The Infinite: Book 1 - Chapter 9 free porn video

Oath, Trevor, and Mira fell to their hands and knees, close to passing out. They had finally managed to escape the centipedes and were now back in a normal corridor. Their strength was next to zero, and Trevor was knocking back potions. Only once all was calm did they finally get back on their feet.

“We need to find Noah and Beth,” said Oath, “we should—”

A solid fist striking his face both cut him off and sent him falling to the ground. His eyes were rolling like billiard balls, but the sound of Mira’s screaming forced him to focus. Trevor had tackled her and driven a knife into her chest.

“You son of a bitch!” Oath bolted to his feet and attacked Trevor, knocking him off Mira, who was choking on her own blood.

As they fell over into a storm of grappling and beating, Mira used what little strength she had to retrieve a health potion from her pocket and pour it on the wound. She passed out, stuck in a race between bleeding to death and recovering in time. Nearby, Oath and Trevor had gotten to their feet and were now hurling punches wildly.

“Trevor, what the hell are you doing?!” Oath shouted.

“Getting you out of my way!” Trevor yelled back.

He retreated, going after his halberd. Oath did the same, retrieving his sword and raising it just in time to block Trevor’s thrust. Despite his strength, Trevor was able to exert more continuous force, and the spear tip of the halberd pierced his shoulder. Oath couldn’t contain his cry of anguish as he was pinned against the wall. It was a stalemate, Oath stuck where he was, but Trevor unable to let up the pressure.

“It would have been better if Mira had followed those two in the pit. I didn’t want to have to kill her, but I couldn’t risk you two teaming up against me.”

“We weren’t going to team up against you! What the fuck are you talking about?!”

“I just didn’t want her to intervene when I tried to kill you. It doesn’t matter, I’ll just tell the others the two of you were both killed by the same monster, if they’re even still alive.”

Oath struggled to contend with the blade in his shoulder, but it felt like the wound was just getting bigger and bigger. “Why are you doing this?!”

“I need you out of the way so that I can become the baron. I wanted to do it after I got the avenium, but I couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.” Oath was forced down towards the ground, leaving a trail of blood across the wall. “You’re the last of the main Fault family, so once you and your father die, I’ll be next in line to receive the title.”

“You’re another member? But my father said the branch family had been slain!”

“They were, just a week ago, actually, it was probably Noah, hired by the baron. But he only thought to kill my father and my half-brother. He didn’t think it worth investigating further, to find a bastard like me living in Clive. The town will be mine, it should be mine!”

Oath reached around, grabbing a stone on the ground. Fate was kind to him, guiding his throw and striking Trevor in the eye. He staggered back, bleeding horribly, and Oath wrenched the halberd out of his shoulder and scrambled to his feet. He could barely feel his left arm, and he could neither open a health potion nor properly swing his sword with only one hand. Should he drop his sword and go for a health potion? Abandon it and use his knife instead?

Trevor, facing a similar predicament, chose to retrieve his halberd and stare Oath down with his one good eye while launching stabs. Oath did his best to parry the blows, as he didn’t have the strength to do another shoving match. He was losing ground, fast.

“So all this time, you were just waiting for a chance to kill me? From the day we met?!”

“Not at first, not until you came out to us as the baron’s son, but when I found out about the dungeon crab, it was perfect. I could use you to get the avenium, so no matter what, I’ll still become a noble!”

Oath pulled away and reformed his stance, then went on the offensive. His capacity for wielding a sword had greatly diminished, but still, he could fight, and his wide swings forced Trevor to retreat. True, Trevor had the longer reach, but it was much easier for Oath’s sword to break his halberd rather than vice versa. Oath pushed him back, trying to get past the swinging axe blade.

“You’re insane! You think you can get the avenium or even escape this place on your own?”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. I want you to die down here, unburied, eaten, robbed of your little family burial plot behind your mansion.”

“What could I have possibly done to make you hate me so much?”

“I just plain don’t like you, even before I knew you were the baron’s son. I wanted to kick you out of the group. You’re too weak to rule these lands. You can’t even use magic.”

As Trevor spoke, his blade began to glow with mana, and Oath instinctively stepped back. His sword would likely snap if he tried to block or even deflect an attack like that. This time, when the swings and stabs came, he only dodged, not letting the two weapons touch.

“All you do is let that arrogant prick take care of everything and toss out orders. Clive would burn to the ground on the first day if you took over.”

Oath swung his sword, just narrowly catching the halberd’s shaft and stopping Trevor long enough to close in. Trevor raised the halberd to block, but a cleave of Oath’s sword snapped it, leaving a shallow cut across his forehead and chest. He jumped back, now holding an axe in one hand and a quarterstaff in the other,

“I can do plenty on my own, without Noah,” said Oath.

“Shut up and die,” Trevor shot back before charging at him.

---------------

To Beth, it was horrifying, the vastness of the chamber, for this grand cathedral to be just a small pocket of this wretched labyrinth. Noah, however, felt a spine-chilling excitement. This was no ordinary chamber, as not only was it as large as a football stadium, it had a bridge stretching across, perfectly flat, and a ceiling with great outward-bending arches holding it up. No, they were chains, each link the size of an SUV, and encrusted by the shell. So too were there great statues adorning the walls, a pantheon of small creatures and great titans, all of them entombed by white, like flies in a spiderweb. The chamber was flooded, hence the bridge, but not with water. It was a lake of mercury, glistening from some unseen light force beneath its depths. The air above it was filled with fly-like hummingbirds, hanging their heads directly down touching their beaks against the surface as if fishing for something. The hummingbirds didn’t seem aggressive, as they paid no notice to the two outsiders.

Noah and Beth crossed the bridge, staring in awe at the structures.

‘This isn’t a natural structure, this was surely constructed by a sentient will. Who made it? How? How many people know about it? What happened to this place to end up like this?’

It was his first time facing questions like these, for the presence of magic in this world created infinite possibilities that he would never have seen in previous worlds. Everything unusual he ever encountered was either manmade or caused by nature, but the presence of magic added all new options, instigating curiosity. It could have been done by a whole other species, using power beyond his understanding. It was a new way of thinking, one that invigorated him.

They crossed the room without any conflict, entering a hall with normal-sized rooms on either side. In these chambers too, there were structures and shapes encased by the shell. Were they people? Furniture?

“Interesting.”

