22. Level Three- You’re Famine, Start Sucking
CHAPTER 22
Level Three- You’re Famine, Start Sucking
Knots
I ’m momentarily lost as my opponent disappears in a flash of gray, and a rhino runs past with Moni sitting on top.
“Hi, Knots,” she says in passing, waving jubilantly. My jaw drops as my eyes follow their movements, and the rhino shreds the scarecrow with his horns.
“Yep, that’s Moni, and I’m guessing that’s Chester’s other form,” JP answers my unspoken question.
“Okay,” I nod absently before slowly pulling my eyes away as if this is standard practice. I don’t have to look hard since there’s chaos everywhere. Yep, this stuff just happens every day. Nothing exciting here.
Alexis, my sword, warms in my hand, and I smile, knowing she’s a greedy lady and wants more blood, but I’m looking for bigger enemies. I feel like my original self before I came here, and I want to truly test my resolve and agility. The scarecrow with the scythe was a good measure when it came to strength. His weapon of choice was mighty, but now, where’s that demon with those whirling weapons that will test my agility?
Aw, there! I quickly spot Levi fighting him, and the corner of my mouth quirks at the new opponent. As I make my way toward him, I stomp on a few pumpkins that find themselves in my path. It’s not until I hear JP’s grunt that I look over and frown, seeing the real problem. Shit!
I knock a few Coraravens out of the air with my wings and frown as I slice at a few more, diving toward JP’s back when an awful thought comes to me. Maybe we might be outmatched.
“You think?” JP yells over his shoulder at me.
Oh. Not expecting to say that through the link, I shake it off and fight my way over to Levi as JP continues shooting Coraravens out of the sky. Chester’s rhino tramples pumpkins on the outskirts of the clearing as Moni booms corncobs, singing Eeny, meeny, miny, moe .
“Don’t you have a spell to finish this?” I ask once I’m close enough to Levi, raising my voice over the chaos.
“I don’t have the power for this magnitude,” Levi admits and stumbles under the brutal hit from a nunchuck.
I hastily step between him and kick with all my might, knocking the scarecrow back against the stalks before giving Levi a disbelieving look.
From the corner of my eye, I catch our opponent stumbling as he gets up, and Chester rams into him, sending him flying into the melted-face opponent that was trying to get up from when they first showed up.
Fully facing Levi, I continue, “What do you mean you don’t have the power? You’re a fucking mage!” I say, throwing my arms out and kicking a pumpkin through the air and into a Coraraven. It would be humorous if it wasn’t for the fact we’re outnumbered.
“You’re losing me,” he confesses, and I take a moment to look up and think.
You’re really testing me down here.
“Look. You’re a mage, and they take their power from the element they were gifted, right? Earth, Water, blah, blah, blah. That crap.” Levi nods before quickly striking a pumpkin and Poppa-Corn combo with his weapon.
“True, but as a mage”—he gives me an annoyed look—“we can lose ourselves and destroy the land around us. We’re taught we have to balance everything. It’s a give-and-take system, Knots,” he yells.
I have to admit, it’s the first time I’ve seen him this emotional before. Granted, I’m not impressed that he’s decided to share his frustration in the middle of a fight, but at least it’s an emotion, so that’s a start in his growth.
A self-deprecating laugh leaves me as I shake my head at him with wide eyes. “Well, hello!” I say, knocking on his forehead. “We’re in HELL and on the Road of Worth. There’s nothing much to save here. Plus, I don’t know if you hit your head recently, but you’re Famine, so start sucking! It’s literally one of your jobs as a Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Focus on Famine and controlling the balance and just let go,” I say, getting in his face before gripping Alexis tighter and turning my back on him, grumbling under my breath. “I can’t believe I have to spell it out for you.”
I rejoin JP and continue to fight off the Coraravens, pumpkins, and Poppa-Corns until the melted face lets out a roar before charging toward us.
“Watch Levi’s back,” I yell as I face our newest threat, hoping Levi actually takes my advice.
I meet his attack with my own and defend my friends with my all. I know I can overcome this obstacle, and I’ve been doing fine since my time in the church, but this is still Hell, and who knows how long I will stay unaffected. But doubt still creeps in as another thought filters into my mind, and I swing Alexis into the fray with a slash at the roaring demon.
“I could use some help,” Levi yells, dodging a flying pumpkin.
“We got you,” I call back, motioning for JP to move with me. We surround Levi. “Watch his back. I got him from here,” I explain, turning and blocking a few Coraravens with my wings as I slash with my sword and cut through a few corn cobs.
