Chapter 9: The Pull And Push Of A Heart

I woke up to the sound of Trina's voice.

"Trina thinks you should wake up now, Dave," Came the cheerful voice as I opened my eyes.

"What time is it?" I ask, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Time to go explore those rooms before everyone else! Trina bets some good things are hiding behind one of those doors. Let's go!"

"Alright, let me get dressed first."

It was still early morning, and the sun was just coming up on the other side of the manor. I got my clothes on, and Trina and I quietly opened the door and slipped out into the hallway. The door filled corridor was silent as I crept down it.

"What door do we choose? They all look the same, but room seventeen was the bathroom, so what do I pick?"

"Trina thinks you should just pick a door! Destiny will pick a good one!"

"Well, let try this one then," I say, standing across from my room at door number eleven.

The door looked the same as the rest, and the smell of torches greet me as I open the door. Two torches lit a small empty room with a door at the end. Trina flew in ahead of me and looked around the room, the walls were made of dirt, and the room seemed underground.

"Trina thinks this room is safe; let's go farther!" Trina persisted as I walked into the room.

The atmosphere changed when I walked into the room, and I left the door open behind me. The feeling of being far below the surface pushed down on me as I got closer to the next door. By the time I was at the door, I could smell and feel the dampness coming from behind the door, and all feeling of being above ground left me, replaced by a creeping sense of claustrophobia.

I am gripping the door hand because I've come this far and can't turn back now. I turn the nob, and the door opens up to a room with an island in the middle. Torches ringed the room, and the flickering lights danced across the dark water reflected on the ceiling.

Trina flew around the dome as I walked forward. There was a narrow path across the water to the island that looked safe. At the other end on the isle, a golden looking chest sat unlocked but unopened. I walked to the island and headed to the chest, but the sound of moving water makes me stop and turn around.

The fifteen-foot bridge I had just walked across had disappeared into the water, leaving me stranded on the island. I sigh, turning back to the chest and approach it. The trunk is golden, and it has only the embossed image of a strange-looking gauntlet. Trina comes over to hover behind me as I open the chest.

Inside the chest lay a rose gold colored small metal gauntlet. It looked nice but not overly special, but I noticed a star flashing in my HUD's top left. Before touching the metal glove, I decided to check the alert first, and I open it up.

WARNING!!! CHALLENGE ROOM!

This room is rated above your current level. Once you enter the island, the CHALLENGE will activate, and the bridge will drop. Pick up the item in the chest to begin.

"Uh, Trina, this alert says this is a challenge room, and it's above my level."

"Hmm? But you can't leave, so what are you gonna do?"

Trina had a point, so I reached in a picked up the gauntlet. Immediately the atmosphere changed, and the water started to move around us. The auras of evil could be felt rising as the water roiled and frothed.

A "!" icon popped up, and I quickly opened it up. It was a description of the item I just picked up. I read over it as I put the pink gold gauntlet on my left hand.

GAUNTLET OF THE HEART

(Legendary Class Item)

This item uses attraction and rejection like the heart. Use an open hand and the command PUSH to force others away, or close your hand with the command PULL to drag them closer.

As I close the window, I'm starting to see black shapes rise from the water. Every one of them has a slight black mist surrounding them like a cocoon. I could feel the evil from them, and my hackles began to rise. The thirst for combat rose within me.

"LIGHT BLADE!" I call out loud because somethings are just meant to be spoken, and I step forward.

Growls and hisses explode around me as a sword of pure light filled the dome, sending moving shadows to cast on all the walls. Black amphibious things surrounded me, but it was like my body was more electrified, and my blade brightened as the evil came closer.

I ran at the closest group and tore into them with the blade of light. As I butchered the demon Fishmen, I listened to their guttural cries and screeches. The blade I held gave no resistance as it slid through the inky flesh like snow. No blood came, and the bodies seemed to disappear when I killed each.

If they surrounded me, I just used PUSH and sent them flying. The creatures felt endless at first, but the intensity of their attacks was slowing. Soon, there were only ten or fifteen left, and I was panting hard from the exertion.

I had given off three flashes of light during the fight, and I opened and closed each notification. Each time I grew and became more potent and faster. The last monsters circled me warily, and I was about to rush them when I heard a female voice.

Lavender's voice!

"Dave! What are you doing? I told you not just to enter any room," but Lavender noticed two monsters creeping up behind her.

She screamed and ran forward and not watching her step, Her foot caught, and she began to fall into rocks. I threw my left arm up and called PULL to Lavender, closing my fist. At the same time, my right and golden blade severed a Fishman in half. The force stopped Lavender's fall, and instead, she fell towards me, into my arms.

The force knocked me back a step, and I could feel her modest chest press into me, but I was fifteen now and could easily hold her weight. Lavender looked up at me, confused and embarrassed. I guess she felt them brush too, because her face heated, and she turned away. I set her down and then used PUSH to throw back some to close creatures. I pushed her body off mine and looked her over, making sure nothing was wrong, and I noticed the tips of her nipples pressing against her dress.

"Are you OK?" I asked, looking into her blue eyes while getting red.

Just then, the water began to move in one spot this time, and the Fishmen let out hoot and cheers. We both turn to see a massive shape that was coming out of the water. The black mist poured from The giant beast.

"Uh-Oh," came Trina's voice from beside me.