The Chameleon Loop

[Spell list]

Protect 1/10

Heal 2/10

Enhance 1/10

Divine 1/10

Uncertain what the options mean, Nox selected the first option of ‘Protect’. A weak aura of mana slipped around his body, and his mana drained by 8%. An odd number, but that didn’t matter. Ashley’s still alive. Oh shit! Please let me be in time! Thought Nox.

He leapt onto his feet, sprinting across the cave and sliding across the floor to Ashley’s side. She was pale, covered in cold sweat and blankets as she tried to fight off the wyvern’s poison. Her labored breathing came slowly but it still came, moving air into and out of her lungs. Without a thought Nox threw off her covers, slapping both hands on her tourniqueted leg and activating his new spell.

[Mana -16%] popped into his mind, but the spell sealed Ashley’s bloody thigh. A thick red line ran along her formerly torn flesh, a sign that the wound hadn’t been entirely healed. So Nox casted the healing spell again, and again, until his mana fell to zero.

“Taylor! Get your stupid ass over here and heal her!” Shouted Nox.

The fellow E ranker looked like he was about to clap back, when he grinned broadly. Sauntering over to Nox and placing his hands a little too high on Ashley’s leg. If he wasn’t in Nox’s body, then Nox would have punched him right in the dick. Luckily for Taylor the other hunters were gathering around them, watching the two melee hunters heal.

“You’re both activated Venators, you shouldn’t be able to use magic!” Muttered Nora, trying to keep her voice low.

Color returned to Ashley’s face, restoring her healthy hue. Her eyelids fluttered open, only to wince shut as she felt the tourniquet biting into her thigh.

“Nnng, get that off me–” Began Ashley.

“--NO! The wound is healed, but we aren’t worried about the slash! Poison is why we put that tourniquet on! Lay still, wait until they’ve recovered their mana and then they can try healing you again.” Said Mary-sue, but within Jon’s body.

“Try healing? Cmon May, just look at what I did! She’s completely better now.” Said Taylor, reaching for the tourniquet.

Liam slapped his hand away, and drew the 1911. “If she dies, you’ll die.” Hissed Nox.

“Ayayaya! Muchachos!” Said Nora, stepping over Ashley’s body to stand between the two men. “Wyvern poison cannot be healed so easily, let’s not be rash. Besides, she’ll need healing once the tourniquet is removed. The bloody thing’s been on for over an hour.”

The boys broke apart, though Taylor went to sit beside Mary-sue, and Nox towards Ashley. Jamal’s body joined Nox, interlacing his finger’s with Ashley’s.

“Shit cuz, ain’t never been the lil spoon, but this could be aight.” Said Ashley’s mouth.

“In your dreams Jamal. Listen to me, if the two e rankers can use their powers, why can’t we? Put your hand here, and let’s keep trying.” Said Jamal’s mouth.

The inversion of the pair was making Nox’s head spin, and he stepped away to get some air, leaving them unchaperoned. He left his backpack with them and slipped out of the crevice, wanting a closer look at the strange black mana crystals. And he was curious if the bone-snake-fox had bled. It hadn’t, but it had left a deformed .45 caliber slug on the ground near where it had been shot. Dark crystals jutted from the wall a foot away, an easy target for Nox’s frustration, he grasped the obsidian crystals and pushed, thinking the jutting shard wouldn’t budge. In snapped like a twig, slicing open his arm. [Mana -10%]

Traces of blue light appeared in the obsidian crystal, glowing brightest where his blood coated the stone. Despite the dungeon’s enhanced mana flow, that was his entire pool of power. Greeeeaaaatttttt. Now I’m bleeding in a place I know snake bone foxes are, and I can’t heal! He turned to toss the crystal towards the inner crevice’s mouth and leapt away in fright. Inside the gunport two red eyes looked back at him, flames licking the face of a Shakko.

“Ah! Hey, don’t sneak up on me…” Said Nox.

“Cousin, why do you play with leeching stones when the tainted are near?” Asked Shakko.

Tainted ones? Does he mean the bone foxes, but what tainted them? Were they once Shakko like him? Oh crap, what would he think if he knew how I acquired this face? Thought Nox.

“I need more mana- or uhm power. And this cave seems to reduce the dungeon’s ambient mana, so I was planning on stepping into the labyrinth to recharge…” Nox’s voice trailed off, wondering if a fox spirit of fire had any idea what mana was or if he understood the concept of recharging.

