"O' gooreat and goolorious Hellen, please save us! Everything is being squished and squashed, and we don't have anywhere else to goo!" Arisplotle bounced up next to Lily, pouting to Hellen the Horrible.
"Save you? But my child, why ever would I need to do that? This destruction will be your salvation. Rejoice, my children, for Doom's Day is here at last!" Hellen shrugged and turned back to her alter, a smile in her voice. "The end of all things will soon be upon us. This world will be destroyed, the Children of Hargon with it, all at the unholy hand of the Lord and Master of Destruction."
"No! No, that's not right! It's not everything that gets globliterated… is it?" Arisplotle looked between Hellen and Lily, a loud whimper leaving him. "I mean, I knew that the Master of Destruction was gooing to reawaken, but He's only suppoozed to wipe out the old world, isn't He? Not everything!"
"My child…" Hellen shook her head and glanced over at Arisplotle, sighing softly. "The Master shall leave no stone unturned in His quest for destruction, and then all of those stones shall be destroyed. There is no escape."
"We can thrtuggle all we like, but it won't make a differenthe… maybe it'd be eathier if we jutht gave up the ghotht." Gremville moved until he was next to Hellen, clearly showing he was agreeing with her about Doom's Day.
Arisplotle glared at Gremville, a decent growl leaving the slime. "I can't believe you're saying that! You've forgotten about Lily, our resident builder! If anyone can get us out of this squeeze, she can!"
Hellen went eerily still before turning to look Lily over again. "Did you say… that this girl is a builder?" The priestess growled as she twirled the morning stars in her hands. "If this is true, then you are the nemesis of our Lord and Master! I should sacrifice you upon this alter here and now!"
"No, Hellen! If Goom's Day's gooing to finish us all off anyway, then won't you let us look after Lily until it's slime to say goobye? We promise she'll be goo!" Arisplotle jumped up onto Lily's shoulder once again, ready to sacrifice himself to save the human. "Come on, Lily. Let's have a look around and see if there's anything oozeful that might get us out of this sticky situation!"
Lily glanced up, suddenly realizing the tingling sensation she'd been feeling in the back of her neck. She ran out of the ruins of the temple to the back. A pathetic noise left her when she saw a builders table with an old club leaning against it. "M… Mal…?"
"This has been sitting here for as long as I can remember." Hellen walked around after them; her arms crossed as she looked over the table. "When the Master of Destruction bestowed His righteous ruination upon our Haven, I thought He would lay waste to that worthless table too… But as His mighty arm was poised to strike, it hesitated… or so it seemed. Perhaps I was imagining things. Anyway, as you can see, the table remains unscathed."
"What's this?" Arisplotle moved over to the club, examining it as Lily shuffled towards it. "What is it, Lily? Some kind of club?"
"And to think you made it using only the junk we found on the beach. You're amazing! Thanks, Lily. This club is the best present anyone's ever given me!"
"What's this? Did you make me a new weapon? Ha, ha, ha! Thanks! I love it! I'll use this one from now on, but I'll keep hold of the oaken club you made me too. After all, it's the first thing you ever made me. I suppose it's got sentimental value."
Lily choked back the sob that threatened to leave her as she grabbed the club, squeezing it to her chest as she trembled. "Uhm… are you alright, Lily?" Arisplotle bounced around until he was in front of Lily. "Does that club mean anything to you?"
"Yeah… it's the first weapon I ever made for him… he said it was the best gift anyone ever gave to him…"
"Your friend?" Arisplotle gave Lily a grin as she attached it to her back using a small harness.
"It belongs to your friend? I very much doubt that. Explain yourself." Hellen growled as she watched Lily closely.
"I came here in search of my best friend, Malroth. I have to save him. I know he's still in there, wherever there is. If he didn't destroy this table then… then I know I can still rescue him."
"Malroth?! What trickery is this, builder?! How could you possibly know that name?!" Hellen slammed the two morning stars down, growling when Lily didn't even flinch.
"Malroth? Is he your friend too, Hellen? That would be a gooincidence!" Arisplotle beamed happily.
"Only the upper echelons of the Children of Hargon are supposed to know His name… how could a human like you possibly have heard it? Do not try to deceive me, urchin! It is unfathomable to think that the Master of Destruction would ever befriend one such as you!" Hellen was vibrating with her annoyance, the red orb on her mask seemed to glow even more as she snarled at the builder.
Lily couldn't contain the shit-eating grin that spread on her lips as she put one hand on her hip and brought the other to her chest. "Would he lay with one such as me, Hellen? Cause I can tell you right now, not only are we friends, best friends. But we're lovers. He's mine." The builder leaned closer to the priestess, giving a growl that had the monsters taking half a step back. "And I'll be damned if I let Hargon take him away from me!"