---------------

Oath and Trevor were locked in combat, struggling to avoid each other’s attacks. Oath had broken Trevor’s halberd in two, taking away his ability to use magic, but he still lunged and fought with the remains, granting him two smaller weapons. He would swing the head of his halberd like a hatchet, forcing Oath to block with his sword, and then use his free hand to strike Oath with the halberd’s shaft. The blows were delivered at full-strength and Oath couldn’t stop them.

“You don’t deserve to become the next baron if this is the best you can do. You must be the weakest of the family.”

“Trevor, listen! Do you really think you can get out of here without my help? Stop this, and we can both walk out of this dungeon alive! You can still become a noble with the avenium!”

“That’s not good enough. I want the land that my father couldn’t have, the authority. I want to spit on his grave as the unwanted bastard and flaunt the power that he lusted after. I want Clive, and I want to rip it out of your hands. It’s not good enough for me to win, you have to lose!”

A memory then flashed through Oath’s mind, and despite the dire situation, a chuckle let slip. “I remember Noah saying that you were a jerk probably because of something to do with your father. I think he even said you would betray us. It must be embarrassing, to be sized up so easily and have your true colors seen!”

“Shut up! If he’s still alive, I’ll kill him after I’ve killed you!”

Trevor charged at Oath, and finally, Oath managed to deliver a wound of his own. He blocked Trevor’s two-fold attack and pushed forward, his sword slicing Trevor’s shoulder. Trevor dropped the broken shaft, his arm now slick with blood, though Oath was in the same state, no longer able to grip his sword with both hands. They stared each other down, picking the moment to strike. Trevor’s broken halberd was lighter and shorter than Oath’s sword, so it would be easier to wield, but he wouldn’t be able to block well with it, so he’d have to focus entirely on offense. For Oath, his defensive situation was better, but while he could move his sword with one arm, his speed would pale compared to Trevor’s and he’d be lucky to inflict much damage. His best bet would be to block and then try to overpower.

Looking at his cousin, Oath was reminded of that scene from the field, when that group of men attacked him, Noah, and Tin. He had been utterly useless, just pulled into the woods while Noah took care of the threat with ease. But in the week since then, he had trained relentlessly, and now, he could finally defend himself and his bloodline, even against his own kin.

“This is your last chance, Trevor,” said Oath.

“No, this is—” A hole opened up in Trevor’s chest with blood pouring out.

Noah appeared behind him, his sword seemingly materializing out of thin air and now wet with gore. The blade had gone straight through Trevor’s heart, leaving both he and Oath stunned. Trevor tried to speak, but all that came out of his mouth was blood. Noah dropped him to the floor, pulled out his sword, and then pierced the back of Trevor’s skull for good measure.

“Stop! What are you doing?!” Oath shouted.

“I’m fulfilling my contract. He became an enemy, so I dealt with him.”

“It wasn’t your place to decide he should die! Trevor wanted to become the next baron in my place, so it was my responsibility to take him down!”

“What are you talking about? He wanted to take your place as Clive’s next baron?” Noah asked.

“He… he said he was my cousin, an illegitimate child. He kept it hidden all this time.”

“Oh please. His father wasn’t ranked high enough to have an “illegitimate child”. Trevor was nothing more than a common bastard. And while I’m sure he had some hard-luck backstory about growing up on the streets that would make us all pity or support him, I’m simply not interested. We don’t have time for you two to bond over your daddy issues.”

Beth arrived, standing beside him. “What’s going on?” Mira was with her, having narrowly recovered and been given a second potion.

“I can’t just leave it this way!” Oath yelled. “I can’t just walk off without knowing how it would have ended! If I could have beaten him myself!”

“That’s just your pride talking, but pride won’t keep you alive in this place. Should I have just sat back and let you continue your childish squabble? I was hired to keep you from dying, not help you satisfy your ego.”

“Wait, what happened?” Beth asked. “What happened to Trevor?”

“He tried to kill me and Oath,” said Mira.

“You can’t be serious! After all the time we spent together, he just turned on us like that?”

“It was his plan from the beginning,” Oath muttered. “He’s my cousin, and as soon as he found out we were in competition for the title of baron, he planned out how to use us and kill me.”

“We’re not going to make it out of here, are we?” Mira asked,

“We should have turned back when we had the chance!” Beth tearfully exclaimed, falling to her knees as the pent-up strain finally released itself.

“Crying and worrying about it won’t help us,” said Noah. “Look, we’re all exhausted. Beth and I found a room we can rest in. Let’s set up camp and get our strength back. You three go, I’m going to sort through Trevor’s things.”

“Noah, you can’t,” said Mira. “Trevor may have gone crazy, but it’s not right to just rob his corpse.”

“Well you can either choose to stop me, or you can go, eat some lunch, and put the whole thing out of your mind. So what are you going to do?” Mira backed down and briskly walked off with Beth behind her. “And you go too,” he said to Oath.

“I’m not going to leave you alone here.”

“When the adrenaline wears off, you won’t be able to. You’ll collapse and I’ll have to carry you to the campsite. You’re injured, go patch yourself up. I’ll be fine.”

“I guess you will, won’t you? Nothing ever gets to you,” Oath muttered.

“I hear talking when I want to hear anguished footsteps. Go.”

Oath limped off after Beth and Mira, and Noah began picking through the treasure that Trevor had gathered, as well as taking tools and supplies that he had been carrying. It had gotten to the point where he really had to be picky about what he could take with him, as he was reaching the limit of what he could carry and still move effectively.

Once he had taken everything of worth, he activated his invisibility and backed off to a safe distance, where he sat down and waited. It happened after only a few minutes, openings in the floor appearing like cracks in ice, but the shell wasn’t actually breaking. They were seams, invisible to the naked eye until they actually opened up, and from within, a green slime appeared. Rather than simply spreading out under the force of gravity, it was moving willfully towards Trevor’s corpse. It enveloped him, and though Noah could not see it, the body was being disassembled in pieces the size of grains of sand. In time, the slime retreated, leaving nothing but some bones and scraps of fabric.

‘So that’s how it feeds.’

He went to the camp chamber, where everyone was sitting against different walls. There was a dead look in their eyes, exhaustion that was both mental and physical. They had each held a hope deep down that they would make it out of the dungeon crab together, all of them, that their party would survive this trial and remain whole. Trevor was rude and untalkative, but his loss left a void, and they suddenly felt much weaker without him. But with the truth they were forced to accept, was it really a loss? After all, he showed no hesitation in trying to murder the people who were thought to be his friends.

