Take Back the Light

Chapter 38

"So this is Alana Caelum, then? I've heard you've got a way with slug energy," she said.

"That's one way of saying it," Alana said with a small smile, stroking the Armashelt's head with her thumb. "I can feel their energies. We had a couple of our slugs get sick a bit ago. With them, the exposure to dark energy was making their energy and life force flicker out. But these guys... there's just no energy in them at all."

"So they're just like normal slugs now? No transforming?" Eli asked, peering into one of the pens. Alana frowned and tightened her lips, and vaguely wondered how Eli had managed to keep the surface a secret from the rest of the gang for so long.

"Yes, Eli, if slugs that didn't transform existed, these guys would be like that," she replied. Eli's cheeks flushed red. Alana rolled her eyes, turning back to Brodie. "Your healer slugs aren't helping at all?"

"We don't have any," Brodie admitted. "Part of the reason I called you in. Heard you've got two solid ones, Doc and Mage."

Alana frowned, glancing back down at the Armashelt. Eli cleared his throat.

"We did," he said. Brodie's shoulders fell, and her face went slack.

"Oh. I'm sorry," she said. Eli quickly shook his head.

"No, they're fine. Just... far away," he said. "It could be possible to reach them, but difficult. Although I think our first move should be finding out what exactly drained the slugs."

"That would be the creature," Brodie responded grimly. Alana raised an eyebrow and set the Armashelt back in the pen.

"You think something is doing this?" she asked. Brodie nodded.

"The High Plains monster," she said, glancing down at Trini. "It's something of a local legend. No one's actually seen it, but whatever did this slipped through the electric fence like it was nothing."

"But I've seen it!" Trini said, glancing at Brodie, then at the rest of the gang. "It's big, and it's scary, and it has long legs like a spider! It drained Flutter!"

Trini held up her Hoverbug. Trixie kneeled down and rested a hand on Trini's shoulder.

"Don't worry. Flutter's going to be fine," she promised. She glanced up at Eli and Alana. "Could we take them to the Lightwell?"

Alana glanced down at the slugs. The Lightwell could definitely replenish the energy they lost, but it wouldn't be a real solution.

"It might help, but I think we should to find a permanent solution," Alana said, turning to Eli. "Besides, I'm not sure I want to recharge the slugs just for something to steal away their energy again."

"Alana's right. We need to put a stop to whatever's actually causing this," Eli decided. Trixie turned back to Brodie, standing up.

"We'll get to the bottom of this, Brodie. I promise," she said.

"If you could just give us a moment to talk?" Kord suddenly requested. Brodie nodded and guided Trini out of the barn. The second they were out of earshot, Kord sighed and turned to Eli.

"Okay, I'm all for helping the slugs," the cave troll said. "But a monster, Eli? I dunno. I'm engineer. In my mind, if I can't see it or I can't hit it, it don't exist."

Eli nodded, turning to Trixie. "What do you think?" he asked. "Do you think it's really a monster?"

"I believe Trini saw something," Trixie said. "And look at these slugs. Brodie isn't the kind of person to exaggerate."

"I've never heard of a monster that can drain energy, but this isn't natural, and I think I'd be able to tell if it was because of a Vamparo," Alana said. "Even the slugs the Game Master was holding weren't this drained. It wouldn't surprise me if it really was a creature that's doing this."