Lily jumped down from where she was as another arm lashed out, destroying more of the floating island the slime was on. She destroyed the ledge she had been on, collecting the blocks it formed so she could make a land bridge over to the slime. "Hey! C'mon!" She called out as she quickly laid the blocks down, thankful she had her sledgehammer and gloves with her. "Let's go."
"You came to resgoo me! Thanks!" The slime hopped after Lily, stopping once they were on the other side and looking up at her. "Wait… are you a gooman? What you doing here?"
"I'm looking for my friend. I have to save him."
"Are they a gooman like you? I'd love to help, but I can't say I've goolimpsed any other goomans round here. Sorry!" The slime gave Lily a look of sympathy, only to screech when a portal opened behind him and an arm slammed into a nearby floating island. "Looks like we don't have to chew the splat! We've been spotted! We'll be squished if we stay here much longer!"
Lily scooped the slime up and started running, she wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew it had to be away from here. "Where is this place?"
"I just don't understand how something so goosome could happen here…" The slime whimpered as if he hadn't heard Lily's question. "This is supposed to be the Promised Land!"
As they ran, a skeleton ran by them. He came skidding to a halt and looked at them. "Oi! What are you two doing?! Don't you realize the danger you're in?! Come on – move your bones!" He approached them, slowly drawing his sword. "Wait a minute. You're a human! What's a fleshy fiend like you doing here? State your business!"
"I'm a builder, my name is Lily and I'm looking for my friend! I have to save him."
"Builder?! You've not come to launch an attack on Hargon's unholy realm… have you?" The skeleton raised his sword, an apologetic look in his eyes. "Sorry, but the rules clearly say no builders allowed in the Promised Land. Now, stay still while I disconnect your head bone from your neck bone!"
"We don't have time for that! We'll all be squashed, squished and squooshed before you have a chance to disconnect anything from anything else!" The slime bounced out of Lily's arms, gasping up at the skeleton.
"Hmmmm… maybe you're right… in that case, we'd better evacuate to a spot where I can do the job safely! Follow me!" The skeleton took off, the slime bouncing right after him.
Lily rolled her eyes and sighed as she trotted after them. These helpless monsters were probably her best chance of finding Malroth, she just had to convince the skeleton to wait on beheading her until she found Malroth.
"Our friend is back!" The skeleton cried out as one of the arms appeared before them. "Watch out for that thing! It's armed and dangerous!"
Lily stared at the back of the skeleton, pursing her lips as she let out another sigh. "Witty one liners." The three stopped though when they heard screaming from a hole nearby. "Dammit all." She hissed as she ran over, peering down into the hole.
"Thomebody help me!"
"What a plonker." The skeleton shrugged as he started to walk away from the hole. "He must've fallen in and got all flustered. Oh well, there's nothing we can do for him now."
"Hell if there isn't." Lily hissed as she jumped down the hole.
"You do realize that's a monster, don't you?!" The skeleton gasped as he watched the builder jump down. "The natural nemesis of a human like you? You're a weird one…"
Lily grabbed the gremlin by the horn, rolling her eyes when he screamed. "Help! Help! How do I ethcape? I don't want to die in thith thtinking hole!"
"Get a grip, will you?! What are those wings for?!" The skeleton and slime glared down, rolling their eyes at the realization that lit in the gremlin.
"Don't thank me. Thank this monster-loving freak. I would've left you down there, but this numbskull insisted on helping. Humans are an odd bunch…" The skeleton only shrugged when the gremlin suddenly looked at Lily and let out a scream. "Anyway, I'm leading these two to a safe place. You might as well tag along. Don't want you falling in any more holes, do we?"
The four ran, ducking and bobbing around debris and angry arms as they made their way towards what looked to be an old warehouse. Lily paused outside and looked back, watching as the arms trembled before they lashed out. "Mal… I'm coming. I promise you."
"C'mon, builder! Goo won't be able to save your friend if those arms kill goo!" The slime bounced into the building, looking around. "What is this place?"
"I've never seen anything quite like it." The skeleton kicked one of the old robots that lay broken near him. "Looks like an old gunkyard with all these broken bits and blobs lying around."
