Chapter Text
0.
Devexian, as it turned out, was an odd mix of FCG and Frieda’s features. He had FRIDA’s stature and build, but his face and body had elements that immediately reminded Imogen of Letters. His eyes, though glowing blue, seemed to almost change as the eight of them approached, switching from striking purpose to slight confusion.
He wasn't alone on that.
“Bells Hells I presume?”
“Yeah, it's us,” replied Orym from way above Imogen’s shoulder, “Sorry we took so long. There were some… complications.”
“Huh.” The Aeormaton examined them for a while before responding, “FRIDA described you differently.”
“Believe me, he didn't.”
Imogen was about to add more when two familiar faces suddenly appeared in view. “Took you guys long enough! We were starting to wonder if you ever-“ Deanna’s voice died in her throat as she caught sight of them, with Frida outright freezing in place.
The two groups just stared at each other for a second before Frida’s tiny “What the fuck?”
“I wish we knew,” replied Ashton, pushing the hair from his face, “I wish we knew.”
01.
It started with Ashton actually.
The solstice ended, and they all scattered, now living their own lives in their own little corners. When, about five months post-reckoning, did Ashton show up at their door, with all of Bell's Hells in tow.
“What’s with the parade?” She had joked, but one look at the Genasi’s stoic expression did all her mirth crumble.
Next to her, Laudna grabbed her hand, the fear in her voice palpable, “What is it? What happened now? Is everything alright?”
“I found D.”
The words tore through her in a manner that almost resembled hope. “What?”
“I found him,” Ashton continued, his voice just as desperate and tired, “And he thinks… he thinks he can do it. He thinks he can bring them back.”
Laudna choked on a sob as Imogen’s eyes filled with tears. They didn't even need to look at each other before coming to a single decision.
“Where to next?”
02.
“I think I’m taller than you.”
“Is that really what you're getting out of this right now?”
Deanna rolled her eyes, still focused on her detection spell, “Hey, it's not every day that you can say that. Especially about somebody that’s supposed to be human.”
“Well, you don’t have to rub it in,” she grumbled, turning away from the gnome and back onto the rest of the group, and just… stared.
Imogen had certainly encountered more than her fair share of oddities, especially after meeting up with the rest of the Hells, but this definitely took the cake. And that’s saying something.
After getting over their shock, Devexian had explained the likely culprit, an old Aeorian experiment that has since gone rogue. What we're meant to be enhancement mushrooms had since developed into their own kind of creature, something that he called shape changers, which was exactly what they did.
Which explained why exactly she was nearly three feet shorter than she should be, staring up at a bunch of people who were just as uncomfortable as she was.
Just perfect.
03.
The actual culprit, however, was in fact Braius.
After gathering the necessary equipment, Ashton explained everything in further detail. He had run into FRIDA and Deanna and was in the midst of catching up, when the trio caught wind that a cloaked figure had just been spotted on the outskirts of town. They bounced immediately, but by the time they reached the gate, he was already gone. But it was enough to want answers.
And after a few weeks of nonstop hunting, they had found the man in northern Issylra. While their initial meeting had been… less than stellar, after a few choice words and a long conversation, it was revealed that there might be a way. From there, they separated, with Ashton gathering the rest of Hell's, while the other three prepared for the descent.
Using Chetney’s creepy armor, the teleportation went smoothly, but unfortunately, that’s when things stopped being easy.
“Fuck!” Chetney yelled, scrambling out of the way as yet another Aeorian monster appeared, rushing forward, its piranha-like mouth fully extended.
Imogen reacted immediately, shooting off the two Meteors, and hitting the monster square in the jaw.
Behind her, Laudna fired off another Wither and Bloom, catching five of the creatures, and Fearne and Braius, who were engaged with them.
Not even five minutes after landing in the city, they were ambushed, a pack of monsters that looked to be a cross of a wolf and a moose, with razor-sharp teeth and hands instead of front hooves. They weren’t too strong, but the problem wasn’t their strength, but their numbers. Because there were a lot of them.
Like a lot, and for every two they would drop, four would appear in their place.
