“Close the hatch behind you.” Valgrin pointed at the floor beside Malcolm.

  Skwilly’s faint glow allowed everyone to see the long, narrow hall. “I think we’re inside the walls around the area that goblin went into.”

  Ylnah took a few steps and touched a spot on the wall. “Skwilly, dim the light a moment, please.”

  Valgrin could barely make out Ylnah’s form as she put her eye against the wall. “What are you doing?” He whispered.

  “Found some magic peepholes. Looks to be a kitchen or utility room on the other side of this wall. There’s a three foot square door directly below this peephole. I don’t have enough to trace the magic, but I’d guess if we pressed the trigger, it’d slide open. Skwilly, you can go bright again.” She stepped back from the wall and looked down the hall. “Seems to be several viewing ports and doors down both directions and on both sides. Escape route?”

  “Be my guess. This way to the fountain, unless I’m turned around.” Malcolm pointed and started walking.

  Skwilly fell in behind him. “You’re headed in the right direction. The other way is the sanctuary.”

  Pausing at various peepholes along their path, they found no goblins—only mounds of discarded refuse. After continuing forward, they encountered a sharp left turn in the corridor that dead-ended abruptly just beyond the corner.

  Valgrin pulled away from the wall. “I’m guessing the light in the exterior hall is coming from lighting around the entrance to the fountain cave.”

  So through this door we could bypass that whole middle barracks like room and go straight to the fountain?” Malcolm asked.

  Valgrin nodded. “The cave we think it’s in, at least. But, yes. And since we didn’t see anyone in the barracks section, I vote we head to the cave. Haven’t found a good place to rest and review stats.”

  The others agreed, following behind. Two torches marked the entrance to the tunnel leading to the cave, glowing rocks lined the walls deeper in. Malcolm took the lead, pointing at the floor. “Looks like a decent amount of recent foot traffic down this hall.”

  “Yesss, there has been.” A soft voice came from the end of the hall.

  Malcolm twirled a sai . “It seems like we may be expected. Might as well just march on in.”

  The tunnel widened into a circular cavern, its rough walls stretching about twenty feet across. Across from where they entered, a hulking goblin lounged on an ornately carved stone seat that fell just short of being a proper throne. Two smaller goblins flanked him like sentinels. Behind this trio, a circular pool captured Valgrin's attention as water rhythmically surged upward before cascading back down into its basin.

  Valgrin watched the large goblin bare its sharp teeth. Smile? Or threat? I’m guessing a little of both.

  “Why do you trespass on Tryka’s domain?” It asked.

  Malcolm stepped forward. “You’re Tryka, I presume?”

  The goblin growled, “I tire of…”

  Malcolm looked at the ceiling. “Get out of the center!” He stepped to the side.

  “…this. Kill them.” The goblin continued.

  Malcolm's warning sent Valgrin leaping backward just as a massive gray blob plummeted from the ceiling, missing him by inches. The gelatinous mass quivered on impact—like some nightmarish gelatin dessert. Valgrin whipped his katar toward the goblins and unleashed a volley of ice shards. One guard collapsed instantly while another stumbled back. Pivoting, he hurled an ice spear directly into the pulsating creature.

  The gray monstrosity emitted a piercing shriek that made Valgrin wince, his hands instinctively wanting to shield his ears from the unbearable sound. A slimy tendril lashed out toward him, but he deflected it with his blade and scrambled backward, his stance wide and ready as he anticipated the creature's next move.

  He watched Malcolm drive a sai deep into the creature, twisting the weapon as it plunged in. The monster reacted with a club like pseudopod thrust directly at Malcolm. Valgrin thought he heard bones crunching as Malcolm flew across the cavern.

  “Close!” Skwilly shouted.

  A second later, a bright flash seeped through Valgrin’s eyelids. He opened his eyes and looked over at Ylnah. Good, she remembered what we told her. The goblins weren’t ready, and the flash seemed to have blinded them. However, he noted, the monster had been unaffected.

  “Ylnah, check on Malcolm. Stay close to the wall and be safe.” Valgrin shouted.

  “On it!” Ylnah yelled back, darting towards Malcolm who lay motionless against the cavern wall. Valgrin advanced on the creature, his mind racing through tactics. The ice spear had done some damage, but not enough.