"Lily! Would you introdooze us?! If you really are friends with him that is…" Arisplotle had hearts in his eyes as he looked up at the builder, excitement causing him to jiggle before her.
"You idiot. Don't be tho gullible, Arithplotle. Of courthe they're not friendth. Lithten here, Lily – you shouldn't play thilly joketh on an imprethionable young thlime! All you really want to do ith cauthe mithchief!" Gremville growled at Lily before taking off.
"Don't listen to him, Lily. I believe you. I know you wouldn't goo around spreading lies." Arisplotle gave a dreamy sigh, clearly thinking about how he might one day be friends with the Master as well.
Hellen watched with hatred as Lily ran around the temple, rebuilding it. The other monsters had begged the builder to build a safe haven for more monsters to join them. The builder was a blasphemer, there was no way Hellen's God would be one; a close friend to a builder or two; a… a lover. The priestess growled her annoyance. N04H had pointed out that if Lily was in fact the Master's friend and anyone mistreated her, he would surely punish them. "Damned wench."
"I heard that~" Lily sang as she ran behind Hellen, laughing when the priestess flinched. "Just kidding, I don't care what you call me! Thank you for the pointers, by the way!" She dropped what she had been carrying before running off. "Arisplotle! Are you ready?"
"Of course!" The silver slime bounced eagerly after Lily, overjoyed to be going on this adventure.
Lily led the way through the wasted land, building small walls when they came across one of the gravitational balls and then another. The whole time, Arisplotle watched Lily with awe in those big eyes of his. She paused, looking up at the arch of molt. "Gross."
"That's goot to be what we need!"
"I think so. C'mon, let's make this quick." Lily ran over, clearing out a great deal of old scales and horns as she climbed up, Arisplotle hot on her tail. The two paused at the top to catch their breath when an arm appeared above them, poised to strike down.
"Eep! Th-This is gonna smart!" Arisplotle dove beneath Lily, wrapping around one of her legs.
"Malroth!" Lily put her fists on her hips and glared up at the hand, snarling when it stopped for a moment. "I'll collect your molt if I damn well please! Go destroy elsewhere!"
Arisplotle gaped up at the builder and the arm, seeing the moment the arm took her words into consideration before slamming down near them. "L-Lily!"
Lily walked over, awkwardly seeing as there was a slime attached to her leg and started collecting the scales and horns the arm smashed. "Thank you." She hissed at the arm, paying it no mind as it hovered near them, as if it were interested in just what she was doing.
"It's watching us…" Arisplotle slid up her leg and the wrapped around her torso, still shivering as he watched the arm so he could warn Lily of any movements.
"It'll be fine. Malroth wouldn't hurt me, I know him." She finished gathering those before jumping down on the other side and collecting claws. She glanced back up, seeing the arm was still there and waiting. The builder smiled as she turned and started to make her way back to the Haven.
When the two arrived, Hellen ran over to them and a small glowing orb slid from her. "You're back! And you've collected material from the Masters molt, no less. The arms that lash this land are indeed those of our Lord. However, His power fluctuates uncontrollably, making His rampages violent and erratic." She shrugged as Lily held out a claw which she took and stroked. "As He struggles to contain this burgeoning strength, He must destroy Himself to be reborn ever stronger. I'm surprised you made it back, honestly."
"We almost didn't! One of the arms appeared but Lily yelled at Him and He stopped!" Arisplotle bounced off of Lily's waist and grinned at Hellen.
"You…" Hellen turned to Lily, body going lax from slight shock. "You yelled at Master?"
"I did." Lily shrugged and went to thinking about how to make materials out of the pieces left by Malroth.
"Very interesting… you know, there's a Forbidden Alter that you could-" Hellen watched as Lily yanked out the giant tomb that was on her back and started scribbling with renewed energy. "Child?" She followed the builder when she ran back and set to work. "Don't tell me you figured out how to make a Forbidden Alter! No human should know how-" The priestess stumbled back a step when the builder slapped not one but two alters down and started throwing scales and horns and claws down. "Blasphemy!"
"Nah, I'm just smart." Lily grinned at Hellen before throwing the materials together and making the blocks she needed for the shelter. Once she had them, she began her work on the shelter.
N04H stopped his rounds and watched as Lily threw up a door, a wave of magic washed over him, and he went running over. "Building-detected! Building-finished! Ms.-Lily-this-shelter-is-somewhat-small-do-you-think-so?"
"It is. But we'll get to that in a minute." Lily laughed as she basked in the praise of the monsters.
"N04H is right, goo know? For slimes like me, it's huge! But for other monsters, it would be a tight squeeze." Arisplotle bounced around, inspecting all the nooks and crannies. "But for goo to make such a gloopnormous building… that would be a lot for goo to do on your own!"
"Normally I ring a bell and then my friends help me build… but I don't have a bell here." Lily crossed her arms and thought for a moment.
