Michael looked at him with wide eyes.

A dryad. Aren’t those like nature’s demi-gods?

“Does that mean she’s powerful?” He asked.

“Very much so.” Pipo responded. “I have started to obtain information from my colleague. She will be with us shortly. From what I see, we face impending death.”

“Great. No biggie.” Erea said.

“Quiet.” Alex muttered.

The… half woman-half fungus was watching them. She was smiling, her body the pinnacle of beauty. Michael made sure to keep his eyes on her face, lest Erea have an unfortunately timed meltdown. Still, even the elf was disturbed. The dryad seemed amused to see them there and had obviously not put them to sleep yet, but she seemed confident. As if glancing at a group of interestingly colored mice.

“Pipo.” Alex said. “Can we defeat her?”

“No.”

“Can you reach your faction?”

“No.”

“Is there anything useful that you can tell us?” Michael asked.

The Halfling thought for a second, eyes thoughtful, before answering.

“The information available to me leads me to think that she is considering our worth. She is a dryad, yet lacks a forest or a focus of her power. This room serves as a substitute, yet a poor one. She is above us in power, yet she has survived as long as she has because she preyed on occasional wanderer, my faction’s sacrifice notwithstanding, while remaining unknown. A trap, not a predator. If she judges us to have powerful allies, she will refrain from killing us directly.”

“And use us as what?” Michael asked. “A bargaining chip?”

“Undoubtedly.” A voice said, startling them.

Michael jerked, before noticing the dwarf woman standing up. Well, dwarf girl, but it was hard to tell with them. She seemed wary and thin, but carried the same nonplussed expression that Pipo did.

“Pipo.” She said. “You have brought help. Not of our own.”

“Lavla. I did. The Bloodlinked are engaged. Away from possible contact.”

“I see.”

“Yes, very emotional and all, but can we get back to the subject?” Erea snapped. “Can that thing think?”

“In a manner of speaking.” Lavla said. “The more of her domain she possesses, the more of herself she is. Power, magic and mind all. With only this room, she can be thought of as a particularly smart animal. As smart as a human in certain ways, no offense,” she said, nodding to Michael “and as smart as a dog in others.”

Offense very much taken!

“Alex. Any response on the communication Spells?” Michael asked, knowing the Martial must have already thought of that.

“None. But I did feel them punch through. Right before the mold hardened. I think that’s what is blocking it.”

Michael nodded. That meant help was coming. They just had to beg for time. For the first time, Michael actually appreciated his fame. His being Kelunad’s pupil meant that the Martials would be mounting a much larger rescue force than normal. And him being Regitris’s favorite also meant that the Ascentionalists would be sending a response as well. It was good that their request for help actually went through for once. Still, Michael liked to have as many advantages as possible.

Kelunad. Are you there? I’m not asking for help, I’m just checking to see if you can hear me. Hello?

…guess not.

The situation was not impossible yet. Which was, of course, when the Dryad decided to start stepping towards them.

“Nobody move. We don’t know if she’ll take that as a sign of aggression.” Alex whispered.

“I’m taking her moving as a sign of aggression!” Erea furiously whispered back.

“It is better to stretch this out for as long as we can.” Lavla calmly said.

“Agreed.” Pipo confirmed.

“Of course you agree, you share the same fucking-“

“Erea.” Michael cut in. “We’ll be fine. We can watch out for each other. But the more time we spend without fighting, the more our chances of getting help increase.”

The elf didn’t like that, but nodded. In the time they talked, the dryad had reached them. She was now standing just a couple of steps before them, taking them all in. Michael observed her, as she peered at them, smiling widely, but with little apparent thought behind her actions.

More like a curious animal.

Instantly, their feet were covered by mold, encasing them up to their shins.

“What the-“

“Calm!” Alex bit out. “We’re not falling. It’s not a trap.”

“It’s not a friendly gesture either, Alex.” Michael said.

Yet the dryad didn’t continue to peer at them so aimlessly now. Her eyes focused on Lavla for a second. Before her body instantly flickered and changed. A second later, a second Lavla was standing before them, body composed of the same mold the dryad had been formed of before. The dryad, now wearing Lavla’s body, peered at the dwarf before looking at the mounds on the floor. She returned to look at the original dwarf and nodded, before switching her gaze to Pipo.

She’s… learning?