  The gray mass shuddered, its form shifting and morphing as it recovered from the initial assault. Goblins, still reeling from the flash, stumbled around in confusion.

  Valgrin swung his katar, slicing through a gelatinous, lunging tendril. A section of the tendril hit the ground and melted into the dirt. He followed up by casting frost on the monster.

  The creature shuddered for a second and the frost melted. It slid towards Valgrin, thrusting more tendrils toward him.

  He activated the ice shield just in time to block a couple of tendrils. They staggered him but didn’t cause any damage. He noticed Malcolm running back toward the monster. Need to distract this thing. He cast another ice spear just as a tendril wrapped around his left forearm and the creature jerked him toward it.

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  A slash from his katar sliced the tendril, the severed portion remained wrapped around his arm. No shriek. Did the ice spear hit?

  The detached tendril melted into his arm, and the pain began. He screamed, falling to the ground. No noise, no creature, only pain. He screamed and screamed again. The rest of the world danced around the edges of the pain, but could not break through. His brain tried to pull what happened around him in. He wondered if he saw flashes of light or if the pain seared his vision. Was that a shout? Was it him? His mind broke through, the pain continued. Heal—heal. He couldn’t cast.

  He continued to scream. Relentless pain. Am I on fire? From the inside? His mind tried to find a place within he could escape. It would ease for a moment, then the pain would erupt again. Was that a touch? Another scream. Relief? The pain ebbed, then surged again, then ebbed. A cooling wave engulfed him, offering a modicum of relief. He latched on to the hope of more. Another touch?

  His vision cleared, and he saw Ylnah. Tears flowed from her eyes.

  “Healed. You’re healed. Heal. Heal.” She rocked back and forth as she chanted.

  The pain receded for a moment, Valgrin realized his head lay in her lap—her hand lay on his forehead. She sobbed, watching something else.

  “Heal.” She gasped. “I have to go help Malcolm.”

  Valgrin tried to talk, tried to keep his eyes open. Another surge of pain kept either from happening.

  “Skwilly!” she screamed.

  Valgrin knew she had gone to help his friends. He knew he had to do the same. He cast heal. This time it worked. It brought his pain from debilitating to extremely distracting. Not good, but he’d take it. Must stand up. He struggled to his feet and fought to focus his eyes. Malcolm limped around the creature, parrying the attacks—but unable to counter. Ylnah hunched over the still body of Skwilly. Was that part of the pain? Our bond? Or maybe he got a portion of mine? A new flash of pain dropped him to his knees—his stomach emptied. He struggled back to his feet.

  The pain hammered at him. Need to get rid of the pain. He cast his last heal spell. The pain subsided, minutely. Get rid—could I? He tried to see the magic of his katar, trying to find the part of the structure that allowed him to transfer his magic through it before. The pain kept ripping at him, his mind struggled to stay focused. Must, must, must…He withdrew back into himself.

  Suddenly, something clicked. If he manipulated two lines of the magical form, moved one of them to intersect with the triangular construct…it might work, it might blow up. No time for testing. His mind fought through the pain and altered the magic. He stumbled toward the monster, focused on sending the pain through his katar. He lunged, staggered, and fell into the monster—katar first, driving it deep within the gray mass.

  He channeled all his anguish through the conduit. The agony from the recent attack, the viscousness of Tahlur’s betrayal and Steeyann’s death, of the torment of being torn from his wife and daughter without knowing if he’d ever see them again, and the deep-seated wounds of childhood humiliations and rejections. Every painful memory fueled his power. The monster’s shriek turned into a gurgle, then abruptly fell silent. With a final, loud groan, it exploded, showering the area in globs of goo.

  Valgrin scanned the area to ensure the melting globs of monster did not harm his friends. Ylnah was wiping the goo off her skin, a look of disgust on her face. Malcolm stood over the now dead goblin in the chair, while the other goblins lay motionless on the ground. The chunks of monster that landed on Malcolm showed no signs of melting.

  Valgrin stood up on shaky legs. “Malcolm? Ylnah? Skwilly? Y’all okay?”

