*Goblins* the Interface finished.

Thinking fast, I sifted through my options like a madman tearing pages out of a book.

Fight. Flee. Negotiate ... Nothing seemed right.

I looked down at my hand ... I was so handicapped by my lack of legs, an arm. ... WAIT a MINUTE.

I looked at Clarissa, who while shaking with fear, was still crouched by my side with her knives at the ready. Perfect!

"Listen, Clarissa." I whispered "I have an idea. I'm not sure if it'll work, but just ... play along, OK?"

Wide eyed, she nodded.

Bud began to growl.

The Goblins were coming closer.

'Interface, you know this magic that's making me look human. Can it make me look like anything else?'

*Processing. Affirmative. Within reason we can change colors, tones, hair, eyes. But this doesn't seem like the time to be concerned about your appearance ... *

I smiled. 'This is precisely the time. Can you make me look like a Goblin? Ears, eyes, black greasy hair. Big toothy mouth?'

*... I'm beginning to get your 'gist' I guess you would say. I've processed approximately 65% of your childhood memories. Is this a ... sam?*

'Scam... Yes! Do it!'

"Listen, Clarissa, when I give the word, start yelling and stabbing me with those knives. Okay?"

She shot me a puzzled look. "Wha-"

At that moment I became a Goblin. "Ahhh!" She cried. Then recognition flooded her face.

"ARrrrh!! Take that you filthy Goblin!" She began pounding my chest -- turning the knives at the last second.

Bud began barking up a storm. I think he kinda understood what was going on.

The Goblins appeared at the entrance of the room - eyes wide, with spears at the ready.

"Whuuuhh?" One of them said.

"Ahh! Brothers! Flee! We're under attack! Run!" Bud growled and rushed at the Goblins.

"She's chopped off my arm! My legs are gone! Augughghh! Run you fools!" I screamed.

I fell out of the chair, and somehow Interface took the initiative and covered my green skin with a shiny reddish hue.

Clarissa snarled and bunched up her face - brandishing her knives like some sort of mad woman.

Two of the Goblins turned and ran. The third ... I could see water trickling down his leg. He was frozen in fear.

Desperate, I screamed one last time -- raising my voice to an almost painful volume.

That shook the last Goblin out of his trance and he looked down at me. My eyes were filled with blood and black oil spurted from my left shoulder.

'Nice touch' I thought to Interface.

*These things you've watched. Moo - vies. They are quite a source for violent imagery* Interface replied dryly.

The Goblin screamed, dropped his sword, and ran in the same direction as the first two.

In moments, it was all over. Clarissa fell to the ground, on her knees and wheezed. Bud barked a few more times and ran back to me, licking my face and whining. My face turned pink again and I became blood - and oil - free.

"I can't - " Clarissa panted, "I can't believe that worked! I thought we were goners! How... how did you do that?" She rushed over and helped me back into my chair.

"I guess the magic that makes me look human can make me look ... other?" I smiled up at her. Her face was flushed, her eyes wide and her hair was unkempt. She looked beautiful. I shook myself internally. Gotta stay focused.

Suddenly self conscious, Clarissa turned away and ran her hands through her hair. Her knives were gone. Where did she keep them?

*Aegis. I am detecting something metal approximately 5 meters east. Density and shape suggest it might be mechanical in nature. *

I caught my breath. ( Did I breathe? I guess I did ... in order to intake moisture and oxygen for chemical combustion processes ) .

"Clarissa!" I said - excitement in my voice.

She turned back - suddenly cautious again.

"What is it? Are the goblins returning?" she breathed.

"No, at least not that I know of - "

*The creatures have moved outside of my range of detection.* Interface volunteered.

"My Interface says they are gone, for now. No, this is something else. Somehow there's something else metal nearby. Interface says it might be mechanical" I grinned. "Maybe there's more of me around here!"

Clarissa smirked and put her hands on her hips - eyebrows arched.

