The daily life of monsters

Chapter 17: Rift

From the distance, you see two figures return, their pace far slower than when they left. Their timing seemed almost convenient, you having just found the page which explained your situation, or at least something similar to it. You move your gaze back to the top of the second page, quickly skimming the contents for anything important before the pair of them arrived.

"Find anything Xerut?"

You almost jump back out of a combination of shock and surprise, but manage to stop yourself before you needlessly slam your back into the tree you were lying upon. You look upwards to see Marion standing over you, her curious gaze being half a metre from your face.

In your head, the worst-case scenario immediately springs to mind; some breed of shapeshifters must have copied your comrades, trying to trick you into lowering your guard. You slowly guide your book down to the ground and slide one hand down towards the dagger in your belt.

"Hello? Xerut?"

Marion shakes one of her hands in front of you and you slowly release the grip on your weapon, the tension leaving your body. A feeling in your gut tells you that she isn't some sort of imposter; probably the cheerful spark in her eyes.

Wordlessly, you pick the book back up and hand the open page to her before standing up and tapping Pala on the shoulders, pointing towards the 'modest' fire pit you had made. She followed you somewhat begrudgingly, handing you her catch as she rummaged through her bag. Eventually, she found what she was looking for; a pair of stakes shaped like a Y, which she stuck into the ground opposite each other around the circle of stones.

"Why is your fire pit so pathetic. It should be larger, so we can..."

She looked towards you to finally see what had you so silent, as you gazed towards the creature in your hands, horrified.

"What's wrong, are you a vegetarian? No wonder you're so skinny."

Marion suddenly approached the pair of you from the opposite side of where she was before, a panic in her footsteps that you recognised and felt drumming up in yourself.

"Pala, we killed what's trapping us in here. It was the ferret thing."

"And... how is that a bad thing?"

Marion glared at Pala for a moment, probably irritated at the lack of caring in the mercenaries' voice. She then pointed towards a tree about two hundred metres away, then at Pala.

"Just go run to that tree and come back."

Pala shrugged and quickly stood off before breaking out into a sprint, terrifyingly fast once her heavy sword was taken into account. She made it to the tree no problem, but as she started to walk back, she disappeared, reappearing a little past the fire pit during the same split second. After looking around for a few moments, she walked back to her spot and stood over you with a strange arrogance in her stride.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that."

You frown, but decide to hold back on any comments. You swiftly pick up your bag and stand up, motioning for Marion to do the same. You give her a hand and as she stands up, you reach out with your other hand towards Pala.

"What."

"To...gether..."

Your voice is still weak, but it gets the message across. Pala looks towards your charred and dry left hand and shakes her head, in a manner that reminds you of a child refusing to eat their vegetables.

"I don't trust you, not in the slightest. I'll be fine by myself."

Pala quickly marched forward for three steps before being teleported back about twenty metres. She quickly jogged back to where the pair of you were, not entirely sure what to make of the situation.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Marion's voice emanated an aura of mockery, one clear and simple enough that even Pala could understand it. The mercenaries' brow furrowed before she began to march forwards by herself, not even trying to hide the fact she was grumbling to herself. You look towards Marion, not entirely sure if splitting up was the right choice, but she simply smiles back.

"It's fine. With how few strings there are here, I'll be able to find her in no time."

You silently nod, not entirely sure what she's talking about, but accepting it anyway. She seemed confident in her ability to track your comrade, which was definitely more than you could say about your theory. Quietly you look on in the distance as Pala teleports away to god knows where and you manage to steel your resolve. You quickly kick the firepit, pushing the rocks apart in a hasty attempt to hide your presence before taking the first step, dragging Marion behind you.

One step. Two steps. Three...

For what seems like an almost impossible time, you manage to avoid being warped to somewhere unfamiliar. Just as you begin to think that maybe you wouldn't be affected, that by some miracle you're immune to the powers that be, your surroundings suddenly become unfamiliar.

But thankfully, the slight warmth on your hand still lingers. You turn to see Marion, seemingly also grateful that you managed to stick together. You might be in a strange place that could potentially trap you forever or collapse in on itself, but at least you had a friend.