And while they may have had the magic and energy to deal with them all, it wasn’t without risks. Imogen shot a quick glance at Dorian, who was currently glowing with a brilliant arcane light. The more magic they used, the more likely something was going to blow up in their faces.
They didn’t have a choice; they needed to run.
Orym must have realized it too because the halfling suddenly sprang upward, slashing the air with Seedling. The air condensed and solidified, stretching into a Wall of Wind that pushed against the bulk of the monsters, trapping them in place. As he landed, he called out to the group, “That won’t hold them for long, time to go!”
Ashton dropped another monster before adding, “You heard him! Now let’s get the fuck out of here!”
The eight of them ran, the light fading from Dorain as they did. They ran and ran and ran, but the noise didn’t fade. The creatures were still chasing, their hunger unsatisfied.
Next to her, Dorian stumbled, barely catching himself as he did, but the damage was already done. Fearne, reacting on instinct, moved to steady him, but in doing so, slipped herself, with no such recovery.
Without thinking, Imogen released a Telekinesis, righting the faun before she really toppled. And while it did work, it also slowed them both down, leaving them a good 30 behind the rest of the group.
Braius shot them a quick look over his shoulder, “You guys okay?”
“Yeah!”
“We’re just fine!”
The two shared a glance, a similar thought stretching between them: “They wouldn’t last for much longer.”
Fearne acted first, her eyes finding the werewolf as he called out, “Chetney!”
“Yeah?”
“Use your boots and surge ahead! We need a hiding place!”
“Why me? Ashton’s faster than I am!”
“Not always and we really don’t have time to gamble.”
“What about Imogen flying?”
“I need to be here in case anyone else falls. And besides,” her thoughts tethered to his, “I need to be able to guide us.”
“Fine, fine. Gimme me a minute.” And with that, he clicked his heels and sprinted forward, disappearing from view in mere moments.
The seven of them continued to run, the sound of panting and the creature’s cries being the only noise present.
After another 30 or so seconds, Chetney’s voice reappeared, “At the next intersection, take two hard lefts. I found us a room.”
“Is it secure?”
“As secure as we are gonna get. The hallway itself looks like a dead end so we should be able to hide no problem.”
“Alright.” Her feet lift off the ground, and she surged forward. Imogen yelled to her friends, “Chet found something! Follow me!”
With a new burst of energy, everyone continued. It doesn’t take before she sees the aforementioned fork. As they approached, she called out, “Two lefts back to back. Be ready!”
It’s slightly awkward, and more than one of them almost lost their footing, but all seven of them make it with Chetney already there, ushering them inside.
The door swung closed with a soft click, and thankfully not with a booming slam that she was afraid of. Next to her, Braius waved his hand, a thick silence replacing the sounds of their breath.
“Smart.”
“Thanks.”
Imogen watched Orym move out of the spell's radius, body tense as he listened for the creatures. After a minute or so of waiting, he gave the group a small thumbs-up, the tension leaving everyone as he does.
With another wave of his hand, Braius dropped the spell, and the eight of them were left scattered in the room, tired but alive and whole.
“Glad that worked.”
Ashton snorted, “Yeah, no kidding. Fuck, D could’ve warned us.”
“From what Essek mentioned, maybe not.” Everyone turns to look at Laudna, “Aeor had so much going on right before it fell, that I doubt even a native would have been aware of everything.”
Imogen chimed in, “Not to mention the isolation probably led to a number of weird things. There’s probably plenty here that he’s never seen or even heard of.”
“Or considered,” Orym added.
“That too.”
“Speaking of weird, look at this room!” said Dorian, “Where even are we?”
The comment made everyone stop and take a good look around. The room was small, square, and dimly lit, with that same oppressive white arcane light lining the walls and ceiling. The floor was coated in a thick layer of dust, but what really caught her attention were the mushrooms: clusters of them blooming out of cracks in the concrete, thriving in the corners, climbing the walls. While they ranged in size, they all looked pretty similar: cream and purple, with a flat and square top. A faint bioluminescence glowed from their gills, casting strange shadows, and the air smelled sweet and damp, like rot mixed with perfume. It felt more like a terrarium than a room—forgotten, overgrown, and deeply wrong.