The slime bounced back over to Lily when she finally came inside and shut the old gate. "Lily, was it? I'm Arisplotle. Thanks for resgooing me before."
"And I'm Gremville. If you hadn't thaved me from that hole, I'd probably thtill be thtuck there!" The gremlin flew over to her and relaxed on her shoulders, sighing softly as his tongue lolled out and all over her armor.
"The name's Griswold! Sergeant Griswold to you! Now we've all got our introductions out of the way, it's time to get down to business. Seeing as we're all safe and sound, I can finally get around to severing your skull from your shoulders." Griswold put a skeletal hand on Lily's shoulder as he pulled his sword back, getting ready to swing.
"Wait!" Arisplotle jumped onto the blade, covering it so it wouldn't do any damage to Lily. "Gooriswold, she came here to find her friend, not squish us! Let's hear her out!"
"His name is Malroth. Have you guys seen him? I have a bad feeling that… those arms…" Lily looked away, biting her lip so the tears wouldn't swell in her eyes.
"Hmm… I can't say I know anyone who goes by that name…" Griswold leaned on his sword as he thought to himself. "Pah. I won't kill you. I couldn't live with myself if I killed someone who was only trying to find her buddy. I'll kill you after! It's only fair." He pointed at her; his finger pressed against her button nose. "Oh, and just so you know – this place is bone dry when it comes to materials. Your building trickery won't fly here, so don't try anything funny!"
"Gooriswold! Leave her be. There's a much gooreater threat we should be worrying about – those enormooze arms! And what about those shadowy monsters?! They attacked even us!" Arisplotle glared up at the skeletal sergeant.
"I've been sensing an incredible destructive power in the air recently. Call it a feeling in my bones, but I reckon there might be a connection with what's going on now…"
"Wait," Lily put her hands up, sighing softly. "Can we hold off on what's going on and focus on where here is? I have no idea where I'm even at, and if my friend isn't here-"
"Let me tell goo!" Arisplotle jumped onto Lily's shoulder, grinning at her. "This planet is nothing more than a tiny blob of gloop floating in a sea of nothingness – the unholy Promised Land, reserved for the Children of Hargoon's monster minions! High Priest Hargoon says we're to wait here until salvation comes. But if things continue like they are, we'll be splattered before that slime ever arrives!"
Lily put her hand to her chin and thought for a moment before she gasped. "No. If you know anything about Hargon, then you should know that he wants nothing but destruction. That's the salvation. He's going to have Malroth destroy this world first and then the Illusionary World and then my world…"
"Oh, don't get tho upthet!" Gremville grumbled and rolled his eyes. "I think I jutht realithed thomething very important!" He nuzzled up against Lily's cheek, whining softly at her. "In all the confusion, I forgot how hungry I wath! Can you make me thomething to eat, Lily?"
"That's the oh-so important thing you realized?!" Griswold glared at Gremville, raising his sword to take a swipe at the smaller monster when Lily held him still with a cold glare. "Oh, throw me a bone! And why are asking favors from a builder? She's supposed to be the enemy!"
"You wouldn't even know the firtht thing about food! You don't even have a thtomach! If I'm going to die, then I want a latht meal!"
Lily rolled her eyes as she set the two monsters down and slipped outside of the heavy gate door. "Is there even anything to eat out here?"
"Thothe vile vineth should make a great meal!"
Lily gagged as she looked across the way and saw the squirming vines Gremville was talking about. "You're kidding… right?" She looked around, making sure there weren't any shadow monsters before collecting the disgusting vines and heading back to the warehouse. She set to work on cooking the vines, nearly gagging as they started to smell on the fire. She pulled the first batch off and set it away from her, frowning. "Monsters… are so gross." She whispered softly to herself. Luckily, she wasn't hungry… yet.
Gremville flew over, snagging up the first bit. "That lookth yummy! Who'd have guethed you could ruthtle up thomething tho deliciouth!?" He gobbled it up and patted his rounded belly with a happy sigh. "Thith thtuff thtinkth to high heaven… and it tathteth tho bitter… it'th abtholutely deliciouth! You should really try thome, Lily. You won't be dithappointed!"