“How could he do it?” Beth asked. “How could he lie to us for that long? Pretend to be our ally? All those battles where we had to depend on each other, did that really mean nothing to him?”

Noah sat down and began unpacking his lunch. “You’d be surprised how long you can keep the lies going, how easy it can get.”

“Have you lied to us about anything?”

Noah stared at her, challenging her to accept his answer. “Plenty of things, none of which matter in this situation.” He tossed some food to everyone. “Eat up. It doesn’t matter if Trevor is dead, it doesn’t change our plan.”

“No, it changes everything.” Beth stood up. “We should leave. While we’re still alive, while we still have supplies and potions, we should leave. We’re not ready for this place. We weren’t ready even when we had Trevor. We have plenty of treasure, more than enough to live happily. Isn’t that enough?”

“It’s too late to turn back now, to leave here without the avenium. I’m sure by now we’ve almost reached the bottom of the shell.”

“What are you really getting out of this? You’re so sure we can do this, you keep pushing us forward. What is it that you want so badly as to risk all of our lives?”

“The same thing as you, an adventure. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“I was wrong, this is too much.” Beth gave an indignant sigh. “Oath, Mira, you agree with me, right?”

Oath took a deep breath. “I can’t walk away from this, not now. I want to see this through to the end. I need to. I don’t want to live my life as a coward.”

“Mira?”

Mira hugged her knees to her chest and hid her face. Was she refusing to take part in the conversation or had she simply shut down completely?

Beth turned back to Noah. “We’re in over our heads. It was a mistake to come—”

“You’re free to leave whenever you want,” said Noah, cutting her off. “I don’t expect anything from you. If you want to go back to the surface, you can just walk right on out that door.”

“After everything you and I have done together, you would say that to me?!”

“Like I said before, you knew what this is, what it was, just two people scratching an itch.”

“Well because of that itch, I’m late.”

Mira tensed in shock and Oath’s eyebrows nearly shot off his face, yet Noah didn’t even flinch. “And?” Beth stammered at his question, not sure how to respond. “Again, you knew what the deal was when we started, no attachment. I’m getting that avenium, and there is nothing you can say to stop me. You can either leave now and try to make it back out on your own, or you can come with us down to get the avenium and we’ll make the trip back together.”

“This is an obsession! I don’t know what the baron promised you, but let it go!”

“That’s enough. Everyone shut up and get some rest. We set out again in an hour.”

---------------

Trevor’s absence took a heavy toll on the group. Beth and Mira continued to attack from behind Noah and Oath, but the monsters still withstood barrages of stones and arrows to try and sink their teeth into something. Normally, Trevor and his halberd could have warded them off, breaking their momentum so that Noah and Oath could go in for the kill, but now, they had to be the main defensive wall and block everything with their swords.

They battled through the monsters, but took injuries with each clash. It wasn’t just their formation that had been disturbed; Noah could see the group morale at the edge of an abyss. Noah was indifferent, but the others were grappling with despair. Which hurt more? Losing a friend? Or finding out he was never their friend at all?

At the moment, they were surrounded by centipedes in a wide-open chamber. Noah, Oath, and Beth were stomping on the little bastards as they drew close, while Mira was swinging her staff, equipped with her Shatter Mace spell. She was wild, taking out her strain and frustration on the beasts, with her screams of exertion becoming louder with each swing. Rather than helping, the onslaught of monsters only seemed to increase her drunken aggression. Beth, on the other hand, was acting sluggish, paralyzed by fear and the loss of hope.

As Noah stomped at every centipede that came close, he heard a scream. A few of the beasts had managed to jump up onto Mira and were digging in. Oath rushed over to help her, but that left two sides of their formation unguarded, and the monsters were closing in.

“I have a plan!” Noah said. “When the monsters move away, everyone head towards that passage over there!”

Before the others could say anything, Noah drew his knife and slashed his wrist, sending a torrent of blood pouring onto the ground. Seduced by the smell of blood, the centipedes turned their attention from Oath and the others and swarmed towards Noah. He took off, sprinting across the field of armored backs and spindly legs, leading them like the Pied Piper.

The trio didn’t hesitate and rushed towards the exit, though looking back to see Noah’s situation worsening. Once he saw them reach the doorway, Noah turned around and made himself invisible. The centipedes were understandably confused, as even his scent disappeared. His blood, shrouded in mana, vanished as it fell. Now safe, he made his way to the others, while stepping on as few centipedes as he could. By the time he reached the exit, he had already used a healing potion to mend his wrist.

“Let’s go.”

The doorway brought them to a winding staircase. However, unlike the tight spiral of when they first arrived at the dungeon, this staircase spun down the walls of a chasm-like chamber like grooves on a drill bit. It was too dark to see the ceiling or the floor of the chamber, but in the blackness, there was a twinkling star, far below their feet when it should have been above their heads.

“Everyone, be extra careful and step quietly. I think we’ve reached the bottom of the shell.”

They proceeded down the staircase, this one having actual stairs. The darkness swallowed them from the lack of cave worms, but Noah lit his torch, easing everyone’s fears. It when they reached the bottom of the stairs that their fears all came rushing back like a flood.

‘Of course,’ Noah thought bitterly.

The bottom of the room was occupied by some kind of massive slumbering monster. This circular chamber was more than a hundred feet wide, and the beast was coiled up all over itself like a snoozing boa constrictor. There was no telling what its real size or form was, and Noah’s torch couldn’t provide enough light to properly reveal its appearance. But in the center of the room was the prize for this journey. The walls and staircase were solid shell, but the floor under the monster was flesh, and in the middle, in a raised basin, was a pool of powdered metal with a turquoise gleam. It was avenium, just like on Noah’s ring. It was so close, but the risk before them was giving everyone doubts.

Oath stepped forward. “I’ll go,” he said as quietly as he could.

Noah grasped his shoulder. “No, I’m better at stealth, remember?”

Oath turned to him, loudly whispering. “Please, it has to be me! The whole reason why we made this journey was so that I could become a noble! I need to be the one to get the avenium. Let me earn my title.”

“None of that matters, not in here. All that is important is getting the job done and getting out of here alive. If you want to do things the “right” way, do it on your own time. I’m going to do things the smart way. If this thing so much as twitches, leave me behind and run as fast as you can up the stairs.”

