Between

Episode 18

Episode 18

The three-headed serpent called Rill was swimming in slow figure eights far from the surface of Heartcore. Only her left head was staring at the surface. The other two were chatting idly about the many things a handful of tokens—or in this case tail-full of tokens—would be able to buy.

"Maybe we could buy a nice pair of shoes," Right-Rill said.

"We don't have feet," Rill reminded herself.

"I know, but... I have a sock. It seems like I should have a shoe, too."

"Isn't it your turn to watch for him yet?" Left-Rill grumbled, her eyes sweeping the land below.

"Not yet," Rill said. "I watched while you two slept. Now it's your turn to watch."

"I wonder if it will always take this long. It is taking him so long," Left-Rill moaned.

"Yeah, but we don't have to do anything. When's the last time we got paid to not do anything? I like this Heartcore fetching."

"It only pays if he comes back with people. And if he comes back at all..." Left-Rill said.

Her last sentence had the uncharacteristic lilt of concern. The concern, it would appear, was infectious. Each of her other two heads curled toward the long strip of land below.

"You don't think something happened to him, do you?" Right-Rill said. "Should we go after him?"

"If we go after him, they will attack us... We have a hard enough time fending them off when they send a few of their people to Shard. I don't think we can handle their whole army."

"But... if something happened to him. He's the only two-legger who's our friend," Right-Rill said.

"I guess... we could find a new two-legger to be our friend," Rill said slowly.

"I don't want another two-legger. I want Philo. He's our partner! He's our two-legger," Right-Rill said.

"He's probably fine. He's very clever," Rill said, failing to sound terribly confident.

The three of them continued to stare, clear worry on their faces. None of them were willing to so much as blink until a familiar sound behind them twisted their expressions from fear to anger. All three heads snapped around to see, nearby and growing nearer, the form of Trixie the demon. Her vast, leathery wings flapped feverishly, driving her quickly toward the surface. Rill bared her teeth and released a chorus of growls, darting toward her. Trixie spotted the lavender torpedo headed her way and flipped her wings up to bring her to a full stop, pulling out her hammer and holding it at the ready.

"I wouldn't if I were you, worm," Trixie said, nimbly darting aside to dodge the serpent's charge.

"You get out of here!" Left-Rill said. "We're in the middle of a mission, and if you got this close, then they're going to detect you and that might endanger Philo!"

"Relax," Trixie said. She held up her left wrist to show a small silver charm dangling from her bracelet. "Stealth enchantment. ... I see you've got some too..."

"Yes! The Overseer gave them to us. We can keep them if we do a good job," Right-Rill said proudly, briefly forgetting about both her anger and concern.

"Where did you get yours?" Left-Rill rumbled accusingly.

"How about you mind your own business about where I got it," Trixie said. "Where's Champ?"