"Oh… I think I would be." Lily gave Gremville her best grin as she watched him eat more. Something beeped in the far corner, making the four turn and peek around to see what the noise was, one of the robots twitched and the red orb at the center of its' head flickered. "Warning! Building-activity-detected! Warning! Build-activity-detected! Bleep-bleep-blooooo…p"
Lily pushed Arisplotle down when the slime tried to cling to her arm as she walked over to the robot. She squatted down in front of it, putting her hand on the cold metal body. "Life-signs-detected. Execute-reboot-program?" Lily grinned as she patted the old thing. "Go ahead and reboot."
"Bleep-bleep! Reboot-program-initiated. Accessing-data-cache… please-wait…" The robot beeped a few more times before a louder beep echoed in the building. "Reboot-program-failed. Insufficient-power-remaining. Please-recharge-fuel-cells-and-try-again."
"That's oozier said than done." Arisplotle frowned at the old robot. "How are we suppoosed to do that?"
Lily pulled out her book, grinning as she threw down a blueprint. "I got this!" She quickly moved pipes around, connecting them to the old and broken killing machines before making a transfer pipe system that would allow the machine to work again.
"Power-source-detected. Commencing-energy-transfer…" The red orb glowed brighter for a moment before the robot straightened up some. "Power-system-fully-operational. Initializing-reboot-program. Bleep-bleep! Reboot-successful!" The robot moved, gathering the thin legs beneath it and finally getting up as it looked between the three monsters and single human surrounding it. "Greetings! Assault-android-number-zero-four-H-at-your-service! You-can-call-me-N04H! Pleasure-to-meet-you!"
"Wow! Thanks for mending the robot, Lily! You builders are really gloopendous!" Arisplotle jumped onto Lily's shoulder as he looked at the robot that was still trying to figure out what was going on.
"Estimating-time-spent-offline… computation-failed! What-happened-here?" The robot spun around, only to focus on Lily once more. "High-turbulence-detected-in-aura-field. Searching-memory-banks… possible-match-found. Has-Doom's-Day-come-already?"
"What'th up with thith ruth-bucket?" Gremville grumbled as he flew around the robot, checking it over. "Thoundth to me like hith thircuitth are fried…"
"Rudeness-detected! I-would-merely-like-to-refresh-my-data-banks-with-the-latest-available-information. Please-tell-me-what-happened-here." Lily let out a soft noise before explaining the arms and shadow monsters to the robot, as well as the fact that she was looking for her friend. "Data-banks-updated. Malhalla-under-attack-from-giant-arms-and-shadow-monsters. It-is-as-my-calculations-predicted. Doom's-Day-has-come."
The five looked between each other, shrugging some. "Doom's-Day-is-here. This-stronghold-may-not-be-safe-for-long. The-arms-will-be-searching-for-all-life-forms. They-will-attack-soon." As if his words summoned the very things, two arms ripped through the gate, making Lily scream and squeeze Gremville to her chest. "We-have-been-found!"
"Time to run, boneheads!" Griswold grabbed Lily's arm and urged her forward towards the arm. "The shadow monsters won't be far behind! Our backbones are to the wall! Let's get going so if we have to fight we can do it in the open!"
The group set to work on fighting off the shadow monsters as they appeared, the monsters went down easier than Lily expected. She looked around at the monsters, smiling when they cheered at their victory. "C'mon, we better get to somewhere safer than this!"
"I know just the place. It'll be risky, but it'll be worth it!" Griswold led the way, taking them along the cliffs. He glanced back as they moved, giving Lily a curious look. "You may be a bony little human, builder, but you fight like a monster. Are you really that intent on finding your buddy?"
"I am. He's my best friend. He's protected me all this time, now I have to repay him."
"Calculating-Lily's-survival-odds…" N04H beeped as he walked behind Lily, he let out a series of warning buzzes before poking at her with his crossbow arm. "Warning! Warning! Extremely-low-chance-of-survival! Abort-mission! Repeat! Abort-mission!"
"I won't abandon Malroth! I won't leave him, not again! Look, I'm following you guys to this haven, but I won't hide away like some ninny while my best friend is fighting for his life!"
"Lily… you'll die for thertain if you don't thtay with us…" Gremville looked down at Lily from his perch on her head.
