Change idiot! He stopped his mental self-flagellation and formed his hand into the bark-dagger. Chopping at his bindings, he started to cut himself free. His progress halted when the vines encircled his arms and waist. He compacted his form; the vines adjusted to keep him contained. More and more tendrils enveloped him. Don’t waste any more magic on this. Think calm.
Can I alter my eyes to see better underwater? His vision cleared almost instantly. That easy? What is that? The moving water made it difficult to be certain. He decided the thrashing and churning he saw behind and above him were his friends fighting with the creatures that launched themselves at them.
His attention shifted back to himself when he hit the silt-covered floor of the marsh. A cloud of mud and other stuff blinded him. He slammed his dagger hand into the muck again, and the vines stopped dragging him. He waited for another attack, but nothing materialized.
The silt settled back to the bottom of the swamp, allowing Chuck to make out shadows, then details became visible. He found himself at the base of something that reminded him of an underwater weeping willow. The short, thick trunk swayed in the water. The vine-like branches that weren’t wrapped around Chuck moved like snakes and were never still. Gazing across the bottom of the marsh, he saw several bones along the base of the plant. One near Chuck seemed recent enough that the muck didn’t cover up the fact it had been some sort of animal before dying.
Why isn’t it…oh wait…I don’t have to breathe. Or do I? If all of me is my lungs? Did I already adapt to process oxygen out of the water? This thing is waiting for me to drown. If I stay perfectly still, will it release me to decompose? Why can I smell dead fish or something like it? Can I adjust my sense of smell? He spent a moment trying the adjustment, with no success. The rotting stench remained. Chuck shook his head. He looked up and could make out forms along with the thrashing above him. He saw a flare of orange that could’ve been some type of fire. Not sure I have time to wait this thing out. Health and magic status check.
<< STATUS
Health: 78/7
Magic: 62/88 >>
Should have enough. Chuck concentrated on the mace head he’d become before, this time in bark with the spikes sharp like daggers. Idiot. Spatial leap for the win!
The nausea didn’t hit Chuck; he didn’t move. The tendrils still clung to him, keeping him in place. What? I have enough magic. He returned to trying to take the form of the dagger-covered mace head. Energy flowed through him. He felt his body shifting. He formed arms as an equator around himself and used them to spin and twist. The plant thrashed and sent more vines to entwine Chuck. With each twist and turn, Chuck adjusted his body. The daggers became flexible, each able to saw and stab. Several severed vines floated to the surface. This might work. He stole a glance at the willow creature. The vine attacks seemed to slow down. It is going to…oh, crap. Chuck saw teeth and claws headed across the marsh floor in his direction. Probably purple scales. That thing is twice as big as the ones that attacked us. It didn’t swim, instead it jumped off the bottom of the marsh and used its webbed claws to propel it faster and farther, before jumping again. Spines covered the beast from elbow to shoulder and down its back.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Get smaller, make the bark thicker! Human form. Chuck concentrated on changing as quickly as possible, ending up in a misshapen and disproportionate almost human form.
The monster took another leap. Chuck guessed it only needed one more jump. Unexpected and welcome, stone hands were ripping at the vines, shredding them off Chuck.
Mergrex’s face contorted as he pulled Chuck free. The stone hands shifted into nebulous clouds with no substance.
Get out of here! Chuck screamed in his mind. Bubbles escaped his mouth when he tried to cry out loud.
He watched Mergrex shake his head, grimacing when a shudder worked through his body. Then he jerked his head to point behind Chuck.
Spinning, Chuck saw teeth a few feet from him. He shifted part of his form and thrust a wooden dagger through the monster’s open maw. Chuck threw an uppercut into the beast’s chest, another dagger ripped at its body. The creature tried to jump backwards, but couldn’t avoid three more dagger thrusts—two eye shots and another to the chest. It went limp. Chuck reformed to his best recollection of a merman and swam as fast as he could with Mergrex in his arms.
Breaking the surface, he hurled the ghostly form to the shore, thankful there was enough substance to allow that. Then he turned to see his friends struggling against four smaller versions of what he’d just fought. Three dead creatures were floating near the battle. With all of his strength, he used his tail to shoot across the water, landing two dagger fingers into two of the monsters. His momentum carried all of them several yards away from the primary battle. Chuck sent more mass into the dagger blades, widening each one, making sure they had barbs on the blade. He then ripped them back out, spraying himself with dark blood and globs of flesh.
<
Should’ve thought about growing the daggers like that earlier. Status check.
<< STATUS
Health: 78/78
Magic: 17/88 >>
Seventeen after I absorbed twelve. Need to stay on top of that better. Chuck turned to see Marl pulling his daggers out of one monster. The other was floating face down in the water. He kicked to speed himself back to them. Shouting out as he did.
“Mergrex needs help! He’s behind you!"
Rahmys looked over her shoulder, then ran towards the shore. Whyth and Marl close behind.
Chuck hit the shore and replaced his tail with legs. “How’s he doing?”
A weak voice answered. “Mergrex will survive, though he will need to stay in Mergrex’s cave for a long time to recover fully. Thank you, young one, for saving me.”
“I should yell at you for doing what you did. But if you hadn’t, I probably would’ve died. So I owe you the same thanks.”
Mergrex grabbed Marl’s shoulder, using it to help him sit up. He looked up at Chuck with a huge smile. “Do you trust Mergrex now?”
Laughing, Chuck answered. “With my life Mergrex, with my life.”