Framework of the Frontier, Sain Artwell [read me a book .TXT] 📗

the skulls of his loved ones with a hammer. Magic mindfuckery or not, it was a thoroughly sickening sensation, one that pushed a puke up his throat.

Rulu knelt by his side. “Did they cause internal damage? William, how do I treat your injuries? I am not familiar with human anatomy.”

“Thanks, but I have vitality elixir in the chest.” He waved her off. “Are you good? Is Ember okay?”

“Thank the streams.” She closed her eyes, relieved. “Ember should awaken soon. I am…” Rulu hesitated, glancing at her arms. Her skin was blistering like it had been turned into a coarse red and black sponge. The way they looked made William’s own wounds tingle in agony. “…accustomed to physical pain. My flesh will regenerate.”

“We’ve got elixir to spare if it will help you. Keep a look-out, I’ll get Ember.”

“I shall.” Rulu collapsed to sit on a dead slug.

William found Ember in a delirious stupor, flailing flimsily at her invisible opponents while drooling gibberish. However, she no longer actively fought him when he picked her up, schlepping her back to the chest they had left behind.

Thankfully, there were no signs of golems or other dangers. Ember stirred while William and Rulu were still binding her wounds.

“Wha…” Her gaze drifted listlessly. “Ow.” She grit her teeth, hissing in pain.

“They’re dead. We’re fine. You were bit in the calf.” William held her hand. Ember looked at her leg. Though not as bad as Rulu’s or his, it looked nasty as hell.

Ember cracked into a relieved chuckle. “We live! Haha, I didn’t think we would. You two are amazing, there’s so many of them dead. I’m… I can’t say anything but wow, or maybe wabooza? Ooohh, I’m happy we didn’t die.”

William pursed his lips, trying to forget the memories of murder.

“Ha.” Rulu returned an almost playful grin. “Do not celebrate yet. We are one badly timed ambush away from death.”

“True. Where’s my sword…” Ember looked around them and let out a horrified gasp.

Adrenaline pumped back into William’s exhausted system as he sprung up, drew his weapons and prepared to face anything. Instead, he saw a swarm of those tiny magic eaters around her sword, nibbling at the runes.

“No no no! Go, shoo.” Ember rushed to chase them off.

He was on her heels, swatting at the little bugs, but it was too late. The faint moonlight glyphs which had once decorated the pale blue blade’s surface had died down. No matter how many times Ember repeated a chant, the weapon remained dead.

“Nooo. Unfair.” Her sob trembled. Tears dropped onto her cheeks. “Our graduation project… I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t cry while you two are hurt. I’m…” Ember hurried to dry her eyes. “I’m sorry. Sorry I’m so useless. Now I’ll be even more so.”

“Shh… It’s okay.” William petted her thick blonde hair, pulling Ember against his chest.

She developed a hiccup trying to suppress her bawling. Meanwhile, Rulu frowned and for once did not say anything as she huddled by the chest, nursing her wounds all by her lonesome, staring.

William returned her frown and made a wordless gesture to invite her in. The aboleth’s expression went into a metamorphosis from humiliated pride to a longing want. In the end, she came to him, sitting down within arm’s reach, not saying a word.

He, of course, gave her headpats too.

They stayed like that probably longer than was safe to do in an unexplored dungeon. It was dumb. But, it felt pretty damn relaxing. Something about petting cute things was incredibly healing and William had yet to meet many things cuter than these two.

Eventually, he broke the moment. “We should get moving. I have one blessing left and then I’m out cold.”

“Right… Yes. We need to find a golem.” Ember snuck in a quick kiss on his lips before standing up. She gave her sword a mournful look before sheathing it.

Rulu licked at her acid-burned arm. “I too am not in the best condition. Overuse of my telekinetic barrier caused a noticeable backlash.”

“Maybe we should check the ring hallway again,” William mused. He approached the edge of the platform to check if there were golems beneath them.

There were none.

But, right below them was something else: Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny fist sized pupa with human faces that seemed to be sleeping. The sight of those teensy horrors shivered William’s spine worse than a live roach crawling into an ear. He needed to kill them. Reaching over, William felt the gravity flip over.

“Hey, girls. I’m going over the edge. Don’t be startled.” He gave Rulu and Ember a backwards glance and went to town. Smashing, stomping, William saved the future generations from ever having to meet those disgusting mindfuckers. Like popping big bubble wrap of alien eggs, it both felt gratifying and was all around good for the soul.

With the nest dead, William spotted something beneath the white gooey splatter. That something finally cracked a genuine grin on his face. A handful of tiny magic eaters swam around it, sniffing the magic beneath the pupa gunk.

“Hey girls, guess what I found?”

18

“Broken, broken, broken, and more broken, and… Hmm…” Ember scrubbed the vinegary fishy gunk off of a pair of mithril rings. They were covered in deep blue patina decorated by golden filigree fashioned in shapes of old Iramian arcane traditions. Activating the Sorcerer’s Eye, she studied the complex mesh of swirling whites and reds, trying to spot a fault or corruption in the spellwork. There were none. The craftsmanship and enchantments were of the highest quality, far beyond the shoddy sharpness enchantment of her poor destroyed darling.

It had taken her six months of late nights at the library, arguments with her craft-partner Sul, and countless hours in the academy workshop. It had received a four and a half out of five. A four and a half. And