Second pt 9- EIGHT MINUTES LATER

Nill: Look, Segun, trees!

Segun: I thought that desert would never end! What’s up with this huge wall?

Quintis: It’s the first impasse. You have to solve a puzzle to get through. Or do it in a faster, more dramatic way.

Segun: That grin means you’re up to something. We’ll just follow…Ow! Why is there a clear wall suddenly between us?

Nill: Awesome! Big Guy just punched through the wall!

Segun: Hey, Quintis! Don’t wink and leave us behind, Cheater!

Server: You will not be allowed to follow him. Step to the side and approach the wall. It will offer you a riddle.

Segun: Like this? Wait, Nill! Server, the clear walls separated us!

Server: You are separate Contenders. You must each solve the puzzle.

Segun: Nill! He’s saying something, but I can’t hear him!

Server: Look at the pieces that appeared on the wall. Solve the puzzle, and you can be reunited.

Segun: Three pegs and four discs, each one successively smaller than the one closest to the wall, all on the same peg.

Server: I suggest moving the discs to a different peg.

Segun: Alright, I’ll just grab them all and…Ow! Hey! Monkeys?! Why are monkeys in the trees throwing stinky, spiky durian fruit at me?! And why can the fruit go through the clear walls?

Ack! When I throw the fruit back, it just ricochets.

Server: Nill appears to find this hilarious.

Segun: Stop rolling on the floor laughing, Nill!

Server: It appears you may only move one disc at a time. See? They have permitted Nill to put that smallest disc alone on the middle peg.

Segun: So now he’s gonna put the second smallest on top of it.

Server: Apparently that was incorrect. Likely you cannot place a larger disc over a smaller one.

Segun: Ha! How do you like it when monkeys throw fruit at you, Nill?

Server: He cannot hear you.

Segun: He’s nodding with that smart Nill face like when he’s figured something out.

Server: Then copy him.

Segun: Alright, smallest disc on the middle peg, second smallest on the far right, and smallest on top of that.

Third in the middle, smallest on the biggest, second on the third, smallest back in the middle.

Now the biggest on the right, smallest on the biggest, second on the left, smallest on it, third on the biggest, smallest back to the middle, second on the third, and smallest on top.

Server: Complete. A door has opened for each of you.

Segun: To a sheer, smooth rock face at least eighty feet high?! There aren’t even any hand holds for climbing.

Nill: Look, there are Quintus and Knight! Over there by that waterfall!

Segun: Where did Quintis get that long spike?

Nill: Knight probably snapped it off this side of the wall. See?

Segun: Why is this side of the wall covered in long spikes?

Nill: To look intimidating?

Segun: And where does the water from the waterfall go?

Nill: Underground, probably.

Segun: Then how do we know we’re supposed to go up instead of jumping into the waterfall?

Nill: That is a horrible idea! Do you want me to drown again today? Besides, Quintis and Knight are going up, and they seem to know what they’re doing in this race.

Segun: With a dramatic flair. Quintis just stepped in Knight’s hand, and Knight threw him. How are we supposed to copy that?

Nill: The cliff is higher than Seconds are allowed to be apart from their Contenders! Knight threw Quintis too hard!

Knight: Do not malign me so, Brat.

Nill: You can hear us all the way over there, over the waterfall’s roar and everything?

Segun: Look! Quintis stabbed the spike into the cliff, and now he’s standing on it.

Nill: You must be pretty strong to throw him four stories high, Mister Knight. I bet you could throw my friend here even higher.

Knight: Not falling for that!

Segun: Wait! I could hold onto you as you climb and…Oof!

Nill: I think he climbs as fast as you run, Segun.

Segun: Phooey! I thought I could use the marks his claws made in the cliff as hand holds, but they’re too far apart for me.

Nill: And there he goes, throwing Quintis up to the top of the cliff this time.

Segun: Quintis even posed as he flew.

Nill: I’ve totally got to work on my poses.

Segun: Server, this route requires wings or claws! I’m feeling very disadvantaged here!

Server: What does Quintis think is most important in this race?

Segun: Drama, apparently.

Server: Has it failed him yet?

Segun: But how can I…The spikes! I can climb the spikes!

Nill: They’re too far apart, Segun.

Segun: Not if I do it the dramatic way. You know how I flip and swing around the branches when Prima takes something and plays keep away?

Nill: Some of them are still a little far.

Segun: Believe in me Nill. And also be my safety net. Here I go!

Nill: One…two…three…now you’re dangerously high off the...oof! Caught you!

Segun: Thanks for being a stepping stone again!

Nill: You look kinda like a pinball going back and forth like that. The most graceful pinball there ever was. Like a mix between a pinball and a flying squirrel.

Segun: Prima ate those, too, didn’t she?

Nill: And tried to blame it on me.

Segun: Alright, one…last leap!

Nill: Wow, I’ll never doubt your ability to jump off a vertical surface again! You kicked off the wall and soared right over my head, like you had wings of your own.

Segun: Landing was a little hard, though. I rolled, but I still got the breath knocked out of me, and now I’m dusty to boot.

Nill: At least there’s a path. And the forest up here seems so peaceful.

Segun: It smells like Essence of Pine again.

Nill: With a pleasant hint of mint. I like it.

Segun: Come on, we’ve gotta speed through here and catch up to Quintis and Knight. Watch for low branches.

Nill: Segun, do you think anyone’s rooting for us?

Segun: Someone must be if their cheers helped you get me across the flyers’ canyon. Why are you lagging behind?