Noah didn’t wait for him to reply and activated his invisibility. True, this monster slept with its eyes closed, but he couldn’t discount its sense of smell and hearing. He moved past Oath and stepped onto the fleshy ground. Whatever this thing was, it had a lot of tentacles, and they were spread everywhere. He stepped lightly, double-checking every spot before putting his weight on it. It was difficult, not just on the outside, but the inside. Noah had not been able to escape the ravages of fatigue, and his muscles were becoming unreliable.

For Oath and the others, it was nerve-wracking, as they couldn’t see Noah, just the torch he was holding over his head. Every time the light trembled, they imagined him fumbling, stepping on one of the monster’s tentacles and waking it up. When the torch finally reached the basin, they released their held breaths.

It was a substantial amount of avenium, at least two liters of the glistening dust, and it was so fine as well. Perhaps it was expelled from the crab like a splinter, and it would accumulate in the basin over time while the crab was underground. ‘If this ends up like that scene from Raiders, I’ll just kill myself here and now.’ Noah rested his hand atop the avenium and sucked it all into the ring, every grain.

Nothing happened, there was no reaction from either the monster or the basin. Noah waited a few moments to be sure, then turned and made the return journey back to the staircase. Once he reached Oath, Beth, and Mira, they all resumed breathing and began the silent climb back up the stairs.

It was when they reached the halfway point that a terrifying roar shook the chamber, and rather than below, it was coming from above. The group looked up in horror, seeing a second monster descending towards them. It appeared to be the same species as the first, looking like a colossal lion with a teeth-filled beak and tentacles growing from across its back that it used like spider legs to help its descent, like some kind of Lovecraftian griffin. Just one swing of its paws would kill a sledgepaw bear. Had it also been nesting in this chamber? Perhaps the mate of the one down below?

“Beth, take it down!”

“Too late!”

It reached across the chamber with its tentacles and swung over, its beak wide open. The group scattered, managing to avoid its beak, which smashed into the wall, though Beth ended up losing her bow over the edge of the staircase. One the talons on its forelegs made its mark and clipped Mira’s face, but that was all it took to crush her skull like a Gallagher melon.

Oath and Beth, seeing her headless body slump to the floor, were left in stunned silence. Noah, already back on his feet, stabbed the beast in the eye, forcing his sword in all the way to the hilt. The beast howled in pain and jumped back with his sword pulled from his grip, and it wasn’t the only one in agony. Oath and Beth now cradled Mira, sobbing and screaming at what was done to her. Beth, Noah could understand, but Oath’s reaction stood out.

‘Goddammit, don’t tell me he loved that girl.’ “We got to move! There is nothing we can do for her!”

“No, I can fix this!” Oath sobbed. “Give me all the healing potions we have!”

“Her head is gone, she’s dead. No potion can fix that.”

“Please, don’t ask us to leave her,” Beth whimpered.

Another roar echoed through the tunnel, this one from below. It seemed the first monster had woken up. Oath scrambled to his feet, not in fear, but rage. He grabbed his sword with tears streaming down his face.

“I’ll kill them! I’ll kill them both!”

“This is no time for heroics! We’re leaving!”

“GET OUT OF MY WAY!” Oath howled while throwing a punch.

Noah deflected and countered with a jab to the throat and a knee to the stomach. Oath collapsed like a house of cards and Noah grabbed him and hoisted him over his shoulder. He turned to Beth and handed her his bow to replace hers. “Keep those things off our tail. If you run out of arrows, I’ll give you more. Now move!”

They raced up the stairs as fast as they could. Noah was struggling under the effort of hauling Oath and everything they both carried, and he had to hold the torch as well. Ahead of him, Beth was raining arrows down on the two monsters to the best of her ability. They seemed aware of the poisoned tips and were keeping a safe distance, but they were still following them up. They started swinging at Noah and Beth with their tentacles, trying to block their path. Beth would slash at them with a knife to make them retract, but it was just getting worse and worse, as ahead, they could see the centipedes swarming down the staircase, having followed the group down.

“Noah, what do we do?!” Beth exclaimed.

“Run and fight! That’s all we can do!”

They continued their charge up the stairs, stomping on the centipedes and ignoring the feel of their pincers digging in and not letting go. Their bites didn’t appear poisonous, but they put bullet ants to shame on the pain scale. Not even Noah could maintain a poker face with them biting down on his legs.

With luck on their side, they escaped the chamber, running down several corridors before arriving at a chamber where they could rest. Noah dropped Oath on the ground and began ripping off the centipedes biting his legs. It was strange for Beth, to see Noah so winded and injured. He collapsed near the wall, downing a healing potion to stop his bleeding. Oath, having regained consciousness, got back to his feet and approached the doorway with his sword.

“Don’t even think about it,” said Noah.

“I refuse to leave her body down here. I’m going to get my revenge on that beast and bring her home to bury her.”

“It’s a monster, it doesn’t understand your feelings. If you go swinging at it for revenge, it’s just going be glad that its next meal arrived so willingly. Besides, Mira has probably already been devoured.”

“Don’t say that!” Oath shouted.

“Noah!” Beth added her voice to the outrage.

“You just need to accept it. She’s gone, there is nothing you can do to help her. Nothing can be done to change what happened. I’ll say it as harshly as I need to if it gets the message through your thick skull.”

“What would you have done if it was Tin who died in there instead of Mira?”

“I would have left her. I’ve seen plenty of people die. This isn’t my first time leading people into combat, and casualties are to be expected.”

“So you were just waiting for each of us to die?!” Beth exclaimed.

“As long as I could fulfill my contract, I was prepared for all possible losses, though I’m honestly disappointed that you two all came here expecting to do this without losing anyone.”

“Is that all we are to you? Just future losses?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Noah got to his feet. “Look, we’ve got the avenium, so the hard part is done. Now we can head home.”

“Two of our friends are dead and we’re in the bottom of a dungeon crab! How is that not the hard part?!” Beth screamed at him.

“Because I have an idea on how to get us out of here.” He took out a water skin from his backpack and poured in some powdered avenium from within his ring, then shook it up and handed it to Oath. “Both of you, douse this on yourselves. Try not to let any go to waste.”

“What will this do?” Oath asked.

