Freeze or Fall

Chapter 37: Bones

"Someone's at the door."

Grian set down the wood he was carrying and briskly walked over to where Npg was standing by the door. Taurtis joined them a few seconds later, having been working in another room. 

The hobbit hole had been coming together nicely, despite the memorial in the backyard. Grian had gotten so emotional that he'd taken a fifteen minute break. He'd eventually gotten himself together and continued working on detailing the small house.

"Who is it?" Taurtis whispered.

Npg shrugged.

Grian ignored the two and went ahead and opened the door.

"Joe!?"

__________

Zed wondered of throwing flowers in someone's general direction counted as provoking them. He hoped not.

Morning had come, and after a brief scolding from Impulse and Tango (which he knew they weren't mad, just worried), he'd been trying out various things to bring Renbob and Rendog back.

Old pictures, various hippie items, even a spare pair of sunglasses had been an attempt. As of now, they'd moved onto smells.

Zed was pretty confident in this, remembering how Tango, no matter how deep he was in a project, couldn't resist the smell of pancakes. Cub and Scar, of course, loved cake (and not just because of the vex, funny enough), and Stress loved the smell of fresh-baked cookies.

However, flowers didn't seem to be working.

"Any other ideas?" Doc asked.

Zed paused for a second, letting the gears in his head turn. "Hmm."

Then, a lightbulb went off. "Doc, could you get me like bones? Bones and other dead-ish things?"

Doc seemed really surprised at the request, but hurried off to grab some anyways. No-one usually dared to argue with Zed's way of thinking.

Only a few minutes went by before Doc returned. "So, what exactly is your plan?"

"You'll see if it works."

__________

Joe pulled Grian in for a hug. The two stood there for a few seconds, enjoying each other's company.

"You're actually..." Joe let out a happy chuckle. "I'm just so glad you're home."

"Me too." Gian gestured to the other two inhabitants. "This is Npg and Taurtis. Guys, this is Joe. Joe Hills."

"Good to meet you." Taurtis shook Joe's hand.

Joe grinned. "Nice to meet you too."

"Hi." Npg spoke.

Joe smiled. "You must be Npg, right?"

"Yes." Npg nodded.

"It's good to meet you two." Joe added.

Grian let out a quiet giggle. "A lot has changed since I... left. Care to catch me up?"

"Of course! You won't believe how feral Mumbo's gotten this season."

__________

Zed placed the bones and mob drops on an awkward circle around Renbob before sitting down and watching.

Renbob twitched a little.

Then, like clockwork, Zed began to recite the words that had been well-known around the server for some time. "This is a new game, where the goal is simple: Don't die. There is a catch though. If you die, you lose. But you are not out of the game.

"If you die you will join the dead team. Your new goal as part of the dead team is simple. You must 'help' the people who are alive to... not be alive anymore.

"Good luck, and stay alive."

His plan seemed to work. The words and the faint smell of death had awoken an old alter ego of Ren's, one who thrived on Karma.

The creature in front of him twitched even more, before just like with Wizard Scar, the goo dispersed and sent Renbob back to the place alters resided.

There, staring back at him, finally with a moment of lucidity, was Grimdog.

He dipped his head, the low voice resonating in every bone of Zed's body. "Greetings Zedaph. We are in dark times now, aren't we."

Zed smiled tiredly. "We are indeed."

__________

Nobody:

Absolutely Nobody:

Me: *leaves for 3 weeks only to return with a smoothie, a much better circadian rhythm, and the rest of this book all drafted out*