{!{head@<CH>es}!} _*_ Mudrift Via~bowl St@ck'robats

Nik'admired Amelia from cornfed crown to bootlegginGlade green:*...* "I adored the way you were slinging Lightning out there," attempting to shift the scene of blood~spill from their minds, and helping find comfortable seats.

"The only fun I've had all day," Amy noted, sinking into a brownish beanbag once probably red - while Nika moved to occupy a sofa the flooded color of Amelia's eyes. "But it's really wasn't any harder than performing a yoga pose."

"The Store owner told me my ability would be a piece of cake too," zen Weyjes lamented. "But Fear Factor didn't seem to pack any muscle. Maybe I'm just not compatible or something."

"That stinks," Amy greeted. "Could be the Moth just wasn't ailergic to that, so to speak." And she paused. "Perhaps... we could put that to test, if you try and cast on me."

"Oh, thanks, that's thoughtful," Anika accepted. "But for your own sake, I hope my power's still on the fritz."

"Could it really bug me more than a giant Moth?" Amelia replied.

Nika swallowed. "I'd have to wonder..." but then she smiled. "Okay, ready to do this?"

Amy nodded, and began to get probed by Nika's gaze. Seconds later the focus furrowed to frowning.

At first it seemed like the reaction was still ineffective, when Amy's jaw quivered tight. Her pond eyes overflowed with dread, and she glanced over a shoulder as if she'd heard something approaching. "I feel small..." When her petite nose pinched back at Aggressor, snot was running, & she extended both arms as if to obtain distance. "How...? Don't even THINK about it. These are my fre--!!" she spluttered out a strangled noise.

A horde of us raced though the door, beholding the ruffled scene of a Terrorist betrothed to vindictive scowl. A flock of protests welted the atmosphere: "Nika! What in blue blazes?!? Lay off!..."

Amelia's expressions squirmed through more Apprehensions, staggering back, until she delved into a series of spasms that noodled her body to an area of thin, violet carpet. I was the fastest to bodily intervene, as I'd figured which angel was in peril from the get-go: I slid & cradled her head from bashing against log beams in a tizzy.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Gutt demanded behind me.

"cramPain Blind Chefs!" Amy wRist-zisted my embrace with a limp raise of her hand - refusal undue my imposing. A second later, Cr@cKillzZ of voltage flung Anika flipping close to 10 meters, upending a table to shattering, & spiraling Gutt who was about to steady her nerves, dancing between chairs... lamps busted, disks ejected, wires sang, a pale slide dislocated, & the Duckano Jacuzzi sloshed twice over its lips. Nika's limbs stuck out around the edges, rest of her submerged in the crater of its bowl.

After a moment, she scrabbled against the slick surface, managing to overcome its obstacles, but remained simmering on the edge beneath flabbergasted faces & furniture. "We were trying to see... if my effects were weak or not!" she blubbered. Amy slumped in my arms after the surge, panting. Malibu sagged like a potato, without rising.

Our ever-pleasant Thug rolled up overhead like a General in a helicopter. "That's the proper way to make people show respect," Capone reflected.

"You crazy Fart#wad," I chipped in. "We'll let you get launched next."

"They weren't competinggg, ya Pig," asserted Falco.

Amy perked up her disoriented head, with foam in the corners of her mouth. "Oakeyy," she exhausted. "It was all... voluntary. Sorry Misteer Gutt, it was my idea. The, that intensity is... insanely irresistible."

"From that position," Assphault face suggested, "You certainly would be irresistible."

Fin drove the toe of a cowboy boot right into his shin. "Shut your filthy Pimp mouth!" & Dallas went hopping away from our circle, cursing.

Without even gloating, Fin crouched beside Amy, entreating if she had so much as a headache. I actually didn't know much about Hooksclot, so I was kinda confused when he didn't kiss her forehead or anything (but also relieved). Cause I didn't need competition gravitating toward the Amy I was planting deep in my Chest.

'Nika trailed back across the rings of carpet, profusely apologizing. She had glass in her arms, a swelling brow & fingers, an ear visibly laced with notches & one jean cuff hung by stitches. "I just amped it too long; It didn't work immediately! I had to visualize."

"You had her gagging," scolded Fin. "Get real!"

"Boy," Trent gazed, as a few sparks continued skittering from an arcade stand. "I guess we didn't need a flamethrower." I rolled my eyes into Earth's bowels - we had gone to so much trouble for it, yet so far only got to use it as an underground lantern.

Pheo breezed, "That could have been brutal as taking the claw in my neck..."

Gutt finally exhaled & rolled over, holding none other than his gut. I left Amy with Fin, and attended as Pheo helped my Senior worm his way up. His goatee was smudged with black patch#Tips. "How're the girls?" he huffed, taking both our arms with a shaky grip.

"Nika looks like a zombie," I informed. "I think Amy is coming out of the daze." We made sure Gutt had solid legs, before leggo of his shoulders.

Amy's springy voice bounced, "I only bit my tongue." For her snot stream, Trent provided a hanky from his britches.