"Then I'll die fighting for Malroth. But I won't give up until I know he's safe. That's all that matters to me…"
"Leave it, already! She's made up her mind. Besides, humans and monsters are mortal enemies. Trust me, it's better if we go our separate ways." Griswold glared at Lily before resuming his path. "Who knows where your path is, kid. But it ain't this way."
"Come on, Lily. When we get to the Haven of Hargon, we can athk Hellen if she knowth anything about your buddy. She'th bound to have heard thomething. She'th one of the withetht priethtetheth the Children of Hargon got!"
"Gremville's splot on, Lily!" Arisplotle gave his best puppy-dog eyed looks to Lily. "It can't hurt to ask! Besides, I don't want us to say goodbye yet…"
"Fine. But if she doesn't know anything then I'm moving on. I have to." She watched as the monsters cheered, even Griswold. The small group carried on, barely making it past a gravitational orb that tried to suck them in. Lily waited next to Griswold as N04H slowly came up. "C'mon, lazy bones!" She laughed when Griswold gave her an amused look.
The sergeant glanced up as a portal started to form. "Aw, shucks. This is gonna smart." He grabbed Lily and threw her back as he threw up his shield, doing his best to block the clawed hand that slammed down on top of him.
"Griswold!" Lily screamed as she scrambled back to her feet and stared up at the arm before it disappeared. She ran over to the hole it created, looking down at Griswold who was laying there, staring back up at her. "Gris!"
"Oof… that arm really packs a wallop… I don't know if I can walk…" Griswold grunted as he shifted some. "You go on ahead, I'll only slow you down. Don't worry about me, I'm undead. They can't kill me twice! Now get going!"
"No way! I'll never leave a man behind! I'm sure we can figure out a way to carry you." Lily jumped down and started to look him over.
"What?! Pah! You're talking crazy again!" Griswold glared at Lily.
"I don't want to leave you, either, Grithwold. Bethideth, I think I know the way from here. Ath long ath we take it nithe and thlow, you can make it. Follow me, everyone!" Gremville cheered as he led the way out of the hole.
Lily stayed next to the old skeleton, looking up when Gremville mentioned having to climb up. "Will you be able to make it up, Gris?"
"I should be fine, kid. Worry about your own bones for once."
"Path-terminated! Find-other-route!" N04H beeped at them, his torso turning as he looked around.
Lily rolled her eyes and gathered blocks before building a bridge to get across. Griswold scoffed as he followed the others across. "Huh. Yet again, you and your building skills save the day… maybe you builders aren't so bad after all…" He froze halfway across the bridge as a portal opened up behind him. "Drats… Well, kid…"
"Griswold! Hurry up! You can still make it!" Lily cried out, struggling when a robotic arm grabbed the back of her armor, keeping her where she was so she couldn't go to Griswold. "Let me go! Dammit, N04H!"
The arm slammed down, taking out the bridge and Griswold with it. Arisplotle let out a cry as he bounced to the edge and looked down into the abyss. "He… he's gone… and he's never coming back… oh, Gooriswold…"
"He-has-left-us-to-return-to-the-great-server-in-the-cloud. May-his-data-live-long-in-our-memory. Now-we-must-proceed-to-the-Haven-of-Hargon." N04H kept his hold on Lily, lifting off the ground so she couldn't do something stupid as he started his assent.
The group looked around, seeing nothing but ruins when they made it to the top. Lily had her arms crossed as she dangled from N04H's robotic arm, a stern look on her face as she glared at the priest that was in the ruins.
"Is this the Haven of Hargoon? But the place is in ruins…" Arisplotle looked around the ruins, seeing the priest as well. "Hello?"
Lily squirmed until N04H dropped her so she could go up to the priest. She could hear the monster saying a small prayer. "Hey."
"Who dares disturb my prayer? Know you not the name of Hellen the Horrible?"
"No. I don't."
"What!? Well then, allow me to introduce myself. I am Hellen, one of the three Cardinal Cardinals of the Children of Hargon! Is there something you require of me?" The priestess held two morning stars as she watched Lily through that glowing red orb on her mask. She huffed when Lily only stood there before her. "Well! Speak up!"