“When I activate my invisibility, I wrap myself in mana, as well as anything I touch or hold, but for some reason, it won’t work on anything living. The mana just won’t stick on, like it’s being repelled. However, I did some research on avenium. It is a metal, but it bends light like a crystal, and it manipulates mana the same way. I can’t apply my invisibility to you, but if you’re covered with powdered avenium, it may help me conceal you a bit. Try it.”

Oath sighed and poured some of the concoction on his head, then went to work rubbing it into his skin and clothes. He handed the rest to Beth and she did the same. Noah activated his magic and grasped their hands. The air around them shimmered, their bodies becoming faint, like they were shrouded in a heat haze. They became like mirages of their true selves. Oath and Beth voiced their shock as they looked at each other, and the fact that Noah could hear them was concerning. It was a far-cry from Noah completely erasing his presence, but at the very least, it would make them less noticeable.

“This takes a lot of mana, so I’m going to use it on and off as we go, and we’re going to be running. If there is anything you don’t want to carry, leave it here now.”

Beth and Oath couldn’t see Noah, but they stared at the space he occupied. He could see it on their faces, the distrust, the frustration, the fear, the sorrow, the exhaustion. They’d just have to suck it up.

“Let’s go, and step lightly.”

They left the chamber and began their journey back to the surface. They no longer moved in formation, and they tried to keep a quick but quiet pace. When monsters were nearby, Noah would activate his spell and they’d do their best to avoid detection. It didn’t always work. At one point, they were being pursued by a pack of the bipedal carnivores like the ones they had faced outside. It was too many for them to take on, and the longer they stayed in one spot fighting, the greater the chance more monsters would be drawn.

Noah, pulling Oath and Beth along, activated the spell in his right eye.

“What the hell?!” Oath said in shock as he watched the clone fall back, while the real Noah was still gripping his hand.

“It’s another illusion I can create, just keep moving!”

As they ran, Noah had the clone start waving his arms and shouting at the approaching monsters, doing whatever he could to draw their attention. They passed through the clone in utter confusion, turned around, and tried again and again. Their eyes, ears, and noses were all telling them that prey was standing before them, but no matter how many times they tried to bite down, their jaws closed around nothing but air. They were so distracted that Noah and the others managed to get away.

“Why didn’t you tell us about—”

“Shut up!” Noah barked back. “If you can talk, keep running instead!”

---------------

Spring was planting season, so the farms on the Fault estate were in a frenzy. Oath, the baron’s third son, was the “lord” of this task. He and the slaves spent their days working the fields, though there was little distinction between them. He lived and ate his meals with his father and brothers, at least, when they were at home, but his ranking in the family was just a step above “bastard”. His father lauded all of his praise on his brothers, with the younger always trying to surpass the older and win the estate.

The oldest was a soldier, a squad leader, one step below true knight. He would be gone for months at a time, then return home and brag about the battles he fought for the glory of Uther, and how he bolstered the reputation of the Fault household. The middle son was a proud hunter and skilled in magic, a talent he often lorded over the older brother. He claimed magic to be infinitely superior to swordsmanship, meaning he, the magically-affluent, was the future of the bloodline. Neither brother liked Oath, simply treated him like one of the servants. He was just another laborer. His father, on the other hand, wasn’t cruel like them, but he simply didn’t care beyond paternal instinct. His mother was long gone.

Oath had been outside when he learned of their deaths, but on break. Lying on a sun-warmed grassy hill, he watched the clouds pass overhead. As the third son, he was compelled to keep his head down, to focus only on the task in front of him and not rock the boat. Skygazing was the only time he’d break that rule, abandoning the fields to instead focus on farming his own mind, to forget about his life and responsibilities and try to figure out what was left.

He knew nothing of the world beyond his home and village, couldn’t even read, and most of his socialization came from talking with the slaves during work. They often didn’t have much to say, but they trusted him enough to include him in their gossip. He wasn’t like the baron and his oldest sons; his feet were more used to the soil of the field than the floorboards of the Fault household. Those conversations were the only time he could learn of things beyond simply swinging a hoe or scythe, to discover that there was more to existence than just crops and livestock, and when he gazed at the sky, Oath would use that glimmer to try and develop himself, find out who he was.

That was the plan, at least, but he was disturbed by one of the maids of the house.

“Master Oath, your father requires your presence immediately.”

The applied honorific was just a courtesy acknowledging his bloodline. There was no honest respect in her words.

“Understood.” Oath got up and followed her to the house, where she led him to his father’s study. As he approached, he heard nonsensical shouting and things falling over.

Inside, the baron, Ivan, was pacing back and forth, unhinged and drenched in tears. Papers and items from his desk were scattered across the floor and he was gripping a whiskey glass with a shaking hand.

“Father, what is it?”

“Oath, Colt and Victor have perished.” Ivan picked up a letter with a broken wax seal. “Colt was killed in battle on the Petosic Steppes.” He threw it aside. “And Victor was killed by a bear while hunting. His remains were found this morning.” He emptied his whiskey glass in one gulp and staggered, looking like he was on the verge of collapse.

Oath took a moment to process the news, but there wasn’t much to process. There was no such thing as sibling love in noble households. “I’m sorry, Father.”

The baron fell back in his chair. “Oath, you are now my only son. That means that you will inherit my title when I die, unless my conniving brother manages to steal it!”

“Father, I can’t be a baron!”

“This is not something you can refuse! I will not allow our house to let nobility slip from its fingers! But you’re right. The way you are now, the kingdom would be wise to hand it over to Edwin, so we’re going to change that. From now on, I am going to sculpt you into a suitable replacement.”

After that, everything changed. From the crack of dawn until late at night, Oath was trained in combat, etiquette, and reading and writing. The tools of the farm were replaced with his grandfather’s sword, and hours not spent swinging it were spent hunched over one book after another, studying by candlelight. None of it stuck. Unlike his brothers, he was born without talent and raised without an education. He couldn’t use magic, could barely fight, and was about as cultured and learned as the lowest peasant. There was little hope for him.

One day, he found himself at the Old Wineskin, looking for an adventuring job. People would post notices, requesting items like valuable plants or monster parts, or tasks like escorting someone through the forest. Helping around town would give him some achievements he could use to prove his eligibility for inheriting the Clive barony. He had also heard some weird rumors about the inn, about some crazy couple that had the loudest sex imaginable. From dawn to midday on every other day, anyone in or near the inn would be flushed with embarrassment as they heard a young woman’s cries of euphoria, along with the knocking of a bedframe threatening to break apart. However, today, the inn was quiet. The only voice he heard was addressed to him.