"There's plenty of you here already. Don't get too cocky. I don't think they will be fooled a second time"

"You're right. All the more reason for us to look. Will you help me?" I tried to put a pleading note in my voice.

She made a big deal out of looking at the ceiling as she held one hand over her chin and the other under her arm in an exaggerated pondering motion.

Then she laughed, "Of course! I've been trying to find something interesting here for years. But... How could it still be here? This place has been picked over so many times..."

"I don't know, let's go see." my eyebrows danced. She stuck out her tongue.

We walked / rolled further into the ruined room. Broken stones were everywhere. Bits of ruined furniture. Pieces of shattered shelving. A bowl. At the far end of the room it was relatively dark. A huge pillar of stone had fallen over, pressing deep into the stone below it.

*My readings detect a strong signal, Aegis. It appears to be your other half alright.* Even Interface sounded excited.

*I am establishing communications protocols*

"What does that mean?" I asked out loud.

Clarissa threw me a puzzled look.

"My legs. They are under this pillar." I gestured weakly at the stone column.

"Oh that's great. How are we supposed to move THAT?" She walked over to the column and sat down. She patted the stone.

"Seems pretty immova -- ack!" Startled by a sudden movement, she leapt off the column. There was a rumbling.

The pillar was moving! Very slightly, The sounds of rocks crumbling, and a high pitched whine was starting to sound in our ears. Steam began to escape from the widening gap between the floor and the huge column.

"Get back!" I cried and pulled Clarissa back toward me. She stumbled and fell into my lap. Or well, what would have been my lap. She smelled .. like cinnamon and burnt wood chips. I guess I could smell now too.

"What - what's going on?" She cried, and tried to pull herself up.

Bud barked furiously.

The blue stone on my chest began to glow. Clarissa pulled herself away in awe.

The stone pillar rocked back and forth, slowly at first, then building more momentum with each cycle. Then, there was a huge CRACK! And it rolled backwards away from us. Dust filled the room.

Coughing, Clarissa waved at the dusty air.

As the cloud settled, I looked at what stood before me, and my jaw dropped. Shaking, quivering with exertion, stood ... my legs. And, thank god. My butt.

*Connection established.* Interface said, almost smugly.

I rolled up to the legs and looked them over. They had the same kind of odd runic markings all over. Parts of them glowed in places, near the joints, through the broken top half. I winced. It looked like something had ripped me in two. I'm glad the part under the pillar had been my lower half, or I'd probably be just a pile of junk now.

"What do we do now? Can you rejoin with your ... legs?" Clarissa asked as she walked around my lower half. Did she actually look at my backside? I blushed.

*Warning! Mana levels at 10%. Unable to initiate repair protocols. Camouflage system failing. Aegis, between your subterfuge with the goblins and the power exertion to escape the pillar, your Mana is very low. Recommend you seek out the source of Mana from the orb you possess.* Interface sounded ... tired.

My skin tone blinked once then faded. I now looked just like my other half. Metallic, glowing, and covered in runes. I looked at Clarissa.

"Um, I have to tell you something. The ... magic that will help me is running out."

"Running out? That's really bad isn't it? How do you get it back?" She asked. Bud nuzzled her hand with his cold nose and she petted him absently.

"Well, you see" I started. How was I going to do this? How can I tell her about Bright?

"Waitaminute ... there WAS someone else you were talking to last night... wasn't there? " She was getting angry.

"Well, yes and ... no" I managed.

"You see, I have this Interface in my head for the mechanical side of me. And it seems there's another for the ... magical side."

Clarissa crossed her arms. She kicked at a rock with a boot. "Go on."

"She told me to come here, to recharge this orb thing." I started, holding up the blue orb.

Clarissa cut me off "So that's why - wait you said she?"

"Yeah. It's in the form of a girl. Her name is Bright."

Clarissa rolled her eyes. "Oh. So some girl appeared to you in a dream and told you to come to the castle. And you believed her."