Phantom red flames lick across the ground and between my legs as they race toward Levi. I turn slightly, catching sight of a few lines of fire rapidly approaching, and as they reach Levi, they wrap around his legs, winding up and around his torso. I’m slightly caught off guard as power radiates off of him, and I’m torn between fighting or watching in awe as the red flames engulf the rest of his limbs. Levi’s hair slightly lifts as his hazel eyes glow bright with this new power that pulsates off of him, and I stumble back as I feel a familiar power.
It’s not quite like War, but the undertones are the same as if a darker thread is beating within my heart, slowly beckoning me to submit, to yield, and to follow. I swallow thickly as my gaze is completely swallowed by Levi’s form. No longer am I focusing on the fight around us, but subconsciously, I flare my wings to block any enemies that might come from his flank.
Levi lowers his head, and in front of him, his hands spread wide as a shadow of golden scales floats between his palms, slowly balancing back and forth. They land to the left, and a loud tong rings out of the sky with a whisper of “ guilty” before the flames that surround Levi’s body burst free as if blown out like a light. They rush off his body, snaking through the ground, engulfing the creatures around us, and seeking out those found guilty. In unison, screams echo from the pumpkins, Poppa-Corns, Coraravens, and scarecrows. Within seconds, the fields of corn stalks and our enemies are nothing but ash.
JP lets out a long whistle. “Damn. Remind me not to get on your bad side.” He chuckles and smacks Levi on the shoulder, making a puff of smoke billow off the fabric.
Levi gives a terse nod but doesn’t say anything as he toes off some ash from his boots.
“Good job, Famine.” I pat Levi on his back as I walk past to meet up with Moni and Chester.
“Are you guys okay?” Moni asks, flying over to us with a bag over her shoulder and a bright smile.
“Thanks to you, sis. You came in the nick of time,” JP says, pulling her in for a hug.
“Just call me Mighty Moni!” she yells, dropping the bag and pumping her tiny fists into the air.
“Can someone throw me my bag,” Chester shouts out. He’s standing in the middle of the field of ash, curled over while trying to cover himself with his bare hands.
“Oh Chesty! I’m sorry,” Moni exclaims and flies over with his bag while JP and I turn our backs to give him privacy.
“How…how did you know I could do that?” Levi asks as he catches up with me. He gives me an indescribable look.
“You have to remember, Levi. I’m old enough that I was around with the original Horsemen. Granted, I was War, not Famine, but most of the time, they followed their instincts,” I tell him with a slight smile.
“Okay, but how did you know I wouldn’t lose control like the originals?” he presses, needing reassurance. Unfortunately, I’m not the one who can give him what he’s looking for.
“That’s easy. I trust you.” Levi’s pursed lips crack a small smile. “Plus, you’re wound tighter than an asshole at a doctor’s office for a prostate checkup. You letting go is comparable with unleashing a toot in the wind.” Levi’s dropped jaw makes me laugh, and JP joins me.
“What’s so funny? I want to laugh too,” Moni exclaims, flying over to us.
“Nothing, just picking on Levi,” I assure her.
“Well, that’s not nice. Although, he did overcook the popcorn,” she reminds us, poking at the ashes.
“True, but we would have been toast without him.”
We turn at Chester’s voice, and I smile at the shifter as he pushes up his glasses.
“The same could be said about you guys,” I toss back.
“Yeah, nice look there, Chester,” JP admits and smacks him a little too hard on his back. “Didn’t know you had that in you. Why do you always go for the little guy if you have that type of muscle?”
Chester’s cheeks turn crimson as he looks down, and Moni flies over to him, cuddling into his side. It’s kinda cute seeing her giving him that support when she’s always been the one that needed it.
“Um. I don’t know how much you know about Rhinos, but we’re pretty much blind,” he chokes out. “I might have the muscle, but I don’t know where I’m going for most of the time.”
Well, color me surprised. That I didn’t know.
“That’s why you have me,” Moni says, squeezing him. “We make a good team.”
“Yes, you do.” JP smiles and ruffles his sister’s hair, causing Moni to frown.
“Well, now that we’ve found each other, how do we find the rest?” Chester asks.
“I think that’s where we’re supposed to go,” Levi calls out, and we turn to look around.
We’re still surrounded by fog but in the distance, we can make out a tall shadow of a building.
“Have those always been there? Or are we just now seeing them since the cornstalks are gone?” Moni asks, and I wish I knew the answer.
On top of the building are glowing numbers, and as we watch, it seems to be a clock ticking down. We started this level with three hours, now we have an hour to find our way out of here, or we will be stuck.
Fuck!