L. "How long can you keep that axe-"
Now was a good a time as any. Ellen bolted forward. Tear and Sycamore followed.
The sound of racing footsteps caught L.L.'s attention. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Sycamore crash into her. Both let out cries of pain and went tumbling to the ground.
One of L.L.'s weapons slipped free from her hand and slid away. "You take it," Ellen told Tear. Tear responded with a nod.
Ellen waited until Sycamore had L.L. pinned to the ground, then grabbed her other sword by the hilt and pulled. L.L. held on tight, but with Sycamore grappling her she couldn't maintain her grip for long. Once the sword was hers, Ellen retreated back a few steps.
Brendon's living weapon dissolved into the air.
For a moment L.L. lay still, seemingly accepting her defeat.
"What was all that about?" Sycamore asked. "Are you-"
L.L. lashed out harder than ever. She kicked and thrashed and threw punch after punch until she finally dislodged Sycamore, then rose to her feet.
Ellen retreated even further away. L.L. could overpower her and Tear easily if she wanted to.
Her heart sped up when L.L. turned to face her, but then L.L. set her sights on Tear, whose eyes opened wide with fright.
L.L. only made it one step before Brendon's gauntlet covered hand shot forward and struck her hard enough to knock her off her feet.
"Don't make me do that again," Brendon said with a sigh. "I don't like it, and I'm sure you don't like it either, but you need to wake up."
That seemed to have reached her, because L.L. didn't get back up. She stayed on her hands and knees, panting hard. "Coco," she said after a moment, her voice timid and distant. "She's not here, is she?"
"Yeah," Brendon said sadly. "She hasn't been here for a long time now. You're seeing things." He helped L.L. to her feet. "We have to get moving. We're running real low on time."
Chapter 13
Coco was L.L.'s sister, Ellen learned while she waited for Brendon and L.L. to recover. That was all she'd learned, however. Neither L.L. nor Brendon were willing to speak another word about the issue. Their silence carried grim implications that she didn't care to rouse.
Tear joined her side. She was still carrying one of L.L.'s swords. "I hope I don't become like that," she whispered, eyeing L.L. "If I start acting like her, will you rescue me?"
"Yeah," Ellen said dutifully, and Tear smiled.
Was she really that afraid of losing control of herself? Or maybe she was thankful to have been shown some warmth after how she'd treated her last night. Either way, Ellen didn't mind having her close. If she was going to lose herself to a mysterious sickness, at least she'd have friends nearby as she slipped away.
Alice continued to stand off by herself. She'd put her weapons away, but she still harbored a spiteful expression. Ellen couldn't blame her for being upset, but hopefully Alice would realize that L.L. had not really meant all the awful things she'd said.
After a few minutes of resting, L.L. finally stood up. "How shameful of me," she said, sounding normal again. She eyed Ellen. "Did I hurt you?"
"No," Ellen said, then she winced. To say that L.L.'s sword had come close to hitting her wa
s an understatement. If she'd been standing an inch or two closer, she'd be missing a chunk of her head right now.
She almost didn't give L.L. her sword back. Tear was even more reluctant to hand hers over.
"I can't say it won't happen again," L.L. said, "but I'd like to imagine we're in the clear for now."
Tear shot her a bitter look.
"I might've lost myself for a moment," L.L. added, "but when I said you didn't stand a chance against me, I meant it. We're in completely different leagues."
Tear frowned even harder. "You-"
"So what was it like?" Sycamore interrupted. "Maybe if we know what to expect, this sickness won't hit us as hard."
"It's just like being in a dream," L.L. said. "You see all sorts of sights and sounds that aren't real, but they're so vivid it's impossible to tell what's fake and what isn't." She scoffed. "Those villagers are lucky. Their visions bring them peace, but all I see are things I wanted to forget."
"Mine are alright," Brendon said with a chuckle.
Sycamore pondered. "You know, I've never seen any gray forests before. Or pink forests, for that matter. Do you think this place is real or-"
"I doubt this sickness is potent enough to create a consistent world inside all of our heads," L.L. said, "but it's not impossible."
"This isn't a dream," Brendon said. His voice was firm, but his expression said he was worried. He looked to Alice, who was still standing off by herself. "Why don't you come over here and give us your input?"
Alice obliged and moved closer, but she kept her bitter gaze locked on L.L.
"Tell us about this friend of yours," Brendon said. "Would he explore a strange underground cave that's probably full of monsters, or would he stay above ground where it's safe?"