Cortex - In The Forest (Original Characters)

“Hey Alorik, I found some mushrooms for your soup!” Alorik glanced over at his co-worker and gave him the slightest of smiles. The kind that, if you weren’t focusing directly on the person’s mouth beforehand, could be missed entirely. “Well done, you can cut them up for me as well,” he motioned to the makeshift chopping board he’d made out of a few pieces of dry bark, “just cut them into thin discs.”

Smalex made the tiniest cut into the first mushroom before a wave of arcane energy blasted him backwards into Fixel, who was only just waking up from the concussion he’d received after the trio’s last encounter. Alorik stood over the pair with a smirk that made Smalex want to punch him, something he knew he would instantly regret doing (Alorik was the kind of wizard who wouldn’t hesitate to turn someone into a chicken for simply bumping into him on the street. In fact, Smalex was pretty sure he had, but that’s a story for a different time.)

“What just happened?” Fixel asked as Alorik pulled him up out of the dirt.

“Well you see, our dear friend Smalex here made the foolish mistake of picking _____ mushrooms, recognised across the continent as being the only sentient fungus to have ever existed.”

“How does that relate to Smalex flying into me?”

“You’re a sentient being, are you not, Fixel?”

“Last time I checked, yes.”

“How would you react if someone tried to stab you with a knife? Would you let them do as they pleased?”

“Well, no, I’d like to imagine I’d fight back…”

“I believe you just answered your own question.”

“I see.”

The two looked down at Smalex, who had been knocked unconscious after the blast. He almost looked peaceful, if it wasn’t for his bionic eye, which had now cracked and was leaking fluid, almost as if he was crying.

Alorik rolled his eyes, “First you, now Smalex… I suppose I’m next in line for an impromptu nap…” Fixel kneeled to examine the eye, “I guess I’m going to have to fix that… Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Those mushrooms give off arcane energy right?”

“Correct.”

“And you can sense arcane energy?”

“Indeed I can.”

“So, you could have warned Smalex about the mushrooms?”

“Probably.” Alorik smiled, as he walked off to continue cooking.