"Holy smokes ladies..." Malibu leaned back, rolling shoulder blades. "It doesn't take much to knuckle a target under with those sorta pressures. And watch out, if hostility gets bitter enough, it's been known to internally backfire."

Anika parted her arms, irritated. "You couldn'ta mentioned that before?"

"I didn'Think you'd turn on each other," Gutt humored.

"Speakinggg of bad gagggs," Flavo suddenly pointed out, "I'm wonderinggg where that rank smell is bleedinggg from..."

"Prob just da Natch'rural sweat of a Rodeo show," claimed Buck.

The rest of us nearby sampled the spicy air. ~ There was indeed, a sour scent creeping underneath the smoky fumes. ~

Fin's Hook clotted with wrinkles. "Bah," he spat. "If that keeps up, I might turn on my gills & SWIM over to those Waste#$mugglers."

"Well," Falco reminded us, "Trent spit up not longgg ago."

Gutt's honker hopped about. "Almost smells like gas."

"It's growing ticker," Siggy noted. "Maybe bullets or bullies struck a pipe."

Just then Rovo slammed threw the Wooden doors, tripping over his own feet, with a boggled look on his face. "The Bugbear thing. I looked where it fell, but - The Carcass.. it," he groaned, & gripped the railing as if having a mental block. "It changed." As he slipped to rest immediately on the stairs, Pheo & Siggy reached out to cushion his thoughts.

Storm-ridden Jupiter. He couldn't even chronicle what he'd witnessed!

(Everyone except Amy & Fin +++accumulated nearer the Giant**** on the verge of fainting - distressful note'strings sk^pp:d across Rovo's thick lips, we couldn't pick out.

"What did you mean," implored the Tyrant, "By the beast changed?"

Ruby assumed, "He probably means it reassembled."

Rovo hastily pointed at Beck@Hemoth. "Not far off, hot dog..." he foamed. "Its skin peeled into bugs!"

Anika wiggled. "It does kinda smell faintly of old Hot dogs."

Trent grew wistful: "Hehe, I sauced the bogey's platter spicy good then." At that, a chain of hollow, clacking sounds pushed into our sensory. Trent's freckles retreated. "That can't be good."

Rovo covered his ears & doubled over his stomach: "The claws starteDetach rotating; It's bones went tunneling!...No business having more eyes," he driveled. "What are we gonna freaking do?" Pheo blanketed herself across Rovo, as he cast his shadow down at tiny steps in the floor. Others raised or regathered their guns, expecting to be disturbed.

"We gon' stand," proclaimed Buck with a heavy spit. "At's what."

"BlooDrained bone chimes," Rebecca muttered. "Folks, we may be dealing with necromancy. We're gonna have to entertain Conditions after all."

"Eassse up, dear?" Falco asked. "Denyinggg it was worth a chance."

"Everyone get u-" Ass'Phault plowed.

"MoniDoor the perimeter," Siggy drove, adjusted his rifle.

Capone fumed at him like a mudslide...

"Don't make any sudden moves," Becca warned, unlike last time. "Allow the Beast to vocalize itselFirst."

Capone ground his jaw at them.

I calculated how I might try to lance a rocky slash this time around, & pulled Gutt aside for refresher tips as we marched out. "Aim with your toes, tug with your tongue," he directed.

If the undead comments weren't surreal enough, how the Landscape was moving made my eyes ask themselves if they weren't experiencing waves of heatstroke.

Dry scraping noises blended in with deeper, thumping knocks. Near the edge of muddy mound, the ground began to sprout caramel spindles. A span of anomalies dragged earth with them, in what seemed to be a magnetizing churn, as dirt clung between these syrupy noodles.{It became apparent they were thickening into ropes, bending between knots, then over bundles.}

(Then water beyond the mound began to bounce in certain places, rather excitedly ~ -<_ gradually spewing Founts thrice the height of a man ~^#~ which commenced to triple-arch Across themselves ~!%)%! ). Half these Four`Mutations lasted slightly longer, until each produced green blobs that plopped down below surface, lurking beneath with refulgence ~ jerking through partial extensions like amoeba.< p>

"Soap me an inShorance policy," I heard Sigg blurt.

The marsh seemed to quake into a jig with comprehensive speakers. A haunt of chirps & whistles stirred, flaunted into slurs & grunts. It culminated into a dedicated Chant. Branches in the trees quivered, then meandered like flags on a post; some trunks twisted back and forth like rubber, even slanting o\ff-cen/te@r.

Syrupy figures coalesced out from the dank mound below us; vine-like tat,ters: The spindly flaps popped like joints out of socket, and the pile sluggishly... Seepa*Ray~Toyed . Two among the horde steePulled tall like hominids: two flourished long, while several remained distinctly hunched. As they ripened, one four-legger near the center was easily Out$welling the rest in girth.

"I'm itchin' ta sssling slugs," Saul stuttered. "But's dunno what I'd be aimin' at."

