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Glancing left and right down the hallway, it appeared that the immediate threat had been settled. Tiffany was over healing away on Mongo, and Jess was healing Crystal’s wounds. I could tell from a slight burning in my own arm and side that those were the places Crystal had been hurt, but the stinging pain was subsiding and going away with each moment’s healing from Jess. Dino was…

Just what the heck was Dino doing anyway?

Looking around, it took me a moment to locate him – still standing in the room where we’d been, while all the rest of us were now out in the hall! Grumble, grumble, mumble, mumble. The things I wanted to think about him weren’t something that I’d want Crystal to hear me thinking, so I censored myself before following that train of thought too far. What was done was done. I’d just have to keep in mind his bravery and dedication to staying behind and watching the group’s rear. Someday, I’m certain, there’ll be a chance to make use of such selfless dedication.

The little orb was now starting to try and flutter its way out into the hall, but it was either having trouble bouncing into the doorframe, or else it was just having fun tapping itself back and forth at the entry like a yo-yo. Reaching out a slight tendril of magic, I was going to try to identify whatever I could learn about the thing, but it lashed out and zapped me! A small bolt of electricity arced back along my flow of probing magic and sent a jolt of current through my body that made my hair stand on end and my teeth tingle in my gums.

‘My Lord! Are you all right? Are we under attack?’ Crystal’s thoughts came quick and clear to my mind, and she was spinning and checking up and down the hallway looking for any danger; her sword at the ready.

‘I’m fine. Our new friend – if you want to call it that – was just letting me know to keep my fingers to myself, I think.’ I must say, it’s odd to share thoughts with someone, but mighty convenient. I believe this is one side effect of our souls merging that I’ll come to enjoy and find a lot of uses for in the future!

“Guys,” I spoke loud enough so everyone could hear me, “we should probably get back in the rooms. I know from previous experience that staying out in these hallways isn’t the least bit safe. The dead will trudge another wave down these passages before long, and we don’t need to stay out here and fight them for now. As long as everyone can move, let’s move inside and get those doors shut.”

“And what about this room?” Dino asked, drawing attention to the center room which he was still in. “You went and blew the damn door to smithereens showing off back there!”

Showing off?! I blinked a few times as my brain couldn’t sort out what he was accusing me of, and then I had to blink a few more times. I swear, if he wasn’t a teammate and a roommate, I’d probably melt him where he stood! Luckily for him, I simply bit the side of my cheek so hard that I could taste blood rather than say anything and argue with him.

Unluckily for him, Crystal didn’t bother to show the same level of restraint. Striding down the hall, into the room, she faced Dino eye to eye – and then proceeded to slam her fist into his face. THWACK! The sound of muscled knuckles pounding into the meaty softness of his nose was so loud it carried plainly all the way out into the hall for everyone to hear.

Blinking once, Dino staggered and then flopped backwards to fall on his ass. Blinking again, Dino reached up with both hands to stop the blood that was now gushing from both nostrils. I was pretty certain from the solid sound of impact that Crystal had completely broken his nose. Dino mumbled something which sounded like, “Wahb dab beld!”, but it was hard to make out what he was saying with his hands in the front of his face and his nose flattened and gushing.

“My Lord was not showing off, you pompous pampered pussy-posing prick!” Glaring down at him, Crystal looked like she was ready to kick Dino to death, if he so much as blinked at her funny. I suppose as a leader, I should stop it – but I wasn’t going to.

“The bitch with the magic,” Crystal continued on, apparently not caring about my own inner debate about stepping in. “The one whom you whined over not letting him torture and torment – set a gods be damned trap at the entrance! If it wasn’t for My Lord and his quick use of magic to shield us and reflect the magic, the explosion probably would have killed us all. I’m certain it would’ve killed you, you whiny little prick!” Completely unladylike, Crystal spat on him to show her total disgust.

