Chapter 23 - Anything for Love

I had to pull Zild away as he stood frozen in place, disbelief etched across his face as my sister transformed into a werewolf.

"Fae!" he shouted, his voice desperate, as if his powers alone could save her. I grabbed him firmly, restraining him. "You won't be able to touch them without losing a limb," I warned.

Suddenly, everyone except Zild and me had turned into werewolves. It could only mean one thing. "This is important, Zild. I'll keep them at bay," I commanded, summoning my staff and scroll. "Do the same."

Zild raised his hand, calling forth his scroll. The green gem embedded in it glowed brightly, and my staff responded by summoning twisting vines of white Clematis to restrain the transformed figures. Flowers bloomed rapidly, and the vines crept over Raymond and Fae, binding them tightly.

The two howled in defiance, clawing at the ground and snapping their jaws in fury. Zild quickly consulted his scroll, his face paling as he read the analysis. "It's a curse, Liam. What do we do?" His voice wavered. Rohda wasn't here to help us, and the weight of the situation was sinking in.

While the Clematis vines held them, I summoned Lantana flowers to sedate them slightly. The effect was temporary, so we had to act fast. "It's a curse, which means there's a spellcaster nearby. Go! Find them!" I urged.

Zild darted into the tunnels, his mind racing as he scanned every corner for anything suspicious. When his eyes failed him, he relied on his scroll, hovering his hands over the black parchment to amplify its detection capabilities.

Cursed Thread, the scroll revealed. He followed the trail, which led him to a grotesque sight: a cluster of creatures embedded in a wall, writhing like newborn puppies in a pool of blood and water.

The sloshing and scratching sounds were unnerving as the cubs squirmed, their movements repetitive and synchronized, as if they were a single living organism. Remarkably, none of them fell or slid from the wall, their motions eerily predictable.

"So, the thread is coming from this... thing," Zild muttered, wincing in disgust as he sprinted closer. Suddenly, a tongue-like flesh shot out from the center, aiming straight for him. Zild caught the slimy muscle, refusing to let go.

Above the opening where the tongue emerged, a dark hole formed. The bloody cubs scrambled away, as if terrified of being sucked into the void. The hole began to vacuum air and dirt from the surroundings.

Zild pressed his palms against the tongue, his arms glowing a faint yellow. "Come on," he muttered through gritted teeth, veins bulging in his neck and temples. He dug his feet into the uneven floor, resisting the monster's pull.

The creature screeched, its color shifting from red to yellow. Zild's MP was draining rapidly, but he had to endure. The scroll's analysis showed the monster's MP was depleting as well. Can I outlast it?, he wondered.

With a final surge of determination, Zild dug his nails into the tongue. The monster recoiled in pain, yanking its tongue back and pulling Zild with it.

The hole closed, and the slimy red cubs swarmed the center, only to drop to the ground one by one. Their skin turned yellow, their bodies rigid. The organism spat Zild out, drenched in acid and slime. "Now behave!" he commanded.

The monster ceased its curse, and Zild ordered it to end itself. Without hesitation, it obeyed.

After Zild's fight against the spellcaster, I watched as Raymond and Fae returned to their normal forms. I couldn't resist capturing a video of their transformation. Zild emerged, filthy and exhausted, but alive.

Normally, humans would be terrified of an Avarion - a cluster of monsters capable of casting debilitating status effects. The origins of such creatures are unclear, but they use strong magic to make up for their low physical abilities. Yet Zild had conquered it, emerging victorious.

Raymond and Fae regained their senses, confused as to why we hadn't moved since morning. I showed them the video, and their expressions shifted from bewilderment to shock.

"Why is that monster wearing my clothes?" Fae asked, her voice tinged with confusion. "Where are these monsters? Did you kill them?" She glanced around, searching for any trace of the creatures. I couldn't help but laugh, and Zild offered a knowing smile.

Raymond studied the video closely. "Don't tell me..."

I patted him on the back. "Yup, that's you. Honestly, this form suits you better." Raymond demanded an explanation, and Fae was equally stunned. It was only then that she noticed Zild's disheveled state.

"I'm so sorry, my honey buns," she wailed, throwing her arms around him and bombarding him with questions about his well-being. Zild assured her he was fine, though his MP was critically low. A quick strike from my staff restored him.

Fae then turned her attention to me, leaping onto me and throwing playful punches. I fell onto my back, laughing and apologizing. "You're much more docile in your wolf form. Maybe you should stay like that forever," I teased, earning more playful harassment.

••••••••••••••••••••

"So, how come you two didn't turn into wolves?" Fae crossed her arms, scrutinizing us. "Is it because I slept through the night?"

Zild had changed into fresh clothes, but without a water source, we hadn't bathed since entering the tunnels. Finding a pond or lake would be ideal - I could use hyacinth to purify it.

"It's because our intelligence are higher than yours," I explained, earning a punch to the stomach from Fae. "Ow! Not intelligence in general - your intelligence stats," I clarified, clutching my abdomen.

We chose a narrower passage to avoid larger monsters. "Zild has over a hundred intelligence stat points, and I have magic resistance," I added.

"So, how do I increase mine? I've noticed yours has gone up significantly, but mine's only increased by five points," Fae complained, her scroll still open in her hands.

"You're a healer. Your stats only grow when you use your powers to heal someone. Otherwise, they stay the same," I explained, hoping she wouldn't take it too hard.

Her eyes lit up, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. I immediately regretted my words.

"So, you just have to get injured for me to use my powers! You're the best, brother!" she exclaimed, giddily dragging Zild along. "Let's go fight some monsters!"

Why do I feel like a tank again?