"Hmmm," Becca pondered. "Pledge-flow'Prancing: formidable, but not hopelessly menacing."

Trent anchored the Gasflamer & warbled. "This seems like a wonderful time to pound Freak-a-zoids with Hot Sauccce..."

"What did i say about being Rash°..?" Ruby lashed.

"Your Acid Belch didn't finish the Hazard," Pheo reminded, never unclipping her UZI. "So don't get antsy too early."

Ass-fault Face perched up a TumoRifle onto his shoulder. "Could carve about half 'em standing together that close."

Finley whipped around to face Dallas. "Those forms don't even seem solid. Really sure that's gonna 'complish helping?"

The presumptuous Captain's cagey eyes blasted like arctic winds, roaming the opinion. "Why give 'em a chance to solidify?"

Before he could officially decide a course of action, Siggy commented: "Wild parTease, need one Decorated license to unload on endangered species like dat fella."

He wasn't kidding. Center-stage had borne a Rhinoceros, wagging its horn imperiously. "That hide ain't hiding nothing delicate," shuddered Fin. "Horridly worse than zombies..."

"Son-of-a-bitch," Rovo seethed - just as the Rhino snorted. Pheo rubbed her brother's spine.

"Remember, thicc Boy," Trent offered Rovo. "You Prowley's can fly away. If it gets ugly, ya'll should do just that, to tell the tale."

"Dang-blangit," Buck prickled ever-fearlessly. "I done-been lookin' forward to zombie decapitatin', but I spy only one scaveenger tractin' a pack full o' Flies!" (He was alluding to an Upright Hellhound now formed with amber claws, & the way a cloud of fist-sized moths were swarming about the constellation of newcomers, yapping about with shriveled monkey heads). Duds then craned his neck, searching around for the displaced Steel Mitts. "Gimme back them righteous Steel Thunder Knuckles, already!" And he stomped off to grab the one he could see.

Contours continued to manifest.

The mucus crawdad gLobst'rocity that previously tried to chew Buck's foot away, crawled up onto the embankment, dripping, & stopped underneath a Boar of leathery wings snuffling up mud coils. (So today would mark the precedent of pigs flying.) Oops, not wings - a Stingray flicking an amber-studded Mace-tail. Two gigantic spiders popped out, to skitter along the swine's tusk... another drooled down the gangly Canine's elbow, the other darting between the hooves of a Painted Mare - whom donned the puckering face of a porcupine. Its mane was a wave of quills flexing all down the neck.

The central figure appeared most slender, with a strange scaly peach gown stretching atop double-bent knees & three silly-straw arms, in a far-cry from humanity. A green shawl having the poofy texture of moss, curled around a conical torso & transitioned into a navy blue-speckled mushRune. All that peeked out under the cowl was a flamingo-like beak. And underneath the hood, stood an Ear-y motion slipping back and forth against the fabric.

Something snared our attention overhead, which momentarily I thought was a displaced branch. It was a lot more compact: the narrow, flesh-stained maw of Cattle skull, bony edges darkly smudged, with undercurrent$ of beer-colored veins coiling along in the notches of Ram horns.

Dallas, Anika, and Amy made gasping noises. Siggy, Saul, & I choked. Trent & Pheo said, "What the Flap??" as Rovo sighed numbly for all our Battallion.

Gutt wretched, "Mother of craters," as Buck shimmied around the Deck pumping his Metal fingers, taunting, "Might learn me an Oversize Bull sum new tricks - such as Backflip." I couldn't believe he was spouting off in the face of a Brigade like that.

The Skullcap hovered down, silently, soaked in something dark, that I hoped was just mud. As it descended within arm's length of the Jelly-skirt entity, the silver Hood snapped back & the muzzle hurried to sink down over the entire Visage. It seemed an attempt to make sure facial features would risk minimal exposure. What I did manage to glimpse was perhaps an antennae or pincher on top; above Four <^trianguLARge^ > eyes that seemed to have telescopic pupil rings sTackeD: orange silver & yellow, pe@ked so sharply between the capping of Helm, that I winced away rejecting the vulnerability. Every one of us squinted away except Anika, Buck, & Gutterson.

~ After blinking away the sting of swirling orb packets ~* I scoped out the remaining intrigues about this Bone-$linger. The collar area bloomed in a regalia of frost-shaded berries fanning out & behind along the neck, a manner resem*Bling that of peacock feathers. They twinkled with raspberry, bloated with a bit of Nightshade & white that looked like dead doll eyes. In a way it almost seemed like a neck-brace, spell-bindingly attached to that Viking-like mantle.

The Peek*ox jaw slacked open like a drawbridge, and without lifting back and forth, permitted Pooled voices to gust at us - "Saddling a RUSE like that, I've come to suspect you are seasoned thieves! Although, perhaps the trick is simply that you have INTERCESSORS. We've now more EVENLY," it bobbed either horn-points sideways along the regiment of beasts, "Distributed the odds. Nevertheless, we INTEND to discover how heavy of Bulwarks you can dismanToil & reconfigure."