Book One Chapter Thirty: Hot Rock Mob

Book One Chapter Thirty: Hot Rock Mob

Of course! Qube replied enthusiastically, glad that the Chosen One seemed pleased. She wasnt entirely sure what he meant by her being able to replicate things she hadnt cast any spells or anything like that; the magical bent stick had just split into twins. For all she knew, that was the natural way magical bent sticks reproduced.

We are going to have to test this, the Chosen One said, the fire still burning in his eyes. I cant believe I missed this before. Ill have to review the logs. He seemed to look inwards for a moment. But after this temple, he said, blinking as he refocused on Qube. For now, we should probably go see whats waiting for us on the other side.

He waved his hand through a Save Point that Qube had missed before in her musings. As he did so, she felt the world shudder and tilt. She saw herself following the Chosen One down the ladder into the next room, and heard echoes that sounded like death.She reached out to steady herself, the sensation

The Chosen One was still standing in front of her, rubbing his chin.

Not that way, he said thoughtfully. Hang on.

He absentmindedly waved his hand through the blue ball of light that was a Save Point again, and this time Qube was in a giant stone room, spinning in place, trying to find where it was was it in the walls? The metal box was squealing in fright, something was moving, they were going to

The Chosen One was still standing in front of her.

You know what they say, third times the charm! he said cheerfully. Without thinking, he touched the Save Point again.

She saw Sewer Bard die. Something was in the walls around them. It exploded out, and Sewer Bard was thrown against the stone ceiling with a sickening crack. Sexy Screamy Spider Lady was crushed, and the Chosen One

The Chosen One was still standing in front of her.

Or maybe it was supposed to be the fourth time? he said ruefully. Qube, sick with dizziness, reached out and grabbed his arm before he could touch the Save Point again. He nearly dropped the metal box he was holding in surprise.

Chosen One, she said, her voice suddenly hoarse. Please please dont touch that Save Point again.

The Chosen One seemed utterly stunned for a second. She almost dreaded the moment when he looked at her, and she could once again feel his attention focused fully on her. It was as if she wasnt an actual thinking creature but some toy, to be pulled apart to see what made her tick. She was starting to recognise that look, although she never knew what would provoke it.

Whats wrong? the Chosen One asked her, his light and casual tone at odds with the scalpel-like interest he watched her with. If it had been Definitely Bad Guy looking at her like that, she would have blushed, but she had seen this mix of blankness and burning in the Chosen One before, and it was almost inhuman and utterly detached from any emotion she could name.

It made her afraid of her closest friend, if only for a moment.

I just something about that Save Point is wrong, Qube said. It makes me feel wrong. The Chosen Ones eyes narrowed, before

The Chosen One was still standing in front of her.

Hows that? he asked. Qube blinked at him.

Chosen One! she yelled as she helped Definitely Bad Guy slowly back up. The Chosen One looked up from the noisy metal box. Kill that thing!

Working on it, the Chosen One replied calmly, like his fellow party member hadnt just been on fire. Instead, he seemed to be tracing something with the metal box, pointing it this way and that until its squeals were at their loudest and then

Move aside, he said, stepping back just in time to avoid the beast exploding out of one of the lava veins on the floor. How was it even managing that without ripping the whole place apart? That didnt even make any magical sense it wasnt casting spells! The whole thing was impossible!

The Chosen One twirled the metal box in his hands and then pointed at it.

Vibrations, he said to Qube, as if that a) explained anything and b) was remotely important when they were engaged in a fight to the death with a giant magic-defying monster.

Please pay attention to the death part! Qube screamed at him. He just grinned at her again.

If they got out of this alive, she was going to kill him. This time for sure.

Here, the Chosen One said, once again stepping out of the path of the rampaging beast of stone and fire. The rest of the party scrambled to get out of the way, Qube pulling Definitely Bad Guy up and with her. The Chosen One once again focused on the box, but seemed to be getting mildly frustrated.

I cant switch gear fast enough while using this, he said, almost to himself. How am I supposed to? He frowned as he side stepped another pass of the monster. If Qube hadnt been so preoccupied with saving her own life and making sure everyone was clear of the path of destruction, she would have found it almost comedic, watching this tiny human almost dancing with this force of nature.

As it was, she wanted to curse him until his face fell off. As she was just figuring out how to cast such a specific curse (maybe some kind of reversal on a beauty enhancement cantrip? She was sure she would be able to find a book on that in Cobbletown), the Chosen One looked up from the box and grabbed her arm.

Use this, he said, thrusting the metal box into her hands. Wave it around until it makes a loud noise. Thats where the enemy is. Get out of the way.

Of course, Qube said calmly, like shed been born to use magical artefacts which told you the location of lizard-like golems lurking within volcanoes. Which, in a strange way, she kind of had been. She swung the box around, and felt it jolt and light up the closer to the wall on her left it got. As she pointed it at the section of wall directly next to her, it almost jumped in her hands, its squeals sharp and piercing.

Get back! the Chosen One yelled, drawing his sword and shield.

Then, several things happened very rapidly.

The first was that the beast exploded out of the wall next to Qube. Magma and rock flew everywhere, but seemed to disappear almost instantly. Perhaps pulled into the beasts form?

The second was that Qube managed to jump out of the way of the beast, accidentally knocking Definitely Bad Guy into the small moat of magma that ringed the room.

The third was that the Chosen One jumped up onto the back of the beasts head, and was now running on the spinning ball of death.

All in all, Qube was beginning to get the idea that the visions from the room above hadnt been so much attempted psychological warfare, as they were premonitions of the madness that was about to occur.