The dryad’s actions may be embarrassing, since she was replicating their bodies, only without any clothes, but they were also worrying. Gone was her smile now, replaced by a more ponderous expression. She flickered into Pipo’s form as well, though the Halfling felt no shame, even as Michael saw everyone studiously keeping their heads inclined up.

The dryad just looked between Pipo and Lavla, before nodding again, this time narrowing her eyes. Her eyes found Alex and her form switched once again.

Don’t look down, don’t look down.

Any other time? Might have been funny. Right now, though? Terrifying.

Yet this time, the dryad didn’t look perturbed. She simply quirked an eyebrow, looking slightly bored. The expression looked weird on Alex’s face, though the normally cheerful young man’s replica looked odd anyway, since he was composed completely from mold. The white skin and pitch black eyes weren’t exactly a catwalk look.

Once again, the dryad flicked his glance, only this time it was Michael’s turn. He noticed her change and in a second, a second Michael was staring back at him. Creepy, yes… but though the situation really didn’t call for it, an instinct moved his eyes.

Huh. It even shows my appendicitis scar.

Yes, a stupid gesture. But being terrified makes one do stupid things. And yet… his slight head movement also caused him to notice another movement, coming from his left. He glanced at that and noticed Erea looking at the dryad’s face, just like everyone else. Only she was completely red in the face.

Oh. Oh, you didn’t!

No time to continue that train of thought, though, as the dryad started laughing madly. No sound came out this time either, but her movement and gestures were clear enough for them to understand what she was doing.

“Michael?” Alex whispered. “What were you thinking of?”

“Uh, nothing.”

“It seems that your empty mind amused her.” Pipo commented.

“A defensive action by being thoughtless.” Lavla also spoke. “Commendable.”

“…yes. Exactly. Thank you.”

But though the dryad looked to be in better spirits, she once again turned her head, her body starting to flicker.

I will not look down.

She may have done it, but I will not.

I will not look down.

I will not…

…look…

…oh, wow. Oh, yeah, I definitely looked down.

Michael’s peeping was probably sloppy enough to be caught, but it wasn’t Erea that got pissed about it. Well, not the real Erea. The dryad’s face contorted into a mask of fury, her body once again changing, only this time turning into her original form.

Michael could feel the mold encasing his feet starting to drift upwards, as the dryad snarled soundlessly.

“Erea, what did you think of?” Michael asked.

“Nothing.” She snapped.

“Don’t give me that, she’s foaming at the mouth!”

“I… She turned into me naked, what do you think I thought of? I thought of burning the bitch alive!”

At that moment the dryad flinched her hand and Michael saw a wave of mold rise up towards them.

“|Barrier|!” he shouted, at the same time as Lavla spoke.

“|Life Drain|!”

A tingling sensation passed over his feet, even as he felt the wave of mold impact with his barrier. Alex used his vambrace to cast a more powerful shielding Spell, as Erea dragged him back. The dryad made to move forwards, but Pipo raised both his hands at her chest.

He spoke, at the same time Lavla did.

“|Wind Blast|”

Twin Spells came out of Pipo’s hands, blasting the dryad backwards and tearing her connection to the floor. As she flew, Michael noticed that the mold in the room turned to stillness. Unfortunately, the dryad was still between them and the exit.

“Fire Spells!” Alex ordered. “Burn an area around us.”

They did and managed to burn clear an uneven circle of about ten feet in all directions, before the dryad reasserted her connection to the room and sent a fresh wave towards them.

“|Fire Slash|!” Michael cast and waved his sword.

His Spell bit into the wave, collapsing it, but it didn’t stop it for long. Another gesture from the molded woman and the wave reassembled, a white-gray not quite liquid reassuming its course towards them. A |Barrier| Spell stopped it, but more hits were already coming.

“You can cast two Spells at the same time?” Alex asked.

“One of the advantages of being Bloodlinked.” Pipo responded.

“And the others?” Michael asked.

“To be revealed if needed.” Lavla said, just as calmly.

“If nee- damn it.” Michael cursed. “Fine. That Spell you used to get us out. |Life Drain|. Could you double cast that?”

“We could.” Pipo said, after a second of thought. “But we fear it would antagonize her.”

“I think she’s pretty much antagonized already.” Erea bit out, sending a |Light Arrow| towards an incoming wave.

“No. Not yet.” Lavla said.

