De'Vas Chronicles Book 3: Chapter 5

 One of the mimic’s spider-like legs pierced the ground where Ash had been standing. He sent a weak Bolt at the monster to antagonize it, then kept leading the monster in a circle on their side of the room.

 The mimic lunged for Ash, its long leg stabbing out. He sidestepped the attack and retaliated with Riptide. The sword left a gash along the side of its vending machine body and it began oozing dark blood.

 The mimic’s hide was tough, a trait Ash had learned was common with monsters aligned with Earth Magic. The intelligence of the monster, though, was nothing impressive. The mimic used the same repertoire of attacks over and over again and Ash had adapted to the point that he was easily avoiding them.

 That said, the attacks were nothing to ignore. He cast a side glance at where the leg had struck a slab of concrete, leaving a fist-sized hole in it. He could anticipate its attacks, but if he slipped up, it could cost him his life.

 “How’s it going, Bo?” Ash called out when the orc came back into his field of vision.

 Bo was chasing the goblin around the other half of the large room. Bits of reflective tape waved behind the goblin as he tried to find a hiding place among the rubble where Bo couldn’t get him.

 “He keeps breaking the tape!” Bo called out.

 “Why didn’t you bring a rope?” Ash called out.

 “Why didn’t you bring a rope,” Bo mocked back. “Because I thought the tape would work!”

 Ash dodged another lunge and hacked at one of the mimic’s back legs. The mimic let out a sound like a hissing insect before skirting away from him, its wounded leg twitched as it curled closer to the mimic’s body.

 “The package of the tape said reflective and strong! It’s not my fault it lied,” Bo answered.

 “Well, figure something out and get over here to help me kill this thing!” Ash responded back as the mimic charged again.

 Ash pulled on his magic and cast his Lightning Shields, summoning two balls of floating lightning that hovered around him.

 The mimic did its usual attack pattern, trying to strike at him with its front two spider legs in quick succession. The lightning shield blocked the first strike while Ash dodged the second and followed it up with his own strike, leaving another deep cut in the mimic. The mimic’s body convulsed and started to bloat and shift.

 “Bo,” Ash said as he readied himself. “The mimic is doing something different now and I don’t like it. I could use some help here!”

 The bloated areas shifted and grew on the mimic before turning into three new legs, though two were on the side and one on what was essentially the mimic’s head.

 The mimic’s body deflated some until the two new legs on its side could touch the ground and then rushed at Ash, far faster than before. Ash shifted one of the Lightning Shields before the mimic and dove out of the way as it charged at him.

 “Bo, the mimic changed!” Ash called out.

 “They do that,” Bo answered over the sound of cursing from the goblin. “It means you’ve injured it badly.”

 The mimic turned and rushed at him again. Ash pulled on the elemental scar, adding its magic to his Bolt, before sending it at the mimic. The force of the charged Bolt knocked the mimic back and Ash started to prepare another one.

 “Incoming!” Bo called out to him.

 Ash watched as Bo’s battleaxe twirled end over end through the air and slammed into the mimic’s side. The blow from the battleaxe stunned the mimic and Ash rushed forward at the opportunity. He stabbed Riptide down into the mimic’s body repeatedly before it could recover.

 He kept his eye on the mimic as it twitched. When he was sure it was dead he relaxed.

 “Thanks for the help, Bo,” Ash said as he turned back to the orc. “Were you able to get the goblin—”

 Bo was standing there in a pair of boxers with images of pickles on them. He looked past Bo to the goblin on the ground, tied up with a combination of tape, torn jeans, and shoe strings. He looked back at Bo and raised an eyebrow.

 “Don’t say anything,” Bo said sternly. “I don’t want to hear it.”

 Ash just let out a laugh.

 Bo huffed.

 “Hey, I didn’t say anything,” Ash said as he laughed. “Let’s check this place out, Pickles.”

 “They were a gift from Jacklyn,” Bo said defensively.

 Ash’s mind made the connection and he shook his head.

 “Okay, did not need that mental image.”

 He made his way to the workstation the goblin had been hiding under. The desk was littered with schematics and notebooks. Nearby was a suitcase that looked like it was being quickly packed.

 “Bo, any chance one of those runes upstairs alerted him to us?” Ash asked as he picked up one of the sheets of paper and looked at it.

 “It’s possible, though I don’t think the runes belong to the goblin,” Bo answered.

 “Why do you think that?” Ash asked as he turned and saw Bo looking at the goblin.

 Ash started walking towards where Bo was guarding the goblin and noticed tattoos on the goblin’s face. Dozens of the tattoos covered the goblin’s body.

 “He’s tattooed in runes?” Ash stated more than asked.

 “I’ve seen this before back on Vas. The runes are connected to information he knows. If he reveals that information the rune goes off, violently.” Bo said.

 Ash grimaced at the thought. They wouldn’t be able to use the truth-sayer potion on the goblin, at least not without killing him.

 “I’ll give you some information,” the goblin growled. “The orc needs to back up a few feet.”

 Bo looked down before remembering he was in his boxers. He grimaced as he backed up a few feet.

 “Anything you can tell us? My translation ring isn’t translating your notes,” Ash said to the goblin.

 “Oh, I can tell you lots of things. Whether you hear them before the runes blow you and me to bloody bits is another thing!” the goblin snarled.

 “Let me see the notes,” Bo said and took one of them from Ash.

 The orc squinted at the notebook before rotating it as if the change of position would make the text legible.

 “What the hell is this?” Bo asked.