“Chet?”
“Um, hold on,” He dug in his bag before pulling out the crudely made map that Devexian had drawn for them. “I think we’re close to the specimen rooms. That or the testing rooms. I’m not really sure.”
“That still doesn’t explain the mushrooms,” said Fearne, crouching close to one of the clusters. “Are they supposed to be what was tested?”
“Probably,” says Imogen, “Let’s just be careful and try not to-”
Crunch.
Seven pairs of eyes turned to look at Braius, whose hoof was currently pressing down on one of the mushroom patches.
“Oops.”
And before any of them can react, the mushroom beneath his feet suddenly exploded, bursting into a thick cloud of smoke and spores.
Imogen jumped back, but the mushrooms must have been connected because suddenly every single cluster exploded at once with that same thick smoke.
She watched as Orym and Dorian rushed to the door, but the room was enclosed and far too small for any of them to escape.
Her last thoughts were of Laudna and the lingering sweetness that settled into her tongue.
04.
“So there is good news and bad news. Good news, it's definitely not permanent.”
There’s a collective sigh of relief at Deanna’s words. After a moment, Dorian asks, “So then, what’s the bad news?”
At Deanna's nervous expression does Imogen straightens, with the others tensing up around her.
Uh oh.
Orym repeats the question, “Deanna? What is it?”
She shoots a nervous glance at FRIDA before responding, “Well, the mushroom doesn’t really fall within a specific magic category. It's not a curse, or a disease, or even a spell! It’s…” She shrugs helplessly, “Well, it's something!”
Chetney narrows his eyes, “Which means what exactly?”
“It means I can’t undo it. You’re just gonna have to wait it out.”
The eight of them exchange glances, the dread only deepening, with Laudna finally asking, “For how long exactly?”
Deanna licks her lips, “I don’t know.”
Her statement hangs in the air, with each of them taking in their current reality. Imogen looks down at her own hands, still scarred and weathered, but small and different. Her skin was unknown to her once again. A familiar feeling, yes, but just as unpleasant.
The sudden weight of another body lifts her from her thoughts. Imogen looks up and smiles when she sees Laudna there, arm around her shoulder, her head leaning on hers.
It’s a little awkward, a little too warm and uneven, but still, they fit together. And maybe that’s all that matters.
And it's within that gentle fog of silence do another group of monsters decided to attack.
05.
Imogen came to slowly. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her body sore.
Letting out a groan, she pushed herself onto her knees, the feeling of heavy fabric surrounding her as she came back to awareness.
“Y'all?” She muttered, “Is everyone still here?”
There was a series of groans and curses as the rest of her friends responded. She reached out mentally and was grateful to find everyone of Hell’s present and thinking.
“What the fuck just happened?” Asked Fearne.
“Braius.”
“It's not my fault!” He cried, “It was an accident, I swear! I didn’t mean to…” His voice trailed off, and there was a moment of silence before “Oh fuck.”
Dread pooled into her stomach as Laudna asked, “What is it?”
“I think… I think we have a problem.” Imogen finally pushes her way out of the fabric only to see an unfamiliar gnome sitting around a very familiar pile of armor.
Uh oh.
The gnome that was probably Braius opened his mouth and asked, “Is it just me, or does everyone look a little weird?”
There’s a pause, and then Fearne started screaming.
“OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!”
“Oh fuck this.”
“HOLY SHIT!”
“What the fuck what the fuck. What the fuck???”
“How in the world…?”
“Fucking Hell.”
Imogen could only sit there in shock. Slowly, ever slowly, she looked down to see what had been keeping her trapped for the past few minutes.
It was her own fucking cloak.
Fuck.
“EVERYONE CALM DOWN!” They all turn to the tall human-looking man in a set of red armor, “We can’t afford to freak out and attract any more monsters. Just take a breath!”
There’s a moment before the person Imogen thought was Orym asked, “Chetney?”
“Yeah?”