Yet the dwarf’s words seemed prophetic, because after her sixth or so wave turned to mulch, the Dryad seemed to have enough. She didn’t attack herself. Or… maybe she did? Well, what was clear was that the being moulded herself back into the floor, before the entire room pulsed. Floor, walls, ceiling, everything. It pulsed and cone-like protrusions appeared from it, growing everywhere. Different sizes, the tallest being around a foot in length. They covered every available space, minus the area the five had cleared, and were continuing to clear around themselves.

They didn’t get a chance to ask what that was, because with a final pulse, the cones shrunk, diffusing a type of mist into the air. No, not mist.

Spores.

“Don’t let that touch you! Don’t breathe it in!” Michael shouted.

No one bothered to reply, since they were all too busy casting. |Flame Dart|, |Fire Slash|, |Life Drain|, |Wind Blast|, |Frozen Wind|, |Fire Bolt|. Mainly fire based Spells. Michael would have appreciated the lesson in diversifying’s one repertoire, if the situation wasn’t as desperate.

“Pipo, any news from your faction?”

“We are not reaching them.”

“Damn it. I sent the request for help what… five minutes ago? Ten?”

“Closer to ten.” Michael responded, before incinerating a particularly aggressive miasma.

“We just need to hold this off.”

Pipo shared a look with Lavla. Odd, since they didn’t really need to.

“We know your vambrace.” The Halfling said. “It has a second function, correct?”

“Wh… yes, it does.” Alex said. “How do y- no. Never mind. Why do you ask?”

“The barrier it forms can be extended. Enough to shield all of us.”

“Oh…” The young man said, dejectedly. “That. It can, but it becomes fragile. If I stretch it that much, it won’t last-“

“Long.” The dwarf said. “That is alright. We can clear this wave of attacks. We only need security after it.”

“…alright.” He said, uncertainly.

Pipo nodded and reached out towards Lavla. The dwarf reached out herself and grasped his hand.

“|Crimson Link|.” they chorused. “|Mana: Sanguine Enrichment|. |Life Drain|.”

The last Spell was the only thing Michael had ever heard them speak with any kind of emotion. Yet the wave of Spell, though it hadn’t targeted him, made him woozy. He actually lost his balance for a second, his vision swimming. When he came to, he noticed that the mold around the entire room had withered away. Not entirely, but enough. It pulsed again, weakly and the protrusions started to grow once more. But slowly. Very slowly.

A sound told Michael that the two had collapsed on their knees behind him, and as he turned Alex used his vambrace to summon a spectral shield encompassing them all.

“It’s still growing.” Erea said. “It’s not dead yet.”

“We only took out its surface power.” Pipo said.

“The well is deep. We felt it.” Lavla continued.

“Don’t worry.” Michel told them. “You did a good job. You bought us time. Alex, how many hits can your barrier take?”

“One. Maybe two?”

“And you two. Pipo, Lavla, can you do that again?”

“No…” the Halfling said. “We used our Bloodlinked gifts. Used a Spell that gives back even as it takes. And still it nearly spent us.”

Michael nodded, looking at the room. The two mages said that the dryad had a deep well. Which meant they had only bought the group a break, not a victory. Still, it looked as if this time the attack charged slower. Help was coming. They just needed to-

“I have recovered the final memories from Lavla.” Pipo said, breathing slowly. “This force of nature represents rot. Infiltration. It has done the same to Gnosis, on a level I cannot understand.”

“It cannot control much, but it controls the room and its proximity. Its location. This is why the Bloodlinked have only now found this room after so much time spent searching.” Lavla continued.

“What do you mean?” Alex asked.

“Help is coming.” The Halfling spoke. “But it will not find us in time. The room is not where it was when we found it.”

That made Michael’s mind whirl. That meant that even if the others mounted a huge rescue party, they still wouldn’t be able to find them in time. Wait, could the shadowy mages not use oracular Spells on them? But would they even find out in due time? And if they did, would they care? But Gnosis was at least partially under the control of Regitris. The old elf had to make sure students didn’t die needlessly in this academy. Yet… they had almost died a few times. And the Bloodlinked had died ‘en masse’ at least a few times now. It was possible.

So worked up was he, that he almost didn’t hear what the dwarf said next.

“…not something we offer lightly. Yet in light of our plight, we see no other way. And you are worthy, this we have judged. There is only one path towards our survival and it is this. You must all become Bloodlinked.”