Page 27 of Interlude

“Can the vine be destroyed?” I ask, thinking that would solve the problem of being consumed.

“Yes, fire will work, but the victim was still paralyzed, and we weren’t able to cure them. They fell into a coma and the poison killed them.”

“Fuck.” Xavier scrubs a hand across his head, but he has no hair to yank on in his glamour.

“Hang on, don’t forget I have my Celestian form. I should be able to heal anything if we need it,” I remind them, and they both look a little less frustrated.

“Yes, but it means changing forms. We’ll save it as a last resort,” Xavier replies, reminding me that I need sex to fuel my mimic power, which really wouldn’t be a problem if I would stop being so sensitive and fuck Brannock. I want it to be for better reasons then I need a power boost though.

“Okay, I suggest we stay in the middle of the pack of harvesters. The ones on the outer rim will get picked off first if they don’t keep up with the being who repels everything,” Brannock says. “We’ll harvest, and Lila will try to mimic the being, and then we will be able to form a better plan after we do that.”

“And we still haven’t seen any sign of this being?” I ask, yawning, my eyes heavy with exhaustion. I’m back in my earth elemental form now, and it’s a struggle. Seriously, we can’t get down to the planet fast enough.

Before either of them can reply, a hush falls over the room, and the three of us look up.

Standing in the entrance to the cafeteria are Oak and Elm, the two tree dudes in charge of the harvesters, and behind them in the shadows is a hooded creature. The harvesters murmur quietly, one or two standing up to see if they can get a better look.

I try to subtly do the same, but all I can see is a long, dark hooded cape, and inside that hooded recess is nothing. Is the creature like the dementors out of Harry Potter? I look down to see if he’s floating, but the cape is so long it drags along the ground, and I can’t tell.

Xavier narrows his eyes, and I feel him stretch out with his powers, trying to get a read on the creature. He suddenly cries out and grabs his head, cursing quietly under his breath.

“Are you okay?” I ask him.

“Yeah. I don’t know what he is, but he’s powerful enough to keep me out of his brain. Maybe if I could see his eyes, it would be easier, but I have a feeling it won’t work.”

The being is looking directly at us, and I feel like maybe we’ve made a grave error by drawing his attention to us. We’re on his radar now, and that may be a bad thing.

“Shit, let it go for now. We can try again on the planet. I’m sure he will be distracted while keeping the flora and fauna at bay,” I suggest, and Xavier agrees.

“Are your mimic powers active? Could you mimic him like this?” Brannock whispers, and I shake my head.

I look inward, and I’m shocked to find that the usual insistent presence has disappeared. I shake my head. “Nope, there’s nothing. In fact, they are the quietest they’ve been since I became aware of them. It’s almost like they’ve become dormant.”

Xavier and Brannock exchange another worried glance.

“Don’t worry, I feel okay, apart from the elemental’s weakness. Come on, we’ve got this.” I try to be positive, but the whole time, I feel the hooded figure’s gaze on us, even though Elm is talking to the rest of the harvesters now.

“We have ten minutes before we start sending you down to the surface in groups. Master Z will project a circle of green energy. This is what keeps the creatures at bay,” Elm announces.

“Make sure you are aware of it at all times and stay within it as we move. If you lose track or don’t pay attention and move outside the range of the circle, you will die. We won’t put ourselves at risk to save you. You are responsible for your own safety,” Oak adds, and there are a few worried looks amongst the harvesters, but they are here now, so I doubt they are going to be allowed to change their minds.

“You have a quota of three baskets per harvester a day. If you don’t meet this quota, you will be punished. Do not make us punish you.” Elm smacks a baton against his hand, and it pulses with electricity.

“Holy fuck, is that a cattle prod?” I feel a little ill. I hope the baskets aren’t huge. This form is small, and I doubt I can manage as much as the rest of the harvesters.

“Yes, it looks like it,” Brannock murmurs.

We watch as the hooded figure leans in and speaks to Elm and Oak, and all three of them turn to look at me.

“You, Elementi. You will be permitted to work with someone because you will not be able to manage the size of the basket, but the two of you must fill five baskets between you.”

Fuck, I’m not sure that’s as generous as they think it is. Am I being set up? My elemental powers should help. I can coax the tree to give up the fruit all at once instead of picking each individual piece, so maybe we will be okay.

“I’ll work with Lila so you can concentrate on getting into Master Z’s mind,” Brannock offers, and Xavier bites his lip with worry but agrees.

“Okay, and tomorrow we can swap if I don’t get anywhere.”

The three boss beings disappear—I’m assuming to transport to the planet before us. We finish our meal and follow the crowd to transport down.

---