A True Hero

29 - Only in Nightmares

"Mumbies?" I repeated, but Meta Knight wasted no time in battle. As the word took form in my mouth, he had slashed a horde of the terrible creatures, pushed Ren to the ground, and cast a powerful sword beam that cleared a way to the bunker. The creaking sound of the metal doors slipping open seemed like background music. I had time only to blink as the word "mumbies" faded into the air, and then he grabbed my arm and dragged inside of the two giant metal doors before me or the monsters had time to register what happened. The doors closed behind us with a shudder and I fell to the floor as Meta Knight let go of my arm. The room was pitch black just like outside, but I knew from the moving air in front of me that he was pacing.

"Meta Knight?" called a strong voice. "Nicolette? Is that you?"

"Yes, Arthur," Meta Knight replied, and then a small flame flickered the darkness. Arthur held a candle close to him, revealing his missing face mask, black eye, cut face, and a small group of Galaxy Soldier troopers and Star Warriors that stood around him. I recognized a few of them from training, but none of them were Terryn, Asher, Niko, or Nyla. In fact, I saw no one from the mess hall inside the bunker.

"Arthur, what is happening?" I asked, stumbling to my feet. My arm felt sticky and it smelled like iron. I stepped closer to the light and saw that it was bleeding from a very large, deep gash. Arthur handed the candle to Joanna, who had come near Meta Knight as he paced, and revealed a roll of bandages. With the candle, Joanna illuminated Meta's several cuts and slashes in his skin, armor, and cape.

Arthur unwound a strip of the cloth and began wrapping my injury, saying, "Somehow those creatures-"

"-Mumbies," Meta Knight corrected, still pacing back and forth. This panicked nature was not normal for him, and it deeply worried me. His nonchalant persona was gone and replaced with diffidence and anxiety. Though his mind was closed to me, worry seeped from his chi to mine.

"Yes, mumbies, somehow snuck aboard the Enterprise and surprised us," Arthur said, tying a knot in the bandage and turning his back on Meta Knight.

"I'd say a little more than 'surprised,'" Joanna mumbled, crossing her arms and sighing. Arthur threw his hands into the air and wheeled on her.

"Now is not the time for sarcasm!" he cried, throwing his arms to his sighed with fists clenched. "I don't know how the gordo they got here or what they want, but they somehow found their way into the bridge of the ship and disabled one of the engines! Now we have to deal with them in a calm, quick manner!" He stood in front of her, heaving and red in the face, looking anything but calm or collected. Now he was the one scaring me.

"Did you see any ceramic pots or vases on the ship before the attack?" Meta asked suddenly, stopping his pacing in front of Arthur.

"What in the stars—no, I haven't seen such things!" Arthur retorted.

"Where is The Sage?"

Arthur sighed. "Last I knew, he was in the bridge radioing other starfighters."

"Well, then we must search for both the pots and for him," Meta Knight said decisively, sheathing his sword and taking the candle from Joanna. The worry I had felt from him was quickly subsiding.

"What good would that do? Those mumbies are everywhere! You know what they did to those soldiers..." Arthur shuddered involuntarily. "Those freakish monsters attacked the bridge first, and The Sage might be..."

"What happened to the soldiers?" I asked. Everyone's eyes turned to me in a sad, accusatory way, as if it were something so awful it was a shame to be brought up. Even Meta's eyes looked into mine with malice, then glazed over with soft understanding.