 The goblin only smirked from his position on the floor. Ash knew it was pointless to ask him. They would just have to bring it to Silver and see if she could decipher it.

 “Alright, let’s get what we can and get the hell out here,” Ash said as he made his way back to the workstation. He took a stack of the papers on the desk and went to add them to the goblin’s briefcase. That was when he noticed a small ball sitting in the case. It was brass in color and about the size of a baseball. He picked it up and saw small runes covering the object. He turned and looked at the goblin. His smirk was now a look of worry. Ash figured the ball was something important to whoever tattooed the goblin. He gently placed it back into the case and continued moving papers over.

 They had to climb out of the underground room since the collapsed floor blocked the entrance. The rubble acted as stepping stones and they managed to make it back to the mall without much trouble. They made their way through the wrecked mall with little difficulty despite the damage.

 “Shit,” Bo said as he came around a corner and grabbed his battleaxe.

 Ash’s hand went to Riptide out of reaction and he almost dropped the goblin he was carrying.

 “Hey, watch it!” the goblin complained at being jarred.

 Then he saw what Bo was looking at. Before he could say anything the battleaxe twirled through the air, followed by the sound of breaking glass.

 Ash turned and gave Bo a deadpan look. The orc was still staring at his battleaxe. Which was currently embedded in a vending machine.

 “Bo,” Ash said as the orc stared at the battleaxe. “It’s just a regular vending machine.”

 “Right,” Bo said as he scratched his cheek. “Can’t be too cautious.”

 They approached the vending machine and Bo pulled his battleaxe out and they turned to make their way out of the mall.

 “Ahhh! It’s moving! It’s a mimic!” the goblin yelled.

 Bo whipped around and let out a primal cry as he swung his battleaxe repeatedly at the vending machine, not stopping until it was little more than scrap metal. The goblin was laughing his ass off.

 When they reached the mall entrance, Bo stopped to Call Ella. Ash kept watch over the goblin. They both agreed it would be a good idea for the orc to have pants before they made their way to the portal. For the sake of everyone in District 208

 “Hey, Ella,” Bo said on the phone, his tone chipper. “Oh, I’m doing all right, how are you?”

 “Pants,” Ash reminded Bo.

 “Good to hear. Hey, listen. I need a big favor,” Bo started to say.

 Ash shook his head and started texting Silver that they had found something.

 Ash: Got the goblin.

 Silver: Finally a break! Let me know when you’re back in District 114. I’ll let Faylen know that you’re not dead.

 Ash slipped his phone back into his pocket and his attention turned back to Bo. The big orc was smiling.

 “Good news. Ella is on her way with pants!” Bo stated.

 “Oh, thank the gods!” the goblin said from where he was tied up.

 Ash shook his head.

 “Seriously, Bo. Did it have to be your pants? Couldn’t you have tied him up with your shirt?” Ash asked.

 Bo looked at his shirt with a frown.

 “Of course not! This was a gift from Ella,” he answered.

 Not even twenty minutes had passed when Ash heard the sound of an engine. Vehicles were something extremely rare in De’Vas. The council limited the import of any motorized vehicles to businesses. Lilly was the only one in District 114 with a vehicle, a sports bike she used for deliveries.

 Both Ash and Bo turned to where the sound was coming from. What was coming towards them looked like a luxury car designed by a post-apocalypse warlord. The convertible car made from Frankenstine parts slowed down and Ash saw a kobold in the driver’s seat with Ella and Selena in the back. The car reminded him of an old Johnny Cash song his dad would listen to.

 “Bo!” Ella shouted as she jumped out of the car and raced towards the orc, a pair of jeans in her hands.

 “Ella!” Bo said as he raced to meet the desert elf.

 Ash smirked. He would need to see if Lilly was taking bets on when Bo and Ella became official. His smirk shifted to a professional smile as Selena exited the car and made her way towards him.

 “District boss Ash. It’s good to see you,” Selena said.

 “Good to see you as well, District boss Selena,” Ash said.

 He was still not sure how to interact with Selena. Their history together was complicated. He had killed her father, she had plotted to kill him and they had saved each other’s lives. The longest conversation he had with the unicorn ended with her slapping and then kissing him.

 “I see you found the smuggler Councilwoman Blackthorn was looking for,” Selena said as she gestured to the goblin.

 “Yes. Hopefully she won’t have Silver running me all around De’Vas,” Ash said with a faint smile.

 Selena looked at him with a more serious expression and he felt a knot in his gut.

 “I suppose you wouldn’t be able to tell me why she sent you instead of relying on me? This is my district after all,” Selena said with an edge to her voice.

 Ash kept a fake smile on his face and shook his head.

 “No. Sorry, Selena. I just do what I’m told,” he answered.

 Selena huffed.

 “Figures, since you’re her attack dog,” Selena said softly to herself.

 Ash gritted his teeth, feeling less and less welcome within the district.

 “Ash!” Bo called out to him. “Ella and Selena are inviting us to dinner!”

 Ash turned to tell Bo they were leaving, but the big oaf looked so excited to have dinner with Ella.

 “We have the goblin, remember,” Ash said.

 Bo waved it off.

 “We can drop him off through the portal and one of the gangs can handle him.”

 Ella had a pleading look on her face as well, but it wasn’t directed at Ash. He turned to see Selena, who looked wide-eyed at Ella before she turned and met his gaze. A sigh escaped her.

 “We would love for both of you to join us. Ella rarely shuts up about Bo,” Selena said with a faint smile on her face.