Ho-ho-ho! What's the mat-mat-matter, Lily? This little problem shouldn't stump-stump-stump someone like you!
"Hermit?" Lily straightened up, looking around when she heard the voice.
If you don't have it, build it! Isn't that the nit-nit-nitty grit-grit-gritty of being a builder? I left something especially important behind for you, remember? Wrack-wrack-wrack your brains and see if you can't figure out a way to put it to use!
"What's the splatter, Lily? Are you trying to figure out how to build the bell? If you do figure it out, I think it'd goo very nicely in front of the shelter!" Arisplotle beamed up at her.
Lily beamed right back as she ripped out her book and jotted a few things down. "I got it!" She booked it out of the shelter and ran around to the builders table, eyes gleaming as she set to work.
Arisplotle followed Lily around as she built, jumping up on top of the builders bell when she finally placed it. "This looks gooreat! Look everybody! Lily made us something gooreat!"
"Warning! Warning! High-levels-of-building-energy-detected!" N04H alarmed as he ran over, inspecting the bell. "What-does-it-do?"
"This profane idol sullies the unholy Haven of Hargon!" Hellen groaned as she made her way over. "How did I allow this to happen?"
"Well! Give it a ring!" Arisplotle cheered, excited to hear the sound of it.
"I've never heard of montherth building before." Gremville crossed his arms as he fluttered around next to Hellen.
"Chance-of-monsters-coming:-Maximum. Chance-of-monsters-building:-Minimal." N04H's metal shoulders moved in a shrug as Lily rolled her eyes and hopped up next to the bell.
"It always worked with humans, but to be honest I've never tried it with monsters." Lily sighed as she pulled out her hammer and looked up at the bell, wondering if it would actually work. She pulled her hammer back and gave a hearty swing, sighing in relief when the gratitude the four monsters had gave her flowed from her and out with the ring of the bell.
Hellen let out a gasp as the other three began bouncing around, she let out a surprised noise when more monsters showed up and started looking around. "I must say…"
"What a gloriooze sound!" Arisplotle splatted down next to Lily as he cheered about the bell. "Looky! More monsters heard the bell and moozied on over!" He looked back at Lily, a curious look in his eyes. "I'm getting a strange feeling in my goo sacs… Lily, I think I want to help you build!"
"Building-impulse-drive-initiated! I-never-knew-such-a-component-was-installed… I-will-help-build-too!" N04H patted Lily on the head, excitement making his joints and alarms buzz.
"Nothing of the sort stirs within me." Hellen glowered at Lily, a sharp bite to her tone.
"Not to worry. I'm sure it'll happen eventually!" Arisplotle laughed when Lily picked him up.
"I had a priest who was like you, back on Furrowfield. He acted like he didn't want to help, but he gave me a lot of pointers. In the end he wanted to help us build." Lily smiled at Hellen, her features softening when the priestess looked away from her. She and Arisplotle went over to the new monsters, smiling up at them. "Welcome to the Haven!"
"We heard a thtrange, thcary thound coming from thomewhere near here. What'th going on?"
"Gooreetings, friend! No need to be nervooze! Lily here is a builder – she's making a shelter to keep us safe when Goom's Day arrives!" The slime moved to Lily's shoulder, drawing the small gremlins attention to himself.
"Did you-oo-oo say she's a builder? The sworn enemy of the Children? I'll never disobey Hargon's teachings!" The badboon growled at the slime.
"Look," Gremville flew over, putting himself between the angry monkey and Lily. "you don't have to become betht friendth. All we're thaying ith that she can thave uth when Doom'th Day rollth around. You don't want to die, do you?"
"Of couthe not… but what doeth Hellen have to thay about thith? You'll have to hell to pay when she findth out what'th going on here!" The first gremlin glared at Gremville. "What are you thtaring at, human? Have you got thomething you want to thay to me? Go on, thpit it out!"
"Have you seen my friend? His name is Malroth and I'm here to save him."
"No. I've never heard that name in my life. What maketh you think your friend would even be here in the firtht plathe?"
"And anyway, Malhalla is hu-oo-ooge and full of vortexes. Even if you knew-oo-oo where he was, you wouldn't be able to get to him in time on those hu-oo-ooman legs of yours." The monkey pounded his fists on the ground, only to shrug at Lily.
"You could ride on my back… but I don't think that would be any slicker than walking…" Arisplotle grumbled out loud, a stern look on his face.
"Mission-find-Malroth:-Failed. Not-Enough-data. Must-find-more-information." N04H beeped sadly behind Lily.
Lily waved meekly at the monsters before trudging away and sitting on a small hill. "I'll figure it out. I have to." She pulled out her book and began to scribble down a new blueprint, glancing up every now and again when she needed to see what they had already.
Arisplotle looked to the others, even throwing a glance at Hellen. "I feel bad for our builder. She just wants to find her best friend…"