Nill: I…I’m tired. More tired than I think I’ve ever been. I don’t think I’ve ever used this much of my stamina before. Can’t I just lean against this tree for a little bit?

Segun: We have to keep going, Nill. Here, eat some of this neon green fruit growing on the trees. Ug, I can’t reach it! Ack! Horse kicking the tree was a bad idea!

Nill: Haha, it’s raining glowing green pears.

Segun: Eat up, Nill. It should restore your stamina.

Nill: Stop bouncing on your heels like that. It makes me feel like you want to leave me behind.

Segun: We really should keep moving. Has the sky gotten darker since we’ve been here? It looks like an awful storm. Climb on my back and I’ll carry you while you eat.

Nill: Okay. I like these fruits. They’re juicy and taste like craisins and cream.

Segun: Not really a flavor I would have associated with glowing neon green.

Nill: Stop!!!

Server: You must enter the lake, Segun. All paths here lead into it. You must traverse the tunnel at its depths.

Nill: I said Stop, Segun!!!

Segun: It’s the only path, Nill. The Server said so. There’s a tunnel down there.

Nill: Then drain the lake!

Segun: How, Nill? Come on, you can do this.

Nill: No, I’ll drown!

Segun: You didn’t drown earlier. You breathed the water!

Nill: No, I…let go of me, Segun!!

Segun: Nill, watch out!

Nill: No, I won’t go in there! I…Ack! A spider web?! My wings are caught. Segun, help!

Segun: I’m coming up there. Try not to move and get more tangled!

Huhuhuhuhu! Mods you were born with, and so many! How delightfully delicious.

Nill: Hey! Stay away!

Do not kick at me, Child. I have more legs than you.

Segun: Hi-yah! Oof!

You either, Dear. Why do you look so disgusted by my hairy legs pinning you to the tree? Here, have some web to make you extra secure while I take care of this lovely child one mod at a time.

Segun: You are easily the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen.

Huhuhuhuhu! I’ll take that as a compliment.

Segun: I wouldn’t take it as a compliment if someone could describe me as a hideous cross between a spider, a clown, and a robot with glowing red eyes.

Nill: He’s part of the environment, Segun, so he’s not actually intelligent, most likely.

Do not be offensive, Child. Even if I strive to be gentle, this process will still hurt, and your rudeness will not prompt me to be gentle. *chomp*

Nill: Aaaaaah, my wing!!!

Segun: Don’t nibble on him!!! Server, do something!!

Server: A Leech like that will only take his mods.

Segun: But Nill was born with his mods. They are an essential part of him; his skin is one. How can he survive without his skin?!

Server: You vowed to win without cheating, and my assistance now could be construed as such.

Segun: I never said Nill could survive this fair and square! Help him!

Server: How about a hint: Denizens of the races are known to have a penchant for riddles and wagers.

Segun: And so does Nill! Hey, big ugly monster! I challenge you to give us a riddle!

Leech: Oh, huhuhuhuhuhu! A riddle you say? And if you solve it, you can go free?

Segun: Both of us go free, unharmed and with all our mods intact.

Leech: Yet if you fail? What then? I normally only take mods, but this child practically is a mod. I would take him all.

Segun: Deal.

Nill: Segun!

Segun: If he was gonna eat your skin, he was practically gonna eat all of you anyway. What’s the riddle, Leech?

Leech: In these two hands are two pieces of paper. Choose one that says life and win. I will release you. Choose one that says death, and I win. The child is mine.

Segun: That’s not a riddle! It’s a game of chance!

Leech: Choose one or I win by default.

Segun: Um, the left one!

Leech: Ah, come take it.

Segun: Ouch! Watch just how roughly you rip off sticky webs!

Leech: Unfold the paper and read aloud your fate.

Nill: Segun, no!

Segun: Nill! Why’d you…don’t eat the paper, Nill!

Nill: *gulp* Now in order to see what was written on our paper, you’ll have to look at your own.

Segun: How can Nill look so confident, blue-gold eyes glaring at the monster with such haughty, self-assured hate?

Server: Consider his angle.

Segun: Oh! Nill could probably see what was written on the papers as the Leech folded them. And I made the complete wrong choice. Oh, I feel horrible!

Nill: There, your remaining paper says death. So ours, the one Segun chose and I ate, must have said life, right?

Segun: Um, I’m confused. Why…wait, did both papers say death?

Server: And having seen that, Nill solved the riddle, making it appear you chose life despite that being impossible.

Segun: But Nill doesn’t look so good.

Leech: Huhuhuhuhuhuhu! You fancy you have outwitted me. Yet both papers were poisoned.

Segun: Oh no! Nill!

Server: Unfocused eyes. His galaxy skin dulled. The Leech is telling the truth.

Segun: Is it a deadly poison?

Leech: One hundred percent fatal.

Segun: Don’t say that with such a creepily happy smile! What can I do to get the antidote?

Leech: There isn’t one. Oh well, I suppose I don’t really want to eat him now. Too bad. What a waste. Tootles!

Segun: *cough* You vanish in a puff of smoke, *cough* creepy, inconsiderate bag of unmentionables! Nill! Nill, don’t thrash, I’m trying to untangle you.

Server: You should strive not to come in contact with that foam seeping from the corners of his mouth.

Segun: I don’t care, Server. I have to wipe it away. I have to save him! Please, Server! You have to do something! I don’t care if it’s cheating! Please, somebody save Nill!

Continued in part 10- NINE SECONDS LATER

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