Harem - English version [onc2024]

Chapter fifteen

It's not as empty here as I thought it would be. The core has so many stalactites and stalagmites that I feel like I am in a maze. Besides that, there's also debris floating around in the form of dark-colored spikes, pointed ends, and other sharp stuff. I immediately realized that the gravity here is different from how it is set outside this part. The air is more viscous, but I am convinced that I will still fall as soon as I lose my footing. The chance that I will impale myself or tear myself open on a spike is one hundred percent.

The center of the planet must be colossal, but it's also pitch dark: the many Lampies that have found a place at strategic points are not yet at full strength. We promised them mountains of gold to accompany us here.

The temperature here is higher than I am used to from the other layers, but as long as I don't stay here too long, it won't affect me.

I plan to keep it to a short visit.

My skin glows blue, making myself a beacon. But it doesn't matter, because we both have about ten torches: Malahkii and I have them strapped to our backs, except for two. We set that on fire and we hold them tight. The balloons above our heads can withstand the licking flames wonderfully, as can the ropes that tie them to us.

'This is one hell of a mess you've gotten me into⁷⁰,' my friend growls and I can hear the pleasure in his voice. I give him a fight, a possible death and a lot of tension. What more could a beast wish for?

The monster Variant bounces around. We hear him, but we haven't seen him yet. I expect that to change soon and I can't wait.

We use the time to get to know the balloons and what they're capable of. We have just practiced with them very briefly, but the circumstances are so different here that we can start all over again. The better I get to know the Serailers, the less I think they look like Earth balloons. They are fast and agile, and besides that they are extremely strong. I have three balloons above my head and Malahkii has seven, but at least half of them are in reserve.

However, I have a positive feeling and assume that no reserves are needed.

'Here it comes,' Malahkii warns me and indeed, the black environment darkens even more where possible. The bouncing sound echoes ominously and the shivers that run down my spine promise mouth-watering action.

Now the value of the Serailers must be proven. The balloon attached to my hair provides balance, while the ones attached to my arms respond to my steering movements. Now that I'm getting used to the dark, I notice the twinkling dots of the Lampies and manage to find my way. I narrowly brushed past protrusions similar to those on Variant's skin, and judging by the screeching sounds of the balloons, I was actually too close. I make a mental note of it for the next time, which will come a second later. Now my flying buddies snore approvingly and I can't help but chuckle briefly before telling myself to focus.

A large ball of darkness flies straight towards me and my heart stops beating for a brief moment. I jerk the left string like crazy and the Serailer responds immediately. Variant brushes past me and I feel him take a piece of me with him. The contact was minimal, but a wound on my side is filling with blood and starting to sting despite the adrenaline I'm soaked with. The monster is at least as intelligent and fast as the balloons.

'I'm still alive,' I shout to Malahkii, if he was concerned about that. Variant apparently takes that as a challenge, because he screams so loud and high that I let go of both the strings and the torches to put my hands to my ears. My eyes start to water and I hope with all my might that I'm not crying blood – or worse – because I'm quite attached to my eyesight.

My partner does not appreciate my words or the fact that I let go of the burning torches, and I hear him swearing in his language. I have that effect on humanoids every now and then and I've learned to take it as a positive.

My question sounds joyful enough: 'Do you have a light for me?'

Maybe I should start writing down some alien swear words too, because what he's calling me out sounds pretty fascinating. 'I wish you the same,' I say cheerfully, which results in a new round of fascinating statements.

The torches still fall, although they bounce off the available debris, making their path full of sharp corners. I briefly hesitate whether I should go after them, but then I shrug my shoulders. I can get by without it because of my luminous skin.

Variant comes closer again, but now takes more time, so I can see him extra well. The colossal monster is lit from different angles and every curved and pointy part I see of him is equally terrifying. He has no eyes, or at least I don't see them, but I still see a certain amount of intelligence in his movements. Zandr has translated his words before, so he can speak.

Now that the Lampies are coming to full strength, I can also look at him better and I look for the piece of yellow of which I saw such a short flash earlier. If I'm right, that's a weakness of his and maybe we can take down the monster that way. That's why I maneuver my balloons so that I stop at a floating sharp point and start hanging from it. I try to pry a piece loose, but it's not as easy as I thought. Variant now lets out a low sound, almost sounding like a cat purring, and clearly sees me as his prey.

I climb nimbly onto the spike and pull the strings towards me, in a silent command for the balloons to hang behind me. They obey immediately and not a moment too late. Variant goes on the attack and he has no problem with the large spike that I hold in such a way that a sharp edge cuts into my stomach. Since everything here consists of pointed corners, that is not surprising.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Malahkii approaching. He holds his torches so that the sharp point sticks out and he goes straight for the yellow spot in Variant's skin that I can't see from my angle.

With a series of loud bangs, four of his balloons explode in a split second, causing my friend to lose his balance. He flies into Variant at great speed and hangs there like a rag doll, held up by the other three Serailers, which immediately makes me think the worst. I shout his name and he responds weakly. His remaining balloons now take control and fly away abruptly, towards the exit.

Variant takes advantage of my distracted state by attacking me. Sharp points on his skin graze the spike I'm lying on and I look death straight in the eye for a moment. Despite its clumsy size, its behavior is deadly elegant. He pulls the strings off my balloons with no effort and then flattens the poor Serailers without further ceremony. I close my eyes for a moment with every bang.

I can't go anywhere anymore. All I can do is wait for my end and I want to do that as bravely as possible. That's why I look straight at the monster when it suddenly hangs completely still among the rubble. Then he squirms and it doesn't look like it was a voluntary movement. A loud fart echoes through the room, it's a sound like a deflating balloon and Variant starts flying around his home as if air is escaping from him. I follow his movements, thinking of a certain tactic, but it turns out not to be there.

The monster explodes before my eyes and then the immediate area is covered with pieces of its soft yellow skin.

***

⁷⁰Prompt 70. 'Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!' – Sons of The Desert (1933)