Floor 2: Nonsense

I automatically struggle against this prick. I do one nice thing, and this happens.

"Get off."I practically snarl at the surrounding limbs.

"Sorry Fern." He actually sounds apologetic for once. Releasing my shoulders. "I thought I was dreaming."

I stared at him wide eyed, blush creeping up.

"Why the fuck would you confess that?!" I screeched.

He quick covered my mouth, guesturing me to be quiet. I look back at the party, miraculously still asleep. Then bite Ren's fingers.

"Hey." He complains at me in a lower voice. "I said I'm sorry."

"Then, stop touching me."

"Fine." He leans his head back to the wall.

I slowly lower my guard and do the same. Thanks to sharing the blanket, I'm once again shoulder to shoulder with him. The warmth painfully noticeable. My stubbornness refusing to let me move away.

"How about Nettles or Prickles?" Ren sounds out nonsense.

"What?"

"Names for you."

"…" I slap his shoulder. "Go to sleep."

I close my eyes once more in a vain attempt to sleep.

"Give me a category or something." I pretend not to listen. "…" he sounds softer. "Don't you want a new purpose?"

My eyes snap open. A faint memory at the edge of my mind. I look over at my companion. I give him what he wants.

"Something vengeful."

He smiles down at me. Satisfied.

"I'll think about it. Get some sleep…" As I finally pass out, I swear I heard him say something more to me.

…

I awake to a nasty smell. A foul concoction of rot and sewer.

A duo is gathered at the room's center, scrunched noses, and watering eyes. Meril clearly agitated and Reaver looking worried. Ren and Laren are noticeably absent. The shuffling blanket and my groggy action to stand catches their attention.

"Healer." Meril maintained a neutral tone at me, not like her at all. "The guys left to check on the slime's progress." Her face is a disgusted frown, not fitting with her nature. "The smell wasn't as nasty earlier."

"How long ago did they leave?" I fix my hair and yawn.

"An hour ago." Reaver can't help but show his nerves in his swaying body, twitchy feet.

The mental map in my head had the two just reach town in that time. I calmly walked over to the nervous ones. My eyes checking our surroundings and then the pair once more.

"So why are you so worried then?"

Reaver visibly jumped a tad, his eyes avoiding mine at all costs.

"The smell, the rats, now the slime." An oddly cranky princess snapped at me. Her eyes rolled dramatically, a quick last word popping out. "Men."

I froze, staring at her while I processed that. My body deflated, arms crossing, eyes shifting away like Reaver.

"Okay."

I'm so not touching that. Clearly something happened with Laren. I had my own puzzle with Ren so…

"Tsk."

A solid, self inflicted mental slap hit me. Enough thoughts about men. I focused on the ever pressing stink that permeated in the room. The smell of never cleaned toilet, a butcher's scrap pile, a potent stink bomb. Alas I was not alone, and with a probably scorned female.

"Aren't you going to ask what happened? Aren't you curious?" Meril stared straight through my avoiding gaze all the way to my sense of pride.

That sense of pride I was more than willing to toss out the window to avoid this topic. On the verge of delivering a firm 'Nope', she took matters into her own hands.

"That bastard…!" She started a rave of irrelevant to near brain melting train wreck of drama. "Laren is…!"

I starting picturing my manor's garden. Hidden away from all humanity. The flutters of delicate butterflies, buzzing of happy honey bees, and a rainbow of sweet smelling flowers. A tiny little peice of heaven for me to escape.

"Then Ren got in between us!"

My peace was shattered in an instant. Curiosity got the better of me.

"What?" Regret hit me instantly.

"Exactly!" Her face lit up in satisfaction from such a tiny response. "I mean I'm glad he dragged that jerk away, but…!"

She continued her rant, that I once again zoned out of, eventually ending in a truly dramatic crescendo. She flipped her hair, puffed up, and declared to the universe.

"I will never believe such nonsense from a man again!"

Realizing that the torment was over. I gave a brief nod in understanding.

"I'm here if you need me." Reaver piped up. "I can't believe he was like that. I have your back Meril." His eyes lit up in determination.

"Thank you Reaver!" Her eyes were teary. Their hands linked together in a sign of sisterhood.

Unbelievable nonsense.

…

It ended up being an hour and a half before Laren and Ren returned. The dramatic atmosphere had shifted to a tense one.

Meril and Reaver were practically huddled together, while Laren kept his distance. Ren had a look of utter exhaustion, a long drawn out sigh. He noticeably perked up when he locked eyes with me. Once again shifted my gaze away, I felt his now recognizable presence.

"Ahem." Laren cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head. "The slime is spreading as planned. The rats are panicking and attacked the infected ones." He glances at Meril several times. "The blood is infected by the slime so the attacking rats are also getting infected."

"What about the smell?" It's impossible to ignore at this point. No one touched their food this morning due to the nausea.

"Turns out the slime spreads out like a mold on the rats, and smells nastier than shit." Ren chimed in, directing his gaze and chippier than usual voice in my direction.

I gave him a dissatisfied glare his way. Why the hell is this guy so damn cheery right now? He responded wth a proud grin. Handsome features mixed with such a natural grin, left me speechless.

I quick turned my head away to anyone or anything else. This was getting way to difficult to ignore.

"When should we head to the exit?" For once my voice stammered in hurry. Desperate for some distraction.

Ren had caught my stumble and snickered. His smug face looking better by the moment.

"I have a plan." The smug ass proceeded to share in detail our escape.