My legs shifted weight nervously. How were they doing that?

"Well … yeah! I mean she did give me this necklace. And the magic. The Mana I have is from this..." I held out the orb again.

"What if this is a trap? What if - whatever killed wizard Ken is out for YOU now?" She was practically shaking with anger.

"Hol - hold up Clarissa!" I held up my hand, as if to stave off her assault.

"I trust her. She sent me Bud and this necklace. Why help me only to hurt me here?"

She stared at me and shifted her weight to her other leg. Her arms were still crossed. "Is she pretty?" She asked quietly.

"Huh?" I stammered.

"Is. She. Pretty " she bit out each word.

"Well, yeah I guess" I could not believe my ears. Was Clarissa ... jealous?

She rolled her eyes and tossed her arms up, walking back towards the opening in the wall.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you to your quest..." she started.

"Wait! Clarissa!" I wheeled towards her and grabbed her elbow.

She looked down at my hand. I let go with a snap like I'd been bitten by a snake.

"Sorry. Clarissa. I ... I need you. I've only been in this world for a couple of days, and you're the only friend I've got. Even your dad's probably thinking about how to get rid of me."

She looked out at the opening in the wall. I could almost see the gears turning in her head.

"If this is a ... trap ... like you say. Then I could surely use a friend to help me find a way to escape. You seem pretty handy with those knives..." My words trailed off.

Her expression softened.

"Well, if you put it that - "

There was a scream that cut the air outside the castle. Another echoed across the courtyard.

Goblins!

Clarissa and I exchanged a worried glance.

"Let's go," we both said. Clarissa looked down and quirked a smile for a brief instant. The blades were in her hands once again.

"How do you do that?" I asked as we made our way back to the inner wall.

She gave me a sidelong glance. "Maybe it's magic." she smiled worriedly.

'Interface, any idea where I'm going?' I asked inwardly.

*Affirmative. Proceed out the nearest exit. Turn right and continue until you reach a dead end.*

"Dead end? That doesn't sound good." I said out loud.

"What?" Clarissa asked.

"Interface wants us to go out this door and down the hall to the right."

"There's nothing there. Just some old pots and junk" Clarissa answered. She spun the knives in her hands with nervous energy.

'Um, how will - ?' I started to ask Interface. At that moment, my legs began to move - jerkily and twice almost falling before following us out the door.

*I am able to interface with our lower appendages. Gross movement is possible by triggering instinctual walking routines. Don't expect them to moonwalk however.*

'How did - oh. You HAVE been scanning my memories!'

*Affirmative . Wil Robinson.* Interface somehow changed his internal voice to sound like a robot from an old TV show I watched as a child.

I grinned. We made our way down the hallway.

Another screech.

This one MUCH closer.

They were in the castle!

I looked at Clarissa in panic and rolled to the end of the hallway.

"What now?" She cried.

Suddenly, at the far end of the hallway appeared two Goblins. They were much fiercer looking than the three we had seen before. They spotted us immediately and yelled bloody murder as they began to race down the hallway.

"Come on!" Clarissa yelled. "What now?"

'Um Interface, what do we do?' I yelled in my head.

*Aegis. Hold the necklace up to the wall. When you see a glimmer, press the panel*

Frantically, I rolled up to the wall and held the mana orb up. I spotted a glimmer higher up than I could reach.

"Clarissa! Help! Press the wall there!" I pointed to a brick that was slightly darker than the rest.

She leapt over me like a gymnast and smacked the wall with her hand.

"Ow!" I heard something crack in her wrist.

Oh no.

She bent over, holding her hand, her pretty face was constricted in pain.

My legs wobbled up closer to me. The Goblins were almost upon us. I suddenly felt very strange. Giddy. The air around us was whooshing upward. Clarissa's hair was flying up as if we were falling. Light sparkles appeared all around us. I watched in horror as the Goblins let loose their spears at us as they gibbered in fury.

Then suddenly, the world exploded in light and we were no more.