“Hey you, by the notice board, over here!”

He looked over to the source, spotting a table occupied by three youths like himself, a man and two women.

“Me?”

“Yeah, come on!” one of the women said, a tall and bubbly blonde.

Oath crossed the bar to them. “What is this about?”

“You wouldn’t happen to be searching for a party to join, are you?” the other woman asked, a cute brunette with short hair.

“Oh… uh, yeah, I guess. I haven’t been making much headway on my own.”

“Well take a seat!”

Oath hesitated, feeling the man beside him shooting daggers from his eyes. He was sizing him up, and apparently didn’t like what he saw.

“No, change of plans, keep moving. We don’t need any more weaklings in our group.”

“Shut up, Trevor,” said the blonde. “Ignore him. I’m Beth and this is Mira. We’re currently in need of a swordsman in our group, and you look like you would fit right in.”

“She means you look weak enough that no one better would have invited you to join their groups, and no real adventurer would sully their dignity by joining this gro— Ouch!” Beth had just kicked him under the table.

“You’re not allowed to badmouth the group while being a part of it,” she scolded.

“Truth be told, none of us are very good, but that just means we should stick together,” said Mira.

Oath finally took a seat and put a hand on the sword hanging from his belt. “Ok, sure, I’ll join you guys. My name is Oath. I’m actually kind of surprised, I thought this place would be… louder.”

“Oh yeah, those stories? We’ve actually met them, Noah and Tin, the couple who make all that noise,” said Mira.

Now Trevor seemed interested. “Really? Were they freaks?”

“No, normal as can be,” said Beth, “and they’re both barely older than us. You’d never think it when looking at them. The guy is actually really smart. He gave us a lot of great advice about tactics and magic. We tried to get him to join our team, but he wanted to work on his own, him and that slave girl. God, I envy her.”

“Settle down, you’re so indecent,” Mira said with a sigh. She then turned to Oath. “Anyway, welcome to the group!” The smile she flashed at him made his heart flutter in a way it never had before.

For the next few weeks, Oath and his new friends adventured together, fighting what monsters they believed they could beat, but were most often forced to run away and tend to their wounded bodies and bruised egos. But no matter how many times they were beaten, Oath was never dejected, because it was the first time he felt truly accepted, and with people his own age, no less. True, Trevor always gave him the cold shoulder, but Beth kept the spirit of the group raised, and Mira… she was something else altogether.

She spoke with him, laughed with him, and smiled with him, all moments of confusing bliss that he drank like fine wine. He was drawn to her, pulled by a force that he could not describe. One day, after they had managed to kill a wolf, and only just barely, he and the others all collapsed from exhaustion. Mira, sitting next to him, ended up placing her hand on his. The moment her fingers touched his, it was like cold lightning surged through his nerves, a frighteningly powerful sensation, but one that made him feel more alive than the battle just moments before.

Perhaps it was just the adrenaline and the endorphins, but he looked at Mira, and she, realizing the contact between them, didn’t pull away, and instead gazed at him with a shy smile and rosy cheeks. The first time Oath fought a monster, he froze up in terror, and it wasn’t the last time his fear got the better of him, but at that moment, he broke through his fear, turning his hand over to hold hers. They gazed at each other, their stomachs filled with more butterflies than a meadow in summer. That was the moment he realized his feelings for her.

The next day, his father sat Oath down in the parlor of their home. With them was a gruff middle-aged adventurer with a bow. “Oath, no matter what, you must not let anyone outside of your party know this. I’ve just learned that a dungeon crab has surfaced nearby.”

Dungeon crabs were one of the great anomalies in the world, but their mythology was thin. They were vague creatures, described as living fortresses that rose up from the ground. Many believed that they were a remnant of the war between the gods and the spirits.

Oath wasn’t sure how to respond to the news, so his father continued. “Adventurers who manage to capture a dungeon crab by taking the avenium inside are granted the rank of baron or higher by the kingdom. If you and your friends can accomplish this, then there is nothing Edwin can do and my title will be passed on to you without question.”

“My friends and I can barely face the monsters in the woods. We can’t handle a dungeon crab.”

“I am well aware of your weakness when it comes to swordplay. I’m hoping that switching to a different weapon will unlock your potential. This man is Sendal, a veteran adventurer and archer. He’ll teach you how to use a bow.”

Just looking at Sendal, Oath could tell he wasn’t the friendliest guy, but his father wouldn’t change his mind. That day, he and the archer rode into the woods to hunt, and that was the last thing he remembered. When next he woke up, he was in a goblin tunnel, racked with pain flowing from the back of his head down to the tips of his toes, but it was waning, thanks to the potion he had received.

Helping him to his feet was a young man, a bit older than him, with a girl standing behind him. Noah and Tin, he had heard those names before. They were the source of the strange rumors about the Old Wineskin, but more than that, Beth and Mira had vouched for Noah’s strength. Oath was skeptical, especially when Noah declared that he was going to clear out the goblin den himself, something that was nothing short of suicidal. Despite his life being saved, Oath wasn’t feeling very grateful, considering he now had to work as Noah’s pack mule while he marched to his doom.

But then he saw the results. Noah slaughtered the goblins with ease, never displaying any kind of magic. Oath and his friends had repeatedly tried hunting goblins, nearly dying every time, but they fell like reeds with every swing of Noah’s sword. Then, when the goblin chief revealed itself, Oath got to witness true swordplay, and the memories of his older brother’s skills were painted over by Noah’s battle. Had he and his friends attempted this, they would have ended up being cooked and eaten.

During the journey home, they were attacked by bandits. Tin, obeying Noah, pulled Oath into the woods before he could even grab his sword. The battle lasted only a minute, leaving Oath in awe when he saw the bodies of the slain bandits. He rode back to Clive with Noah and Tin, and when he arrived back home, his father threw his arms around him, wailing relief to see his son’s return. It was the first time his father had ever hugged him.

“Father, there is something I need to tell you.” They went into his father’s study and closed the door behind them. Oath, standing while the baron sat, leaned against the desk. “The hunter you hired, he knocked me out handed me over to goblins.”

“Damn him! Edwin must have bribed him to get you out of the picture. But if he handed you to goblins, how did you escape? Did you fight your way out?”