“You’d best hope that it’s never up to me to save you, or to risk my life standing in front of your pathetic pussy-ass! You might find me moving much slower than you’d prefer, if it ever comes down to it.” Glaring, she stood there defiantly serious, arms crossed and face twitching with obvious anger.

“That’s enough Crystal,” I said gently. “You’ve made your point. Stand down; we don’t have time for this.” Already I could sense the presence of the dead marching across the ground as they pressed back in towards us again.

Ignoring Dino’s pathetically bleeding condition, I eased into the room and walked past him and Crystal. Passing by, I smacked Crystal lightly on the rump – and then half jumped as it felt like I’d almost smacked myself as well! Talking mind to mind, I could enjoy and get used to. Touching myself as I touched her?

That was…. Weirdly disconcerting is the only way I can describe it. I don’t think I like that side-effect at all!

Trying to push my own squeamish thoughts aside, I strode back to the far side of the room and worked my magics upon the stone bars which I’d hastily erected when Megan had unleashed the dead to swarm in on us. Just as constructing them was a simple enough task, deconstructing them was just as easy. Earth is my specialty, and I personally prefer to work it over all other magics; though fire is a close second. With a wave of my hand, I shifted the bars and floated them over to the entrance and used them to replace the door that had been splintered by the explosion.

Easing through the gap on the left, I could tell that Crystal was doing a quick check of those two rooms. It was at this point that I was stuck by a certain oddity – Megan had opened the doors and let the dead in. The only thing was, all the doors were closed in the hallway. Had she shut and trapped them, just on the off chance that we might fight and try and escape out one of those rooms first? Was the dead not fully under her control? Did she need to seal them in to keep them from wandering off, or following her life?

I honestly couldn’t say. I suppose it’s just one more mystery that I have to add to my list of “Whys”. Maybe someday, I’ll get an answer to some of the things I don’t know. Funnily enough, I don’t even know if I ever will! ‘Why can’t I learn the answer to my whys?’ might end up becoming one of those eternal questions that echoes endlessly in my thoughts.

“It’s all gone or destroyed, My Lord.” Crystal came back into the room, shaking her head sadly from side to side. “My armor is gone. So is the Lord Mongo’s. Your carvings have been shattered and destroyed, and our packs, clothes, and all are missing. Apparently that bitch wasn’t taking any chances of us escaping; she stole or destroyed all our stuff.”

“All the healing supplies and medicines are gone as well,” Tiffany told us, coming back from the other side with Mongo. “Megan’s really turned into a meanie-weenie,” she pouted.

Glancing around, Jess was over tending to Dino, and the odd little floating orb was hovering near Tiffany, playing with her hair as it slowly sent currents of electricity to make single strands stand on end. Much to my amazement, rather than being scared or frightened, Tiffany seemed to find the little thing quite amusing. If she wants to take it, figure it out, and deal with it, that’s fine with me! One less thing for me to worry about.

For now, I had more than enough to worry about. We’d cleared the rooms again, retaken our lost ground, but gained nothing for it. Crystal was still dressed only in her bare skin and jewelry. Mongo was wearing shorts and was shirtless. He had his sword; Crystal had hers; otherwise, we were more or less defenseless except for the magic we could bring to bear down here – and even for me, I had my limits.

Sighing deeply, I slowly nodded towards Crystal. “You’ve got a lot of work to do, I’m afraid.”

“Work, My Lord?”

“Aye. I need you to destroy the walls between these rooms.”

“Certainly.” Without even bothering to ask why, Crystal turned and sliced deeply into the wall separating us from the room Mongo and Skeet had been staying in. I have to admit, it’s nice to be trusted.

I was hoping that we could retake the rooms, gather up our old gear, and then move out and try and stop the darkness and save Ghost. Unfortunately, Megan had thrown a cog in those gears. I was only going to rest long enough for everyone to get their magic back before moving on.

Now? Now I was going to have to stay here long enough to get a few more pieces of armor and weaponry before leaving.

I suppose Heartstone Enterprises is open for business once more. I wonder if the dead will like my Creations as much as Le’Nara claimed the living did?