Hexblade's Charm

Three and then some - Leaf My Toy Alone

Slash! A cloud of mist hit Malyck straight in the face as he reflexively raised his arms and his dagger cut through the creature in front of him. It screeched an unnatural noise in response and lunged forward, but a lasso of licorice-black magic ripped it back and bound it to the ground. Straining against its bonds, the creature was free game. Malyck charged past it, whirled around and, with a weirdly familiar ease, cross-slit the creature's chaotic body from one side to the other with both daggers in hands. It dissolved into misty clouds, leaving Oswald's licorice lasso empty.

Briefly, he wondered why he felt so experienced at doing this, but he had no time to think.

"Watch out!", Hexi shouted behind him, and as he turned he saw another creature, glitching from the melee combat with the warlock, tumble towards him at alarming speed.

Malyck hectically looked around and his gaze fell on a large boulder balancing precariously at the edge of the nearest cliff, just stopped from falling by a small pebble... He thrust his hand upward and spoke an arcane word. The shining blue spectral fingers emerged from his own and immediately got to the job at hand (Gods, spending time with the Mad King really did have an effect on your sanity, Malyck thought). Just as the creature was moving past the cliff, the boulder crashed down. A cloud of mist, dust and debris had barely settled when Hexi came running full speed, jumped over the rubble and came to a sliding halt in front of Malyck.

"Are you okay?" Malyck nodded, but jumped slightly at the sight of his partner rapidly changing appearance back and forth just as the creature had done.

"A little help here", they heard Oswald call out. Behind them, the Mad King was trapped in-between two more creatures and firing spell after spell at them. One was stuck to the ground in a puddle of what looked like chewing gum, the other was striking at him with its appendages. Malyck nocked an arrow and let it fly; Hexi embued his blade with green magic and dove around the stuck creature, ducking its blows and slashing at it continuously. Another arrow gave it the rest, and Oswald put his hand forward and shocked the other one with a bolt of electricity; in the midst of the shock waves, it dissolved, the battle finally over.

"Well", Oswald said, pulling out a little cloth and dabbing at his forehead, "this was certainly a surprise. I didn't think they would have made it to Melandru's Domain yet."

Malyck cautiously approached Hexi, who was standing bent over, hands on his knees to keep himself up, breathing hard. He was bleeding from his side and right arm and had a slash across his cheek.

"Hey", Malyck said, gently touching his shoulder. "Do you... want any help? I think I have some potions left over that I found at the Fissure."

With a deep breath, Hexi straightened up, but Malyck saw his hands shaking and the brief contortion of pain in his features that he was trying to hide. "I'm fine. I just need to rest a little. You guys carry on to the Mistwarden Camp, see if there's any survivors. I'm just gonna sit down here."

"Hex..."

When he tried sitting down, his legs gave out, and he tumbled over onto his knees. Grimacing, Hexi sat leaning back against a tree trunk and closed his eyes. He looked utterly exhausted. Malyck, feeling the familiar ache in his chest, knelt down beside him.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you here alone."

"Yeah, just go. You can collect me back later. Gives you two some alone time and such."

The bitterness in his voice made Malyck almost angry. He stood back up and brushed the earth off his pants. "Alright. If this is what you want, that's okay. But please take care of yourself."

Hexi just nodded, eyes closed, and concentrated on making his breathing – and the glitching – slow down. Oswald and Malyck headed out into the woods of the island, following the path the creatures had broken through.