Silhouette of a Wilted Flower

What an Inconvenience

"Omori!"

Before he could process Aubrey's shrill warning, a deformed claw whipped him across the chest.

He fell to the ground with a back-breaking thud, the contents of his stomach churning and the skin on his belly stinging. Without fully catching his breath, his feet leapt, skidding on damp grass to duck the incoming claw.

A frantic swing from Aubrey's axe saved him from getting speared. She attacked wildly and crashed directly into the side of the shadow's body.

Omori almost let himself relax for a moment, thinking Aubrey's attack would be enough to drain the creature's last bit of health. But the Something still didn't fall. It let out a screech and started bucking and thrashing like an angry bull, taking Aubrey, whose axe was embedded in its side, along for the ride.

"WHA!-"

"Aubrey, you need to let go!" Hero shouted, throwing himself to the ground and barely avoiding a flying limb centimeters away from taking off his head.

"It's stuck!"

Omori rose to his feet and took a blind slice at the shadow, only for his knife to get swatted out of his grasp by a brutal kick.

He hissed in pain. His fingers throbbed dully, and he cradled his injured hand in the other.

His teeth ground together as Aubrey swung in the air while the others danced through kicking legs to get closer. Omori examined the scratches along the back of his hand, and his fury only burned hotter.

Things had been going his way! This wasn't supposed to happen.

When Omori left that small room, the remnants of Sweetheart's palace, he had collected his friends and set out to travel home through the Pyrefly forest, feeling satisfied with the day's work. Sweetheart's Castle was demolished. He gained a new and powerful skill to get rid of Stranger (temporarily).

The day had gone as perfectly as he had planned (despite a few bumps here and there).

He should be on Mewo flying back–no, he should already be at the castle, eating the slightly delayed royal banquet with his friends and perhaps staying up a little late to read with Basil. Only, moments before he made the motion of calling Mewo, a swarm of writhing, shadowy beings attacked.

"Aubrey. Let. Go!" Omori snarled, eyes set on his precious knife that was getting stomped on under the Something's four spider-like legs. The damn stupid claws were going to scratch it!

"I'm...trying!" She planted a foot against the shadow's head and yanked.

Kel rushed forward and bounced his spiked ball square on Something's elongated head. Only it didn't bounce. It stuck.

"MY BALL!"

"Why...is it...so...STICKY!?" Aubrey grunted, purple hair flashing with each violent tug.

The shadow let out a screech and swung its head at a nearby tree.

Aubrey slammed against the trunk. She yelled in pain but still clung to her axe stubbornly, eyes squeezed shut in anticipation as the shadow prepared to deal another blow.

"Omori! Help me, please!"

Knowing Aubrey could take a couple of hits, he paid no mind to her pleas. His eyes focused on the knife the creature had finally stepped clear of.

Another wail reached Omori's ears as the nearby tree shook. The shadow reared back for another blow. But before it could hurt Aubrey again, Hero dashed forward and slammed his frying pan against a claw leg.