“Have you looked at yourself yet?
He glanced down and just froze. Imogen was worried that he was about to have a heart attack when he suddenly glanced back upward, taking in Fearne’s wooden-looking face and Ashton’s hair and Orym’s blue skin, and Dorian’s horns and Braius’ height and Laudna’s-
Imogen stopped and stared at her girlfriend, mystified. Laudna… if she didn’t know who she was looking at, she wouldn’t have recognized her. Her hair was longer, a deep brown instead of its normal black. The white was still there, but framed her face instead of being a streak. Her skin was still pale, but fuller somehow. Her face was also different, brighter and less hollow, with her eyes being the same color her hair. If not for the pair of horns that poked up from the side of her head and the clearly visible hooves from beneath her dress, Imogen would say she was staring at Matilda.
Their eyes met, and Laudna paused before giving her a hesitant, looking smile.
“I think you’re a Halfling.”
God dammit.
06.
“Duck!” Imogen cried as a lightning bolt sprang forth from her fingers. It arched outward, striking two of the smaller creatures and its large and nasty-looking friend
From her position in the air, everything felt mostly normal. Her magic worked as normally did, and while flying, she could almost forget about the height problem. No, what was really disorienting was the battlefield below her.
While Laudna and Chetney adapted fairly quickly, with one being a spellcaster and the other being a werewolf, everyone else clearly struggled. Fearne and Dorian looked wobbly on their feet, unsure how to move properly. Ashton and Orym, meanwhile, seemed A lot less confident, with their strikes looking wide and scattered. And Braius?
Braius looked like a child swinging his flail around. Didn’t help that he could barely lift the damn thing up.
Thankfully, Deanna and FRIDA were there, aiding in the fray the best they could. D was somewhere… and while the extra hand would have been nice, having him out of the way was better than him being a liability.
Case in point.
Imogen zipped down towards Braius, tapping him with a fly spell before dragging him back up and out of the monsters’ reach.
The creatures themselves resembled dragons, with no wings, and with their mouths on their chest rather than their muzzle. There were 5 or so of the dragons, with a bigger one clearing leading the charge. The leader still had the chest mouth but instead of a normal head, its neck extended into five, each ending with an eyeball. Its tail was long and snaked behind it, ending with a large mace-like ball that was currently trying to smash Ashton’s head in.
“I was in the middle of something!” Braius cried as they regained Imogen’s old position, “I was fine by myself.”
“You clearly weren’t.”
“Just because I’m a gnome right now, doesn’t mean I can’t fight.”
“It doesn't mean you can act like nothing is different!” She sighed, giving the fight another glance before continuing, “We have to be smart about this. Aeor is very dangerous, and we have a job to do. Things are already bad enough; we don’t want anyone making it worse by being reckless.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t think there’s any way for things to get worse.”
Below them, a large explosion suddenly blossomed, a wave of heat and dust sweeping across their faces. Imogen covered her face as best she could before looking to the ground below.
Dorian was on his knees, coughing, the ground around him broken and scorched, a clear sign of a magical misfire. While three of the Dragons lay dead, Imogen could see that many of her friends were looking just as shaky.
On the other side of the fight, the lead monster suddenly snapped two of its eyeballs in the direction of the explosion, a roar echoing forward as it saw the bodies of its dead compatriots. It suddenly stomped its front feet and smashed its tail into the ground.
And it all begins to crumble. Bits of the ceiling and floor begin to tumble away, falling into the giant pit. Image loses sight of her friends as she dances around the falling rubble, barely keeping herself alive and airborne. She hears yelling, but the noise and distance are too great to make anything out.
A sickening crack resonated through the air, and with a quick, fleeting glance, Imogen could only watch as the biggest monster went tumbling over the edge, with Laudna, Chetney, and Orym caught helplessly in its wake, falling right alongside with it.
She screamed and dove forward, desperate and willing.
Laudna’s eyes flicker upwards, her mouth forming her name.
But it's not enough.
The ceiling caught her, and she plummeted towards the ground, and by the time she could look, Laudna was gone and out of sight.