  “Other than needing a bath and some rest. I’m good.” Malcolm turned to face Valgrin.

  “I think that sums me up as well.” Added Ylnah, then she started sobbing. “Maybe not as good as I thought. I just made three of the best friends in my life, ever. And at some point in this fight, I thought I may have lost one or all of you.”

  Malcolm made his way over to Ylnah. “It’ll take more than one ugly monster to get rid of us.”

  “Skwilly? You’re being quiet.” Valgrin watched the priggy.

  “I’m not sure how to answer the question. I’m fine and I’m not fine. Whatever you did messed with our bond thing and it hurt more than anything I’ve ever felt—or want to feel again.”

  “You felt that?” Valgrin shook his head.

  “Indeed, unlike anything ever before. Please try to avoid that in the future.” Skwilly shuddered.

  Valgrin chuckled, “Believe me, I’ve already made that a life goal. Though it was highly effective in pain relief.”

  “Didn’t feel like pain relief to me,” Skwilly grunted.

  “I didn’t know it’d hit you. If I had, I may have pulled back a little.”

  A loud hand clap snapped Valgrin’s attention over to Malcolm—who lifted an empty jug up in the air.

  “We have water to collect and more goblins on the way. I suggest we get to collecting so we can get to getting out of here.”

  Valgrin grabbed a jug from his pack. He lifted it up. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Ylnah joined them.

  Valgrin watched all three of his friends, wondering how they were holding up—all seems okay, but is it? He glimpsed Ylnah staring at him, averting her eyes when he looked back at her. She and I need to share notes on magic…um…structure.

  “Ylnah, do you think we could convince your father to allowing you to come with us to study magic? That is when we’re done here. I think it’d be good for you to have access to the library—and I can get you assistant access while we work on getting you full access.”

  Everybody winced at the squeal Ylnah responded with.

  “I didn’t even get to the part where I asked you if you were interested. May I take the squeal as a yes?”

  Ylnah tried to stop bouncing and almost succeeded. “Sorry, you caught me unprepared. The chance to study and to remain with all of you? Of course I’m interested.” Her smile faded. “Convincing father will be the difficult part.”

  “Might get Izzy to help there.” Malcolm offered.

  “Oh, would she? I know father regards her highly.”

  “I can’t answer for her, but I believe if Valgrin told her what he’s got in mind, she’d add her support.” Malcolm grinned. “Unless he’s got an ulterior motive.”

  “If it wasn’t for the source, I’d be deeply offended.” Valgrin rolled his eyes.

  As the laughter faded, the group fell into a comfortable silence. The sounds of filling jugs with water faintly echoed through the cavern.

  “I still can’t believe this.” Malcolm stared at the jug he was about to put in his bag. “Ten one gallon jugs into this bag and still plenty of room and no increase in weigh.” He turned to look at Valgrin. “Thank you, sir, for this contribution to the EverNever.”

  “I’m sure I read about it somewhere. Don’t recall where, though.” Valgrin shrugged.

  “Don’t matter the source, folded space is amazing.”

  “This is the last of my containers, do either of you have anymore to fill?” Ylnah asked.

  “Done here.”

  “I’m all for heading out of here.”

  “First, since I have two of the Creators here…and it sounds like you guys might be THE Creators to ask. Why the name EverNever? Or did someone else name it?”

  Malcolm motioned to Valgrin, “He’ll need to answer. My contributions were through places not named EverNever.”

  Valgrin blushed slightly, “It could have been Fred’s influence. Anyway, the name is one I used when creating a world for my adventures. Ever changing, never the same—hence, EverNever. See, nothing world shattering.”

  Ylnah nodded her thanks as the group headed out, wary but hopeful they’d seen the last of the goblins.

  ###

  Two globs of monster slid together with a soft wet squelch, none of the party noticed as they walked out.

  “We were too weak.”

  “And we are weaker.”

  “But we are awake and can grow stronger.”

  “Stronger…” the voice paused for another soft squelch. “…yes, we are awake and now free of the bindings the goblins placed. For that we thank the blue one. For the pain he caused, we condemn him.”

  More squelches sounded in the cavern. The gelatinous blob grew as it oozed across the floor. A splash sounded as it fell into the pool.