Twisted Wonderland 2

We Stand as Equals

Azul, Idia and Malleus walk up the long steps to the top of the tower. The stairs seem to never end.

"And so," Malleus says. "All that remains of our group is myself, Shroud, and Ashengrotto."

Both boys are too out of breath to respond.

"Are you out of breath merely from ascending the stairs?" Malleus quirks an eye. "I left Silver and Sebek to handle the firelotuses on the lower floors, believing they could overcome such adversity. But now I'm stuck with two people who are struggling to climb a few steps. Perhaps I've made an errorг."

Azul shakes his head. "No... This was... the optimal... play..."

"At this point... it's gotta be..." Idia wheezes.

Malleus tilts his head. "Shroud, you look rather pale. Do you suffer from anemia?"

"No, this is how I normally look."

"Sadly, we don't have the luxury of stopping to rest." Malleus gestures to a small window. "Look outside."

The two gaze outside at the once lively festival, now covered in firelotuses.

"The city's red with flowers." Azul says. "It's like a sea of fire."

Malleus nods. "Indeed, and it's spreading by the second. By dawn, the firelotuses will have moved beyond Fleur City."

Azul looks at the flowers uneasily. "Do you recall what Rollo said, the first time we visited this tower? Magical flora thrives in Fleur City because of the bell, but it would wilt anywhere else. Following that line of reasoning, if the firelotuses spread beyond the city limits..."

"THEY'D GO OOM AND WILT!" Idia clears his throat. "...Okay, that'd be convenient for us, but probs not what would actually happen. The firelotuses would just sap magic from mages outside town and keep propagating. They'd be all over Twisted Wonderland in no time flat."

"But the Bell of Solace's magic doesn't reach beyond Fleur City." Azul adds. "Which means the moment the firelotuses make it out of the city, no amount of bell ringing could eliminate them all."

"Hence, time is of the essence." Malleus states. "It is paramount that we ring the Bell of Solace before the firelotuses grow beyond the city. You must press onward, even if you have to grit your teeth so hard they break."

Idia sighs. "Yeah, I know, I'm not stupid. And just to be clear, I'm p. sure I could take Rollo or whatever flower in a fight, as long as it doesn't involve stamina. Going over the 'TRAGIC: NRC students up creek, zero paddles' news just now was enough of a break. I'm not gonna slow you down, Malleus."

"Agreed. Much like you, and Idia to an extent I suppose," Azul places a hand to his chest. "I AM a housewarden. While our backgrounds and skillsets differ, we stand as equals at Night Raven College. Yes, you have power far beyond anything we're capable of. But nonetheless, I have my pride as a fellow housewarden, and I will not be looked down upon."

Malleus chuckles. "I'm glad to see you're still as fast-talking as ever. I was ready to leave you both behind if you impeded my progress. Not even I could carry the two of you up these stairs."

"Uh, yeah?" Idia looks up at the many flights of stairs. "Running up stairs while haulin' two people would require monster level stamina-"

"After all," Malleus continues. "they're extremely narrow and have many pillars. I can barely get through myself. Were I to carry you both under my arms, we'd surely get stuck."

"That's your reason?" Idia exclaims.

The firelotuses start growing around the boys. Gathering along the floor and the walls. Quickly spreading and overrunning the area.