DING*
The elevator slid open, the four emerged straining against the weight as Ben and Van holding the white stretcher that was carrying the lady.
"We're here, boys."
Van and Ben hauled the stark white stretcher out of the elevator and onto the uneven wooden planks, their eyes widening, as they realized they were surrounded by log walls.
"Where are we?" Cedric asked.
"A cottage." Ben replied.
"Wow." Merlin whispered.
"Follow me boys, quickly!" Van said, rushing forward. They stood in front of the massive timber triage desk in the center of the room where the intake clerk is immediately suprised.
"We need help." Merlin said, still holding his staff.
The nurse stood up and took one look at the bleeding lady and shouted for backup. Within a few seconds, a team emerged from the room on the left branch, moving with practiced urgency as they transferred her to a gurney and wheeled her stretcher away. The team goes to the room that was branched off the right and a sign carved into the wood pointed towards the hidden ER wing. The doors parted and they bolted right away. The remaining four tried to enter but were forced to stay behind, left to pace anxiously or sink into the row of wooden chairs in the waiting area, listening to the muffled, frantic sounds of the doctors working on the other side.
With each passing tick of the clock, the surgeon finally stepped out. His bloody gown was already stripped, appearing in with his wrinkled green scrubs and surgical mask pulled down around his neck. He smelled faintly of antiseptic, his hands were scrubbed clean as he wiped a bead of sweat on his forehead and offered them a tired victorious smile.
"She's out of surgery,and she's going to be okay. You can breathe now." The doctor paused briefly, gesturing towards the reception area. "Don't forget to log your names in the folder on the surgical desk. The recovery nurses will need it to call you up the moment she wakes from the anesthesia." He stepped forward, pointing them directly toward the triage desk to finish the paperwork.
"Thank you." Van said.
"No worries, it's our job to help any patients." The surgeon said, walking away.
"I thought we were done." Cedric said, letting a heavy breath.
"I never felt that so uneasy." Ben spoke, his head slightly tilting, as he placed his left hand on his chest.
"And I felt somewhat relieved." Merlin said, gripping tightly on his staff.
"Boys. I know you all are exhausted, but we need to clear out the glade and neutralize the Sehorders before the nightmarers regroup up and retrieve them."
"I'm in," Ben took a brief pause. "I don't know why but i can't get off this uneasiness."
"I won't hesitate anymore. I can't let another person be hurt." Merlin said.
"That's my boy!!" Van said, smiling widely. "How about you!? Are you going to complain again!?"
"No. I'm just concerned as you all are. So... I'm in." Said Cedric. "But aren't we going to log our names?"
"I'll take care of that, just wait outside." Van replied, instantly going in front of the triage desk, then a few minutes, he finally goes outside, the moon was out, and sparkling stars covered the sky as he gazed upward, then he turned his gaze towards the trio who stood near the elevator, with Ben and Merlin holding their weapons.
"Where are your weapons?" Van said.
"You ate it remember?"
"Oh... Ok. Don't worry. Open both of your hands." Van said.
Cedric did what he was told to do, opening both of his hands, then Van brings his head closer, his face pointed on the open palms, Cedric who were curious also brings his head closer as he heard a slight noise coming from Van.
Van opened his mouth, and gagged out the two shurikens he ate.
"WTF!!" Cedric snapped while also disgusted, as the shurikens that were on his palm had saliva surrounding it.
"You are really a disgusting old man. WTF!!" Cedric said while he rushed forward inside the cottage.
Few minutes passed, Cedric stepped out with his shurikens washed and perfectly clean.
"May I ask why didn't you just create an illusion of the shurikens?" Ben asked, tone curious.
"It's part of my flaw young boy. I can eat small weapons and create that weapon to use it."
"How did you get your flaw?" Merlin asked.
"I failed two times in progression and it became a permanent side effect. But we won't tackle that as we need to get going now! Stop chattering and let's go!!"
The four entered the elevator. All remain silence.
An hour passed by, the elevator slid open facing the path they walked onto towards the glade, afterwards the elevator gradually vanished, as they looked back expecting the chained up Sehorders, they realized...
"We're late." Cedric said.
The four narrowed their eyes and saw three black figures who posed differently. The First one was sitting on the giant Sehorder's face, his left knee up. Then the second was on the right. Standing with his arms folded. Lastly, the one from the center was sorted on the body, both knees raised up and hands clasped together.
"If you had simply abandoned the woman to begin with, neutralizing these creatures would be an effortless task," the figure on the left said, his voice smooth and entirely detached.
Van let out a heavy breath. "Ey. We couldn't do that. I wasn't about to let the kids' empathy go to waste."
"Empathy," the figure on the right spat, resting his hands on his waist. "A pathetic weakness. Just die already, old man. Your time is long over."
"Enough," the center figure commanded, his voice low, raspy, and cutting through the tension. He scratched his head with aggressive, frantic fingernails. "What is our next move? You cannot escape this place."
Cedric shifted, lowering his voice to a tense murmur. "Are they... the nightmarers?"
"Yes," Van replied grimly."
Are you fools trapped in the past? That is not our name!" the right figure snarled, stepping forward. "Call us by what we are. The Ephialtes."