Banished: Resistance is Futile

[26]

Lots of death let's gooooo-

^*^

The heat was singeing the hairs on the back of his head. Stress was next to him, the two standing on a small island, surrounded by a river of lava.

All thanks to Hels.

"There really isn't a way out of this, see? It's nice and easy. You walk into the lava, and I have two less Hermits in my way. Win win."

Stress scoffed, though Iskall could see the tears on her face. 'Even in these dark times... she tries to be brave.'

"We aren't going to play into your 'ands, Hels." Stress squeezed Iskall's hand, him squeezing back.

"Ah, you see, you're making this much harder then it has to be. For you and me both."

Iskall squeezed twice before releasing Stress' hand. "Alright fine, you win." He put his hands up. "But it is honorable to acknowledge the convicted a last request."

They could almost hear Hels' eye roll. "Honor shmonor... Fine. What the hell do you want."

Iskall smirked. "Hermit challenges, b*tch."

Hels' eye twitched. "Then consider it done-"

"No no no, you don't understand how this works, do you. I, Iskall-MAN, challenge you... to a dance off." He twirled around.

Hels walked down closer to the lava's edge. "Then come on, I haven't got all day. I have evil plans to commit and worlds to dominate."

"Oh I'm sure of it."

Hels smiled, and Iskall knew something was wrong.

"Well, why don't we do a little dance I like to call... Dance of Death."

Hels stretched out his hand, a wall of lava reaching to the sky before falling down on top of Stress and Iskall.

Satisfied with the quick execution, Hels turned his back on the scene, pulling out a paper from his inventory. "Randomly start roleplaying... at least he completed his challenge." He pauses in his tracks. "Such a shame, really. They made a lovely couple."

^*^

Warm and comfortable. And breathing. But still in pain.

Wait... he was alive? He tried to open his eyes, wincing at the sunlight coming in through the window. He could see out of his peripheral that there were cyan sheets pulled up to his chin.

He rotated his head, seeing his helmet on the bedstand to his right.

...His helmet. Wasn't on his head.

Xisuma's breathing quickened as panic started to set in.

"Shshshshshsh, it's alright." That voice sounded familiar. Xisuma felt his heart slowing, his breathing calming.

X tried to look towards the source of the voice, eyes barely able to catch a glimpse of Keralis' soft face.

But... the more X looked into his eyes, the more uneasy he felt.

The panic must have shown on his face. "Are you ok Shishwamy?"

"Yeah- Yeah, I think. Thank you."

Keralis' smile was not his own.

"Just doing my job." The sky outside started to darken, or was it just the lights flickering?

"You're not Keralis, are you." Xisuma sat up, surprised he was able to breathe without any help that he would have received with his helmet.