“No, I was saved by someone, a man named Noah. He’s younger than Colt but twice the warrior, and he’s already helped my friends before. He wiped out a huge goblin nest himself and even killed a hobgoblin.”

Ivan leaned back in his chair. “If a young man of such skill were to join your party, perhaps you might be able to capture the dungeon crab.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

“Bring him here. I’ll talk to him.”

The next thing Oath knew, Tin lay dying, and he watched as Noah slew the assailant. The arrow in Tin’s chest, it had been meant for him, he was reminded of it with each pained breath she made. Crushed with guilt, he applied every potion in the house, pouring them on her wound and down her throat, but her condition didn’t improve. As Noah approached, Oath braced himself for the worst. It was Oath’s fault that she had died, her life ended because he had been saved, so would Noah demand his life as compensation?

But Noah didn’t acknowledge Oath. He simply kneeled down and held Tin. There were no tears, not even a trembling breath. Tin voiced her final goodbye and closed her eyes, while Noah simply stared at her like a statue. Noah then departed with Tin, riding off to find a suitable place to bury her. Watching him ride off, Oath remembered the smile on Tin’s face when she said goodbye, and imagined that look on Mira, the pure, honest, intoxicating emotion. He wanted to see her. He had nearly died, and he wanted to take the risk he never could have if he hadn’t been saved.

To his father’s protests, he rode out to the Old Wineskin, and as soon as he entered, he heard Mira’s voice. “Oath!”

There they were, gathered at their usual table. Never was he so happy to see his friends. He crossed the tavern and took his seat. “Hey.”

“Your father told us you were out training with an archer,” said Beth. “I’m rather insulted you didn’t ask me first.”

“You guys aren’t going to believe this, but I swear this really happened. That archer knocked me out and handed me over to goblins. I was even taken to their den.”

Trevor just scoffed and Beth was likewise skeptical. “I’m actually not that mad, you don’t have to make up excuses.”

Mira gave him the benefit of the doubt. “Really?”

“Yeah, but I was saved by that Noah guy that you told me about, he and Tin. I watched him clear out an entire mine full of goblins single-handedly.”

“Of course someone like you would need to be saved,” said Trevor.

“An entire mine?!” Beth exclaimed as she bolted to her feet.

“We can barely fight a handful of them,” Mira sighed.

“Anyway, listen to this.” He leaned in and waved for them to all do the same. “A dungeon crab has appeared nearby.” He was lucky that everyone understood that term. He didn’t have faith in his ability to explain it. His friends all fell back in their seats.

“You honestly can’t be thinking of trying it!” Beth exclaimed. “We’d be dead in an hour!”

“Listen, Noah has agreed to join our team and train us. With his help, I’m sure we can do it.”

“We don’t need some freak’s advice,” said Trevor.

“Did I forget to mention that he also killed a hobgoblin?”

Trevor didn’t respond.

“I don’t know. I think it’s way too early for us. Why? Are you really that broke?” asked Mira.

“There is something I haven’t told you guys. My full name is Oath Fault, son of Baron Ivan Fault. I’m his third son but I’m next in line to receive his title.”

“Damn it, he’s delirious! Everything he’s said so far was a hallucination.”

“Oath, did you eat some strange mushrooms in the woods?” Mira asked with honest concern.

For once, Trevor said nothing.

“I swear to you, it’s true. I’m sure the archer gave me to the goblins to keep me from inheriting the title. When I returned home, that same archer tried to kill me, but ended up killing Tin instead.”

Both Mira and Beth were left in stunned silence. While they had only met her once, the news of her death was a shocking blow. Her endless moaning had become a point of pride in the villagers, considering it a valued quirk in the identity of their home, like the swallows returning to Capistrano. Besides, they had both seen the love in her eyes.

“Yeah. Noah killed the guy and rode off with Tin to bury her. He said he would be back the day after tomorrow.”

“That’s awful,” said Beth.

“Poor Noah,” Mira added.

“I don’t think we should have him with us. We can do the dungeon crab ourselves,” said Trevor.

“No, we wouldn’t stand a chance without him. Just talk to him, you’ll see.”

Beth raised a beer mug. “Anyway, I’d say this calls for a drink. Let us rejoice the safe return of our comrade, toast our approaching success, and mourn a fallen friend!”

Oath wanted to laugh, but truth be told, he’d need some liquid courage.

Late into the night, the four adventurers splurged on food and drinks, until all was quiet and the innkeeper was preparing to close up the bar. Trevor had gone home, Beth was currently passed out, and now it was just Oath and Mira.

“I hope this dungeon crab thing works out,” said Mira, more than a little tipsy.

“Yeah, and all the wealth from the adventurers is really going to help this village.”

“With that money, I can finally pay off my mother’s debts.”

“You never said your mother was in debt.”

Mira giggled. “I guess we both kept secrets. I never liked adventuring, but it was the best way I could make money after my father left. In a way, I’m glad I did it, but I just want a nice quiet home life.”

“Well I’ll become the baron of the town. Maybe you could settle here.” Never in a million years would a sober Oath have the courage to do so, but he reached out and held her hand like he had on that day in the woods. “And I could make a home with you.”

Likewise, never in a million years would a sober Mira have the courage to do so, but she got to her feet and pulled Oath to his, then led him to the stairs. They were both more than a little drunk, so they had to help each other up the stairs, giggling with each step. They reached the door to Mira’s room, and as she fumbled with the key, Oath leaned in and stole a kiss. It was his first, as well as hers, and while he got her mostly on the nose, she touched her lips with a smile and a blush.

They got the door open and stumbled into the room, shutting it behind them. Mira lit a candle and then made herself at home in Oath’s embrace. Standing in the middle of the room, they kissed once more, this time able to put their hearts and souls into it.

“Are you ready for this?” Oath asked.

“I think so. Are you?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t have any experience with being with a woman. I mean… I’ve seen animals on the farm…”

Mira burst into laughter, which, second to her yelling at him, was the absolute last reaction he wanted at a moment like this. “Beth has told me how to do it, don’t worry. Now that we’ve kissed, the next step is we take off our clothes.”

Oath was already sporting a woody, and those last four words nearly pushed him over the edge. He took off his coat, Mira removed her cloak, and for a moment, they paused, feeling the tension as they gripped their shirts, but upon struggling to actually pull them off, they couldn’t help but laugh. Mira’s breasts were exposed, and Oath, a swirling torrent of adolescent hormones, was caught like a deer in the headlights. They… were so… beautiful.