It’s not like he has a cell phone… Or an outlet…

“I’ll join you.” Said Shakko, slipping through the crevice.

His body had grown, and now the fire fox was more akin to a fire wolf. With five lupine tails flickering behind it. Upon exiting the crevice Shakko shook his coat, as if trying to shake off water and the flames shifted, emitting less light than a single candle. Dim enough to mingle with the scintillating blue lights of the mana crystals around them.

Deciding it was easier to go along with Mozilla 2.0, Nox crept towards the outer crevice, careful to avoid kicking their fallen gear. C4, an Mbar, and other random trinkets lined the crevice entrance, creating a minefield of kickable noises. One that didn’t trip Nox, or the fox. 1911 raised, Nox slipped out of the crevice, finding the corridor ahead empty save for three discarded backpacks and a vague sensation of malice that made him feel like he’d stepped in dogshit and it insulted his mother.

“They’re close.” Shakko warned.

A noise behind them caused them both to whirl, Nox dropped to one knee as he sighted down the 1911 and Shakko raised his tails, forming a spike with pinpricks of flame. As if his tails were about to shoot lasers. Only for Taylor to stare back at them.

“Am I interrupting your lovemaking?” Taylor sneered.

Of all the idiotic things you could have said…

“Can’t you feel it? Those monsters are nearby, grab those packs and go back.” Said Nox, turning away and walking towards the nearest wall.

[Mana 30%] Which was enough power to shift his fingers into claws and climb up the wall. A feat Shakko mocked by pouncing up the wall in a single bound, floofing his tails in Nox’s face for added shenanigans. Yet the sense of malice grew stronger, halting any thought of additional games. Shakko and Nox hopped across the labyrinth’s corridor, finding three dropped backpacks. We didn’t drop this many… Thought Nox.

“Hungry pretenders.” Said Shakko, giving voice to the presence of mimics.

Creatures who could assume the form of most objects, often treasure chests since a mimic could hide inedible items inside itself, then chop on unsuspecting succubi after lulling them into a false sense of security. But the mimics weren’t what Nox feared. A mere football field away lay the wyvern’s corpse, as well as three napping demon foxes. At this distance they seemed little more than cuddling golden retrievers, yet Nox’s enhanced pierced the lies of darkness. They were covered in blood and lay near the wyvern’s mouth, appearing to have crawled down it’s throat to rip out their meals. Along with the wyvern’s teeth, which were protruding at odd angles from them. As if they were absorbing the teeth into their boney hides. A possibility that was more likely than Nox cared to guess.

“Which is the real backpack?” Whispered Nox.

“Stick your hand in them and find out.” Answered Shakko.

Liam rolled his eyes, and dropped to the floor below. He stuck the landing, freezing in place to watch the sleeping foxes. Their stomachs rose and fell at the pasce of a sleeping dog’s, Be quiet. Thought Nox, grasping the first backpack and whispering “i’ll take all three home, bbut one at a time.” Nox sait, tossing the second and picking up the third. Unlike the other two the third was far lighter, and the items inside jostled, loose or damaged.

“Gotcha.” Muttered Nox, remembering a moment too late that mimics always heard what occurred around them.

Realizing they’d been spurned, the mimics found their revenge. Two screeching backpacks pierced the night, waking the tainted Shakko and the two wyverns who were tapping in an overhead tunnel. Their red eyes flicked open, beaming hungry evil towards Nox.

“Hehehe you done fucked up. RUN!” Snapped Shakko, bounding away from Nox.

Terror slapped all four of Nox’s cheeks as the tainted shakko aimed their snouts at him, furious from being awoken and willing to kill. Shit. Thought Nox, tossing the backpack and leaping after it. He aimed over the wall, and surprisingly made the jump, catching the rucksack a half second later. He readied himself for another leap when a pink geyser whizzed by his face, narrowly missing his nose.

It had been shot at him from below, and now Nox saw the mimics had changed, turning into lumpy abominations with tongues like firehoses and two clawed arms. Wingbeats hammered them into the marble floor as two wyverns dropped from their perches, flapping hard to land on either side of Nox. Armored scales blocked the space between he and Shakko.

There were only three missing backpacks, Taylor picked up his own mimic… Thought Nox, seeing three slithering foxes mount the labyrinth’s walls. Surrounded and alone, Nox did the only logical thing, drawing his pistol, he directed it’s muzzle purposefully, rising past his temple before pulling the trigger.