“Don’t stare like that,” Mira said, covering herself and looking away in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. Can I… can I touch them?”

“I… guess.”

She hesitantly lowered her arms, and Oath, with trembling hands, began to caress her modest shelf. That softness, that smoothness, he was drawn to them like sugar. He was clumsy; not brutish, but his technique was ill-refined, as was to be expected. Regardless, Mira shivered and purred from Oath’s touch, afraid of being so vulnerable, both her body and her feelings exposed to another, for them to do with as they pleased. Perhaps it was the presence of that fear that made it feel so good, the fear of being touched so intimately, mixed with the joy of finding someone whom she wished would touch her like this.

Massaging deep into her flesh, the way her nipples felt when he toyed with them, Oath, like Mira, was overwhelmed. The chance to explore a woman’s body like this, to know it, intimately, it teased his most innate, instinctive curiosity. He was so excited, trembling like a leaf and feeling like he was going to jump out of his skin. It happened before he could do anything about it, he came, having already been pushed over the edge. Flushed with shame, he did his best to try and hide it, but to Mira, it looked like he was just getting impatient.

She lowered her hands and pushed off her trousers. Oath didn’t immediately react, but that was because he was trying to gather his thoughts and his strength. When he realized what she had done, he didn’t have time to think, and simply dropped his own pants. This time, it was Mira’s turn to stare, as she tried not to think of when their group last fought goblins, most of which weren’t wearing anything.

Mira climbed into bed, hiding herself under the blanket. “Now… you get on top of me… and I think you know where your thing goes.”

Oath put out the candle, plunging the room into total darkness. He meandered his way back to the bed, feeling the covers. His hands found Mira’s body and he felt her stir like a frightened animal. He slipped under the blanket and their naked bodies met, first in the form of an embrace, then in the form of a kiss, and finally…

---------------

Noah, Oath, and Beth sprinted up the winding staircase towards the exit of the dungeon crab. They were covered in blood, sweat, and dirt, and had countless untreated injuries. Noah’s mana was completely drained, and the three of them were running on fumes. They couldn’t tell if the monsters were still chasing them. After all this time, the chorus of roars repeated in the back of their minds no matter what.

Finally, when their bodies felt like they’d fall apart like sandcastles, they breathed fresh air, and felt the sun shine upon them. They burst out of the top of the crab’s shell, collapsing near the doorway. For the three of them, it was like a religious experience. Beth crumbled, tears pouring down her face, a mix of happiness, misery, relief, and mourning, and as the sun rose, Oath stared like his soul had left his body, turning him into an empty husk. As for Noah, he dropped the knight sword he had been using and gripped the earth with shaking hands. How long had it been? How long had it been since he last fought that hard for his life? How long had it been since his survival instinct pushed him that far? No, when it was more than just his survival instinct pushing him? The fear, the adrenaline, the endorphins, the pain, they flowed through the folds of his gray matter like a flood across a desert.

“Get up, on your feet.”

Noah looked over, seeing Oath standing with his sword pointing at him.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Noah muttered.

“You heard me, get up and face me.”

“Oath, you’re kidding, right?” Beth asked.

“No. You and me, Noah, right here, right now.”

“You ungrateful little brat. After all I did for you, you have the nerve to point your sword at me? The sword I gave you?”

“You didn’t do this for me. I was just a prop in whatever deal you struck with my father. Now Mira is dead and I was robbed of my chance to settle things with Trevor. We never should have gone in there, but you kept pushing us. We never should have let you be a part of our team.”

“Oath, it’s not his fault! You also wanted to keep going! Just put your sword down and we can all go home!”

“No! I have to do this!”

“You’re right,” said Noah, getting to his feet, “you were just a prop, but I’m still under contract and not allowed to kill you. Once we’re back and I’ve gotten my reward, then I’ll put you down as hard as you want.”

“No! I’m done listening to you! From the moment we met, you’ve run my life. I was supposed to be the one to seize the avenium, to seize my own destiny, not let you take it and accept whatever scraps you toss my way! I couldn’t avenge Mira, I couldn’t beat Trevor, and I couldn’t even conquer the dungeon crab! I can’t go home this way! I refuse to live like this! But if I beat you, that’ll be enough.”

Noah gripped the hilt of the knight sword, and the sensation he got back was far from ideal. His body was at its limit, he could barely even stand. He was out of potions, they all were, so there was no way he could quickly recoup his strength. At least Oath was in the same situation. Despite his anger and bloodlust, he was on the verge of passing out. The spirit was willing, but the flesh was another story. If Noah fought him in this state, even the smallest wounds could prove fatal, then his deal with the baron would be out the window.

“I’m not going to indulge you. If you want to get yourself killed, do it after we get back. I want to live long enough to cash in everything I’ve collected.”

“You can’t talk your way out of this!”

Oath charged with his sword raised, attempting his signature cleave. Noah stepped to the side, nearly falling over as he did so. Rather than a slash, he struck Oath in the stomach with the handle of his sword. Oath nearly retched, but regained his footing and punched Noah. He tried to dodge, but was still grazed and staggered back, drawing his sword completely.

“Stop this, you two don’t need to fight!” Beth pleaded.

“Tell him that!” Noah argued.

Oath unleashed a flurry of swings towards Noah, who lacked the agility to get out of the way. Instead, he had to block and parry each swing. They locked blades, pushing against each other in a shoving match.

“You chose to go into the dungeon crab,” said Noah. “You chose to follow me, despite knowing how dangerous it was for Mira. You put your pride and your nobility over her. I killed Trevor because you were too weak to get it done and you would have woken up that monster with just three steps. You don’t get to blame your incompetence on me.”

“You’re a heartless bastard! You couldn’t even shed a tear for Tin, no wonder you didn’t care about us!”

“Grow up!”

Noah let go of his sword and punched Oath, sending him staggering back. Noah touched his hand to his eye, casting his invisibility. He only had enough mana to remain hidden for a few moments, so Noah tackled Oath, disarming him and knocking him to the ground. Three solid blows to the face left him unconscious.

Noah rolled to the side, gasping for air with his spell coming undone. Hopefully, Oath would be much more sensical when he woke up. As Noah got to his feet, there was a monster’s snarl, followed by Beth’s scream. One of their pursuers from within the shell had arrived and was attacking Beth. It looked like some kind of cycloptic tiger with a mat of quills across its